Page 49

A slight weight crashed into Elizabeth’s side and clung with a fierceness that spoke of overwhelming emotion. Kiernan pressed his small face into the fabric of her dress, and she felt the moisture of his hidden tears. Elizabeth gazed down into his moist brown eyes, her heart going out to him.

The last he had seen her, he had pushed past his terror. It was only after she had received help that his body shook, and he cried. At last, he could assure himself that she was well. “They said you were all right, but I have waited so long to see you.” Kiernan’s voice wavered with emotion.

“I am sorry that everything was so frightening. I wish it had been possible to see you before now.” Her love for him compelled her to smooth his hair back as she tried to comfort the wonderful boy.

Kiernan’s shaking hand hovered near her wounded arm. “Your face is still purple and green, and your arm is in a sling. Are you sure you are not hurting too bad?”

Elizabeth peered at him, observing him for injury. “Oh, it hardly bothers me, as long as I do not jostle it too much. How are you? They told me that Caroline was rather cruel.”

“It weren’t nothin’. I was more worried about you than anything.” Kiernan stood tall, proud of how he had helped the woman he loved like a sister.

“Is your mother available to talk with Mr. Darcy and me?” Restraining her smile was a struggle for Elizabeth. Kiernan had been so focused on Elizabeth that he hadn’t noticed Darcy standing there and the shock on his face was comical.

“How are you today, Master Kiernan?” Darcy chuckled.

“I am doing great now that Miss Elizabeth is home.” Kiernan’s smile was infectious. He took Elizabeth’s hand and pulled her into his house. “I am sure Mam will be happy to see you. She is baking today.”

Betty Anderson wiped her flour-coated hands on her apron and studied the young lady her son had in tow.

It looked like her son had not exaggerated.

“Well, it is good to see you up and about. To hear Kiernan talk, you got yourself in quite the scrape.” Miss Elizabeth had always been a good girl, and it was sad to see her injured so, though she always was one to jump in without looking.

Elizabeth smiled at the kind woman who was raising four good boys and the sweetest little girl. “Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. I know how busy you are.”

Mrs. Anderson eyed the handsome young man standing beside Miss Elizabeth.

He stood with implied strength and dignity, his attention never leaving Miss Elizabeth for long.

His outfit’s cut and the fabric type spoke of luxury and expense.

It seemed Miss Elizabeth had made a very wealthy conquest. “Oh, the dough needs another rise, anyway. Is there something you and your charming fellow needed to talk with me about?”

“I would like to introduce you to Mr. Darcy of Pemberley. He has an offer for your family.” Elizabeth blushed, aware of the fact that Mrs. Anderson saw how Mr. Darcy gazed at her.

She felt the warmth of his regard in his gaze.

It made her feel warm even as the wind whipped her skirts around her legs.

“You are a flatterer, Mrs. Bennet. I am nothing more than a simple soldier, a second son, and nothing special. Call me Theo or Theodore, if you must. I do not care for stuffy pretension.” Theodore grinned at the lady on the settee next to him.

Her clear blue eyes were alert and understanding of his ploy.

Mrs. Bennet was rather fond of the young man who was part of the ploy to stop her husband. “Well, Theodore, have a scone with your tea. How have you been filling your time since your injury?”

“Mostly contemplating my future and enjoying my time with my cousin. I have spent too much of her life in France fighting in the mud. I have enjoyed coming to know her.” Theodore watched his cousin laugh with the other young ladies across the room.

She was an exceptional girl, and it was nice to see her so joyful.

“She is a lovely child. I know my girls have been happy to have her company. I know they would like to have a more permanent connection with her, but that is something we will leave up to different forces.” Her eyes danced as she glanced at him over her teacup.

Mindlessly taking a bite of the scone that had found its way to his plate, Theodore froze in place.

As his taste buds danced to the melody in his mouth, the complexity of the flavors left him wanting more.

“This scone is worth fighting Napoleon’s hordes for.

I think I may have to find your cook and bribe her to come away to Pemberley.

I shall have her set up as chief scone maker and will be happy all the rest of my days.

” Theodore only just restrained himself from licking the crumbs off his plate.

His words were not simple flattery; it was the absolute best scone he could remember tasting.

“You are too kind, Theodore. I am sure that Mrs. Allen would be willing, should the enticements be adequate. She is a dear woman. Her husband was one of our tenant farmers when he passed, and she had no way of supporting herself and her young daughter. I set up for her to work here, given that the former cook was keen to move closer to her children in Bath.” Mrs. Bennet smiled, eating her own scone. They were rather scrumptious.

Theodore stood, pulling down his waistcoat as he did. “I am sorry to leave your wonderful company, but I have to put the first part of our plan into action.”

Mrs. Bennet felt compelled to speak to the man before he turned to leave to fight the dragon that was her husband.

“I believe that you have given me hope, Theodore. I have long worried about my daughters’ futures and now you and the other gentlemen have come.

It is almost as if you have saved them already. ”

“Mrs. Bennet, we are endeavoring to free all the Bennet ladies. Not just your daughters.” With a swoop of his arm, he took her hand and bowed over it with a grand flourish before turning away to find his target.

“So this is where you are, Mr. Bennet. I had been hoping to have a word with you.” Observing Mr. Bennet, Theodore could find nothing about the man to like. He was unkempt and slovenly. The eyes that turned to focus on him had an angry glint.

Mr. Bennet glanced at the interloper, unimpressed with his uniform and his lack of discretion. “I neither know you nor have I invited you into my study. Be gone.”

“I will leave you to your peace. It was only I had hoped to help you, but if you do not wish... Well, never mind. I am certain you will find your own copy. Eventually.” As Theodore spoke, he tried to remember how his commander’s batsman behaved.

The sniveling fool was indecisive and complimentary and was always getting under his skin.

Theodore had decided that copying his mannerisms would keep Mr. Bennet off-balance.

“Stop blithering and be clear. What copy were you speaking of?” Mr. Bennet demanded.

Theodore regarded Mr. Bennet’s reaction to the information and found it promising.

“My cousin had told me you were looking for the third book in Benjamin Striker’s collection.

He must have forgotten his father had purchased the entire collection while he was in school.

I may be able to find a way to obtain it for you.

That is, if you are still looking for it, sir? ”

“I would be interested to see what condition the copy is in before making any arrangements.” Thomas Bennet could not believe what had stumbled onto his path. He had been looking for that book for over a decade and here was an idiot just offering it to him.

“I sent for the book, as I had thought you might possibly be interested. I thought I might warn you though, my cousin is rather keen on betting rather than payment. The book should be here tomorrow. If you do not mind my humble suggestion, I would suggest acting quickly before he comes up with a more elaborate game.” Theodore set his bait and waited for his prey to go for it.

“I would be interested in meeting with your cousin to discuss securing the book for myself. What do you want in compensation for arranging this possibility?” Mr. Bennet asked, his eyebrows drawn together in question.

“I am but a second son with few prospects. Until recently, I have spent my time on the continent, but they cashiered me out of service, and now I must rely on my cousin for my bread and butter. Seeing him get what he deserves would make my day.” Theodore did not lie.

He thought his cousin deserved to be happy with the woman he loved, and this would see it happen.

“I am always happy to see a man who knows what he wants. Tell your cousin I will see him tomorrow. Have him bring the book with him,” he directed and then waved him off, anticipating his easy victory the next day.

Theodore bowed and left the room, happy that things were going as expected.

They would have the paperwork ready this afternoon and Darcy was speaking with the tenants at that very moment.

Walking back out into the parlor, he smiled to reassure Mrs. Bennet of his success.

Tomorrow would be the day they saved the Bennet ladies.

Darcy felt the morning had gone well. He had spoken to several of the tenant families, and they promised to speak with the rest. Escorting Elizabeth back to Longbourn made everything that much better.

He could be mistaken, but he hoped it was something akin to pleasure that had her grasping his arm so eagerly.

Glancing back, he spotted the maid that had trailed after them the whole day.

She was a quiet little thing, but she had kept up with Elizabeth’s rapid pace.

If they kept their conversation reasonably quiet, they had both privacy and propriety.

“When we started courting, you asked to use a shortened version of my name, but I have yet to hear anything like my Christian name pass your lips.” Darcy did not want to feel disappointed, and yet he found himself almost desperate to hear something besides “Mr. Darcy” come from her mouth.

Elizabeth did not want to hurt Mr. Darcy’s feelings but knew that she needed to proceed at her own pace.

“I have felt odd saying something like that in front of others. It is still so new. I am sorry if I have hesitated too long, Wills. I will try to use it when we are with our families at least. Though I would like to have a name for when it is just the two of us, I am not ready for that yet.”

Darcy stopped the moment he heard “Wills” leave her lips.

It was a little thing, but it somehow meant so much to him.

Turning to face her, his smile tender, he cupped her unharmed cheek in his large hand, running his thumb soothingly along her skin.

Slowly, so as to not frighten her, he brought his forehead to rest against hers, soaking in the elation he felt in the special moment.

“Thank you.” Darcy’s breath puffed as he spoke, caressing her cheek.

When she shivered, he brought his head up, his eyes concerned.

It would not do to let her get cold. With a smile that involved both dimples, he turned them back on the path to her home.

“Thank you for being such a generous man. What you are doing for the tenants means so much,” Elizabeth spoke up after struggling to clear her throat.

Not wanting to reveal how undone that one slight gesture had left her, she tried to continue without pause.

She was certainly glad for the cold weather because it would cool her heated face.

Hopefully he could not see any evidence of the tingle that had gone straight down her spine, spreading warmth as it progressed.

“It is the right thing to do. I cannot see acting otherwise.” Darcy glanced down at the top of her head where it nestled on his shoulder. “What have you thought of our courtship so far?”

“I must admit that I was unsure at first. All my experiences with my father had broken my faith in marriage and in relationships with men. But you have proven yourself true whenever an issue came up. Do not think I missed how difficult it was for you to stand up to your aunt. I am finding myself craving time with you. It does not matter if we are playing chess or going to see the tenants. I am enjoying my time with you more than I had thought possible.” Elizabeth had not told him how he made her feel.

She blushed at even the thought of expressing how she tingled when his hand touched her face, or his breath caressed her cheek.

“I am glad that I am gaining your confidence. Hopefully tomorrow will go well and we can have all the time we want together.” Darcy’s tone reflected his hopeful attitude.

Elizabeth gripped Mr. Darcy’s arm tighter in agitation. “Yes, so much rests on what happens tomorrow.”

Wickham sighed as he sharpened his knife.

He still could not find his way to sneak into the post coach.

Signing up for the militia was a horrible idea.

He had never been this dirty. Lack of care had matted his normally shiny blonde hair, and his clothing had become stiff with grime.

There was no way he could charm anyone into anything in the state he was in.

It was all Darcy’s fault. If he had not been trying to get his revenge, he would still be clean and able to charm anyone he wanted. Except for that Bennet chit. She had seen through his beautiful illusion. It was not fair she was in on the whole thing with Darcy.

He needed to steal a horse. The punishment for horse theft was severe and so he tried to avoid it when he could, unless he knew he could get away with it.

He had several estates he could choose from, but his need for revenge focused his attention on Longbourn.

It was fortuitous that they had few servants, and he could sneak about the property as he needed.

When a brilliant idea came to him, he was so startled that he cut his finger on his knife.

Cursing and putting the knife away, he laughed out loud.

He could get his revenge on everyone if he made one stop on his way to the stables.

He decided to eat the last of his hard bread and rancid cheese this evening and set out when he woke up in the morning. Tomorrow was going to be a great day.