“Yes, it will be.”
They were about to pull back from the window when a figure dashed from the house toward the man waiting in the garden.
“That is no maid,” said Jane.
“It most certainly is not!”A tall, lanky man with a large sack in his hand was running across the lawn for the safety of the hedges and looking over his shoulder as he went.
“Is someone chasing him?”asked Jane.
Elizabeth peered around the window but saw no one.“I do not see anyone.”She squinted her eyes and leaned further out the window.“Oh no.Jane, is that fire?”
Jane leaned over the balustrade and looked towards the study windows where the man had run from.There was a bright yellow glow.She turned to face her sister.“It is.What do we do?Do you think it could be contained?”
“It is only the study now.I think it might.But we cannot take any chances.Can you wake Mr.Bingley?I will wake Mr.Darcy.They may be able to put the fire out before there is too much damage.”Elizabeth briefly considered putting it out herself, but she was not foolish enough to try it in a gown.She had been near a pile of burning brush as a child and a tiny spark had caught at the edge of her gown.Her skirt had gone up in seconds and if it had not been for the quick actions of the gardener tending the fire, she would have gone up with it.He had smothered the flames and given her a lesson in the flammability of fabric.Then he had made her promise to never go near a fire in a gown.Breeches were best suited for such activities, and boots were even better.
“What do I say?That there is a fire in the study?”Jane looked at her imploringly.“How will I tell him I know?”
“Tell him you have a very keen sense of smell, and it seems to be coming from the study.I doubt he will ask you for details, Jane.”
Jane took off for the door as Elizabeth leaned out further to see if the fire had spread.The study was growing steadily brighter, but none of the windows around it were glowing.They might be able to save the house yet.Elizabeth raced into the hall and called to Jane who was a few steps in front of her.“Go ahead as planned, Jane.It is better to be safe.”
Jane nodded and hurried down the hall, stopping to pound on Caroline’s door and then Louisa’s across from it.Elizabeth took a deep breath and stepped up to Mr.Darcy’s door.She raised her hand to wrap sharply on the wood.She listened, but there was no response.She knocked again.
“Mr.Darcy?You must wake!”She pressed her ear to the door, but there was no sound.She reached for the handle, praying it was not locked, and felt it turn in her hand.Saying a quick prayer of thanks, she rushed into the room and to the foot of the bed.He was snoring terribly—something she was not pleased to hear—but she pushed it from her mind.
“Mr.Darcy!”He did not move but his snores did change pitch.Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she reached out and grabbed his foot, giving it a hard shake.“Mr.Darcy!You must wake!”
“What do you think you are doing?”
Elizabeth turned to see an indignant man a little older than Mr.Darcy, standing in a nightshirt and banyan, glaring at her.
“Are you Mr.Darcy’s valet?”
“I am,” he answered, his voice full of importance.
“Help me wake him.There is a fire!”
The mans’ attitude instantly changed, and he practically leapt to the bed and shook Mr.Darcy’s shoulder.“Sir, you must wake.Fire!”he cried in Darcy’s ear.
Suddenly, Darcy sprang up in bed and the counterpane fell away from his bare chest.Elizabeth averted her eyes but did not leave the room.
This was no time to be missish.“Mr.Darcy, there is a fire in Mr.Bingley’s study.It had not spread when I came to wake you, but it may have by now.Jane has woken the Bingleys and gone down to the servants’ quarters below stairs.I would like your assistance in waking the servants above stairs.”
“I will go,” said the valet.
He started to run from the room when Darcy said, “Bates, wait!I will go with Miss Bennet upstairs.Go to the study and see what can be done about the fire.You may be the only one prepared to organize.”
The valet nodded solemnly and ran for the door.
“Miss Bennet, if you would be so kind as to wait for me outside the door, I will be with you in a moment.”
“Of course.”She hurried out—glad it was too dark to see her blush.A minute later, Darcy joined her in a loose shirt, breeches, and a pair of old boots hastily thrown on and not properly secured.
“We must go to the nursery first,” said Elizabeth as they rushed down the corridor.
Darcy looked at her in what she thought might be approval.“Of course, it is this way.”
They hurried up the stairs and down a narrow corridor.“I will get Peter.His nurse sleeps in the room with him, but the younger nurse is there.”He pointed to a door and Elizabeth nodded.
