Page 5 of Obligation and Redemption
Elizabeth was unsettled, suspecting that he had likely been staring at her form.
She leaned down and pulled his blanket up to his shoulders since his movement had caused him to uncover himself.
He looked away. She wrapped herself more tightly with the quilt and turned towards the fire, certain now that he had regarded her at least for a moment while she removed her wet clothing.
In her exhaustion, she felt provoked. She could be home by now warm in her dressing gown by a blazing fire with hot tea to her lips, without consideration for his health.
She determined to ignore the man unless he asked specifically for assistance.
Turning towards the fire again with the quilt securely around her shoulders, yet open towards the warmth, she leaned into the small blaze, adding pieces of wood as needed.
How long she was standing thus, she did not know, but her chemise had begun to dry.
When checking, she saw that Mr. Darcy’s clothing was further along than her own, and so was ready to flip over.
Elizabeth had been diligently tending to the clothes when he spoke.
“Excuse me, Miss uh, Miss…. Well, I am in need of some time alone.”
Elizabeth turned his way. “There is no where for me to go, sir. What do you propose?”
He turned scarlet. This was obviously very difficult for him. Elizabeth could not help but inwardly smile at his now feeling the discomfort of the situation, as she had felt since their arrival.
“Forgive me, but I am in need of relieving myself, and I must have some privacy. Can you please bring me the chamber pot, assuming there is one, and then leave me?”
Now it was Elizabeth’s occasion to turn scarlet.
“Of course. I, well, I don’t know.” She began searching the room for the requested item or something that could work in its stead.
There was a room outside for such things, but with the downpour and his inability to walk, there really was no way to accommodate him.
She had exhausted her search of the cabin, and so decided to look outside on the porch where she had remembered some pieces of tin.
She opened the door and found on the porch, under the awning and next to the remnant of firewood, a tin bucket. Well, this will have to do.
With embarrassment, she brought the bucket to him. As she handed it over, she looked away. “And what is this for?” he asked, incredulously.
“This is not Netherfield, sir. We are in a cabin, a usually uninhabited cabin, in the woods. There is a place outside for those who need privacy, but I am afraid this is all I can offer you under the circumstances. You can make use of what I have provided, or you can wait out the storm; I care not.”
Mr. Darcy had never been spoken to by anyone in this way, ever, not even by his cousins, who were equal to him in every way, and he was incensed. “Miss…”
“Elizabeth Bennet. ”
“Miss Bennet, you must leave.”
“I can step outside for a moment and leave you to your privacy; then you may call out to me to return. I just ask that you make quick work of things, as it is quite cold outside, and I have hardly recovered from my last excursion.” On that note, Elizabeth turned and headed for the door, head held high, as she attempted to sound more in control than she actually was.
She had upon first observing the entrance of the Netherfield party at the assembly, thought Mr. Darcy to be quite attractive with or without his fortune, but their few interactions since that initial moment had left her feeling that perhaps her first impressions were at fault.
He spoke to no one and had little energy to exert himself for local society, an insult not easily forgiven for a young woman with Elizabeth’s confidence.
Elizabeth was shivering again, when she heard him call her from within, having left the door ajar to hear him over the rain.
She returned to the room with the last of the firewood and found him, his right arm resting over his eyes, with a pained expression on his countenance.
She approached him and he handed her the bucket.
“See to this, then you may give me some more water.”
Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, Elizabeth walked over to the man who lay by the fire.
She collected the bucket and headed back outside to dispose of its contents, feeling fully the degradation of the chore.
It is not that she had never emptied a chamber pot before; of course she had at various times when up during the night caring for one of her sisters, but she had never assisted a man, especially one who looked at her with contempt.
He was of the upper ranks of society; she knew that contrary to Mr. Bingley’s assessment, that Mr. Darcy obviously despised the lower gentry.
She could see the disdain in his eyes over dinner and at the local social events of the past week.
Nevertheless, as was her nature, Elizabeth determined to find the humour in her present situation.
Mr. Darcy resembled everyone else at the base level; everyone needed the chamber pot, no matter how highborn.
Elizabeth drew some water from the pitcher to share with her patient, assisting him in sitting up. He drank all that was there, and then with her help, lowered himself slowly back down, the dizzying effects of sitting up taking its toll on his spirits and patience.
“Now, you may go find help.”
“Mr. Darcy there are two things that keep me from following your command – that I am sure you have thought long and hard over.
If I could remove myself and not be considered negligent of your care, believe me, I would, but I cannot in good conscience leave you alone.
I have struggled with alternatives for many hours now and have come up with no other option but to remain; however, I can assure you that I do not like this situation any more than you do.
“In addition to your present condition, the rain has not abated since we arrived. The temperatures have dropped significantly, and we are two, maybe three miles, from my home, Longbourn, in one direction and Netherfield in the other. Do you propose that I don my wet clothes and take on the storm outside?”
Mr. Darcy muttered with sarcasm, not lost on Elizabeth, “I am sure you speak things as you see them. ”
“Sir, I am a gentleman’s daughter. I do not know what you are implying, but I can assure you that I find the predicament in which we find ourselves quite unsettling; however, what’s done is done.
Neither you nor I can go back and change what has happened up to this point, so we must make the best of a difficult situation.
And that is what I intend to do.” Remembering that he too had experienced a rough and trying day, for the time being Elizabeth decided from now on to demonstrate grace and to avoid casting judgement upon his character regardless of the provocation.
AFTER PUTTING THE LAST of the firewood into the small hearth, Elizabeth, keeping the quilt tightly drawn around her, pulled a chair up to the fire and next to the cot.
She sat down for nearly the first time since she set out that morning.
Hours had passed, but it was difficult to tell how many as the sky remained concealed by the cloud cover and continuous rain.
The fiercest part of the storm had passed, and Elizabeth was certain that they would soon be found, if not by her own family then by Mr. Darcy’s friends.
Their future might depend upon the identity of their rescuer.
Seeing that Mr. Darcy was much more lucid, to get her mind off the unwanted circumstances, Elizabeth thought that conversation was in order.
“We must have some conversation, Mr. Darcy, though very little would suffice.”
“I have no objection to hearing you, but I have no desire to perform my share. Talking increases my discomfort.” Must he be subjected to her twaddle?
“Do you like books, Mr. Darcy?” After a pause, Elizabeth continued, “I am in the midst of reading a newly acquired novel.” She watched his expression to follow his reaction to the news.
She was rewarded with a slight smirk. “I love a novel above all things, and this one in particular leaves me quite distracted. Do you care to know of which book I speak?” This time she waited several moments before resuming.
She found that she quite enjoyed observing his reactions to her monologue.
He was attempting to show no interest; nonetheless, if he was as bored as she, and as in need of a preoccupation to distract from their predicament, then he was likely listening attentively, if not openly.