Page 6

Mr. Edward Gardiner,

Allow me to express my condolences on your loss.

I was in the midst of a private conversation with your niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, when your express arrived. Due to the nature of our conversation, I feel it is well within my purview to escort Miss Elizabeth to her home on the morrow. This will allow you to leave for Hertfordshire in the morning, while we will arrive later in the day.

Although the next several days will be occupied in grieving, I anticipate taking the opportunity to discuss the future of the Bennet family before you are required to return to London. Miss Elizabeth’s future cannot be in doubt, but I anticipate that she will not feel well settled until plans have been made for the rest of her family. To this end, I will endeavor to make myself available to discuss future plans at your convenience.

Until tomorrow,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

Mrs. Bennet’s mouth opened and closed several times before comprehensible words came pouring out.

“My dear, dear girl. She has saved us all. I should have known she would not refuse Mr. Collins without reason. Such a sly girl. I wonder at her not revealing her intent sooner, but then again she dearly loves a joke. It was surely her plan all along to surprise us with her engagement on her return from Kent. Certainly, she only accepted Charlotte’s invitation so that she could see her beau and meet some of his family. Oh, Mrs. Darcy, how well that sounds!”

Chapter 4

As the carriage drew closer to Longbourn, Elizabeth became more and more agitated. Never again would she have her father beside her as she viewed the familiar landscape. Before she realized that her tears had once again escaped her eyes, she found a handkerchief being pressed into her hand. She looked up to see the compassionate eyes of Mr. Darcy.

Looking down, she realized that this handkerchief was the twin of the one she had found in her hand the night before. She silently fingered the initials embroidered in one corner, pondering what the “F” in “FD” could stand for.

Darcy’s grip on her hand may have lingered longer than necessary before he shifted back into his seat. Mr. Bingley, not being a very observant gentleman, did not notice. Sally, the Rosings maid that was acting as chaperone, chose not to notice.

It was not long before the carriage turned into the drive that would lead to the only home Elizabeth had ever known.

The sound of the carriage drew the remaining Bennet family to the front of the home. As they lined up to welcome Elizabeth home, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner whispered silent prayers that Mrs. Bennet would not do anything to embarrass her daughter.

As the door to the carriage was opened and Mr. Darcy stepped out, Mrs. Bennet started forward in hopes of congratulating him and Elizabeth as soon as she exited the carriage. She stopped in shock when the next person to exit the carriage was not her daughter, but Mr. Bingley.

Darcy had just turned back to the carriage to assist Elizabeth as she stepped down when he heard a commotion behind him. Turning back around, he saw Bingley holding a prostrate Mrs. Bennet.

Mrs. Bennet had received many shocks to her system in rather quick succession over the previous few days. She had complained vociferously about her poor nerves for years, but the sight of Mr. Bingley exiting the carriage was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Her nerves finally gave out completely, and she fainted. Fortunately, Mr. Bingley was close by and was able to catch her before she hit the ground.

As Mr. Gardiner relieved Mr. Bingley of his burden, he wondered whether or not his sister fainted as a result of his earlier prayer. Feeling slightly guilty that he may have been the cause of his sister’s faint, he whispered another prayer, asking that she recover quickly. Unbeknownst to him, his wife was silently whispering a prayer of thanks and gratitude for the timely intervention.

In the chaos that ensued, one of Mr. Darcy’s footmen assisted Mr. Gardiner in carrying Mrs. Bennet back to her room. Another footman removed Elizabeth’s trunks from the carriage, and with direction from Mrs. Hill deposited them in her room. Sally also had her belongings removed from the carriage and asked for directions to the servants’ quarters. As Mrs. Hill was otherwise occupied, one of the Bennets’ maids, Hannah, showed her the way.

Hannah was responsible for helping all five Bennet sisters to prepare themselves for the day, and the evening, and any other time that a change of clothes might be necessary. When Sally told her that she would be staying at Longbourn until Miss Elizabeth was married in order to act as her personal maid, Hannah was more than willing to share her room. She was well aware that having her own room was rare, and would gladly relinquish the privilege if it meant she would no longer be responsible for all five sisters.

With the house in such upheaval, it did not occur to either maid to verify this arrangement with anyone.

The Bennet sisters and their guests entered Longbourn in a jumble. Arms were thrown around each other in quick embraces as they moved from the drive into the drawing room. Through the chaos, Elizabeth was unaware that Mr. Darcy had lightly rested his hand on the small of her back to help lead her into the house. It did not last long, and most of Elizabeth’s relatives were completely unaware it had happened. Mrs. Gardiner saw the caress, and it gave her comfort. She could only assume that Elizabeth would be aware who was touching her in such a way. Elizabeth’s complete lack of protest seemed a silent sign of her acceptance of Mr. Darcy.

As they settled in the drawing room, Darcy and Bingley both offered their condolences. Both gentlemen wished to stay and offer whatever comfort they could, but it was clear that the huddled mass of sisters needed some time together on their own. When Mr. Gardiner returned to the group they took their leave, promising to call on the morrow.

The remaining hours of the day were spent in quiet reminiscing about Mr. Bennet. Elizabeth had not realized how many fond memories she and her sisters carried of her father, but as the evening wore on the stories continued to flow.

Jane shared how their father had given her his mother’s hair comb when she was getting ready for her very first assembly. That he had told her it was hers to keep, not just hers to borrow for the evening. That her calm gentleness reminded him of his mother every day, and how thankful he had been that she served as a living reminder of his beloved mother.

For Elizabeth, it was the chess lessons, and the first time she won for real. She knew that as she was learning he would let her win from time to time, but she could tell the first time she had amazed him and won on her own. How, instead of being upset, he had been so proud of her.

Mary had quiet mornings in his study. She had once asked him how the household accounts worked, and so he had offered to show her. How when she made a mistake the first time he let her add a column, he gently corrected her, then let her try again the next month.

One day, when Kitty was upset over Lydia stealing her bonnet, their father had taken her into Meryton in order to buy a new one, and had stayed with her for half an hour as she tried on each one until she found the one she liked the best.

They were all surprised when Lydia shared through her tears that she used to hide behind a large chair in their father’s study in order to escape when things became overwhelming. When she first discovered the hiding place, she thought her father was unaware. She quickly discovered she was wrong when the next time she needed to hide she found a box of treats waiting for her.

As the sisters went to bed for the night, they helped each other undress. By unspoken agreement, they cuddled together in Jane’s room to sleep. None of them wished to be far away from the others.