“Just on five, Miss Bennet,” Gladys averred.
She had slept seven hours! Elizabeth had to admit that she felt wonderfully refreshed after her sleep. She blushed as her stomach objected to not having any sustenance since she had broken her fast in the morning.
“Mrs Hurst wants to know if you will have a tray with your sister or join the family in the dining parlour,” Gladys enquired.
She knew avoiding Mr Darcy was silly, but she reasoned it was because she did not want to be away from her Janey. “If it is all the same to Mrs Hurst I will take a tray with my sister in her bedchamber. I would hate to leave her unattended.
The maid said nothing about knowing another maid would be seated with Miss Bennet if the lady she was serving temporarily went down stairs and joined the other residents for the meal. If Miss Elizabeth desired to remain with hersister, who was she to gainsay the lady. Gladys assisted Miss Elizabeth to dress and then bobbed a curtsy and went to deliver the message to the mistress.
Elizabeth walked through the shared sitting room and into Jane’s bedchamber. The maid who had accompanied Louisa in the morning was seated and darning some stockings.
“If you would like to go to the servant’s hall to eat, please do,” Elizabeth told the maid, I will remain with my sister now as I will take a tray in this room.”
The maid expressed her gratitude, bobbed a curtsy, and made for the servants’ door. Elizabeth looked at Jane, who she noted was far less flushed. She was well pleased and understood why Louisa had not had her woken before she had. There had been no reason to do so; Jane was on the mend.
“Janey, you look so much better,” Elizabeth cried. “How are you feeling? Have Mr Jones’s drafts helped you?”
“Combined with the willow bark tea Mrs Nichols brought me, I am feeling much better,” Jane assured her younger sister. “The pain in my head and throat have almost subsided, and my fever is close to gone.”
“That is good, but I must be vigilant tonight as your fever often rises as the hour gets later,” Elizabeth reminded her sister. “Has your throat improved enough that I may request a tray for you as well?”
“Thank you, Lizzy, I would enjoy that,” Jane agreed gratefully. “It will be better than the broth I have had today.”
Elizabeth rung for a maid and requested a second dinner tray.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Overdressed in one of her signature orange dresses, Miss Bingley swept into the dining parlour and surveyed those within. She was well pleased to see none of the Bennet chits were present, especially that Miss Eliza.
As would be expected, the men stood on her entry and waited until she took her seat. Miss Bingley waited at her chair in the hope Mr Darcy would come over and pull it out for her. It was a footman who did so. She schooled her features when she sat. She was so close to gaining all she desired so there was no reason for any conflict now. She wanted Mr Darcy and the rest of her family relaxed and unsuspecting.
Caroline smiled to herself. Only a few more hours and everything she had dreamed of would be hers.
Chapter 11
As Elizabeth had slept so many hours during the day, she was having a hard time trying to sleep that night. Jane had insisted Elizabeth not sit up with her through the night, thanks to her beginning to feel better. Elizabeth decided she needed something boring to read. To that end she tied her dressing gown tightly around her and slipped her feet into the pair of warm slippers which had arrived with the trunk from Longbourn.
If she was not concerned she would wake up Jane, she would have gone to check on her sister again. The last time she had done that, Jane had told her checking close to ten times to make sure she was well would suffice, hence that was not an option for her to pass the time.
Elizabeth cracked the door from her bedchamber leading into the hallway. She looked both ways. Other than a footman stationed further down from her door, as she expected so close to midnight, she saw no one else. Candle in hand, she slipped out and made her way to the stairs, and then padded down them silently. Louisa had told her where the library was but had warned her the shelves were largely empty so the selections were sparse.
If Elizabeth could find some treatise on agriculture, she was sure it would put her to sleep. When she reached the base of the grand staircase, she nodded to the footman on duty in the entrance hall, turned towards the master’s study, and then pushed the door in the alcove open, which was to the right of the study. It gave a little creak as it opened. Strangely enough there were candles alight within.
Darcy had been reading in the library—one of his own books as his friend was not a reader and had almost nothing worth reading—when he had dropped off to sleep on the settee against the one wall of the room. He had left his jacket and waistcoat in his chambers, so although his cravat was in place, his upper body was only covered by his shirt. The creak of the door woke him with a start. He could not imagine who would be in the library in the middle of the night.
That was when he saw a vision of beauty. Miss Elizabeth entered the room, a candle in hand and besides the fact she looked delectable, she looked confused. Of course, Darcy realised she had not expected to find candles lit, hence the candle she had with her. He cleared his throat to alert her to his presence.
The unexpected noise caused Elizabeth to freeze in place. She could hear her heart beating in her ears from the fright of encountering someone here. She could only pray it was nothim.
“Miss Elizabeth, I did not think anyone else would seek the solitude of the library at this time of the night,” Darcy said as he stood.
Not only was it Mr Darcy in the library with her, but like the previous time she had almost run into him, he was in an indecent state of undress, and she was able to clearly see the shape of his torso thanks to the candles flickering behind him. Her traitorous mind told her what a fine specimen of a man he was.
“I did not imagine I would see anyone here at this time, especially not you,” Elizabeth spat out. She knew she was being impolite, but given their relative states of dress, she could not help herself. She began to turn.
“If I may, there is something I must say to you…” Darcy stopped as she glared at him. He had thought to use this rare opportunity of having her a captive audience to beg her pardon. But she interjected.
“Mr Darcy, neither of us is dressed for discourse. Good night, Sir.” Elizabeth turned, and fled back the way she had come, running until she reached her bedchamber. She almost slammed the door, but stopped herself at the last moment. She quickly turned the key and leaned back against the door breathing heavily waiting for her fluttering heart to slow down to a normal rate.
