Page 5 of Timing Is Everything

Chapter 3

There was still at least an hour before dawn when Elizabeth awoke. She winced, having fallen asleep without preparing for bed. Her dress was comfortable enough during the day, but it was certainly not designed to be slept in. Remembering why she fell asleep without changing, she immediately felt guilty that she was concerned about her own comfort when her father was no longer of this earth. She tried her best to control her tears as she attempted to make herself presentable.

Elizabeth managed to change into the travelling dress that had been laid out for her before there was a light knock at the door preceding Charlotte’s entrance. One look at her friend, and Charlotte was folding Elizabeth in an embrace. After holding her for a few minutes, she attempted to offer what little comfort she could.

“You need not worry about Mr. Collins immediately attempting to evict you from Longbourn, dear Eliza. I do not know what Mr. Darcy said when Mr. Collins returned last night, but after Mr. Darcy returned to Rosings Park it became clear that Mr. Collins now feels as if it would not be proper to attempt to claim his inheritance for at least three months, and that it would be excessively unseemly to encourage your family to leave Longbourn until you have passed into half mourning in six months’ time.”

“Thank you, Charlotte,” Elizabeth replied, unsure as to why Mr. Darcy would feel the need to ensure Mr. Collins treated her family with respect.

Moments after the first rays of the sun showed themselves over the horizon the sound of a carriage approaching could be heard. With one last tearful embrace, Charlotte led Elizabeth down the stairs to greet Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam.

It would be impossible to miss the sympathy in the eyes of both gentlemen as they offered their condolences for the loss of Elizabeth’s father. It only took a moment for Elizabeth’s trunks to be loaded on the carriage, and for her to find herself ensconced inside with a maid from Rosings Park. After ensuring that the driver was aware of their destination, Darcy and the Colonel joined them inside.

In her grief, Elizabeth gave very little thought to any implications that would be attached to Mr. Darcy escorting her home. The shock of her father’s death had driven from her mind the words Mr. Darcy had spoken just moments before reading the express. As the hours passed in the carriage she briefly contemplated how the generosity and consideration that he was showing was not what she would have expected from the man, but her grief quickly pushed aside these thoughts. She did not need to know Mr. Darcy’s motivation to be thankful for his generosity.

It was clear that Elizabeth was not in the mood to talk, so Mr. Darcy contented himself with watching her from the rear-facing seat. Colonel Fitzwilliam attempted to engage him in conversation, but Darcy’s distraction made him a poor conversationalist. It was not long before the Colonel gave up and leaned against the side of the carriage for a nap.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner would not have been entirely astonished to receive an answering express from Elizabeth, but they were stunned to receive a reply from Mr. Darcy. They had never met the gentleman and had not thought that he and Elizabeth were on friendly terms. The fact that his response came so quickly told them that Elizabeth must have immediately told Mr. Darcy the news. That same haste lent credence to the words that Mr. Darcy penned. Hoping that Elizabeth had not made a hasty decision in response to the news of her father, they rearranged their plans so that they could travel directly to Longbourn. There was little they could do until they had a chance to talk with her, and no time to send another express because Elizabeth would already be on her way by the time it arrived at Hunsford Parsonage.

In the morning, as they were getting ready to board the carriage, Jane questioned them concerning Elizabeth’s absence. They simply told her that one of her acquaintances from Kent had offered to transport her home.

Since London was located between Kent and Hertfordshire, Darcy arranged to have the carriage stop at his house in town. When the carriage pulled up in front of his home, Elizabeth finally came out of her daze.

“Where are we? Did you not say you would take me to Longbourn?” For the first time that day, apprehension concerning something besides her father rose in Elizabeth’s heart.

“We are only making a short stop at my house in town,” Darcy assured her. “I will have you shown to a room to refresh yourself while my men change the horses. We will be back on the road momentarily.”

The answer did much to soothe her, and she felt she was tolerably composed by the time the carriage door was opened and Darcy was handing her out. As he turned Elizabeth over to the care of his housekeeper, he assured her that they would be ready to resume their trip within a quarter hour, but that she should take as much time as necessary to refresh herself. With the ghost of a smile she thanked him, then followed the housekeeper to a room that would allow her to wash away the worst of the travel dirt, as well as relieve herself in other ways.

When Darcy sent the express to Bingley asking for the use of Netherfield Park, he had anticipated a sloppy reply would be waiting for him on his arrival at Darcy House. Instead, he found his friend, luggage and all.

“Surely you did not expect me to send you to Netherfield Park without coming as well?” Bingley asked in response to an inquiry from Darcy. “I would not be much of a host if I was not even in attendance.”

“It is kind of you to accompany us,” Darcy replied. “Though, I do not plan on making many social calls.”

“Your express was rather vague as to the nature and duration of your stay,” Bingley prompted.

“While visiting with her friend, Mrs. Collins, Miss Elizabeth Bennet received the dreadful news that her father had passed away in an unexpected accident. I was with her at the time and offered to escort her home. We plan to return to the carriage as soon as the horses have been changed.”

“Then, let us waste no time in loading my trunks,” Mr. Bingley responded. “Miss Elizabeth must be anxious to return to her family.”

Elizabeth had not expected that they would exchange Colonel Fitzwilliam for Mr. Bingley, but she did not dwell on the thought. Any other day she would have been happy to see Mr. Bingley, especially seeing him on his way to Hertfordshire. This day, she was much too anxious to be home to think of the ramifications of Mr. Darcy bringing Mr. Bingley back to Hertfordshire, the same friend that he had previously separated from Jane.

Mrs. Bennet had not yet found the energy to leave her room by the time the Gardiners and Jane arrived at Longbourn. With some coaxing from Jane, she allowed herself to be dressed soon thereafter. It was not until she inquired as to Elizabeth’s location, that she learned her second child had not yet returned to Longbourn. Concerned at the neglect her brother had shown in not ensuring both of her absent daughters returned home safely, she found the energy to descend the stairs in order to berate him.

“What can you be thinking, to allow Elizabeth to be escorted home by someone wholly unrelated to us?” Mrs. Bennet asked.

“As it allowed us to arrive a day earlier than we anticipated, it seemed like the most prudent choice,” Mr. Gardiner replied.

“But who is escorting her?” she asked. “How are we to know she is safe?”

“Mr. Darcy has kindly offered to bring her home,” Mr. Gardiner told her. “His note made it very clear that Elizabeth’s well-being is his utmost priority.”

“That selfish, unfeeling man?” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. “Why would he condescend to help our poor Lizzy, stranded so far away from her home?”

Exasperated with his sister, he finally told her it was all explained in the note Mr. Darcy had sent, and handed it over to Mrs. Bennet. It was not until he turned towards his wife and saw the look on her face that he remembered exactly what was contained in the note, and that they had hoped to talk to Elizabeth before revealing its contents to her mother.

The note was fairly short and to the point. It should have only taken Mrs. Bennet a moment to read it. Instead, she stared at it with wide eyes for a full ten minutes.