Henry bounced from her arms, running in a small circle as he wove in and out of the men’s feet. Then, he saw Mr. Wickham.
Without a sound, he attacked, attaching himself to the vile man’s calf about an inch above the top of his boot. Mr. Wickham swiped at him unsuccessfully as the puppy snarled.
“That’ll do.” Mr. Darcy whistled as he stood, ready to tangle again with the blackmailer should he attempt to hurt Henry again.
Everyone stood still in response to the whistle.
“Come,” Mr. Darcy said, his tone calm, his voice soft.
Abandoning his attack, Henry bounced to his master, jumping up with his front feet on Mr. Darcy’s legs.
Within minutes, it was Mr. Wickham who was trussed like a bird headed to the cooking pot. Since Elizabeth’s father was the local magistrate, he would be hauled at daylight to the small jail behind the blacksmith’s shop until the assizes. Until then, four of the tenants along with Mr. Street offered to stand guard. They wanted the villain to receive the justice due him for his crimes.
The rest of the men filed out of the small space to mount their horses and return to their homes. Deciding it was easier to use the roads rather than cross the fields, Mr. Bennet went to his horse. This left Mr. Darcy with a dilemma. With Henry in his arms, he could not assist Elizabeth to mount. If he gave Henry to Elizabeth, she could not hold the pommel to steady herself.
The hour was late. They were exhausted. For the first time since Henry had been reported missing, Mr. Darcy’s shoulders were relaxed. A grin almost split his face in half.
Ah, even in the muted light of the torches, he is so handsome!
Her father approached them. He was seated on his bay mare, his hand outstretched for the puppy. “I will take your young man if you do not mind.”
Henry was happy with the acquaintance, sniffing and licking his approval.
Mr. Darcy placed his hands on each side of her waist. Elizabeth prepared to spring up to the saddle. However, he made no move to lift her. Standing close to her, he dipped his head to whisper, “I thank you, Miss Elizabeth, for caring enough for Henry that you came with us tonight. I thank you, too, for your valor and your preference for the out of doors. Mostly, I thank you for your…friendship. I will never forget this day, ever.”
With seemingly little effort, she was seated on her horse, looking down at him. His eyes sparkled as the corner of his mouth lifted.
Did she want only friendship with Mr. Darcy? No, she wanted much, much more than friendship.
Chapter 10
She had assumed she would fall asleep immediate upon her return to Longbourn. Elizabeth had been wrong. Finally, she relit her candle and pulled out the novel. There were only five pages left to read.
She sighed as the full story played through her mind like a production on a London stage. The similarities between her and Mr. Darcy and the tale she found entertaining could not be missed. Like Lady Violet, she had first been opposed to the haughty man only to find he was not that sort of gentleman at all. Like Lord Goodrich, Mr. Darcy was a hero, rushing into the hut without concern for himself, his sole goal to rescue someone he loved.
Could he ever love her? Would he ever love her?
A tear pooled at the corner of her eye before slowly making its way down her cheek to her pillow. She wanted Mr. Darcy to love her as much as she loved him, because love him she did. Her whole heart was his for the asking. If only he would ask.
Opening the cover, Elizabeth flipped to the final few pages. The rescue had been breathtaking. Lord Goodrich held Lady Violet’s hand, helping her over the moors, until they found the troops waiting for them. Laird McDonald had been arrested and taken to prison. Lady Violet was free.
Elizabeth read Lord Goodrich’s declarations of love and his proposal of marriage to Lady Violet. The words were so sweet they made her weep. She was not surprised in the slightest when Lady Violet accepted. Nonetheless, it was the final words that pulled at Elizabeth’s heartstrings until she sobbed, closing the cover and tucking the book close to her chest.
“You have made me the happiest man on the earth, Lady Violet. I will spend the rest of our days seeing you are as pleased as I.” Lord Goodrich placed her small hand over his heart. “I love you now, and I always will.” The End.
If only. If only the man of her dreams, her hero, would whisper words of love to her. On that night, in the wee hours of the morning, Elizabeth Bennet cried herself to sleep.
* * *
She woke to a familiar bark. Henry!
Glancing out the window, Elizabeth found the sun up, indicating it was later than she usually woke. Throwing back the covers, she carefully placed the book on her nightstand. When she arrived downstairs, there was not a soul to be seen. The door to the outside stood open.
In the courtyard stood her parents and all four of her sisters. Mr. Bingley was close to Jane. Mr. Darcy, with Henry bouncing around his feet, walked towards her.
During the weeks Elizabeth had been in company with the little dog, he had never become entangled in the horse’s hooves, and he had never tripped either her or Mr. Darcy. This day was different.
He had no chance to utter a word before Henry dove between Mr. Darcy’s feet. To keep from putting his weight on the puppy, the master of Pemberley took a wide stride forward trying to catch himself.
Elizabeth reacted by reaching for him. Her arms went about his waist as his wrapped tightly around her shoulders. His weight propelled him forward. It was all she could do to keep them upright. By the time they regained their balance, their embrace was complete.
Mrs. Bennet squealed. “Oh, look, Mr. Bennet. It was just like the two of us all those years ago. They will need to marry just as we did. Mr. Bennet! Mr. Bennet!”
“Hush.” Mr. Bennet kindly chuckled. “I think we need to leave them to themselves to sort this out.” To Henry, he snapped his fingers. “Come with me, young man. I believe we can find a treat for your outstanding behavior.”
Her father winked at Elizabeth on his way into the house, closely followed by his wife and the puppy.
“Mr. Bennet, perhaps we need a puppy of our own. We do have four other daughters to see wed, you know?”
“I know.” Turning to his other girls, he beckoned them inside.
Lydia, supported by Kitty, exclaimed, “I want a dog who will knock me into an officer, and I want him now!”
Mr. Bingley muttered as he passed, his eyes following Jane. “Perhaps I need a puppy too.”
When the door closed, Mr. Darcy cleared his throat. Taking a step back, his arms dropped to his side. Hers did the same. His face bore the same rosy tone that undoubtedly matched Elizabeth’s.
“Miss Elizabeth. Elizabeth,” he began, his eyes never leaving hers. “In the beginning, I was wrong. I was the one who was not tolerable. My actions were anything but handsome. Simply put, I do not deserve you.” Mr. Darcy reached for her hand, cradling it in his own. “With that said, I offer you my heart. I offer you my home. I offer you my wealth and my name. Would you…could you…” he cleared his throat again then dropped to one knee. “Will you marry me? Would you be my wife?”
“You love me?” she whispered as her only response.
“Since the first time I had to come find Henry, when I saw you with him, my affections were engaged.” He dropped a soft kiss on her fingers. “Now, my love for you is rich and lasting. I yearn for you to be my bride.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I love you too.”
“You will marry me?”
“Do we keep Henry?” she inquired, her heart full and light at the same time.
“Absolutely,” he reassured her, his smile a thing of immense beauty.
“Then, yes, I will marry you.” Elizabeth leaned in for his kiss. Her first kiss. Her first embrace. A perfect fit.
“Will being happily-ever-after work for you?” he teased, his forehead resting against hers.
She could not restrain her smile. “That’ll do.”
The
End
From the Author:
Christie Capps is the pen name of a best-selling author J Dawn King who, because of increasing demands on her time, has fewer and fewer hours to read. She doubts she is the only one with these circumstances. Therefore, her Christie Capps stories will all be approximately 100 pages of sweet romance and will be priced less than one cup of flavored coffee from your local barista.
Happy reading!
Christie Capps - Already Available
Mr. Darcy’s Bad Day
For Pemberley
The Perfect Gift
A Forever Kind of Love
Something: Old, New, Later, True (Boxed Set)
Elizabeth
Lost & Found
J Dawn King - Already Available
Friends and Enemies
A Father’s Sins
Los Pecados del Padre
One Love - Two Hearts - Three Stories
Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride
Love Letters from Mr. Darcy
The Abominable Mr. Darcy
Yes, Mr. Darcy
Compromised!
Friends and Enemies
The Letter of the Law
My Sincerest Thanks
Thank you very much for investing your time with this story. A gift for any author is to receive an honest review from readers. I hope you will use this opportunity to let others know your opinion of this tale. Happy reading!
Henry Page 7