Page 2 of Attempted Compromises
“Strange,” Mr. Jones muttered to himself, scratching his chin. “Well, there’s nothing for it. We’ll try another drop, though that should be more than enough for a child her age.”
He began to pour a fresh cup, but Elizabeth started crying. “No more tea! My belly hurts!”
“Just a few more swallows, my dear,” Mr. Jones said, putting just a dash of tea into the cup and tipping a drop of laudanum in. “It’ll taste quite nasty this time, but there’s not much of it. There’s a good girl.”
Sniffling, Elizabeth obeyed, tipping the small bit of tea back into her mouth. Her face screwed up, and she looked as if she were going to spit it out, but then she swiftly gulped it down. She lay back with her face twisted in pain and exhaustion.
After a few more minutes, the effects of the laudanum began to take hold. Elizabeth’s eyelids drooped, but she didn’t quite fall asleep. Instead, she started giggling softly, her words slurring as she looked around the room in a dreamy, dazed state.
“Mama… I think I’m flying,” she murmured, her small hands reaching out to grab at imaginary shapes in the air.
Mrs. Bennet sighed in relief, brushing a stray hair away from her daughter’s face. “Well, at least she’s calm,” she said, casting an anxious glance at Mr. Jones.
“Indeed,” Mr. Jones replied with a nod. “Let’s proceed before she becomes fully aware again.”
With her hands still reaching and her head swaying, Elizabeth barely noticed as Mr. Jones and Mr. Bennet prepared her for the extraction. Mr. Bennet gently held her shoulders, while Hill, the footman, positioned himself at her side to keep her head steady. Mr. Jones took his pliers in hand and gave a solemn nod to both men.
As the cold metal touched her aching tooth, Elizabeth’s eyes shot open, and she let out a piercing scream, thrashing against the hands that held her in place. Her arms flailed wildly, her little fists pounding against her father’s chest.
“No! It hurts! Stop, please!” she shrieked, her voice hoarse with pain and fear.
“Hold her steady!” Mr. Jones called, gritting his teeth as he worked to secure his grip. Elizabeth’s cries filled the room, echoing through the house as the pliers clamped down firmly on the stubborn tooth.
With a final, wrenching tug, the tooth came free, and Elizabeth let out a whimpering sob, her small body sagging as the pain receded. Mr. Jones quickly stuffed a piece of cotton into the bleeding gap, applying gentle pressure to stem the flow.
“There now, my dear,” he murmured softly. “It’s all over. The bad tooth is gone.”
Elizabeth lay back, exhausted and trembling, her chest rising and falling in shaky breaths. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and her voice was just above a whisper as she spoke.
“It… it still hurts,” she said, her face crumpling as fresh tears welled up.
Mr. Jones patted her hand gently. “Yes, my dear, it will hurt a little while longer, but it’s much better now. The worst of the pain will fade soon.”
Elizabeth nodded, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her breathing. The laudanum, though ineffective in putting her fully to sleep, seemed to soften the edges of the pain enough that she could bear it. She stayed awake for another hour, her small hand clutching her mother’s. She whimpered occasionally, but the pain was duller, no longer the sharp ache that had kept her awake.
Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Jones sat beside her until she drifted into a light sleep, her soft breathing filling the room as the night settled around them. As he packed his things to leave, Mr. Jones glanced back at Elizabeth, a look of concern flickering in his eyes.
“A curious child,” he murmured to himself as he left. “Very curious indeed.”
Longbourn, 1802
A bright, sunny afternoon found the children of Meryton gathered near the great old oak on the edge of the Lucas property. Elizabeth Bennet, now eleven, was in the center of a lively group, her brown curls bouncing as she laughed and chatted. Nearby, Jane stood with Charlotte Lucas and some of the other girls, watching with a mixture of interest and concern as the boys dared one another to climb the enormous tree.
One of the Lucas boys, Thomas, puffed out his chest and pointed up. "I dare you, Ned Goulding, to climb all the way to the top!"
The Goulding boy glanced up at the lofty branches and shook his head, laughing nervously. “No one could climb that high—it’s impossible!”
Elizabeth’s ears perked up at his remark, and she stepped forward, hands on her hips. “I could climb it!” she declared, her voice brimming with confidence.
“Oh, Lizzy, don’t,” Jane pleaded, a worried look in her soft blue eyes. “It’s dangerous.”
Elizabeth scoffed, her chin held high. “It’s not dangerous. You’ll see!” And with that, she grabbed the lowest branch, determined to prove her bravery.
Jane, standing beside her with a concerned expression, reached out to tug on Elizabeth’s sleeve. “Lizzy, don’t—please. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”
Elizabeth only grinned, flashing a mischievous look at her companions. “Oh, come now! What’s life without a little adventure?” She gave Jane and Charlotte a cheeky wink beforeadjusting her grip and pulling herself up with ease. The girls on the ground exchanged anxious glances, but Elizabeth paid them no mind as she climbed higher and higher, her limbs agile and quick.
“Elizabeth!” Charlotte called from below, shielding her eyes as she watched her friend ascend. “Come down at once! You’ll hurt yourself!”
