Vampire and Prejudice

Chapter 5 - Darcy

My morning was disrupted by a disturbing image—Miss Elizabeth was walking towards the house, quite alone, and it seemed that she had been walking in this manner for quite a while. A moment passed as I stared out the window, all but pressing my nose to it until I leaped up and tore through the house in a decisively ungentle fashion. It was imperative that I reach the breakfast-parlor before Miss Elizabeth reached the house in the state that she was in. The object of her coming undoubtedly was her sister who, apparently, we had kidnapped and gotten sick—I confess to not being entirely familiar with the details—but the mode of her coming posed a number of questions. My first thought was that her parents had not given her leave to come, therefore she had effectively run away from home; my last thought before I entered the breakfast-parlor was that we had in fact killed Miss Bennet and now her sister had come to rain her fury and vengeance on us like some wrathful Hertfordshire spirit.

"Miss Bingley, pray excuse me, but I have an urgent need of you," I said with as much calm as I could muster.

"Is it Miss Bennet?" Bingley—the wrong one—immediately jumped up. I shook my head emphatically.

"Miss Bingley, if you would please follow me." I turned around and exited the room.

"How intriguing! Take care to run back and tell us everything as soon as you are able," I heard Mrs. Hurst say. Sure enough, Miss Bingley followed me directly and when I had come to a stop a safe distance away, I turned around and took her into my confidence.

"Miss Elizabeth is outside, and I do believe she is about to come in. Do not be disturbed—she looks quite wild."

"Was there an accident? Has some harm befallen her?"

"I do not believe so, but it is better that she meets you alone, for you will be able to take care of her without the stares of others. I trust you are the best person to handle this."

She nodded her acceptance, and I departed, hearing an additional pair of footsteps that must belong to the charming runaway. I went back to the breakfast-parlor, not wishing to return to my room and accidentally meet the two ladies. I would wait until Miss Bingley returned and hear her account.

"What was that about, Mr. Darcy?" Mrs. Hurst asked as I returned. One look at Bingley's face made me think about disclosing the information at once before he exploded in his chair, but I resolved to keep quiet. Mr. Hurst was the only one who cared nothing about it, his breakfast being the more pressing matter at hand.

"Really, Darcy, it was all very dramatic for you not to tell us," Bingley said.

"I apologize for disturbing you."

"Shall you have some tea, Mr. Darcy?"

"No, I thank you."

Mrs. Hurst started a one-sided conversation about something or other as I watched the door and Bingley followed my example until Miss Bingley re-entered looking rather satisfied with herself.

"Now, Caroline, you must tell us, for Mr. Darcy will not."

"It was Miss Elizabeth come to inquire after her sister. I took her upstairs."

"Well, why didn't you bring her here first?"

"She came to see her sister, Bingley, not exchange pleasantries with you," I said.

"She was truly anxious about her sister," added Miss Bingley with a softness of manner I seemed unable to convey. "I dare say more than Louisa would have been for me."

"It is a cold, Caroline. What is there to be anxious about?"

"Has the doctor seen her?" Bingley asked.