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M ary sat by the window in her room, watching her sister’s slender figure disappear.

Oh! Lizzy! What have I done? When will I ever see you again?

Mary thought with guilt. All the memories of the time spent with her sister in Longbourn flashed through her mind as they had shared similar interests in books and music.

She always looked up to Elizabeth and found her sister’s company as the sole comfort in a house filled with gossip about the neighborhood families and eligible bachelors.

What am I to do now?

She wondered and knew that her sister had to face worse battles in life.

I hope you find a safe future in town, Lizzy.

She prayed for her sister and hoped she would be safe with Charlotte. The household woke up one by one, and Mrs. Bennet noticed that Elizabeth was absent for breakfast.

“Where is she? Mary, where is the insolent girl?” Mrs. Bennet asked with irritation.

“I do not know, Mamma. I have not seen Lizzy.”

“I know where she is. She would be roaming in that mount, and that is what she does, Mr. Collins. Oh! My poor nerves.”

“Do not worry, madam. I can be of service in correcting her attitude and habits after marriage.”

“I am sure you will. You are too kind, sir,” she said. They exchanged glances, and from the look on Mr. Collins’ face, Mary knew her mother had already conveyed the plan. She was disgusted beyond measure.

You will never accomplish your cruel plans, Mamma. Never!

After breakfast, the entire family was seated in the drawing room, and Mrs. Bennet impatiently looked for Elizabeth’s arrival.

“I will be in my room. Please send a word when I have to…I mean, when I am needed,” Mr. Collins said to Mrs. Bennet, and she smiled.

Mary fumed within.

How could she do this to Lizzy?

An hour passed, and Jane got up to leave.

“Where are you going?” her mother asked.

“I am tired. I would like to rest in my room.”

“No, you will not. I mean, you are needed here.”

“What for Mamma?”

“Just do as I say.”

“Mary, wait in the garden. When Elizabeth returns, ask her to go to her room and wait. She is not to come down today. Do you understand? Papa and I are upset with her. Let me know when she is in her room,” her mother cried. Mary got up and left outside without a word.

I will have to feign ignorance. The longer it takes them to understand her disappearance, the better.

She left for the gardens and knew her sister would have reached town. She walked in the gardens in vain, not knowing how her parents would react when they discovered Elizabeth was missing.

After about half an hour, one of the servants came out in search of her.

“Miss Mary, your mother has called for you.”

Mary went inside, hoping that her face would not betray anything.

“Where is she? Has she not returned yet?” her mother cried impatiently.

“I do not know, Mamma.”

“She is usually back by now. What has caused her to be away for so long? Insolent girl. Maybe she is sitting on the mount and crying about the truth.”

“What truth, Mamma?” Mary asked innocently.

“Never mind. I will ask the footman to fetch her. How long can Mr. Collins wait to comp…” She bit her lip and left.

“Oh! Mary! Mamma has been so irritated since morning. What has Lizzy done now?” Lydia asked with irritation.

Mary was silent as she knew she could not trust any of her sisters in the matter.

By dinner, Mr. Bennet and his wife became anxious.

“The servant tells me she is nowhere near the mount,” Mrs. Bennet said with worry to her husband.

“I am sure she is there. Did they check the trails she walks in? She must be upset about what happened last night.”

“She was born to give me headaches, just like her mother.”

“Enough! I said not to talk about the past. I have had a bad headache since last night, and whatever your plan is, execute it and send her away. I cannot look at her after revealing the truth,” Mr. Bennet yelled.

Mrs. Bennet looked at him angrily as she could not forget the past.

Later, a search party was sent to bring Elizabeth back home.

Mr. Collins tried his best to contain his anger. That morning, when Mrs. Bennet conveyed the plan of compromising Elizabeth, he was thrilled, as her beauty always tempted him.

If this is the only way she will marry me, then so be it.

He waited patiently for many hours, but when Elizabeth did not turn up, he became agitated.

Where is she? She is testing my patience .

Mary observed him keenly and was glad that Elizabeth was not in Hertfordshire. One by one, the footmen returned without any news about Elizabeth, and Mr. Bennet finally understood the seriousness of the situation.

“Did you enquire in the village? Was she not seen in Meryton, too?”

“No, sir. No one has seen Miss Elizabeth since morning,” the servant replied.

“I hope you were discreet in your search.”

“Yes! sir. We did not raise any concern,” the servant replied, worried as all the staff in Longbourn had respect and affection for Elizabeth.

“Oh! This is dreadful, Mr. Bennet. Where is that girl now? I am sure she is hiding somewhere just to threaten us,” Mrs. Bennet cried.

“This is ridiculous, madam. First, she refused my hand, and now she insults me by avoiding coming home. I hope you would not mind if I treat her how she deserves to be treated once she returns,” he said, leaving the room in anger.

“Mr. Bennet, I have a suspicion.”

Mary, who stood by the door, trembled in fear. Will they know about her whereabouts?

“What is it?” he asked.

“I think she jumped off the mount.”

“What nonsense?”

“Why? It is an excellent explanation. Did you see the way she reacted to the truth last night? She was engulfed with shame, and she knew she had no choice but to marry Mr. Collins; with nowhere to go, she must have ended her life.”

“She will never do that. She is strong like her mother…” He stopped abruptly and continued, “She will never make such a decision. I think she ran away.”

“Where could she go? She could not go to Edward; she very well knows that they are away. That girl has no one in this world except us.”

“Please go and check her room. If she did run away, she must have taken a lot of things.”

Mrs. Bennet checked Elizabeth’s room and found nothing missing. But she noticed her chain on the dresser.

She did not run away. If she did, why would she leave her jewelry behind?

Mrs. Bennet clearly never understood the character of the daughter she raised and conveyed the particulars to her husband.

They were confused beyond measure, and by evening, the household buzzed about Elizabeth’s disappearance. Lydia and Kitty doubted whether she had eloped with someone, and Jane thought her sister ran away to avoid marriage with Mr. Collins.

No one in the village had seen her, and a search party was again sent into the woods.

Mrs. Bennet was filled with rage.

That girl! She has the guts to spoil all my plans. If she did run away, I hope she gets a worthy punishment somewhere.

Adding to her worries, Mr. Collins expressed his serious displeasure about the developments.

“I am very disappointed in these developments, Mrs. Bennet. How am I to marry her if she returns tomorrow morning? I cannot marry a girl who had spent the night away from her home.”

“Mr. Collins, do not say that. I am certain she will be found; maybe she is lost in the woods. Please do not make decisions in haste, sir,” Mrs. Bennet said, trying to convince him.

The entire household went to sleep that night in confusion. Her father spent the night in the library, unable to accept her disappearance.

Maybe she did run away. She knows no one in town except Sir William’s daughter. Would she have gone there? I do not think Charlotte would welcome her.

Unfortunately, he was wrong. At that very moment, Elizabeth was resting in the townhouse of her dear friend and stared at the candles, unable to sleep.

She could not believe that her whole life had changed in a single night.

How did I even manage to travel to town all by myself?

That morning, her journey to town had been uneventful.

She tried her best to appear calm and did not want to gather attention to herself. With help from a few people, she reached her friend’s home without delay and as she had hoped, Charlotte received her with happiness, and she was surprised to see her.

“Oh! Lizzy. I cannot believe it is you. How did you travel here? Did you come alone?” she asked with worry.

Elizabeth could not control her tears and sobbed in her friend’s arms.

“Lizzy, do not cry. Come with me,” Charlotte said. She took her to her chambers and immediately sensed that something was wrong and called for some refreshments.

Elizabeth sat down and understood from Charlotte that her husband was not home. She composed herself and explained the reason for her sudden visit.

Charlotte watched her with agony as Elizabeth revealed every horrific detail about the previous day. She could not control her anger when she heard about the compromise Elizabeth’s parents had planned.

“Lizzy, this is truly horrible. I cannot believe they would do this to you. You did the right thing, and I am certain confronting them about their cruelty would be pointless. I am glad Mary was able to help you leave.”

“I still cannot believe I am here, Charlotte. I wonder whether I could have stayed there and somehow resolved things.”

“My dear, you could have if the only matter of concern was the truth about your birth. But your parents have planned to ruin your reputation and life. I agree with what Mary said, and you would not be able to escape their plotting. And that man you mention, Mr. Collins, seems to be a rake in disguise. I am glad you took this decision and now you can stay with us.”

“You are too kind, and I am indebted to you forever. But I do not want to burden you as I need your help in finding employment. I want to work as a governess.”