Mysterious Mr. Darcy Chapter 7

For those of you who’ve been asking — here is the last chapter I’ll be posting on Austen Variations. The good news is — I’m expecting the book to be out on FRIDAY March 9th. Huzzah! It’s been a bit of a rough three weeks but all’s well that ends well (I hope).

Meanwhile, if you haven’t been following the story, here’s a chance to catch up. You’ll need to start with the Prologue here, then Chapter 1 here, and Chapter 2 here,  Chapter 3 here, Chapter 4 here, Chapter 5 here, and Chapter 6 here. Have fun!

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Chapter 7

Two days later, as the Bennets were taking tea and refreshments, the footman entered with a note addressed to Elizabeth. She took it from the silver salver, surprised. The seal was plain and marked with a B.

Mrs. Bennet’s eyes sparkled with pleasure.

“Well, Lizzy, who is it from? What is it about? What does he say? Make haste and tell us.”

“Give me a chance to read it, mama.”

Breaking the seal, Elizabeth unfolded the note.

My Dear Friend,

If you are not so compassionate as to dine today with Louisa and me, we shall be in danger of hating each other for the rest of our lives, for a whole day’s tête-à-tête between two women can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can on the receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are invited for cards and we are excluded.

Caroline Bingley

Her immediate reaction upon reading the note was astonishment. When had she become Miss Bingley’s ‘dear friend’? Why, they had hardly exchanged more than a dozen words! The Bingley sisters must be in an agony of boredom to have invited her.

“Well?” prompted Mrs. Bennet.

“It is from Miss Bingley. I have been invited to dine at Netherfield.”

“Just you, Lizzy?”

Elizabeth nodded. Mrs. Bennet squealed with delight.

“I knew it!”

Mr. Bennet looked up from the book he was reading.

“Has Mr. Bingley proposed?”

“You know he has not, Mr. Bennet. But Lizzy has been invited to Netherfield.”

“’Tis not what you think, mama. Mr. Bingley and the other gentlemen will not be there.”

Elizabeth almost laughed at the disappointment on her mother’s face. It did not last long, however. Mrs. Bennet recovered quickly and began to make plans.

“Never mind. We will turn the situation to our advantage. We will contrive to have you stay over. But how?” She stood up and went to the window.

Kitty fell into a fit of coughing, and Mrs. Bennet turned on her irritably.

“Can’t you see I am thinking, Kitty? Have you no consideration?”

“I don’t cough for my amusement, mama.”

“Then do it somewhere else.”

The coughing fit ended, and the room became silent, the ticking of the clock a monotonous rhythm in the background, along with a particularly bad piece Mary was practicing in another part of the house. Elizabeth re-read the letter twice and considered whether to accept. She did not relish the idea of spending the evening with the Bingley sisters.

“I have it!” said Mrs. Bennet after several minute’s reflection. “You will walk there.”

“Walk there? Mama, look at those clouds. It is going to rain.”

“Well, of course it is going to rain, silly child. That is the whole point. That way, you will be compelled to stay over.”

“That won’t work. They will offer to send me home.”

“Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley’s chaise to go to Meryton; and the Hursts have no horses to theirs, so you cannot return until the gentlemen are back. If they play cards until late, you will have to stay overnight.” Mrs. Bennet thought about this some more. “And if you will pretend to be ill—”

“I will not pretend to be ill, and I have too strong a constitution to actually fall ill, so it’s no use hoping for it. I had much rather borrow the carriage. Papa, can you spare it?”

Mr. Bennet, who had been following the conversation, surprised her by not coming to her assistance, as she would have expected.

“The carriage is needed on the farm, Lizzy. I’m afraid I cannot.”

She shot him an incredulous look. Was he conspiring with her mother?

“There is nothing I can do, Lizzy. If we had known about it yesterday, I would have made other arrangements, but it is currently in use. You can always turn down the invitation and go another day.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I think that would be best. If they really wanted to invite me, why could they not have sent a note yesterday?”

“Turn down the invitation!” Mrs. Bennet sputtered indignantly. “Turn down the invitation!” she repeated. “You must be mad. No one turns down an invitation to Netherfield! You will go upstairs and get dressed at once, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I will hear no more of this nonsense.”

Lydia spoke up. “If you do not wish to go, Lizzy, I will go instead. I do believe Mr. Bingley likes me, and with a little encouragement—”

Elizabeth would not put it beyond Lydia to show up at Bingley’s doorstep. “Absolutely not! Promise you will do no such a thing.”

“I don’t see why you must have Mr. Bingley all to yourself. It isn’t fair.”

“In any case, I will not have Mr. Bingley all to myself,” replied Elizabeth, trying her best to be patient but failing miserably. “The ladies are dining alone.”

“As mama said, you can always linger. I would know what to do.”

Elizabeth had no doubt she would.

“Enough,” said Mr. Bennet, sounding more stern than usual. “You may be one of the silliest girls in England, Lydia, but you will not embarrass us all by setting your cap at Mr. Bingley. Lizzy, you must go. I will lend you the cart, if you wish. I will have the men unload it.”

The thought of arriving at Netherfield riding a common farmhouse cart was preposterous.

“Very well, mama. I will walk. Very likely I will be rained upon,” said Elizabeth cheerfully, seeing there was no getting out of it. “If I die of a cold, be it on your head.”

“If you do manage to contract a cold, that would be the best possible thing.”

Lydia and Kitty giggled. “If you do die, Lizzy, at least it will be for a good reason,” said Lydia.

∞∞∞

Mrs. Bennet had been right about the rain, but if she had known how heavy the downpour would be and what a sorry sight Elizabeth would become, she would not have sent her. It quite defeated the purpose to be so bedraggled that she was virtually unfit to be seen. It was a cold November afternoon, too, and as Lizzy drudged along, the water soaked through her clothing and she grew steadily colder. She would have returned to Longbourn, only she had come so far, and her only desire now was the comfort of a warm room. Since Netherfield could not be more than half a mile away by now, she continued onwards.

It was late afternoon when Netherfield came in sight and though it was not yet dark, the sight of candlelight flickering in the windows was a most welcome sight. The Bingleys would not be stingy about their fires. There would be a big wood fire burning and she would soon be warm again.

As she stood in the doorway, she wondered what would happen if she was refused admittance. Fortunately, the footman who opened the door was a local man, and he recognized her immediately.

“Please step in, Miss Bennet. I know you are expected, but surely you would rather change your clothes first? I will ask the butler, Mr. Sturgeon, what you should do.”

When Mr. Sturgeon arrived, he tut-tutted and looked disapproving.

“Surely you did not come here on foot, Miss Bennet?”

“I’m afraid I did.”

Elizabeth made light of it, laughing as her sodden clothes and wet hair dripped onto the black and white marble of the hallway.

The severe expression of the butler softened. “Please wait, Miss Bennet. I will send you Mrs. Giddon, our housekeeper. She will deal with the situation.”

She was tempted to just show up in the drawing room and shock the Bingley sisters with her uncouth ways, but she didn’t know her way around Netherfield, and she knew better than to go pocking her nose into other people’s rooms, though she was sorely tempted. In any case, before temptation could get the better of her, Mrs. Giddon appeared.

“Heavens! Look at you, Miss Bennet. We must get you out of those clothes at once, before you catch your death of cold. Please follow me.”

Elizabeth, thinking that it was all a big fuss over nothing, followed the housekeeper upstairs.

“If you will slip out of your wet clothes, a maid will fetch you something to wear. You and Mrs. Hurst are of a similar size.”

The last thing Lizzy wanted to do was to borrow Mrs. Hurst’s clothes, but she had no choice in the matter. Everything down to her stockings was drenched. She did not care what the Bingley sisters thought of her, but everyone knew that wet clothes were a recipe for contracting a cold, and even with her strong constitution, Elizabeth did not want to risk it.

Besides, she thought, looking in the mirror, she did not want to run into Mr. Bingley with her hair looking like a wet cat’s.

 

∞∞∞

Armed in Mrs. Hurst’s clothes, Elizabeth felt more than equal to joining the Bingley ladies. As she went down the stairs, she saw that Netherfield had undergone a transformation. Elizabeth had been to Netherfield many times, but it had always been a dark, old fashioned place and she had never cared for it. Now it looked completely different. Mr. Bingley had excellent taste. The house looked like an image from the covers of a journal. The furnishings followed the latest trends, and the interior was bright and airy.

Consequently, as she entered the drawing room where the two sisters were waiting, she was able to offer her hostesses a genuine compliment.

“The house looks so much better than it was the last time I was here! It has been beautifully done up.”

Miss Bingley looked pleased and gave Elizabeth a sincere smile.

“Then you must really see the Egyptian Room. I have gone to great pains to acquire the pieces it needed. Come with me, Miss Bennet. You will feel yourself transformed to the times of the Pharaohs.”

Elizabeth’s pleasure in the changes that had been made to Netherfield did not extend to the Egyptian room. It was all the rage, she knew, and she was certain the Bingleys had not spared any expense, but the profusion of colors and the animal feet on all the furniture made the room seem more like an exotic exhibit at a country fair than an actual drawing room. The chairs looked uncomfortable, too, and were more for show than for actual genuine usage. To make matters worse, Miss Bingley spent ages explaining the significance of each piece of furniture and where she had obtained it, so that, by the time they had left, Elizabeth felt exhausted, and the announcement that dinner was served came as a great relief.

∞∞∞

When dinner was over, and it was time for Elizabeth to leave, she found herself at a loss. Without a way to return home in the dark and rain, as Mrs. Bennet had predicted, Miss Bingley was obliged to offer Elizabeth hospitality for the night.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, would much rather have gone home. Miss Bingley was more gracious as a hostess than as a guest, but Elizabeth had spent more time than she would have liked in her company. The friendship Miss Bingley had claimed existed between them had not blossomed during this period. The conversation had been lively at the beginning but became more strained as the dinner progressed. They all soon discovered they had very little in common and were forced to engage in small talk. Although they were still maintaining a civil conversation, the Bingley sisters seemed to be taking it in turns to yawn, and they were making no effort at all to conceal their boredom.

“Thank you, Miss Bingley,” said Elizabeth, responding to the offer of having a chamber made up for her, “but if I may, I would prefer to see if the gentlemen return early. If they do, I can use their carriage to go home.”

“We cannot predict when the gentlemen are coming back, Miss Bennet.” Mrs. Hurst jingled her bracelets and turned them round and round on her wrist. “You know how it is with gentlemen and cards. They could be at it for hours. We had better have a room prepared, just in case.”

A half hour passed, and the yawning increased. Elizabeth began to think it was a bad idea to adhere to her original plan. By now they had all fallen into silence, and since they had nothing more to say to each other, the Bingley sisters were seated at the piano, playing a duet half-heartedly.

Elizabeth was about to confess herself ready to retire when a carriage drew up.

“Ah, my brother is back!” Miss Bingley jumped to her feet, looking relieved.

A few minutes later, Mr. Bingley came running up the stairs and strode into the room.

“The butler told me you were here, Miss Bennet. What a delightful ending to the evening!”

As always, Elizabeth was charmed by his enthusiasm. “Thank you, Mr. Bingley. Unfortunately, I cannot linger. I was about to take my leave. I have been waiting for the carriage to take me home.”

“It’s pouring cats and dogs outside, Miss Bennet. You can’t consider going out at this time of the night, especially in this weather.”

Mr. Darcy entered the room at this point and bowed to Elizabeth.

“You are thinking of leaving, Miss Bennet?” He looked grave. “The weather is unpleasant. The wind has picked up. I would not advise going out. In fact, we returned early because of the inclement weather.”

That clinched the matter. It would be foolish to make a point of leaving. It would be bordering on rudeness and might imply that she could not endure her hosts’ company a moment longer. Besides, she had already suffered a soaking. She wasn’t eager to face the elements again, in a cold and rattling carriage buffeted by the wind.

“If you do not advise it, Mr. Darcy, then I will take your advice, along with Mr. Bingley’s.” She turned to her hostesses. “Thank you. I accept your invitation.”

“And you must plan to stay for dinner tomorrow as well,” said Mr. Bingley.

Lizzy did not know what to say. She did not enjoy the company of either Mr. Darcy or the Bingley sisters, but Mr. Bingley’s sunny smile won her over. It would be an opportunity to know him better and to see him in his own home. It might also help her to determine if his interest in her was serious.

“Thank you, Mr. Bingley. I will send a note to my parents in the morning to let them know I will be delayed.”

The blazing smile he gave her was more than enough reward.

∞∞∞

The next day, Elizabeth woke up with a headache. She ignored it, assuming it would go away as the day progressed, but it did not. As they sat down at dinner, she began to feel lightheaded as well, and she started to wish she could go upstairs and lie down.

At first, no one commented on her uncharacteristic silence. Both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy sent some questioning looks her way, but she countered them by making more of an effort to contribute. She did not want to give Mr. Bingley a bad impression of her socializing skills. However, she soon found it too fatiguing to maintain a conversation and wondered if she should excuse herself and go home.

“You look flushed, Miss Bennet.” Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst exchanged knowing smiles. “Perhaps the wine was too strong for you?”

“Very likely.” By now Elizabeth was feeling quite faint. “I must excuse myself. It is quite late. If you will be so kind as to have the carriage brought round, I can return home.”

“But it is only seven o’clock. Surely you don’t keep such unfashionably early hours here in Meryton?” There was a sneer on Miss Bingley’s face.

“I daresay we do.” Lizzy heard Miss Bingley’s quiet malice from a great distance. What was wrong with her? It was almost as if someone had given her a sleeping potion. She was unaccountably drowsy. She had better leave quickly before she made a fool of herself.

She turned in Mr. Bingley’s direction. “I need my carriage, Mr. Bingley.”

“Of course.” He gave orders to one of the footmen.

The carriage took ages to arrive. Lizzy, meanwhile, was conscious that she was disturbing their dinner. They were too polite to eat until she left, and the dishes on the table were turning cold.

Finally, the footman came to announce that the carriage was waiting. Elizabeth stood up quickly, but a strange giddiness overtook her and, swaying, she was forced to cling to the side of the table.

“See to the lady,” said Darcy, throwing down his napkin and coming quickly to her side. He took hold of her elbow to steady her.

“I am perfectly well, Mr. Darcy,” She pulled away.

She was aware of Miss Bingley watching, no doubt assuming that she was doing this to attract attention.

“Miss Bennet, you are mistaken in the matter. You are not well at all. You cannot leave.”

“I assure you, Mr. Darcy, I am capable of walking down the stairs and out of the door—”

She took a few steps forward, but her legs betrayed her. They were alarmingly weak, and the room spun around her. She felt a steadying hand take hold of hers. It was Mr. Darcy again.

“You are burning up with fever, Miss Bennet, I can feel it through your glove. You cannot leave the house. I insist that you stay.”

She bristled at Mr. Darcy’s commanding manner. She would not allow him to make decisions for her

“But—.”

Mr. Bingley was at her side now, looking at her kindly. “If you have a fever, Miss Bennet, you cannot go out in the damp. It would be far better for you to rest. I will send a servant to fetch the apothecary”

His gentle tone was Lizzy’s undoing. She could not say no to Mr. Bingley.

She nodded. He smiled and put out the crook of his elbow.

“Come. Lean on me. I will help you upstairs.  Louisa, can you take the other side, please?”

“This way, Miss Bennet.” Louisa clutched her other arm.

On her way to the door, Elizabeth passed Mr. Darcy, who was looking grave. He probably thought she had deliberately made herself ill. She felt compelled to explain the matter to him.

“I have a strong constitution, Mr. Darcy,” she pointed out. “I never get sick.”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “All the more reason to take care of yourself so you can recover.”

He bowed. She wanted to curtsey back, but her legs felt too weak, so she waved to him instead and tried to move in as dignified a manner as she could out of the room and up to the bedchamber, where a maid was warming the bed for her with a bedpan of coals.

Mrs. Hurst and Mr. Bingley withdrew, wishing her a quick recovery. The maid helped her undress and get into bed. The pillows were wonderfully soft. They felt cool against her cheek. Elizabeth sank into them and began to drift into sleep almost immediately.

The last thought she had, was that her mother had won after all. Elizabeth had been forced to stay another night at Netherfield.

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, I’d love to hear your comments!