Chapter 1 #2
“Now, I will seek out your brother and return to Netherfield—alone. I do not need you to accompany me, and I will not be compromised by you. Remember that I can walk away from a compromise with my reputation only slightly tarnished while yours would be utterly ruined. Keep that in mind if you are considering trying anything while we are staying under the same roof.” Darcy issued his warning in whispered tones, but even Miss Bingley seemed to recognise a measure of determination in his tone.
She nodded and wandered away in a state of shock, finding her sister and reporting what had been said.
Darcy sought out his friend and found him speaking to Elizabeth’s elder sister, Miss Bennet.
“Bingley, my headache has worsened, and I am returning to Netherfield immediately. I have already informed your sister that there is no need for any of you to join me. I will send the carriage back for you.”
“Oh, I hope you will be well, Mr. Darcy. My sister Elizabeth also developed a headache and escaped outside a moment ago. I suppose she only needed a bit of fresh air,” Jane replied softly.
Darcy nodded absently. “Thank you. If you will excuse me,” he muttered, offering a brief bow before quickly turning and hurrying away.
Rather than calling for the carriage, he stepped outside, searching for Elizabeth.
He found her hidden behind some bushes, surprised to discover her in tears. “Elizabeth, my darling, what is wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Oh, Fitzwilliam!” she cried, “I do not understand any of this. I repeatedly asked my father if he heard from you, but he always said he had not. When you did not come here to request my father’s consent, or answer my letters, I thought you had changed your mind about our engagement.
How could my father have told you I was on my wedding trip?
Why has he lied to me all these years? This makes no sense.
” Not wanting to be discovered, she spoke quietly, but even her soft voice could not disguise the anger and hurt in her voice.
Without thinking, he pulled her into his embrace. She came willingly, sobbing into his chest as he held her tightly. After several moments, he felt her begin to calm, and he spoke in a low voice, careful not to be overheard by anyone nearby.
“I do not understand it either, dearest. I came to Longbourn twice to speak with your father.
Each time, I hoped to see you and hear from you directly, to confirm what he had told me.
In London, I also visited your uncle at his home and his business, but I learned nothing of you.
He neither confirmed nor denied your father's words. He only insisted that I speak to your father, who had the final say in your marriage.”
Elizabeth continued to allow herself to be held by him and drew strength from his familiar embrace.
“I admit, I am afraid to ask him why. If he learns we have met again, will he act to separate us? Mama will speak of your presence here in Meryton, and I cannot imagine Papa will have forgotten your name.” She paused and removed her head from where it rested on his chest and cried.
“Oh, Fitzwilliam! He will hear your name in the morning, and I know he will do what he can to keep me away from you as he clearly has done in the past. Why did he refuse you and say nothing of it to me? Why did he lie to us both?” She was still crying as she finished, and he only held her more tightly.
After several minutes, he spoke: “Come with me now to Netherfield. I believe there are still many months until you reach your majority,” he said, looking down at her for confirmation.
Elizabeth nodded, and he continued. “For whatever reason, your father has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep us apart. If your father would lie to both of us for all these years, I cannot imagine he will allow us to be together now. I, too, am afraid that once he learns of my presence at Netherfield, he will take action to separate us.”
“Elizabeth, fate has brought us together again. We will not be thwarted by your father or anyone else. Let us travel to Scotland and marry over the anvil. We can leave tonight. Once we are married, your father cannot prevent us from being together.”
“Are you certain, Fitzwilliam?” she asked, pulling back slightly to look him in the eye. “It would be a scandal.”
“I have wanted to marry you for years; I can bear the scandal, dearest.”
“I have nothing with me, not even my cloak. It is still inside the assembly hall.” Elizabeth snuggled deeper into his arms, not wanting to let him go.
“What if we met at sunrise, as you suggested? Will your father still be awake when you return home tonight? Would he prevent you from walking out if he learned I was here?”
Elizabeth again pulled back to look at the man she had loved for four years. “It is unlikely, but he can be unpredictable.”
“You know I will gladly purchase anything you need as we travel north,” he said, smiling down at her tenderly.
She smiled at him. “I do know that. I still wear your ring, though no longer on my finger. I could not since Mama would have questioned me about it, and I did not know what Papa would have said. When I told him you would come, he did not believe it was true, and I thought he would mock me for my faith in you.”
“Where do you wear it then?” he asked, looking her over carefully
“It is hidden—tied into the laces of my stays.” She blushed profusely and hid her eyes.
Darcy gently lifted her chin with his fingers, ensuring their eyes met.
As their gazes locked, a fleeting brush of their lips sent a shiver through him.
After a moment, he drew back, taking a deep shuddering breath.
“You are even more tempting now than you were at sixteen, my love. I do not care whether we begin now or at first light; one way or another, I will not let another fortnight pass before making you my wife. What will it be, Elizabeth?”
He watched her as she weighed her options, her expressive face a canvas of shifting emotions: joy, disappointment, sorrow, and above all, love. Finally, resolve sparked in her eyes as she looked up at him.
“I do not wish to take the chance that my father will discover your presence here. We must leave tonight. Let me go inside and inform my sister that I am walking home,” she replied, her voice steady.
“I have no objection to you taking me part of the way in your carriage. Once I arrive, I will pack a few things for our journey and change into something more suitable for travelling. I would rather not set off for Scotland in this gown. This way, our housekeeper will see me arrive home and that I have gone to bed with a headache, giving us more time before anyone discovers I am gone. We can meet in an hour at the same spot where you leave me. No one will miss me until tomorrow morning when I fail to join the family for breakfast,” she explained, her determination clear.
“I will call for Bingley’s carriage,” Darcy responded, a rush of exhilaration flooding through him.
“We can take my carriage north, and I will leave a note saying I was called away. As soon as we are able, I will hire an additional coachman so we might travel faster and longer each day. With any luck, we will be at Gretna Green in less than a se’nnight. ”
They both rushed to do as they said, and before the dance ended that evening, they were heading north. At a stop later the next morning, Darcy hired two express riders—one going north to Pemberley and the other to go south to Hertfordshire before going on to London.