What Hope Has Done: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Romance (What Time Has Done Book 2) by Alyssa Jefferson

Author:Alyssa Jefferson [Jefferson, Alyssa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Sequels, Alternate Universe, Others POV
Goodreads: 40919405
Published: 2018-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

The next day, Mr. Thomas Sterling was again at Whitewood Hall—this time escorting Mrs. Hodges herself.

“I found this lady,” he said by way of explanation when they came into the drawing room, “walking up the lane alone. As the hill is steep, I thought I had better escort her along the way.”

“How kind,” Jane said, beaming toward the young man of whom she was now disposed to think very highly. “I am delighted you have come—both of you.”

Mrs. Hodges had been recovering from a cold, and it had been a week since she had been well enough to walk over and call on her friends. Kitty had called in Kingston twice in that time, but Jane had not been able to join her. Now, therefore, Jane sat near Mrs. Hodges to learn how she had recovered, while Charles, who was at home, approached Mr. Sterling.

“It is lucky,” he said, “that you came upon Mrs. Hodges on her way. I often worry about her making this walk. If I know when she plans to come, of course, I can send my carriage for her—but so often her visits are unplanned. She is a spontaneous woman, and high-spirited for her age.”

Mr. Sterling said, “I called on her earlier this week, but I did not know then that she was ill. I conveyed a package,” he added by way of explanation, “from Mrs. Bingley.”

“I am delighted to see how well she has recovered,” Charles said.

Not particularly interested in this subject, Mr. Sterling then asked, “But where are your guests? I believe I have never seen you quite alone here since they have come.”

This statement seemed to strike Charles rather awkwardly. There had been a time when Thomas Sterling had called on him regularly, prior to Julia’s death. The men had seemed then to have a great deal in common. Both enjoyed hunting, and both were generally good-humored and affable—though Thomas was rather more of a reader than his brother-elect. Since his marriage to Jane, however, Thomas had never come at all—and when he did see his former friend, his manners were very altered. The ball and the three visits since were the only times he had set foot in Whitewood Hall, and therefore this was the first time of Mr. Sterling’s ever seeing them alone here. In a voice not quite unaffected, Charles said, “They are on a walk.”

Thomas must have been in a pitiable condition now. Having always utilized the pomp and arrogance of his family as an excuse for all manner of ill behavior, he had not been faced with the unavoidable results of their neglect of the Bingleys before. Now it seemed the brunt of it was to fall on him, and having as he did a truly good temper and good nature, he could not avoid the knowledge of how wrong he had been in neglecting a person who ought always to have been his friend. He could not deny now that he had been led astray by the prejudices of his family, and he ought to have known better.

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