Her mother pursed her lips. “I do not know why you should say it in that way, as though I have done something wrong.”
“You have certainly been too busy to reply to Papa’s letters.”
“Nonsense. I sent a note saying I had arrived safely.”
“Yes, to Lydia.”
“Well, your father would not have read it if I had sent it to him. You know how he is.”
Elizabethdidknow how he was—and she knew how her mother was. Neither of them was behaving accordingly. It was excessively disconcerting. “Will you not send him a quick note to let him know you are well?”
Mrs Bennet gave a vast sigh. “If you insist.”
“I am sure he would appreciate it. You might give him an indication of when he can expect you home.”
“I can hardly do that when I do not know myself.”
Elizabeth frowned. “But…how much longer can you mean to stay?”
“As long as Mrs Randall needs me.”
“Mary, Kitty, and Lydia need you too.”
“They will do perfectly well without me for a while longer.”
The very real prospect that her mother did not wish to return home reared into Elizabeth’s mind, and she sat back in bewilderment. This, she comprehended, had been what her father was worried about.
“Papa needs you.”
Mrs Bennet scoffed derisively. “Your father has no needs beyond peace and quiet, and with only three out of five daughters at home, he ought to have plenty of that.” She flicked her handkerchief as though to dismiss the matter out of hand. “Now, tell me what I missed at Christmas. How was Lady Lucas? I should not be surprised to learn that wretched daughter of hers has moved in while I have been away.”
Elizabeth was too baffled by the change of subject to sidestep it. “None of the Lucases have visited Longbourn since you left. And Charlotte will be wed soon and away to Kent. She has invited me to visit her there in March.”
Mrs Bennet turned up her nose. “I should not go if I were you. She only wants to show off the home that would have been yours, had you married Mr Collins.”
“Mama, I?—”
“And what of your Mr Wickham? Why have you left him to come here?”
Elizabeth suppressed a growl of frustration; her mother did not seem in a humour to be told the blame was hers, so she said only, “I came to accompany Jane.”
Mrs Bennet faltered, losing a measure of her bluster and inhaling and exhaling unevenly. “How does she do?”
“She has been very low. But all is not lost—she has gone to call on Miss Bingley today.”
“What? No! No, that will be a complete waste of time! I told you—she would do much better to forget the whole family and find another suitor.”
Elizabeth was disconcerted by her mother’s sudden urgency. “Why the change of heart? You were adamant he was the best match for her.”
“It was Mr Bingley who changed his mind. Your sister needs to accept that and cease clinging to false hope. It will not do her any good.”
“I do not agree that her hope is false. Nobody could, who saw them together at his ball?—”
“One moment, Lizzy. I hear someone calling me.”
Elizabeth had heard nothing and watched incredulously as her mother rushed to the door and opened it to call out, “Juliette? Is that you, dear?”
Inaudible mumbling could just be made out, followed by the sound of someone running up the stairs.
