Page 68 of Compromise & Consequence
Jane threw her arms around Elizabeth and hugged her tight.
“You have successfully skirted telling me about you and the colonel. I now expect details. Lots and lots of details.”
“There is not much to tell. Since my arrival on the thirtieth, he has attended every day for tea. We have gone for walks and time slips by so quickly. We talk about everything and nothing. It is the most comfortable friendship I have ever had. That he finds me easy on the eye is apparent, but his wanting to know me… what I think, what I want… it is gloriously freeing.”
“He wishes to know what you want,” Elizabeth whispered.
She felt a pinprick of tears behind her eyelids and in an attempt to calm her frazzled emotions, she fussed over fixing her tea. That Jane was aware of this became obvious when she placed her hand over Elizabeth’s and said, in a quiet voice, “What is it that you want? Is there anything I can do?”
“What Iwantand what Ihavedo not always align.”
“What do you want?”
“I want a loving marriage. What I have is an uncontested battleground.”
“Then do something about it.”
“If only it was that easy,” she sighed. “He told his family at dinner the other evening he loved me.”
“That is wonderful news!” Jane hesitated. “Is it not?”
“I truly believe he did not mean to say the words. His aunt Catherine had pushed his anger too far, and he said the one thing he knew to stop her cold.”
“Lizzy, no man says he loves a woman in front of family to stop a heated argument.”
“He might have. It most certainly worked.” She gave a wry smile at the memory. “When he said,I love Elizabeth, you could almost see the wind swoosh out of Lady Catherine’s self-righteous sails. The only thing that would have made the event more satisfactory was if Caroline Bingley had also been in attendance.”
“My dear cousin,” Jane admonished gently. “You harbor resentment as skillfully as your husband.”
“It is a required element when next to you, as you do not harbor resentment toward anyone. I take your share and gladly haul that burden around for you.”
A peal of laughter burst from Jane and Elizabeth almost cried at the joy her cousin exhibited. She had been shrouded by sadness for far too long.
“I have missed you, sister of my heart. I am so glad to be in town where I can see you every day, now that your restrictions have been lifted.”
Elizabeth leaned in and whispered, “I would still have seen you, Jane. I had plans in place. Nothing could have kept me from your side.”
“I figured as much. You always were the strategist. It is why you consistently beat Papa at chess.”
“Not always.”
“Do not fudge the truth. My father has not earned a victory since you turned sixteen.”
“True. I have tried to graciously lose, but he chastises me for playing a dishonest game.” Elizabeth noted, with great satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment wreathed around her cousin. A random thought popped into her head. “By chance, did my cousin by marriage attend you in Meryton?”
The blush that spread across Jane’sdecolletagewas as good as her saying yes.
“You sly thing. When and where – and do not even think about fudging the truth. I know you too well for that kind ofdeceit.”
“You can never tell Mamma. She would call for the banns, or worse, force Richard to apply for a special license.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened when her cousin unwittingly called him by his given name. Jane reached across and grasped her hand.
“We have not done anything to warrant such, but we did meet at Oakham Mount one morning to greet the sunrise and spend time away from big ears and even bigger mouths.”
“I am the last person in the world to censure anyone over such things. Having said that, I am surprised by your behavior.” Jane gasped and her eyes filled with tears. Elizabeth mentally kicked herself for giving her cousin even a moment of distress. “Not for what you think. I am surprised you would rise early enough to see a sunrise. You are notorious for loving the comfort and warmth of your bed.”
Jane swatted at her hand.
