Swipe Left on Mr. Darcy — Rain Check, Page 9
By Suha · Published
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Transcript
Lizzie steps into Netherfield's bright glass foyer, flushed and windblown, jacket beaded with rain, mud clearly on her jeans and sneakers — and entirely unbothered. Caroline glances down at the muddy shoes with a barely-hidden, appraising sneer. Caroline: 'You... walked?'
Image description
A flushed, windblown Lizzie steps into Netherfield's bright glass foyer with mud on her jeans and sneakers; Caroline eyes the mud with a thin, disdainful smile.
About this chapter
Caroline Bingley invites Jane to Netherfield, and Mrs. Bennet — smelling opportunity — packs her off on a bike with no ride home just as the sky turns, betting a downpour will force Jane to stay the night. The plan works too well: Jane arrives soaked, spikes a fever, and is stuck under Bingley's roof, sick. When the news reaches home, Lizzie doesn't hesitate — she walks three miles of muddy road to reach her sister, arriving flushed, windblown, and unbothered by the mud on her jeans. Caroline is appalled; Bingley is charmed; and Darcy, who came to Netherfield certain Lizzie's laughter meant nothing to him, cannot stop looking at her. Cornered into the same house for one long evening, Lizzie and Darcy trade barbs across the dinner table — and by the time the rain is still tapping the guest-room window, Lizzie catches herself not entirely hating that she's stuck here.