Chapter Twenty-Two #2
"Which leaves the silent face," said Jane. "It alone speaks truly, and both the others are false." She rang the bell beneath the face covering its mouth.
The footman bowed, stepped forward and presented Elizabeth with the first purple-ribboned token.
The ladies cheered, but Elizabeth did not allow them to linger.
The footman handed her their next instruction, which directed them towards running water, and after several wrong turns they found a narrow channel cutting across the path.
A little wooden bridge spanned it, while coloured tiles set into the rail formed a pattern which had to be repeated upon a second board beyond.
Another footman waited beside the station. Mrs Cartwright studied the sequence, crossed the bridge and arranged the second set of tiles correctly after a single look. The footman handed her the token before Miss Lacey had finished sketching the pattern in her notebook.
Their third instruction led them to a small clearing where five painted arrows pointed in different directions, each accompanied by a short verse. A footman waited beneath a nearby tree with the token visible upon his tray, but gave no indication which way they ought to go.
Miss Lacey noticed that one of the signs had been freshly repainted, while Miss Grey recognised the scent of lavender mentioned in one of the verses upon another. Between them they chose the correct path and found a second footman waiting a little farther on.
"You have chosen correctly, ladies." He surrendered the third token and directed them onwards.
They had just begun congratulating themselves when Amelia's foot slipped at the edge of the path. She gave a cry and caught at the hedge, but Lady Frances seized her arm before she hit the ground. Amelia attempted to take another step and immediately winced.
"My ankle."
The others crowded around her until Elizabeth made them stand back. There was no swelling yet, but Amelia could not put her full weight upon the foot without pain.
"I can continue," she insisted. "Please do not stop because of me."
"We are not leaving you," said Elizabeth.
"But the gentlemen may already have four tokens."
"Then they may have them. Lady Hortensia was perfectly clear that every member must reach the checkpoint."
The footman from the previous station had followed at a discreet distance.
At Elizabeth's request, he produced a strip of clean linen from the small satchel carried for just such accidents.
Miss Grey loosened Amelia's shoe and bound the ankle firmly while Lady Frances and Jane prepared to support her.
Progress became slower after that, but no one complained.
Harriet took Amelia's place near the front, though she obeyed Elizabeth's instruction not to run ahead, while Clara shortened her pace without drawing attention to it.
When the path narrowed, they passed Amelia carefully from one pair of supporting arms to the next.
Their fourth station stood in a small clearing where a footman waited beside a table. Three identical wooden boxes had been arranged beside a small balance.
"One of these contains a lead weight," he explained. "You may use the balance once. Identify the heavier box and the token is yours. You may not touch the boxes, but ask me to weigh the ones of your choosing."
Harriet frowned at the three boxes. "How are we to compare all of them with one weighing?"
"We do not need to," Lady Frances said. She indicated to the footman to place one box upon either side of the balance. "If these are equal, the weight must be in the third. If they are not, the balance will tell us which is heavier."
One side dropped and Lady Frances pointed to the lower box. The footman opened it, revealing the lead weight, and handed Elizabeth the fourth token.
"A gratifyingly sensible challenge," Lady Frances observed with a sniff. "So logical that even Sir Geoffrey might approve."
They had scarcely left the clearing when men's voices sounded beyond the hedge. "This way," someone called. "I am certain of it."
"You were equally certain at the last turning," came Colonel Fitzwilliam's amused reply.
The ladies rounded the corner and almost collided with Darcy, Richard, Sir Geoffrey and Mr Ashcombe emerging from a neighbouring path. The remainder of the gentlemen were nowhere to be seen.
For one moment both groups stopped. Darcy's gaze moved first to Elizabeth and then to Amelia, who stood with an arm around Jane's shoulders.
"What has happened?"
"Miss Harrington has injured her ankle," Elizabeth said. "It is not severe, but we cannot move quickly."
Amelia tried to straighten. "I shall manage."
Darcy stepped towards her at once. "You should return to the house."
Mr Ashcombe gave an impatient sound. "Darcy, we cannot abandon the Challenge because Miss Harrington has turned her ankle."
"I did not suggest that we should."
"You cannot escort her out and remain in the contest," Sir Geoffrey said. "Every member of the team must reach the checkpoint."
Darcy looked towards the footman standing some distance behind the ladies. "Then one of the servants may take her back."
"No," Amelia said quickly. "I do not wish to leave."
"You may have done more harm than you realise. Bearing weight will only make it worse."
"Mr Darcy," Elizabeth said, "Miss Harrington's ankle has been bound and she is able to continue with our assistance. It is not so bad a strain, truly."
His gaze moved to hers. "You are certain?"
"As certain as I can be."
Amelia managed a faint smile. "I have caused my team quite enough difficulty already. I will not cost them the final challenge as well."
Darcy still looked unconvinced, but Colonel Fitzwilliam placed a hand upon his shoulder. "She is surrounded by nine determined ladies, Darcy. All will be well."
Mr Ashcombe glanced down the path. "Now that Miss Harrington's survival has been established, might we continue?"
Darcy did not reply to him immediately. He simply looked at Elizabeth, his gaze promising something she could not quite interpret.
For the briefest moment, the maze and the people around them seemed to fall away. Then Harriet shifted impatiently beside Elizabeth and Mr Ashcombe looked down the path as though he might continue without permission.