Page 24 of Resilience

“We penned letters taking leave of the rest of the neighbourhood, but we simply could not go without taking leave of Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary.” Priscilla inclined her head slightly to the older woman.

“Lizzy is not permitted downstairs, she is waiting upstairs until Sir Lucas’s cart comes to take her to London.” Mrs Bennet shook her head. “The wild, reckless thing is probably ill, and I will not take a chance of her infecting Jane before the wedding.”

“Miss Elizabeth is unwell? And you are sending her to London in an open cart!” Priscilla was outraged. “Might I point out, Mrs Bennet, that when Miss Bennet was ill, you would not suffer her to travel three miles in a closed carriage so she might recover in her own bed?”

“I beg your pardon, but it was you and your headache that infected my Lizzy, and for all of your nobility and great shows of generosity, I would be most grateful if you returned to London forthwith and took no chance of infecting my Jane before you leave.” Mrs Bennet was firm. “My Jane’s wedding takes precedence over everything, Lady Priscilla, everything!”

“My headache? Very well.” Priscilla’s mouth was set in a grim line “Pray send for Miss Elizabeth. We are travelling to London today. She might as well occupy our carriage with us. We cannot permit her to travel in an open cart with a headache. Darcy?”

“Of course.” Darcy soothed over the tense moment between the two women, and patted his sister’s hand in reassurance. “It would be our delight to offer Miss Elizabeth a ride to London. To where in the city shall we deliver her, Mrs Bennet?”

“My brother’s house is in Gracechurch Street, near Cheapside.” Mrs Bennet rushed to the hall and bellowed up the stairs. “Lizzy! Come down here at this instant, it is time! Mr Hill, bring Lizzy’s trunk outside.”

Elizabeth came downstairs in her pelisse, tying her bonnet strings under her chin. She stopped in the hall when the others emerged. “Priscilla! Miss Darcy! What are you doing here? Mr Darcy.” She bobbed a curtsey to the gentleman as she greeted the ladies.

“We came to take our leave. We must rush to London, and since you and I apparently have the same headache, we have offered to conduct you to the house of your uncle.” Priscilla ignored Mrs Bennet bustling about the hall making a fuss over everything and nothing.

“How kind of you. Shall we? I should hate to cause you any delay.” Elizabeth obviously could not wait to leave, and Darcy wondered about the circumstances that drove her to flee her home two days before she was meant to stand up at her sister’s wedding.

In under five minutes, the young woman’s trunk was secured on the back of the carriage and their journey was underway. None of her family came outside to see her off. Darcy wondered what was wrong with the lot of them, and why they saw none of Miss Elizabeth’s worth. He watched Elizabeth sit back and rest her head against the cushions with a long sigh of obvious relief. As they pulled away from Longbourn, he watched her place a hand over her eyes. The poor lady seemed exhausted.

“Do you have a headache, Lizzy? Shall we draw the curtains lower to bring your poor eyes some relief?” Georgiana asked worriedly. Mrs Annesley had moved to the other carriage with the ladies’ maids to make room for Elizabeth.

“Her headache is the same as ours, I think, and its name begins with J, Georgie,” Priscilla said.

“If I did not have one before, Georgie, I most certainly do now.” Elizabeth attempted a tremulous smile.

Darcy, in a moment of sentiment, reached across from him and took Elizabeth’s hand and patted it tenderly. He then placed it back upon her knee and drew the shades, not all the way down, but low enough to bring the lady some comfort.

“Rest, Miss Elizabeth. You are with friends, please do not feel that you must entertain us. We shall deliver you safely to your uncle.”

Darcy hoped, in the near-darkness of the carriage, that he was the only one who could see the tear sliding down the poor lady’s cheek. Then he saw Priscilla take note, and watched compassion cross his cousin’s face before her countenance hardened. It was all Darcy could do not to allow his fury for their poor friend to show in his own expression. To do so would only alarm his sister and cause the poor lady more distress and mortification. He decided then that he would pursue a courtship with her when they reached town, and somehow make Elizabeth forget the tears her mother and sister had caused.

“Lizzy, you cannot be serious. My sister could not have sent you away for having a headache. Why, Madeleine and I are meant to leave at dawn tomorrow for Meryton!” Elizabeth’s Uncle Gardiner exclaimed in his study. Mr Darcy and the others were taking tea in the drawing room with a rather excited Aunt Madeleine.

Gardiner examined the note from his sister in disbelief. “Shall you return with us tomorrow when you have not worsened? What a lot of trouble! If you were not ill before, you will become sick from so much anxiety and rushed travel.”

“I believe that my mother means for me to stay and mind my little cousins, and if it is not too much of a burden, I would welcome a brief respite from Longbourn, if you will have me.” Elizabeth smiled at her uncle. She had slept nearly the entire way to London. Apparently the moment she no longer felt at risk of wild accusations and strategic tears, she had calmed, and the long nap had been what she needed for her sore heart that had been badly trampled by Jane. Her spirits were still low and she felt that after a good cry to her aunt, she might sleep for a week.

“Lizzy, it cannot be so bad that you would miss Jane’s wedding.” The shock was evident on Uncle Gardiner’s face.

“I-” Elizabeth’s breath caught like a sob in her throat. “Please, Uncle. If I begin now, I will not be able to master my composure, and I must still thank Mr Darcy and his family and bid them farewell.”

“Very well, Lizzy. Of course you ought not speak of it just now if you are not ready.” Uncle Gardiner came around his desk. “You are welcome for as long as you wish to stay and your parents can spare you. You are no burden here.”

Chapter Eleven

Three days of nothing but singing, storytime, games with her young cousins, and the rest afforded by the otherwise empty house was a balm to Elizabeth’s spirits. Georgiana and Lady Priscilla took tea with Elizabeth and the children on the second day, and Elizabeth took an invitation to Matlock House for tea with Lady Matlock with a promise to send their reply the moment her aunt returned from Hertfordshire.

Priscilla made no secret that they had left Meryton in outrage at Jane’s insult to Georgiana, and that Jane would face social consequences for the snub in London.

Elizabeth could do nothing but be candid with her friends, for they had perceived Jane’s intent in a way that no one else saw or understood. Perhaps it was because they did not know her, had no preconceived notions of her temper, and unlike Mr Bingley, were not infatuated with Jane.

“I am truly sorry, Georgiana.” Elizabeth was truly sad. “The only excuse I can give for her is that perhaps Jane is not used to young ladies of rank in Meryton. In our village, because Netherfield is not permanently inhabited, our family is almost the leading family of Meryton, besides the Gouldings, and they have no daughters. Jane is used to nearly all of the other young ladies in the village being beneath her in rank, even if she never openly said so or behaved that way. It seems to me that my sister did not take into account your family, only your age.”

“Mrs Bingley will learn to take our family into account,” Lady Priscilla promised. “Not that I will ruin your sister, Lizzy. I would not wish to do that to you, no matter how our family’s pride was pricked. But if Mr Bingley ever hoped for the distinction of his wife being acknowledged or assisted in society by Darcy’s connections, he will be disappointed. We will not seek to shun her, but neither will Mrs Bingley ever benefit from her husband’s friendship with my cousin. Darcy agrees that in the future, Mr Bingley must be content with only Darcy’s friendship and nothing more. Mrs Bingley will never be received at Darcy House or Matlock House.”

“I do not think Jane has ever committed an offence that created consequences for herself,” Elizabeth mused. “It will certainly come as a shock. I wonder when she will call upon my aunt after she arrives in London.”