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Elizabeth Bennet usually woke before the sun rose. This morning she woke with a start seeing the sun streaming through the cracks in the curtains in her bedchamber. No one had come to wake her.
At first, she panicked that something had happened with Jane during the night and she had slept through all. With that feeling of guilt pervading her, she threw her robe on and made her way to Jane’s bedchamber as fast as she was able.
“Good morning, Lizzy,” Jane greeted when her sister burst into her chambers. “I trust you slept well?”
“Jane…you look very well; did you not have a fever during the night? Why did no one wake me earlier?” Elizabeth queried as she began to relax at noticing how cheery Jane looked.
“I am perfectly well, Dearest. I did not wake with a fever in the night and had none this morning,” Jane reported. “As to why you were not woken, that was at my request. You have spent the last few nights at my side and have not had nearly enough sleep.”
In order to satisfy her lingering worries, Elizabeth approached Jane and placed her hand on her sister’s forehead. Much to her pleasure, Elizabeth felt no fever, Jane’s forehead felt as it always did when her sister was well.
“Janey, I am so happy. That first night…” Elizabeth choked up as she remembered her fears that night. A few tears escaped her eyes.
Jane took her sister’s hands in her own and squeezed them reassuringly. “Please pardon me for causing you such grave concern.”
“Only you Janey would apologise for that over which you bear no fault,” Elizabeth gave a watery smile.
“What say you we get dressed and descend the stairs to join the residents in breaking their fasts? I have had enough eating on trays,” Jane suggested.
Elizabeth happily kissed her sister’s cheek and made for her own chamber to dress. It was a great day; Janey was truly well and they would return home on the morrow.
Chapter 10
Bingley could not contain his joy when Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth entered the breakfast parlour. He and Darcy stood as the ladies arrived. It had just been the two of them as his younger sister and the Hursts had not yet ambled into the room.
“Miss Bennet, it is such a pleasure to see you up and about again,” Bingley effused. “Are you sure you are well enough to be out of your chamber?”
“Thank you for your care for me while I was recuperating under your roof, Sir,” Jane responded evenly. “You may rest assured I am well and have had no fever since yester-afternoon. I must say I feel well enough to call for our carriage to come collect me and my sister today.”
“D-did not Mr. Jones say you were to remain indoors for one full day with no fever before you chance the elements?” Bingley reminded his angel.
She had been in his home for some days now, but never in his company. He was hoping Miss Bennet would remain for this day so he would be able to spend some time with her, hopefully getting to know her better.
Charles Bingley was self-aware enough to know in the past he had fallen in love and then out of love just as fast, with ladies he had called his angels. He was also sure his feelings for Miss Jane Bennet were far deeper than any lady before her. It was not only her outward beauty. She had an inner beauty as well and he very much wanted to learn more about her to see if, as he suspected, he had at last found the lady who would share his future.
The task ahead of him was not an easy one. He had to somehow divine Miss Bennet’s feelings for him. The problem was she was a very proper, demure young lady who did not wear her heart on her sleeve so he was cognisant it would not be easy to detect whether or not she had tender feelings for him.
“That he did,” Elizabeth interjected. “As such, we will send a note to our mother to send the carriage to collect us on the morrow.”
“If you wait another two days, we will be happy to return you to your home on Sunday after church,” Bingley tried.
She looked to her younger sister first who nodded. “As much as we appreciate your kind and generous offer, Elizabeth and I have imposed on your hospitality for long enough. Also, we miss our home, as I am sure you can understand.”
The truth was, had they not been so curious to discover what had caused the change in their mother’s disposition—something they prayed was not fleeting—the sisters may have been amenable to remaining for a few extra days.
He did not want to be seen as pressuring his guests to remain in his home so Bingley receded. “Then, at least, we will be able to spend time with you, both of you, today,” Bingley stated.
Darcy was somewhat confused while both happy and sad at the same time. It pleased him the temptation who was Miss Elizabeth Bennet would be removed from his immediate notice in less than a day. For that self-same reason, he was also sad.
What confused him was the willingness, no more than that, the keenness of the Bennet sisters to return to their home while refusing the offer to remain at Netherfield Park for a few more days. As he was convinced Miss Elizabeth had noticed his marked attentions to her, he was sure—like most debutantes in theTonor Miss Bingley—she would have grasped at any excuse to remain in his company.
The same was true for Miss Bennet and Bingley, but even with a direct offer to remain, Miss Bennet had demurred. It was most perplexing. Darcy knew it was a conundrum he would need to take time to solve.
As far as he remembered, he had always been right about this kind of thing before so it was an uncomfortable feeling of not being sure of the truth of the matter.
The Bennet sisters had just helped themselves to food from the chafing dishes on the sideboard when the Hursts and Miss Bingley—the latter’s grating, high-pitched voice preceding her—entered the breakfast parlour.
