Finally, Jane could take no more, and feigned a headache in order to escape. She assured Elizabeth that she needed no assistance finding a footman to accompany her on the stairs, then instead of the stairs, she made for the music room, where she found Miss Darcy and her companion Mrs Annesley. The young lady was exceedingly shy, but she was Jane’s equal on the pianoforte. The two of them played duets for nearly two hours. Colonel Fitzwilliam joined them when he returned from shooting with the men, the four of them made merry, and a great deal of fun was had.
Later that evening, after she had laid down to rest for an hour, she dressed in a charming evening gown loaned by Mrs Bingley, and allowed Daisy to do her hair. She felt quite content with her appearance, and her progress at least on finding out what happened to Elizabeth and Darcy, even if not being any closer to learning how to get home. When she entered the drawing room she found the entire company present, including the Bennets, who had been invited to dine.
Mrs Bennet was still obviously mistrustful of her, but Jane was thrilled when Mr Bennet brought her attention to a small stack of volumes that he had brought with him for her to inspect.
“You must already be quite bored of my son-in-law’s library,” Mr Bennet joked as he escorted her to the dining room a short while later, earning him a glare from his wife as he seated her by his side. “So I brought a small selection, for your perusal. You may leave them with Lizzy; she will return them. She is the only one with permission to enter my library.”
“Not Miss Mary or your younger daughters?” Jane asked sharply. “Iam not quite certain where I came by this notion, Mr Bennet, but I was just overcome with a thought that my father always felt that the house’s library belonged to the entire family, and existed for everyone’s edification and entertainment. How sad that your family is not allowed.”
“You remember your father?” Mr Bennet asked eagerly. “Do you know his name?”
“I cannot say.” Jane shook her head.
“You cannot say, or you cannot remember?” Miss Bingley snapped.
“What is the difference?” Elizabeth sneered at Miss Bingley.
Oh dear, I fear I never intended such fierce rancor.Jane wished she could do something to fix that situation as well, but she feared Miss Bingley was irredeemable.
“The difference is a person who openly admits what they can or cannot remember, rather than instead seemingly putting forth a great effort not to lie, resorting to such answers as:I cannot say, or,I have never been to Meryton in my life.” Darcy said from the other end of the table. “I am not calling you a liar, Miss Jane, I only wish to caution my friend and his wife to take careful consideration before placing their blind trust in a complete stranger that appeared out of thin air.”
“I say, you are all going to owe a tremendous apology for having been so horrid to this poor lady when we finally locate her family. Darcy, I am surprised at you,” Bingley interrupted irritably. “Of course Jane and I have discussed and considered carefully all of the risks involved in opening our home to a stranger, and our decisions are our own. Miss Jane, I cannot apologise enough for the abominable behaviour of some of our other guests.”
“Please do not apologise, Mr Bingley, you have good friends and relations who worry and care for you a great deal. I cannot take offense at that.” Jane tilted her head in acknowledgement. “While I find Netherfield Park positively charming and elegant, and you and your family kind and generous, I confess that I am terribly anxious about the reports of highwaymen, and am worried about how I became separated from my family. Anxious and worried people often say things that can be thought insulting, and I am surprised thatIhave not slipped and spoken thoughtlessly out of perturbation many times over. I cannot fault your loved ones for caring and worrying about you.”
Mrs Bennet was insistent. “But how do we know that you are not a spy? Or a woman of ill-repute? Or… or… or agoverness!”
“Oh no,anythingbut a governess!” Elizabeth cried, as the party roared in laughter. “What on earth is wrong with governesses?”
“What if she is just some poor person looking for a better situation than she deserves? She does not look like amarried woman, if you ask me!” Mrs Bennet put her nose in the air and sniffed.
“I beg your pardon, but what does a married woman look like, other than she often wears a lace cap, which Miss Jane did possess when we found her? She only does not wear one now because it was ruined by her fall, and none of the ladies here wear a cap to lend her. If she had been wearing a wedding ring, it might have been stolen from her, if she were the victim of highwaymen.” Elizabeth frowned at her mother.
“I must point out that if Miss Jane were a spy, she would by now have attempted to charm either myself or Colonel Fitzwilliam out of our military secrets.” Captain Arundel lifted his glass to the colonel. “Has she made any charming attempts your way, Fitzwilliam?”
“Not so much as a repulsive attempt, I assure you.” Fitzwilliam made a mock salute to the naval man. “It is most disappointing. Would not a spy be exciting, Arundel?”
Jane grinned. “You wound me, sir. Must I now bear the shame of not being suspicious enough?”
“This is all very diverting, I am sure, but I would rather discuss fashion. Miss Jane, do you at least recall your taste in gowns? Or is your amnesia so severe that you no longer know muslin from taffeta?” Mrs Hurst asked airily.
Jane smiled. “I do recall my taste in gowns, I prefer those that fit, and suit me in colouring.”
Mrs Hurst blinked. “How…practical.”
Elizabeth smothered a snort of laughter, for that last had certainly been a barb at the attire of the Bingley sisters. Mrs Hurst was impossibly well endowed, but her modiste rarely allowed her gowns the necessary room for her bust, and Miss Bingley was always wearing an unflattering colour; always.
“It is rather difficult to believe that you remember nothingof your own connections.” Mrs Hurst brought the subject back around to Jane’s memory of her origins. “Do you really recallnothing?”
“Only that I have a great many brothers, which may explain my indifference to frivolous nonsense, madam.”
Mr Rupert spoke up. “Perhaps the Lord has seen fit to give you a fresh start. A chance to forge new friendships and new fortunes. Or perhaps the Lord has seen fit to bless Mr and Mrs Bingley with the opportunity to begin their life together in a manner worthy of God, opening their home to the foreigner amongst us, and loving them as themselves.”
“Or perhaps she is seeking the opportunity to cause trouble,” Mrs Bennet muttered.
“Mama, please, that is quite enough!” Mrs Bingley chided gently, but rather impatiently.
Mr Darcy studied Jane carefully. “It is not unreasonable to grant Miss Jane the benefit of the doubt. If she truly has lost her memory, she cannot be expected to answer questions to our satisfaction, Mrs Bennet.”
