Page 7 of Timing Is Everything

As was not uncommon, Elizabeth woke before the rest of her sisters. Not wanting to disturb the others she climbed out of the shared bed and went to her own room to ring for a maid. She was puzzled when Sally arrived instead of Hannah. Perplexed, Elizabeth asked Sally why she was still at Longbourn.

“Mr. Darcy asked me to stay to be your maid,” Sally told her.

“I’m sorry that he promised you a position,” Elizabeth replied, “but Hannah has been our maid for many years.”

“Hannah will still help your sisters, Miss. Mr. Darcy hired me to be your maid.”

“But, why would he do that? I must confess I do not know how I will be able to pay you.”

“Mr. Darcy has already taken care of that. Do not worry about me. I’ll be here whenever you need me.”

A puzzled Elizabeth decided to drop the subject for the time being. She wished to have a moment alone with her father before callers came for the day. She had chosen not to see him the night before as she wanted to be alone when she said her goodbyes.

The gowns that Elizabeth had not taken with her on her visit to Kent had been dyed black, and it was into one of these that Sally assisted Elizabeth to dress.

Elizabeth had expected to be able to walk past her mother’s room without interruption. She was not to be so lucky. It was very rare for her mother to rise early, but it almost appeared as if her mother must have risen for the sole purpose of catching Elizabeth alone.

“Oh, my dear, dear girl!” Mrs. Bennet said, embracing her daughter as soon as she was able to draw her into her own room. It appeared as if she wished to say more, but she devolved into tears instead. After several minutes, during which time Elizabeth’s shoulder was completely soaked through with her mother’s tears, she began to pull away. The motion brought the ability to speak back to Mrs. Bennet. “Thank you, my dear. You cannot know how astonished I was when I heard the circumstances that prompted Mr. Darcy to escort you home. I can only tell you how very pleased I am.”

“I did not expect it at all,” Elizabeth confessed. “No matter his other faults, he was very compassionate when he found out Papa had died. But, perhaps you should be thanking him. I had very little to do with the arrangement. He took care of everything.”

“I will thank him as soon as possible,” Mrs. Bennet assured her daughter.

With the unusual encounter at an end, Elizabeth left her mother’s chambers. She still hoped to make her way alone to the parlor which contained her father. As she could hear the rest of the house stirring, she was beginning to have doubts that she would have any time alone with him.

In order to reach the room she desired, Elizabeth had to pass by her father’s study. She found the door unexpectedly ajar, and poked her head in, anticipating that she would find an empty room and close the door as she continued on her way. She was wrong, as her uncle was sitting behind her father’s desk, staring at a piece of paper. She thought to leave him to his ruminations and continue on her way, when he called out to stop her.

“Elizabeth, you are just the person I was hoping to speak to this morning,” Mr. Gardiner said. “I wanted to get your opinion on a few things before Mr. Darcy arrives.”

“How can I help?” Elizabeth asked.

“Do you have any preferences for where your mother and sisters will be living in the future?”

“Would it not be better for you to talk to my mother?” Elizabeth asked.

“Normally, that might be the best, but in this case I think it would be better to talk to you. You will be a bit more reasonable.”

“Then, should you not be asking Jane? She is the eldest.”

“But it will not be her husband that will be shouldering some of the cost,” Mr. Gardiner explained. “Since Mr. Darcy has so kindly offered to help with the plans for your mother and sisters, it is only reasonable that you should have a chance to share your opinion.”

“I don’t understand.” Elizabeth had latched on to one word her uncle had said. “I don’t have a husband.”

“Not yet, but that will change soon enough. When we first received the express from Mr. Darcy, I will admit that we were a bit apprehensive. But Madeline told me how comfortable you seemed to be with his touch on your back as he escorted you into Longbourn yesterday.”

“I still don’t understand,” Elizabeth said. “What, exactly, did the express say?”

“Here, you can read it for yourself,” Mr. Gardiner said as he handed her the piece of paper he had been studying on her entrance.

Elizabeth read the note with growing horror. She read it a second time, certain that she must have misunderstood it the first time through. The third reading did not cause any of the words to miraculously change. She started desperately trying to remember what Mr. Darcy had said to her before they were interrupted. Certainly she couldn’t have missed something this life-altering, could she? She could not remember exactly what he said, but she was certain that it had not been a proposal of marriage.

She wanted to deny Mr. Darcy’s assertions, but then she read the note one more time. He was offering to help support her family. Charlotte had already told her that he had convinced Mr. Collins to wait several months before expecting them to leave Longbourn. What if she denied that they were engaged? What would Mr. Darcy’s reaction be? He would have no reason to help her family. If he were upset enough, he may even encourage Mr. Collins to change his mind about the amount of time to allow them to remain at Longbourn.

Before she could come up with any sort of response to her uncle, there was a knock on the door, and Mr. Darcy was announced. As he walked through the door, wearing the same tailcoat as he had when he arrived at the parsonage that horrible night, the words he spoke came rushing back to her.

“You love me?” Elizabeth asked quietly, completely horrified and bewildered.

“Most ardently,” Darcy replied, just as quietly, as he stepped closer to Elizabeth.