Synopsis: Arriving home from the ball, Kitty and Lydia take themselves off to bed, while Mrs Bennet and her other daughters seek out Mr Bennet in his study. They discover he has passed away.

Thanks ilex-ferox and other for their comments on the waltz. While I have done some regency dancing and some modern waltzing, I must admit I wasn't aware of the early evolution of the waltz. The gif on the Jane Austen Centre website was very cute. I'll have to go find a class!

Thanks also to FatPatricia515 for pointing out the missing stockings detail. Lizzy did have stockings on when Mr Darcy undid her shoe and she removed them to put on the arnica, but it is visually important so I'll go back and change that.

Via Luton is now published on Amazon. I am currently posting an "outtake" for Via Luton on fanfiction (from Chapter 6 onwards). It tells the story of Ruth, also known as Genette, who was Mr Darcy's mistress at Madame Amelie's. Please read and review!

Lizzy stifled her sobs when Hill returned to the study to report she had roused Mr Hill.

"I'm ever so sorry, Miss Elizabeth. I had no idea there was anything wrong. The squire does occasionally wait up for you, and you know he never likes to be disturbed."

"I blame myself, Hill," said Elizabeth, pulling her handkerchief from her reticule. "I noticed he had gone so far as to dress in his ball clothes, but he goes out so infrequently that I did not think it strange for him to baulk at the last moment. I think he must not have been feeling well."

"That was what Mr Hill said as soon as I told him. 'While the Master doesn't go out often, it was unusual for him to change his mind.' He suspicioned there was something wrong, but he thought it might have been that Mr Collins that kept him home, the Master not being very tolerant of silly gadgers."

Elizabeth knew she should remind Mrs Hill that 'the silly gadger' was now the Master of Longbourn, but she couldn't bring herself to speak the words. Instead she said, "I wish Papa had asked me to stay home. I would have done so gladly."

Lizzy knew this was not entirely true. She had been keen to score her petty points on Mr Darcy. It all seemed so unimportant now.

Refusing to be drawn into such maudlin thoughts, Elizabeth asked Hill how they should go about laying out her father's body. It was decided they should put Mr Bennet out on the floor immediately, lest he stiffen, and this they managed when Hill lifted the master under his armpits as Lizzy pushed the chair out from underneath him. Mr Hill arrived soon after with Sarah, carrying an old door to use as a bier and two stools to place under it. Sarah was sent to pump water so the master could be washed. Jane and Mary returned, having finally managed to settle their mother. The sisters decided that their father should be buried in his favourite waistcoat rather than the ball clothes he was wearing, and Mr Hill was sent off to retrieve his clothes. Meanwhile the ladies washed their father and, with the help of the Hills, dressed him. Finally, the black cloth Mrs Hill had retrieved to cover the bier was drawn under him.

Taking a final look at their handiwork, Elizabeth tried to imagine her father asleep, but the slack muscles of his face spoke the awful truth. All his personality seemed to have drained from his face.

The servants retired, giving the ladies their heartfelt condolences. When Mary wavered on her feet, Jane sent her sister to bed. She knew that Elizabeth, with her injured foot, was the most in need of repose, but she felt the need of her closest sister's support.

The ladies sat down at opposite sides of their father's knee desk to write some letters. By agreement, Jane directed her first note to the rector, Mr Delaney, who had been appointed by Mr Bennet's uncle before their father had even inherited Longbourn. It seemed ironic that the old man had survived the new master. Mr Delaney was too ill to preach regularly, usually delegating that role to his curate on anything other than an especial occasion like Christmas. But he did manage to shuffle from his bed everyday and sit in a chair by his fire to compose the sermons for his curate, Mr Elliot, to deliver every Sunday.

Elizabeth directed her first quick note to the undertaker in Meryton, before taking longer to compose a letter to Charlotte. Mr Collins had elected to spend what was to be the last night of his visit to Hertfordshire at Lucas Lodge, ostensibly because the Bennet's carriage was overcrowded. Lizzy begged her friend to relay the news to Mr Collins as she thought fit. No doubt he would wish to delay his return to Kent in order to attend the funeral; possibly he would arrive tomorrow and demand they leave the house. She would put nothing past the man.

After completing the letter to the rector, Jane started on her second missive, begging their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to journey from London to Hertfordshire to support the Bennet ladies in their time of affliction. Finally all the letters were sealed and deposited on the salver, ready for John Coachman and Mr Hill to deliver them in the morning.

An hour before dawn, the sisters sought their bed and hugged each other in their sleep.

Elizabeth woke in the morning from a terrible dream, but as her thoughts crystallized in her mind, she realised that her nightmare was reality. Turning over, the pain in her chest and her leg intruded on her notice. She was unable to stifle a groan.

"Oh, Lizzy!" said Jane, starting up from the pillow. "You're awake!"

"Yes. Did you sleep, Jane?"

"Only for a couple of hours. I've been lying here trying to go back to sleep so that I wouldn't wake you. What are we going to do?"

"Beyond the funeral arrangements, I dare not think. No doubt Mr Collins will turn up today and give us some indication of our fate. I have failed you all horribly. Not only have I tossed aside the chance to keep a roof over our heads, I have annoyed him at a time when we are most dependent on his charity."

"Do not blame yourself, Lizzy. We had no idea this day would arrive so soon. I can only be glad that Mr Bingley's attention spared me from making the same decision. It is too much to sacrifice one's soul for one's family. But there is hope, Lizzy. Mr Bingley spoke to me last night, and said he would visit me today on a matter of great import..."

"Do you think it is possible he will make you an offer, Jane?"

"Oh, Lizzy, I sincerely hope so," replied her sister. "But come now, let us dress. I believe Lydia and Kitty are up."

The morning light revealed the extent of Elizabeth's hurts. Her ankle was swollen and black, and she had a matching large bruise on her left side.

More arnica was applied, and Jane laced her stays very loosely. Although Lizzy initially thought herself unable to walk at all, she discovered she could hobble about after donning a pair of sturdy walking boots.

Thus attired, the sisters repaired downstairs to discover, to their surprise, that their mother had preceded them to the breakfast parlour. Kitty and Lydia were also at table, waited on by a sleepy Sarah. Elizabeth noticed that her youngest sisters looked subdued and concluded that their mother had apprised them of events. After last night's hysterics, Elizabeth and Jane could only wonder at their mother's calm demeanour and exchanged puzzled glances.

"Well, Lizzy and Jane, I see you were busy last night," said Mrs Bennet, dipping her toast in her tea. "Thank you for making the arrangements and apprising the Gardiners. I was surprised that you should be writing to Charlotte, Lizzy, since she is on our doorstep every other day of the week; but after reading your letter, I am now in command of the facts. I must say I was concerned when Mr Collins took himself and his carpetbag off to the Lucases. Using their carriage because ours is too crowded, my foot! So he is engaged to Charlotte Lucas! Well, I hope she can be easy with her conscience, snatching him away before Mary has had her chance! I suppose she apprised you of her perfidy at the ball, or had the two of you arranged it between yourselves before that?"

Elizabeth had opened her mouth to protest at her mother's unsealing and reading of her letter, but at this accusation of conspiracy she deflated. Lizzy had expected her mother to be upset about Charlotte's disclosure of her betrothal and it did seem doubly shocking now in the light of their father's death. Meekly she said, "No, Mama. Charlotte told me last night, but I didn't want to spoil your evening."

"Well, if Mr Collins is still there, I suppose it is better that he finds out by our information than by hearsay. I only hope that Miss Lucas is a good friend to you. Aye, and to us also, for she has spent many hours under this roof. But I am determined not to think on it. It is no use... crying over... spilt milk," Mrs Bennet said haltingly.

Elizabeth, who had expected to be scolded once more for her refusal of Mr Collins, was confounded by this speech, but thankful her mother appeared to be dealing with their situation so well. Mindful of the pain in her chest, she sat down gingerly as Jane poured her a cup of tea.

Composing herself, Mrs Bennet heaved a great sigh. "We must band together and think for tomorrow, girls. Lydia has told me something more of your escapade last night, Lizzy, and as your sole surviving parent, I believe I am within my rights in asking Mr Darcy to do the right thing and marry you."

"Mother, that is ridiculous!" said Elizabeth, alarmed at this new development.

"Au contraire! Several people saw Mr Darcy manhandling you before you went over the balcony. No doubt it is the talk of the town today!"

"He was doing nothing of the sort, Mama," said Elizabeth, glaring at Kitty and Lydia who must have been the source of this gossip. "He merely tried to prevent me from falling. What a poor way to thank a gentleman for a chivalrous act!"

"Talking will pay no toll, Lizzy," retorted Mrs Bennet. "Mr Darcy has compromised you and must make things right, and so I have told him."

"Mother," said Lizzy, paling, "what have you done?"

"I have written to Mr Darcy this morning, and requested a response by this afternoon."

"Mother," said Jane, who was now looking almost as perturbed as her sister. "This is not wise. You are upset and should not act hastily. Where is the letter?"

"John Coachman took it off with the other letters for Meryton. Mr Darcy should have it by now if he is out of his bed. Hopefully all will be settled before the sun goes down."

Lizzy and Jane looked at each other in alarm, knowing there was no way to retrieve their mother's communication.

Unconsciously, Jane brought her hand to her brow, shielding her face, but this action only infuriated her mother who burst into a litany of self-justification:

"Someone has to act for our future, Jane; else we will be out in the hedgerows! Once Mr Collins asks us to remove from this house, we can only seek refuge with my sister in Meryton. My brother cannot accommodate us in London, he has only a single attic bedchamber to spare. If you and Elizabeth are creditably established, then the rest of us can squeeze into the two rooms that your Aunt Philips can offer us. That is all we can look forward to now. My five thousand pounds will provide us with no more than two hundred pounds a year, which will not even keep clothes on our backs! So you must send us as much of your pin money as you can spare, else we will be destitute! Oh, Mr Bennet, why did you have to leave us so soon!"

And having delivered this speech, Mrs Bennet's command of herself abandoned her, and she broke into loud sobs.

Jane moved to sooth their mother but Elizabeth could stand no more. Mortified by her mother's demand of Mr Darcy and repulsed by her loud wails, Lizzy abandoned her tea untasted, hobbling off as fast as she could manage to the fastness of her father's refuge.