Create Your Own JAFF Adventure – Post 5

Thanks for joining me on our Create Your Own JAFF Adventure! Just starting? You can catch up on previous posts collected here: https://austenvariations.com/category/sarah-courtney/ . Last week, the injured Mr. Darcy, currently safe in the care of the Gardiners’, asked for his sister. Readers voted that Elizabeth should go herself to fetch Georgiana, so this week’s story will start there.

If you’d prefer the third person version, you can read it here. There’s a link at the bottom of the intro part that will jump you to the newest part. Just don’t forget to come back and comment to tell me what Elizabeth should do next!

You approach the door at the address Mr. Darcy provided and smile confidently at your companion. Miss Hammerlin, the governess for the Gardiners’ children, is anxious about the etiquette of approaching the house without being acquainted with Miss Darcy. In other circumstances, you would share her hesitation. But Mr. Darcy is concerned for his sister, and his sister ought to know that her brother is injured and at the Gardiners’ house. For all you know, Miss Darcy may be expecting him to arrive at any moment.

At your knock, a butler appears in the doorway. Tall and slightly stooped, he somehow still conveys the impression of a man with his nose elevated almost as much as Caroline Bingley’s.

“I am afraid, madam, that the family is not at home.”

Before he can close the door, you blurt, “But Mr. Darcy is injured at my aunt’s house, and he has sent me to bring Miss Darcy to him.”

The butler’s bushy eyebrows rise a notch. “Neither Mr. nor Miss Darcy is currently available, madam. Good day.”

Before he can make another attempt to close the door, you thrust a card at him. “Please, take this. It is the location where Mr. Darcy is recovering. Even if you do not believe me, you must at least tell Miss Darcy where her brother is.”

The butler takes the card as if it is some sort of dung beetle you shoved into his hand, but at least he took it. A moment later, the door shuts in your faces.

“Unfortunate,” Miss Hammerlin murmurs. “I do understand, of course. He must be protective of his mistress, and our story is a bit odd. But Miss Darcy must be told.”

“Perhaps I should have sent a note after all,” you muse. “But would she not be likely to ignore that? Do you think she is really away from home, or not at home to us?”

“It makes little difference in the end,” Miss Hammerlin says.

“I suppose.” You hate to return to Mr. Darcy and tell him you failed. Is he the sort of man to grow angry? He must have other relatives who are more likely to act on the information. Wait, did Mr. Collins not mention that Mr. Darcy is the nephew of his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh? She lives in Kent, though, not London. Perhaps Uncle Gardiner can write to her by express. She may be able to be in London by tomorrow if he sends it soon.

“We will have to return to the house for now,” you tell Miss Hammerlin. “Mr. Gardiner may have returned at my aunt’s summons, and he may have better luck in sending a note to Miss Darcy, or Mr. Darcy may have another relative we might notify.”

Your return to the house is subdued. Aunt Gardiner greets you at the door, peering behind Miss Hammerlin. “She did not come with you?”

You shake your head. “She was not at home.”

“Disappointing, but not shocking.” Aunt Gardiner shakes her head. “We will have to tell Mr. Darcy immediately. I convinced him to rest, but he is anxious for his sister and cannot be at peace.” She smiles at Miss Hammerlin. “Thank you for your assistance.”

“Of course, madam.” Miss Hammerlin curtsies before hurrying upstairs to her charges.

When you reach Mr. Darcy’s sitting room, Aunt Gardiner knocks. The door is opened by a footman Aunt Gardiner set to keep an eye on her guest.

As you enter, Mr. Darcy, who was resting on a comfortable chair with his eyes closed, wakes with a jerk.

“Miss Bennet!” He sits up straight. “My sister?” Just as Aunt Gardiner did at the door, his eyes strays past you, looking for Miss Darcy.

“I am afraid that she was not at home,” you say. “Have you any other relative we might summon?”

“Not at home?” he repeats. Pushing against the armrests, he rises to his feet, wobbling alarmingly. “Where is she?”

“Mr. Darcy!” Aunt Gardiner exclaims, rushing to his side. The footman hurries to support him from the other. “We are doing our best to fetch her for you, but you must sit down! Heaven help us if you should collapse.”

“It would take a great number of footmen to get you back up,” you quip, regretting it instantly when his eyes flicked back to yours. What must he think of your teasing when he is in pain? “I am not certain if she was truly away from home or if she was not at home to us. We are strangers, after all, bearing odd tales about you.”

Mr. Darcy nods and then winces, holding his head. He slowly lowers himself back into the chair.

“Of course. I should have thought of that, but I was not thinking straight. My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, is stationed at the barracks. If I may have a pen and ink, I will write a note that will convince him to find Georgiana. I should have done so from the start.”

Aunt Gardiner promptly supplies him with paper and writing implements and the letter is duly written. Once it is, and dispensed with a footman with careful instructions, she becomes stern.

“Mr. Darcy, your cousin will receive the message and retrieve your sister. However, it will all take some time, and you are recovering from having your brain considerably jolted. Mr. Bartley insisted that you must rest as much as possible. I insist that you remove to your bedchamber and lie down, even if you cannot sleep. Your sister will be here as soon as she may be, and you may be assured that I will inform you as soon as she and your cousin arrive.”

Mr. Darcy meekly concedes, to your surprise. Given his arrogance in Meryton, you would never have imagined he would take orders from a tradesman’s wife, but his injuries must leave him more compliant than he would ordinarily be.

Once you are back downstairs, Aunt Gardiner has another request.

“Lizzy, would you go with Miss Hammerlin to the park? I would usually accompany her, since the children can be a handful once they see the ducks, but I really think I ought to remain here to greet Mr. Darcy’s cousin and his sister if they should arrive sooner than expected and, of course, in case Mr. Darcy has need of something.”

You nod slowly. You don’t like to leave while Mr. Darcy is in such a state, but truly, what is he to you? A gentleman you do not even like with whom you have a trifling acquaintance. Not only have you imposed on Aunt Gardiner without prior invitation, but you have brought along trouble to her household. The least you can do is to help with the children.

“I would be happy to.”

The children are bundled into warm clothing with the expertise of a governess who is very accustomed to frequent trips to the park. Perhaps a little too bundled, according to the children’s protests, as the day is not very cold considering the season. Soon enough, you are hurrying to the park, you trotting ahead with the older ones while Miss Hammerlin tries to keep up while dragging little Michael, whose legs are shorter than those of his siblings and who is all too prone to being distracted by an interesting leaf or animal dropping.

A breeze makes you shiver, and you remember that Mr. Darcy spent the morning lying on the ground before the coachman found him. How lucky he is that it was not raining and that it is not as cold as Novembers typically were.

You worried a little that your cousins would scatter in four different directions upon arrival at the park, but thankfully they find a game they can all play together. Margaret and Cecilia almost immediately find friends to play with, reluctantly including Andrew in a game of chase. Michael eagerly runs after them, pumping his little legs in an attempt to keep up and almost toppling over every time he changes directions.

A group of men walking by on the path catches your eye, and you study them as they pass. Wait, you know that man . . .

Just as you recognise him, he looks up and catches your gaze. His face breaks into a grin, and he says something briefly to his companions before breaking off from the group.

“Miss Bennet!” he greets you jovially. “I am surprised to see you in London!”

“A pleasure to see you, Mr. Wickham.” After curtsying, you gesture to the children and Miss Hammerlin, who stands a little distance away. “I have come to London to visit my aunt and uncle.”

“I had not know you planned to visit. When last we spoke, you talked of the ball at Netherfield Park.”

“The ball was last night, and it was a delight. My father sent me to London today.” You almost say, “After an awkward proposal from Mr. Collins,” but Mr. Collins, irritating as he is, does not deserve to have his rejected proposal made public outside her family.

“Today!” Mr. Wickham’s eyes light up. “I am especially pleased to meet you, then, as I have been in London these past several days. What news do you have from Hertfordshire?”

For once, you can understand why Lydia takes such delight in being the first to find out every tidbit of news. Mr. Wickham will be shocked to hear of Mr. Darcy’s appearance on the road. While Mr. Wickham is too kind to take delight in another’s injuries, he must feel at least a little vindicated by his enemy’s misfortune.

“Mr. Darcy . . .” you begin, but then you stop.

Although Mr. Wickham is a good and honest man, you cannot deny he was a little indiscreet in the past, to tell you so much of his history with Mr. Darcy so quickly, although of course that was his own story to tell, not gossip. If you swear him to secrecy, will Mr. Wickham keep the news of Mr. Darcy’s situation to himself?

“Mr. Darcy?” Mr. Wickham asks, eyebrows raised. “What of him?”

He is expecting something surprising about Mr. Darcy now. But what should you tell him?

Should you:

tell him that your coachman found Mr. Darcy on the road and brought him to the Gardiners’,

or

tell him that Mr. Darcy asked you to dance at the Netherfield Ball?