Page 11 of The Fire at Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

Longbourn

The Next Day

“I am close to Kitty in size,” Elizabeth commented as she looked through her closet, “so with a little adjustment from Mrs. Randall in town, we will have clothing for her. Lydia, you are too tall to wear any of my dresses, but perhaps Mary would be willing to donate a few gowns to you since she is close to your height.”

“Mary?” Lydia repeated incredulously. “You must be mad, Lizzy; Mary likes severe, dull clothing, and I would rather die than wear such a garment. No, I must see Mrs. Randall today, and she can measure me for several new gowns. It is only fair given that all my clothing was burned up!”

Elizabeth glanced at Jane, who was staring out the window, and then turned to face her youngest sister.

“Lydia,” she said gently, “I am not blaming you for the fire. There is no certainty that you are responsible. But it will cost a great deal of money to build a new kitchen and repair all the damage. Our father does not have money to pay for new gowns at the moment.”

Lydia’s dark eyes widened in horror. “You … what are you speaking of, Lizzy? I must have new gowns, I must! I cannot be seen in public wearing cast offs from Mary!”

“Well, you can hardly be seen in public without a gown,” Elizabeth replied, struggling to keep her tone light, “so I fear you have no choice.”

“Lizzy!” Lydia screeched, pinking a little.

“Oh!” Jane cried out from her position near the window. “I see Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy approaching on horseback!”

“I am pleased enough to see Mr. Bingley,” Lydia said, “but Mr. Darcy is always so dour and insulting.”

“Lydia, Mr. Darcy may be stiff and even unfriendly at times, but we owe him a great deal; he helped save Longbourn,” Elizabeth said firmly.

“Jane, go tell Selkirk to show the gentlemen into the back sitting room. Lydia, go to the sitting room and do not dare say anything rude to Mr. Darcy. I will go out to the summer kitchen and ask Mrs. Carter to make tea.”

Having delivered these orders, Elizabeth rushed out of her bedchamber and down the servant’s stairway in the back of the house, which led to the grassy space between the east and west wing of Longbourn.

As usual, her heart quailed within her at the sight of the burned wing.

The soot-covered stones stuck up like the rib cage of a table-fowl, the flesh of the walls stripped away by ravenous flames.

The acrid smell of burnt wood lingered about, coating with a bitter taste the tongues of any who ventured too close.

But beyond the destroyed east wing, she could see the stables.

Even as she looked, one of the boys was crossing the yard, and Clem was bending over a lifted hoof to inspect it.

Other men were leading two great strapping horses into the stables, and beyond them, she spied Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley speaking with her father.

Her heart lifted at these signs of life, even as she increased her pace.

She knew it would be a while before the tea was ready, and the sooner it was started the better.

/

The Stables

“Mr. Bennet,” Bingley said as he swung down from his horse. “I do hope we are not disturbing you, but we wish to see if there is any way we can assist you in your time of trouble.”

Bennet managed a slight smile and said, “Perhaps you can lay hands on a genie who can restore my library?”

Bingley chuckled and shook his head. “I fear I cannot, sir, though I would gladly lend you some books from the library at Netherfield. There are not many, to be sure, but I am an idle fellow and have more than enough for my own needs.”

Bennet sighed and said, “I appreciate the offer, sir, but I ought not to distract myself from the situation at hand by reading.”

“If I may say so, sir,” Darcy interposed, “you may well find that the occasional hour reading a book will give you a little necessary relaxation. It is difficult to work hard for days on end without some degree of pleasure.”

Bennet considered this and then said, “You are quite correct. Perhaps I will take a few hours one of these days to come over to Netherfield and inspect your library – that is, if you are truly willing to lend me a few books.”

“As many as you like,” Bingley said with an expansive sweep of his hands, and then continued, more nervously, “and if any of your daughters would care to join you, my sisters would be pleased at the visit.”

This was not entirely true; Caroline had been sulking ever since his rebuke to her the previous night, but Louisa would be courteous enough.

“Thank you,” Mr. Bennet responded, his eyes twinkling. “I am certain that Jane and Elizabeth would enjoy that. If you would care to speak with them, they are within Longbourn, and I am confident would relish a break from their own toils.”

“Are you quite certain, sir?” Darcy asked. He felt a trifle uneasy at taking up the ladies’ time when there was doubtless much to do.

“I am entirely certain,” Bennet replied, and then turned as a servant rushed up with a question.

“Thank you,” Bingley said with a grin and hurried out of the stable with Darcy behind him.

/

Elizabeth found the summer kitchen a hive of activity.

The undercook, Mrs. Carter, reigned at the table in the center, directing the three maids about her.

Rebecca was scouring pots and pans and flat surfaces, Mabel was chopping potatoes, and Daisy flitted between a boiling kettle on the fire and loaves of bread baking.

James tromped in and out, carrying armloads of wood to heap up beside the fireplace and leaving a trail of bark and woodchips in his wake.

Elizabeth stepped out of the way to take a deep breath of the familiar, comforting scent of baking bread.

“What can I do for you, Miss Elizabeth?” Mrs. Carter asked, even as her hands busily kneaded dough for bread.

“Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy have arrived,” Elizabeth explained, “and I was hoping that perhaps we could serve them tea, though I do not know … if it is not possible, I understand completely.”

“I can make tea, Miss,” the cook said amiably, “but it will take a few minutes to get the water boiling. Step to it, Mabel; make tea for the gentlemen!”

“Yes, of course,” cried out young Mabel, who seemed pleased to take a break from her task of chopping potatoes.

“Get on with you, Miss Elizabeth, and I will bring the tea myself in a few minutes,” the cook said, and Elizabeth replied, “Thank you very much, Carter. I know this is all a great deal of trouble.”

“The Lord spared all of our lives, Miss, and many helped us in saving Longbourn. I can only be thankful for that.”

“I am as well,” Elizabeth agreed fervently, and dashed back around the west wing, into the grassy courtyard, to the door which led to the west wing. She paused for a moment to tidy her dress and hair, and then stepped inside and into the sitting room.

To her surprise, she arrived before their guests, and thus she had the satisfaction of seeing the exuberance in Mr. Bingley’s face when the butler guided them into the sitting room which would, for now, act as the family’s drawing room, since the real drawing room was wet and dirty.

“Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Lydia,” Bingley said, his eyes fixed on Jane’s beautiful face, “good morning! I do hope we are not intruding. I know you have a great deal to do.”

Jane’s face lit up, and she said warmly, “You could never be an intrusion, Mr. Bingley. Please do sit down, and we will have tea shortly.”

Bingley hastened to take his place next to Jane, and Darcy found himself drawn to take a place near Elizabeth who said, “I feel I ought to warn you ahead of time that the tea may be a trifle peculiar. With the kitchen destroyed, we are using the summer kitchen, and our cook is doing her noble best, but we are all at sixes and sevens.”

“I assure you it does not matter in the least, Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said hastily. “Indeed, I feel rather guilty that we are imposing ourselves upon you today. If you wish for us to depart so that you can do your work, please do tell us.”

Elizabeth looked over at Jane, who was now engaged in conversation with Bingley, and said, “I have no doubt that Mr. Bingley’s visit will lift Jane’s spirits immensely. There is nothing so pleasurable as speaking with a cherished friend.”

A cherished friend? This was a surprise, as Darcy held a far different impression of Miss Bennet’s feelings towards Bingley.

Miss Bennet certainly was interested in his fortune, but surely not his person and character!

Indeed, Miss Bennet seemed entirely and amiably indifferent toward his friend.

And yet, he could neither see nor hear any guile about Miss Elizabeth’s demeanor, and she was not one to prevaricate.

She was certainly implying that her sister genuinely liked his friend.

“That is true enough,” he said aloud. “It is important to enjoy a few minutes of rest from one’s labors in order to continue pressing forward in a disagreeable task.”

Elizabeth tilted her head and regarded him with interest. “Do you truly think that is true? My experience is that when one is faced with an unpleasant duty, it is advisable to avoid distraction in order to finish as quickly as possible.”

Darcy could not keep a smile from forming on his lips. This was what he so admired about Miss Elizabeth; she did not agree with him all the time. Indeed, she generally disagreed with him, but always with such an arch tone, with such a sweet expression, that he could not take offense.

“I think it depends on the task at hand,” he answered.

“If it is something like going through a financial ledger, it is probably advisable to toil away without ceasing until it is finished. Such a task can typically be completed in a short time and it is easy to lose one’s place in columns of numbers.

But in a situation like this one, with innumerable assignments to complete over the course of many days, one must rest occasionally. ”

“There is the Sabbath for that,” Elizabeth pointed out, just as the door opened and a friendly, middle aged servant entered the room and placed a tea tray on a convenient table. Miss Bennet rose gracefully to her feet and prepared tea for those assembled.

“I apologize, Mr. Bingley,” she said after handing Darcy his preferred cup of black tea, “but we do not have any milk yet, though we have sugar.”

“That is entirely all right,” Bingley said promptly. Miss Bennet carefully dropped a sugar lump into her admirer’s tea, and then made tea for the three Bennet sisters.

Darcy was struck by the Misses Bennet’s graceful assurance.

Many society women would be embarrassed and awkward when hosting two gentlemen in a ladies’ sitting room, in a partially burned house, without the normal biscuits and milk required in such a situation.

But both Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth appeared calm and relaxed, and Miss Lydia, though her eyes were tired, was charmingly quiet.

Bingley returned to conversing with Miss Bennet, and Darcy continued his conversation about rest with Miss Elizabeth, which then veered to a discussion of Shakespeare’s plays. When it was time for them to depart, he felt a genuine twinge of disappointment.

“Will you be staying here at Longbourn, then?” Bingley asked Miss Bennet as they made their farewells.

“Yes, I will, along with Elizabeth and Lydia and my father,” Jane replied, and then added daringly. “I am very grateful for your visit today, sirs. It was a most welcome interlude.”

“Then we will come again, and soon,” Bingley promised, and Jane smiled.