[ UNDERGOING EDITING 08-18-24 ]
- Ever since she could walk, Elodie Bennet had expectations set upon her, as many other women did. As the second eldest, she was meant to care for her younger sisters and fulfill her duties without complaint.
Bei...
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THE VISIT.
Darkness descended upon Longbourn, cloaking the house in a subdued peace. The Bennet family, exhausted from the day's excitement, settled down into their beds.
The moonlight streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow over the rooms.
Elodie fluffed her pillow as Mary moved to sit on her bed, the homely girl's spectacles glinting in the faint light. She pushed them up the bridge of her nose with her index finger, her expression thoughtful.
"You look solemn." Mary remarked, her tone straightforward.
Elodie scoffed, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Solemn? What a word to describe your dear sister." She replied, trying to inject some levity into her voice to hide her aching heart.
Mary was always able to read her far too easily for her comfort, but Elodie would never wish to burden her sister with her troubles.
Yet Mary, ever serious, merely stared back at her with a steady gaze. "It's the truth, Elodie. You've been keeping to yourself since Mr. Bingley left. Is something troubling you?"
Elodie sighed, sinking back against her pillow. The events of the day played over in her mind—Mr. Bingley's proposal to Jane, her conversation with Mr. Darcy, and the myriad of other emotions she had felt at other points.
She glanced at Mary.
"There are things I haven't quite sorted out in my mind." Elodie admitted, taking to picking at the seams of her blanket to distract herself. Mary nodded, her expression encouraging. "Pray, tell me."
Elodie hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "It's Mr. Darcy," she began. "I'm slowly starting to realize how wrong I was about him."
Mary leaned forward, her curiousness piqued. "What changed your mind?"
Elodie looked down at her hands, which were still fiddling with the edge of her blanket. "When Lydia ran away, he was the one who found her and arranged the marriage and asked her not to say anything. He did it without seeking any recognition or gratitude. I thought him to be proud and unkind, but now I see that he is something else entirely."
She didn't expect Mary to understand her turmoil or to even get past the shock of Mr. Darcy's involvement in Lydia's rescue, but Mary remained calm as her brows furrowed. "And how does that make you feel?"
