When had she gripped the balcony? When had shestood up? Her whole body shook with effort, and with a huge tremor she fell senselessly to the ground.
The maid cried out in alarm and shouted for a servant. One appeared at once, and she tearfully sent him to find Elizabeth as soon as possible. Mrs. Darcy rushed up to them a few minutes later, taking in the sight with horror, dragging Georgiana back into her chair and kissing her again and again.
“My darling!” Lizzie cried, “What happened?”
“He…follow.”Georgiana ground out the words like glass shards.
Elizabeth flinched, stared wildly down at the oblivious crowd, andran.
Chapter 73
Elizabeth’s heart pounded wildly in her chest as she raced through the grounds. The stables seemed miles away. Every breath was cold and metallic, sucked into lungs that were too terrified to expand. She ran, and the rain started to fall. Fat drops fell onto her exposed neck, startlingly cold against the warm summer day. Soon there were puddles on the path and the stones were slick.
Elizabeth was too overwhelmed to feel chilled, but she distantly knew that her dress would be ruined. The expensive silk was already sticking to her skin. She could not think about that; all she cared about was catching up with Jane before the carriage left.
She rounded the corner to the stable yard and sobbed in relief. The carriage was still there -just.The servants had already closed the door and the driver was bringing the horses around to face the exit.
“What… what!” Elizabeth tried to shout. It emerged as a tiny gasp, lost on the mounting wind. Staggering closer on legs that felt like rubber, she tried again.
Nobody heard her. The driver gathered the reigns to urge the horses forwards. For a split second, Elizabeth could see her sister’s nervous face looking out of the window.
“Stop…!”Elizabeth choked, lurching forwards.
The carriage rattled towards her, already moving quickly, blind to the woman in its path. Lizzie raised her arms in a desperate bid to be seen. Her skirt, drenched from the rain, tangled around her legs and sent her sprawling wildly forwards with a scream.
It was that which finally caught the driver’s attention. With an oath, he hauled on the reigns. The horses shrieked and reared, unnerved by the sudden wrench at their bits and the chaos before them. Elizabeth curled up, petrified, as the world became a storm of crashing hooves and awful, snorting rage.
“Elizabeth!”
She heard the cry shattering her frozen shell. Her body refused to obey her, petrified between furious horses and ice-cold stones. Lizzie sobbed and scrambled, trying to free herself from her clinging skirt and the awful, paralysing fear.
“Elizabeth!” strong hands seized her and dragged her backwards. She clung to Darcy’s sleeves as he bellowed at the driver, “Get back, damn you - back!”
The driver shouted something which was lost on the wind. Agonisingly slowly, the horses balking, the carriage inched away.
Darcy rocked Elizabeth in his arms, his heart thudding, kissing and shaking her by turns. “What were youthinking?”
Her eyes had been squeezed shut in fear, but they flew open at that question.
“Oh! Jane! I must see Jane! I…”
“I am here, dearest.” Jane’s hand clutched her wrist. Elizabeth blearily realised that her sister was kneeling in the mud beside them. Bingley was at her side, his face stricken.
“Elizabeth, you could have been killed!”
“I have to warn you…!” Lizzie croaked, “He knows, Jane! Somehow, he knows! He is on his way here as we speak.”
Jane’s eyebrows flew up in horror. “If he stops us… if he speaks to papa before we do…”
“He won’t.” Darcy stood, pulling Lizzie up with him. “Say your goodbyes quickly and go. Drive through the night. We shall delay him here.”
“How?” Elizabeth asked breathlessly. Darcy made an impatient gesture, and she threw her arms around Jane. Their embrace was decidedly soggy, but tearfully heartfelt. Jane kissed her on the cheek and then dragged herself away.
The driver had the carriage moving even before the door was fully closed. Darcy waited for it to clear the courtyard and then bellowed to the other hostlers:
“Release the horses!”
There was a stunned silence. The servants glanced nervously at each other. Darcy scowled, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted even louder, “Release the horses! Open all the doors and set them loose. I do not want there to be a single beast in my sight in the next two minutes!”
