Page 36 of Master of Netherfield
“Are you well child?” she asked while attempting to count heads. Then she asked, “Where is Miss Georgiana?”
Elizabeth looked up and rose, “Georgie and Mary went to the library for additional music.”
Running from the room, Elizabeth hurried down the stairs in a very unladylike manner with Nanny Brice not far behind while Mrs Hobbes escorted Jane, Lydia and Kitty down the stairs.
The footmen were missing from the foyer and Elizabeth did not give it a moment’s thought before running down the hallway to the library. Flinging open the door, she called, “Mary! Georgie! Where are you?”
Standing in a corner with a heavy candlestick in his hands, Mr Darcy’s secretary prepared to defend the two young girls huddled together behind him.
“Lizzy!” called both girls who ran around their defender to be engulfed in Elizabeth’s arms.
“Are you well?” Elizabeth asked as she examined both girls. Nanny Brice arrived, and she also made certain that the girls were whole before she turned to collapse on the sofa for a moment. Mrs Hobbes led the remaining girls into the room before shutting and locking the door. All six girls gathered with Nanny Brice on the sofa and began to weep with relief.
“What happened?” asked Mary when she could speak.
“Georgie’s aunt Lady Catherine came to visit, and she thought Kitty was Georgiana. She grabbed Kitty’s arm and then Kitty screamed!” Elizabeth explained.
“She frightened me!” explained Kitty.
“And then Kitty was very brave...” Jane left the others in suspense for a moment before adding, “She bit Lady Catherine and made her release her grip on her arm.”
Elizabeth had to add a comment. “Kitty’s bite so affected Lady Catherine that she fell back on the pianoforte where she lost her hat and her wig. She looked very strange indeed.”
Georgiana was the first to giggle; an infectious sound that was soon duplicated by Jane, Mary, Elizabeth, Lydia and finally Kitty. Even Mrs Hobbes and Nanny Brice joined in the mirth that lasted for many minutes until they heard someone knocking on the library door.
Mr Lynton who had made certain the young ladies were left undisturbed now opened the door to allow the master of Netherfield into the room. Upon seeing her brother, Georgiana broke into tears once more followed by Kitty, Lydia, Mary, and Mrs Hobbes. Nanny Brice hiccupped and was most embarrassed while Elizabeth managed to hold back her tears though she moved to stand close to William.
When neither of the adult women could speak clearly and Mr Lynton explained he had no first-hand knowledge of the commotion above stairs, William turned to Elizabeth for an explanation of the events.
“Your aunt arrived and when she came into the music room, she mistook my sister Kitty for Georgiana. She laid hands on Kitty and said things that scared her. She wanted Kitty to ‘come with her’ and jerked her arm. Something no one at Longbourn would ever do.”
“Miss Catherine, are you well?” Mr Darcy inquired as he would of any child.
Kitty nodded but she said, “I would very much like to see my Papa and Mamma, please.”
“Mr Darcy, I am very proud to say that Kitty defended herself and bit Lady Catherine’s arm to make the lady release her hold,” Elizabeth told him.
“She bit Lady Catherine?” William asked in his most solemn and severe tone. Elizabeth moved to stand in front of her little sister–no one would chastise Kitty for defending herself.
Mr Darcy knelt on one knee before the sofa, took Kitty’s hand in his and asked, “Miss Kitty, how did Lady Catherine taste?”
The little girl was wide-eyed for a moment but then she saw him grinning, and Elizabeth was giggling again. All of the adults began to laugh and to relieve any of Kitty’s fears, Jane and Lizzy both hugged her. After a few moments, William looked at Mr Lynton. “Would you be so good as to find a stable boy and send him to summon Mr Bennet? Miss Elizabeth, where is your father this afternoon?”
“He will be in the fields or at the house sir. Our mother has reached her time, and she is...”
“Then we must make certain that all is well,” William said as he took Kitty into his arms and comforted her alongside Georgiana.
“No one will harm you Miss Kitty! I promise,” William assured the girl. “Your father will come for you shortly and all will be well–I shall make certain of it!”
**++**
“Shall we all venture into the kitchens?” William asked.
“The kitchens sir?” asked Mrs Hobbes.
“My aunt would never venture into the kitchens, and I believe we shall be safe there. And I am certain Mr Nichols and the undercook can provide tea and cake.”
With his sister and the younger girls occupied with the refreshments, William turned to his housekeeper and his sister’s nanny for more details of his aunt’s arrival and venture into his house. When he had their recounting of events, he motioned the two eldest Bennet sisters to his side where he asked them to once more tell him of the event.
