9. Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

The following morning, shortly after breakfast, Mr. Palmer arrived. Mrs. Price led him to the morning room, where Darcy, Bingley, Jane and Lizzy were still sipping coffee and conversing pleasantly.

"It is good to see you looking so well, Miss Elizabeth," Mr. Palmer declared as he stood in the doorway.

"Thank you, sir. I hope you will pronounce me fit to travel today," Lizzy replied, blushing.

"If you will come with me, I hope to be able to do just that." He waved her toward the door.

Darcy pulled her chair for her, and Bingley did likewise for Jane. Together, the ladies followed Mr. Palmer upstairs. A short while later Jane met Bingley in the hallway with the good news.

"Will you be leaving directly then?" he asked, his normally jovial features downcast.

"I am afraid we have imposed on your hospitality long enough," Jane explained gently. "Moreover, my father has never been alone with my three younger sisters before, and I am certain that Lizzy and I are needed at home."

"I understand," he said with a soft sigh, "but your company has been no imposition at all. It has been quite refreshing actually."

"Thank you, you have been a most attentive and gracious host."

He bit his lip and hesitated for a moment, "It is still all right then, that I call upon you at Longbourn?"

"Yes, it is." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. "I hope it is not too forward of me to suggest that you might invite Mr. Darcy to join you. My father found him exceptional company, and he would enjoy a visit from him very much."

"I fear my friend finds few chess partners of his caliber among our party. I think he would very much enjoy the promise of a game with your father." Bingley grinned. And perhaps an excuse to visit with your sister, too.

Two hours later, the Bennets were on their way home. "It was very kind of Mr. Bingley to insist that we use his carriage." Jane leaned back against the seat as the carriage lurched. She looked out the side glass. "The roads seem worse for all the storms we have had."

"I am sure you are right," Lizzy replied distractedly. It will be good to be home with Papa. I should have missed his conversation more, had it not been for Mr. Darcy. His company was quite—

"It is pleasant to ride in such a well sprung vehicle." Jane turned to look at Lizzy quizzically.

"Indeed." —singular. I do not think I have ever been able to converse so easily with any other gentleman.

"I am quite certain it will snow this afternoon." Jane's lips twitched.

His eyes are appealing and his smile— "Absolutely."

"Lizzy!" Jane grinned. "You really believe we will have snow in September?"

Lizzy shook her head and blinked several times. "What did you say?"

"What is on your mind? You look as though your thoughts are elsewhere." Jane cocked her head. Or upon another.

"Forgive me, Jane, you are right; I did not mean to ignore you." Lizzy brushed her skirts and turned to face her sister. "What do you wish to speak of?"

Jane pursed her lips and leaned slightly forward. "What do you think of Mr. Bingley? Do you still consider him a spaniel puppy now that you have spent more time with him?"

A smile spread across her face. Lizzy drew a breath, but paused, seeing the anxious look in Jane's eyes. "I will not tease you, though I have sorely missed the exercise the last few days. No, his character is not that of a puppy. His is a fine hunting dog, with loyalty and strength, and a great sense of fun."

"So then you approve?" She sat up slightly.

"Is there something for me to approve of?" Lizzy chuckled, bracing her elbows on her knees and leaning her chin on her hands. "Has he asked to call on you?" I knew he would! A broad smile lit her face.

Jane nodded, eyes shining with joy.

"Oh, Jane!" Lizzy grasped her sister's hands excitedly. "I am very pleased. He seems a fine man, and I would like to see you get to know him better. And before you ask, I believe Papa will say the same." He already has.

"So what did you think of his friend, Mr. Darcy? Papa seems unaccountably fond of him. His interests seem very like your own." Jane giggled. "I have seen the way he looks at you…"

"Jane, no." Lizzy's voice suddenly became very serious. "We are not going to have this conversation. You promised me…" She leaned back against the well-padded seat, enjoying the luxury of very fine leather.

"That was in regard to Mr. Collins, and we both know I was only teasing then." She wrapped her hands around Lizzy's. Her tone became more serious. "Do you not like Mr. Darcy?"

"I would count him among my friends," she replied carefully, not looking at Jane.

"That is not how I saw him looking at you during dinner last night. He seemed to have something else on his mind." Jane squeezed her hands hard. "He seems a fine gentleman. Why are you so insistent…"

Because I already know it to be impossible, and I have no wish to torture myself with what cannot be! Lizzy slipped her hands from her sister's. "We have had this discussion before. Nothing has changed. Please, I do not wish have this conversation again."

"But, Lizzy, if it is of no matter to him—"

"Jane!" Her eyes filled with tears. She looked away and struggled to blink them back. How can it be no matter to him? With his standing in society, that is just not possible.

She leaned forward slightly, look intently at her sister. She does like him, very much. I suspect he likes her as well. "I am sorry, Lizzy. I shall say nothing more."

"Thank you." She noted the look of hurt in Jane's eyes. "I will be happy to receive Mr. Bingley at Longbourn."

She forced herself to smile. "I am exceedingly glad."

Both became quiet and were lost in their own thoughts until they arrived at Longbourn.

"Lizzy! Jane!" Lydia and Kitty cried, rushing down the front stairs to greet the carriage.

Jane and Elizabeth exchanged a long-suffering look. "They sound not so much happy to see us, as they do wishing for something from us." Lizzy sighed, leaning her head back against the carriage.

"I am afraid you are right, and I can only suppose that they are hoping we will relieve them from Papa's restrictions."

"They will be very disappointed," Lizzy muttered as she allowed the driver to hand her out of the carriage.

"We are so glad you are come!" Kitty exclaimed, rushing to her sisters. "You look very well, Lizzy. Are you now recovered?"

"I believe so, thank you." She smiled at her younger sister.

Lydia pushed her way in front of Kitty. "Now that you are home, you must talk some sense into Papa!" she demanded.

"Is that how you greet your sister who has been sick?" Jane rebuked sharply. She guided all of them away from the carriage so the trunks could be unloaded.

"It is clear enough that she is well," Lydia protested, pulling her elbow out of Jane's grasp. "Papa has been so unreasonable without you here to speak sense to him. Really, you must persuade him to change his mind."

"Change his mind about what?" Jane asked, struggling not to roll her eyes. She frowned and stole a glance at Lizzy.

"About allowing them to attend the assembly," Mr. Bennet replied sternly as he appeared in the doorway.

"Papa!" Lizzy cried and rushed to his side. "It is so good to see you!"

He opened his arms and soon was hugging her tightly to his chest. "I am glad you are come home, dear. You and your sister have been missed. Though she has tried valiantly, I am afraid Mary has no mind for chess, nor does she have any desire to discuss Plato."

Lizzy laughed, "It is good to be home." She pressed into her father's shoulder, drinking in his familiar scent. In the warmth of his embrace, some of her heaviness lifted.

"Yes, it is," Jane agreed, standing just behind her sister.

Mr. Bennet reached his hand toward her and she took it, pressing it to her face. "I am happy to see you, Papa."

He opened his arms again and brought Jane into his embrace. His heart swelled as he cuddled them close for a moment. "Come in, both of you." He offered an arm to each daughter, and they walked into the house, three abreast.

Several hours later, Elizabeth was perched atop the gig, waiting as the groom helped her father up. The bright sun was warm upon their faces, but a cool breeze kept the heat at bay. "What a perfect afternoon for driving the gig," she observed.

"Are you certain this is not too much for you, dear?" Mr. Bennet asked as he settled himself into the seat.

"I am. Do not forget, I have been inside for all these days now. I need to feel the sun on my face, or I may go quite mad!" She laughed and clucked her tongue, slapping the reins. The bay gelding started off at a lively clip.

"I appreciate your willingness to take me to see your Uncle Philips. I have needed to speak to him for several days now." He adjusted his hat and grasped the seat firmly.

"Was Mary not able to take you to see him?" She glanced at her father. "Hold on, there is a new rut in the road!" The gig lurched. "Sorry!"

"I feared the roads would suffer!" He gritted his teeth. "It was not Mary, but Kitty and Lydia who kept me at home. They have been in such a state, particularly Lydia, that I did not feel easy leaving them."

Lizzy grumbled under her breath. "Jane told me what they did. I cannot…"

Bennet reached over to lay his hand on her arm, "I should have been more diligent in making sure they obeyed me in my absence."

"You should not have had to! It was enough that you told them!" Lizzy snapped angrily, tightening her grip on the reins. The horse seemed to sense her tension and picked up his pace slightly.

He squeezed her arm. "Lydia and Kitty are not you and Jane. Do not become offended for my sake. I have dealt with the matter. Do not take so much upon yourself."

"But, Papa, they are my sisters."

"They are your sisters, not your daughters." He sighed heavily. "We are near that empty field, are we not? Is the ground dry enough for us to pull off a moment? I wish to talk to you."

Swallowing hard, she directed the horse off the road. "Yes, sir." The gig came to a rest in the field. The horse snorted and tossed his head, then reached for a tuft of grass.

"My child," he traced her arm down to find her hand and twined his fingers in hers, "I am so proud of you. Every day, I thank the good Lord for you and your sisters. I would not have survived the passing of your mother without you."

Lizzy held his hand tightly, tears in her eyes for the second time that day.

"But I fear I have asked too much of you and Jane."

"No, no, not at all," she argued, shifting uneasily in her seat.

He shook his head. "You are both young women now, girls no longer. It is time for you to begin thinking of your futures, of having homes and families of your own."

Lizzy huffed, "No talk of matchmaking, papa; have we not agreed on that?" Is it not enough that I just had this conversation with Jane? Must I have it again with you?

"Speaking of your futures is not matchmaking." He tapped his foot. "It is time for both of you to consider marriage."

"There will be plenty of time for that later." She looked away, watching a pair of birds flying over the field.

"I do not want you and Jane to miss…" Lizzy drew a breath to speak, but her father shook his head. "Hear me out. We both know that there are few eligible young men in the neighborhood, and even fewer who are worthy of you and Jane. I cannot take you to London for a season, so you have little opportunity to meet gentlemen. Do not overlook the opportunity that has arrived in the form of our Netherfield neighbors."

"Now you are being a matchmaker."

"Now you are being stubborn," he rebuked sternly. He heard her gasp and thought he detected a little cry in her voice. His shoulders sagged, and his voice softened. "Why do you fight me so, Lizzy? I do not understand."

Her throat tightened painfully as she fought back a sob. "I…I am simply not ready to marry, Papa. I truly wish to speak no further of this." Her cheeks burned hotly as tears trickled down.

With a final squeeze, he released her hands, "All right, dear, we shall say no more." Today. There is more to be said. Mr. Darcy is as well suited for you as you are for him.

She nodded and flicked the reins again.

Jane sat in the parlor watching Lydia pace up and down the room, Kitty following her closely. Jane glanced at Mary beside her. Mary lokked at her two youngest sisters and rolled her eyes. Jane shook her head and turned back to Lydia.

"He is being so unreasonable!" Lydia cried, petulantly stamping her foot. "He told us that we could go! We have already trimmed our gowns and remade our bonnets. It is not fair for him to deny us now."

"Lydia, you disobeyed him; what do you expect?" Jane said sharply.

"I expect him to keep his word!" Lydia crossed her arms tightly.

"Then you should have kept yours to honor his wishes!" Jane glared angrily.

"We do so wish to go," Kitty added softly, her eyes downcast, wringing her hands.

Jane rose and walked to Kitty's side. She placed a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder. "You know you should not have done those things."

Kitty swallowed hard and nodded. "But I still want to go." She looked up at her sister, pleading.

"Papa has decided that this is your punishment. If you cannot be trusted to obey when he is not here, you are not grown up enough to attend," Jane explained gently. "I agree with him. You do not understand the danger in which you placed yourselves."

"It was all in good fun! There was no danger! The officers would have protected us!" Lydia pouted.

"They were the ones who put you in danger! No true gentlemen would have encouraged a lady to be in a place like that, especially ones so young as you and Kitty." Jane turned toward her, keeping a hand on Kitty's shoulder.

"I told them the same thing," Mary insisted, stepping closer to them.

"There was nothing wrong with where we were. It was Meryton, not the streets of London! Just because Papa does not care for that street—" Lydia balled her fists.

"That street , as you call it, is a dark alleyway lined with questionable establishments, frequented by rough men." Jane stared into Lydia's face. "Can you tell me you did not see them standing around the doorways, staring at you and Kitty? Did you miss the lewd prints in the printshop window? Did you really not see those things?"

"No, I did not. You are making entirely too much of things that are of little significance." Lydia tossed her head.

Jane turned to study Kitty's face. "But you did; you noticed all those things." With a guilty look in her eyes, Kitty nodded. "Then why did you stay there?"

"I did not want to make Lyddie angry. I did not want the officers to think me a stupid little girl for being afraid," Kitty whispered, studying the carpet.

"Well, that's what you are!" Lydia shouted in Kitty's face. "You are a stupid little girl tagging along behind when no one really wants around. You saw — they were all paying attention to me! You are jealous, that is why you —"

"Lydia, that is enough!" Jane whirled on her. "You will not speak to Kitty that way. You are behaving like a child."

Lydia gritted her teeth and grumbled under her breath, her face turning red.

"If you are going to throw a tantrum like a child of two years, then you can do it without an audience!" Jane grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her upstairs to her room. "You do not need to come down for dinner tonight. We have no need of any more unpleasant scenes. Stay here and think about what you have done, and perhaps tomorrow we can have a proper conversation!" She shut the door firmly.

"See if I care!" Lydia screamed through the closed door. She dashed to her dressing table for the key. Running back, she jammed the key in and turned it hard. "See there, you have not locked me in, I have locked you out!"

Jane exhaled heavily and leaned against the wall, rubbing her temples. Perhaps Mr. Bingley was right; we should have stayed a little longer. She sighed wistfully. After several minutes, she headed back downstairs. At least Kitty seems repentant; that is a hopeful beginning.

Lydia paced her room angrily, muttering softly. "She is not my mother; she cannot tell me what to do. Papa does not care; he does not remember what it is to have fun. He cannot see how pretty I am and how much the officers like me. He is so bitter; he does not want anyone to have fun around him! I will show him. I will see Wickham, and I will see him today!" She flung open the window and stuck her head out. Seeing no one around, she leaned out and grabbed hold of the trellis near her window. She quickly scampered down.

Once her feet were on the ground, she brushed the leaves from her skirts and straightened her bonnet. I will be to Meryton and back, and none will be the wiser. She hurried away without so much as a backwards glance.