The Trouble With Horses: A Pride & Prejudice Novella Variation Read Free

and prepared to rise out of the wagon as soon as it came to a stop.
    "Did you ready the guest room? Lizzie is fine. She saved some rich gentleman's life."
    Fanny Bennet waved her handkerchief for dramatic effect. She sniffed at her husband and looked into the wagon. "Lizzie saved him?"
    Mr. Bennet handed the reins of the black horse over to their stableboy and lent a hand to his daughter attempting to remove herself from the cart without disturbing the man further.
    "Where is Jones? Why isn't the apothecary here?" Mr. Bennet looked around as he climbed into the cart himself to lift the stranger by his shoulders, aggravated to see his wife didn't have the sense to summon the apothecary when she heard there was an injury.
    Elizabeth stepped out of the way as John Lucas grasped the stranger’s legs and carried him out of the cart with Mr. Bennet. The commotion in the front garden brought all four of the other Bennet sisters down though only the eldest, Jane and the middle daughter, Mary, were fully dressed to be seen by others. Crowding the stairs, the girls created an obstacle as Mr. Bennet was beginning to groan under such weight.
    "Girls, move!" he shouted as Elizabeth rushed forward to grab one of the stranger's shoulders to help her father steady the man. Together, the three of them carried him up the stairs to the guest room overlooking the front of the home.
    Mr. Bennet began removing the man's boots and clothing before Elizabeth had a chance to vacate, but she wasn't able to stay much longer as her mother incessantly called her out to the hall.
    "Where on earth did you get off to, young lady? I gave you instructions to rest, but oh no, you go get yourself covered in mud and who knows what else the second I turn my back..."
    "Mama, Lizzie saved a man. Oh, how romantic! Now you can fall in love, and marry, and he'll owe you his life!" Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister, interrupted their mother with her shrill voice and laughter.
    Mrs. Bennet paused and looked at Lydia, clearly not realizing the implications of Elizabeth's actions. Elizabeth grew alarmed at the sudden smile on her mother's face and struggled to get away.
    She bowed her head quickly to her mother and muttered she would hurry to bathe for the assembly.
    "You shall do no such thing! You will remain here tonight to nurse that man back to health. You'll never be ready in time, regardless." Mrs. Bennet dismissed her least favorite daughter with a satisfied humming sound and began shooing Lydia down the hall to her bedroom to help her with preparations.
    Running to her room, Elizabeth closed the door forcefully and crumpled to the floor. She was finally safe to release all of the fear, guilt, and sadness she felt and try to recover from such an overwhelming afternoon. As her tears fell, slowly the stress and tension throughout her body poured out with them. She was surprised to start feeling stiff and sore throughout her joints. Taking a deep breath she resolved to collect herself and see if her father needed help. And despite what her mother said, she was going to call for a bath because she smelled worse than the Lucas' pig sty!
    Long after her sisters and mother had left, she took a fresh bath and ate a light supper. Thanks to the hot water boiled for the man upstairs, Hill was even able to give her a warm tub. Elizabeth finally braved her father's study to inquire how the man upstairs fared. She knocked gently on the door a few times.
    "Lord Lizzie, just come in." Her father was at his desk reading the post and drinking port. Demurely, Elizabeth slipped in and quietly seated herself in her normal seat in the window. The night was brilliantly illuminated by the silver glow of the moon above and she began to wish she had attended the assembly as she dearly loved to dance.
    "No long faces in here if you please."
    "Papa, how is the man upstairs? Is it so very bad?"
    Mr. Bennet downed his glass of port and stood up to pour himself another. The walls of his study