He was already moving—already out of the room, down the hall, through the front of the house with a speed that defied propriety.
Behind him, he heard Richard following.
The door flew open.
Darcy stepped out into the light—
And saw Mr. Bennet grasping Elizabeth’s arm.
Something cold and furious snapped into place.
“Remove your hands from my wife, sir!”
∞∞∞
Elizabeth scarcely had time to draw breath before her father was upon her.
His hand closed about her arm—tight, unyielding. “You are coming back to Longbournnow, Elizabeth.”
For one wild moment, she could not move—could not think. The familiar voice, the familiar authority, and yet nothing in it felt familiar at all.
Her heart began to race.
“Papa, I—”
She drew in a breath to cry out—
The front door burst open.
Darcy.
He came down the steps with a speed that stole her breath, Richard close behind him.
“Remove your hands from my wife, sir!”
The force of it—the command in his voice—startled her father enough that his grip loosened.
It was all Elizabeth needed.
She wrenched free, gathering her skirts, and fled.
Darcy met her halfway, one arm coming around her at once, drawing her behind him. He planted himself in front of her, acting as a shield. Richard moved to Darcy’s side, the two ofthem standing shoulder to shoulder, tall and unyielding, their presence a barrier her father could not simply sweep aside.
Her heart pounded wildly, but she nearly wept with relief. Warmth spread through her as she basked in the safety she felt from Darcy’s protective stance.
“You are on private property and trespassing, sir,” Darcy said coldly. “Leave now before I summon the magistrate.”
Elizabeth pressed closer behind him, her hand gripping his sleeve.
Her father’s face flushed with anger. “And you have kidnapped my daughter! My daughter who is not of age.”
“She is no longer your daughter,” Darcy returned, without turning. “She is my wife.”
“An illegal marriage,” Mr. Bennet snapped. “I did not give my permission. It will be annulled immediately.”
Darcy did not move.
“There are two problems with that,” he said, his voice steady. “The first is that you did give your permission. You signed the settlement and authorized the common license by which we were married.”
