“How could you say such things about Lizzy? She is my friend. I love her. Now she will never speak to me again. The very sight of you and of me will be abhorrent to her. You are so proud and so arrogant, Fitzwilliam. I hate you. I hate you.” She broke down into tears and buried her face in his chest.
Caroline moved to shut the door to contain the disturbance. Mr. Balfour stood, looking uncomfortable.
Mr. Allen stood aside watching them, then said, “You look like death, Darcy. Allow me to fetch you a brandy.”
He crossed to the sideboard and poured two glasses of brandy, one for himself and the other for Darcy. Then he turned toward Balfour. “Come and help yourself. There is enough for all.”
He carried the glass to Darcy, who now held his weeping sister against his chest. Darcy drank the brandy in a single swallow and set the empty glass upon a nearby table.
“Thank you, Allen. Georgiana, I shall take you up to your room, and then I will seek out Miss Bennet and offer my apologies. Shewill not hold my sins against you, I promise. Come. The sooner we go upstairs, the sooner I may set matters right.”
He turned to Allen and said, “I trust that you will not speak of this.”
Allen inclined his head.
Then he turned to Mr. Balfour, who signified his agreement.
At last, he looked to Caroline. “I know that these two gentlemen will carry this matter to their graves. Miss Bingley, if I hear a single word of it repeated, I shall know that it came from you, and I shall recommend that Charles send you back to Scarborough or to Yorkshire. You dislike the Bennets and would find great pleasure in harming Miss Bennet’s reputation. Do you understand me?”
She regarded him, her eyes widened, then found her tongue and said, “Mr. Darcy, you have never raised your voice to me before.”
He only looked at her and then turned back to his sister.
“Come. I must find Miss Bennet.”
Chapter 42: An Apology
After leaving Georgiana with her maid, he continued along the family wing and knocked upon Elizabeth’s door, but there was no answer. He knocked again, but there was only silence.
He tried the door, and it opened.
The room was dark. He took a lantern from the hall and carried it inside. The bed was neatly made, and everything stood in order.
She was gone.
He set down the lantern and hurried down the stairs to the front entrance.
Addressing the footman, he asked, “Did Miss Bennet depart?”
“Yes, sir. She requested the gig and left about ten minutes ago.”
Darcy ran back up the stairs. He would change from his evening clothes into riding attire and then seek her at Longbourn. It was very late, and the household would likely be in bed, yet he would make the attempt.
He rode Ares through the cold darkness of the night. As he rode, he thought of her. Had she been chilled traveling in the open gig in her delicate ball gown? Would she speak to him? Did she hate him now, as Georgiana apparently did?
When he reached the house, he saw light in the windows.
He tethered Ares to the fence and went to the door. He struck the knocker and waited. He struck it again, but there was still no answer.
He tried the door and found it unlocked.
Darcy entered the darkened hall. A door stood open farther down the passage, and from within he heard Elizabeth weeping.
Then he saw Hill standing nearby and pressing her handkerchief to her face.
He made his way to Bennet’s study and paused in the doorway.
Elizabeth sat, bent over, her face buried in her hands. Her father’s arm was about her shoulders, and she wept as if her heart would break. He had never seen her brought down to such a state.
