Page 14 of Rumours & Recklessness (Sweet Escapes Collection #1)

Jane waited until Elizabeth’s shivers ceased, and her hands were no longer icicles. Then, with every sisterly affection, she tipped her chin closer to her sister’s ear. “All right, Lizzy, come out with it. What has troubled you so this afternoon? You have been terribly distressed since your long talk with Mr Darcy.”

“What if I should not wish to tell you?” came the somewhat defiant retort.

Jane smiled in the darkness, pleased to hear again a saucy reply. Perhaps Lizzy’s anger was fading. “Then I shall tickle you until you confess. Right… there!” Jane needled her slim fingers beneath her sister’s arms to her sensitive ribs, triggering a peal of panicked laughter.

Elizabeth wormed away, writhing under the covers, but Jane was not to be deterred. With one hand locked under her sister’s arm, she reached with the other for the ticklish hollow just above Lizzy’s knee. Since girlhood, she had known her sister’s greatest weakness. She had employed her advantage only at moments of great need, but always with perfect success. Tonight, her goal was two-fold. Not only was she after information, but she also wanted to help lift her sister’s uncharacteristically low spirits.

Elizabeth howled and bucked under the covers. Twisting and squealing, she grasped and brushed at Jane’s hands, but Jane had the advantage of surprise on her side and had taken care to secure her hold. “I confess, I confess! I will tell you all!” Elizabeth caught her breath.

Jane ceased her attack and waited. Instead of making good on her deal, Elizabeth grinned in the darkness and flopped over, stealing all the covers and shielding herself with them. Proper little Jane squealed in challenge and fell upon her sister. Elbows flying, they vied for leverage until Elizabeth hooked her knee under Jane’s and gave a great jerk. Girls and counterpane tumbled to the floor, snarled in a knot.

They lay tangled and gasping, still laughing, when an insistent thumping sounded at their door. Mr Collins’ muffled voice creaked through the slit. “Miss Bennet! Miss Elizabeth! I demand you desist from this outrageous behaviour! It is most unseemly for young ladies to conduct themselves after such a fashion! Young ladies of good family would never comport themselves in such an uproarious manner!”

Elizabeth hid behind her hand and snickered. “I forgot all about him! I did not even know he had returned this evening!”

Jane choked back a giggle. “Oh, yes, and he insisted upon reading Fordyce’s Sermons to Lydia and Kitty after dinner. He tried, anyway, but they just talked over him until he stormed out in a great huff!” The girls burst into a new fit of laughter, which only drew greater protests from Mr Collins.

“Miss Elizabeth! It is incumbent upon me to inform you that the family of the clergyman of Hunsford is expected to behave at all times with the utmost propriety! What will Lady Catherine say when she hears such an indecorous young lady has tried to ensnare Mr Darcy himself? I insist you leave off this commotion!”

With a wicked little “Hmmf,” Elizabeth swiftly disentangled herself and jumped to her feet.

“Lizzy, no!” Jane’s shocking premonition proved true. Elizabeth, in all her nocturnal glory, leapt to the door and jerked it open to a flabbergasted Mr Collins. The man’s mouth gaped like a fish.

“Excuse me, what was that, Mr Collins? We had too much trouble hearing you. You see, we were far too occupied in our scandalous behaviour. We could not be troubled to listen.”

“Miss Elizabeth!” Mr Collins’ hands flew over his face, but he peeked helplessly between his fingers. The light was dim, but he could just make out the hazy lines of her form through the thin gown, thanks to a sliver of moonlight beaming from the window at just the right angle. Behind her, Jane scrambled to her feet, modestly wrapping herself in the counterpane and ducking out of sight.

“Yes, Mr Collins?” Elizabeth crossed her arms nonchalantly, just as though she were not clad in only a nightgown.

“You—Miss Elizabeth, you are not properly attired to be addressing a gentleman in the dark of the night!”

She cocked an eyebrow, letting her frame fall carelessly against the door. “So you say, but you are still here. By this, I accept your admission that you must not be a gentleman, Mr Collins. Am I to report, sir, that you would harass young ladies in their own bedrooms, in their own homes, in the middle of the night? Terribly shocking, Mr Collins. Lady Catherine would be most seriously displeased!”

He gulped, his fingers spasmodically moving to cover his eyes one moment and afford him a better view the next. He knew he ought to turn and flee to his room, but he could not tear himself away. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, I shall speak to your mother about your serious lack of modesty!”

“Oh, do, please.” A sardonic smile tugged her lips. “I am quite certain she and all her friends will enjoy hearing how the clergyman of Hunsford came by such knowledge.”

With a strained little cry, Collins spun and fairly ran back to his room. Elizabeth chuckled to herself and closed the door casually, strolling back to join Jane in the bed.

“ Lizzy! ” Jane admonished, still pale from the encounter. “I cannot believe you could be so bold! Lydia would not even behave so dreadfully!”

“I think Jane, I can answer you with every confidence that she would do as much, and more.” Elizabeth felt uneasily certain of that.

“Lizzy! Do be serious!”

“Oh, Jane, I know you think me awful. You must know, after the two days I have had, it felt wonderfully freeing to defy the rules so. I confess, I have longed to properly shock our esteemed cousin! Do not fear, Jane. He would not dare spread an ill report of me. He cannot do so without damaging his own sterling reputation as a clergyman .” Elizabeth made a dour face and mimicked his pompous tone.

“But Lizzy, he is not very well disposed toward us just now. He considers himself greatly wronged by you, and even by Mr Darcy. He said as much at dinner. You know yourself, we can ill afford more rumours at present.”

Elizabeth sighed, then nodded reluctantly. “Fear not, Dearest Jane, no one could speak ill of you. Your Mr Bingley knows that you are a paragon of virtue, utterly untainted as the rest of us are by any wanton or wicked notions.” Her mischievous smile in the moonlight prodded her sister. “That reminds me… It is not only I who have much to share this evening, is it?”

Jane dipped her head, hiding what would surely have been a most becoming blush if there were enough light to appreciate it by. “That is true,” she confessed softly.

“Well?” demanded Elizabeth playfully.

“We… have an understanding. He asked for my hand, but we must speak to Father, or Uncle, before we can consider it an engagement.”

Elizabeth could tell from Jane’s inflections how truly pleased her sister was. Jane was far too modest to allow strong feeling to show, and one less acquainted with her might not detect the depth of her joy.

Elizabeth would not be fooled. “Oh, dear Jane!” She hugged her sister enthusiastically. “I am so happy for you! He is a fine man, and he will suit you well.”

Jane sighed contentedly, nestling her head onto Elizabeth’s shoulder. “I believe so. He is everything I had hoped to find—amiable and pleasant, and I believe his temper is much like my own.”

“Yes, save that where you are reserved, he is demonstrative. Have you found some way to assure him of your regard? You know that not everyone is as well acquainted with you as I, and it would not do for Mr Bingley to be in any way uncertain of your feelings.”

Jane cringed, but a tiny, embarrassed giggle escaped. Elizabeth pushed her back a little. “Tell me all,” she commanded firmly.

Jane took a moment to gird up her courage. Modest as she was, a confession of her intimate conversation with her intended, even to her dearest sister, pushed the furthest boundaries of her comfort. Finally, she began in a small voice, “He told me he loved me.”

Elizabeth waited for more, but nothing was forthcoming. “And?” Jane hesitated sheepishly, covering her mouth with her fingertips. “If that is all you had to tell, I will go to sleep, for I already knew as much,” Elizabeth chided her.

“He… he got down on one knee and asked for my hand.”

“To which, I assume, you replied that you would have to consider a while? Or did you refuse him outright?” Elizabeth playfully pinched her sister’s cheek and found it warm with embarrassment. “What else?”

“Well… then he—he kissed my hand. After that, he…. Oh, I cannot!”

Elizabeth’s fingers crept menacingly toward her sister’s ribs, threatening Jane with her own tactics.

“No!” Jane jumped, then hurriedly squelched her outburst, fearful of yet another visit from Mr Collins. Elizabeth cocked her head, insistently. “Oh, very well.” Jane blew out a puff of tension, then dared a low whisper. “He kissed me… and I confess, I—I believe I kissed him back.” Jane could scarcely believe she had given voice to her secret. She hunched her shoulders self-consciously.

“Capital!” crowed Elizabeth. “Good girl, I am glad you left him in no doubt of your feelings.”

Jane’s mouth gaped. “You do not think me immodest? I am shocked at my behaviour when I recollect it.”

“Immodest to encourage the honourable attentions of a gentleman, to whom you have just become engaged? No, I do not believe anyone could accuse you of impropriety. If anything, they might say just the opposite.” Jane tilted her head questioningly, forcing Elizabeth to explain.

“Charlotte first attracted my attention to it, and I disagreed with her at the time. I believe now she may be right, at least a little. Your natural modesty becomes you, but a less secure suitor than Mr Bingley might not perceive your regard for him and might leave off the pursuit unless he was given some assurance that his feelings would be returned. I am glad he did not. It is clear to anyone with eyes that he loves you, Jane, despite the lack of encouragement he received from his companions.”

“Does that include Mr Darcy?” Jane’s voice was softly challenging.

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had forced Jane to confess all. Now it was her turn. “That it does. I do not believe he was at all in favour of Mr Bingley’s preference for you.” Elizabeth’s tone took on a forced lightness. “I suppose the one good thing to come of recent events is that Mr Darcy had no longer the power to discourage your Mr Bingley from making you an offer. Mr Bingley has now done no more than Mr Darcy had already done himself.” She swallowed. “He kissed me as well, you know.”

Jane gasped. “He did not! When?”

“Yesterday, when I was at the creek. He came to apologise or console me or some other nonsense. Can you believe the cheek of the man, to presume an understanding when I had not given my consent? And then to take such a liberty! I slapped him soundly for his boldness.”

“Lizzy!”

Elizabeth turned an arch expression on her sister. “Would you have me acquiesce so easily when I had not agreed to an engagement? Of course, I had to act to rebuff such an advance! What would you say had I not done so?”

Jane sighed, admitting that Elizabeth had a point. “But surely, he did not mistreat you, did he? I cannot think that Mr Darcy would force such an intimacy.…”

“No, he did not exactly force me—in fact, in all justice, he was very gentle. He did, however, surprise me so thoroughly that I had not the time to react.” Elizabeth’s voice was full of irritation but not anger. It seemed her indignant animosity toward Mr Darcy had dissipated, but she refused to entirely reconcile herself to her present situation.

Jane was silent a moment. If she were not mistaken, her sister was showing signs of softening toward Mr Darcy, unwillingly or not. Perhaps some revelation of what she had learned from Mr Bingley could help matters. “Lizzy, I believe Mr Darcy was truly hurt after your conversation yesterday.”

Elizabeth’s head snapped up. “Why would you think so?”

Jane bit her lip. “Mr Bingley told me that Mr Darcy was very much not himself yesterday evening. He did not share many details, but he did lead me to understand that… that Mr Darcy awoke somewhat ill this morning.” Jane’s tones were hushed. It mortified her to so much as imply that a gentleman would indulge in intemperance, to the degree that his condition would suffer the following day.

Elizabeth was silent for several seconds, then gave a short laugh. “That could account for a few things, I suppose. Still,” she stiffened slightly, “I am at least gratified to know I am not the only one who passed a miserable evening! If you ask me, the man deserves to be made a little uncomfortable after acting as he did.”

Jane had not spent twenty years in close relationship with her sister without learning her disposition well. “Lizzy,” her tone carried a hint of admonishment, “I do not believe it is Mr Darcy with whom you are angry tonight. You sound as if you are trying to justify something. Will you not tell me of what you two spoke this afternoon?”

Elizabeth sighed reluctantly, then resigned herself to the inevitable. Slowly she spoke, her tones broken. “Jane… I have been so wrong about him, so blinded by my own folly!”

“Mr Darcy?” Jane’s voice sounded relieved.

“And Mr Wickham.” Elizabeth faltered. Blinking uncomfortably, she began to share the whole of what she had learned. Jane listened with great patience, squeezing Elizabeth’s hand consolingly. By the time she had finished, tears glistened in the moonlight and dripped on the blankets.

Jane gasped as Elizabeth ended her tale. “Poor Miss Darcy! Little wonder she was so distressed when she heard Mr Wickham’s name today! But are we certain there was not some misunderstanding? I cannot believe he could be so cruel. He seems such an amiable young man. Surely, he could not mean harm to an innocent girl, the daughter of his patron! No, there must be some mistake.”

Elizabeth tried to laugh lightly, but it came out as more of a sob. “Oh, believe it Jane, it is true! They both have the same story; they agree in all the particulars but those which matter the most. Not even you cannot make them both good. No, one man has all the goodness, and the other has all the appearance of it. There is only enough goodness between them to make one good sort of man. It pains me to admit it, but I believe the virtue must be all Mr Darcy’s.”

Jane pondered to herself a moment. “I suppose it is well to find that, of the two, Mr Darcy is the honourable man, in light of your present circumstances.”

Elizabeth hung her head, wearily. “Jane, what am I to do? I am so ashamed! I let my vanity lead me astray. I, who have prided myself on my discernment of the characters of others, have been so grievously and dangerously wrong! I have exposed myself for the most ignorant and prejudiced of people. What must he think of me?”

“I do believe that is a first, Lizzy. You have never before cared what Mr Darcy thought.”

“Please do not tease me, Jane! You know my situation at present. Mother has made sure everyone believes I am to marry him! I still have no desire to, for I do not care for him, but he must truly despise me. I suppose it is just as well I do not wish to marry him, for surely after how I have treated him, he will desire to call off the ‘engagement’.”

“Lizzy, I do not think he will do so. Mr Bingley told me something else. I hesitated to tell you before, for fear it would only make you disdain him all the more….”

“Well, do not keep me in suspense, Jane. What is it?”

“That… Mr Darcy seems truly to love you… very much, in fact.”

She laughed out loud, wishing to deny the possibility. “I cannot believe it. No, it is impossible! Your Mr Bingley is reading his own sentiments into the matter, surely.”

“Mr Bingley said he had it from Mr Darcy himself.”

Elizabeth sucked in her breath, entirely astonished. “But how, Jane? Why? The very notion is absurd! We have never once sat in the same room together without some argument unless he determines to ignore me entirely. We never get along; we have nothing at all in common! For him to actually love me, it is inconceivable! More credible is the notion that he thought to exploit my position of weakness.”

“Think, Lizzy,” Jane admonished gently. “Why do you suppose he spoke yesterday to stop Mr Collins’ proposal? I agree with you that he is not overly demonstrative of his feelings, and I do think it likely he intended never to have spoken for you. It is true that he is proud, and we are not of his circles in society, but I do believe he truly cares for you. He could not bear to see you engaged to another before his very eyes. Mr Darcy could see you did not wish to marry Mr Collins, and he could not restrain himself.” Jane presented her thoughts as the most perfectly reasonable explanation.

Elizabeth shook her head, doubtfully. “I do not know if I believe that, Jane. Mr Darcy is nothing if not always in command of himself—and others,” she added wryly. “I have trouble crediting your understanding of his actions.”

“That, dear Lizzy, is precisely why I believed Mr Bingley when he told me of his friend’s feelings for you. He has always been in control, until now. You are most certainly the first woman to inspire such sentiments, and he does not quite know what to do with them. Did you not tell me that he confessed his feelings himself yesterday?”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes introspectively, re-examining the words he had spoken. “He did speak of a regard for me. I did not think he truly meant it; I thought he intended only to justify his actions. I told you that he expressed his pride and his belief in my unworthiness just as eloquently as he pronounced any sentiment for me.”

“Do you not think, Lizzy,” Jane replied slowly, “that he really did suffer some struggle in confessing his feelings? Surely a man in his position is expected to marry from better circles than those in which we are able to move. Perhaps he has already been pressured by his family to marry advantageously. Did not Mr Collins mention some expectations on the part of his aunt? Surely, he has known of these plans for himself since his youth. Mr Darcy has the reputation of a very responsible man, you know. It cannot have been easy for him to reject his family’s expectations in favour of his own wishes.”

Elizabeth sighed a deep, shuddering breath. Ashamed as she was of her own misjudgements, she no longer felt equal to the examination of each of Mr Darcy’s motives and actions. The proof of her error had blasted her confidence in her perceptions. Her head wagged. “Jane, I just do not know. I wish I could talk to Papa!” A few tears leaked down her cheeks, and she wiped them tiredly.

Jane pulled her closer. “I know, Lizzy. I know. Aunt Madeline will be here tomorrow. Perhaps she can help. You know she is so wise and discreet. For now,” Jane stroked her little sister’s cheek affectionately, “I think we should get some rest. We both need it, I daresay.”

Elizabeth nodded, sniffing. She allowed Jane to bundle her in her arms as she had when they were children. Cuddling her chin over Jane’s shoulder, she finally drifted into a fitful slumber.