She stopped just short of the archway and turned back to him, determined to reject him civilly. Let it not be said she had learnt nothing. “Sir, I beg you would not speak at all in that case.”
“What?”
“I am excessively flattered, but I must inform you, I am promised to another.”
“What?” he repeated more heatedly. “To whom?”
“Mr Darcy.”
“MrDarcy? I understood him to be gone from the neighbourhood…” He recoiled. “Oh, I see how it is! You have used me grievously ill, madam.”
Elizabeth shivered as more rain fell on her bare arms. “I have not used you in any way at all!”
“It is clear to me now. It washishand you coveted from the beginning. But he was not here, was he? You settled for acceptingmyattentions until he returned!”
“I did not accept your attentions! I afforded you the same civility I do all my acquaintances.”Must all men be so insufferably conceited?
“We walked in this very garden the day I left, discussing my plans to ready my affairs to take a wife!”
“We discussed nothing but your intention to leave for a while on business. Any other intentions on your part were not apparent!”
He stepped towards her, his expression fierce. “I do not think you comprehend the trouble I have gone to in order to make this possible. It is no small undertaking to wed a woman with no fortune. I havespentweeksrearranging my interests to ensure I can afford the injury to my estate.” He sneered unpleasantly. “And do not be fooled into thinking my family welcome this alliance. I have worked hard to convince them of your worth, and you would have it be all for naught!”
Elizabeth let out a great huff of consternation. “I am well aware of what other families think of their stock marrying me! I wonder that everybody is still in such a rage to do it!”
“You would taunt me at such a moment?”
“No, sir! I am sorry you have been inconvenienced, truly, but I cannot marry you, and I gave you no indication that was my wish.”
“Your mother certainly did!”
Elizabeth threw her hands in the air, almost losing her book to the shrubbery. “Then I must insist you take issue withher. There is nothing more formeto say on the matter!”
She pirouetted away from him and stormed onto the lawn. Lightning flashed overhead, and rain pricked her face, plastering her hair to her cheeks.
“You cannot seriously mean to refuse me?” he called, striding after her.
“Yes, I can!”
“Miss Bennet! Miss Bennet!Elizabeth!”
She found herself suddenly spun around as he seized her arm, sending her book tumbling to the wet ground. His face was close to hers, and he looked to be pleading with her, but she could not hear his words. She was too overcome with a memory she had until that moment been blissfully unaware she possessed—that of Mr Wickham similarly restraining her, his fist raised to strike. Pain shot through her temple in remembrance of his blow, and she cowered, covered her face with her free arm and screamed.
Then Darcy was there. He appeared from nowhere, propelling Mr Greyson away with monstrous force and pinning Elizabeth to his side. She buried her face in his coat and felt his guttural command reverberating through her more ferociously than the overhead thunder. “Unhand my wife!”
Mr Greyson made a noise, but Darcy cut him off, his voice cold and hard. “Leave now. Never come back. Do not test my resolve not to kill you.”
Elizabeth felt him shift and peered around him to see ColonelFitzwilliam had arrived and was forcefully leading her ashen assailant away. She saw nothing more, for she was then enveloped in Darcy’s embrace so completely that not even the rain could penetrate his hold.
“My God, Elizabeth! Are you hurt?”
She felt more than a little foolish for screaming. “No. Only a little shaken. And very damp.”
Reverently, he turned her towards the house, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around her. When he paused to retrieve her book, wiping it clean on his pristine trousers before handing it back to her, without comment but with a tender kiss to her temple, she thought her heart might burst.
Explaining the matter to her father and changing into dry clothes took Elizabeth more or less the same time as it did for the storm to pass. Her return downstairs coincided with the departure of most of Longbourn’s callers. Only Darcy, Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam stayed, all eager to join Elizabeth and her sisters on a walk after having been trapped within doors all afternoon.
Elizabeth and Darcy soon outstripped the others, though they walked in silence, her every attempt at conversation falling flat. He was not uncivil. Indeed, he was overly solicitous, frequently enquiring whether her head ached and needlessly helping her over every twig and pebble in their path, yet his distraction was obvious.
