“I would not be concerned,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “From what I understand Mr. Bennet is a substantial figure in the neighborhood, and most of the people about are his friends. No private group could openly seize you by force, and I would be shocked if a judge were to rule that you must be handed to Lord Rochester, and that the local JP must therefore work to arrange it. It would astonish me beyond all believing if any such judgement was issued with any alacrity.”
Darcy knew enough of the workings of lawyers to be able to confirm that it would be very unlikely that any such ruling would be made before she had already come of age.
The carriage quieted. Elizabeth stared out the window, her mind full of thoughts he could not guess at.
They reached Bromley and changed their horses there.
They continued on. The sky was deep dark.
About a half hour after they’d changed horses Elizabeth fell asleep against his arm. He could not stop looking at her face, her lips, the way that her beauty remained, but that the fire and energy that characterized her was changed into peacefulness as she slept.
And she trusted him.
She had simply entered his carriage and laid her head against his arm.
Why had he not realized that he wanted to marry her before heknew?He’d offered to make her a tutor, when he should have offered to make her the mistress of a great estate. She deserved that and more.
After another hour Darcy perceived the changes around the road that showed they were approaching London. The townsand farmhouses with their lights were far more densely packed. There was a dim glow making it harder to see the stars, and then they reached the cobblestoned edge of the city. Many lights shone from the thousand thousand windows despite the hour. It was not yet midnight when the carriage reached the lodgings that Bingley had taken with his wife.
“Bingley’s address?” Lord Hartley said with some surprise at seeing where they’d arrived at. “But of course. Mrs. Bingley is nearly her sister. Much more respectable than staying with you or even me. And of course,” he smiled at Darcy, “I have seen how the two of you behave.”
“I have no notion of what you mean,” Darcy said.
“You do too. Don’t dissimulate.” Lord Hatley leapt from the carriage. “What a day. What a day. I do not think that my nerves shall be settled for a week at least.”
Elizabeth stirred awake. “Where are we?”
“London. Mr. Bingley’s lodgings. We will finish the journey tomorrow.”
She seemed frightened suddenly. “No, no. I want to be in Longbourn.”
“We have already been travelling for three hours,” Darcy replied. “It is nearly midnight and the coachman and postillions need to sleep.”
“You won’t leave?”
He had of course planned to sleep at his own house, but now he agreed with her. “No, never.”
Elizabeth let out another shaky breath.
They knocked on the door to Bingley’s house.
The butler came down quickly, though from his manner he had been quite concerned as to what sort of people might be coming at such an hour. But notsosurprised, as it was the London season, and both the master and mistress were in fact still at a ball at Almack’s. That was why the butler had waited up,to ensure they would find lights and a pleasant snack, and any other aid they might want when they returned home, even if it was after dawn.
Darcy had Bingley’s butler wake one of the footmen to run to Almack’s to fetch Bingley and his wife. Darcy sank into the sofa in the familiar drawing room. Elizabeth sat stiffly, seemingly fully awake again. Candles and everything were set out and lit—even though it was irregular the butler recognized Mr. Darcy and Lord Hartley, and the footman who he’d woken up was from Hertfordshire and he recognized Elizabeth. If the master and mistress did not wish close friends of such consequence to be here this late hour, it wastheirplace to say enough to send them off.
Hartley’s request for a drink was instantly echoed by Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. They both took a stiff swallow of Bingley’s fine brandy as soon as it was provided. Elizabeth absolutely refused anything but a little barley water.
Otherwise, none of them talked. Elizabeth sat the whole time staring at a candle, while Hartley shook out the afternoon newspaper to read about the latest doings of parliament. Except it was clear to Darcy that he seldom changed the pages or even looked at the paper. For his part Darcy mostly watched Elizabeth, wondered how she was, and wondered if she would wish him to say something.
But he knew that in such a casehewould wish silence and a chance to arrange for himself his feelings without a need to perform for anyone, no matter how dear.
After nearly an hour Mr. and Mrs. Bingley returned. Mrs. Bingley exclaimed as soon as she entered the drawing room, “Heavens! Lizzy, what happened to you.”
Elizabeth seemed almost confused by the tone of the question. “Do I not look well?”
“You look as though you have seen a ghost,” was Mr. Bingley’s reply as he entered behind his wife. “Darcy, Hartley, what the deuce brought you all here suddenly—did one of you shoot someone?”
“I missed,” Elizabeth said.
