“We shall put a chair behind the door as well,” Elizabeth said, “and perhaps something sharp on the window ledge for good measure. Nobody will take us unawares.”
“And if anything happens you need only shout for me to come running,” Mr. Davenport said.
“As shall I,” Mr. Darcy added.
As they had taken the rooms on either side, Annabelle felt secure enough to fall asleep fairly quickly. It was Elizabeth who lay awake, wondering where Lydia was, and if she had already made it to Gretna Green. Was she even now Mrs. Wickham? Or worse, had Mr. Wickham already deserted her? That thought kept sleep at bay for some time.
A few miles back, Lady Catherine was also lying awake, lamenting the smallness of the room, deploring the condition of the bed, and thinking with displeasure of the day which she had just endured.
It had begun quite pleasantly with a cup of tea in a comfortable bed, followed by an excellent breakfast, something which she was not expecting to find reproduced on the morrow, and a satisfying gossip with her sister-in-law. After that, everything had gone downhill. She was going to a great deal of trouble to rescue Darcy from the clutches of Miss Bennet, and there was only one way in which he could make it up to her. Happy thoughts of his marriage to Anne enabled her to fall asleep at last.
Across the street, in another inn, Colonel Fitzwilliam was enjoying a glass of brandy before bed and feeling pleased that he had caught up with his aunt without being discovered by her. He intended to get a very early start in the morning so that she would never know he was travelling the same route. At least not until they reached Gretna Green.
In a town a little further back, Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley were content with their bedchamber and with the progress they had made during the day. They might not have gained on Lady Catherine, but they were quite certain of not having fallen behind.
Near Leicester, Mr. Bingley was feeling very well satisfied. All his requests for haste had been accommodated with great willingness, and he was nearly halfway to Hertfordshire.
In Derby, Miss Bingley was excessively disgruntled at still being in the same county. It was quite disgraceful how many delays they had encountered.
CHAPTER 17
In the morning, Lady Catherine was quick, but the colonel was quicker and easily evaded her. Everybody else also made an early start, except for Miss Bingley and the Hursts, who were delayed by the discovery that one of their horses had suddenly gone lame in the process of drawing the carriage to the door. A new one had to be harnessed, which took an exceptionally long time.
Mr. Darcy was now driving Mr. Davenport’s curricle while the young couple travelled with the Gardiners in their closed carriage, just in case they encountered the angry uncle. Elizabeth joined him, which he felt was the perfect arrangement.
“I am sure that we will find them today,” he said to give her comfort, but he was pleased to see that she was not hopelessly downcast. Her ability to keep up her spirits in the face of adversity was one of the qualities which he admired.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to talk in private, he began by acquainting Elizabeth with some of the things Mr. Bingley had said on the previous day.
“I believe they will soon be engaged if she can forgive him,” he said.
Elizabeth heard this with joy. “Jane is more capable of forgiveness than anybody I know,” she said. “She will not think there is anything to forgive, however.”
“She is too kind. I do not know if you will be able to forgive me for my interference. It was done in arrogance and conceit, which I regret, but the fact is that I caused your sister many months of pain. That has been on my mind since you made me aware of it.”
“I can forgive it,” she said. “I ought to. The mistakes were not all on one side. I am also guilty of assumptions and misjudgement.”
“Even that is mostly my fault. You might not have thought ill of me if I had been less reserved in the early days of our acquaintance.”
“I might not have thought so badly of you if I had not been eager to do so,” she countered. “But I think we would do better to agree not to argue about any distribution of blame.”
He agreed, and they continued on to more pleasing subjects, passing the time in the same comfortable companionship they had enjoyed at Pemberley, but he was glad to have relieved himself of these feelings.
At the second tollgate, they learned of a pair in a vehicle which was described as being very run down indeed.
“It would not surprise me if they were to break down,” the tollgate keeper said.
“That sounds like it could be them,” Mr. Darcy said to Elizabeth as they drove away. “I did not think Wickham would be able to afford much.”
The tollgate keeper’s prediction was soon proven accurate. A couple of miles further on, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth sighted a carriage that was leaning at an odd angle. On closer inspection, they saw that it was a gig with a broken wheel. The couple standing beside it were not Lydia and Mr. Wickham, however.
Mr. Darcy drew up and asked if he could be of assistance.
“I do not think so,” a teary-eyed young lady said in a sad voice. “There is nothing to be done.”
“It is a hopeless case,” her companion agreed. “This was my grandfather’s old gig, and my uncle had it after him. I should not have attempted a journey in it.”
They were both rather plainly dressed, and the lady’s dress was particularly shabby. Elizabeth could tell that it was of a style from several years ago. She glanced at Mr. Darcy and guessed that he was hard put to think which tailor had made such an unfashionable coat. Contrary to their appearance, however, the pair spoke in genteel voices, and their manners were polished. They were obviously poor, but definitely of the gentry.
“We could stop in the next town and send somebody out to assist you,” Mr. Darcy said. “Or we could take you there. You might hire a carriage to continue on your way.”
“It is beyond our means,” the man said honestly. “We have barely enough money for the journey as it is.”
“Where were you heading?” Mr. Darcy asked.
The man looked at the lady. “I suppose there is no need for concealment now,” he said. “We were going to Gretna Green, where we intended to get married.”
Mr. Darcy automatically turned to look back along the road. “Will there be somebody coming after you?”
“I expect so,” the lady said. “My stepfather will be furious when he discovers that I have gone.”
“He has probably already realized it,” her friend said morosely.
“It really is none of my business,” Mr. Darcy said, “but could it be that he has valid grounds to object? Forgive me for saying so, but I do not get the impression that you could afford to keep this young lady.”
“It would have been a stretch,” he admitted.
“But that is only what I am used to,” she declared. “My stepfather does not like to spend money.”
“He is an absolute miser,” the man said. “He could afford to keep a servant or two, but he prefers to save money by having Clara do all the work. She cooks, cleans, and launders, besides waiting on him hand and foot.”
Elizabeth glanced at the girl’s hands and saw that they were red and chafed, evidence which backed up this claim.
“But I do not suppose that you could afford servants to reduce her burden,” Mr. Darcy said. “If she married you, she would still have to do all the work.”
“It is a moot point now, but I would not have expected her to do so much,” he protested, “and there will be more money once I am better established in my profession.”
“A smaller house would have been easier to manage,” Clara pointed out. “I would have been happy too, which I am not now.”
Mr. Darcy looked concerned by this. “Have you no other sources of happiness? Your family?”
“I have no family. My mother died two years ago, and there is nobody else.”
“This stepfather is your guardian?”
“Yes.”
“He is not much of a guardian,” Edward said. “He cares nothing for Clara. I had very good reasons for asking her to run away with me. You must not think ill of her for agreeing to it.”
“Of course we do not,” Elizabeth said warmly.
“No,” Mr. Darcy agreed without any signs of such hesitation as he had displayed on the previous evening.
“She only really has me, but unfortunately I live in London now. I was visiting my family, and when I saw the state that Clara was in, I felt that it was impossible to leave her.”
“Quite understandable,” Mr. Darcy said, echoing Elizabeth’s thoughts.
In her opinion, the poor girl looked quite worn out. She had tired eyes and a run-down appearance. It was nice to see that the young man still looked fondly upon her. He obviously loved her, as well as being concerned with her well-being, which it appeared her stepfather was not.
“I am sorry that this did not work out,” he now said to Clara, taking her hand.
“It is not your fault,” she said. “Perhaps it for the best anyway. What we were doing was wrong.”
“It was,” he agreed, “but I could not bear to see you so put upon.”
She smiled wanly. “I can manage.”
Elizabeth was dubious. Clara looked to be on the point of exhaustion.
“It will be another two years until you are of age,” Edward said sorrowfully.
“We shall just have to wait patiently.”
They were looking at each other, apparently forgetting that they had company.
“I think not,” Mr. Darcy said, getting their attention and Elizabeth’s with this sudden statement. “Miss Clara looks to be in desperate need of a good rest. It is obvious that her current arrangement is not satisfactory.”
“No, it is not,” Edward agreed.
“In fact, it sounds deplorable. I think that she will be better off marrying you. I am prepared to help you get to Gretna Green.”
Elizabeth smiled at him with approval. “I thought we ought to help them,” she said.
“Will you really?” Clara cried, looking much happier.
“It would be very generous of you,” Edward said. “I do not know if we ought to accept, however. We should not drag anybody else into our disgrace.”
“I am willing to stand it,” Mr. Darcy said.
Edward still hesitated. “I would like to accept for Clara’s sake, but you have not the room. It would be to much of an imposition.”
“We have friends travelling behind us in another carriage.”
“My aunt and uncle,” Elizabeth said. “Indeed, that is their carriage coming along now, and I am certain that they will not mind making room for you.”
“If that is so, then I am of a mind to accept your offer.”
“Excellent,” Mr. Darcy said. “I do have one condition, however. You must accept my assistance in helping you advance yourself and be better able to support a wife. What is it that you do?”
“I am a barrister.”
“I believe I know a man who would be willing to give you a leg up. What university did you attend?”
“Cambridge.”
“Excellent. So do did my friend. And Mr. Davenport as well. The two of you will have something to talk about.”
“Mr. Davenport is your wife’s uncle?”
“This is not my wife,” Mr. Darcy said. “Miss Bennet is a friend of mine, and we are travelling with her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.”
“Mr. Davenport is another gentleman whom we are taking to Gretna Green,” Elizabeth said.
“Along with Miss Annabelle, whom he is planning to marry” Mr. Darcy said. “So you see that we have already assumed the mantle of disgrace. You need have no qualms on that account.”
“Are you eloping as well?” Clara asked. “Is that why you are going to Gretna Green?”
“No,” Mr. Darcy said. “We are not getting married.”
Elizabeth thought there was a hint of sadness in his tone. “We are going to meet my sister,” she said.”
The arrival of the Gardiner’s post chaise saved any further explanation, which was for the best. It would only confuse things.
“Was there an accident?” Mr. Gardiner cried from the window. “Was anybody hurt?”
“Only the gig,” Mr. Darcy said. “We ought to move it to the verge for safety and arrange for somebody to come and deal with it. This couple was fortunately unharmed, but they are without transportation, so I have offered to convey them to Gretna Green.”
After their story was recounted, the Gardiners agreed with Mr. Darcy’s assessment and welcomed two more companions. Annabelle held her hands out to Clara and sympathized with all her troubles.
“We have another Cambridge man here,” Mr. Darcy said to Mr. Davenport, who immediately struck up a conversation with Edward.
The three of them moved the gig, and the postilion left with the horse and a payment from Mr. Darcy to have the mess sorted out. Edward had tried to pay, but he had been waved away with a comment of “We can settle some other time.”
Six people then arranged themselves in the chaise. It was a little crowded, but its occupants were cheerfully accepting of this.
“What if he had gone to Oxford?” Elizabeth asked as she and Mr. Darcy returned to the curricle.
“I can tolerate an Oxford man. In fact, one of my cousins was at Oxford. Lord Brampton. I must introduce you some time.” He sprang lightly into the curricle.
“It is a useful thing our latest gentleman is a barrister,” he said once they were underway again. “There are many appointments which he might attain after getting a little experience. Of course, they will not have much at first. I do hope we are doing the right thing. It will be our fault if Miss Clara is not happy.”
“I am sure she will be.”
“At least she does not have high expectations or an aversion to work. She seems quite resigned to not having servants.”
“If I loved a man who was poor, I would rather be with him than have servants.”
“An admirable sentiment. I do not believe I could so easily give up mine. I have become accustomed to a privileged lifestyle.”
“Suppose you had no money, but an opportunity to marry a very wealthy woman. Would you marry her for her fortune?”
“No,” he said decisively. “I most certainly would not. I would rather be poor than marry for anything but love.”
“I completely agree. It would appear that you and I are not so different.”
“It would also appear that you have a way of persuading me to do almost anything.”
“You tempt me to test that theory. What do you say to robbing a stagecoach?”
“Absolutely not!” Mr. Darcy was grinning widely.
“I can admire a man who will not be parted from his principles.”
“I can admire a lady with an adventurous spirit. But I draw the line at lawlessness!”
CHAPTER 18
The miles went by for all the parties on the road. They did so agonizingly slowly for Miss Bingley, who had no idea of the instructions being passed along from one set of postilions to another. Mrs. Annesley’s information that she was trying to break up her brother’s romance with a very nice lady was embellished at each change of horses.
If that was not sufficient motivation for any of the postilions, a sharp lash of Miss Bingley’s tongue did the business very well.
“Hurry up,” she kept shouting at them with a fine disregard for the foolishness of offending those from whom one requires a service.
Lady Catherine was no politer to the people whom she encountered. She achieved excellent progress by issuing sharp orders in an imperious voice; however, Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley, who gave gracious thanks for all the services they received, had gained a little on her. Ahead of them, Colonel Fitzwilliam was getting closer to his quarry, in part due to his excellent handling of the carriage, and in part because he had not stopped to aid any elopers.
In
front of him, the Gardiners had no cause to regret their latest instance of generosity. Their two newest companions were quite agreeable, and Miss Clara barely took up any room on the seat they were sharing with her. Miss Annabelle, sitting directly opposite, was drawing her out, and they showed signs of becoming good friends. The two young gentlemen also seemed disposed to like each other.
In the curricle, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were talking and laughing like old friends. They were so much engaged in each other’s company that neither of them noticed a familiar couple go by. That pair was more observant, however.
The lady grabbed her husband’s arm and cried, “Mr. Goulding, I am sure that was Elizabeth Bennet.”
“It was,” he agreed.
“She was with that disagreeable Mr. Darcy. They were smiling at each other!”
“It appears that she does not find him so disagreeable after all.”
“No, evidently not.”
“Well, he does have 10,000 pounds,” Mr. Goulding pointed out.
“Oh, quite so, my dear. I always thought she was foolish to openly dislike a man of Mr. Darcy’s consequence. Still, it was strange to see them being so friendly, and such a long way from Longbourn. I wonder where they were going.”
“This is the road to Gretna Green,” he observed.
“Really!” She turned around to stare at the departing pair. “Can her opinion of him have changed that much? I am astonished. But I would not have thought Lizzy the type to elope. Nor Mr. Darcy. Come to think of it, why should they elope? Mr. Bennet would not refuse his consent. His wife would never allow him to let a man like that slip out of their clutches.”
“Perhaps he is evading his aunt.”
“Oh, you are probably right. Mr. Wickham did say that she is one of the most arrogant ladies in the land. She will not like this match.”
“Mrs. Bennet will, however.”
“Oh, she will. She is going to be insufferable on the subject. There will be no end to her going on about her wealthy son-in-law. I can imagine it already.”
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