Page 25 of and the Fortune Hunter (Sweet Standalone Pride and Prejudice Variations #4)
After some much-needed sleep, Elizabeth got up and ate. Jane had been such a dear, bringing her a fresh tray with warmed food. She had slept through lunch, and could not bring herself to be sorry for it. Elizabeth did not think she could bear facing the rest of the family that night. She was too sick with worry over Miss Darcy. She wished Mr Darcy would come. Or at least send a note informing her of what was happening.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and at last turned into nothing more than a sullen mist. Her breath came out in wisps of chilled air, sitting beside the window panes which radiated the cold brought on by autumn rains. She wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders but refused to move from her spot at the window seat. Her heart would not allow her to rest.
Suddenly, she saw the low sun glinting off something in the distance, coming down the country lane to Longbourn. She sat up, looking more closely. As the carriage approached, she recognised the sleek, black horses in the dimming light, the same ones that had carried her home that afternoon. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest.
Elizabeth stood up and started to dress. She could not very well receive Mr Darcy in her nightgown, after all. She had a terrible time with her stays, but finally managed it as she heard Mrs Hill going to answer the door for their unexpected visitor. He had come! But what did that mean? Had he been too late to apprehend Miss Darcy before she left? But it had been hours since he had left Longbourn. Had he met with Mr Wickham and been forced to fight a duel?
Every sort of situation presented itself to Elizabeth, each one worse than the last until she had finally slipped into a simple cotton day dress, and put on her slippers. She hurried down the steps as Mr Darcy was being shown into the parlour.
“To what do we owe this visit, Mr Darcy?” her mother was asking in a haughty tone. After the slight he and Miss Darcy had paid her daughter, it would seem that Mrs Bennet had no intention of playing the gracious hostess.
“I know this is all very strange, Mr Bennet,” Mr Darcy said, giving Elizabeth a significant look. He turned his attention to her father. “May I have the honour of speaking with Miss Elizabeth Bennet in private? Perhaps a stroll through your garden?”
Her father looked to her for how to answer. Elizabeth nodded eagerly. She was unsure she could bear the suspense of what had happened to her young friend another moment. “I would like to speak with Mr Darcy, Papa. You will watch from the windows, won’t you?”
“Yes, I will do that. Take him out to the rear garden, Lizzy,” her father instructed. “Everyone else, remain in the drawing room, if you please.” His words might have been misconstrued as a suggestion to anyone outside the family, but as he never gave orders, they all knew it was a command, not to be argued with.
Elizabeth felt the flames come into her cheeks as she came down the last few stairs and led Mr Darcy out the back door, past the piggery, and through a space between the low rock wall that surrounded the manor.
“First, I must tell you what I am sure you are most eager to hear,” Mr Darcy began when he was sure they were alone. “My sister is safe and well. She is resting at the rented house, and Mrs Younge has left us.”
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. “I am glad to hear you made it in time. How is Miss Darcy? I hope she has not taken the news of Mr Wickham’s true nature too terribly?”
“She is hurt, of course. But she is young. I should have been more attentive to her care,” Mr Darcy said. He clasped his hands behind his back as they walked. Thankfully, the clouds were parting. Soon the sun would set, but it looked as if they would have about an hour of sunshine before the landscape was plunged into darkness. It seemed fitting to Elizabeth. Perhaps there were silver linings after perilous days such as this had been.
“I hope she will recover quickly. And I hope Mr Wickham will be brought to heel. I would have liked to write to his superiors in the army and tell them what he was about to do, if only I could do it without injuring your sister’s reputation.”
Mr Darcy chuckled softly. “Do not worry yourself. I plan to go straight to the commander of the garrison and have Mr Wickham arrested for desertion. He will not be allowed to do anything like this again, if I’ve anything to do with it.” He let out a sigh. “I cannot thank you enough, Miss Bennet.”
“I did nothing. It was you who acted quickly and saved Miss Darcy.”
“What you did was not nothing, Miss Bennet.” He stopped, and Elizabeth’s heart raced at the look in his eyes. There was gratitude shining there, of course. But it was more than that. Could it be admiration? Even attraction? He stepped closer, making it even more difficult for her to catch her breath. “I was wrong about you, Miss Bennet. I am ashamed to say it aloud, in view of what I now know of your impeccable character. Mrs Younge told me you were only being kind to my sister to get close to me.”
“Yes, I know,” Elizabeth said gently. “I hope you know I would never stoop to such a means of gaining your friendship.”
Mr Darcy nodded. “Now I do — now, when it was nearly too late. It is dreadful to think of what might have happened if I had not listened to you when you came to me in London. I also know that I do not deserve your forgiveness. I have come here tonight to say that I will do whatever it takes to restore relations between our two families, and to ask you to consider my apology.” He waited, then stepped even closer. She was sure that he could hear her heart thumping wildly in her chest. “Please, will you allow me to make amends? I know I can never deserve your forgiveness, but still I ask it of you. Let us start afresh?”
Elizabeth was undone by his apology. She blushed, looking down at her feet for a moment. She continued walking, and he fell into step beside her. “I forgive you, Mr Darcy. Indeed, I already had done so, knowing that my character had been misrepresented to you.” She glanced at him in the lengthening shadows and told herself to stop noticing how very handsome he was. “Mrs Younge is to blame for much of this. And the rest of the blame must be laid at Mr Wickham’s feet. I cannot imagine how they could do this to such a sweet and kind soul as your sister.”
“Speaking of my sister, she has asked me if you would see her, so she might also apologise? I explained the whole of the situation to her and she feels such remorse that I am afraid I will not be able to get her to eat until she has had her chance to do so.”
Elizabeth’s brows went up in surprise. “What are you suggesting, Mr Darcy? That I go to your home this evening?”
“If you and your parents are amenable. You might bring your elder sister as a chaperone, perhaps. Georgiana is so eager to make her sentiments known, but she did not think you would see her until I had spoken with you.”
“I would be happy to see Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth replied. “I shall ask my father, but I do not think it will be necessary for Jane to come along. It is a short distance to Meryton, especially in a carriage.”
“Very good. Now, shall we return to the house? I should like to have a quick word with your father and smooth over anything that might have been misconstrued when he found you were missing this morning.”
Elizabeth nodded, and they walked back to the house. While Mr Darcy was speaking with her father, she went to retrieve her wrap and change into more appropriate shoes for calling, especially with the weather that had turned the dirt lanes into mud. By the time Elizabeth came back down, Mr Darcy was waiting in the foyer for her. Lydia and Kitty could be heard sniggering nearby, eyeing him with open interest from the open parlour door. Elizabeth quickly came to his rescue. “I am ready,” she announced, waving her hand behind her back to send her sisters back into the parlour.
Mr Darcy handed her into his carriage, and the horses trotted along the lane. The terror and worry that had seized Elizabeth’s heart were slowly starting to drain away. She had already resolved to forgive Georgiana before they arrived at the house, before any of this had even unfolded. She was eager to assure her young friend that all was forgiven and begin anew, as Mr Darcy had so eloquently suggested. As they drove through the quiet streets of Meryton, she snuck a look at Mr Darcy. It would be delightful to at last begin the friendship that she had so long desired — even if it were necessary, now and then, to remind herself that she ought not to think of Mr Darcy as anything more.