Page 15 of A Letter in the Wind (Mayhem and Scandal Collection #1)
Elizabeth’s knees wobbled as Darcy escorted her from his box. Her face burned from his sweet endearments. Relief had flooded her at seeing him in good health. After she was assured he suffered no ill effects from the fire, she had thrown caution to the wind and tried to tell him of her changed feelings—of her newfound admiration. She had never been so bold before. Something had always told Elizabeth that Darcy was a man of heightened emotions that were kept barely simmering below the surface. If this was his version of light-hearted flirtation, she thought the full measure of his love might make a woman swoon.
The full measure of his love.
The thought brought her pause. Darcy did not believe in such a thing. Did he? He had told her that he did not. He was destined to marry some lady with an impeccable pedigree and independent fortune. There would be no messy emotions between them. For the first time, the thought made her sad. There was pain in knowing that she would never meet his requirements. Even more significant than that was the regret she experienced that he would be denied the affection of a woman who loved him.
He deserved to be loved as she loved him. Audibly, she gasped and brought a hand to her mouth.
“Are you well?” Darcy murmured in her ear.
She could feel that he had looked down at her. She knew he wanted her to meet his eyes. She was sure it would be a mistake, but she was helpless to resist. Slowly, she dared to peek at him and held her breath. Their gazes collided, and all air left her lungs on a deep exhale. His blue eyes were darker than usual and had an intensity that stole all the oxygen in the room. He caressed her hand with his thumb, and a shudder racked her body. The room spun rapidly. Lights danced around her, and the sounds of hundreds of voices merged in a furious roar, yet they could not overcome Darcy’s gentle voice.
“Elizabeth?”
Her name from his lips threatened to undo her. As he dipped his head closer, his scent enveloped her. She let go of his arm, stepping backwards in a desperate need for air and space. She collided with a thick wall and bounced back into Darcy’s arms.
“Watch yourself!” Darcy called angrily at the innocent stranger.
Elizabeth could barely stand upright. She could feel Darcy’s solid frame under her hands, one of his arms loosely around her waist. Before he could right her, she heard a gentleman sneer.
“An interesting fancy piece you have there, Darcy.”
Immediately, she felt Darcy recoil and anger exude from him. “How dare you?”
“Lizzy?” Mrs Gardiner stepped forward and gently took her from Darcy. Elizabeth sagged into the older woman’s embrace.
“Ah, I see now,” the hateful voice said. “Well, it seems none of our ladies appealed to Mr Darcy of Pemberley, gentlemen. He had to stoop to a Jewess. Now, we know what keeps the Darcys so rich.” There was a hearty round of deep laughter and some female giggles.
“You are no gentleman!” Mrs Gardiner declared before pulling Elizabeth along.
“Mrs Gardiner, I believe? How nice of you to join us after taking the time to applaud your relation on stage.”
Darcy stepped between the rude man and the ladies. “Ingalls, I warn you—”
“Miriam? Lizzy?” Mr Gardiner’s voice called to them.
Elizabeth had been so consumed with Darcy upon leaving the box that she had not paid any heed to the others. It sounded as though he had to press through the group of gentlemen who supported their vulgar friend.
“Darcy?” Mr Bingley’s voice emerged just behind them. Jane and Miss Darcy were in tow.
He must have come from the other direction. The rapid change of emotions coursing through Elizabeth merged with the effects of Darcy’s earlier nearness. Although now removed from his side, she could sense his wrath. A terrible throbbing in her head began, but the previous fog clouding her ability to perceive her surroundings cleared. She could now distinctly make out her verbal assailant. He was a small, impeccably dressed man with aristocratic features. He had very black eyes, and Elizabeth was sure his heart matched. She shuddered at the thought of his vileness.
“Darcy, what is this?” Colonel Fitzwilliam approached from yet a different direction. Was there a crowd encircling them?
“Ah, Fitzwilliam,” the horrid man jeered. “I suppose I should not be surprised you are friends with these kinds of people. Your father supported the Americans, after all. Perhaps you are the one who knows the best way to drain blood from the children.”
Elizabeth doubled over at the vicious words. She had heard of blood libel before but had never been present for the scene. The gentlemen of her party stepped forward in unison, fists clenched.
The cruel man’s eyes flashed with his next words as he stepped toward Darcy. “We have a plan for the likes of you—”
“You are drunk, Ingalls,” one of the assembled enemies said while pulling on the monster’s shoulder.
He resisted and lifted his chin in defiance. When his friend persisted in trying to remove him from the situation, Ingalls finally relented. Then, he stared malevolently at Darcy until his cronies managed to move forward. Once they were gone, Elizabeth observed that Darcy and the other men relaxed. He glanced around for a moment before turning to speak to her and the Gardiners.
“Is everyone well? I do not think too many people noticed. I take it you would prefer to leave immediately.” At their united nods, Darcy looked over the crowd between them and the exit. “Richard, you lead the way and clear the path. Bingley, if you notice anyone else that is might interrupt us, distract them. I will bring up the rear.”
He rested his eyes on Elizabeth for a long moment before Mrs Gardiner guided Elizabeth toward the door. They moved in silent unison. The others had already reached the porch when a lady called Elizabeth’s name. At first, she did not cease her movements, but the woman continued to call for her. As Elizabeth passed, the heavily-pregnant woman reached for her hand. Mrs Gardiner stopped with her, and Darcy hovered nearby.
“Pardon me, are you Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”
Elizabeth blinked in confusion. The short, exuberant woman was a stranger, but she did not seem full of malice. Elizabeth replied weakly that she was.
“I thought so. You are just as Silly described you.” The woman dropped her voice a little. “Of course, it helps that you are with Mr Darcy.” She glanced at Darcy and then winked at Elizabeth.
“Good evening, Mrs Sackville.” He gave a perfunctory bow and brief introduction.
“Thank you,” Mrs Sackville smiled exuberantly. “I will not delay you long, but I wished to thank you, Miss Bennet. I recently learned of your kindness to my daughter while you were in Hunsford village. I can never thank you enough for what you did to secure her safety and wellness.”
Although Elizabeth felt unwell, she understood the woman’s meaning and blushed profusely. “Thank you, ma’am, but it was Mr Darcy who rescued Patty and Miss Priscilla. I was very grateful for their friendship during my visit. How do they fare?”
Mrs Sackville chuckled. “Nothing and no one can stop either one of them. Patty could not be restrained in bed despite the doctor’s orders. Then, Aunt Silly has begun ordering about a fire brigade and demanding to be wheeled out to oversee the repairs.” The woman dropped her voice. “Lady Catherine has been in high dungeon, of course. Silly quite loves arguing with her.”
The mention of Lady Catherine sapped the last bit of Elizabeth’s energy. “I am so pleased they have recovered without incident. Please…”
She did not get to finish the sentence. A piercing pain assaulted her head, and suddenly, the light was unbearable. She swayed just a little. Mr Darcy immediately caught her by the elbow to support her.
“Pardon us, Mrs Sackville,” he said. “Miss Bennet is unwell.”
Elizabeth did not know if the woman was offended. She had squeezed her eyes shut. Leaning on Darcy’s strong arm, he brought her to the waiting carriage.
“Be well, Elizabeth,” he said before handing her up.
As she leaned her head on Jane’s shoulder, feeling her belly roll with each cobblestone, she wondered if that was a final parting. Then, she forced herself to move past her own fears and concerns. She could hear Jane gently crying. Elizabeth had failed another sister.
Would Jane lose Mr Bingley due to this? Darcy had said he did not think anyone else witnessed the verbal assaults but had said nothing encouraging on the revelation that Mrs Gardiner was a Jew.
Once at Cheapside, Elizabeth was shuttled up the stairs and immediately put into bed. Her last conscious thought was a prayer, asking for Jane’s happiness. The following day, Elizabeth awoke groggy with a pounding head. After a moment, she remembered all the dreadful incidents of the previous evening. Despite them, her heart shuddered to recall the intensity of realising her feelings for Darcy. She sighed in remembrance of the look in his eyes as he whispered sweet flirtations in her ear. Then, all the happiness was destroyed. At least it ended on a good note by meeting Patty’s mother and knowing she and Silly were now well.
With a growing dread twisting her stomach, Elizabeth prepared for the day and met her family in the breakfast room. No one greeted her upon her entrance, but their sombre faces said enough. Reaching for one of the newspapers scattered on the table, she gasped upon reading the heading of the main article on the Society page.