Bingley uttered an exclamation and spurred his horse onward. Darcy followed, dreading what he would see. As he rounded the corner, he spotted the mud-spattered carriage. It had crashed into a tree, and a branch had gone through the window. Redmond was standing next to it.
By the time Darcy dismounted, Bingley had already reached the carriage.
“Halloo!” he called. “Miss Bennet, are you there?”
There was a scrambling sound and Miss King opened the door.
“Mr. Bingley! Mr. Darcy! Oh, thank goodness you have come!!
“How is Miss Bennet?” Bingley whispered, looking at Miss King in dread. There was blood on her cheek and on her hands.
“A branch from the tree pierced her – thigh.” Miss King hesitated to mention something so intimate, “Miss Bingley and I have been trying to stop the blood. We have taken it in turn to press the wound, hoping the flow will stop, but it persists.”
Lord Redmond spoke up. “I offered to take my turn, but the ladies declined my help, owing to the location of the wound.” He reddened.
“I insist on helping. I will not stand by while Miss Bennet—” Bingley choked back whatever he intended to say. “At least until Mrs. Darcy and Mr. Bennet arrive. They will be here any moment, and then we will find Miss Bennet a Healer.”
No one tried to stop him. It was clear he would not take no for an answer.
As for finding a Healer, it was easier said than done, thought Darcy. They were in the middle of the countryside. They had not seen an inn or a village since they left the main road. Healers were few and far between.
Not only that, but he could see from this angle that bringing Jane Bennet out was going to be challenging.
Darcy did not voice his doubts, however. It was the last thing they needed.
Instead, he turned to Miss King and handed her a handkerchief for the blood. She took it and wiped her hands, barely noticing what she was doing.
“If only I had some Healing Talent,” she said.
“We do not choose our gifts,” said Darcy. Making sure Bingley was out of earshot, he asked in a hushed voice, “Is she in a bad condition?”
“Mercifully, she hit her head as well and was struck unconscious, which at least saved her from the pain,” said Miss King.
At that point, Miss Bingley emerged from the carriage. “I am glad you have come, Mr. Darcy. We were afraid to move Miss Bennet. I have tried doing a simple Healing spell to stem the bleeding, but I am not very adept at Healing. I cannot do much without a Healing Circle. I think it helped, but it is not enough.”
Darcy wished now he had had the foresight to send Noah to the next village to ask for a Healer. Though, considering that they had not seen anything for miles, it might be better to send Perry back the way the young ladies had traveled. Perhaps there was a Healer there close-by, and a bone setter for the coachman.
But what if Noah returned with a Healer, but they had already left? He could not do anything until they had decided where they intended to stay for the night. They could not wait in the middle of the country lane for hours.
For now, there was nothing to be done until Jane’s condition became clearer.
The moment Noah informed them what had happened, Elizabeth was gripped by a sense of foreboding.
“I wish I had come on horseback,” remarked Mr. Bennet. “I would have been there by now.”
He leaned out of the window to instruct the coachman to drive faster.
The thudding of hooves against the road filled the carriage with a sense of urgency. Mr. Bennet kept his head out of the window, looking ahead.
“There is the coachman!” he said. “We should see them in a minute.”
The carriage slowed as the coachman waved his arm but continued. Elizabeth did not want a moment’s delay.
She was prepared for an accident and an injury, but the sight of the broken carriage, pierced by the branch, filled her with terror.
It was even worse when Elizabeth set eyes on Jane. She had to press her hand to her mouth to stop the cry of distress. She didnot know what looked worse -- the alabaster pallor of her face or the large crimson blotch on her traveling dress. The branch had gone through her clothes. How was it possible?
Miss Bingley was there, looking shaken and exhausted. She was using Healing magic to try and seal the wound, but Elizabeth could see it was not really working.
