Page 41 of Brighton Rescue (Pride and Prejudice Variation #23)
Elizabeth must oversee Longbourn after a family tragedy. Mr. Darcy is intrigued, Mr. Collins is baffled and Mr. Wickham is enticed.
In London, he was well received by nobles and gentry alike. But was that because he was an exemplary person, or because everyone knew of his wealth and status?
“What do you think?” Darcy inquired aloud of his companion. “Am I truly obnoxious and overly proud to those outside my circle?”
Maxwell, the red spaniel, had been trotting around happily, nosing this, nudging that, kicking his heels with sheer delight at being on a walk with a fine human male on a misty morning in November.
At these words, however, the beast sat down and lifted a soulful gaze to the man, his eyes glistening with adoration as he proceeded to pant slowly, his feathery tail wagging slowly back and forth along the ground and accruing a new muddy brown coating.
“You think not?” Darcy inquired, dropping his hand to rub the dog’s ears. “Well, that is a relief, young fellow. I feel certain that your analysis of human behavior is equal to my friend Bingley’s, or perhaps even more reliable. ”
Maxwell barked agreeably and wagged his now very dirty tail, slobbering with ardent enthusiasm.
Darcy laughed and rose to his feet, “Well, I am glad that I have made a friend in you, at any rate. But come, I think we could both use a little more exercise, do you not think?”
Maxwell leaped forward happily at these words and man and dog wandered farther down the trail, growing increasingly wet from the still dripping fronds.
After slogging another half mile or so, Darcy was pleased to come upon the road which ran along the northern edge of Netherfield. He was pleasantly exhausted and wished to return to his room for a bath and a change of clothes.
He smiled to himself and took a few eager strides down the road. There was a sudden rustle across the lane and before Darcy could react, Maxwell lunged in front of him in search of a fragrant bird which had fluttered into smelling distance.
Darcy tripped over the dog, falling hard, and yelped in pain.
/
Elizabeth Bennet, dressed in a warm pelisse and woolen gown, was enjoying the chill of a sunny November morning when she heard the barking ahead of her on the road. With a frown, she peered down the road intently, where a fluffy red dot was leaping up and down in the distance.
She spurred Daisy on gently, causing her mare to begin trotting. A second later, the rope in her hand, the one guiding Buttercup, jerked backward slightly. Of course Buttercup, being old and lazy, had no desire to move quickly.
“Come, Buttercup,” Elizabeth commanded, and to the mare’s credit, Buttercup shifted into a sullen jog.
Two minuteslater, the red leaping dot had grown into a long legged puppy who was circling around a gentleman who was sitting up cautiously on the side of the road, a man who was …
“Mr. Darcy?!”
Fitzwilliam Darcy looked up, his brow furrowed, his face slightly pale.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he replied tautly.
Elizabeth gazed down at the man with a mixture of bewilderment and embarrassment. The last time she had met Mr. Darcy, she had given him a set down and while she was not ashamed of her words, she felt a little awkward at meeting him in this way, especially since he was apparently not well.
“Are you injured, sir? ”
Darcy shifted a little and winced in pain, “I fear so, yes. Maxwell dashed in front of me in pursuit of a bird, and regrettably I tripped over him.”
“Maxwell?” Elizabeth inquired, and then nodded as she carefully swung herself down to the ground. “Oh, the puppy. I am so sorry.”
“At least Maxwell seems all right,” Darcy commented, running a careful hand down the animal’s furry body. “I was afraid I might have lamed him in my fall, as I am a big man to fall on a smallish dog.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose at this remarkable statement. Given Mr. Darcy’s lofty behavior, she would not have expected him to be concerned about the beast responsible, however innocently, for injuring him.
“Is anything broken, Mr. Darcy?” she inquired worriedly, glancing around in search of anyone who might be able to help.
Not surprisingly, no one was in sight. It was still early in the morning, and the only reason Elizabeth was on the road was because she desired to whisk Jane away from Netherfield as soon as possible.
She would not have it said that Miss Bennet of Longbourn overstayed her welcome!
“I hope it is merely a sprain,” Darcy said, trying to rise to his feet before sinking back with soft moan of pain. “It may be broken, however.”
“I can ride to Netherfield and send help or, if you like, you can attempt to mount Buttercup. She is a placid horse, but I do not know if you are able to climb onto her with your injured leg.”
Darcy looked up at Elizabeth eagerly, “I would like to try, Miss Elizabeth. The ground is uncomfortable, and I confess to being wet and increasingly cold.”
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I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Longbourn Inheritance !