“In that case, I thank you for yourwarmhospitality, Miss Bingley, and you too Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth decided. She would feel much more at ease to know she was the one who would be there to take care of Jane’s needs, and there was no doubt it was Jane’s preference as well.
The note was ready in a matter of minutes and handed to the maid. As he had promised to do, Bingley dispatched it as soon as it was handed to him.
Darcy was proud Bingley had taken his sister to task for her despicable treatment of guests under his roof. At the same time, he was both glad and trepidatious the bewitching Miss Elizabeth would be residing in the same house as he was, even if it was for only a matter of days.
He would have to remain strong and push his feelings to the side. She was not an appropriate woman for him to attach himself to—for himself, for his family honour, or for Giana’s future match and that was all there was to it.
‘I must keep reminding myself of that else I offer for her in a moment of weakness,’ Darcy told himself silently.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When Mr. Jones stopped by and delivered his diagnosis of Jane’s malady, both Bennet parents had looked somewhat embarrassed. Neither felt like he or she could enquire if either Jane or Lizzy had shared how it was Jane had been riding Nellie when the weather clearly indicated rain.
Fanny and Bennet had to live with the knowledge they had directly contributed to their daughter’s illness. One by her machinations and the other by his inaction. Before either could begin with recriminations after the apothecary took his leave, Hill entered the study and handed his master a note.
“It is from Lizzy. The Bingleys invited her to remain and nurse Jane back to health. She requests we send a trunk with some of her clothing,” Bennet informed his wife.
Fanny’s first instinct was to rail against her second daughter being there to distract Jane and Mr. Bingley from being in company, one with the other. She admitted to herself no one helped Jane feel better when she was sick than Lizzy. She could not understand her second daughter, who was her least favourite of her five daughters, but that did not detract from the fact Lizzy was an excellent nurse.
“Mrs. Bennet, may I point out to you while Jane is sick, Mr. Bingley will not spend any time with her. He will not be allowed in the bedchamber of an unrelated lady, so although our daughter is in his house, it will not further your aim of throwing them together,” Bennet pointed out.
“I will go supervise the packing of her trunk,” Fanny stated ignoring her husband’s last words. At least it gave her an excuse to escape the study and having to hear Mr. Bennet remonstrating with her about sending Jane on Nellie when they had both known the horses had been available for the carriage.
Within the hour, the trunk—containing more clothing for Jane as well—was on its way to Netherfield Park.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet picked up the most ridiculous letter he had ever received from his desk not long after his wife departed the study. The letter was from one William Collins, the heir presumptive of his estate, thanks to an entail to heirs male Bennet’s great-grandfather had instituted.
It was his greatest regret he and Fanny had never been blessed with a son. The entail ended with the generation after Bennet so had they a son, there would never have been the danger of the estate, which had been in the hands of Bennets since before the Magna Carta, being inherited by one other than a Bennet.
If Mr. Collins was as much of a dunderhead as his letter seemed to indicate, Bennet was sure it would not take the simpleton long to drive the estate into bankruptcy. The man was a clergyman who had been preferred to the living of the parish of Hunsford in Kent.
Not only could Bennet not understand how this brainless twit had managed to gain a living, but it was unfathomable the man had finished basic schooling, never mind university and then taking orders.
The man’s patroness was one Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who he seemingly revered even above God. The letter exuded pomposity with his distant cousin under the misapprehension being a clergyman made him far higher than he was.
At the same time, Bennet could see from the way and what he wrote that the man was a sycophant of the highest order. Like he had over not interceding between his wife and Jane before the latter’s ride in the rain, Bennet felt a tinge of guilt over having responded to the man’s letter in the affirmative knowing how he would laugh at his family’s discomfort.
The idiot wrote he wanted to heal the breach in the family—caused by his own miserly, illiterate father—and come and admire his fair cousins. How Mr. Collins knew his daughters were comely Bennet could not fathom as the man had never met any of his distant cousins.
The guilt he felt was because Bennet was aware of how much enjoyment he would have watching the man try to offer hisolive branchto the family. Bennet knew this meant the man intended to choose a bride from among his cousins.
Unless one of his daughters was adamant she wanted to marry his cousin—and even then he may not give his consent and blessing—he would not agree to them attaching themselves to such a man.
The problem would be his wife. He was sure as soon as he mentioned who was coming she would loudly and vociferously remonstrate with him about the unfairness of the entail. As soon as she heard he intended to marry one of her daughters, all would be forgot and then the nodcock would be her favourite person in the world.
He would never allow Jane or Elizabeth to attach themselves to such a man. The only one who would possibly suit was Mary with her quoting—usually out of context—scriptures and passages fromFordyce’s Sermons.
The day he told his wife of his cousin’s coming, Bennet knew he would need to talk to Mrs. Bennet and have her be sure she was to direct the parson at Mary, or one of the two younger girls, but under no circumstances towards Jane or Lizzy.
With that decided, Bennet poured a half glass of port and took up his book once again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The first evening nursing Jane, Elizabeth chose to order a tray for dinner in order to remain with Jane for the rest of the night. Jane’s fever was building once again, and her sister felt as hot as Elizabeth could remember her feeling during any prior illness.
Elizabeth sent a note down to Mr. Bingley to request Mr. Jones be called back. Not long after there was a knock on the door to the hallway. Elizabeth opened the door and much to her great surprise it was Mr. Darcy standing without.
