by Wells, Linda
“I do try to avoid lying.” Richard smiled at her and grinned when her blush deepened.
“You try to avoid being caught.” Darcy laughed. “I am sorry that my cousin’s gift is offensive to you, Miss Kelly. My wife has not seen it, but I can imagine that her reaction would be similar to yours. May I point out that I did not choose it, my cousin did?”
“Thank you for another black mark upon my character.” Richard grinned.
“Anything that I can do to help …”
Robert sent Sophie a look and turned to their host. “Mr. Darcy, we are only here to issue an invitation, there is no need to keep you any longer …”
“Nonsense, Darcy and I are glad for a distraction while his wife trudges hither and yon.” Richard approached Sophie. “Shall I escort you upstairs? I am quite curious to hear this mysterious invitation.”
Now completely embarrassed, she demurred, “It is really nothing …”
“If it was you would not have come, would you?” Offering his elbow, he tilted his head. “Do not go all shy on me, Miss Kelly, not after attacking my treasured snuff box. I will not have it.”
“I should warn you, Miss Kelly, my cousin is a man of direct speech. If he offends do not hesitate to correct him.” Darcy smiled at Richard.
“Shall I issue the same disclaimer about my sister?” Robert asked and stepped up to offer her his arm.
The two men’s eyes met and Richard liked the protective light that he saw. Interesting. Smiling pleasantly, he turned to Sophie. “Allow me.”
The party arrived in the drawing room and had been settled for no more than five minutes when a few raindrops struck the window, and were suddenly followed by a deluge. Darcy was up and at the window in a second. The rain was coming down so hard that he could barely see the Kellys’ carriage. “Lizzy!” He cried and without a word, he spun and left the room.
“Darcy …” Richard called after him, and standing, nodded to their guests and followed him out the door, leaving Robert and Sophie sitting together. “What should we do?” She whispered.
“Well we cannot very well leave in this weather.” Going to the window, he tried to see through the rain. “I hope that she has found some shelter.”
“What do you think Mr. Darcy will do?” She joined him at the glass.
“There is your answer.” He pointed as a figure clad in black appeared below them and then disappeared into the storm. “And there goes the colonel.” He murmured as the blue-coated soldier left the house. The rain let up a bit and they could see him walking out to the drive and scanning the horizon as he turned. Seeming to have found a direction, he set off. “I should join them.” He turned to leave when Sophie grabbed his arm.
“Look!” She cried and pointed.
“LIZZY!” Darcy called and looked around uselessly as the rain pounded down. The noise was deafening. If she heard him it would be a miracle, but he continued to bellow her name. “LIZZY!” For some reason he felt drawn towards the sheds where the sheep were housed to dry. It seemed a reasonable place for her to run when the rain began to fall. Vaguely seeing the path ahead of him, he kept walking and calling for her. “LIZZY!” He cupped his hands to his mouth and stopped quickly when he realized that the rush of sound he was hearing was not the wind, but the shallow river that had become a raging torrent with the incredible rain. “Whoa.” He stopped before he slipped down an ancient bank incised into the crumbling soil and stepped back. Just as he was about to call again, the rain let up enough for him to see a little more clearly. “What was that?” Straining to listen, he scanned the water.
“Will!”
“Oh God!” His heart pounding, he sprinted upstream to the spot where Elizabeth lay clinging desperately to a tree root projecting from the bank. “Lizzy, hold on!” He dropped onto his stomach and inched forward.
“Will … I cannot!”
“Yes, you can!” He concentrated on her terrified eyes and tried to ignore the lower half of her body being buffeted by the rushing current. The water was still rising, and every inch brought her closer to him. “Hang on, love.” Looking behind him, he managed to hook his boots into another exposed root, anchoring him in place as he stretched forward. “Take my hand, Lizzy.”
“I am afraid to let go.” She squealed when some debris ran into her and nearly knocked her loose. Darcy looked upstream and saw that a large tree was flying straight towards her.
“Lizzy … Trust me!” He commanded, and taking possession of her gaze, demanded that she reach for him.
Elizabeth bit her lip and crying out, let go and reached. For a second their fingers touched and slipped. Elizabeth screamed and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him quickly just as the tree sped by, just grazing her feet as he got her to the bank. Now with both hands, he dragged her up to the grass and not willing to trust the sodden earth, he rolled them several yards away to solid ground. Elizabeth curled in his lap and sobbed while Darcy rocked her back and forth as he held her tightly to his chest.
“I love you, darling, I love you.” He said over and over.
“I love you, Will.” She shuddered and clung to him. Eventually she regained control of her emotions if not her shaking body, and whispered, “How did you know where to find me?”
“I do not know. It was as if I was being guided somehow.” He drew back enough to caress her soaking hair. “I thought that you would seek shelter with the sheep.”
“Yes I was going to the sheds. I could not see well so I was following the river and I guess that I was too close to the bank. A tree gave way and I fell with it.” She reached up to caress his hair. “Oh, Will.”
“No more walking alone.” Darcy kissed her and declared vehemently. “No more walking if there is a chance of rain, or snow, or … anytime that the sun is not filling the sky and … Oh, dearest, Elizabeth.”
“I suppose that my hour is up.” She said softly, still caressing his face.
“Lord, help me.” He whispered and kissed her again.
“There you are.” Richard’s relieved voice finally reached their ears and they looked up to see that he had driven up with the Kellys’ curricle. “I spotted you pulling her out, Darcy, and ran for this. Kelly was already turning the carriage around when I arrived. There is no room for four so I told him to stay behind.” He tried to smile, “I doubt that either of you is interested in walking back.”
“Not really.” Elizabeth said softly, looking down at her feet. The current had ripped the boots from her feet.
“I would have carried you.” Darcy helped her from his lap and stood, holding out his hands for her. “Come along, dear.” He climbed into the seat beside Richard, and Elizabeth settled into his arms. Thunder rumbled and they spotted an approaching bank of dark clouds. The steady rain started to pick up again. “Get moving.”
Richard cracked the whip and they were quickly headed back to the house. Sophie had alerted the staff of the situation. Judy and Parker were busy preparing baths and dry clothes for them, while Mrs. Duncan hurried to make them some hot broth.
“Mrs. Darcy, are you well?” Sophie asked and stood back as Darcy carried her over the threshold. “What happened?” Elizabeth’s eyes were closed and Darcy did not stop to speak. He strode past them and went straight up the stairs, followed by Mrs. Shaw. Richard entered more sedately and managed a weak smile. “Thank you for the loan of the curricle, Kelly.”
“What happened?” Robert asked and helped him to peel off his saturated coat, revealing a transparent and soaking shirt beneath. Sophie stared for a moment and blushed when she saw Richard’s bloodshot eyes upon her. She took the coat from her brother and hung it over a chair near the small fire in the foyer as he sat down and pulled off his muddy boots.
“She fell in the river. I saw Darcy on his belly and reaching for her, another second and she would be on her way to the Irish Sea.” Holding his head in his hands, he closed his eyes. “Lord that was close. Can nothing good happen for this couple?”
Without thought,
Sophie put her arm around his shoulder. “She is well, sir, and home, safe in her husband’s arms. I think that qualifies as good, don’t you? You cannot dwell on what might have happened, you must live with what is.”
Richard lifted his head to find her green eyes, full of worry, staring into his. It felt incredibly good. He reached across his chest to take the hand resting on his shoulder and smiled. “I am too tired to argue with you, but given dry clothes and something warm to drink, I would enjoy testing your convictions.”
“I hope that your enjoyment would not end when I won the argument.” She smiled gently. He chuckled and catching Robert’s pointed stare, he squeezed her hand and let go.
“Well, since this rain seems to be here to stay, I think that you two will be remaining for some time as well. Perhaps we might just do some testing.” He stood. “I will let the Darcys know the subject of our game. I can see it being the ladies against the gentlemen, and … sadly, with Elizabeth on your team, I can see you winning handily.”
“Never admit that sort of a weakness to my sister, Colonel.” Robert smiled and then spotting a shawl hanging on a hook near the door, he wrapped it around Sophie to cover her now damp dress. The two men looked at each other and Richard inclined his head.
“I will just go up and change.” Picking up his boots, he started up the stairs in his stocking feet, and paused halfway up. “Please do not go anywhere.”
Sophie watched him go and clutched the shawl around her shoulders. “I won’t.”
Chapter 5
Darcy changed into his dry clothes and hearing Elizabeth speaking softly with Judy, stepped into the hallway and walked the short distance to Georgiana’s rooms. Jennifer answered the knock and quickly responded to his unspoken request to leave the siblings alone. Smiling slightly, he focussed on the handkerchief doll that Elizabeth had made and Georgiana held clutched in her hands, “I thought you would like to know that Elizabeth is well. She has some bruises and scratches from the debris hitting her legs, but is largely unscathed. Her arms and hands are a little sore from hanging on so tightly.”
“I woke from my nap to find the house in an uproar, and I could not leave my room to do anything, I felt so helpless.” She wiped her eyes and looked down at the doll. “Could she have died?”
Drawing a deep breath he forced a smile. “She did not, did she?”
“Because of you.”
“Well it is high time that I paid back the favour and saved her for once, don’t you think?” Georgiana was entirely confused with his determined optimism. Darcy led her to a sofa near the fire in her sitting room and helped her to ease into the seat. “Now, while she is being pampered by Judy, let’s you and I have a talk.”
“Oh.” Nervously, she fingered the doll. “What shall we talk about?”
“Well, first of all, I must apologize for being so distant over the past months, especially when you have clearly come to appreciate the weight of what happened and the effort that we are extending to protect you and the baby.”
“Fitzwilliam, you do not owe me an apology.”
“Nonetheless, I make one.” He took her hands in his. “I can do nothing about what occurred, but I can look forward. Elizabeth and I, Richard and I … have discussed, analyzed, and planned your future … but I have not spoken to you. I suppose that my anger and frankly my questioning of your appreciation of the situation held me back, but now that I think about it, discussing your future calmly and rationally might have made you appreciate it all sooner.”
“I do not know about that,” She shook her head. “It took me time to accept it all and part of that came from seeing how angry everyone was. I think that you know me better than anyone and that is why it has hurt you more than anyone. Elizabeth once told me that you cannot be objective because you love me too much.”
“She was correct. Again. It is truly quite annoying how she does that with regularity.” He smiled and Georgiana surprised herself with a laugh. “Well …” Clearing his throat, he concentrated on the subject he had pondered while Elizabeth bathed and he was left alone with Parker’s silent service. “I do love you. You are my sister and you share with me a bond that I do not have with any other person in the world, our parents. I think that bond has left me looking at the greater world more than the one right here in this room.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am so concerned with protecting your future, and caring for the child and Pemberley by keeping this pregnancy a secret, that I have no idea if what I am doing is what you desire.” Her mouth opened and he shrugged. “Granted, you really do not have a choice but to follow my orders, but that is not the point. There are some very important and fundamental questions that I want you to think about and answer for me.”
“Yes, Brother?”
“You said that you felt helpless when you could not leave your room. We have invented the persona of Miss Cargill for you. If you wish to come out and present yourself to our guests as such, and contend with whatever reactions they may have … I will not object. It does not mean that you have to walk about publicly anywhere to hear whatever comments may be made, you are free to remain in this home, but perhaps you will feel less like a prisoner when people do come to call. Remember you have months more to go. Eventually we will have to hire a midwife and at that time, there will be no keeping this quiet any longer. You must be tended to and the child must be christened.” She nodded and said nothing.
“I want you to decide what you want to happen when the baby is born. I do not want him to be sent off to a stranger, I want him to be on the land of his forefathers. Despite all of my shouting and disappointment, I cannot imagine not loving your child. The only other baby I have ever known was you, but … I was lost the first time that you looked at me.”
“You blamed me for Mama’s death.”
“I was twelve and devastated.” He said softly, “But then I held you.” She looked up and smiled a little. “And then you spat up on me.” Darcy laughed at her furiously blushing cheeks. “Well, I might have hugged you too hard. In any case, I want you to decide if you want us to raise the baby or if you want someone else to, like Aunt and Uncle Darcy. I will approach them on your behalf if you like.”
“I just thought that you and Elizabeth deserve to … have your own family.”
“That is fine; do you want me to approach them?” She nodded and he smiled a little. “And if they feel that they cannot take on the task, no matter the reason, are you comfortable with the baby coming to us?”
“Oh yes, please do not …”
“Shh.” He shook his head. “Now, we come to you. And I do not expect an answer immediately. I want you to decide what you want to do when you are recovered. My plan was to find you a new companion and send you both to London to continue your education. With luck, in two or three years, we would launch you into society and hopefully find a man who is willing to be your husband.” She looked frightened and he met her eyes. “Which subject bothers you? Leaving Pemberley or marriage?”
“Both.”
“Well that is why I wanted you to think about it. Keep in mind that my goal is to save you and the baby from the cruelty of society. But I am also attempting to be sensitive to your feelings. I am not sure if you would want to remain in our household with the child who will call you Aunt instead of Mother.”
“I guess that depends on if he lives at Pemberley or the dower house.”
“True, but either way, you would be in his company.”
“I honestly do not feel very maternal, Fitzwilliam. For some reason, I feel like I am … carrying this baby for someone else. Does that make sense?”
“Yes, if you have always determined that you would not be its mother. And maybe as a way of managing the guilt you feel.” He hugged her and felt her relaxing. “And the last thing, dear. I am very, very tired, and I want more than anything to love my wife. I feel that I have been neglecting her. We both have so many burdens on our shoulders. I want to ask if you will mind me giv
ing her the honeymoon she deserves?”
She smiled at her serious brother. “That I can answer without a moment of thought. Go on and romance your wife.”
“Thank you.”
“You really needed my permission for that?”
“If I did not love you, I would not have asked.” He straightened and rubbed his thumb over his ring. “Lizzy falling in the river today woke me up. I do not care to waste any more time on subjects that have no answers or circumstances that I cannot change.”
“I will think on your questions.”
Looking out at the downpour he turned back to her. “I think that we will be having overnight guests. Will you be remaining in your rooms?”
“Yes. I … I do not know if I want to be exposed.”
“Very well.” He stood and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Then I will bid you a good evening … I have a honeymoon to begin.”
“Will you get her drunk, Fitzwilliam?” Georgiana giggled when he looked at her in surprise. “I heard you whispering to her at Christmas about it, and when you did not appear for breakfast until very late the next morning you were both grinning like well-fed cats.” Darcy closed his eyes and groaned. “You should have heard Richard’s comments.”
“Oh … really?” Nodding his head, he went to the door. “Well it is my turn to comment, I think. Goodnight, Georgiana.”
“Goodnight.” She tilted her head as he strode purposely out and closed the door behind him. She picked up the doll and spoke to it. “I think that I finally did something right.”
DARCY LEANED on the doorway into Elizabeth’s room and watched her sitting before the fire. Wordlessly approaching, he took the brush from her hand and began running it through her damp hair. Elizabeth closed her eyes and could feel the tension leaving her with his gentle, reassuring touch. “That feels wonderful.”
“Yes, it does. I should have been brushing your hair for months now.” He said softly, watching as her drying locks formed into waves of curls that sprang back with each pass. At last he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent he loved so well, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You will be the death of me, Elizabeth Darcy.”