Page 3 of Attempted Compromises
But Elizabeth was already climbing higher, nimble as a squirrel. The boys watched with awe as she climbed branch after branch. Her skirt caught once on a twig, but she pushed forward, undeterred. Higher and higher she went, until she reached the very top. A triumphant smile spread across her face.
“I told you I could do it!” she crowed. She held on tight as she looked around, surveying the landscape from her newfound perch. She felt invincible, her heart pounding with exhilaration.
“Come down now, Lizzy!” Jane called up, her voice shaking with worry. The other girls echoed Jane’s plea, but Elizabeth just laughed, waving a hand at them.
“All of you are just afraid,” she teased, glancing around to take in the view. “I can see all of Meryton from up here!”
“Please, Lizzy!” The fear in Jane’s voice was persuasive.
But as Elizabeth began her descent, a sudden flurry of wings exploded from a nearby branch. A startled bird took flight, screeching as it fled the disturbance. Elizabeth gasped, losing her balance in her shock, and her hands slipped from thebranch. She fell with a sharp scream, tumbling through the branches until she hit the ground with a sickening thud.
The world spun, her vision blurred with pain as she lay on her side, clutching her arm, which throbbed with an agony sharper than anything she had ever felt. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to move, only for the pain to grow even more intense.
A piercing scream tore from her lips as she attempted to rise for a third time, and all the frozen children were suddenly moving at once. The boys exchanged panicked looks, and in an instant, they scattered to get help, dashing back to their homes or toward Lucas Lodge, where the adults could be found.
Jane, pale and trembling, knelt beside her sister, gently brushing back Elizabeth’s hair. “Oh, Lizzy,” she whispered, her voice breaking as she watched her sister writhe in pain, cradling her arm.
Charlotte Lucas knelt beside Elizabeth, her own face pale with worry. “Hold on, Lizzy. Thomas will fetch Papa—he’ll help you.”
Within minutes, Sir William Lucas arrived, his face etched with worry as he crouched beside Elizabeth. “Good heavens, child,” he murmured, assessing her injury with gentle concern. “We must get you home at once.”
Carefully, he lifted her into his arms. The movement caused pain to surge through Elizabeth’s arm, but she pressed her lips together, trying to be brave. Sir William carried her back to Longbourn, his strides long and urgent.
Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet were alerted, and Mr. Jones was summoned once more. When her parents arrived, Elizabeth lay on a chaise in the parlor, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched her injured arm, every small movement sending waves of pain through her body.
Mr. Bennet’s mouth tightened as he looked down at Elizabeth, his hands trembling as he stroked her hair. “It’ll be alright, Lizzy,” he whispered, though his voice betrayed his anxiety. “We’ll have Mr. Jones tend to you, and you’ll be good as new.”
Mr. Jones was announced and entered the parlor, his face lined with concern as he looked down at Elizabeth. “Well, young Miss Bennet, it seems you’ve found yourself in a bit of trouble again.”
Elizabeth managed a weak smile, her face pale as she nodded. “It… it hurts something awful, Mr. Jones.”
Mr. Jones’ face grew serious as he inspected Elizabeth’s injured arm. He probed the area with gentle, yet practiced, care. “A nasty one, indeed. Now, I’ll give you some laudanum to ease the pain before I set the bone. Mrs. Bennet, you should leave now.”
Mrs. Bennet let out a small shriek and rushed from the room, calling for her smelling salts. Sir William put his hand on Mr. Benett’s shoulder. “I’ll stay, my friend.”
Nodding, Mr. Bennet motioned for Dr. Jones to continue. The apothecary reached into his bag and brought out the small bottle of laudanum. “This will help ease her pain, at least enough for me to work,” he told the adults in the room.
Elizabeth eyed the bottle warily, remembering her toothache from years before. Mr. Jones poured two drops into a small cup of water, stirring it before handing it to her. “Here you are, Miss Elizabeth. Drink up, and let’s wait a bit for it to take effect.”
Elizabeth drank the bitter medicine, grimacing at the taste. They waited, watching as the minutes ticked by, but although she grew a bit drowsy, the pain remained just as sharp and unrelenting.
“Mr. Jones, it still hurts,” she whispered, her voice quivering.
Mr. Jones frowned, scratching his head. He glanced at the parents, then poured two more drops, handing her another spoonful. “This should be plenty,” he murmured, watching as she took the second dose.
Sir William, who had stayed out of concern, raised an eyebrow. “Are you certain that’s wise, Mr. Jones? Why, when I had three drops last year after my accident, it knocked me out for the better part of two days— and I’m thrice her size!”
Mr. Jones shook his head, glancing at Elizabeth with curiosity. “Yes, ordinarily, I would think so. But Miss Elizabeth… well, she seems rather resilient to the effects of laudanum. This happened the last time she had laudanum for a rotting tooth, but I had assumed she would have outgrown it by now. Quite unusual, I must say.”
The room fell silent as they waited. Elizabeth’s eyelids drooped, and she appeared woozy, but the pain was still evident in her face. She whimpered, clutching her arm, the broken bone sending sharp stabs of agony through her every time she moved.“Papa… I think the room is spinning!” she whispered with a small laugh, her head lolling to the side.
Mr. Jones took a deep breath, casting a sympathetic glance at Elizabeth’s father. “Very well, let’s proceed. I’ll need to set the bone quickly. Elizabeth, this will hurt, but only for a moment.”
Elizabeth, still in her hazy state, only nodded, her gaze unfocused. As Mr. Jones took hold of her arm and began to pull, a fresh wave of pain coursed through her, piercing the haze of laudanum. She let out a strangled cry, twisting and writhing as the agony surged anew.
Mr. Bennet grabbed a wooden brush from the table nearby and pressed it into her mouth. “Bite down, Lizzy,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I know it hurts, but be brave, my darling.”
Elizabeth clamped her teeth onto the brush, biting down with all her might as tears streamed down her cheeks. Mr. Bennet held her, his own eyes glistening as he murmured soothing words, though his heart ached with every sob that escaped her.
