Page 29 of A Rational Man (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

W hen will you set a date, Jane?” Kitty asked through a mouthful of toast.

“Soon,” Jane replied. She threw a troubled glance at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth understood completely; Jane would not agree to a date until Mr. Bingley had told his sister of the condition under which Mr. Bennet had agreed to his suit.

Mr. Bingley had promised Jane that he would do so after the ball at Netherfield; evidently he feared that Caroline would immediately cease making the arrangements once she heard the news.

Doubtless it was a reasonable concern, but it was making things rather awkward for his intended bride.

Jane was the gentlest of young ladies; being forced to oust her future sister-in-law from her home was not how she would have wished to begin married life, but her father had recounted Mr. Hurst’s words, which succeeded in convincing her that married life would be intolerable with Miss Bingley in residence.

“Mary will be the first to wed, then. Who would have thought it? I had hoped to be the first, but I suppose there is no chance of that now,” Lydia complained.

“No, indeed; perhaps you will be the daughter who will stay at home and take care of Papa and Mama,” Elizabeth said.

Lydia’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ of horror. “Me? Oh, heavens! No, no!”

“Ha! You are fortunate that neither of our parents are here to hear you, Lydia,” Elizabeth replied.

“She was teasing you, Lydia. I am certain you will marry and not remain at home to tend to our parents,” Jane said, kindly.

“Well, it shall not be me,” Mary said, entering the breakfast room in time to hear the last part of the conversation. “Though doubtless everyone thought it would be.”

“Well, I certainly thought so!” Lydia announced, frowning at her older sister.

“And you were wrong,” Mary replied, equably. “But let me see, Jane is engaged, I am engaged, Lizzy is likely to marry Mr. Darcy, so it will be either you or Kitty, I fear.”

Without a word, Elizabeth rose and left the room.

“Oh, dear,” Mary said. “I misspoke and hurt her feelings, I fear.” Her face was troubled.

“Go after her, Mary,” Jane urged.

Mary did so, and found Elizabeth in her room, sitting on her bed. Mary sat down beside her and put an arm around her. “I am sorry, Lizzy. I was thoughtless.”

“Mr. Darcy is not likely to marry me, and I would prefer not to be teased about it.” Elizabeth’s voice was firm, though it quavered a bit at the end.

“So you do care for him. I had wondered…”

“And now you know.”

Mary put an arm around her sister. Elizabeth rested her head on Mary’s shoulder.

“I am glad you are getting married first, though, Mary. Perhaps it will teach Kitty and Lydia their places in the world.”

“I do not think anything could do that! But where is Mr. Darcy? We have not seen him for some days now.”

“I understand that he is in London, retrieving the papers that will put Lieutenant Wickham in prison for debt.”

Mary shook her head. “It is a sad fate for a young man.”

“It was almost a sad fate for the merchants he cheated and the young lady he tried to elope with. It is only thanks to – “ But here Elizabeth stopped.

“To Mr. Darcy, yes. He is an admirable man, Lizzy; you are not wrong to care for him.”

“But it is fruitless.”

“Nonetheless, in caring for someone, we enlarge and nurture our own hearts. Yes, it hurts if that caring is not returned, but there is, I think, still a beneficial result for us.”

Elizabeth raised her head and stared at Mary. “You appear to have given this a good deal of thought!”

Mary hesitated before replying. “You know Mr. James, of course.”

“Our clergyman? Certainly.”

“Well, before he married…”

“Oh, Mary. You had a tendré for him? I did not know.”

“I made certain that no one knew, of course, as I could not bear being teased. But I did spend a good amount of time contemplating my situation.”

“And now you are able to share the results of that contemplation with me. Thank you, sister.”

“Will you visit me in Kent, Lizzy?”

“I shall be delighted to, Mary.”