Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love-kindle (6 page)

Caroline had protested Darcy’s absence from dinner, but Charles brushed aside her insistence that he immediately send men out to locate him. This morning, however, he was beginning to get a bit concerned, though he was certainly not going to bring attention to his disquiet. Better that none of his household learn that Darcy had not returned until he knew what had happened. The less they knew, the less Caroline would likely find out. Thus, he told the servants that he had personally let Darcy into the house very late last night, and he would be spending the rest of the day in his room as he was exhausted. He emphasised that Mr. Darcy was not to be disturbed and instructed them to tell Caroline and the Hursts the same thing when they came down to break their fast.

With his mind a jumble of thoughts and apprehension for his friend, Charles Bingley rode out just before daylight, hoping to find that he was correct, and his best friend had found a safe shelter from the storm at one of the tenant homes.

~~~*~~~

At the cottage

Watching Elizabeth as she slept, William thought how very beautiful she was with absolutely no embellishment. She needed no finery, sparkling jewels or elaborate hairstyles to enhance her person. Her dark brows and eyelashes lay like silk against a perfect complexion and her hair—her hair was his undoing. The long dark locks, drenched the night before, had dried—the resulting dishevelled ringlets more striking than he had seen that day at the bookshop in Meryton. Against his better judgement, he reached to stroke one long tendril, finding it softer than he had imagined and brought it to his nose, closing his eyes in anticipation of a delightful fragrance. The scent of lavender still lingered, and at that moment, he would have given everything he owned for her to be his.

The pain of this reflection pierced his heart, and he hurled that yearning into the same deep recess where he had tossed his own desires two years before. Stoically reaffirming the acceptance of his fate, he began to focus on what was crucial at this point—getting Elizabeth home to Longbourn before daylight. Well aware that they must return before Mr. Bennet had time to arrange for a search party lest their night spent together become common knowledge, he had already saddled the horse. Since all that remained was to wake her, he knelt down beside her, gently shaking her shoulder.

“Elizabeth?”

She murmured but did not wake, so he reached to cup her face. Immediately he became alarmed—she was running a fever! Now the need to return her to her family’s care was even more urgent.

“Elizabeth!” he said louder. Her eyes opened and despite the clear evidence of the fever in her slow, affected speech, she tried to smile at him.

“Fitzwilliam, why are you up so early? Can we not sleep until the household awakens?”

William was taken aback.  “The household?”

Sighing lazily, her eyes closed once more. “Have you forgotten already?”

He would have smiled at her misconception, had it not been so painful for him or had she not been sick. “I fear you are dreaming. We were caught by the rain and found shelter in this cabin. But the storm has ceased, and it shall be getting light soon. We must get you home before the waters recede entirely and they begin a search. It would not do for anyone to find us together under these circumstances.”

“But what will it matter?” she murmured sleepily, not opening her eyes. “We are married.”

William’s heart lurched. How he longed to tell her he would gladly marry her, but he could not. Instead, he began to slip his arms under her. “I am going to lift you, and as I do, try to put your arms about my neck.”

As he picked her up, she studied him dreamily, murmuring, “My home is with you.”  Then she laid her head on his shoulder and promptly went back to sleep, no doubt as a result of the fever.

Just as he began towards the door with Elizabeth in his arms, the sound of heavy footsteps announced the presence of someone coming up the small front steps, and a man’s shadow filled the doorway. William found himself holding his breath as the front door was pushed open and a familiar voice rang out.

“Darcy, what the devil!”  He rushed towards them. “What has happened to Miss Elizabeth, and why are you here with her?”

William had never been happier in his life to see Charles Bingley and he let go of the breath he was holding.

“It is a long story Charles, which I shall be happy to tell while we make our way to Longbourn. But in short, I pulled Miss Bennet from the middle of a raging stream as she clung to an old tree trunk that fords it. We spent the night here due to the severity of the storm, and I have just now discovered that she has a fever.  I desperately need to get her home before anyone sees us or her condition worsens.”

“Yes, the locals say that even the small bridge between Netherfield and Longbourn is covered with water when it storms as it did yesterday, and no one can cross until it recedes.”

“Then let us pray the bridge is passable now and that Mr. Bennet was unable to arrange a search party. It is such a relief to know that you will be accompanying me, as I believe he shall react more rationally.”

“I would imagine you are relieved. And I will be most pleased to hear your explanation before he kills you.”

William was almost to the barn when Charles made his jest, and he turned to confront Bingley, Elizabeth still in his arms. “I am glad that one of us sees humour in this situation. I do not wish to duel Miss Elizabeth’s father.”

“I am only trying to lighten your mood, Darcy. It does not take a scholar to see that Mr. Bennet is very protective of her. I just hope he takes the time to listen to your explanation before …” Charles’ voice trailed off.

“Yes,” William agreed. “Let us pray he is a man who listens before he acts.

~~~*~~~

Longbourn
Mr. Bennet’s study

William felt almost like a schoolboy under Mr. Bennet’s glare, but he would not be the first to look away. He had done nothing wrong, and he was not about to be treated as though he had. Suddenly a knock garnered the older man’s attention, and the impasse was temporarily broken as he looked towards the door with a glare that questioned what interloper dared interrupt his interrogation of the gentleman he held responsible for compromising his daughter. As the door slowly opened, William was stunned to see Bingley’s head enter the room before the rest followed. After all, Mr. Bennet had summarily dismissed Charles when he demanded William’s presence in his library after seeing his daughter to her room.

“Mr. Bingley,” Thomas Bennet began, “I am afraid that I shall have to ask you once more to wait in the parlour.”

Charles would not be dissuaded as he shut the door. “I feel that I should have a part in this discussion; after all, it was I who discovered my friend and your daughter at the tenant’s shack this morning.”

Mr. Bennet considered the red-headed man with great dissatisfaction before he conceded. “Very well, come in. But I warn you that I shall have my answers from this gentleman.”

Charles moved forward to take the seat next to William. They both faced Mr. Bennet, who sat behind his desk. Without bothering to speak to Charles, he turned back to William, addressing him sarcastically as he had been doing since the interrogation began.

“Now, you were saying.”

William’s demeanour was not conciliatory. He took an exaggerated breath, puffing up his cheeks and blowing it out, hoping to convey his displeasure at her father’s intimations.

“As I tried to explain previously, I was not at Oakham Mount to meet your daughter. I had no way of knowing that she was in the vicinity, and it was just a coincidence that I was surveying the last of Netherfield’s tenant houses and was in the area.”

“That is correct!” Charles interjected, causing the two to glance his way. “Darcy set out alone early yesterday morning to survey the last of the structures, as I was too tired to accompany him after the ball.”

William was far too weary to object to his friend’s attempt to be helpful, so he ignored him and continued. “And the only cottage left to inspect was at the base of Oakham Mount, where the two properties meet. As I arrived in that area, the storm began in earnest, and my only thought was to find shelter. It was a miracle that I came across your daughter at all.”

Mr. Bennet rubbed his chin uneasily. Perhaps the man had been telling the truth and was not the scoundrel that he had painted him when he arrived this morning with his favourite daughter in tow. Learning that the bridge was now passable, he had just sent a servant to saddle his horse when he had found himself squinting at the shape of two riders barely visible in the distance, against the backdrop of the breaking dawn. And by the time they entered the drive to Longbourn, he knew that it was Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy and that each carried something on his horse.

He stood as if in a trance until he could make out that Bingley transported Elizabeth’s small white goat and that Mr. Darcy held his daughter. Moreover, whereas Bingley looked rested and well dressed, he noted that Darcy hardly looked like the man he had met at the ball. He was unshaven, his hair uncombed and his clothes dishevelled. Elizabeth’s appearance was equally disturbing. That observation and the fact that she was feverish combined to push his temper to the edge of reason. Consequently, he had not expressed gratitude towards Elizabeth’s rescuer, but instead, had fired accusations at him the minute they entered the privacy of his library.

Now as he studied Darcy anew, Mr. Bennet had to admit that having been up all night fretting about Elizabeth and trying to calm his wife might have rendered him swift to judge. However, he was not of a mind to admit that to Mr. Darcy just yet.

“So you contend that you followed some wild dogs, who were chasing the goat, and found Elizabeth stranded in the middle of a stream, trying to shield that kid from the pack?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmmm.” Mr. Bennet studied his desk top for a moment before challenging him again. “And you maintain that you were barely able to rescue her and the animal from the swollen waters.” William’s head nodded in agreement. “Then somehow you managed to find this tenant cottage in the middle of a driving rain, and you decided it was best if you both spent the night?”

“Yes, sir. Your daughter mentioned that the bridge was most likely underwater, and even had it not been, it would have been impossible to get there during the downpour that followed.”

“I would imagine she was soaking wet. How did you manage to keep her warm?”

“I started a fire with the scant firewood left near the hearth and broke up a few old chairs to add to it. There was a horse blanket in the barn that I spread over an old straw mattress. Then I wrapped her in both my coats.”

The way the man stared, William was unsure whether Elizabeth’s father was impressed with his ingenuity or still very irritated with him. Finally he spoke.

“I suppose you know that Mrs. Bennet is already demanding that you marry Elizabeth?”

Bingley turned to stare at his friend. Noticing his friend’s wide eyes and shocked expression, William addressed him. “I will deal with this, Charles.”

Mr. Bennet studied both men, wondering what in the world they were speaking of and was totally unprepared for what William said next.

“Were it possible, I would gladly marry your daughter, but I am afraid that circumstances prevent me from doing so. However, Bingley and I have discussed the situation and feel there is no need for alarm. No one at Netherfield knows I was out all night, thanks to Charles’ quick thinking. He tries never to let his sisters know anything that may promote gossip, especially about me. Thus, he informed the servants this morning that he had admitted me to the house late last night and that I would be in my room all day and was not to be disturbed. His sisters are to be informed of the same tale once they awaken.

“I was readying to bring Miss Elizabeth home when Charles found us, and we made quick work of getting here. You have apparently not had time to let anyone know that your daughter was missing, thus only you and your family are aware of the impropriety. Therefore, if you tell no one and your servants are trustworthy, there will be no scandal. I shall follow Charles back to Netherfield, where he will assist me in slipping into the house via a back stairwell and then into my room. There will be no compromise and no need to marry.”

Elizabeth’s father considered all that William had said before responding. “This plan just might work. I trust my servants explicitly—they love my Lizzy and would do nothing to harm her. I will have to make sure that my wife does not ruin it with her loose tongue, however.  Now, would you kindly answer one question for me?”

William’s jaw tightened and he grimaced, knowing what was to come.

“You have stated that you would gladly marry Elizabeth if you could. I assume from the way that you observed her at the ball and from your pronouncement, that you are fond of her.”  He waited but William’s only response was to study his shoes. “Might I ask why it is not possible for you to marry her?”

“I am already married.”

Mr. Bennet came to his feet, his face now crimson with anger. “You… you are married! You have apparently pursued my daughter the whole time you have been in Meryton, first at the bookshop and then at the ball, and you are already married?”

William stood now, his voice rising. “I never pursued Eliz… Miss Elizabeth!”

Bingley jumped to his feet interjecting, “This is ridiculous! I know Darcy well enough to know he would never dishonour your daughter, or any other woman for that matter, nor would he knowingly raise their expectations. Frankly, sir, you have no idea what this man has had to endure in the past two years.”

The older man’s glare swung between Bingley and William. “Then I suppose one of you should enlighten me, as we shall not leave this library until you do! As her father, I see things a great deal differently than the two of you, and I demand an explanation this instant!”

“I am not in the habit of discussing my private concerns,” William answered, his voice eerily flat.