Page 30 of Saved By Mr. Darcy
He straightened up, rolling his eyes and turning to call back to his sister.
“No.”
Lizzy smiled broadly, catching the irritation in Mr Darcy’s face as he turned back to her. She saw a brief glimpse of what he might have been like as a child, that masterly air about him slipping for brief moments from time to time.
“My sisters often take what is not theirs. I thought Miss Darcy would not have such problems!”
“I have my own riding things, why would I -” he paused in his passionate defence, his shoulders slumping as he realised her intentions. “You are teasing me.”
“Yes. I am sorry. How rude of me, after you have given me this gift.”
Georgiana burst into the room. She was dressed for riding in the finest clothes Lizzy had ever seen, looking quite the elegant young lady.
“Fitzwilliam, I am sure it was you for I cannot – oh! Elizabeth! I am sorry, I did not know you were up. Oh!” she exclaimed again. “What is this wonderous thing?”
Georgiana circled the chair, running one finger along the handles as she examined it. Lizzy smiled at her curiosity, her enthusiasm utterly infectious.
“Your brother had it made for me. Isn’t it marvellous? I was just about to try it, if you could help me?”
“Of course!”
“She will not take proper care,” Mr Darcy interrupted. “I will help you as well.”
“Thank you.”
Mr Darcy pushed the chair close to her, so close that she might transfer from one seat to the other with minimal movement. She sat up straight on her chaise, taking care as she began to move her leg. She winced, a sharp sting of pain shooting through her shin as she tried to settle in a usual sitting position. She looked up, catching Mr Darcy’s intent gaze. She held out a hand to him. He took it, her fingers curing over his. Georgiana rushed forward, reaching out to Lizzy’s other side.
“Slowly,” Mr Darcy warned his sister. “You must tell us at once if you feel pain, Miss Elizabeth.”
She nodded. She inhaled deeply; she was not sure that she was strong enough for this. Her muscles, usually so strong and wellused, felt as weak as jelly as she tried to bring herself to some semblance of a standing position.
“There we are, just a little more…” Georgiana urged her, her voice high pitched as though she were speaking to a small child or a disobedient dog.
“Do not rush her, Georgiana.”
“I’m not, I…”
At last, she found the strength to stand for a moment before the chair was pushed behind her. She sat down, unused to being in such an upright position. She braced herself for pain as her knee bent, but there was nothing. Her lower leg was perfectly straight and resting comfortably in the generous footwell.
She wriggled in place, grinning from ear to ear.
“This is the most wonderful gift I have ever been given! Where might we go? Show me all that I have been unable to see. Take me outside, at once!”
“I shall go and change!” Georgiana said excitedly. “I will be as quick as I can.”
“I am not properly dressed to go outside,” Lizzy realised. “I have no pelisse, or bonnet.”
“Fitzwilliam has seen to it that there are proper clothes waiting for you. I shall go and fetch you a pretty bonnet to go with that lovely dress!”
Around half an hour later, when Georgiana had changed and returned with the promised clothes, Lizzy was carried down the steps in her chair by two footmen. She expected one to stay and take on the task of pushing her. She turned to thank them, onlyto see Mr Darcy standing behind her, his hands firmly gripping the handles of her new chair.
“I have cleared my morning so that I might accompany you both,” he said.
“Fitzwilliam will tell you facts about every inch of the gardens,” Georgiana said with an admiring smile. “He knows the name of every flower. I just think that they are pretty.”
“You do yourself a disservice, sister, in undermining your own intelligence. One can know the variation of rose, whilst also admiring its beauty.”
“Where should we go, Mr Darcy? I look to you as my guide.”
