Page 49 of The Cherry Trees of Rosings
“Earlier… in the morning," she added.
Mr. Darcy tried to nod, and then winced again, closing his eyes for a moment in exhaustion. “Thank you… for visiting…” It appeared he had fallen asleep.
Elizabeth could feel the familiar prickle behind her eyes and nose.
…but this time, it came at the heels of an awful knowing in her gut. A disconcerting, gathering despair.
Did he not remember?
Surely that could not be true?
“I shall leave you to rest…” Elizabeth whispered, allowing herself one last look of Mr. Darcy's familiar face.
She steeled herself.
Then she dipped a quick curtsey for the Colonel, before quitting the room.
Chapter 32:
Endings?
“Are you well, Eliza?”
The cart bumped and swayed along the road. They were making their way back to Hunsford.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said, giving Charlotte a half smile.
It was the middle of the day with bright sunshine around them and the chirping of cicadas in the grassy knolls. They were traveling much faster than before. Elizabeth fixed her gaze outside the window. There was not a single cloud in the sky.
…by early evening, they reached the parsonage.
That was when her tribulations truly began.
First, it was Mr. Collins.
He was so incensed about what Charlotte had done that he forgot himself for a while and berated his wife in front of everyone,including the cart driver. And then he berated Elizabeth.Shemust have been the bad influence on his biddable wife!
Then, Mr. Collins dragged them both to Rosings, presenting them to Lady Catherine as if offering up lambs for a sacrifice.
The lady—not being one to throw away any opportunity to terrorize and dominate—did what she did best: attempt to subdue such ungentlewomanly behavior.
She was especially displeased with Elizabeth.For, who was she—a wholly unrelated person to her family’s great stature—to meet Darcy before her own daughter could?
Of course, Colonel Fitzwilliam was not spared in her rebukes. But since the man had not chosen to return with them to Hunsford, he, at least, was spared the incessant thumping of Lady Catherine’s staff on the floor and the barrage of her vitriol.
They were questioned quite thoroughly after that.
Where was Mr. Darcy? What was his condition? What happened after he woke up? How much laudanum was he being given?Dr. Goodman could not possibly be a good physician if he had chosen to give Darcy that little laudanum! Mr. Hanson—Miss de Bourgh’s personal physician—would have never allowed such an oversight!
How could they have traveled all that way without enquiring the name of the village!?!
Elizabeth bore it all in silence and terse replies.
She did not care what Lady Catherine—or Mr. Collins for that matter—thought of her. She knew they were ridiculous. But she feared that life would become difficult for Charlotte once she left for Longbourn.
…because that was what was decided in the end.
That she was to go.
