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“Eliza Bennet, how dare you try to entrap dear Louisa’s husband. Did you think you could get away with a tawdry liaison under our very noses?”

It was nothing but a bare-faced lie. But Elizabeth’s vehement denials were ignored. She had read Virgil in her father’s study and even in that moment she saw the truth of his quote.

‘Rumour, swiftest of all the evils in the world. She thrives on speed, stronger with every stride, slight with fear at first, soon soaring into the sky.’

All her adamant denials were for naught. Elizabeth was now barely containing her temper.

“Get that thing out of my room. Stop gawking like a collection of Bedlam inmates on a day out. My robe!”

The last was to the maid who hurried to hand Elizabeth the requested garment.

Two footmen, both barefoot but at least wearing trousers helped Hurst to his feet and carried him into the hall. Elizabeth, now covered by her robe grabbed Jane’s hand and bodily hauled her into the bedroom. She then proceeded to slam the door in the face of everyone else.

“Miss?”

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment before facing the maid.

“There is nothing more that you can do other than try and get some sleep. Given the state of the door, I will be sleeping next door with my sister. We will use the servants’ passage and slip next door. Goodness only knows how long that lot will loiter in the hall.”

With a final curtsey she slipped away; the Bennet sisters were on their own.

“What happened?”

Jane’s simple two word question had no such easy answer.

“I do not know, at least the start of it. I awoke to the door slamming open, a door I locked when I retired for the night. Hurst stumbled into the room just in time to catch the door flush in the face.”

Elizabeth allowed a note of satisfaction to slip, briefly, into her voice.

“The impact of the door appears to have broken his nose and he flopped onto the ground, bleeding everywhere and shouting the house down. The noise awoke the house, everyone proceeded to gather in the hall and you heard what that vicious harpy Caroline Bingley had to say.”

Elizabeth knew she was in deep trouble when Jane did not immediately support her but rather asked.

“Why was Mr. Hurst in your bedroom Lizzie?”

It was at that moment Elizabeth knew it was imperative she talk to her Uncle Philips as soon as he was breakfasted, mayhap even before. She had to get Caroline Bingley’s slander slapped down immediately. But she could already feel her heart beating ever faster in her chest, panic starting to grip her. Staring at Jane with a look of profound disappointment she merely replied.

“I do not know. I told you I only awoke with the door slamming open.”

She looked at her sister, as if seeing her for the first time.

“You should go to bed.”

“Are you going to join me?”

Elizabeth wasn’t denied but there was no warmth in the offer.

“No, I am going to stay here. I will be leaving at first light to walk into Meryton. I need to speak to Uncle Philips. When I return to Longbourn Mama can decide how you are getting home.”

She walked Jane the half dozen paces along the servants’ passage but left her at the door before returning to her own room.

--

It was a terrible night. She dressed immediately but then restlessly moved about the room her mind flitting about, unable to settle. Her most persistent task was to not descend into a spiral of panic. But she had to calm herself so many times that it was almost a lost cause. She distracted herself for a while by packing her trunk but the hours of darkness still seem to stretch beyond the norm.

She must have eventually dozed for a little while because she woke with a start. Stepping quickly to the window and peering to her right, the east, she saw that there was a trace of lighter sky. Grabbing her spencer Elizabeth decided to use the servants’ stairs and to leave that way, rather than be faced with a locked front door.

It wasn’t a mistake but it let her know how serious the problem was. She had known some of the staff all her life, but no one would look her in the eye, other than Mrs. Nichols the housekeeper. Panic started to grip her again and she fled down the corridor and out the back door. She didn’t run to Meryton, well not the whole way, but she did not tarry. The journey never had seemed so long and yet was over in a flash. She came upon the reassuring presence of her Uncle’s office, the residence on the floors above.