The man’s eyes flashed with a strange light. “Are you referring to Mr. Darcy? Of Pemberley?”
She hesitated. Should she acknowledge that it was him? After a moment’s reflection, she nodded. “Yes. Are you acquainted with him?”
“Unfortunately, I am. I have had one or two unpleasant ‘conversations’ with him as well. Perhaps later, once you have attended to your cuts and bruises, and your aunt and uncle join us, I would be happy to introduce myself and tell you more.”
Her curiosity awakening, Elizabeth was dying to hear about how the horrid Mr. Darcy had wronged this man. She longed to ask him what he meant. However, as a single young lady, she had already talked more to him than propriety allowed.
“Perhaps,” she said.
He was still hovering, and it was time to put an end to it. Her aunt and uncle would disapprove.
“Thank you for your assistance,” she said. “I think I will retire now.”
Elizabeth went up to her bedchamber, but did not have the energy to call for the maid. Instead, she threw herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling, going over the unpleasant events of the evening.
Moments later, her aunt and uncle came up to the bedchamber, alarmed at the message they had received. They were even more concerned when they took in the state of her bloodied shoes and her dress.
“Lizzy! What happened? Were you attacked by bandits?” exclaimed her uncle.
“Oh, my poor Lizzy!” Mrs. Gardiner sat next to her on the bed. “Was there a carriage accident?”
Elizabeth sat up, embarrassed to see them worrying so much over her. “No, no, nothing that bad! It is my vanity that is bruised more than anything else.”
“But your feet! There is blood on your slippers.”
“It looks worse than it is,” said Elizabeth with a little laugh.
At their urging, her whole sorry story was revealed. She kept back the information she had received from Miss Darcy, which she realized was likely to ruin her reputation if it should come out, but told them of the young lady’s distress and the unexpected arrival of the brother.
“It is very strange indeed,” said Mrs. Gardiner as she finished her story. “The Darcys have a good reputation in these parts. Especially old Mr. Darcy. Perhaps the son has not turned out well. Come to think of it, I remember some rumors about one of the young men associated with the house being wild. There was some unfortunate situation with a young woman from the village, I believe.”
Elizabeth shuddered. “Then it is perhaps fortunate he did not take to me,” she said. She considered what she had seen of Mr. Darcy. “Though he did not strike me as that type.”
“Well, he must be an unpleasant sort of person if he treated you so shabbily,” remarked her uncle, “especially since you were his sister’s guest. Some of these great folk can be puffed up with pride and self-importance, you know.”
“He and his friends were the most disagreeable people I have met.”
It was Miss Bingley, she now remembered, who had raised the alarm and claimed she was a thief. Elizabeth had her to thank for her shabby treatment. “Uncle, I cannot bear to stay in the shadow of that terrible place a moment longer. I would like to leave as soon as possible.”
Even as Elizabeth said the words, her aunt’s reaction told her it was out of the question. She was being absurd. There was no need to panic. Night would be falling soon, and it would be difficult to pack their belongings and find a new inn before it grew dark. It would have to wait until tomorrow, then.
“Come, come, Niece, it is not as bad as all that. We will draw up new plans for our journey over dinner. We can plan to leave early tomorrow morning. I have ideas for several other places to visit.”
“What if Mr. Darcy changes his mind and sends word to the magistrate?” After his ungentlemanly behavior, and what she had heard from Mrs. Gardiner about the wild young man in the household, she did not trust him to keep his word.
“It is unlikely, based on what you told me. But even if he did,” he said with a chuckle, “you need not worry about being sent to the colonies. You are a gentleman’s daughter. Besides,” he added with a broad smile, “I may be in trade, but I happen to know some excellent barristers. I will not allow matters to go any further. You are in good hands.”
“Your uncle is right, Lizzy. There is nothing to worry about.” Mrs. Gardiner gave her a reassuring smile. “Come then, let us set you right. I will have the maid bring some warm water and we can tend to those cuts of yours. Then you can change, and we can go down to dinner.”
Elizabeth stared at the torn hem of her dress in dismay. “I did not bring another dinner dress. I cannot go downstairs in this one.”
“Not to worry, Lizzy. You and I are much the same size. I will lend you one of mine.”
Her companion’s cheerful dismissal of her concerns soon calmed her down, and by the time she had washed and dressed, her spirits were restored, her stomach was complaining ofhunger, and she was eager to go downstairs to see what food the inn had to offer.
Chapter 5
Georgiana’s confession filled Darcy with horror. Miss Bennet had saved Georgiana’slife? He had known Wickham’s betrayal had hit Georgiana very hard, but he could never have imagined—this.
