Read One Word From You: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation for Free Online

“William, let go of me!”
     
    “ You can’t keep walking around, you’re exhausted and soaked through,” he told me, aiding my journey to my bed, and carefully easing me down until I was sat on the edge.
     
    I muttered a bitter, “Thank you,” to him, and rubbed my arms to warm them up.
     
    “ We should call for a teacher,” Charlie decided.
     
    “ I’ll go. You stay with her,” William ordered.
     
    It might just have been that William couldn’t stand being in my company any longer than he had to be, but I thought he really knew that Charlie would hate to leave Jenny’s side when she was so ill. She hadn’t opened her eyes since he’d carried her inside, and my heart was thrumming wildly in my chest with panic and concern.
     
    He held her hand tightly in his, and pressed the other against her cheek. His voice wavered when he said, “She’s so cold.”
     
    “ We should have called an ambulance,” I said, rubbing my sleeve over my face in an attempt to dry it. It would have helped if I wasn’t wearing soaking clothes in the first place. All I did was make it worse.
     
    Meg peeked out from under her covers, “Is she hurt?”
     
    “ Just sick,” I said, “Pretend to be asleep, all of you. I don’t want you getting in trouble for this.”
     
    “ What, and miss something?” Chrissy asked.
     
    “ Do it!” I snapped.
     
    The girls settled just in time, because the boarding mistress soon arrived. She was in a hideous thick night-gown, and had pulled a gaudy pink robe over it to protect some of her modesty. Ms. Weatherby ushered Charlie away, and then checked Jenny’s condition without uttering a word.
     
    “ What on Earth were you girls thinking by playing out in the rain at this time of night?” she demanded of me.
     
    “ Sorry, Miss,” I said, not inclined to correct her assumptions of the situation, “It was my fault. I didn’t think Jenny would get so sick.”
     
    “ You’re lucky you brought her inside when you did. I dread to think - well - she’ll have to go to the hospital.”
     
    “ I can call an ambulance,” Charlie volunteered, “Can I go with her?”
     
    “ It’s bad enough you boys are in this dorm!” she exclaimed.
     
    “ That’s my fault too, Miss,” I lied, “I asked William and Charlie to help with Jenny.”
     
    William didn’t say a word, and it was hard to discern what he thought of me when I covered for him. The thing of it was, they both had parents who could potentially harm me, the school, and maybe Jenny if I got them into trouble. My father wasn’t worried about upholding his reputation or position in society, and I could be transferred to another school and not feel I was suffering for it. I had the least to lose by taking all the blame on myself.
     
    “ Elisabeth Blake, I will make sure someone has a very serious conversation with your father about this. For now, you boys go back to your rooms,” she said sternly, “I will see to the girls. Elisabeth, apologise to them both before they go.”
     
    I forced myself to my feet, and bowed my head to the pair of them. As sincerely as I was able, I said, “I am sorry for causing you both so much trouble. It won’t happen again.”
     
    “ Beth -” Charlie began.
     
    “ Leave, both of you,” Ms. Weatherby barked, “If I catch either of you in this dorm building again, it will be a month of detention.”
     
    “ Yes, Miss,” they said in unison. William had to drag Charlie out by the wrist, his eyes still lingering on poor Jenny as she wheezed and groaned on the bed.
     
    Whatever the consequences might be, I would accept them all graciously. So long as Jenny was well again, then I could be kicked out of the school, and I’d make my peace with it.
     
    But I wasn’t.
     
    Given the circumstances, and the fact that Jenny regained consciousness long enough to tell her mother the truth of what had happened when she rushed to the hospital to be with her, I was spared punishment. I