Page 3 of Saved By Mr. Darcy
“Yes,” came the terrible reply. “Yes, that is our Lizzy. You know her?”
“You are certain she’s breathing?”
“Yes. We must free her; I believe something has trapped her leg. I can barely see, but her leg looks to be beneath...I cannot see. Some wood, I do not know. What is your name?”
“My name is Darcy.”
“Mr Darcy,” the voice said. “Of Pemberley. Lizzy said that she knew you. Are you to be our saviour?”
“I hope so, Mrs Gardiner. I am going to see to your husband. Keep awake, talk to Miss Elizabeth. I shall return to you just as soon as I am able.”
Trying to cause as little movement to the carriage below him as possible, he eased himself onto hard ground. Nausea overwhelmed him, for he smelt the terrible stench of death all around him. Clenching his fists, he straightened. Now was no time for emotion; there was work to be done.
Returning to Mr Gardiner, Darcy knelt on the ground beside him. He removed his jacket, laying it over the man’s shivering body.
“You are close to my home, sir. I have sent my driver to fetch all that we need to get you to safety, and the women too.”
“And the drivers?”
“Dead.”
“Oh.”
“I am sorry. Your horses have gone, there is no sign of them at all. They must have pulled themselves free in the struggle.”
“Wise beasts,” the man chuckled, before groaning painfully. “My chest. God, it hurts.”
“Stay still. You’ve most likely broken a rib. Tell me, Mr Gardiner, what are you doing in Derbyshire?”
Darcy asked not only out of a genuine curiosity, but he knew the importance of keeping an injured man talking. Mr Gardiner’s face was terribly pale, a stark contrast to the rich green moss that surrounded him. He was trembling violently, his teeth chattering.
“A pleasure trip. My wife hails from Lambton, and wished - wished to see the Peak District as we have not been for some - some time. Lizzy loves the country, and is m-marvellous company. You know her, do you not? I heard you telling Madeline you are Mr Darcy.”
“I am. Yes, I am acquainted with Miss Elizabeth.”
“Madeline?” he called out suddenly, trying to sit up. “Madeline, dear, can you hear me?”
Darcy gently pushed him back down, shushing him as one would an unsettled infant. It seemed to calm Mr Gardiner, who was clearly confused. The wound on his head looked rather deep, and Darcy only hoped that the damage was entirely external.
“She is well, sir. I will go and check on her.”
“And Lizzy? I can’t hear her. Lizzy!”
“She is asleep. We will wake her, I swear it. Whatever it takes, I will see your niece well. I promise you.”
And if she dies, I will go with her.
The minutes crawled by. Darcy alternated between sitting with Mr Gardiner, ensuring he was well and that the pain in his chest was not trouble with his heart (though Darcy was no doctor, and in truth he had no idea what was wrong with the fellow), and climbing onto the carriage to ensure the two women trapped inside were as well as they could be. He checked the two men, in case his previous assessment had been wrong, and it had been just as he suspected. The poor creatures were dead - with no shelter from the impact, they didn’t stand a chance. It was a miracle that Mr Gardiner had survived being thrown from the carriage.
At last, after a tortuously long time that might have been an hour or perhaps an entire day, Darcy heard the sound of hooves coming from the path ahead. He closed his eyes, thanking God that help had come at last. A stream of men arrived, travelling two to a horse. Behind one horse, a wagon was pulled. There were ten men, as great a number as his household possessed. Every man had heeded his call and had come to aid their master.
“I’ve brought the men, sir.”
“Good man. And the doctor has been sent for?”
“Aye, Mr Darcy.”
“There are two ladies trapped in the carriage. We must cut the wood to free them. One is gravely injured, trapped beneath the debris; time is of the essence. I will speak with them now, and when I call you, bring the axe and the planks of wood we shall use as stretchers. See that Mr Gardiner is attended to. He must be kept warm.”
