Opportune Interference

DISCLAIMER: "Pride and Prejudice" will forever be beyond my reach, whether it is Ms. Austen's delightful novel or Joe Wright's 2005 film adaptation. This is merely a humble tribute.

NOTE: A Valentine's Day special. Just a funny little one-shot that I've had on my mind for a while. This is based on the 2005 movie and is told from the perspective of Betsy, the maid. I will not even attempt to write in the original style of the novel because I will never have the talent. Instead, I write in my own style which is hopefully not too irreverent.

This scene could have changed everything but it amuses me to think of what could have happened if someone had intervened during the part of the movie when Bingley comes back to Netherfield with Darcy. Enjoy.

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There was rarely a moment of peace and quiet in Longbourn on regular days. So tranquility was absolutely impossible in the wake of the eldest Miss Bennet's long-anticipated engagement. The whole house was in an uproar as almost all of its inhabitants celebrated the news with unrestrained exuberance, screaming and squealing and dancing around in glee. Even the usually calm Mr. Bennet could not help but join in the festivities, albeit in a more subdued manner.

For his part, Mr. Bingley did not seem to mind the impropriety expressed by his future family for he had long learned to accept them. He only had eyes for his bride, who bore her family's excitement with admirable composure. But it was clear in the expression of pure joy in her face that she was bursting with happiness as well.

The family's energy was infectious and it spread to some of the servants of the house, such as Betsy the maid. She was extremely pleased with how everything had turned out. She knew that Miss Bennet was as deserving as any young woman of a good marriage and from what she had seen; Mr. Bingley was a very pleasant and affable young man, who had the means to give her a comfortable life.

And Betsy was also glad that Mrs. Bennet's prayers had finally been answered. Lord knows the lady had been complaining about marrying her daughters off for so long that it was high time that she be satisfied. The youngest Miss Bennet's match had not been quite what everyone wanted. Its occurrence had been more to avoid disgrace than to bring fortune. But now, with Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield and soon to be a part of the family, all was well.

As Betsy continued to observe the Bennets' amusing reactions, she could not help but notice that Miss Elizabeth had disappeared from the scene. This was most unusual, as Miss Lizzy was the closest to Miss Bennet among all the sisters and would have surely wanted to congratulate her dear sister on her good fortune.

Then, Betsy remembered that as soon as Mrs. Bennet had barged in on the newly engaged couple, Miss Lizzy had hastily excused herself and gone out of the house. The housemaid frowned and found this very curious, indeed.

But then again, she recalled, Miss Lizzy did seem out of sorts recently though she endeavored to hide it. She was more pensive and even a little bit sad. Betsy noticed that regret seemed to fill Miss Lizzy's face every once in a while and the maid grew more and more curious as to the source of this secret melancholy.

So she had observed Elizabeth closely over the past weeks. It was not easy to divine the young lady's thoughts as she was always careful to mask her true feelings with her usual cheerfulness. But Betsy was certain that something was bothering Elizabeth, and she had had no suspicion of what until now.

For in a flash of comprehension, Betsy remembered how Miss Elizabeth had reacted to the sudden arrival of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy at Longbourn just minutes ago. And Betsy was certain that Mr. Bingley's presence was not that which had put Elizabeth in such an unusual state of perturbation.

Mr. Darcy surely was the culprit, but how he could have such an effect on Elizabeth was still a mystery to her. Like the other members of that household, Betsy had believed that Miss Elizabeth disliked the gentleman with a fury. But with the way the lady received him that afternoon, things seem to have changed.

While she slyly eavesdropped on the visit (a habit inherited from the Bennets themselves), Betsy had remembered hearing Elizabeth shyly address Mr. Darcy to ask how he was. The maid wondered that the others did not notice such particular behavior though she then attributed their ignorance to a preoccupation with Jane and Mr. Bingley. But the tension that clearly existed between Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth had been far more interesting.

Betsy's reverie was interrupted as she was sent on an errand. Obediently leaving the house, she paused in her hurry when she noticed the lone figure of Miss Elizabeth sitting rather forlornly by her favorite tree.

"So this is where she stole away to," Betsy thought and gazed sympathetically at the girl who seemed to be weeping quietly. She had never seen Miss Lizzy in such a state of misery. That lady always had such a cheerful disposition.

"How I wish there was something I could do for her," the housemaid said to herself. She thought very highly of Miss Elizabeth and believed that she was just as deserving of happiness as her elder sister.

And yet, Miss Elizabeth could never be happy with just anyone. He would have to possess a multitude of virtues, even a few of which were hard to come by in the regular gentleman.

The more she pondered on a potential match for the second eldest Miss Bennet, the more Betsy wondered if, after everything, Mr. Darcy was such a man. Perhaps under all that aloofness and gravity, he was quite affable.

Betsy didn't know enough to be a judge of his character. What she was certain of, however, was that he had had a significant effect on Miss Elizabeth which Betsy had never seen before. She wondered if there was some happy outcome awaiting those two enigmatic beings. She knew that Mrs. Bennet would be beside herself with joy should another one of her daughters make a good marriage, especially one as advantageous as with Mr. Darcy (and his ten thousand pounds a year).

Filled with such theories, Betsy turned the corner around the house and was surprised to see a figure not too far away, facing the house. Squinting to get a better view, she saw with surprise that one of the objects of her reflection was standing a short distance from Longbourn.

What was he still doing there? Betsy wondered.

He did not seem to notice her standing there for his gaze was so focused on the house, and perhaps one of its inhabitants. In an instant, all of Betsy's suspicions were confirmed and she felt giddy with excitement at the wonderful potential of this development.

All her fantasies dissolved quickly, however, when she saw that Mr. Darcy was turning around and walking away. Betsy remembered Miss Elizabeth weeping in misery just behind the house and lamented the waste of such a crucial opportunity.

Something has to be done, Betsy thought resolutely. No one else was around to facilitate a meeting between those two fascinating individuals and Betsy felt almost a moral imperative to bring them together. It was simply too cruel for either to be left in suspense about their feelings.

She instantly concocted a plan of intervention. Gathering all the audacity she could muster, she ran after Mr. Darcy's retreating figure.

"If you please, sir!" she cried out, catching up with him breathlessly.

The man turned to look at her in puzzlement and patiently waited for her to catch her breath.

"Excuse me, sir," Betsy said quickly, "but you are wanted back at Longbourn. Mr. Bingley has called for you."

"Indeed?" Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow, "whatever for?"

"Forgive me, sir, but I was only instructed to call you back," she replied, "but it seems that Mr. Bingley requires your presence."

Darcy gave her another puzzled look but suspected nothing. The girl looked so earnest in her task that he could not refuse. He nodded and followed her back to the house.

Betsy grinned triumphantly as she put her little plan in motion.

"This way, sir," she instructed calmly.

To his astonishment, Mr. Darcy went around the side of the house instead of directly to the front door. He wondered what Bingley still needed him for when he was fairly certain that his friend had already sorted everything out with Miss Bennet. At this point, he thought, Bingley hardly needed any more moral support.

Darcy was torn about finding himself once more in the same room as Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He was sure that he wanted to see her again but he could not gauge from her reaction to his arrival earlier that day if she had been pleased to see him. What had she meant by commenting on his leaving "so soon"?

He had not the slightest idea, and he dared not let himself hope for anything.

It was in this grave state of mind that Mr. Darcy found himself behind the Bennet family house. He had been so distracted that he hardly noticed the housemaid turn another corner and disappear behind another side of the house.

Before he realized she had gone, however, Mr. Darcy caught sight of familiar figure sitting forlornly by a large tree. She had her head buried in her knees and she was not facing him but he could not be mistaken. And seeing her in such evident distress was exactly calculated to send a pang through his heart. At that moment the desire to comfort her overpowered any doubt or hesitation.

"Miss Bennet," he found the courage to say, "are you all right?"

Elizabeth jumped up immediately at the sound of his voice.

"Mr. Darcy!" she cried out in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

For a moment, she stared in astonishment at him, hardly believing that he was actually standing there before her. Recollecting herself, she hastily wiped the tears of her eyes, tears shed on his account, but she could hardly sustain the illusion that she had not been crying.

Seeing her tear-streaked face only heightened his concern and he found the courage to walk closer towards her. He had forgotten why he had returned in the first place but now that no longer mattered.

"You are distressed," he said warmly, "pray, what is the matter?"

"I," she stammered nervously, racking her brain for something coherent to say, "I'm sorry you have to see me this way, there is nothing the matter with me, truly. I am quite well."

"Forgive me," he replied, "but I cannot believe you. You have been weeping, is there nothing I can do to help?"

"You," she said with that anxious manner of hers that was between an uneasy smile and a stifled sob, "I thank you but you need not do anything for me."

For a moment she looked at him expectantly, and then quickly bowed her head in embarrassment.

He was unsure about how to respond to such an enigmatic reaction. But he decided that now was as good a time as any to settle things between them. She had not yet sent him away, and he was going to take the chance.

"But surely you must know that I would do anything for you," he began earnestly, mustering courage to walk even closer to her. She made no objection.

"Mr. Darcy," she whispered, looking up at him with glistening eyes, and an expression that gave him more hope than he had ever imagined possible.

From that moment on, all doubts and fears between them were dispelled completely and they were free to claim the happiness that they both justly deserved.

The rest of this momentous exchange was being carefully observed by its perpetrator. Betsy watched with a hand on her heart as the two lovers reconciled, and she could not help but feel giddy with excitement and also privileged to have been involved in bringing them together.

"With all due respect to Mrs. Bennet," Betsy thought, grinning smugly, "My skills at matchmaking are far more superior."

After a few moments, she felt that she ought to afford the couple some more privacy. She was sure that her little deception would be easily forgotten. After all, her victims had other more important matters to occupy them.

Proud of her handiwork, the housemaid made her way back to the house. Before entering however, she took a deep breath, knowing that she would have to brace herself for what would come next. Mrs. Bennet would surely throw a fit when she finds out that yet another one of her daughters would be married to another single man in possession of a good fortune.