Page 2 of Obligation and Redemption

The thunder had made a gradual approach but was now all around.

Elizabeth was becoming concerned as she finally looked up to the sky through an opening in the trees and saw blackness, well past the time for sunrise.

The darkness had now changed the foliage to a dull colour, and she began to worry that she would not make it home before getting wet, as she was still some distance away.

This would not be the first time she found herself deep in the woods when a storm developed, but it would be the first in some years, and she did not relish being wet and cold, nor did she look forward to her mother’s reproof.

At a running pace, Elizabeth was just rounding a bend, when a tall, black horse nearly trampled her.

She tempestuously screamed, and just at that moment lightning struck a tree not one hundred yards away.

The immense horse reared as the rider attempted to avert her position, throwing the man to the ground.

Unfortunately the rider’s left foot was caught in the stirrup, so when the horse bolted, he was dragged over the rough terrain some distance into the woods before his foot was freed when his mount reared again.

This all happened within a moment. Elizabeth, being a sensible woman, ran to the gentleman, whom she recognised to be their new neighbour’s guest, Mr. Darcy.

He was already bleeding steadily from his head, which alarmed her greatly.

Elizabeth called his name, but he remained mostly unresponsive.

She knew she had to stop the bleeding, so she tore two large strips of fabric from the bottom of her petticoat, one to roll into a bandage and the other to secure to his head.

This took her some time to accomplish, and by now the rain had started coming down, first a few drops that soon turned into a downpour.

Elizabeth considered running home to seek help, but knew her father would not allow her back out into the dangerous storm; he would send a missive to the estate where the man had resided the past week, but the delay could prove disastrous for Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth could go straight to Netherfield Park herself, which was about the same distance as her home, but in the opposite direction; however, like with her own father, she doubted that she could sufficiently describe Mr. Darcy’s location and would likely be required to stay behind like a proper lady, thus increasing Mr. Darcy’s peril.

The lightning and gusts of wind demanded that she remove him to safety soon, but in the stress of the moment Elizabeth could not bring to mind any shelters nearby, as remote as they were.

Then she recalled her father’s hunting lodge that had been without use for quite some time.

They were a fair distance from where it stood, if her memory served her, and she would have to consider whether going through the woods would be the most expedient way, or if she should follow the path.

The woods could cut the distance in half, but the difficulties in traversing uneven terrain may not be worth the effort.

Elizabeth again attempted to wake the unconscious man, who moaned periodically but did not open his eyes.

She looked around for his horse, somehow hoping that its presence might prove beneficial, but it was long gone.

She would have to somehow get him there herself.

Even if the lightning and strong winds were not a threat, staying out in the cold rain was.

Since she had left the house, the temperature had dropped significantly and continued to fall as the showers came down hard around them.

She said a quick prayer and attempted to hoist him from under his shoulders.

Elizabeth had never touched a man, other than her father, outside of the necessities of dancing and greetings.

She had not noticed how large Mr. Darcy was, until she tried lifting him.

She concluded that the move would be more difficult than she had anticipated .

We will have to take a more direct path, I’m afraid .

Before moving him, she decided to check the passage she planned to take to ensure that she remembered the area correctly and that there were no obvious obstacles along the way.

The rain was coming down in sheets by now, making her short journey more difficult, but she finally did see the cabin and realised it was closer than she had originally thought.

Elizabeth wasted no time in returning to the man who was still unconscious.

The sound of the rain was only superseded by blustering winds, swaying the trees dangerously overhead.

She heard a loud crash in the near distance that shook the ground underneath her.

The darkness and rain made it impossible to see the cause, but she suspected her danger, moving all the more quickly.

When she reached her charge, she eyed him warily, attempting to figure how she could move a man nearly twice her size that far away.

“Mr. Darcy, sir, I am going to get us to safety,” said Elizabeth as she stooped low and put her arms under each of his shoulders, trying to lift him enough to shift him into the needed direction.

She planned to walk backwards while holding him up, thereby gradually making their way to the cabin; however, now she doubted her ability to move him anywhere.

After little progress was made with her first effort, Elizabeth reconsidered the options of waiting out the storm or leaving the man in order to seek help, but in the end felt uncomfortable with the idea of either.

They were a good ways from both Longbourn and Netherfield, and the storm around them was quite severe.

She determined that she must do her best to try to move him to safety and leave the rest in the hands of Providence.

If Elizabeth eventually found the task impossible, she would then consider alternatives.

As it was, she was growing cold and knew that Mr. Darcy, who was not exerting himself, would be feeling even colder.

They needed shelter, and it would seem that she was the only one who could get them there.

She attempted to lift him again and was able to take two steps.

She immediately tried again, gaining three more.

She continued on in this manner across the forest floor aiming towards the cabin hidden in the woods.

Elizabeth tripped and fell several times along the route and had never felt more fatigued as she was during their journey to safety.

Tears sprang to her eyes, but she resisted letting them fall; she was wet enough and refused to add to the deluge any more than was already streaming down her face.

Frustration had found her and mocked the pride she had always placed on her adeptness while in the open air.

Elizabeth had never wished for the robustness of a man, until now.

Mr. Darcy would rouse and moan in pain periodically along the way.

She had to stop and rest often, rechecking his bandaging as was needed.

In this manner, she continued on over the course of the next two hours.

While moving him thus, the rain continued steadily, but the lightning had passed into the distance.

Elizabeth kept expecting that perhaps someone would come looking for one of them, but all she heard was the constant strain of the torrent around them.

By this time, Mr. Darcy was more often awake than not, but groaned with each step.

Elizabeth was as gentle as she could be, but the movement caused him obvious discomfort.

At one point, she lifted him higher than usual, and he was relieved of his stomach contents, suggesting a concussion.

Elizabeth had had her share of injuries and knew that if this were the case, he required rest, quietude and medical attention to assuage his discomfort.

Elizabeth, with her burden, finally arrived at the cabin.

By this time, Darcy and Elizabeth were soaked through.

His overcoat could not withstand the rain, especially in light of his essentially travelling across a ditch and through the muddied water along the way.

Elizabeth easily opened the door; howbeit, getting him up the steps was no small task.

Darcy would occasionally ask where he was going, where was his friend, Bingley, or calling other indistinct names, but otherwise his words were limited to imprecations and oaths.

Elizabeth’s former dealings with this gentleman left her with varied impressions.

He was haughty, certainly, giving offence to all of Meryton in one evening alone, an admirable feat to be sure.

However, she must admit that he was quite intelligent, and as it may be, somewhat handsome.

Perhaps he gave offence wherever he went because the populace was wont to oblige him, thus reinforcing his ill behaviour.

Although Elizabeth was not one to hold grudges and quickly forgot offences, a trait inherent in living with an off times disparaging mother, she found it difficult to forgive his vanity, as his had sorely injured her own.

At the Meryton Assembly, Elizabeth had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances; and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her to hear a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes to press his friend to join it.

"Come, Darcy," said he, "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance."

"I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with."