Pride and Prejudice (The Wild and Wanton Edition) by Annabella Bloom Page A
Authors: Annabella Bloom
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leaving Netherfield that morning should be mentioned, and the request made.
The communication excited many professions of concern. Enough was said of wishing them to stay at least till the following day to work on Jane, and their going was deferred till the morrow. Miss Bingley was then sorry that she had proposed the delay, for her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.
The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be safe for her, that she was not recovered enough, but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.
To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence for he felt Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked. Miss Bingley was uncivil to her , and more teasing than usual to himself. He resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing that could elevate Elizabeth with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested his behavior during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it. This was the only way to successfully banish her from him, for any outcome of the further developing of their friendship could only complicate his feelings and devastate hers. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were at one time left by themselves for half-an-hour, he adhered most conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her. This effort it took cost him his place, and he read the same paragraph nearly twenty times without retaining a word of it.
On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost all, took place. Now as the visit came to an end, Miss Bingley’s civility to Elizabeth increased very rapidly, as did her affection for Jane; and when they parted, after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. Elizabeth took leave of the whole party in the liveliest of spirits, excited by the prospect of going home.
After a day of being ignored by Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth was surprised by his attention when coming to see them off. When she stepped towards the carriage, it looked for the briefest of moments as if he would hand her up. Instead, Mr. Bingley extended his hand first and he delivered her safely within. Darcy’s eyes fixed on her as the carriage rolled away and she found herself leaning against the window overlong to stare back. Neither of them pulled their gaze away first and it was only after the carriage turned from view that the contact was severed.
They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them. He had felt their importance in the family circle for the evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its animation, and almost all its sense by the absence of Jane and Elizabeth.
They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of human nature; and had some extracts to admire, and some new observations of threadbare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information for them of a different sort. Much had been done and much had been said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers had dined lately with their uncle, a private named Sykes had been flogged, and it had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.
Elizabeth, conscious of her sister’s tired state, urged Jane to bed early. Catherine and Lydia protested that they had more news to tell, and only let Jane go after securing a promise from her to
The communication excited many professions of concern. Enough was said of wishing them to stay at least till the following day to work on Jane, and their going was deferred till the morrow. Miss Bingley was then sorry that she had proposed the delay, for her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.
The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be safe for her, that she was not recovered enough, but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.
To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence for he felt Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked. Miss Bingley was uncivil to her , and more teasing than usual to himself. He resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing that could elevate Elizabeth with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested his behavior during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it. This was the only way to successfully banish her from him, for any outcome of the further developing of their friendship could only complicate his feelings and devastate hers. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were at one time left by themselves for half-an-hour, he adhered most conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her. This effort it took cost him his place, and he read the same paragraph nearly twenty times without retaining a word of it.
On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost all, took place. Now as the visit came to an end, Miss Bingley’s civility to Elizabeth increased very rapidly, as did her affection for Jane; and when they parted, after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. Elizabeth took leave of the whole party in the liveliest of spirits, excited by the prospect of going home.
After a day of being ignored by Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth was surprised by his attention when coming to see them off. When she stepped towards the carriage, it looked for the briefest of moments as if he would hand her up. Instead, Mr. Bingley extended his hand first and he delivered her safely within. Darcy’s eyes fixed on her as the carriage rolled away and she found herself leaning against the window overlong to stare back. Neither of them pulled their gaze away first and it was only after the carriage turned from view that the contact was severed.
They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them. He had felt their importance in the family circle for the evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its animation, and almost all its sense by the absence of Jane and Elizabeth.
They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of human nature; and had some extracts to admire, and some new observations of threadbare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information for them of a different sort. Much had been done and much had been said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers had dined lately with their uncle, a private named Sykes had been flogged, and it had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.
Elizabeth, conscious of her sister’s tired state, urged Jane to bed early. Catherine and Lydia protested that they had more news to tell, and only let Jane go after securing a promise from her to
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