Read Online Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 1 by Jennifer Lang - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Lang
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Jane, I am a terrible person,’ said Lizzy in an anguished voice, as she removed her outdoor clothes before sinking down on to the bed.
‘Of course you are not,’ said Jane, mystified as to why her sister should be saying such things.
‘But I am! I never knew it before today. I knew I was not as well behaved as Mama would like, and I knew I was too fond of teasing people, but I never knew I was truly bad.’
‘That is because you are not,’ said Jane.
‘If only you knew . . . Jane, I was out walking when my bonnet blew off and flew under the bridge. I went to fetch it and just as I was about to emerge I heard two gentlemen talking. I recognised their voices as Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy. I did not like to disturb them as they sounded to be having a private conversation and so I waited under the bridge until they should move on.’
‘Which was the right thing to do,’ said Jane.
‘I thought so at the time, but I wish now that I had revealed myself at once. Except I don’t!’ She buried her face in her hands. After a few moments she dropped her hands and took Jane’s hands in her own. ‘Oh, Jane, I am so ashamed, and yet I must tell someone and I know you will still love me whatever happens.’
‘Of course I will,’ said Jane, giving Lizzy’s hands a squeeze.
‘The gentlemen started to argue. I could not hear everything because the sound of the water was in my ears, but I heard enough to know they were arguing over me. Mr Darcy was saying that Mr Wickham must tell me something and Mr Wickham was refusing and then they began to fight. They fell into the water and I did not know what to do, so I did nothing.’
‘Were they hurt?’ asked Jane in concern.
‘No, not really, they were wrestling with each other, as gentlemen do. But Jane, they were fighting over me and I . . . I liked it.’
She buried her head in her hands again.
‘Oh, Lizzy,’ said Jane, shocked. ‘I am sure you don’t mean that.’
‘I do! A part of me was horrified, of course, and a part of me wanted to tell them to stop, but another part of me was excited that they were fighting over me.’
Jane looked sorrowful, but she said gently, ‘You cannot help your feelings.’
‘No, I cannot. But what does it mean?’
‘It means you are human,’ said Jane comfortingly.
‘ Does it? I am not so sure. You see, Jane, that is not the worst of it. The worst of it is . . . ’ She could hardly bring herself to say it. ‘ . . . I wanted Mr Darcy to win!’
‘Mr Darcy!’ said Jane, shocked.
‘Yes.’ Lizzy looked at her with haunted eyes. ‘I should have wanted Mr Wickham to win. He is the one who has been courting me, and he is the better man. I hate Mr Darcy! He is proud and disagreeable and rude! But I cannot help it, I wanted him to be the victor. Jane, what does it mean?’
‘It means you are overwrought,’ said Jane. ‘You had been walking for some time in the cold, then you were standing beneath a bridge in the damp, and you have taken cold. Perhaps you have a fever.’ She put a hand on Lizzy’s forehead.
‘Do I have a fever?’ asked Lizzy.
Jane hesitated.
‘I cannot be sure,’ she said. ‘You feel a little overheated. But perhaps it is just as a result of your walk. Here, let me help you out of your things. I rang for the maid when I saw you approaching the house because it is nearly time for us to dress for the ball. She will be here with the water for your bath soon. Once you have washed and dressed you will feel more like yourself, and you should have something to eat, too. You are probably confused in your thoughts because of hunger. I will ask the maid to fetch us some tea and scones.’
‘Thank you,’ said Lizzy with heartfelt gratitude as she squeezed Jane’s hands. ‘You are such a comfort to me. I know I can tell you anything. And perhaps you are right. Perhaps I was just feverish, or needing something hot to eat.’
Jane smiled.
‘Yes, I am sure that was it.’
Lizzy nodded, but in her
‘Of course you are not,’ said Jane, mystified as to why her sister should be saying such things.
‘But I am! I never knew it before today. I knew I was not as well behaved as Mama would like, and I knew I was too fond of teasing people, but I never knew I was truly bad.’
‘That is because you are not,’ said Jane.
‘If only you knew . . . Jane, I was out walking when my bonnet blew off and flew under the bridge. I went to fetch it and just as I was about to emerge I heard two gentlemen talking. I recognised their voices as Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy. I did not like to disturb them as they sounded to be having a private conversation and so I waited under the bridge until they should move on.’
‘Which was the right thing to do,’ said Jane.
‘I thought so at the time, but I wish now that I had revealed myself at once. Except I don’t!’ She buried her face in her hands. After a few moments she dropped her hands and took Jane’s hands in her own. ‘Oh, Jane, I am so ashamed, and yet I must tell someone and I know you will still love me whatever happens.’
‘Of course I will,’ said Jane, giving Lizzy’s hands a squeeze.
‘The gentlemen started to argue. I could not hear everything because the sound of the water was in my ears, but I heard enough to know they were arguing over me. Mr Darcy was saying that Mr Wickham must tell me something and Mr Wickham was refusing and then they began to fight. They fell into the water and I did not know what to do, so I did nothing.’
‘Were they hurt?’ asked Jane in concern.
‘No, not really, they were wrestling with each other, as gentlemen do. But Jane, they were fighting over me and I . . . I liked it.’
She buried her head in her hands again.
‘Oh, Lizzy,’ said Jane, shocked. ‘I am sure you don’t mean that.’
‘I do! A part of me was horrified, of course, and a part of me wanted to tell them to stop, but another part of me was excited that they were fighting over me.’
Jane looked sorrowful, but she said gently, ‘You cannot help your feelings.’
‘No, I cannot. But what does it mean?’
‘It means you are human,’ said Jane comfortingly.
‘ Does it? I am not so sure. You see, Jane, that is not the worst of it. The worst of it is . . . ’ She could hardly bring herself to say it. ‘ . . . I wanted Mr Darcy to win!’
‘Mr Darcy!’ said Jane, shocked.
‘Yes.’ Lizzy looked at her with haunted eyes. ‘I should have wanted Mr Wickham to win. He is the one who has been courting me, and he is the better man. I hate Mr Darcy! He is proud and disagreeable and rude! But I cannot help it, I wanted him to be the victor. Jane, what does it mean?’
‘It means you are overwrought,’ said Jane. ‘You had been walking for some time in the cold, then you were standing beneath a bridge in the damp, and you have taken cold. Perhaps you have a fever.’ She put a hand on Lizzy’s forehead.
‘Do I have a fever?’ asked Lizzy.
Jane hesitated.
‘I cannot be sure,’ she said. ‘You feel a little overheated. But perhaps it is just as a result of your walk. Here, let me help you out of your things. I rang for the maid when I saw you approaching the house because it is nearly time for us to dress for the ball. She will be here with the water for your bath soon. Once you have washed and dressed you will feel more like yourself, and you should have something to eat, too. You are probably confused in your thoughts because of hunger. I will ask the maid to fetch us some tea and scones.’
‘Thank you,’ said Lizzy with heartfelt gratitude as she squeezed Jane’s hands. ‘You are such a comfort to me. I know I can tell you anything. And perhaps you are right. Perhaps I was just feverish, or needing something hot to eat.’
Jane smiled.
‘Yes, I am sure that was it.’
Lizzy nodded, but in her
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