“As far as I can see there is nothing of great concern; Miss Jane has a bad cold. There are no signs it is influenza or is in her lungs,” Jones addressed the younger Miss Bennet, “she needs rest to recover, and make sure she drinks and takes nourishment.”
“How soon may Janey go home?” Elizabeth asked hopefully. She was well aware as long as Jane was in residence, she would be also.
“I am afraid, not until she has had a full four and twenty hours withnofever,” Jones replied. He did not miss the way Miss Lizzy’s face fell. “Come now Miss Lizzy, you are warm and comfortable and Miss Jane will be well. It cannot be so very bad being hosted at Netherfield Park, can it?”
“No, I suppose not,” Elizabeth responded unenthusiastically.
First, Jones handed Elizabeth three bottles and gave her instructions on when and how much to give her sister. He closed his bag, rolled down his shirt sleeves, donned his jacket, and then bowed to the two young ladies before exiting the room where Mr Bingley was waiting. Jones told the man what he had told the ladies regarding Miss Bennet’s prognosis.
“Of course, Miss Bennet must not attempt to go outside until it is safe to do so. She and Miss Elizabeth are welcome for as long as they need to remain here,” Bingley told Mr Jonesemphatically.
Mrs Hurst, with a maid in tow, arrived outside the Bennets’ suite soon after Mr Jones had taken his leave. Bingley repeated what he had been told regarding Miss Bennet’s health. “Where are Hurst and Darcy?” he enquired of his sister.
“They are playing billiards. Go join them Charles, you are doing no one any good wearing holes in the carpeting in the hallway,” Mrs Hurst recommended kindly.
Bingley took his sister’s advice and she stood watching him until he was on his way down the stairs. She then knocked on the door to Jane’s bedchamber. The maid who had been in the chamber overnight answered the door. Mrs Hurst sent the girl to go sleep as she would be replaced by the maid who had arrived with herself. She and the maid slipped into the room with the latter closing the door. Louisa noticed that Jane was sleeping once again and Lizzy—with dark rings under her eyes from lack of sleep—smiled at her weakly.
“Lizzy, I will sit with Jane for now, and Hannah will be here when I am not. You need to go sleep,” Mrs Hurst admonished lightly. Seeing the protest forming on the younger woman’s lips, Louisa continued. “What good will you be to Jane if you are taken ill and cannot tend to her at all?”
As much as she did not want to admit it, Elizabeth knew Louisa had the right of it. “Peace Louisa, I will go rest.” Elizabeth stood and took a couple of steps towards the door, stopped and turned back towards her new friend. “I will be summoned if there is reason, will I not?”
“On that you have my promise,” Mrs Hurst assured Lizzy. “If you do not wake before, I will make sure a maid wakes you for dinner.”
Elizabeth nodded and made her way into her bedchamber. Louisa had assigned her a maid who helped her change out of the dress she had been wearing since yester-morning. She did not even bother to don one of her nightrailswhich had arrived from home, she wore only her chemise and climbed into the bed. Almost the instant her head touched the pillow, she was fast asleep.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two hours later, Kindle returned to her mistress and handed her a map which showed her how to navigate the servants’ passageways and which door to take to enter Mr Darcy’s suite. Caroline handed over the banknote without delay and dismissed her maid.
Entering the domain of servants was disgusting to her, but in this case, the ends justified the means. Miss Bingley decided she would wait until at least one o’clock in the morning, when everyone in the house, save a few footmen on duty, would be asleep. The men who would be posted in some of the corridors would not impede her plan as she would not be in the hallways she would otherwise use. She planned to wear her most revealing nightgown, and to take some other steps, so there would be no doubt she was thoroughly compromised. She was certain as soon as Mr Darcy saw her shapely body he would not be able to resist her anyway.
By the time Miss Bingley was happy she had everything planned out perfectly, it was a half hour before the midday meal. She rang for Kindle and was soon on her way down to the dining parlour feeling happier than she had in a long while.
“Have you told your maid to begin packing your trunks?” Bingley asked when his younger sister glided into the room. He could not remember a time she had looked so content.
“You meant that? Very well, I will have my maid begin to pack after the meal,” Miss Bingley averred lightly. ‘I will have her pack as I will make sure my Mr Darcy will take me to London as soon as we are engaged so I may lord my triumph over all of those doubting Thomases!’ she thought with a sly smile.
If any of those noticed the change in her attitude, theydid not remark thereon. “Lulu, how is Miss Bennet?” Bingley enquired.
“When I left her chamber to come join you for the meal Jane was sleeping, albeit a little fitfully, but her fever was low,” Mrs Hurst replied. “Subsequent to the meal, I will return to sit with her while Miss Elizabeth also sleeps.”
“Why should you do so?” Miss Bingley sneered. “Is that not what Miss Eliza is here for?” She could not help herself when she had a chance to ridicule the second Bennet daughter.
“Because Caroline,” Mrs Hurst averred, “Lizzy was awake all night with Jane, and only found her bed to sleep when I relieved her this morning. It may be a foreign concept to some, but there are those who place the needs of others above their own.”
Darcy was impressed. This showed a strength of character and devotion to those Miss Elizabeth loved; that her love once bestowed, was of a selfless variety. He did not expect she would be seen downstairs until her sister had made a significant improvement. In his mind’s eye he could see what a good sister Miss Elizabeth would be to Gigi if he made her his wife.
It was at that moment he realised he would not be rejecting the principals his parents left him with if he married Miss Elizabeth. He had always thought only of his father saying he should make a brilliant match, without remembering how both his late mother and father had defined said match, as one which was based on love and respect, and not wealth and connections. Mother had spoken of her expectations for his future partner when he was a lad of but ten summers. It was after his Aunt Catherine had visited and attempted to browbeat her sister into agreeing to a betrothal between Anne de Bourgh and Fitzwilliam Darcy.
As he remembered the incident, he recalled how his father had ordered Lady Catherine to leave Pemberley forunsettling his Anne’s equanimity. With this realisation, Darcy had more facts than before to refute his aunt’s ridiculous lie. That of course, did not count Uncle Reggie also knew there was no truth to his sister’s claims.
He was snapped out of his reverie by the shrew’s grating voice. “You are a simpleton to befriend them, Louisa, they are so far be…” Miss Bingley stopped. She remembered what occurred each time she pointed out her superiority over the Bennets, and all of the bumpkins in the area. She closed her mouth and said nothing further given her desire her roots not be pointed out to Mr Darcy once again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth was having the best dream when she awoke to some gentle shaking of her shoulder. It was the maid Louisa had assigned to her. “‘Scuse me Miss, but Mrs Hurst told me to wake you,” the maid stated softly.
“Thank you, Gladys, what time is it?” Elizabeth enquired.
