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“I am very grateful for your coming out so quickly to help me,” Elizabeth intoned.

“Mrs. Ansley, would you mind helping Miss Elizabeth sit up so that we can unwrap her and I can assess her arm?” Once Miss Elizabeth was upright, they quickly removed the bindings that held her arm still and Mr. Jones began his work.

It broke in the fall, that was certain, right above the elbow.

“Miss Elizabeth, I am sorry this may hurt, but I will need to assess the break to see if it needs to be manipulated and how to best set it.”

A very painful interim later, Mr. Jones had her arm encompassed in a splint that he said would need to remain on for at least four weeks.

It took no time to craft a sling, and the throbbing from her immobilized arm soon eased.

Though the change could also be the effects of the laudanum Mrs. Nichols had put in her tea.

Elizabeth hated the fuzzy muddled feeling she got when she took laudanum, but there was not much for it.

“Apart from your arm, Miss Elizabeth, how else are you feeling? That was quite the fall you took.” Most of the scrapes she had received seemed fairly superficial, though her face sported evidence of a hard blow.

Elizabeth’s pain was too intense to fabricate a lie to the apothecary. “My head aches something fierce. Almost all of me is sore, actually.”

Nodding, he began inspecting her skull with gentle fingers, probing methodically only to find a lump on the side of her head that caused her to gasp at his light touch.

Mr. Jones was glad that Miss Elizabeth was such an amiable patient.

Any other lady would have been in hysterics after a fall off a cliff.

“That is quite the bump you have there, Miss Elizabeth. But it is not bleeding, and so as long as you are careful, I think it will go down on its own. All that you need now, Miss Elizabeth, is a bath and a bed. I will supply Mrs. Ansley with a salve to put on your wounds after your bath. I hope that a good night’s sleep will set you on the right path.

” Sorting through his bag, he handed a jar to Mrs. Ansley and made his goodbyes.

Eventually, making his way through the home to Bingley’s study, Mr. Jones was met with three pairs of anxious eyes.

Sometimes handling the family was worse than the patient.

Looking into the three faces, he realized that even though these gentlemen were not family, they were just as anxious as a family would be, one more than the others.

Upon spotting the apothecary, Darcy stopped his pacing to stare at the older man with hope. “How is she, Mr. Jones? Do you think I should send for a physician from London?” Darcy had been struggling ever since he had put Elizabeth down. He was frantic with worry.

“That is unnecessary, Mr. Darcy. I am perfectly capable of handling a broken arm.”

“My cousin was not implying you lack skill. He simply cannot help but insult people when overwhelmed.” Theodore chuckled.

Darcy ran his hand through his hair, letting out a long, frustrated breath.

He wound a lock of his hair around his finger, unconsciously seeking solace.

“Mr. Jones, my cousin, Colonel Theodore Fitzwilliam, is correct. I apologize for what I said. I do not doubt your skill. My top priority is to make sure Elizabeth has whatever she requires. The weight of my uselessness is crushing me right now.”

“If you are looking for something to do, it may require some effort to keep Miss Elizabeth composed while she mends. She will have to stay here for a minimum of five days, as I do not want her to travel in a bumpy conveyance until her arm has started to knit together. Have you informed her family of the accident?” Mr. Jones knew her mother and sisters would be concerned for her welfare; her father would be another story.

“We wanted to hear from you before we alerted them,” Bingley spoke up.

Mr. Jones watched the interplay between the friends closely.

Miss Elizabeth had the tall, dark gentleman, Mr. Darcy, totally smitten if he did not miss his guess.

“Her worst injury is her broken arm, which I have set and put in a splint. She will be significantly sore for a time, as she has several bruises and scrapes. The worst bruise I noticed was on her face and will take a long while to heal. She has had a hard knock on her head and might have a slight concussion. Mrs. Ansley is helping her bathe and get into bed. I have left a salve for her wounds and bruises and a supply of laudanum, though she is not especially fond of it. It would be best if she kept mostly in bed for at least three days. I will return the day after tomorrow, but please send for me if she develops a fever or anything concerning happens.” Mr. Jones nodded to them all before leaving.

Bingley, too restless to wait for dinner, tapped his friend’s shoulder in order to get his attention.

“Darcy, do you mind if I alert Miss Elizabeth’s family to her being here?

I can also take young Kiernan home so I can speak with his parents.

I would like to apologize to them and let them know I will give him Caroline’s pin money for the next quarter. ”

“Of course not. Please send my apologies to Mrs. Bennet.” Darcy watched him hurry out the door and glanced around the room at all the awful chairs. These chairs were the stuff of nightmares, especially after the day they had endured.

“How are we going to deal with Wickham?” Theodore questioned.

“We can figure it out together, but not in here. Let us go to my sitting room. There is nowhere to sit in this room.” Glaring at the chairs, he walked out of the room.