Page 14 of Penned By Mr Darcy
“Yes, thank you. I did not sleep well; Jane’s breathing was uneven, and I could not sleep peacefully for worry.”
“Is she worse?” Mr Bingley asked at once.
“A little.”
“I will send for the doctor at once.”
Caroline let out a little huff of disdain.
“Really, Charles. It is merely a cold!”
“I feel a doctor would be prudent, Mr Bingley. I would not delay in getting her the appropriate care, as she has indeed worsened in her condition. I am sorry once again for all the trouble.”
Caroline opened her mouth to respond, but Mr Bingley spoke first, stepping closer and obscuring his sister from Lizzy’s view.
“It is no trouble, no trouble at all!” he said effusively. “I will go myself at once. Darcy wanted to go out riding, and we may combine the two.”
“Thank you.”
“No thanks are required, I assure you. And you, Miss Elizabeth, have you everything you require?”
“Yes, thank you. We are both very comfortable; you are a generous host, Mr Bingley, and we shall be forever in your debt.”
“Not at all. Miss Bennet’s health is most important to me. In fact, Miss Elizabeth, I…”
Mr Darcy entered the room, also dressed for riding. He had changed since she’d glimpsed him in the corridor, and her gaze lingered, however briefly, on the trim lines of his lean frame—undeniably masculine, strong and admirable. He was, as always, impeccably attired, as befitted a man of his station, yet there was nothing ostentatious in his appearance. His style, though refined, remained restrained; marked by taste rather than vanity.
Elizabeth shook her head; her sister lay upstairs and she was remarking on Mr Darcy’s tailoring!
“Darcy, we must depart at once for Meryton. We can ride after, but I must see that the doctor comes at once.”
“Of course. Is there anything your sister requires, Miss Elizabeth?”
“No, she has water, and is inhaling the vapours your valet provided. They are very soothing to her, Mr Darcy.”
“Is your valet a doctor now, Darcy?” Caroline asked. “I did not know he was involved in Miss Bennet’s care.”
“It is a family remedy that I knew would benefit Miss Bennet’s lungs, that is all. These ailments are common at Pemberley, with the harsh winters.”
“How very cold it must be!”
“Indeed. Shall we leave, Bingley?”
The two men departed, and Elizabeth made as if to follow—but paused, her curiosity anchoring her in place. A few gentle enquiries about the literary habits of the household’s gentlemen would likely go unnoticed by Miss Bingley, or at worst be dismissed as merely odd.
“I wonder, Miss Bingley,” she said casually, “have you ever kept a diary?”
“A diary?” Caroline echoed, wrinkling her nose in faint distaste. “When I was a girl, yes. I found the practice dreadfully tedious. Reliving one’s day on paper always seemed more exhausting than the day itself. Why do you ask?”
“I was only thinking,” Elizabeth replied lightly, “that if I were in the habit of keeping one, these past days would certainly provide much to write about.”
“I daresay,” Miss Bingley agreed. “It must all be quite the change of scenery for you. Mr Darcy, on the other hand,doeskeep a diary– though I doubt he’s had much of significance to record recently. We’ve hardly left the house.”
“Mr Darcy keeps a diary?”
“Oh, quite religiously,” Caroline said, with a self-satisfied nod. “He began the habit as a boy, I believe, and has never set it aside. A man of his standing must have no shortage of significant matters to document. I imagine his journals must be... fascinating.”
“I wonder at that. Mr Darcy is a man who says so very little…”
