The carriage looked the same, but rather than their ten-year-old selves, they were both the age they were now. It was just the two of them standing next to the coach, no team of four bays, no Hector and his cart, no Sir Lewis, and no injured footman.
“Anne, how can I do everything you asked of me when I know you are close to the end of your life in the mortal world?” Elizabeth protested. “How am I to continue without you?”
“Lizzy, did we not discuss this very thing when you made me your promises? When you live, I live. My body is broken and will soon not be able to carry on, but as I told you in my letter, I will livewithin you. I will always be in your heart! I will be with Aunt Anne and Uncle Robert in heaven and we will all watch over you. When Papa joins us, he will be another who will keep an eye on you.” Anne approached Elizabeth and held her hands.
Her touch was warm, not cold and clammy as Elizabeth remembered from the times she held Anne’s hands in her chamber at Oak Hollow.
“The only way you will betray me and my memory is if you ever give up! I do not want you to do that. If you do I will haunt your dreams every night!”
“I am so sorry Anne; I promise you; I will begin to honour my word to you in deed and spirit as well as word. Before you go, what did you mean for me to be careful of your mother?”
As soon as Elizabeth made that promise, and before she could answer the last question, Anne disappeared.
Elizabeth woke up in a cold sweat, every moment and word of the vivid dream emblazoned in her memory.
“You win, Anne, I will not sit andmopeany longer.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth woke again before the dawn.
The dream was still replaying in her head. “I heard you, Annie. If you took the time to come see me in my dream in addition to your letter, I will not fight it any longer,” Elizabeth said to her chamber.
She dressed herself in her hunter green riding habit, with the special split skirt for riding astride, and made her way down to the stables after a detour through the kitchens where Cook presented her with a freshly baked muffin and roll wrapped in a cloth.
On arriving at the stables, once she fed Hector and Penny a carrot each, the groom and stableboy who had begun their day not too long before she arrived, saddled the mare with a men’s saddle. At this time of the morning, her fatherallowed her to ride astride on Longbourn’s land.
By the time Elizabeth was mounted the groom was waiting on a gelding to escort her for her ride.
Once into the fields, Elizabeth allowed Penny her head as they thundered across the ground. The groom and his gelding fought, and failed, to keep pace with them. A mile from Oakham Mount she slowed Penny to a canter, then a trot, and finally a walk. At the base of the hill, once the groom had assisted her to dismount, Elizabeth handed her mare’s reins to the lad and made her way up to the summit.
She made directly for the rock facing the east in time to see some of the sun’s rays fighting to be seen above the horizon. It was an almost clear day with only a few clouds moving from north to south. The closer the sun came to breaching the horizon, the more colours were reflected off the sparse clouds. It started with reds and purples, but soon it was silvers, golds, and yellows. As the sun broke above the horizon, Elizabeth extracted the cloth with her treats wrapped in it from the habit’s jacket pocket.
She broke the roll into three and popped a piece into her mouth and savoured the taste. Once it was chewed and swallowed, she repeated the same with the other two pieces.
Next was the muffin, except she divided it into quarters.
With the sun beginning to climb above the horizon and the freedom she felt sitting on the hill watching it, she finally understood why Anne had given her the charge she had—twice.
“I know you are with me Annie,” Elizabeth placed one of her hands over her heart, “and you always will be.” In that instant she renewed her promise, not only to Anne but to herself, that she would live her best life for both of them.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two days later Elizabeth was at Oak Hollow for thealloweddays. She related her dream and the change in herdemeanour since it would amuse Anne.
With a wide smile on her face, Anne wrote her a note:
I told you I would be with you!
Elizabeth knew Anne was funning with her and laughed. Anne just gave her an unreadable look with a knowing smile.
Chapter 23
Of the three men who were on their way to Netherfield Park on Monday morning the first day of October, two were very keen to arrive while the third was reserving his judgement.
Bingley was much in anticipation of being master of his own, albeit leased, estate. His aunt had arrived in London as scheduled and she sat across from him now as his coach travelled the final miles before they reached Meryton. Aunt Hildebrand was a lady who was efficient and would not allow anyone to push her around. She was his father’s youngest sister and had never been inclined to marry. She was one of the few people who intimidated Caroline.
Thoughts of his younger sister were the only thing which could spoil his good mood. He shook his head as he thought about all of her entreaties to be the mistress of his leased estate, or at least one of the party. He had roundly refused her. There was no doubt her reasons related to her hopes for a future as Mrs Darcy. Bingley shook his head. Caroline was the only one who refused to see her pursuit of Darcy was pointless. The object of his thoughts was riding in his own coach with Fitzwilliam.
