“My cousin,” I said. “Her name is Anne.”
“You have romantic feelings towards her?”
“Not a jot,” I said with a sigh, looking out at the lower level of the dilapidated house below us. “Why are we talking of this?”
“I don’t know. You brought it up,” she said.
“So I did,” I muttered.
Then we said nothing for several long moments.
“We shall simply stay as we are, and a search party will find us by and by,” said Elizabeth. “It will not be that difficult todiscover where we are. After all, both the Bingley sisters saw us go off into the woods.”
“They did not see that,” I said. “They saw us go off down the path. You veered off the path into the woods after we were far out of their sight.” I furrowed my brow. “But it is odd that Caroline didn’t come after us. She would despise this.” I looked over at Elizabeth, sitting in the doorway there, both of us trapped quite close to each other.
“Why?” said Elizabeth.
“Come now, Miss Bennet, as I have just explained, she is jealous. The way she must think of it, I was hers and then you came along and eclipsed her in my affections.”
Elizabeth scoffed. “I wish you would stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“Saying you have affection for me or attraction or what-have-you, for I know you do not.”
“Well, I suppose not,” I said. “Affection, that is. We hardly know each other. And you are, forgive me, rather the least proper woman I think I’ve ever met.”
“Oh, how could that be? What a gross exaggeration, sir!”
“Perhaps,” I agreed, chagrined. “That is, then, I have obviously met women who were far less proper than you. Actresses and rebellious widows and… but amongst young women of your age, madam, you must own you do not behave as if you are very worried about finding a husband.”
“I shall not find a husband,” said Elizabeth. “I have made my peace with that a long time ago.”
I turned to look at her. “What? That’s mad. Why would you say that?”
“You are aware of the situation in my household?”
“No, I have paid very little mind to that, I’m afraid.”
“Well, you have noted that I do not have any brothers.”
“Ah,” I said. “Your house, it is part of an entailment?”
“Clearly,” she said. “My fatherisa gentleman.”
“Yes, apologies, truly.” I thought about it. “So, then, who is the estate to go to?”
“I haven’t any idea,” said Elizabeth. “It’s not something we talk about, but the fact that we have never met the person, I don’t believe it bodes well for my mother and us girls.”
“You think this man, whoever he is, will simply turn you all out after your father’s death?”
“He would be within his rights, once he takes possession of Longbourn.”
“But certainly that is the behavior of someone with a cold heart.”
“Or the behavior of someone who has no ties to the people who live in the house he now owns.”
“Even if it comes to pass, it is surmountable,” I said. “Some kind friend will take pity on your mother, and you girls will all find husbands—”
