April 19, 1812 #2
“I have noticed during the entirety of my visit these last weeks that she is often beside herself.” A chuckle escaped Elizabeth’s lips.
“I am only grateful for Colonel Fitzwilliam’s calming nature.
I was afraid the footmen were going to be called to forcibly remove me after Mr. Darcy lost consciousness. ”
“Hmm…” Charlotte pinched the fabric of the counterpane, seeming to measure her words. “It was quite…singular, Mr. Darcy’s behavior when he awoke.”
Elizabeth swallowed. “It was. But many people’s minds are addled after such a fall.” She looked out the window.
“Do you have any knowledge of why he would say and act as he did?”
Elizabeth shook her head, hoping the moonlight did not betray the truth of her dealings with the man. “I am as much astonished as you.”
Charlotte’s eyes stayed upon Elizabeth. “It is not as if you even care for the man.”
“True.”
“But…if I knew you less…I might think your feelings for him…altered with the way you diligently cared for him these last few days.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I was only in the service of my fellow man. I did less than the nurse Lady Catherine sent and only read to him and kept company with Miss Darcy or the colonel. I would have shown the same amount of care had it been any of God’s creatures.”
“Even Mr. Wickham?”
Elizabeth shot a quick glance at her friend. “I believe Mr. Wickham would have found another to help him in his time of need.” She tried to regulate the sting in her tone, but to Charlotte’s discerning ear, it was not lost.
“Has he done something to fall out of your favor?”
Lizzy bit her lip. “I have had time to think about his actions. Divulging his most intimate secrets to me seems in poor taste.”
“This change had nothing to do with the news my mother sent of his betrothal to Mary King?” Charlotte asked.
Lizzy shook her head, her brown curls bouncing. “It may but not for the reasons you imagine.” At Charlotte’s raised brow, Elizabeth said, “I worry Mary King does not have the true measure of the man.”
“And you do?”
She shrugged. “I believe my opinion was once colored by a misconception.”
“And now it is not?”
“My opinions are based on the injured gentleman in the other room. Our interactions since his arrival, my visits, and conversations with his cousin forced me to reevaluate my previous opinion. I found myself lacking.”
“Truly?” Charlotte raised her brow. “With all the love and admiration I can muster, Lizzy, I never believed I would hear that come from you.”
“Nor did I. At least on this score.”
The air hung heavy with unasked questions and hidden truths.
Charlotte stood. “Very well. Get some rest. I fear Lady Catherine will visit again to test our mettle and the health of your patient.” She walked to the door and turned before stepping into the corridor.
“I am impressed by your ability to change your opinion, Lizzy. I have known you many years and find your beliefs unvarying once they are decided. I see that your service to Mr. Darcy has changed you.”
Elizabeth smiled at her friend as the door closed.
She rolled over and looked out the window at the moon.
Yes. Yes. It has only been my taking care of him.
She pulled the blanket up to her chin before closing her eyes.
It has nothing to do with the dreams which have plagued me every night since I discovered him injured in the woods.
No. Nothing at all.
The shadows of the room stretched with the flickering of the firelight. Darcy rolled over uncertain of which world he was inhabiting. It only took a second for him to realize the truth when he heard Richard’s voice.
“You are awake again, Darce. Shall I get you something to drink? Brandy?”
“In my present state, I believe something weaker would be a better choice.”
Richard snickered and poured him a glass of water from the pitcher, then brought it to him, holding it to his lips. After Darcy drank, he set it on the table next to the bed.
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Why do you look at me so?” Richard asked, ignoring the question.
Darcy was silent and then, “I am only out of sorts.”
“You stare at me as if I am a phantom.”
Darcy remained silent, his emotions too raw to reply before saying, “My dreams have been affected by my head injury. I do not understand the circumstances which led me here.”
“Hmm…” Richard studied him then replied, “You have been unconscious for a little over a week.”
“How did I come to the parsonage?”
“Miss Bennet found you. You had fallen from Ulys—”
“Fallen from Ulysses? Are you mad?”
Richard Fitzwilliam shook his head. “I am not. No one was more surprised than me but that is the truth of it. You had fallen from Ulysses and hit your head on a large stone.”
Darcy allowed this information to roll around in his mind.
“Does that sit well with you?”
“No, it does not,” he said, rubbing his temples.
“Nor I when Miss Bennet found you. So, I investigated.”
“You investigated? For what purpose?”
Richard said, “Darcy, you haven’t been thrown from a horse since you were a young lad. I wanted to confirm there was no reason for you to have ended on the ground other than your own inability to ride.”
Oh, how I have missed Richard. “My inability to ride? And other than that… Did you find anything to determine there had been foul play?”
“None. So that can mean only one thing.”
“Yes?”
Richard leaned forward catching Darcy’s complete attention. “That you are just as clumsy an oaf as when we were children.”
“If my head did not ache, I would throttle you.”
Richard chuckled and lay a hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “In all seriousness, you gave me quite a scare, Cousin. Do not ever force me to imagine living in a world without Fitzwilliam Darcy again. Do you understand?”
Oh, I do. More than you know.
“I would be required to pilfer second rate brandy from my brother’s cellars. You know how priggish Alfred can be. That is the last thing I want to deal with.”
Darcy closed his eyes.
“You said Miss Bennet found me?”
“Yes, she did, poor thing. She would not leave you but screamed for help, cradling your head, fearing you would not wake up.”
She cradled my head?
“There was no one nearby?”
“She called out until one of the gamekeepers found her.”
“And Ulysses? Did he bolt to Rosings?”
“No.” Colonel Fitzwilliam snorted. “He sought out Miss Bennet and would not allow her to leave until she followed him. That is how she discovered you.”
Darcy leaned back on the pillow and closed his eyes.
“Do you remember anything from before your fall?”
“Such as?” Darcy opened his eyes and glanced up at Richard.
“Such as why you were in the woods?”
“Only a ride.”
A skeptical look crossed Richard’s face. “The morning we were to leave? My batman informed me Briggs said he was packing your things, and we would leave once you returned from an errand.”
“And?”
“And what was your errand?”
Darcy closed his eyes again. “Fresh air.” He forced his eyes to remain closed, unwilling to view the look he knew would be on Richard’s face.
“Interesting.” After a few moments of silence, Richard said, “Georgiana informed me that she was acquainted with Miss Elizabeth Bennet through your letters from Netherfield.”
Richard pressed on after Darcy’s mute reply.
“I have known you my whole life, and in all our letters, you have never mentioned a young lady with the frequency Georgie said you mentioned Miss Bennet. Might I conclude in that frozen space of your rib cage where others would have a heart, you have developed some type of tendre for a certain young woman of our acquaintance?”
Still no response.
“Since you do not feel the need to enlighten me on your correspondence, do you care to discuss the scene earlier today?” Receiving no response, Richard said, “It appeared to me there is a deep familiarity with Miss Bennet, which had not existed before. This leads me to believe Georgiana might have the right of it.”
“What did my sister say?”
“Oh, now he speaks!” The colonel snorted. “Only what is plain to all in sundry. That she suspects you are in love with Miss Bennet.”
“In love?”
“Darce, if your mooning over her before your accident did not convince us, then your actions this afternoon surely would. I practically had to carry Lady Catherine from the room to protect Miss Bennet.”
“Was Elizabeth harmed?”
“Elizabeth, is it? Why don’t you enlighten me on the association between yourself and Miss Bennet?”
Silence passed before Darcy eked out a strained reply. “There is no association.”
“That is not as it appeared earlier to anyone who witnessed the sight.”
“Yes, well, once again, I did not have my wits about me.”
Richard harrumphed and took another drink, eyeing his cousin. “Was it a good dream? The one you woke up from with Elizabeth?”
Darcy sighed, closing his eyes again. “Better than I could have hoped.”