Page 28 of Saved By Mr. Darcy
“I am sorry. I thought… I thought you would have been told. I do not mean to disturb your morning, Mr Darcy. I can go, of course, and leave you to…”
“No!” he interrupted sharply. “No, please do join me. I worry only that we do not have a comfortable place you might eat. The chaise is too low to reach the table.”
“A cup of tea would be wonderful. I am not hungry.”
She had no appetite at all; she had asked to be taken to breakfast knowing that Georgiana often missed the meal all together. She hoped that she might take the chance to see Mr Darcy in the daylight, so that her mind may make sense of the shadows that had danced in her head all night.
“You should have something,” Mr Darcy said, still standing in his place. “Mrs Reynolds tells me you have barely eaten.”
“I suppose I will have a piece of toast,” she relented, unwilling to argue. “Thank you.”
The servants left with quick nods of their heads, only a footman remaining. He busied himself with preparing tea, and Lizzy was left almost alone with Mr Darcy once more.
“Georgiana has ridden out this morning,” Mr Darcy said, finally taking his seat. “She left word for me to say that she was making the most of the clear morning.”
“When will she return?”
“This afternoon, I would expect.”
“She did not invite you to join her in her ride?”
“I suppose her brother is not her idea of a companion for such occasions.”
“Is she a fine rider?”
“Yes, though her form could use work. You would not think it, to know her, but she favours speed over precision.”
“She is a talented young lady in many areas, it would seem.”
“She is.”
“And what are your talents, Mr Darcy?”
“It is not for me to say.”
“Then perhaps I should observe you more closely, so that I might see them for myself.”
He said nothing, picking up his teacup and drinking deeply. He was so very difficult to understand; sometimes, she felt as if she were looking at a very handsome brick wall, rather than a man.
“If you’ll excuse me, Miss Elizabeth. I have much to be getting on with today and…”
Lizzy watched as he hastily pushed out his chair, taking no care and moving far too quickly. The chair tipped backwards and fell to the floor with a surprisingly loud crash. Suddenly, her mind was taken back to the terrible day that had brought her here.
The thudding of the horses’ hooves as they raced along the ground. The sudden rocking of the carriage, the screams of the men above her as they were thrown off their seats. She saw one, through the window. He flew impossibly far, landing somewhere that she could not see. His screams were silenced at once, but replaced by the screams of her aunt and uncle. The world seemed to turn, the force of her aunt’s body slammed into her at once. Pain flared through her, so sharp that she thought she would die with it.
The carriage tumbled sideways, wood splintering in her ears as they crashed through the woodland floor. She could not even scream, fear overtaking her senses. In the last moments of consciousness, she thought of what would await her…and of all the time she had wasted.
And then, she heard a voice. A deep, gentle voice calling her name, pulling her out of this nightmare.
“Miss Elizabeth! You are safe… Please, please…”
“Please! I do not want to die!” she choked out.
Hot tears rolled down her face, and she gasped for breath. The image was gone now, and she realised that she was, as Mr Darcy had reassured her, safe in the dining room at Pemberley. Her body trembled as her heart beat a wild and uneven rhythm.
“There, now. Hush… You are safe, my darling,” he whispered.
Lizzy inhaled deeply, her eyes squeezed shut as her heart began to slow. Her skin tingled, her chest burning with the effort of breathing. She opened her eyes slowly, finding Mr Darcy crouched beside her, concern etched on his face. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak though she wished to say nothing.
