Page 12 of Searching for Elizabeth
Mary still had not come. Lizzy was positive that she would have come, and she would have been carrying more food, if she could have slipped away without being spotted and waylaid by Mama. She knew how hard it was for Mary to get up as early as Lizzy did, and the fact that she had come so early the day before just made it less likely that she could have risen at dawn today.
Well, this was her life now, Lizzy thought. She wrote a message just in case Mary came, after all, andshe positioned it in the hollow log so that one corner of the paper stuck out. Then shegot the large pitcher she had purchased for the cottage, years ago, and she locked the padlock on the cottage door.She hurried to the spring for some fresh waterandwalked back again as swiftly as she could. A part of her hoped that Mary would be there, standing at the door of the cottage, waiting for her, but of course she was not.
Before she could thinkthis is my life nowagain, Lizzy entered the cottage and diligently got to work again.She wrote in her journal, brainstormed story ideas, and wrote part of anewstory.
She felt lonely, but she pushed that thought away, along with all the exhaustion and worry. She was fine. All would be well.
Chapter 13: Darcy
—morning—
Fitzwilliam Darcy felt fairly good. He had slept much better, and he was able to eat a substantial breakfast.
He rode to the same glade where he had kept his horse the afternoon before, and he looked carefully for the bent twigs that marked his passage. This time, as he hiked, he stayed on the wide horse trail past the first turnoff, and he followed a new, narrower footpath than the trail he had hiked the day before.
Of course, he carried the food packet, he memorized landmarks, such as they were, and he bent twigs along his new trail. After walking an hour and a half,hereturned to his horse.
According to hispocketwatch, it was 10:30 inthemorning. Too early to call on Miss Mary, but since he intended to question Mr. Hill first, he led his horse to Longbourn.After allowingthe stable boy totake care ofhis horse,helooked around for the man.
Spotting him in the kitchen garden, Darcy approached, bowed slightly, and said, “Mr. Hill?”
“Yes, sir.” The man put down his basket of weeds, wiped his hands on a rag, and exited the row he had been weeding.
WhenDarcy asked if Miss Elizabeth was home,a thunderous frown descended on the man’s face. “I do not know where Miss Lizzy is, sir, but I know that she is not at Longbourn. I sorely hope that she fares well, because there is no better girl in the world!” he declared.
Darcy said, “I am of like mind, sir. I know it is quite awful to ask a servant to gossip about the family, but I have been searching for Miss Elizabeth for several days, and I am feeling quite desperate to locate herso Ican ensure that she is safe and, well, to help her if she needsit. When Ispoketo her parents, her sisters, and even her Aunt Phillips, I believe that their responses indicated that some of them, at least, were lying, or perhaps guilty of some other wrongdoing. Is there something you can tell me that could help Miss Elizabeth?”
Mr. Hill studied him for a long moment. Darcy was used to being judged by his clothing, which was simple and sober, but which was made of the finest materials, exquisitely tailored and maintained. But Hill did not seem to even glance at his clothing. Instead, he just stared into Darcy’s eyes.
Seeming to come to a decision,Mr. Hillsaid, “I will tell you one thing, sir. I think there has been a terrible wrong done to Miss Lizzy by her mother. I heard one of those piercing sorts of yells that Mrs. Bennet is like to emit, and she was saying something about Miss Lizzy being thrown from the house in disgrace. When I asked my wife if Miss Lizzy had done aught wrong,she promised me that the girlis as virtuous and honest and fine as she ever was. My wife is mighty upset, sir, very like to want to quit Longbourn, but we are too old to go anywhere else or to get a new situation. We are stuck here, even if they did wrong to Miss Lizzy.”
Darcy shuddered; the idea that Elizabeth had been banished from her home had certainly crossed his mind, but it still struck him as almost unimaginablycruel. He wanted to throttle his beloved’s mother. And, likely, her father as well.
“Mr. Hill,” Darcy said, taking several things out of his pockets, “this is my card, with my direction in London andDerbyshire. On the back is my lawyer’s direction in London. I am extremely grateful to you for this information, but I hope you and your wife will stay right here for now, because you are loyal friends to Miss Elizabeth, and she might need your help.”
Mr. Hill was just looking at the card, and Darcy pressed it into his hand. Then he brought up his other hand and gave the man five guineas. “Here is some money for use in an emergency. Spend it on Miss Elizabeth if she needs anything, or, if you and your wife are let go, you can use the money for lodging and for sending an express to my lawyer. I will ensure you get a new situation if you are let go or if you choose to leave once Miss Elizabeth is located and safe. I do not want you to feel as though you aretrappedhere.”
Looking stunned,Mr. Hilldid not move or respondeven as Darcy bowed again and turned away.
It was still too early for polite calling hours, and Darcy did not want to fluster Mrs. Bennet. He wanted to be able to call on Miss Mary every day until he found Elizabeth.
But he had no compunction about doing the proper thing in regards to Miss Lucas. He decided to call on her and see if he could find out anything from the woman he believed to be Elizabeth’s particular friend.
When Darcy knocked on the door, he heard Lady Lucas call out “John? The door, if you please!” A boy he judged to be thirteen or so opened the door, widened his eyes in surprise, and said, “Mr. Darcy!”
Darcy smiled. The fact that the boy knew his name, even though Darcy had never seen him before, pointed to the idea that the boy had been peeking down at his parents’ guestsduring the gathering at Lucas Lodge a month ago. Darcy well remembered doing the same thing when he was a youngster.
Darcy bowed and said, “Master John.”
The boy blushed but quickly bowed back.
Darcy asked, “I wonder if I could speak with your sister, Miss Charlotte Lucas.”
“Oh! Yes. Yes, sir. If you would follow me.”
Darcy soon found himself seated near Miss Lucas, sipping tea and turning down baked goods. “I trust your family is well, Miss Lucas?” he asked. After the words left his mouth, Lady Lucas bustled in, smilingand bowingbefore issuingthe usual pleasantries. Less than a minute later, the younger Lucas daughter, Miss Maria, entered the room. Lady Lucas and Miss Maria sat togetheron the sofa.Darcy, of course, had to stand and boweachtime a female entered the room, and he was relieved that they were all there now. He settled down with his tea again and politely answered Miss Lucas’s query about his health.
“Ladies, I have been rattling around by myself at NetherfieldafterBingley and his family left for London. I decided to visit the local families; I went to Longbourn yesterday andamhere today.”
