Chapter 9

M rs Nichols directed some maids to dry the entrance hall and place cloths for the men to stand on, while her husband sent some of his footmen to retrieve towels for the gentlemen.

"I sent my coach back to Meryton so the horses may be cared for in the stables at the inn," Bingley informed his butler as he towelled himself off. "The bridge near the gatehouse is under water. I would not chance it giving way with the weight of the team and conveyance. We used the footbridge which was still just above the level of what used to be a stream. Unfortunately, we got drenched as we walked back to the manor house." Bingley remembered his sisters' guests. "Did the Miss Bennets depart before the bridge was covered?"

"No, Mr Bingley, the ladies are still here, Miss Bennet was taken ill and your sister had her placed in one bedchamber of a suite with Miss Elizabeth in the other," Nichols reported.

"Miss Bennet ill? Nothing serious I pray," Bingley averred alarmedly.

"Miss Elizabeth will watch her sister through the night and if needs be, she will send a note to Mr Jones in the morning," Nichols explained.

Darcy was not pleased Miss Bennet had taken ill, but he was not sorry Miss Elizabeth would be resident at Netherfield Park, if only for a day or two. He would endeavour to speak to her and deliver his apology.

Mrs Hurst, who had been alerted to the men's presence by the housekeeper, and had been informed of the state they were in, entered the hall as the three men were completing the task of drying most of the extraneous water from themselves. She relaxed when her husband nodded that they were well.

"Lulu, I heard Miss Bennet is ill. Is it serious. Do we need to summon Mr Jones now?" Bingley enquired.

"She has come down with a cold which has worsened and now has a fever as well," Mrs Hurst revealed. She saw the concern etched on her brother's countenance. "It was not a very high fever when I last was with her. Unless Lizzy…Miss Elizabeth tells us he is needed, we may wait until the morning to call for Mr. Jones's services."

Darcy felt a pang of jealousy that Mrs Hurst was allowed to address Miss Elizabeth informally. As it was, she was Elizabeth to him in his dreams.

"How did Caroline behave?" Bingley questioned.

"We will discuss our sister and her behaviour later, but for now the baths are being filled for each of you. Once you remove your soaked boots, you are welcome to warm up in the steaming water," Mrs Hurst instructed the three men.

As he was neither the lady's brother nor her husband, under normal circumstances Darcy would not have removed his boots in her company. Thankfully, when he began to unlace them, she turned and left and was replaced by his valet, who Darcy had not noticed in the entrance hall until then. Carstens took his soaked boots, jacket, and cravat with a look of distaste when he noted how, in addition to them being waterlogged, they were also covered in mud.

"The bath is ready for you in your bathing room, Mr Darcy," Carstens said with as much dignity as he could muster since his hands and arms were full with his master's filthy clothing.

Once Bingley's and Hurst's valets took similar items from each of them, the three men made their way up the main staircase, holding onto the banister to make sure they did not slip.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Elizabeth had just exited the sitting room which was between Jane's and her bedchambers to ask Louisa for some nightrails when she almost collided with a decidedly wet and underdressed Mr Darcy. If she did not hate the very sight of him, she would have felt rather attracted to him. His hair was wet and plastered to his head, some curls stuck to his forehead. He was in his stockings, his shirtsleeves were rolled up, his cravat was missing, and he wore no jacket. His vest was in place, except it was unbuttoned, as were the top three buttons of his lawn shirt, which in the places it was exposed, the fabric was transparent and clung to his body beneath it. Thanks to the top few buttons of the shirt being open, not only his neck, but the top of his dark haired chest were exposed.

There was no denying he was an extremely handsome specimen. Had she not felt the antipathy she did for the man; she may have permitted herself to admire him. But of course , she did no such thing.

"Miss Elizabeth," Darcy bowed in greeting.

"Mr Darcy," Elizabeth gave a quick curtsy and carried on towards Louisa's suite. If it had not been for her dislike of the man, she may have found his attempt at greeting her, when he looked like he had almost drowned, rather endearing.

‘ So much for the men remaining at the Red Lion Inn !' Elizabeth harumphed to herself. ‘ We need to get home as soon as may be. It will be insupportable to be stuck in the same house as that insufferable man for too many days !' Elizabeth could not admit to herself her vitriol against him was driven by her self-disgust at her reaction to seeing him in a state of undress.

Darcy grinned as he watched Miss Elizabeth scurry away from him without ever looking back. She had seemed frozen to the spot for some moments instead of her habit of moving away from him with all possible speed. Could it be her attitude towards him was thawing? He certainly hoped that was the case. Would his quest to speak to her and beg her pardon finally be successful?

With one last look in the direction she had disappeared, Darcy opened the door to his bedchamber. As soon as he entered Carstens looked behind him to make sure a certain lady was not following his master. As Mr Darcy was alone, the valet locked the door securely behind his employer. Darcy made directly for the bathing room and stripped off the remainder of his dripping items of clothing. He climbed into the brass bath tub, full of steaming water and was soon relaxing as the heat worked its magic on his muscles. Of course his thoughts conjured the image of the beautiful, infuriating, fine eyed woman. Darcy stopped his musings before they became decidedly ungentlemanly. This time he had not the excuse he was asleep and dreaming.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

By the time Elizabeth returned to Jane's bedchamber with the night gowns, Jane was awake. "Water," Jane croaked.

Knowing the cold water soothed Jane's throat, rather than ask the maid who was seated near the foot of the bed to do so, Elizabeth poured Jane a quarter glass full. She helped her sister sit up and then held the glass to her lips and allowed the soothing liquid to leak into Jane's mouth slowly.

Jane drained the glass. "More?" Elizabeth enquired. Jane shook her head.

"I am so…sorry Lizzy. I know…you did not want to…remain here," Jane managed with stops to regain her breath.

"All I care about is that you get well," Elizabeth insisted. "If I have to be in the same house as Mr Darcy so I may remain close to you, then so be it. I would endure far more to nurse you back to health, Janey."

All Jane could manage was a crooked smile. "I too love you, Lizzy. The men? "

"Evidently they managed to return because I saw a man, I think it was a man, because it much resembled a drowned rat!" Still peeved at herself for the momentary attraction Elizabeth had felt, the best medicine was to disparage Mr Darcy. It was, after all, what Papa would do.

"Who?" Jane managed.

"Mr Darcy! He did not look so arrogant and proud in that state," Elizabeth smiled, if somewhat forced.

‘ The lady doth protest too much ,' Jane thought. Aloud she said, "Sorry Lizzy…I know…did not want to…see Mr Darcy."

"Janey, you are not at fault because you became sick. I will be with you most of the time and, as you correctly pointed out earlier, when I do see him, we will be in company with others. ‘ Seeing him alone in the hall excepted, ' Elizabeth told herself silently. She shook her head hoping to evict any further thoughts of Mr Darcy in the state she had just seen him in. "You must know nursing you is far more important to me than my own comfort."

"You are too good…to me Lizzy," Jane managed. She pointed at the water glass and Elizabeth refilled it and assisted Jane so she could drink it.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Once the rain lightened, a groom rode across the fields towards Longbourn. He delivered a note to Mrs Hill in the kitchen. The housekeeper had cook give the cold man a bowl of the hearty stew the servants had eaten for their dinner that evening.

Mrs Hill knocked on the door to Mrs Bennet's chambers. "What is it Hill? Are we all to be murdered in our beds?" Fanny, sitting up in her bed in her nightgown, babbled. Her hair was wrapped for the night and she was wearing her night time mobcap.

"No Madam, this note arrived from Netherfield Park," Mrs Hill informed the mistress as she proffered the missive .

Fanny had been very worried until her husband had arrived home. If something happened to him, and God called him home, she and her daughters would be homeless and live in poverty. When her two eldest daughters were missing, she was comforted when her husband opined they would remain at Netherfield Park until the bridge, which tended to flood in such rain, was passable once again.

As much as she hated to see Lizzy proved correct, had the girls ridden as she had desired, they would have been drenched. Lizzy would have been well, but Jane would not have been. This way was much better; her desire for Jane to remain at Netherfield Park with Mr Bingley in the house was being gratified without having to risk Janey's health.

Fanny opened the note after identifying Lizzy's script. She assumed it was to tell her they were to remain where they were. But why had Jane not written? She decided the only way to answer that question was to read the missive.

23 October 1812

Netherfield Park

Mama,

As I am sure you are aware, Janey and I had to remain at this estate. It was not because of the weather, although I recently was told that the bridge is impassable.

You know Janey had had a cold recently. My wonderful sister, being who she is, did not want to disappoint Mrs Hurst, after accepting the invitation, so she did not realise that her throat tickling her before we departed Longbourn, was an indication of her cold returning.

Mama, be calm, Jane will be well. As you often say, no one dies from a trifling cold. Her fever is not too high, but if needed, I will have Mr Jones attend Janey in the morning, when hopefully the deluge will have passed us by. As we will be here at least a few days, please send a trunk for us with some clothing and night attire .

Before you ask, Jane will not see Mr Bingley until she is well enough to go downstairs. You must know how improper it would be for Mr Bingley to visit Janey in her bedchamber.

"Why should it be so? I do not see why it is so!" Fanny complained to her chamber. She returned to the letter.

When the rain has ceased, the roads dry and the bridge passable, it may be best for you to see Janey for yourself.

With regards,

Your daughter, Elizabeth

She was much relieved that Jane had not taken ill because of something she had done. Fanny was sure had that been the case, her husband would have been relentless in his making fun of her, and more than likely, Lizzy would have joined him, especially after her prediction.

Now at least, Fanny could rest easier. The trunk would be sent in the morning and she would wait to hear if Mr Jones had to be called, and if so, what he had said.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

By the time Miss Bingley decided to grace her family and Mr Darcy with her presence in the dining parlour so she could break her fast, the rest of them were about to finish their morning meals.

"How pleasant it is to have one's house back without any Bennet's present," Miss Bingley cooed as she looked at Mr Darcy.

"Caroline, were you not at dinner last night? Did you not know Miss Bennet took ill? Miss Elizabeth took a tray and is nursing her sister. Besides, the bridge was impassable yester-night thanks to the heavy rains," Bingley informed his younger sister who got a decidedly pinched look on her face when she learnt the Bennet sisters had not gone back to their hovel.

"I am sure Miss Bennet is malingering so she can put herself in your path," Miss Bingley asserted .

"Unlike you who had a tantrum and threw soup all over yourself, I was with Jane and Lizzy, and I can tell you with complete certainty Jane is ill. In fact, the apothecary is on his way as her fever rose significantly higher during the night," Mrs Hurst corrected her sister.

"Not everyone has to be manipulative to gain what they desire," Bingley told his younger sister as he looked at her pointedly. "Wait Louisa, did you say tantrum? Please tell me Caroline did not behave badly towards our guests."

"It was that Miss Eliza's fault! First, she was rude when she attacked me verbally and then she tipped my soup on me," Miss Bingley dissembled sure her sister would not contradict her having ignored what Louisa had just said.

"Caroline Maleficent Bingley! How can you stand and prevaricate so with a straight face?" Mrs Hurst demanded. She turned to her brother. "From the instant the Bennet sisters arrived, Caroline was rude. At dinner she attacked them for having connections in trade, speak of the pot telling the kettle it is black. Lizzy answered in defence of her family, without being rude like our sister, mind. Caroline screamed and brought her fist down which in turn tossed her own soup all over herself."

"Louisa! How can you be so disloyal? I am your sister," Miss Bingley screeched.

"Yes, you are but my familial loyalty does not extend to telling untruths for you. Further Caroline, you know not what loyalty is, unless it is to yourself," Mrs Hurst pushed back.

"You were warned. As soon as it is possible, to Aunt Hildebrand you will go," Bingley stated emphatically.

" NOOOOO ! You cannot do this! I will not go!" Miss Bingley screamed.

"Absolutely yes," Bingley responded calmly, but firmly. "I can and you will. You have two, possibly three days before the bridge and the roads are ready for safe use once more. Then you will be going to join our aunt in Scarborough. I have already notified her I may have to take this step and she is more than willing to educate you."

Miss Bingley turned and ran out of the dining parlour. She needed to plan. She only had a day or two to achieve her aim of compromising Mr Darcy into offering for her.