It was not the time to think about it now, but Elizabeth was sure Mr Darcy was being genuine and not just reciting platitudes. There was only one concern in her life now, nursing Jane back to health.
After greeting the apothecary, and the three stopping to hand their outerwear to the butler and a footman, Darcy showed them to the suite Miss Bennet was occupying. Heunderstood when Miss Elizabeth ran into the bedchamber without taking her leave. That she was so concerned for her beloved sister only added to her attractiveness.
“Oh Janey,” Elizabeth cried when she saw her sister’s pallid complexion.
“Lizzy, you are here,” Jane croaked.
“There is no other place I would rather be,” Elizabeth responded as she squeezed one of Jane’s hands. She could feel how listless Jane’s grip was, and her hand even felt warm to her. “Mr Jones is here, Janey; he will examine you and we will know how to help you recover. Do you want some water to drink?”
Jane nodded her head weakly, and Elizabeth poured some water for her. The maid assisted her sister to sit up, and then she held the glass while Jane drank slowly. After a few sips, Jane was lowered back against the pillows. Mr Jones began his examination after removing his jacket and hanging it over the back of a chair. As always, his examination was comprehensive, he felt her forehead, looked at her eyes, and placed his ear close to the patient’s mouth in order to listen to and feel the strength of her breathing.
The last thing he did was request Miss Elizabeth and the maid assist Miss Bennet to a sitting position once again. Once she was in position, he put his ear at her back and listened to her lungs. From where she was holding Jane, Elizabeth could see that Mr Jones was frowning as he moved his ear around on Jane’s back after each time telling her to take deep breaths. Not wanting to worry her sister, Elizabeth refrained from any exclamations until she had a chance to speak to Mr Jones in the suite’s sitting room between the two bedchambers.
Once all was done to his satisfaction, the apothecary and doctor in one person, redonned his jacket, put his implements away in his bag, and extracted some bottles which he placed on top of the dresser. “Thank you for being such a good patient, asalways, Miss Jane. Suffice it to say I would prefer never to have to examine you,” Jones quipped. “Miss Lizzy and I will speak, and I will explain to her which elixirs to give you and when.”
Jane nodded her head, but it barely moved. “I will be back with you very soon, Janey.” Elizabeth tried her best to sound cheerful. She followed Mr Jones into the sitting room. He pulled the door closed once she had entered the room. “Mr Jones, I saw your looks when you listened to Janey’s lungs. What has you concerned?”
“You remember I told you I thought I detected noises which led me to conclude Miss Bennet’s lungs had been damaged after her bout of influenza?” Jones stated, and Elizabeth nodded in response. “It was easier to hear the crackling sounds today. Miss Lizzy, I pray I am wrong, but unless your sister makes a dramatic improvement, she may not…”
The tears ran down Elizabeth’s face. “Do not dare to say it, Mr Jones. It may be true, but I am not ready to hear the words,” Elizabeth sobbed.
Having treated her practically since her birth, and being a married man with children almost as old as Miss Lizzy, Jones pulled the young lady into a comforting hug. “There there, Miss Lizzy, we will pray for the best,” Jones told her soothingly. “You will remain here to superintend your sister’s care, will you not?” Elizabeth gave a watery nod. “If I am needed, send for me any time of the day or night.”
With that, Jones explained how and when to use the drafts he had left behind. Afterwards he went to go speak to the master of the estate who he found in the study, with his friend, Mr Darcy.
“How does Miss Bennet?” Bingley asked concernedly.
“I wish I had better news, but I am not as optimistic as I would like to be. The infection has settled in her lungs, and I think she is on the knife’s edge of developing pneumonia,”Jones asserted.
“Mr Jones, if, let us say, Miss Bennet stood in her wet clothing for some time before being allowed to go and change and warm herself in a hot bath, and then rather than being allowed to get dressed warmly, or rest in a warm bed, she was given a thin summer day dress, and forced to wear wet footwear. Would that have contributed to her illness?” Bingley asked.
Charles Bingley still could not believe what he had heard from the butler, housekeeper, and servants about the way his sister had treated Miss Bennet. While accusing Miss Bennet of malingering, she demanded her guest join her for dinner where she proceeded to harangue the sweetest woman Bingley had ever met. It had not been easy, but he had, with Hurst’s assistance, extracted the truth from Louisa.
“It was the riding in the rain and cold, something which I can assure you was not Miss Bennet’s choice, which made her sick. That being said, what you described could have very well exacerbated the illness, it may not have, but I suspect it would have,” Jones opined.
“Would it be helpful if I sent for my physician from London?” Bingley enquired.
“And mine as well,” Darcy volunteered.
“It would certainly not hurt, Gentlemen,” Jones replied, “however, you may not know this, but I am both an apothecary and a doctor. A small community like this one would not be able to support two men, but one who is both…”
“Then we will defer to you,” Darcy said. Bingley nodded his agreement. “If you tell us it will be useful, we will send for the men from Town.”
Bingley happily paid the fee, although he wished it had never been needed. Jones bowed to the two men and took his leave. As soon as the door closed, Bingley turned to his friend. “I never thought Caroline this bad.” He shook his head. “It isone thing when she thinks herself above those she is below, but this! The complete selfish disdain for the feelings of others, no more than that. She cares for no one but herself and has less compassion in her than Miss Bennet has in the tip of one finger.”
All Darcy could do was nod. Like Bingley he had not wanted to think anyone could behave as callously as it had been reported the youngest Bingley had. As much as he disdained her, he had not thought she cared so little for the welfare of others. Time was fast approaching for him to have his Aunt Elaine let it be known the shrew waspersona non grata.
Like Bingley, Darcy believed Miss Bennet would eventually recover, although it would be a longer road thanks to Miss Bingley’s cruelty.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Fanny Bennet could not absorb what her husband was telling her. Due to being caught in the downpour during her ride to Netherfield Park the previous day, Jane was ill, and from the sounds of things it was more than a trifling cold. It took her some minutes, but she soon began to recover.
At least Lizzy was there to nurse her sister back to health. In Fanny’s mind someone as beautiful as Jane would recover, and she would soon be home with her family, but engaged to Mr Bingley. The thought her manoeuvring would result in Jane’s engagement, went a long way to sooth Fanny’s attack of conscience. She was not pleased Jane was suffering, but it was as she planned: Jane was at Netherfield Park, and she would be in Mr Bingley’s company often.
Being one who had not been raised a gentlewoman, and having rejected the lessons her late mother-in-law taught her, Fanny was not aware that as they were not married, propriety forbade Mr Bingley from visiting Jane in her bedchamber, and certainly not when she was in bed.
“Mama, the militia is arriving today, may Kitty and I go into Meryton to meet the officers so Mr Denny can introduce us to them,” Lydia requested.
