Of Friendship and Forgiveness: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Jae George

Author:Jae George [George, Jae]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-21T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

At least there was good news the next day at Gracechurch Street. An express was received from the Bingleys saying that they would, of course, be glad to help their sister Elizabeth in any way possible. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth, and Mary took seats in Mr. Gardiner’s study to discuss the details of the journey to Netherfield and what Lizzy’s persona would be upon arrival.

The plan was made for Bingley to fetch Lizzy from the coaching inn at St. Albans, which was only a short distance from Meryton. Uncle Gardiner would arrange to have a new lady’s maid from London travel a day earlier and await her new mistress there. Elizabeth was to become Mrs. Bethany MacCumbers, a recently widowed cousin of Mr. Bingley from Yorkshire, who desired a change of scenery to aid in her recovery from the loss of her husband.

The story would be put out that Mrs. MacCumbers’ face had been badly scarred in the carriage accident that killed her husband. Elizabeth would have to keep almost entirely to her chambers and wear her mourning clothes, including her heavy veil, anytime she left her rooms. Anyone from the neighborhood would recognize her immediately, including the Netherfield staff, but with her own maid and her disguise, she hoped to remain with Jane until she could determine how to manage her future. Perhaps marriage to Sir Daniel was not as ludicrous as it had at first seemed.

As the final arrangements were made, Elizabeth’s trunks arrived from Darcy House. Fortunately, the event didn’t seem to draw any attention among the neighbors. Elizabeth insisted that Mary keep her ball gowns and the better evening gowns, although she kept a few of the simpler day dresses and one evening gown to have dyed black. It seemed that maintaining her new identity as a widow would be necessary for some time to come.

On the day before her departure, Elizabeth wrapped the bonnet and the freshly washed gown she had borrowed from Georgiana, placed them in a crate from Uncle Gardiner’s warehouse, and had it delivered to Darcy House. She had included a brief note to her friend.

My Dearest Georgie,

I am happy to report that I will be leaving London in the morning and staying with relatives in the country. I could not even contemplate returning to Longbourn. I do hope that the gossip is not rampant there, but I would not dream of taking the chance of harming the reputations of my youngest sisters. You know them well enough to know that they can handle that task themselves.

I am well, so please do not worry about me. I do miss you very much and will remember my time with the Darcys with fondness. Remember, dear one, that you are a strong and accomplished young lady with nothing to regret. Don’t let your aunt win, Georgie. Hold your head up and smile at anyone who tries to intimidate you. It will make them wonder what you know that they don’t.

I do hope you recognize my jests mixed with my sound advice to you, little sister of my heart.

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.