“Thank you for reminding me.”
“It does not seem to bother Mr. Darcy,” Jane said playfully.
“No, of course not. It makes me easier to carry,” Elizabeth retorted with an exaggerated eye roll.
“But Lizzy,” Jane said gently, placing her hand on Elizabeth’s arm, “I am sure that you could not have been so flippant with Mr. Darcy when he came to your aid.”
“Indeed, I was not. But Jane,” Elizabeth said, patting her sister’s hand, “while Mr. Darcy and I are no longer at odds, you must see that he could never pursue the sister of a man who has done such harm to his own. Even if he did mean to renew his addresses last summer, Lydia’s behaviour has certainly put an end to any wishes he may have had on that score.”
A little line appeared above the bridge of Jane’s nose. “Did you wish for him to renew his addresses, Lizzy? When you spoke of him upon returning to Longbourn in August, you said that you did not.”
“Jane, I have done something rather stupid.”
“This sounds serious.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and clasped her hands in her lap. “I am afraid that I have fallen in love with Mr. Darcy.”
Jane gasped. “What?”
“And I believe it is possible that he is still in love with me. But he could never ask for my hand. Not with Mr. Wickham as our brother.”
Jane thought this over. “Charles would be his brother, too. Certainly that would even the scales.”
Could the good outweigh so much bad? Elizabeth shook her head. It was too much to hope for.
“Well,” Jane said, standing up and shaking out her skirts, “if he is not brave enough to ask when your silly sister is wed and far away, then he does not deserve you.”
“He does not,” Elizabeth declared loftily in an attempt to banish the gloom that was gathering. “For who could?” She and Jane smiled at one another, but Elizabeth was soon yawning.
Jane stood to ring the bell.
“Kerr, is the bed warm?” Jane inquired, raising her voice.
The maid removed the bedwarmer. “Yes, ma’am.”
Elizabeth stood to make her way over to the bed, climbing in after Jane peeled the sheet and blanket back. Elizabeth pulled the quilt up to her nose and felt as warm as she had in Mr. Darcy’s greatcoat.
Jane tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. Elizabeth closed her eyes, thanking God for giving her such a wonderful sister and asking forgiveness for her ingratitude. For she would have preferred a different nurse.
“So, your little game has been discovered,” Bingley said with a half-smile, dropping onto the settee in Darcy’s chambers andgiving Darcy an elbow in the side. “Jane and Lizzy now both know you are here.”
Darcy groaned. He lifted his feet to the ottoman and held out his feet to the fire. Scripps had quickly located a pair of thick wool socks and slippers large enough to put over them before he bore Darcy’s hessians away. Darcy was feeling a good deal warmer and now felt at leisure to contemplate his position.
“It is your own fault, you know,” Bingley scolded him in jest. “You would have had an easier time of it had you not hidden away last night. Now they know you were in seclusion and will wish to know why.”
“Because of Miss Bingley, of course. By the by, why did you not tell me that Elizabeth Bennet was residing here?”
Bingley appeared confused. “I thought you knew. We spoke of my sister . . .”
“We spoke of the sister we have always spoken of. Miss Bingley.”
“No, we specifically spoke of the sister you wanted to avoid. You have never avoided Caroline.”
“What? That is not true.”
Bingley lifted both eyebrows. “When have you ever sought to eschew Caroline’s company, other than last night? Even after you snapped at her at Pemberley, you did not avoid her before you left. Lizzy, on the other hand—you did not come in time to attend the family dinner, and you removed yourself from the wedding breakfast rather quickly. Besides, you are forever arguing with her.”
Darcy cast his thoughts back. As much as he dreaded Miss Bingley’s company, he had never really avoided her. It was the cost of a friendship with Bingley, and he believed the friendship was worth it.
