Falling for Mr. Darcy (37 page)

The temptation to bend his head to kiss her soft curls the way he had in the grove so many weeks before, became too much, so Darcy turned his head away to look out the window for a long while. The time had passed quicker than he realized as he began to recognize the surroundings of Hertfordshire as their carriage neared Meryton.

Reluctantly, he nudged Elizabeth awake as their journey was coming to an end. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before she opened them and looked around. When she realized she had been resting on Mr. Darcy’s shoulder, she sat up straight and apologized, blushing in mortification.

“Do not worry, Miss Bennet; it was no sacrifice on my part.” He smiled triumphantly, and she raised her eyebrows at his brazen speech. “I am sorry to wake you, but we are nearly there.” He pointed out the window.

Elizabeth looked out the window and, with astonishment, exclaimed, “I cannot believe it! It has always taken my uncle’s carriage four hours to reach Longbourn from London. Your carriage, sir, must be well sprung, as I did not think the horses were going so fast.”

“I beg your pardon, Miss Bennet, but it
has
been nearly four hours. I would like to accept your compliment to my carriage and horses, but they have been no faster than your uncle’s would have been.”

Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. “You are too modest, sir. It cannot have been so long.”

Darcy laughed at her look of skepticism and, without thinking, pulled out his watch and handed it to her. “Check for yourself. I assure you, it has been nearly four hours.”

He smiled at her defiant look as she took up his watch. “I will, thank you very much.”

The moment she opened the watch, he realized his mistake. He saw immediately that she recognized his memento, and he quickly tried to retrieve his watch from her possession.

She pulled it out of his reach and began to laugh. “Oh, no, Mr. Darcy! You may not have this back just yet.”

Georgiana woke to the noise and opened her eyes to see a laughing Elizabeth holding her brother’s watch out of his reach as he tried to retrieve it without leaning too close.

“Miss Bennet, you have already discovered my thievery, so returning my watch will not lessen your triumph, I am sure.” Completely embarrassed, he reached again for the watch.

Elizabeth laughed as she moved his watch to hide it behind her back. “Sir, is it a new fashion among gentlemen to carry silk flowers in their pocket watches?” she teased.

“Minx!” he cried, as he tried once more to reach behind her and take the watch. Elizabeth was quicker and turned to hand it to Georgiana.

Georgiana opened it and, seeing the silk flower, began to laugh at her brother. Darcy sat back, defeated, and crossed his arms, pretending to be more upset than he was embarrassed.

“William! What are you doing with such a feminine item in your watch?”

Elizabeth explained with amused satisfaction and a sideways look at Mr. Darcy. “The silk flower is mine, Georgiana. It came off my shoe at the Netherfield ball nearly six weeks ago. I suspect I know where it has been located ever since.”

Darcy eyed Elizabeth sideways as his pretended frown broke, and he gave her a guilty smile. She laughed endearingly at him. “Mr. Darcy, may I have my flower back now?”

Darcy leaned forward and surprised them both as he quickly retrieved his watch from his sister and replaced it in his pocket. “No.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and her brows rose at his statement. “No? Sir, I do not believe it belongs to you.”

Darcy shrugged indifferently but maintained a slight smile. “Regardless, it is mine now. I do not plan on returning it.”

Elizabeth laughed at his proud demeanor and thought a moment, tapping her finger on her lips. Mr. Darcy swallowed.
If she only knew what that does to me . . .

“I believe, sir, that it is only fair that I have some sort of compensation for your thievery.”

Mr. Darcy looked at her in challenge, nodding his head for her to continue.

Elizabeth accepted the challenge and reached into her dress pocket to retrieve the handkerchief he had loaned her the day before when she was crying. “Well, seeing as I was going to return this to you, sir, after it was laundered, I believe it is only just that I should keep it now. What say you to that?” she asked, saucily.

Darcy’s pressed lips turned upwards in a smile. “I accept your terms.” His smile widened when Elizabeth and Georgiana began to laugh.

Elizabeth stretched her hand out to him. “Then it is agreed?”

Darcy took her hand, laughing at her unladylike proposal to shake hands to seal the agreement. After shaking it gently, he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it softly before releasing it. “Agreed.” He smiled smugly when he saw her turn in her seat and blush.

Georgiana watched with fascination at the way Elizabeth was able to tease her brother and the way he responded so charmingly to her. It was clear that their affections were engaged and mutual. She bit her lip with excitement as hope rose in her heart that she would soon get the sister she had always wished for.

Chapter 17

Elizabeth drew in a slow, deep breath. The clear, country air was invigorating, and she felt refreshed and glad to be home. Not only was the air cleaner than sooty London, but even the frozen, sleeping land of Hertfordshire in January made Elizabeth feel like she was breathing in new life. She pushed with her boots and swung backwards on the tree swing. She swayed sideways slightly as the air blew past her, tickling the small curls escaping her bonnet.

The day before, she had arrived back at Longbourn amid laughter and smiles within the carriage and concerned chaos without. Her father came to the carriage first after Mr. Darcy had handed her out. Elizabeth’s eyes moistened remembering the concerned, tired face of her father. He looked as if he had not slept at all since receiving their express the night before, detailing the attack and change of plans in their travel arrangements. She could see on his face the worry he must have suffered, and as she looked into his eyes, she knew she saw a bit of guilt, too.

When he stepped up to the carriage, he looked as if he wished to speak but then engulfed her in a father’s embrace, whispering, “Oh, my Lizzy.”

Jane, too, was nearly in tears as soon as she saw the bruises on Elizabeth’s neck and face. She immediately pulled Elizabeth into the house to care for her. Lydia was uncharacteristically silent and grave. Kitty did not come to greet Elizabeth as she was attending Mrs. Bennet, who had taken to her rooms in a fit of nerves as soon as she learned of Elizabeth’s attack.

Elizabeth kicked the ground, sending the swing higher as she continued to reflect on the previous day. As soon as the entire party was inside, Mr. Darcy made introductions for Miss Darcy to the rest of the Bennet family. Mr. Bennet requested a moment with Mr. Darcy in his study, and Elizabeth declared she would go to her mother.

“Come and join us when you have seen your mother, will you Lizzy?” her father requested.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded her head before removing the hand he still held in his. Jane attended to Miss Darcy, making sure she felt comfortable.

* * *

Upon Elizabeth’s entrance into her chambers, her mother was immediately in raptures over her safe arrival home.

“Oh, my dear Lizzy! How afraid we were to hear that you had gotten attacked by Mr. Wickham. I am sure I thought you would die and then my brother would have to fight Wickham!” Mrs. Bennet fanned herself and fluttered her other hand around anxiously. Before Elizabeth could say something soothing, she continued, “And Mr. Wickham! I am sure I did not think he was so bad, but then again, as I told Mrs. Phillips this morning, I never quite trusted him. No, I did not.”

“I am well now, Mama, as you can see. Wickham has been arrested, and he cannot hurt anyone again.”

Mrs. Bennet ceased her movements for a moment to assess her daughter and, for the first time, noticed the injuries to her face.

“Oh, Kitty, get me my smelling salts!” Kitty rushed to bring her a vial of salts, and she huffed into them before falling back into her mass of pillows and moaning. “Just look at yourself, Lizzy! I am sure no man will have you now. Whatever will we do?”

Elizabeth turned her face to roll her eyes and then sat on her mother’s bed. “Mama, my face is perfectly fine. It is only a little bruising and will be gone in a few days,” she said reassuringly.

Mrs. Bennet waved Elizabeth away. “I pray it will be so, child, for what man will have you with such ugly colors all over your face? Let me be, I am very ill, very ill indeed.”

Elizabeth gladly exited and headed to her father’s study.

* * *

Mr. Bennet held the door open to usher Mr. Darcy into his study before closing it and heading solemnly to sit in his desk chair. Mr. Darcy, who had expected such an interview, took a seat across from him.

“Well, Mr. Darcy, you have rescued my daughter and returned her home twice now,” Mr. Bennet began.

Mr. Darcy grimly declared, “Unfortunately, I must take the blame for her need to be rescued this time. Wickham was after me, sir. As you are familiar with the particulars of our history, you can see he has made it a life-long habit to choose his victims from among those I hold in regard.”

Mr. Bennet considered his companion for a brief moment before saying, “I think you take too much upon yourself, Mr. Darcy.”

Mr. Darcy’s lips turned up in a half smile. “So says your daughter as well, sir.”

Elizabeth’s father chuckled lightly. “Mr. Darcy, I must thank you for the help you have rendered this family with regards to Elizabeth. I thank God she was not more seriously injured physically or emotionally.” The two men sat quietly, nodding in agreement. “I also wish to thank you, more particularly, for bringing my Lizzy home to me today. Even without a more serious injury, I do not think I could have waited to see her until her uncle brought her later this week.”

“It was my pleasure, sir.” Mr. Darcy’s words were solemnly spoken, but as soon as they were out, he was reminded of their pleasant banter over her discovery of the silk flower in his watch, and he smiled secretly to himself.

Witnessing his expression, Mr. Bennet said, “Elizabeth has an uncanny ability to recover quickly. It is not in her nature to be grave and forlorn. As worried as I was for her, I was more than relieved to see her emerge from your carriage, sir, with laughter in her eyes and a smile on her face. Thank you for that, too.”

“I deserve no such gratitude. Your daughter is a remarkable lady who seems to lift the spirits of those around her quite naturally, sir,” Darcy boldly stated, looking Mr. Bennet in the eye.

Mr. Bennet nodded his head in consideration. “So she is.” After a moment, in which Mr. Darcy studied his clasped hands in front of him and Mr. Bennet studied Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth’s father asked, “So, what is to become of Wickham, then?”

Darcy shifted in his seat, thankful for the change in topic and the businesslike tone of Mr. Bennet. He related the events of the previous evening in the park: Wickham’s being detained and arrested under charges of desertion.

Mr. Bennet listened to the recounting and let out an audible sigh. “I cannot say that I am sorry for him. It may not be Christian of me, but I would not wish to know that man was anywhere on this earth and still breathing.”

“And, so, he will not be, soon.” Darcy replied.

They were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Assuming it was his favorite daughter, Mr. Bennet’s mood lifted as he called her to enter. Elizabeth gingerly opened the door to join the men. The familiar smell of books and old cigar smoke came upon her, and she nearly began to cry at the unexpected relief she felt from it.

Darcy, having determined that Mr. Bennet and his daughter might want a few moments alone, decided to take his leave, but only after securing her permission to call the next morning. Having received her consent, he left and gathered his sister before traveling the short distance to Netherfield.

A tear rolled down Elizabeth’s cheek as the cold January wind cooled its path down her face. After Mr. Darcy took his leave, she went to her father’s side. Without a word, he escorted her to the window seat and sat them both down. She had expected him to talk about the attack but, instead, he had wished only to hold her, and so they sat for many moments, Elizabeth being comforted by her papa or the other way around.

Not for the first time since stepping out of Mr. Darcy’s carriage, Elizabeth breathed in a sigh of contentment at being home. She smiled at the irony of how she had felt relief at being away from home only a week before when she left Longbourn for London. Now, she was returned to the country and feeling relief for having left London. The realization hit her like the force of a push from behind.
I feel most contented when in the part of the country where Mr. Darcy is.
Elizabeth smiled to herself as she kicked her leg lazily, causing the swing to twist and turn. Later that morning, Mr. Darcy would be visiting. The anticipation made her giddy with excitement.

* * *

Mr. Darcy looked down at the letter in his hands, letting out a frustrated breath and uncharacteristic oath. He was really beginning to hate letters. This one had just arrived that morning and from a quarter of the country from which he had not anticipated receiving anything. It was from his Aunt Catherine, requesting his immediate presence in Kent.
Can I not have even a day to enjoy Elizabeth’s company?
As soon as the thought materialized, though, he felt guilty for having had it. More than likely, the letter was due to Cousin Anne’s health or the Rosings Park estate. As there was still three weeks until Bingley’s wedding, he certainly had time to see to whatever the urgent summons was about.