“Take your things and a candle, and go to your room,” he said while still looking at Elizabeth. Kirby grumbled as he obliged, and Elizabeth parted from him sweetly and insisted on kissing his cheek. Kirby looked startled and rubbed his face. Darcy wondered if the boy had ever had a single affectionate embrace.
When the door closed behind him, Elizabeth squared her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest, bracing herself for his objections.
“I will not trade Kirby’s life for yours, and I will not risk your life for his. Georgiana is safe in Fetter Lane for the meanwhile. We—and yes, I saidwe, Elizabeth—shall find another way.”
“Is she really safe?” she asked, but of course he had no answer. “And what have you come up with? You have been thinking of nothing else for a day, I am sure.”
She did not say it rudely. It was not a taunt, but it wounded him all the same. He had thought over the matter for hours at a time and come up with nothing timely, nothing certain, nothing at all.
“I will let his men see me,” she said when he looked away, “before Markle can even consider looking for Miss Darcy tomorrow. They will abduct me and force you to trade. We can lay a trap with the customs officers to be there to stop him from getting away.”
“He would kill you when he realises his nephew is lost to him. We know how impulsive he is.” Darcy had to stop himself from reaching out to stroke Elizabeth’s hair. She had made such a terrible sound when Markle hauled her to her feet by her hair.“He slashed Steamer’s throat as he lay on a surgeon’s table with a broken leg.”
She exhaled a long breath. “I know. But Markle wants his nephew. He needs him as a smuggler and for the sake of having what he thinks is rightfully his. Don’t you see?” she pleaded. “It is in my control to end all of this and keep Miss Darcy safe. We let his men take me, and he will forget all about going after your sister. He arranges an exchange with you, and before he knows that Kirby is not coming, the customs house officers will arrest him for murder.”
Darcy hated this with every fibre of his being. “I cannot risk your safety.”
“And you cannot stop me from running into the street right now and letting Markle’s man see me.”
“I am the one who assumed the risk and responsibility for Kirby,” he cried, pointing to his own chest, “not you.”
“I am not doing it for him,” she said just as loudly before turning pink. “Or, at least not only for him. I am a selfish creature, Darcy. We need to end this, and neither of us is safe until Markle is arrested.”
“No. Absolutely not.” Her plan to lure Markle into a trap was rational, if still dangerous. And if it was some other person being put to risk, someone he did not love, he would argue its merits. “Elizabeth, I spent three days in acute desperation wanting to keep you safe, and you are talking about willingly letting him take you again!”
“What about your sister?” she cried. “If he has me and thinks he can use me to get Kirby back, he has no reason to find Miss Darcy.”
He ran his hand across his eyes, feeling weary. The thought of Georgiana being smacked across the face, kidnapped and terrorised, stole his breath. “She is hidden for the present. Fitzwilliam moved her, and that bought me time to come up witha solution—one that does not put you or anyone else in danger,” he added.
“Markle is vicious, vindictive, and violent.” She came forward in earnest. “He will not let this go, and London is not as big as you think it is. Neither of us is safe, not here, and not at Pemberley or Longbourn. He said he would take your sister unless you brought him Kirby. Are you going to trade his life for hers?”
She knew he would never do that. It would devastate him to forsake a child. And it would devastate him to not protect his sister. He only had to think of a better plan, one that did not put Elizabeth in danger. “I am not giving Kirby to his uncle, but I am also not allowing you to put yourself in harm’s way.”
Elizabeth threw up her hands. “Markle will ultimately learn where Miss Elizabeth Bennet with a friend in Hunsford lives. And he will do the same with Miss Darcy. I want us to move forward, and I cannot see another way in the short time we have.”
“Time is running out,” he agreed, “but I am unwilling to risk your life.”
“I could talk myself out of any real trouble with Markle, at least while he wants to get his nephew back and thinks I am the means to do it. And I am more likely to remain calm than Miss Darcy would. I have already been in this situation and have some idea what to expect. I can do this, Darcy, even if you will never ask me to.”
Darcy felt his resolve breaking. Georgiana would be haunted forever if Markle kidnapped her. He had seen enough of Elizabeth’s bravery to not doubt her mettle, but how was he to agree to a scheme that threatened her life? “There has to be another way,” he whispered to himself, looking at the clock on the mantel. His sister might not be taken tomorrow, or maybe Markle had already followed Georgiana and was planning onharming her to get to Kirby. Who was to say Markle would not wait four months, follow his sister to Pemberley, and try to take her from there the same way he had tried to kidnap Anne?
“Darcy, we are in a desperate state, and you admitted that we are out of time. You are not choosing between me or your sister. I am choosing to let Markle take me to keep her safe. To keep all of us safe.” She gave him a long look. “And I am not asking your permission.”
She might have been prepared for a debate, but he had nothing to argue against the point aside from his own fears. They needed to get an advantage over Markle, and they needed to take action now. If it had been another person, a man, being kidnapped to lure out Markle, he would think it was a good scheme. A dauntless person wanted to exchange themself for his shy sister and an innocent child. It was only a plague on his heart because he loved her.
Darcy put his arms around her. “You are exceedingly brave, although I wish your prudence equalled your courage.”
“Some might say I am exceedingly foolish, but I thank you for the compliment,” she said, smiling.
Her calmness shocked him, and he dropped his arms. “How are you not terrified of putting yourself through that again?”
“Oh, I am, but I think one can be both courageous and frightened.”
“I am the one who is supposed to be courageous.” A wave of mortification washed over him, leaving his chest tight and his cheeks burning.
“Because you are a man?” He nodded, a little ashamed. “You would take my place if you could, and youarebrave, braver than me. You, my dear Darcy, have to watch me do this.”
“I don’t know how,” he whispered. “Every time Markle or Steamer so much as looked at you, I was terrified for you. And this time you would be alone.”
