Page 15 of Stranded at Michaelmas

The woman pressed a hand to her mouth as she considered the question. “He kept asking about the little stone house, miss. The one near the flower garden.”

Even in the dim light, Darcy saw Elizabeth go still at the words.

“The grotto?” she asked.

“Yes, miss. He has been asking to see it all evening.”

The boy’s mother looked nearly frantic with worry, and Elizabeth remained with her for another moment, speaking quietly before crossing quickly to where Darcy stood.

“I think I know where he may have gone. There is a grotto beyond the flower garden that the children are forever wanting to explore. His mother says Davy has been asking about it all evening.”

Darcy glanced towards the woman Elizabeth had just left, then called Mary and Georgiana over.

“Would you remain with Davy’s mother while we search?” he asked. “She may need you, and someone should stay here in case the boy finds his own way back.”

Both young ladies readily agreed.

Darcy turned back to Elizabeth. “Is the grotto far?”

“Not especially, but the path is partly through the shrubbery, and it will be difficult to see once the light is gone.” She glanced towards the darkening sky. “If you can find us a lantern, I can show you the way.”

Darcy regarded her for a moment. “You intend to come with me?”

“Of course,” she said, one brow rising in the manner he had already come to recognise as a sign of impending impertinence. “You may be considerably better at organising a search, Mr Darcy, but I know where we are going.”

Despite the circumstances, her dry humour amused him.

“I will follow your lead, madam,” he said, moving towards one of the lanterns hung around the edge of the area set aside for dancing and lifting it from its hook.

As she had warned, the path was somewhat difficult to traverse in the gathering darkness. Elizabeth, however, seemed to know instinctively where she was going, and as Darcy walked beside her, he found himself considering once again how calmly she had responded.

Several of the ladies had done little more than exclaim over the child’s disappearance, and many of the gentlemen had seemed equally uncertain how to proceed until Darcy began organising the search. Elizabeth had required no such direction. She had immediately questioned the boy’s mother, determined where he might have gone, and set out to find him.

It was yet another quality he had not thought to look for in a wife, but now found himself valuing very highly.

Chapter Seven

The walk to the grotto was relatively short, but Elizabeth was acutely aware of Mr Darcy beside her the entire way. He had not offered his arm, and she rather thought he understood that she would not have taken it just then. She was too anxious to walk steadily forward, her attention constantly shifting towards the bushes and darker edges of the path as she searched for any sign of Davy.

In the ten minutes since they had left the celebration, they had seen nothing to indicate that the boy had come this way. Elizabeth had half hoped that, once it grew darker, he might have become frightened and simply stopped where he was. Instead, it appeared he had been determined to reach the grotto.

When they finally arrived, they found him curled up inside, sound asleep. There were dried tears upon his cheeks, and Elizabeth immediately knelt beside him and drew him gently into her lap. Davy stirred but did not wake, merely settling against her as though he had never caused half the neighbourhood to search for him.

Relief washed over her.

“Here,” Mr Darcy said after a moment, setting the lantern beside her. “Allow me to carry him. It will be easier for me, particularly in the darkness.”

Elizabeth agreed readily enough. Davy was not especially heavy, but like most sleeping children, he seemed to weigh considerably more than he had any right to.

Mr Darcy bent over her and carefully took the boy from her arms. Their hands brushed during the transfer, and for one brief moment his shoulder pressed against hers. It was enough to send her heart racing for reasons that had very little to do with the excitement of finding Davy.

Once the child was secure in Mr Darcy’s arms, Elizabeth rose and turned to retrieve the lantern.

At that precise moment, a sudden gust swept through the trees. The lantern toppled before she could catch it, and its flame sputtered out.

Elizabeth stopped.

“Well,” she said after a moment of staring at the extinguished lantern, “that is unfortunate.”