Page 16 of The Governess of My Heart
“What nonsense?”
“Why? It is an excellent explanation. Did you see the way she reacted to the truth last night? She was engulfed with shame, and she knew she had no choice but to marry Mr. Collins; with nowhere to go, she must have ended her life.”
“She will never do that. She is strong like her mother…” He stopped abruptly and continued, “She will never make such a decision. I think she ran away.”
“Where could she go? She could not go to Edward; she very well knows that they are away. That girl has no one in this world except us.”
“Please go and check her room. If she did run away, she must have taken a lot of things.”
Mrs. Bennet checked Elizabeth’s room and found nothing missing. But she noticed her chain on the dresser.
She did not run away. If she did, why would she leave her jewelry behind?
Mrs. Bennet clearly never understood the character of the daughter she raised and conveyed the particulars to her husband.
They were confused beyond measure, and by evening, the household buzzed about Elizabeth’s disappearance. Lydia and Kitty doubted whether she had eloped with someone, and Jane thought her sister ran away to avoid marriage with Mr. Collins.
No one in the village had seen her, and a search party was again sent into the woods.
Mrs. Bennet was filled with rage.
That girl! She has the guts to spoil all my plans. If she did run away, I hope she gets a worthy punishment somewhere.
Adding to her worries, Mr. Collins expressed his serious displeasure about the developments.
“I am very disappointed in these developments, Mrs. Bennet. How am I to marry her if she returns tomorrow morning? I cannot marry a girl who had spent the night away from her home.”
“Mr. Collins, do not say that. I am certain she will be found; maybe she is lost in the woods. Please do not make decisions in haste, sir,” Mrs. Bennet said, trying to convince him.
The entire household went to sleep that night in confusion. Her father spent the night in the library, unable to accept her disappearance.
Maybe she did run away. She knows no one in town except Sir William’s daughter. Would she have gone there? I do not think Charlotte would welcome her.
Unfortunately, he was wrong. At that very moment, Elizabeth was resting in the townhouse of her dear friend and stared at the candles, unable to sleep.
She could not believe that her whole life had changed in a single night.
How did I even manage to travel to town all by myself?
That morning, her journey to town had been uneventful.
She tried her best to appear calm and did not want to gather attention to herself. With help from a few people, she reached her friend’s home without delay and as she had hoped, Charlotte received her with happiness, and she was surprised to see her.
“Oh! Lizzy. I cannot believe it is you. How did you travel here? Did you come alone?” she asked with worry.
Elizabeth could not control her tears and sobbed in her friend’s arms.
“Lizzy, do not cry. Come with me,” Charlotte said. She took her to her chambers and immediately sensed that something was wrong and called for some refreshments.
Elizabeth sat down and understood from Charlotte that her husband was not home. She composed herself and explained the reason for her sudden visit.
Charlotte watched her with agony as Elizabeth revealed every horrific detail about the previous day. She could not control her anger when she heard about the compromise Elizabeth’s parents had planned.
“Lizzy, this is truly horrible. I cannot believe they would do this to you. You did the right thing, and I am certain confronting them about their cruelty would be pointless. I am glad Mary was able to help you leave.”
“I still cannot believe I am here, Charlotte. I wonder whether I could have stayed there and somehow resolved things.”
“My dear, you could have if the only matter of concern was the truth about your birth. But your parents have planned toruin your reputation and life. I agree with what Mary said, and you would not be able to escape their plotting. And that man you mention, Mr. Collins, seems to be a rake in disguise. I am glad you took this decision and now you can stay with us.”
