Sudden Awakenings (The Other Paths Collection)

Chapter 8

Having passed the first night at Netherfield Park without incident, Elizabeth’s false sense of security rose, supposing she might avoid any embarrassing sleepwalking episodes while Jane recovered. However, the second night proved to be a different matter.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Elizabeth rose from her bed, lost in a dreamless trance. She stumbled towards her bedroom door, having forgotten to lock it after Miss Bingley's maid left from helping her change. As a result, she was unfettered from wandering into the hall.

Her footsteps carried her by habit down the path which, in her own home, would have led to Mary’s former bedchamber, where she sometimes wandered, and where Jane occasionally slept when she was ill. Had Elizabeth climbed into bed with her sister, all would have been well. However, the layout of Netherfield was quite different from that of Longbourn. Jane's room here was located in the opposite direction. The door which Elizabeth unconsciously opened, therefore, belonged to none other than Mr. Darcy .

S

Darcy was dislodged from his slumber by the muffled clatter of objects toppling over. He sat up in the bed, still in half-asleep confusion. In the darkness, he could make out the shape of a person, rummaging around his papers and belongings left out on the writing desk in his room.

“Who’s there?” he called, but there was no answer. The candle had long gone out and he could not find a tinderbox handy, but the curtains were opened wide enough that in the moonlight, he caught a glimpse of his intruder’s face. Elizabeth!

He stifled a shout. What was she doing here, in his room? Before he could make sense of the situation, she climbed into his bed, noisily threw herself onto the pillow and pulled the covers up.

He whispered, “Miss Elizabeth, you must get up. You cannot be here.” He fought against his every instinct to let her remain.

He knew if Elizabeth were to be found in his bedchamber, she would surely be compromised. She appeared to be in a deep slumber, completely unaware of her actions. He contemplated what he ought to do.

There was nothing for it. Though he knew it could be dangerous to rouse someone from a sleepwalking state, he also knew it would be far more dangerous for her to be caught here. He must wake her.

He began to shake her, repeating hoarsely, “Elizabeth, Miss Elizabeth.” But still, she did not wake. Turning over in her sleep, she found his body and snuggled up next to him. Though he had the strength to push away by force, he was momentarily enthralled by the beautiful woman nestled against his chest, wondering if this was perhaps some hallucination brought on by too many late evening drinks with Bingley and Hurst. His senses came to him when he heard the rattle of the doorknob, precipitating its opening .

S

The sound of a door creaking on its hinge followed by footsteps outside her bedroom caused Caroline Bingley’s eyes to snap open. Roused fully from her sleep by this disturbance, she rose from her bed and poked her head into the hall. If Jane Bennet is out wandering the corridor again, I shall have words with her!

But it was Elizabeth whose silhouette she saw outlined by the dim light from the window at the end of the corridor. She softly crept after her, her eyes widening as she observed Elizabeth slip into Mr. Darcy's room.

That little hoyden! If she thinks she can sink her claws into Mr. Darcy through such arts, she is mistaken. I will expose her for what she is. She contemplated a minute to be certain what course of action she should take. Then she knocked on her brother's door and woke him.

“I've heard noises in the corridor that sounded like footsteps, outside my door,” she told him. “I fear perhaps there is an intruder! When I looked into the corridor, I am certain I saw someone enter Mr. Darcy's room.”

Mr. Bingley repeatedly pulled the bell for his butler to come. Flying down the hall, he burst into Darcy’s bedroom. Caroline was quickly on his heels. The rest of the household heard the commotion and awoke and came into the corridor, with the butler and the hall boy, bearing lanterns, just behind the family.

They were shocked to see Elizabeth Bennet in bed beside Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy pushed Elizabeth from him with such force that she woke up .

A screech erupted from her when she realized who was next to her in the bed. “Mr. Darcy, what are you doing in my bedchamber?” She scrambled away from him so hastily, she fell off the bed.

“Your chamber!” he exclaimed, sitting up. “Begging your pardon, madam, but this is my chamber.”

“Elizabeth Bennet is nothing but a wanton strumpet!” Caroline exclaimed, charging forward. “How dare she accost Mr. Darcy during the nighttime. Charles, I insist you have her thrown out at once. Do not even send her in the carriage back to Longbourn.” Surely now, Mr. Darcy would see how grasping Miss Elizabeth was and be thoroughly disgusted by her.

“I–I could never,” Mr. Bingley stammered.

Jane pushed between the Bingley siblings and rushed to her sister's side. “It is Elizabeth who has been compromised here,” she cried. “Mr. Darcy has attempted to take advantage of her.”

Mr. Darcy tried his best to explain. “I can assure you this was not my fault, nor Miss Elizabeth's. I do not know how she came to be in this room, but I declare there was nothing planned between either of us. I believe she must have been sleepwalking.”

Elizabeth nodded her head vigorously, tears coming forth from her eyes.

“Nonetheless,” Jane went on, “my sister's honor has been compromised, and if you have any honor in you, Mr. Darcy, you will marry her. At once!” Her uncharacteristic anger caused looks of shock all around the room.

The servants, all of whom had been roused by this point, now gathered outside the doorway, each trying to gain a peek at what was going on. A sharp word from Mr. Bingley sent them scattering, but they had seen enough to surmise the situation.

“Come now, Miss Bennet,” Mr. Bingley pleaded. “We must be reasonable here. We cannot expect Mr. Darcy to marry Miss Elizabeth over so small a matter. Surely this is all just a misunderstanding. ”

“Regardless,” Jane said, “tongues will wag when word of this gets out. How are my sisters and I to marry, now that our family honor has been ruined?”

“I do feel for you, Miss Bennet,” Miss Bingley said, in feigned compassion. “I have often found your sisters to be wanting in propriety. It is a pity such conduct will reflect badly on you, an upstanding young lady. But it cannot be helped. Mr. Darcy must not be made to marry Miss Elizabeth.” Her plan to see Elizabeth Bennet thrown out in disgrace had produced the opposite effect.

“I will speak for myself,” Mr. Darcy said sternly to Miss Bingley, causing her to clamp her mouth shut and back away from him. “It is true, what happened here tonight was an unfortunate misunderstanding. However, that does not change the fact that Miss Elizabeth’s honor has been compromised.” He turned to Elizabeth. “I will do the honorable thing, Miss Elizabeth, and marry you.”

Caroline’s face paled. She had underestimated Mr. Darcy’s sense of honor. Her miscalculation might cost her any chance she had of securing him to herself.

Elizabeth quickly spoke up. “There will be no need, I am sure, Mr. Darcy. Once you speak to my father and explain the situation to him, I am certain he will not force you to marry me. He is not the sort to resort to violence. He will not challenge you to a duel for my honor,” she hurried to reassure him.

“Perhaps not,” said Mr. Darcy, “But I shall speak to him in the morning nonetheless.”

“Now, if you please,” he said, turning to the rest of them, “let us all get some sleep. We shall have more clarity about this matter in the morning.”

S

“Oh, Jane,” Elizabeth cried into Jane's shoulder. She had retreated to Jane's bedroom, not trusting herself to return to her own room and stay there. With Jane’s help, they had barred the door with a chair, lest Elizabeth manage to turn the lock in her sleep.

“What is to become of me?” Elizabeth wailed. “I could not abide being married to Mr. Darcy. You know how I detest him.”

“Hush, Lizzy,” Jane cooed. “All will be well. There are far worse things in the world than marrying Mr. Darcy. After all, he is rich, well connected, has noble relations, and a large house, or so I am told.”

She shook her head. “Jane, Jane. None of these things matter to me. I cannot marry if not for love. And Mr. Darcy is the last man in the world whom I would ever be prevailed upon to marry.”

“I am sure it will all be sorted in the morning. Lizzy, you need not worry. Now, come, let us sleep.”

“You appear to be much better, Jane,” Elizabeth remarked. “Has your cold gone away now?”

Jane coughed. “Oh, perhaps a little,” she said. “I suppose if need be, I might be able to remove to Longbourn in the morning.”

S

Darcy did not sleep the remainder of the night. His mind was too troubled. Had his engagement to Elizabeth come under any other circumstances than these, he might have welcomed it, even despite his objections to her family.

However, he could plainly see that Elizabeth had no wish to be forced into a marriage with him. Indeed, after his treatment of her at the Meryton Assembly, he could not blame her for her dislike of him. And yet his honor demanded he must do what he could for her.

Had it only been one or two of the servants who had witnessed what took place, perhaps he could have trusted they could be bribed to keep silent. But since so many of Bingley's household had awoken, there was no telling who might say anything to whom.

News among servants traveled quickly. All it would take would be one servant's account of the tale to servant in a different household, and the tale would spread like wildfire throughout their community. And before anyone could say, “Jack Robinson,” the entire Bennet family would be ruined. No, as much as he disliked them, Darcy could not see that happen. Not for Elizabeth's sake. She must be protected, he decided.

But Darcy found his resolution challenged. The next morning, over breakfast, Miss Bingley tried to persuade him to give up the notion.

“I know what an honorable man you are, Mr. Darcy, but you cannot let yourself be entrapped into a marriage against your wishes. I am certain Charles will be able to keep the servants from talking. And you know that Louisa and I will be the soul of discretion. Hurst, too. You need not fear for your reputation.”

“It is not my reputation I am concerned about, I am afraid I cannot let the matter drop,” Darcy told her. Society always made the woman out to be a pariah in such matters, as if women were solely responsible for seducing men. Men, on the other hand, were praised for their sexual prowess–provided their paramours were not nobles or gentlewomen. But Darcy held enough standing in society he was confident he could weather any scandal, whereas Elizabeth and her sisters would be utterly ruined and unable to marry, if he did not take responsibility for what happened.

S

Elizabeth stood outside the breakfast room, her hand hovering on the doorknob, when she heard her own name spoken .

“What is Miss Elizabeth to you, that you should owe her so much?” Caroline Bingley’s voice was raised. “I cannot fathom why you would allow yourself to be ensnared by such a conniving family! Surely you must see that Miss Elizabeth and her kin are nothing but fortune hunters who would stoop to any lengths to catch a wealthy husband.”

Elizabeth’s fists clenched in anger, her feet rooted on the spot. Tears welled in her eyes at the injustice of Miss Bingley’s words.

She heard Mr. Darcy’s voice in response. “Her family appears to be everything that you have represented, but I cannot say the same about Miss Elizabeth. I do not believe her actions last night to have been intentional.”

Elizabeth appreciated his defense of her, but she felt equally wounded to hear him agree with Miss Bingley’s opinion of her family.

Miss Bingley went on, unaware that Elizabeth was listening at the door. “Then you have been taken in by the charlatan, for this whole situation is certainly by her design, and I believe it was only my own vigilance that prevented Charles from suffering a similar fate.”

Elizabeth could not believe the words she was overhearing. How dare Miss Bingley suggest that she or Jane would conceive of anything so sordid!

“You may not know this, but the night before last, I also heard someone stirring in the dead of night. I opened my door and found Miss Bennet in the corridor. When I queried her, she claimed that she was thirsty, and was in search of a glass of warm milk. I assisted her and returned her safely to her bed, but I was quite certain that her destination had not been the kitchens. I found her near the entrance to Charles’ bedchambers.”

“If what you say is true, then that is a serious business. But as of yet, you have no proof of anything,” Mr. Darcy said.

“See how ill Miss Bennet appears to be, and let that form your judgment. ”

“Are you alleging that Miss Bennet feigned her illness in order to remain at Netherfield?” Mr. Darcy asked.

“I am,” she said.

“Miss Bennet has already sufficiently recovered. Whether or not her illness was genuine, none can determine, save perhaps Mr. Jones, and his professional estimation I cannot vouch for, as I do not know the man. As for Miss Elizabeth, without any proof of your accusations, I will proceed as my honor demands me to.”

“Mark my words, Mr. Darcy, you are making a mistake!”

Elizabeth could listen no further. She stepped away from the door and returned to her room where she could nurse her tears in private. She had no appetite for breakfast anyhow.