A flash of fear shot through her.She had not forgotten that in her dream she had not seen Mr.Darcy outside the house.Jane did not answer her, and Elizabeth tore her eyes from the house to look at her sister.
“Jane?”
“Mr.Hurst was not in his room.They believe he had fallen asleep in the library, so Mr.Darcy went to get him.”
Elizabeth’s eyes went wide.“The library is next to the study.”
“I know.”
“The study is on fire!”
Jane only looked at her with understanding eyes.Elizabeth knew she was not being logical at the moment, but she could not stand by and do nothing.She ran towards the house, ignoring Jane’s shouts behind her.The entire neighborhood seemed to have appeared suddenly.She saw servants from Lucas Lodge working alongside those of Netherfield as well as men from Longbourn.Seeing a familiar face, she ran over to a servant bringing furniture out of the house near the flames.“John!Have you seen Mr.Darcy or Mr.Hurst?Jane said Mr.Darcy has been looking for Mr.Hurst whom they thought was sleeping in the library.”
“I have not seen them, Miss Lizzy.Best check with Bates there.He’s in charge.”
Elizabeth nodded and headed towards Bates, Darcy’s valet—now covered in soot and barking orders.
“Bates, have you seen Mr.Darcy?Or Mr.Hurst?”
Bates turned to her impatiently, then his expression turned to pity.Elizabeth could only imagine how unkempt she looked.She had not slept at all, and she had been running through Netherfield like a woman possessed.She did not wish to think about her wild expression—her demeanor did not convey calm or presence of mind at the moment.
“I saw Mr.Darcy go in, but I have not—” he suddenly stopped speaking and stared over her head.He nodded in the direction of something behind her, and she turned to see what it was.
There was Darcy, strong shoulders, straight back, now covered in black smudges, and staggering out of the house with Mr.Hurst at his side.Mr.Darcy’s arm was around the shorter man’s shoulders, and he was forced to walk at an odd angle in order to help him.Mr.Hurst appeared to barely be awake.His feet stumbled and tangled, and he leaned most of his weight on Darcy.Elizabeth raced to them, not thinking twice before ducking beneath Mr.Hurst’s other arm to help support his weight.
“Miss Elizabeth!That is not necessary.Return to your sister.This is unseemly,” cried Darcy.His usual haughty tone was less impressive when his voice rasped from the smoke, but Elizabeth refrained from telling him so.
“There is a fire, Mr.Darcy.This is hardly the time to be concerned with propriety.”
He opened his mouth to argue, then abruptly closed it.They slowly made their way to the oak tree where the others were gathered.Bingley had returned and sat with his arm around Louisa as she wept quietly.Elizabeth immediately realized that the woman probably thought her husband was dead and called out to her.
“Mrs.Hurst!”
“Bingley, some assistance.”Darcy’s voice rang out at the same time and he glared at Elizabeth—as if he was upset others would know he had not single-handedly carried the large man out of the burning house.Elizabeth rolled her eyes and ignored him.Bingley took Elizabeth’s place while Jane quickly pulled her sister aside.
“Are you well, Lizzy?”
“As well as can be expected, Jane.”Then she promptly sank to the grass.
The rest of the night was a blur.The fire was fought until it eventually subsided, sometime just before sunrise.Darcy and Bingley joined the bucket line, passing water for what seemed like days.Neighboring servants came and helped remove the furniture from the rooms nearest the study in the event the fire spread—which it did.There was a small room next to the study that was completely consumed, along with a parlor across the corridor, but miraculously, the library on the other side was safe.The wall between the two rooms was thick and made of brick, a fortification a previous owner had made to protect his precious books.It worked to stave off the fire even though there was still significant smoke damage.
Mr.Bennet came to Netherfield and brought the carriage.Unsurprisingly, he offered Longbourn as a refuge to the residents of Netherfield.Surprisingly, they accepted.Sir William Lucas offered the same, and the Hursts agreed to go to Lucas Lodge with their son and his nurses while the Bingley siblings and Mr.Darcy would go to Longbourn.Hurst had breathed in more smoke than anyone else, and the doctor decreed he should not leave his bed for at least a week.
Mr.Darcy had watched Elizabeth throughout the night, considering, wondering.How had she known to wake him?He had not smelled smoke.His valet told him that the fire had barely gotten started when she woke him.She would have had to have been in the study herself to see it so soon.
Or she had known it was coming.
His dark eyes followed her as she helped settle Mrs.Hurst and her son into the carriage, then did the same for Miss Bingley into the Bennet carriage.The other ladies were in nightrails and dressing gowns.Mrs.Hurst had a shawl thrown over her shoulders.Both she and Miss Bingley had their hair in long plaits down their backs.Their feet were bare, and they bore all the signs of a person suddenly thrust from bed.
But Miss Elizabeth’s hair was tucked into what had been a neat knot.She wore a sturdy walking dress and half boots, as did her sister.The longer he watched the Bennet sisters, the more convinced he became that something was not as it seemed.Miss Elizabethknewsomething.What, he could not say, but she had not been taken unawares by the fire.He wanted to know why.
Chapter 12
Home Again
Elizabethsteppedontothedrive at Longbourn and wanted to fall to the ground and kiss it, she was that glad to be home.Her trunk was quickly pulled from the back along with Jane’s, and they led Miss Bingley into the house.Longbourn boasted two guest chambers—one nicer than the other—and those rooms were given to the gentlemen.Jane gave up her room to Miss Bingley and shared with Elizabeth.
After having been up all night, Elizabeth wished for nothing but her bed, but her mother took one look at her and demanded she have a bath before sitting on any of the furnishings.Luckily, water had been prepared, and Elizabeth quickly had a hipbath in her room.In short order, she was bathed, brushed, and tucked into bed by Mrs.Hill.
