Five Dancing Sisters: A Pride and Prejudice Fairy Tale by Cassandra B. Leigh

Author:Cassandra B. Leigh [Leigh, Cassandra B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Fantasy, Not in Amazon Library, To Transfer, Alternate Universe
Amazon: B088Q5C3FN
Goodreads: 53427557
Published: 2020-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4: Mr Darcy’s Dilemma

The next morning, Elizabeth and her sisters broke their fasts in the schoolroom. By that time, she had resigned herself to a month-long stay within the confines of that room and Mrs Hill’s constant scrutiny. Although ravenous, she still suspected Mrs Hill may have altered the food; however, the aroma of the bacon, sausage, eggs, and fresh bread proved too difficult to resist, and she yielded to temptation.

As she ate, she wondered if Mr Darcy was also breaking his fast with his sister that morning. A full day had passed since he’d left Longbourn. Had he told Miss Darcy of the ordeal he had endured, of the five women who had so thoughtlessly deceived him and put him and his friend in peril? Elizabeth thought it far more likely he would have spared his sister from such a dreadful story. He had every reason to hold Elizabeth in contempt, if he even thought of her at all.

However, the idea that she had caused Miss Darcy even a single moment of worry over her missing brother struck her as absolutely indefensible. As a devoted sister herself, she would never dream of subjecting her siblings to such torment. She owed sincere apologies to a long list of people who had been hurt by the dreadful dancing scheme, including Miss Darcy.

When the meal was over, Betsy and Mrs Hill returned to clear the table. Elizabeth and her sisters dared not speak while they gathered the dishes and platters. “Your father will be expecting your apologies, so you must not disappoint him,” Mrs Hill said before leaving and locking the door.

Lydia released an exasperated huff. “She is the most wicked creature imaginable. Why would she conjure up a magical ball with handsome men, only to take them away from us and then leave us with the blame?”

Indeed, Elizabeth could form no rational explanation, but rather than dwelling on that conundrum, she chose to employ her time more industriously by reading. Sometime later, Betsy returned to advise them that Mr Bennet wished to see them in his study immediately.

They found their father sitting at his desk appearing weary and pale. “We are terribly sorry, Papa,” Jane said. “I am ashamed to admit that most of the fault lies with me. I was the one who offered the wine to the gentlemen and led them out of the house.”

Elizabeth could not allow her sister to take the blame. “No, Jane, I wanted to go to the ball as much as my sisters.”

“How did you get the men out of the guest chamber without opening the door?” Mr Bennet inquired.

Jane explained that there was another door. “Mrs Hill instructed me to tap three times on the wall, and a door appeared to the guest chamber.” Elizabeth and her sisters nodded their heads in agreement.

“And the men drank the wine,” he said in a calm voice.

Jane confirmed this, then continued. “Then they followed us down a staircase to the garden.”

“A magical staircase,” Lydia added with a bit more enthusiasm than Elizabeth would have preferred.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.