Chapter 2.14 #3
Elizabeth saw the rightness of his suggestion, so she reluctantly took his arm. She held it with the same reserve that she would hold something harmful. She marvelled at the feelings aroused inside her and felt herself shiver as she tried to keep pace with his long strides.
“You are cold; it is good we only have a short distance remaining,” he said. “Would you take my coat? Although I am afraid it is so wet that it would do more harm than good.”
“No…thank you…” She knew her cheeks were burning and felt grateful that he could not see her face. He had noticed her quivering but fortunately misunderstood the reason. How could he suppose something that was a puzzle even to herself?
The hold of her hand on his arm tightened.
She was walking arm in arm with a man who, until a few months ago, she hated —the man she considered responsible for her sister’s suffering and believed to be unfair, cruel, and disrespectful even to his dead father’s wish.
The man whose marriage proposal she violently rejected.
“Look, we are already home,” Elizabeth said, her voice trembling. “It was much faster than usual.”
“True. And it would surely have been even faster by horseback,” he responded in earnest.
She glanced at his profile.
“Will you never cease teasing me about my lack of riding skill? It is quite ungenerous of you,” she replied and then blushed as her voice sounded more flirtatious than she intended. Her uneasiness increased when, after a brief hesitation, he answered in the same manner.
“I apologise for any inconvenience, but I am not certain whether I will ever stop. Since you have few faults I can make sport of, I must preserve the one I found.”
She chuckled. “That answer is abominable, sir, and as I said —quite ungenerous!”
The conversation struggled to be light, but both were aware of the lack of composure in their voices.
The attempted mockery tried —with little success —to dissipate the tension and discomfort of being alone and in such an intimate situation.
They were soaking wet, her hand tightly gripping his arm, and their bodies touching at times during the hasty walk.
“Again —I apologise, Miss Bennet. But my remark was true and serious. We easily could have ridden together on my horse and it would have taken only a couple of minutes to arrive. However, I did not dare suggest a solution that would have been equally improper and uncomfortable for you. I imagine you would rather freeze in the rain than accept such a proposal from me.”
This time Elizabeth turned towards him, astonished and distressed by his statement and by its hidden implications.
He stopped too, and their eyes locked. The entrance to Longbourn was only steps away, and she withdrew her hand from his arm.
She licked her lips that, despite the raindrops falling on her face, suddenly felt dry.
“You believed me unreasonable to refuse a sensible suggestion for our mutual comfort, and yet you chose to join me in a situation that was solely my fault. Why would you do that?”
He frowned, and his gaze deepened while her breathing became unsteady.
Then a smile lifted the corner of his lips and narrowed his eyes.
“Because I am a complete fool. But one with rather gentlemanlike behaviour —at least most of the time. Now, let us enter; we have spent enough time in the rain.”
They were met in the yard by Bingley and Jane; Georgiana was behind them, covered with a large, dry towel and looking at them with worry.
“Oh, thank God you arrived so quickly; I had asked for the carriage to be prepared,” Bingley said.
“Lizzy, let us go upstairs at once,” Jane said decidedly. “Miss Darcy, would you join us, please? You should both get out of those wet gowns immediately.”
As the three ladies left, Bingley turned to his friend. “Come —you must change your clothes too. I can offer you a robe and a glass of brandy from Mr. Bennet. I have sent a servant to Netherfield to procure dry clothes for you and Georgiana; he should return shortly.”
“Thank you, my friend; that was thoughtful of you,” Darcy answered, following Bingley while his eyes gazed after Elizabeth.
“Yes, well…in fact the carriage was Miss Darcy’s idea, and sending John to Netherfield was Jane’s,” Bingley mumbled, happy to at least offer his friend a glass of brandy.
Upstairs in the bedroom, a blanket of wet clothes appeared on the floor with an eruption of voices.
Under Jane’s strict supervision, both Georgiana and Elizabeth were quickly dried and cleaned.
Elizabeth tried to calm her sister. “Jane, we are fine —do not worry.”
“I see you are fine, Lizzy, but I would like to know you will continue to be so in a few days and not catch a bad cold. So please keep the towel on your hair a little longer; you are still wet,” Jane replied then turned to Georgiana.
“Miss Darcy, for the moment, you will take one of Lizzy’s dresses. And please allow me to loosen your hair; it must be dried too.”
“Of course, Miss Bennet; thank you for your care,” Georgiana answered meekly, glancing at Elizabeth, who could barely withhold her laughter.
Jane had suddenly turned into a severe mistress who accepted no contradiction, but Elizabeth knew too well that it was due to her sister’s affection and care for their well-being.
A knock on the door introduced Kitty and Mary bringing tea.
First, Elizabeth and Georgiana were offered large hot cups and asked to sit close to the fireplace. Then the other three sisters took a seat and a cup of tea, and everybody finally managed to be calm.
“Miss Darcy, you are an amazing rider. As fast as lightning,” Kitty said admiringly.
“Thank you.” Georgiana smiled, red cheeked from the compliment and the hot tea. “But I confess it was more my concern for Miss Lizzy and my brother than my riding skills that induced me to ride so fast.”
“Oh, you should not worry for Lizzy,” Mary said. “She does that all the time. Once she was caught in snow and returned home half frozen.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“Thank you, dear Mary. Please say something else to embarrass me in front of Miss Darcy.”
“But it is true, Lizzy. None of us can keep pace with you, not even when we walk to Meryton!” Kitty added.