Page 5 of Mrs. Gardiner: Matchmaker (The Pemberley Collection #3)

Darcy saw her looking pale, and within an instant he knew she was about to faint. He called her name as he rushed over to catch her in his arms.

She collapsed into them, her eyes shut. He heard a small shriek from down below on the path—her aunt—as he scooped Elizabeth into his arms and rushed her inside where it was cool, barking at the footmen to get the door and then to call for the apothecary, and fast. The hurried footmen opened the doors and removed the pillows from the settee in the nearest room, and Darcy quickly but gently laid her down.

Loud footsteps echoed in the foyer, and her family was in the room—

"What happened?" he heard Mr. Gardiner ask.

"Lizzy, oh Lizzy, is she alright?" Mrs. Gardiner cried.

Their frantic words of inquiry only echoed Darcy's thoughts: one moment, Elizabeth had been fine, the next moment, she fainted—he was astounded. The Elizabeth Bennet he knew was stout and hearty, always walking and finding no trouble in it. Surely fatigue did not do this—but what other explanation could there be?

His face paled when he backed away, letting Mrs. Gardiner take her niece's hand, as he wondered if she were truly ill. Had Elizabeth developed a sickly constitution recently? Had she been on this journey with her family on orders of a doctor?

The idea that anything could be wrong with Elizabeth, the idea that she could be ill and there be a danger to her life, sent the wild, worried thoughts of his mind careening in a million different directions. But in spite of the frazzled nature of his current mindset, his appearance spoke otherwise: he was calm and collected, and it was in this manner he addressed Mr. Gardiner.

"Is Miss Bennet unwell?" he asked, and seeing Mr. Gardiner's confused frown, he added further, "She always had a strong constitution every time I knew her, in both Kent and Hertfordshire—I am just inquiring if there's been any change for the worse in her general health."

The man shook his head. "Oh, no, our Lizzy is as healthy as a horse, and always has been. I've never seen her faint, in my life."

The housekeeper arrived with smelling salts, and she said to Darcy as she passed, "The apothecary has been called for. He should arrive when he can."

She bent down near Elizabeth and used the smelling salts to help revive her. Elizabeth pulled through, opening her eyes and coughing a little, looking flushed as she whipped her head all around, as if trying to get her bearings.

"What happened?" she asked, "Where am I? Are we still at Pemberley?"

Then her eyes landed on Darcy, and he saw them widen in embarrassment before she looked away, back at her aunt.

"You fainted, darling," the woman said, rubbing her arm, "Lizzy, it's not like you to become so fatigued."

"Well, I—" Elizabeth started to say, but she shook her head. She looked at Mrs. Reynolds and said. "Thank you for helping me."

"Oh, my dear, you are not the first lady to need smelling salts. Pemberley grounds can be daunting, and it is so very hot outside at this time of year."

Darcy watched the exchange, relieved that she was looking more like herself, though still bewildered by it all in the first place. His protectiveness didn't want her to leave his sight, but he knew he had no right to feel such a way—

"Mr. Darcy caught you and prevented you from falling completely to the ground," Mrs. Gardiner said, now looking at him with a smile, "We are so very grateful to you, sir, for carrying her inside so quickly."

Darcy's face reddened in some mild embarrassment. He had been concerned with her safety so much that he didn't let his mind dwell on how incredibly light she was when he held her, how wonderfully she smelled, how easy it would have been to have carried her all the way up to their chambers in such a way. Indeed, back before his dreadful rejection in April, he had daydreamed about carrying Elizabeth's lithe body in his arms and across the threshold into Pemberley after they were married. He would have carried her all the way across the house to their chambers, and he would have laid her down in her bed, and then—

"You—you carried me, sir?"

Elizabeth looked alarmed, and she spoke so quietly he almost didn't hear her, except for Mrs. Gardiner's loud reply, "That he did. We are very grateful to the man for taking such care. Lizzy, you could have been injured had you fainted and fell to the ground."

Truthfully, Elizabeth looked as if she might faint even again, and Darcy resisted the urge to wince.

Was it really so revolting to know that he had touched her?

"We must leave at once," Elizabeth said quickly, moving her legs to come to a standing position, nearly knocking her aunt over.

"Now, Lizzy, slow down before you over exert yourself," her uncle said sternly, coming to stop her from getting up, "We are not leaving until the apothecary Mr. Darcy had his staff call for arrives. Sit back down. Don't be a fool."

Darcy was grateful for Mr. Gardiner's interference—how his heart lurched when Elizabeth started to make to leave. He didn't want her to go, not now, not yet. He was torn between asking them to stay and holding his tongue. He had no reason to offer lodgings. No, it would be most unusual, and he would be pushing in, too.

It was clear Elizabeth didn't want to be here.

He would let them get back to Lambton, but not until after the apothecary came and assessed Elizabeth, making sure she was well. If there was any hint of her being unwell, then he would offer Pemberley as a place to recuperate.

The apothecary finally arrived, after Elizabeth had sat back down and become practically mute. She didn't look at him nor did she speak to anyone, despite all of Mrs. Gardiner's prodding and praising of Darcy's swiftness in delivering Elizabeth to safety. If Darcy didn't know any better, he'd almost say this woman knew about them—but surely not.

Or at least, he hoped not.

How humiliating it would be for the woman to know of everything that had transpired between him and her niece.

The apothecary confirmed Elizabeth was well enough to leave, and it was clear that she couldn't get out of there faster. He watched her as she avoided his eye, as she blushed furiously, and as she glared at her aunt for trying to instigate conversation between the two of them. Without any further delay, they took their leave. Darcy made sure to hand Elizabeth in, and he could have sworn she physically jolted when he first touched her—but she recovered, and he gracefully helped her in.

The carriage pulled away, and he watched them go until he could see them no more.