The little girl nodded but still did not smile. Indeed, to Jane’s eye, she looked veritably terrified, no doubt as undesirous of being above stairs as Caroline was to have her there.
“Lizzy, I see that you mean well, but might it not be better to have Bess attended to in the servant’s quarters?”
Elizabeth looked at her sharply.
“Allow me to recommend you heed your sister’s advice,” Caroline cut in. “Your…generosity, far from being viewed with the appreciation for which I am sure you are striving, will much more likely scandalise the entire household.”
“You must not concern yourself for my household, madam,” Elizabeth replied and looked as though she might have said more had the entrance of servants with refreshments not forestalled it.
The little girl’s eyes could not have opened any wider when she beheld the selection of cakes set before her. Jane found the length of time she took to choose one, assessing each with close scrutiny, remarkably endearing. At Elizabeth’s request, the child gabbled an animated account of how she had come to be lost, spraying crumbseverywhither as she spoke. Jane could not help but smile despite Caroline’s indignant disgust.
Before very long, however, Elizabeth remarked that the child’s family must be worried and that it was time for her to return home.
“But I don’t know the way,” the girl whimpered.
“I shall not send you off alone,” Elizabeth assured her. After peering briefly from the window, she added, “Indeed, I shall see you back myself. A walk would be delightful in this weather. Will either of you join us?” she enquired, looking at Jane and Caroline.
There was a pause; then Caroline answered very slowly as though speaking to a simpleton. “You wish us to accompany youon footto what I can only presume is a farmyard?”
“Pardon me,” Elizabeth replied, her tone even but her eyes flinty. “I recall now you are not fond of walking. Of course, you must not feel obliged. Jane, will you come? Bullscroft is but a few miles away.”
“Well…” Jane faltered when Caroline rolled her eyes. “Think you it is quite proper, Lizzy? Ought you not to send her with a footman?”
“I assume your answer is no,” Elizabeth replied coldly.
Jane could think of nothing to say that would not displease one of her sisters; thus, she said nothing. Elizabeth stood and beckoned for the child to do likewise. “Then I shall leave you both in peace.”
“I suppose we ought to be grateful she did not decide to bring the little wretch to the picnic,” Caroline said after they were gone. “I doubt Mr Darcy’s neighbours would be quite that forbearing.”
Jane shivered, though whether from the gust of wind that blew in from the garden or the vague and unwelcome sense of guilt, she could not be sure. She asked a servant to close the doors and excused herself from further conversation to read a book. After four chapters, she began to wish she had joined Elizabeth on her walk, but she was saved from her ennui when Miss Darcy arrived, looking for her sister.
“She walked out,” Miss Bingley informed her. “She ought to be back soon, for she must have left an hour ago, and we all know what an excellentwalker she is.”
Miss Darcy appeared troubled by this, and the reason soon became clear. It was raining and had apparentlybeenraining for above quarter of an hour. As though to mock Jane for not noticing, the heavens then lit up, and an almighty clap of thunder filled the air, a detonation that was further punctuated by the banging of the saloon door against thewall as it was thrown open to admit the gentlemen, returned precipitately from their sport.
“We were rained off!” Bingley cried, shaking droplets from his hair. “Deuced storm blew in from nowhere!”
“And Lizzy is out in it!” Miss Darcy cried.
Mr Darcy halted mid-stride, his entire carriage stiffening in alarm. “Why? Where has she gone?”
After sending Jane a fleeting look of triumph, Caroline relayed to him the events of the morning. Jane glanced at Bingley, then away again, ere the picture of his distress lodged in her mind. To her consternation, when Mr Darcy announced his intention to ride out and escort Elizabeth home, Bingley offered to join him.
“That is not necessary,” his friend replied. “She will be almost home by now. I beg you would entertain the ladies in my absence. I shall not be long.”
He left before there could be any argument on the matter. Miss Darcy also excused herself to arrange for a hot bath to be drawn for her sister. Thus, in no time at all, only Bingleys remained in the saloon, the male of which drifted to the window to stare at the rain.
“I sincerely hope sheisalmost home. It would be most unfortunate were she to take ill.”
Jane told herself good manners made his concern necessary. Such she had been telling herself for most of the visit. Whenever he laughed at one of Elizabeth’s jokes, showed interest in any of her pursuits or expressed gratitude for her hospitality, it was all attributable to common courtesy. That did not stop her wishing Elizabeth would tell less diverting jokes, have less interesting pursuits, or be a less entertaining hostess.
“She has greater things with which to concern herself than the possibility of catching a cold,” Caroline scoffed.
Bingley turned to face her. “Such as?”
“Such as her respectability. I have said before that her behaviour shows a shocking indifference to decorum.”
“AndIhave said before that it shows a level of affection for others that is very pleasing.”
