Chapter 10

C aroline Bingley paced back and forth in her chamber, and no matter how hard she attempted to think of a way she could gain access to Mr Darcy's chambers, she could not find an option.

Falling into his arms in the drawing room would gain her nothing, as the whole of her traitorous family were against her. She remonstrated with herself that she had not done so at Lucas Lodge. At least there would have been too many witnesses to deny it had occurred. Hang word reaching London of the compromise, as long as she gained his hand in marriage, nothing else mattered. As things stood now, they would not be paying visits to anyone until the bridge and roads were usable again, and then it would be too late, she would be on her way to her hated aunt. She would not allow that to occur.

The servants would be no help as they were loyal to her useless brother and sister…the servants ! That was it—the servants' doors and passage ways! She rang for her maid. She would charge the girl to find the way to Mr Darcy's suite using the passages and pay her for doing so.

The maid, Kindle, entered. "You rang Mistress?" she said as she bobbed a curtsy.

"Kindle, how would you like to earn five pounds over and above your wages," Miss Bingley asked conspiratorially.

"That would be most helpful, Mistress," the maid averred. Her mother had been ill and that sum would pay for the apothecary and medicines she may need.

"You know your way around the servants' passages, do you not?" The maid nodded. "I need exact instructions to reach Mr Darcy's suite using the servants' halls." Miss Bingley saw the sceptical look on her maid's face. Normally she would berate the girl, or even slap her for impertinence, but she needed the girl to do what she wanted without questioning her. "My brother, sister, and I want to gift him a surprise for his birthday, which is today, and I have been asked to deliver it while they distract him."

The maid bobbed another curtsey and left through the servants' door to carry out her mistress's orders.

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

Thanks to Mr Jones riding his horse and not using the road which crossed the bridge, he arrived a little after the morning meal to check on his patient. Having taken care of the Bennet sisters since birth, he was well versed regarding Miss Bennet and her colds and fevers.

Bingley showed the man up to the suite being shared by the two Bennet sisters. He knew he could not enter as there were two single women within, instead he paced up and down the corridor while he waited for Mr Jones. That way, he would know how Miss Bennet was faring as soon as the man had completed his examination.

"Mr Jones, we thank you for your prompt response to my note," Elizabeth said with obvious relief at seeing the man. She tried to hide it from Jane, but she had been very worried through the night as Jane's fever had climbed and her sweating sister had thrashed around in her bed, all the while deliriously jabbering nonsense.

"You know I always come to see my Bennet girls when needed, Miss Lizzy," Jones declared. "Tell me all please."

Elizabeth related all from the time Jane almost fainted at dinner to the time the doctor and apothecary in one arrived. "Her fever was very high in the middle of the night, but it has come down some since then. "

"I am…feeling much…improved," Jane managed.

"As always, I see you are underplaying your symptoms. I will examine you now Miss Jane, and then we will decide what the best course of treatment for you is," Jones stated. Both sisters nodded.

Jones felt Miss Bennet's forehead and looked at her eyes. Then he had her sit up and placed his ear to her back while instructing her to take deep breaths. After a little more poking and prodding, he gently lowered the patient back into the supine position.

"As far as I can see there is nothing of great concern; Miss Jane has a bad cold. There are no signs it is influenza or is in her lungs," Jones addressed the younger Miss Bennet, "she needs rest to recover, and make sure she drinks and takes nourishment."

"How soon may Janey go home?" Elizabeth asked hopefully. She was well aware as long as Jane was in residence, she would be also.

"I am afraid, not until she has had a full four and twenty hours with no fever," Jones replied. He did not miss the way Miss Lizzy's face fell. "Come now Miss Lizzy, you are warm and comfortable and Miss Jane will be well. It cannot be so very bad being hosted at Netherfield Park, can it?"

"No, I suppose not," Elizabeth responded unenthusiastically.

First, Jones handed Elizabeth three bottles and gave her instructions on when and how much to give her sister. He closed his bag, rolled down his shirt sleeves, donned his jacket, and then bowed to the two young ladies before exiting the room where Mr Bingley was waiting. Jones told the man what he had told the ladies regarding Miss Bennet's prognosis.

"Of course, Miss Bennet must not attempt to go outside until it is safe to do so. She and Miss Elizabeth are welcome for as long as they need to remain here," Bingley told Mr Jones emphatically.

Mrs Hurst, with a maid in tow, arrived outside the Bennets' suite soon after Mr Jones had taken his leave. Bingley repeated what he had been told regarding Miss Bennet's health. "Where are Hurst and Darcy?" he enquired of his sister.

"They are playing billiards. Go join them Charles, you are doing no one any good wearing holes in the carpeting in the hallway," Mrs Hurst recommended kindly.

Bingley took his sister's advice and she stood watching him until he was on his way down the stairs. She then knocked on the door to Jane's bedchamber. The maid who had been in the chamber overnight answered the door. Mrs Hurst sent the girl to go sleep as she would be replaced by the maid who had arrived with herself. She and the maid slipped into the room with the latter closing the door. Louisa noticed that Jane was sleeping once again and Lizzy—with dark rings under her eyes from lack of sleep—smiled at her weakly.

"Lizzy, I will sit with Jane for now, and Hannah will be here when I am not. You need to go sleep," Mrs Hurst admonished lightly. Seeing the protest forming on the younger woman's lips, Louisa continued. "What good will you be to Jane if you are taken ill and cannot tend to her at all?"

As much as she did not want to admit it, Elizabeth knew Louisa had the right of it. "Peace Louisa, I will go rest." Elizabeth stood and took a couple of steps towards the door, stopped and turned back towards her new friend. "I will be summoned if there is reason, will I not?"

"On that you have my promise," Mrs Hurst assured Lizzy. "If you do not wake before, I will make sure a maid wakes you for dinner."

Elizabeth nodded and made her way into her bedchamber. Louisa had assigned her a maid who helped her change out of the dress she had been wearing since yester-morning. She did not even bother to don one of her nightrails which had arrived from home, she wore only her chemise and climbed into the bed. Almost the instant her head touched the pillow, she was fast asleep.

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

Two hours later, Kindle returned to her mistress and handed her a map which showed her how to navigate the servants' passageways and which door to take to enter Mr Darcy's suite. Caroline handed over the banknote without delay and dismissed her maid.

Entering the domain of servants was disgusting to her, but in this case, the ends justified the means. Miss Bingley decided she would wait until at least one o'clock in the morning, when everyone in the house, save a few footmen on duty, would be asleep. The men who would be posted in some of the corridors would not impede her plan as she would not be in the hallways she would otherwise use. She planned to wear her most revealing nightgown, and to take some other steps, so there would be no doubt she was thoroughly compromised. She was certain as soon as Mr Darcy saw her shapely body he would not be able to resist her anyway.

By the time Miss Bingley was happy she had everything planned out perfectly, it was a half hour before the midday meal. She rang for Kindle and was soon on her way down to the dining parlour feeling happier than she had in a long while.

"Have you told your maid to begin packing your trunks?" Bingley asked when his younger sister glided into the room. He could not remember a time she had looked so content.

"You meant that? Very well, I will have my maid begin to pack after the meal," Miss Bingley averred lightly. ‘ I will have her pack as I will make sure my Mr Darcy will take me to London as soon as we are engaged so I may lord my triumph over all of those doubting Thomases! ' she thought with a sly smile.

If any of those noticed the change in her attitude, they did not remark thereon. "Lulu, how is Miss Bennet?" Bingley enquired.

"When I left her chamber to come join you for the meal Jane was sleeping, albeit a little fitfully, but her fever was low," Mrs Hurst replied. "Subsequent to the meal, I will return to sit with her while Miss Elizabeth also sleeps."

"Why should you do so?" Miss Bingley sneered. "Is that not what Miss Eliza is here for?" She could not help herself when she had a chance to ridicule the second Bennet daughter.

"Because Caroline," Mrs Hurst averred, "Lizzy was awake all night with Jane, and only found her bed to sleep when I relieved her this morning. It may be a foreign concept to some, but there are those who place the needs of others above their own."

Darcy was impressed. This showed a strength of character and devotion to those Miss Elizabeth loved; that her love once bestowed, was of a selfless variety. He did not expect she would be seen downstairs until her sister had made a significant improvement. In his mind's eye he could see what a good sister Miss Elizabeth would be to Gigi if he made her his wife.

It was at that moment he realised he would not be rejecting the principals his parents left him with if he married Miss Elizabeth. He had always thought only of his father saying he should make a brilliant match, without remembering how both his late mother and father had defined said match, as one which was based on love and respect, and not wealth and connections. Mother had spoken of her expectations for his future partner when he was a lad of but ten summers. It was after his Aunt Catherine had visited and attempted to browbeat her sister into agreeing to a betrothal between Anne de Bourgh and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

As he remembered the incident, he recalled how his father had ordered Lady Catherine to leave Pemberley for unsettling his Anne's equanimity. With this realisation, Darcy had more facts than before to refute his aunt's ridiculous lie. That of course, did not count Uncle Reggie also knew there was no truth to his sister's claims.

He was snapped out of his reverie by the shrew's grating voice. "You are a simpleton to befriend them, Louisa, they are so far be…" Miss Bingley stopped. She remembered what occurred each time she pointed out her superiority over the Bennets, and all of the bumpkins in the area. She closed her mouth and said nothing further given her desire her roots not be pointed out to Mr Darcy once again.

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

Elizabeth was having the best dream when she awoke to some gentle shaking of her shoulder. It was the maid Louisa had assigned to her. "‘Scuse me Miss, but Mrs Hurst told me to wake you," the maid stated softly.

"Thank you, Gladys, what time is it?" Elizabeth enquired.

"Just on five, Miss Bennet," Gladys averred.

She had slept seven hours! Elizabeth had to admit that she felt wonderfully refreshed after her sleep. She blushed as her stomach objected to not having any sustenance since she had broken her fast in the morning.

"Mrs Hurst wants to know if you will have a tray with your sister or join the family in the dining parlour," Gladys enquired.

She knew avoiding Mr Darcy was silly, but she reasoned it was because she did not want to be away from her Janey. "If it is all the same to Mrs Hurst I will take a tray with my sister in her bedchamber. I would hate to leave her unattended.

The maid said nothing about knowing another maid would be seated with Miss Bennet if the lady she was serving temporarily went down stairs and joined the other residents for the meal. If Miss Elizabeth desired to remain with her sister, who was she to gainsay the lady. Gladys assisted Miss Elizabeth to dress and then bobbed a curtsy and went to deliver the message to the mistress.

Elizabeth walked through the shared sitting room and into Jane's bedchamber. The maid who had accompanied Louisa in the morning was seated and darning some stockings.

"If you would like to go to the servant's hall to eat, please do," Elizabeth told the maid, I will remain with my sister now as I will take a tray in this room."

The maid expressed her gratitude, bobbed a curtsy, and made for the servants' door. Elizabeth looked at Jane, who she noted was far less flushed. She was well pleased and understood why Louisa had not had her woken before she had. There had been no reason to do so; Jane was on the mend.

"Janey, you look so much better," Elizabeth cried. "How are you feeling? Have Mr Jones's drafts helped you?"

"Combined with the willow bark tea Mrs Nichols brought me, I am feeling much better," Jane assured her younger sister. "The pain in my head and throat have almost subsided, and my fever is close to gone."

"That is good, but I must be vigilant tonight as your fever often rises as the hour gets later," Elizabeth reminded her sister. "Has your throat improved enough that I may request a tray for you as well?"

"Thank you, Lizzy, I would enjoy that," Jane agreed gratefully. "It will be better than the broth I have had today."

Elizabeth rung for a maid and requested a second dinner tray.

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

Overdressed in one of her signature orange dresses, Miss Bingley swept into the dining parlour and surveyed those within. She was well pleased to see none of the Bennet chits were present, especially that Miss Eliza .

As would be expected, the men stood on her entry and waited until she took her seat. Miss Bingley waited at her chair in the hope Mr Darcy would come over and pull it out for her. It was a footman who did so. She schooled her features when she sat. She was so close to gaining all she desired so there was no reason for any conflict now. She wanted Mr Darcy and the rest of her family relaxed and unsuspecting.

Caroline smiled to herself. Only a few more hours and everything she had dreamed of would be hers.