Page 81 of A Most Beloved Sister
“Come, we must celebrate!” cried Bingley, filling glasses with wine that a servant had brought in on a tray when he’d heard his master’s joy. “Darcy, old man—will you join us in a celebration drink?”
Elizabeth shifted her gaze down, doing her best to ignore the man whose presence she could barely tolerate. It had been a bit of an awkward dinner, but apparently she had been the only one to think so. She had studiously avoided any eye contact or conversation with him, as she had yet to uncover who was really the man from Derbyshire—the horrible, proud man who offended everyone or the kindhearted master who cared even for the servants who were not his own.
She could feel his eyes bore into her head before his shoulders slumped. “No, I think I’ll stay with my tea, but I thank you for the offer all the same,” he said.
After another half hour of listening to Bingley and Jane attempt to outdo one another in describing their happiness, Elizabeth thought she would not be able to take another moment more. She excused herself from the room, citing a headache and begging leave to retire for the night. Jane, who had begun to show signs of exhaustion herself, was urged by all to accompany her sister to their chambers.
Once Elizabeth had gotten her sister settled for the night, she crawled under the bedding, snuggling between the luxurious linens and thick down quilt.
Sleep, however, would not come so easily. It never does for someone with a guilty conscience.
Chapter 22
The morning of Jane’s wedding was bright and clear. For November, the day was unusually warm, and even the birds seemed to sing more gaily than was their wont. Elizabeth rose with the sun and took a quick walk around the gardens before returning to rooms to dress for the day.
Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth, in conjunction with Bingley, had determined that Mrs. Bennet should remain uninformed about the wedding until the carriage was on their way to Netherfield for the ceremony. This would ensure that the plans could be done to Jane’s tastes.
Whilst Elizabeth would have loved to witness her mother’s histrionics upon hearing the news that her eldest daughter would be marrying a man with five thousand a year, she had no desire to see Mr. Collins again in so confined a space as a carriage, which is what would happen should she go to Longbourn before the wedding and journey back with her family. He would be attending the ceremony—there was no way to exclude him—but she was comforted in the fact that so many others would be present.
As she dressed in her new gown, Elizabeth pondered the last two days since Bingley had proposed to Jane. The time had passed in a whirlwind of planning with Louisa, and the day hadfinally arrived. The planning had given Elizabeth an excuse to avoid Darcy, but she had felt all the guilt of knowing she had gone too far with her temper.
The night prior she had finally been granted a small window of opportunity to speak with Darcy in private. Louisa had excused herself to check on her husband, and Jane and Bingley were in private conversation near the fireplace.
“Mr. Darcy, I hope you do not mind if I take advantage of this moment to apologize for my behavior the other day. I was quite… intemperate in our conversation, and I should not have spoken so harshly to you.”
He had looked at her over his book, his dark eyes boring deeply into hers. After a long moment of silence, he had said, “Your determination to protect those whom others would mistreat is admirable, Miss Elizabeth. I appreciate your apology.”
Having expected a reprimand of some sort, Elizabeth was surprised by this bit of praise. The conversation came to an abrupt end, however, when Louisa returned to the room and immediately claimed Elizabeth’s attention with urgent wedding details that needed to be attended to.
Elizabeth shook her head to clear the memory from her mind, and the maid gave a startled yelp, dropping the hairpin. “Oh, sorry, Miss Lizzy!”
“That was entirely my fault, Sally. I apologize for my inattention.”
Once she had been dressed and her hair done to her satisfaction, Elizabeth went into her sister’s room. Jane sat on the bed with a breakfast tray, the pink spots of excitement on her cheeks standing out in stark contrast to her pale face and blue lips.
“I’m getting married today!” she squealed when she saw her sister. “Oh, Lizzy, how shall I bear such happiness?”
“You must, else you will tire yourself before you can become Mrs. Bingley,” replied Elizabeth with a smile. “It would be a shame to miss your wedding because you were too happy to attend.”
“I shall try, but only to please you,” Jane replied with a small smirk.
Elizabeth felt a small thrill, just as she did each time Jane was able to tease back. It gave her a glimpse of what life would have been like had Jane not been born different. She loved her sister, but at times she wished for a true friend with whom she could confide all her cares and worries.
Being the strong one was exhausting.
Pushing her selfishness aside, Elizabeth encouraged her sister to finish eating so they could prepare for the wedding. The maid brought in hot water for a bath, and soon Jane had been scrubbed clean.
Louisa knocked on the door just as Jane settled in front of the fire to dry her hair. It was thin and the strands fine, which meant she could do it quickly. Elizabeth’s thick, unruly locks, on the other hand, took hours in front of a hot blaze to thoroughly remove all the moisture.
“You look lovely!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
Louisa blushed and looked down at her gown, smoothing away imaginary wrinkles. “I realized it would be my last chance to wear this before it no longer fit. By the time it does again, it will definitely be out of style.”
“Why won’t it fit?” Jane asked.
“I am going to have a baby,” Louisa said with a smile.
“A baby!” Jane dropped the lock of hair she was holding towards the fire and clapped her hands in delight. “I adore babies. I remember when Lydia was born…”
