Page 155 of Mr. Darcy Comes to Town

Lizzy turned them toward a path that stretched between their paddocks. Sheep baa-ed and goats bleated at her as they jogged past. Clover, the enormous reddish-brown and white bull, spied her coming and lumbered over to the stone fence of his paddock. He rested his head on the top of the fence and snorted at her as she approached closer.

“Feeling better?” she asked, reaching out to scratch him between the eyes. “I see you are. I have just released the fox I told you about. He is in the home wood at the moment, so Harry and I are getting our exercise away from it. Do not stomp on Clive if he should enter your paddock, if you please.”

Lizzy received the impression that Clover would make no promises. She chuckled, gave him a pat, and began to walk more cautiously. Jane had been right. The sliver moon gave no light. She could see the lanterns lit near the stables and they started in that direction. When they reached the path next to the orchard, to Lizzy’s surprise, Harry stopped beside her and began to growl.

Chapter Twenty-five

“What is it?” she asked softly. Lizzy rested her hand on his neck. “Is it a different fox? A badger?”

In spite of her words, Lizzy did not think an animal waited in their orchard. She felt a shiver of fear blanket her neck. Whomever was lurking in their orchard, she had no intention of confronting them.

“Come,” she told Harry in a soft, but firm, voice. “Let us return to the house.”

Harry reluctantly stuck by her side as they turned the corner of the nearest paddock and headed for the stableyard. She thought she heard something behind her. Startled, Lizzy stopped in her tracks to listen to the male voice coming out of the gloom of the orchard.

“You need not be frightened of me,” he said. “I merely went for a walk and became disoriented when darkness fell.”

The voice was cultured, and Lizzy’s fear abated somewhat. “Who are you?”

“You know me, Miss Elizabeth. I recognized your voice immediately. I am Lieutenant Wickham.”

Wickham!

Hoping that someone in the stableyard would hear her, she used a loud voice to ask, “You wish me to believe that you lost your way and ended up in our orchard? Through no design of your own?”

“I do,” he said, his voice sounding nearer.

Harry growled again.

“Nice dog,” he said in a soothing tone.

Lizzy eased backward, continuing to move toward the stableyard where she was sure to find a groom or a lad to assist her if required.

“No, do not leave, please,” Wickham said. “Do not be frightened of me.”

“If you wish women to feel safe around you, Lieutenant, then you must start behaving like a gentleman,” she said in a strident, carrying voice. Quietly, Lizzy said, “Harry, go get help.”

The dog whined, but he obediently raced away toward the stables, barking the entire way.

“I wish you had not done that,” Wickham said. He revealed himself and rushed at her.

Lizzy picked up her skirts and turned to run. Before she had taken three steps, he had hold of her. He twirled her, grabbed her upper arms, and shook her violently.

“I only wanted to talk,” he said through clenched teeth. “To talk, do you hear me?”

“You can have nothing to say to me,” she shouted in his face, hoping help would arrive soon. “Release me, I tell you, and leave our property.”

He shook her again.

“Stop yelling,” he growled.

Lizzy did not reply. Instead, without giving him warning, she stomped on his foot. He cursed, but did not release her. More furious now than frightened, Lizzy kneed him in the groin. Wickham gasped and loosened his grip. Lizzy tore herself free, lifted her skirts, and ran down the path toward the stables where voices shouted in alarm.

“Intruder! Intruder!” Lizzy cried. “Intruder in the orchard!”

Three angry males ran out of the stableyard and rushed past her. One stable lad carried a lantern. Their groom carried a pitchfork as well as a lantern, and the head groom carried an ax. Turney, their farm manager, hurried up to her.

“Miss Elizabeth,” he said, touching his cap. “Are ye all right, miss?”