by Jann Rowland
“I am happy to take her directly back to her uncle’s house,” replied Lady Emily.
“Then it is settled,” replied Georgiana. She turned a teasing look on Elizabeth. “I am certain you have much of which to speak and many secrets to exchange. I will see you the next time you visit.”
Though Elizabeth could hardly understand how it happened, it seemed like she was now to ride back to Kingsdown with Lady Emily, a woman she was not sure appreciated Mr. Darcy’s attentions to her. Carefully suppressing a sigh, Elizabeth alighted from the vehicle and made her way back down the line to Lady Emily’s conveyance. It was, perhaps, for the best that this discussion take place as soon as possible, though Elizabeth was not anticipating it in the least. She expected that Lady Emily wished to make her sentiments known, or perhaps only to satisfy herself that Elizabeth was acting with the purest possible motives. Why the lady would concern herself with such things, Elizabeth could not say, but at this point it truly did not matter.
By the time they reached Lady Emily’s carriage, whatever problem had held up the departure of the first carriages—Lady Emily’s was the last one in the line—had not been resolved. They ascended and sat on opposite seats, Elizabeth taking the rear facing seat, and for some moments there was no conversation between them; Lady Emily appeared content to simply study Elizabeth, and Elizabeth was willing to allow the lady to have her say if it avoided unpleasantness.
At length, however, the line of carriages began to move, and they were soon under way. Even then, it was some moments before Lady Emily could be induced to speak. The silence between them was uncomfortable, not at all like that which on occasion existed between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. The thought of the man, coupled with Lady Emily’s unexpected silence, caused Elizabeth’s mind to wander, and she spent some agreeable few moments thinking of what had just passed between herself and Mr. Darcy.
“You have had an eventful time in Derbyshire, Miss Bennet,” said Lady Emily.
Having sat for so long in silence, Elizabeth was caught off guard by the lady’s sudden words, but she rallied herself quickly.
“It is different from my home. The society there is closer, less varying than what I have seen here.”
“Yes, I can imagine.” Lady Emily paused for a moment, and then looked Elizabeth in the eye. “I do wonder, Miss Bennet. I have heard you say that you will eventually be required to return to your father’s estate. How long do you expect to stay?”
All manner of responses crossed Elizabeth’s mind at that moment, and many of them would have been acceptable, and likely would not have provoked the response which followed. She might have restated that she was here at her uncle’s request and had no knowledge of how long he wished her to say. She could have said that she was enjoying her cousins’ company and did not wish to leave for some time. She might even have just repeated what she had told many others since her arrival, that she expected to stay until the end of summer, and return to Hertfordshire soon after.
Unfortunately, none of these safe answers found their way past her lips. When Lady Emily asked her of her intentions, Elizabeth found herself offended by the woman’s impertinence, wondering why she should not be allowed to have her happiness, and why this woman would claim Mr. Darcy for her own against his will. Though she had rarely suffered from the affliction of a loose tongue in the past, on this occasion she found that her tongue had loosened significantly.
“There may be a reason for me to stay much longer than I had originally anticipated, though I will almost certainly return home for at least some time.”
Whatever else Lady Emily was—and Elizabeth was not quite certain what she was—the lady was no fool. As soon as the words left Elizabeth’s mouth, she hazarded a glance up at Lady Emily’s face, and what she saw there was true fury. Elizabeth had never seen its like before in the normally closed young woman. Her response was beyond anything Elizabeth could comprehend.
After glaring at Elizabeth for a moment, the woman reached up and banged on the top of her coach, yelling for the driver to hear: “Stop the coach!”
The conveyance stopped, though even Elizabeth could sense the reluctance in the way it rolled slowly to a stop. They sat for a few moments, Lady Emily’s icy cold gaze boring into Elizabeth, Elizabeth wondering what the woman was about.
“I believe, Miss Bennet, that this is where we must part.”
Elizabeth gasped in surprise. “Here?” asked she, though her voice caught a little in her consternation.
“Yes, here,” said the lady, an implacable sort of resentment coloring her voice. “I find that I have tired of you and your presumption. You may make your own way to your uncle’s estate.” Lady Emily lifted a hand and pointed past Elizabeth down the road. “Lambton is that way.”
“Lady Emily,” said Elizabeth, her voice shaking ever so slightly, “you cannot think to simply abandon me on the side of the road.”
“I can and I will,” grated the woman. “Now, if you will kindly leave me the use of my carriage, I would be much obliged. You had best start walking if you wish to make Lambton before sundown.”
Aghast at the woman’s behavior, Elizabeth could only gape at her. A moment was all it took to realize Lady Emily was in earnest. With nothing else to do, Elizabeth reached over and grasped the handle, opened the door, and stepped out, landing a little heavily due to the distance to the ground. The driver and the two footmen standing at the back of the coach, looked at her with astonishment, clearly never having witnessed anything like what was currently occurring. Elizabeth had not ever herself and could do nothing but look away.
“Drive on,” commanded Lady Emily, speaking to the driver through the open door.
Though reluctance sang from the man’s posture, he turned to look at the lady, and said: “But Lady Emily, are you certain—?”
“Yes, I am certain. Drive on.”
Elizabeth grimaced, but she gave the man a sickly smile and nodded at him. But when he still hesitated, Lady Emily barked: “Now!”
With a shake of his head and a wince of his own, the man turned and clucked to the horses, goading them into motion. They began to walk again, though very slowly. As the carriage pulled away, the door through which Lady Emily had given her commands closed, and she disappeared inside. Elizabeth saw one of the footman turning and looking at her, and for a moment she wondered if he would alight and escort her back to town. In the end, he did nothing, and soon the carriage turned a corner and moved from Elizabeth’s sight. All the other carriages had already gone on ahead.
Still feeling the shock of being so unceremoniously abandoned, Elizabeth turned and looked down the road behind her, and then cast her gaze up to where Lady Emily’s coach had disappeared. The road was straight for a stretch, the towering lengths of trees nestled up against it, huddling around it as if wishing for the comfort of civilization. No one was in evidence. Elizabeth was well and truly alone.
Chapter XXI
The shock of being left to her own devices on an unfamiliar road so far from her home soon gave way to anger and disgust. She could hardly fathom what would provoke a woman to force a guest from her carriage and leave her in such a situation—even Caroline Bingley, whom Elizabeth detested, would not act in such a reprehensible manner!
The righteous anger, however, soon gave way to the realities of Elizabeth’s situation. Derbyshire was a wilder country than what she was used to in Hertfordshire. Her father often jested about how dull a section of the kingdom hosted his estate. At this moment, however, Elizabeth longed for the safety of the area, the lack of any form of brigandry or other dangers. Elizabeth had no real knowledge of the safety of Derbyshire’s roads, and had seen little to give her cause for alarm, but the possibility of highwaymen was real, and she knew it would go ill for her should men of their ilk find her.
Elizabeth was well used to walking. She had walked the pathways of her father’s estate since her earliest memories, venturing further from the house once she
had gained maturity, and from the time she had been thirteen years of age, she had often ranged beyond his estate. Even so, the longest walk she had ever attempted was to Oakham Mount which, to walk to and then return to Longbourn, was only about four miles. She was not certain, but she suspected that Lambton was further from her present location, as she thought the ruin was closer to ten from the town. She did not think they had traveled far from the ruins before she had been unceremoniously removed from the coach.
There appeared to be nothing to be done but walk, so walk Elizabeth did. At least the road, a gravel track which, though wide, was free of holes or bumps, appeared well maintained, allowing her to walk swiftly and without fear of falling.
Of course, no one could experience what she had without her thoughts constantly turning to what had just happened. She wondered at Lady Emily’s reaction. Her attentions to Mr. Darcy, though increasing of late, had always struck Elizabeth as lukewarm. Did the woman covet him and his wealth for herself, or was there something else at work here? She could not crave Mr. Darcy’s position in society, as her own was higher.
Though the matter clutched on the edges of her consciousness with the iron grip of a falcon’s talons, Elizabeth could not understand what had happened. All she knew was that leaving a young gentlewoman stranded on the side of the road in an area with which she was unfamiliar was such a breach of proper behavior that should it become known, Lady Emily would almost certainly suffer the consequences of gossip, not to mention the disapproval of local society. Her position as daughter to an earl would undoubtedly protect her to some extent, but she would not emerge unscathed.
What it would do to Elizabeth’s reputation, she was uncertain. Society being what it was, and gossips being what they were, it was equally likely that she would be looked on with pity as she would bear the censure of being all alone on a deserted road and having who knew what happen to her, despite her lack of culpability in the matter. Her only hope was to reach Lambton without anyone being the wiser, make her way to the inn, and send a note to Mr. Drummond, acquainting him with her situation. It seemed best that the entire incident be kept from the ears of as many people as possible.
So intent was Elizabeth on her ruminations that she almost missed the sound of a horse’s canter, and she realized that she had come to a section of the road where it meandered this way and that, around small hills and across bubbling brooks, she could not see who was approaching her. The thought of highwaymen and what would happen should an unscrupulous man find her entered Elizabeth’s mind, and she became frightened, looking wildly this way and that for a place to hide. The woods had never looked so inviting, and she hiked up her skirt to make a mad dash for the tree line and its dubious safety. And then the rider came around the corner.
Elizabeth barely had time to see the tall dark man sitting in the saddle, before the man kicked the horse into motion and he approached Elizabeth at a run, vaulting from the saddle when he drew close to her.
“Miss Bennet! Why in the blazes are you alone, walking in this god forsaken place?”
Elizabeth almost wilted with relief as she recognized the sound of Mr. Darcy’s voice, and for a moment she almost felt like swooning. She found herself encircled by strong arms, her head pulled to rest against his broad chest, and she allowed herself to lean heavily against him. Though the day was warm, and the exertion of her walk had caused her to perspire, she found herself shivering against him. It was improper, indeed, but Mr. Darcy’s hand went to her back and he caressed her tenderly, though he did not attempt to take any further liberties. For the comfort he was imparting, Elizabeth could forgive him these little lapses, especially when the tension in her limbs was bleeding away due to his ministrations. In a short time, she felt almost lethargic.
“It appears that you are overcome, Miss Bennet,” the deep voice of her rescuer broke her reverie.
Elizabeth drew away a little and attempted to fix him with an impish smile. “Do you not know, Mr. Darcy? I am an excellent walker.”
“Miss Bennet,” said Mr. Darcy, the gravity in his tone and demeanor telling Elizabeth her attempt at levity had been an abject failure, “this walk to which you have set yourself is still above six miles to Lambton, to say nothing of the additional distance to your uncle’s estate. Surely even that is too much for you, especially considering our earlier exertions.”
“It was not by choice, sir,” replied Elizabeth.
He frowned at her quiet reply, but though he seemed on the verge of asking for additional clarification, he thought better of it for the moment.
“Then we should ensure you are returned to your uncle’s house as soon as may be. If you will allow me, I will place you on my horse and then sit behind you.”
Though she hesitated, Mr. Darcy cut into her ruminations: “If I was to walk the horse with you situated on its back, it would take much longer for us to reach our destination. I know of a path which will prevent us from being observed so that we may preserve our reputations.”
Knowing he was correct, Elizabeth assented. He picked her up and deposited her on the back of his tall horse with no greater effort than he would have expended had he lifted a child, and after he had scrambled up behind her, he grasped the reins in one hand and urged the horse forward. Soon they were cantering down the road, though before much longer, he turned his mount toward a barely visible path to the right, and they began to make their way through the trees.
“This trail will lead across country toward your uncle’s estate,” said Mr. Darcy in response to Elizabeth’s unspoken question. “We will traverse a southern section of Pemberley and come out near the edge of Mr. Drummond’s estate, down the long valley where our properties meet.”
Elizabeth turned to face him. “I was not aware that I was walking along Pemberley’s border.”
“The ruin is just north of my estate. If Pemberley extended a little further northward, it would be within my boundaries. You might recall that Pemberley lies to the west of Lambton, and Kingsdown to the south of Pemberley. That is why we passed through Lambton on the way to the ruin this morning. Your walk, had you continued on in this direction, would have been in excess of ten miles, as you would have come to Lambton, and then would have been obliged to continue to the south and then west to come to Kingsdown.”
“I had thought to go to the inn in Lambton and send word to my uncle of my predicament,” murmured Elizabeth. “I knew I was still some distance from Lambton, and I did not wish to be caught by darkness before I reached Kingsdown.”
Mr. Darcy chuckled. “Nightfall is quite late now, Miss Bennet. Given what I know of your abilities, I doubt you would have been so long on the road that you would not have arrived before then. But your uncle would certainly have worried for you long before you returned to his home. It would have been a sensible plan.”
“Would I have needed to worry about bandits?” asked Elizabeth.
“Not here, though one can never be certain. There is a stretch of road fifty miles north of Pemberley that is notorious for them, but this district is largely peaceful.”
Though the worry was no longer present with the coming of Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth still found herself almost overwhelmed with relief. They would not have any difficulties that he could not handle, then.
“Now, Miss Bennet,” said Mr. Darcy, his tone firm but questioning, “you have stated that your predicament was not your own doing, but I still do not have any indication of what happened. The last time I saw you, you were in my carriage with my sister and your cousin. Shall you not inform me what happened?”
Elizabeth would have desired to avoid thinking of the matter altogether, but something in the man’s voice told her he was not in humor to be put off. For a moment, she wondered if married life to him would consist of nothing more than his taking charge and compelling her compliance. But then she realized that he had been his own master for some years, and he was likely used to managing things without considering the opinions of others.
She would almost certainly need to show him that she was capable and desirous of her own opinion being heard, but for now, there was no need to make such a fuss. He had asked, and it was incumbent upon her to provide him an explanation, especially after he had rescued her from a long walk.
“I was abandoned by the side of the road,” said she, however reluctantly.
“Georgiana would never have done such a thing!” exclaimed he. His arm, holding her steady on the horse tightened around her in his agitation.
“It was not Georgiana,” said Elizabeth quickly, wondering where her wits had gone. “I am very aware she would not, as she is the sweetest young lady I have ever met.”
“Then who?” asked Mr. Darcy, a hint of exasperation creeping into his tone.
“Lady Emily,” replied Elizabeth, though softly. She proceeded to relate to him all that had passed, focusing on the facts of the matter and eschewing any conjecture around Lady Emily’s motivations for her behavior. In the end, however, it did not matter, as Mr. Darcy was as angry as Elizabeth had ever seen him when she finished her recitation.
“What could have possessed her to do such a thing?” demanded a seething Mr. Darcy when Elizabeth had finished her tale. “It is completely beyond the pale! You could have been put in serious jeopardy by her unthinking, heinous actions. What was she thinking?”
“I rather think she has disapproved of your attentions to me,” replied Elizabeth.
That brought Mr. Darcy up short. “Disapproved? I have noticed no such disapproval.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Your single-minded devotion to me has been all I have ever hoped from in a suitor, Mr. Darcy. But it seems in this instance you have not recognized that Lady Emily is not a friend of your attentions to me.”
“It is none of her concern,” snapped Mr. Darcy. “She has no more control over my actions than does my aunt.”
Elizabeth turned to look up at him. “Then there is truth to Mr. Collins’s assertion that your aunt expects you to marry her daughter?”