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As soon as Fitzwilliam was assured Elizabeth was steady enough on her feet to walk out of the woods, they began to make their way to Longbourn with Herne following a short distance behind them.

Fitzwilliam had not been so affected when he and his father had combined their powers, but they had not experienced a vision like Elizabeth’s, nor had they experienced the pain their vision had created.

Before the forest gave way to the fields and farms, she rested a hand upon Herne and whispered the protective charms. The spells did not require reinforcement often, but this seemed to be a long-standing habit. It was no wonder the charms were so potent.

When they emerged from the trees, he paused. “Pray, allow me to return you to Longbourn atop Hen. We shall hasten our trip, and you will not be exerting yourself so.”

Her vivid green eyes caught his with little effort. “The walk to Longbourn is no trial; I assure you.”

“No, but combining our powers appears to have fatigued you. I can only imagine the pain you described is the cause of your lack of energy, yet I shall be more at ease once we can speak to your father. He is the only person who can assure me that what happened has not harmed you.” Surely, she would not be so stubborn as to refuse him, would she?

Before she could answer, he turned her around by her elbows then lifted her up onto his stallion’s back.

“Mr. Darcy! I am perfectly capable—”

“I am certain you are but allow me to be concerned.” He tossed Hen’s reins over the horse’s head then mounted to sit behind the saddle so she would not be pressed against the insides of his thighs. As he cued the horse forward, she grasped the pommel in a white-knuckled grip .

“Have you never been on a horse before?”

She shook her head in a stiff manner. “No, we do not have the horses to spare on the farm. Papa has his gelding, but even he is put to work most days.” She gave an awkward lurch. “I do not feel secure at all.”

He slipped an arm around her waist and drew her back against his chest. “I vow you will not fall. I shall keep you safe.” Her body remained rigid for almost five minutes, then her form began to soften—to almost rest against his a little.

Hen was a trusted mount and would not bolt on a whim, so Fitzwilliam closed his eyes.

“Ceilt,” he whispered. They were drawing closer to Longbourn, so he had cast the charm so they were not witnessed together in such a position.

If someone were to look in their direction, they would see no more than an empty field.

When he opened his eyes, he resisted the urge to press his lips to the top of her head. “Are you well?”

“Yes, sir, but I maintain that walking is superior to riding.”

He could not help but smile at her impertinence. “I shall not argue over any pleasure of yours.”

“That is far too diplomatic a response,” she said with a glance over her shoulder. “You will not defend your horse’s ability?”

How was he supposed to respond? “I am in no doubt of my horse’s skill, yet I believe I am a reasonable man.

If you prefer to walk, why should I argue?

Riding and walking are both suitable diversions.

Should you wish to travel, a horse or a carriage is superior in my view.

I would not wish to walk to Derbyshire.”

Her light laughter warmed him. “No, I would not enjoy such a long journey on foot either.”

“Then I am glad we can agree on something.”

She turned and examined his face. “I am certain we agree on more than whether a carriage is required for a long journey.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Oh?” This should be interesting !

“I enjoy novels and poetry. Perhaps we should compare favourites and see if we share similar preferences. I also take great pleasure in music, though I play the pianoforte very ill indeed and do not take the time to practise as I ought.”

“My sister is quite proficient at the pianoforte. I am certain you would greatly enjoy one of her performances.”

“Your sister would be fifteen?”

“Yes, she is shy and quiet and is not comfortable with those she does not know well, so I left her where she would be at ease. My housekeeper will take excellent care of her, and should she require aid, my cousin Richard is close by at his father’s estate.

” He should be receiving a letter from his cousin soon.

Richard had promised to call on Georgiana to ensure she was well and undisturbed.

That visit should have been a couple of days ago.

“Where have you gone, sir?”

He startled. “I beg your pardon?”

“Well, your body was here, but your mind was elsewhere.”

“Forgive me. My sister has had a difficult time of it these past few months. She encouraged me to come here, yet I cannot help but worry.” He had sent how many letters back to Pemberley since his arrival?

“Is this what you would prefer to speak to me about later?”

She was quite perceptive. “Yes, and I know we seem alone, but. . .”

“No, I understand. Even in the open, such as we are, people can use magical means to eavesdrop.”

He nodded. The subject was also difficult to speak of. “We are approaching Longbourn. We should dismount now so we do not startle the grooms when we arrive.”

Once they dismounted, he whispered the reversal of the charm that had shielded them from prying eyes .

“Come, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “I believe you wished to speak to my father.”

A groom took Hen at the stable, and Elizabeth led Fitzwilliam through the gardens to a door on the side of the house. The servant within gasped and straightened at their entrance. “Miss Elizabeth!”

“Forgive me, Mrs. Hill, but Mr. Darcy desired a word with Papa. Since this is not a formal call, I thought we would make our way to his library through the servants’ passages.”

“Of course, miss. You gave me a fright is all.” She nodded at Fitzwilliam. “Good morning, sir.”

He dipped his chin. “Good morning.”

Mr. Bennet’s library was a quick walk down one passage with a right at the end.

When they stepped inside, the gentleman himself blinked, and his bushy eyebrows shot up onto his forehead.

“If you had asked me at breakfast what the most unexpected part of my day would be, I would have never considered the two of you sneaking into my library together.”

After shifting around Elizabeth, Fitzwilliam bowed. “Forgive me, sir. If we did not have important information that could not wait, I would have called in a more traditional manner.”

Mr. Bennet looked at Elizabeth and frowned. “Why do you appear so fatigued? What has happened?” Her father had surely noted the same dark circles under her eyes he had. Fitzwilliam had never seen the like. Why would a vision cause such a response?

“I am well,” she said in an almost placating tone. “We sought to discover why the altar is still vibrating so strongly, and what we saw was. . .disturbing.”

“Disturbing?” Mr. Bennet glanced between them. “Pray, sit and tell me what has happened.”

Fitzwilliam looked at the chairs in front of Mr. Bennet’s desk. One was well-worn, as though it had been used every day. No doubt existed that particular chair was Elizabeth’s preferred seat, so he took the one beside it.

“Sir, Miss Elizabeth mentioned the elevated humming of the stone, and I believe the altar is anticipating what is to come.”

Mr. Bennet’s forehead furrowed. “A certain amount of that disturbance could be from your entrance into the neighbourhood. The altar would need time to adjust to the influx of magic.”

“Yes, sir. I am aware, but the vibration is stronger than I would expect to occur for just my presence. I suggested to Miss Elizabeth that perhaps joining our power in an attempt to discover the origin might reveal what is at the heart of the matter.”

The older man shifted in his seat and gestured towards Miss Elizabeth. “Combining your power with my daughter’s should not cause such an alteration.”

Fitzwilliam glanced at Elizabeth. She appeared more exhausted now than at the forest. He blew out an exhale. “No, I agree.”

“I would not say all of what we saw was disturbing, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth.

“When we placed our hands on the stones together, we both saw a series of visions. Several were future occurrences that I do not believe relevant to the altar; however, we saw one where I wore a crown of rosemary and sage.”

Mr. Bennet gave a sharp inhale. “A crown to harness your power.” He mumbled the words then ran his hand over his mouth. “What else did you see?”

Elizabeth sat a little taller. “I can tell you little about what I saw in the last since it was a bright light accompanied by a voice. The voice said, ‘When I learnt of your existence, I sought to prevent you from claiming your full potential, but you thwarted me. But that has come to naught as you are now nothing to me. Bow before me descendant of Merlin!’ A white light flashed, and I was jolted back. ”

“She hastened to the edge of the clearing where she cast up her accounts. The dark circles have become more prominent since then, even though I insisted she ride my horse for her return to Longbourn.”

Mr. Bennet stood and rounded the desk to stand before his daughter.

He took her cheeks in his palms and gazed at her a moment.

“You convinced her to mount a horse?” He released her and opened a tall cupboard in the corner of the room.

When he revealed the contents, a myriad of glass vials and jars filled the small space.

“I did. I felt it prudent to return her to you at once.”

Mr. Bennet selected several vials as well as a small glass and returned to his desk.

“He left me little choice in the matter, Papa. Without warning, he lifted me atop the great beast. I objected, but he would not listen.”