CHAPTER SEVEN #2
"Oh my goodness—sir, I am so sorry!" Elizabeth cried, hurrying forward.
Mr. Darcy moved swiftly. He plucked the hat from the hedge, brushed it off with two quick sweeps of his hand, and extended his other arm toward the gentleman. His fingers closed firmly but gently around the man's elbow, steadying him.
"Are you hurt, sir?" His voice was low, his brow creased with concern.
The gentleman blinked, then smiled at the two young people and at the dogs cavorting merrily at his feet. "Hurt? Not at all, not at all. Just startled by young love, it seems." With a chuckle, he reclaimed his stick, tipped his hat, and went on his way.
For a brief moment, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were silent—then laughter escaped them both, light and unguarded.
"I must apologize for Pippin," Elizabeth said, smiling despite herself as she bent to retrieve the leash. "She has no sense of propriety where Apollo is concerned."
"Apollo is no better," Darcy admitted, eyes following the two dogs as they circled one another. "He behaves like a fool whenever she is near."
Elizabeth laughed softly. "Then they are well suited. I confess I see no shame in it—when happiness makes one foolish, I mean."
Darcy glanced at her, the corners of his mouth softening. "If I may ask, Miss Bennet, how did you come by her? She is a remarkable little creature."
Elizabeth was briefly surprised by the gentleness of his tone.
"My aunt Gardiner gave her to me," she said after a pause.
"She had a dog she adored, but it died giving birth to a single pup—Pippin.
My aunt could not bear to lose one and keep the other, so she sent her to me.
I was still quite young, but Pippin has been mine ever since. "
Darcy nodded, looking down at the dog who was now playfully pawing at Apollo’s ear. "That is a touching story. Your aunt’s heart must be as generous as your spaniel’s."
Elizabeth smiled faintly. "You are kind to say so, Mr. Darcy. And you—how came Apollo into your keeping? He seems quite devoted to you."
Darcy was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was softer than she had ever heard it.
"It was six winters ago. I was riding back to Pemberley after visiting my steward—late in the evening, and the snow had turned to sleet.
The roads were nearly impassable." He paused.
"That was when I saw him. Just a small, shivering heap beside a fallen branch. "
His jaw tightened. "Someone had abandoned him there. No shelter, no food, no chance. He was so weak he could not stand. I wrapped him in my cloak and carried him the rest of the way home." Another pause. "For weeks afterward, he trembled at every sound. He trusted no one."
Elizabeth’s expression softened. "Mr. Darcy… you saved him."
He looked away, his voice quiet but steady. "No, Miss Bennet. He saved me. More times than I can ever count."
For a moment, she could not speak. The two dogs bounded through the grass in bright, tumbling circles. She watched them—and then, briefly, she watched him.
After a moment, Darcy drew a slow breath. "I had best go. We have attracted enough attention."
Elizabeth's gaze drifted from the dogs to the green beyond, where several townspeople had paused to watch them. Her lips curved with amusement.
"Surely it is not so dreadful to be noticed," she said lightly.
"They are not merely noticing. They are talking."
"About us?" she asked, brows lifting. "I think you overestimate your charm, sir. They are clearly more taken with our dogs."
Her teasing tone was rewarded by the faintest smile, though his eyes shifted toward a nearby group of villagers.
“Such handsome creatures,” one woman whispered to her friend. “Do you think their owners are courting as well?”
Her companion giggled. “They make a striking pair.”
Darcy’s jaw tightened, while Elizabeth pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.
"You see?" she said. "Pippin and Apollo are the true scandal."
He shook his head, but something in his expression eased. "Perhaps you are right. It would not be the first occasion on which our dogs have drawn notice."
He gave a short whistle, and Apollo obeyed at once, but not before turning back to lick Pippin’s ear—a tender gesture of farewell.
"Good day, Miss Bennet."
"Good day, Mr. Darcy."
He bowed, his eyes lingering briefly on hers, then walked away, Apollo trotting faithfully beside him.
Elizabeth watched them go. Apollo glanced back once before they disappeared down the lane, his sleek coat catching the light. Pippin pressed against Elizabeth’s skirts, the leash drawn tight as if unwilling to part.
Elizabeth sighed, crouching to fasten it properly. "Well, my girl," she murmured, "you have excellent taste, though perhaps too romantic a heart."
Pippin licked her hand gravely.
"You never let anything stand in the way of what—or whom—you want, do you?"
Pippin wagged her tail, perfectly content.
"No, I thought not," Elizabeth said softly. "You are far too sensible to let pride stand in the way of happiness."
She paused, glancing back toward the road where Mr. Darcy had vanished. "He is not quite as proud as I once believed. If he ever apologises for that dreadful remark at the Meryton assembly, perhaps I may actually like him."
Pippin gave a short, sceptical whine.
"Oh, come now," Elizabeth said with a laugh.
"You have Apollo, do you not? Surely you will allow me one moment of generosity.
He is—" she hesitated, smiling to herself, "—a fine gentleman, though not always consistent.
One day charming, the next intolerable. And that, my dear, is why I remain cautious. "
Pippin gave a final wag of her tail, entirely unconvinced.
Elizabeth shook her head, her smile lingering as they walked on. "You and Apollo have it simple. You know what you like and never pretend otherwise. Perhaps I might learn something from that."
The sunlight caught in her hair as she turned for home, Pippin trotting proudly at her side.