Chapter Ten

Elizabeth

E lizabeth was gasping for breath, her strength nearly spent, when footsteps closed in and then, a hand grabbed at her back. Panic surged within her, and before she could restrain herself, she spun around and struck her assailant across the face with the flat of her hand.

The sound rang out in the still air, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze as she recognised the person before her.

“Goodness, I beg your pardon,” she called as Mr Darcy staggered back, one hand flying to his cheek, but his expression soon softened with recognition. “Miss Bennet?” he said, his voice unsteady. “What on earth—”

“Mr Darcy!” Elizabeth cried, her voice trembling. “Forgive me! I thought you were—”

“It is of no consequence,” he interrupted gently. “But I beg you, explain yourself. What has happened?”

“There is a man,” Elizabeth gasped, struggling to catch her breath, “He claims this child is his daughter, but she denies it. None of what he told us made any sense and it is clear he harbours ill intentions. My father has gone to visit his relatives in Northampton and I am to travel to there to alert him of what has happened. I implore you to allow us passage.”

“And your mother is alone with the man at Longbourn?” he asked at once.

“She was, but not for long. My sister Lydia has gone to fetch my Uncle Phillips to assist her. He lives but minutes from Longbourn and will ensure she is safe. Maggie and I were headed to the coaching inn.”

“Very well. But you cannot continue like this,” Mr Darcy said firmly, his eyes resting on the terrified little girl. “Allow me to assist you, the snow is coming and you and the child will catch your death of cold.”

Elizabeth shook her head, stepping back. “No, you cannot—”

“Enough,” Mr Darcy silenced, his tone brooking no argument. Without waiting for further protest, he scooped up the child. “You must accompany me. I cannot bear to leave you in such peril. We can discuss our next steps in the carriage.”

Elizabeth stared at him, torn between disbelief and gratitude. “Very well,” she whispered, her defences finally crumbling.

Together, they returned to the carriage, where Georgiana looked on in alarm. “Fitz, what on earth has happened?”

“I shall explain later,” Mr Darcy replied. “Miss Bennet and her young companion will be joining us.”

Elizabeth entered the carriage and sank into the seat opposite Georgiana, trembling with exhaustion. As the carriage lurched forward, she held the child close, whispering reassurances that she was safe now.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, her voice faint.

“There is no need for thanks,” Mr Darcy murmured, meeting her eyes with an intensity that took her breath away.

As they settled back into the carriage, with the snow outside beginning to swirl more thickly, Elizabeth drew a deep breath, her chest still heaving slightly from their frantic escape. She clasped Maggie to her side, before turning to Mr Darcy, who had resumed his place opposite her with a determined expression. Georgiana sat beside her brother, her kind eyes flickering between the pair with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

“Miss Bennet,” Mr Darcy began, “I must insist you tell me everything. From the beginning. I need to fully comprehend what has transpired if I am to be of assistance.”

Elizabeth nodded, her mind racing to recall every detail. “My father had to leave for Northampton this afternoon, a matter that upset my mother greatly as we had learned of the Netherfield party’s imminent departure and she thought that Mr Bingley may call,” Elizabeth paused, she was aware that this was irrelevant to the matter at hand, but the fact that Mr Bingley could leave and not speak to her sister upset her greatly. She noted with some satisfaction that Mr Darcy flinched at her words. “Anyway, a few hours after my father left, a man arrived at Longbourn, claiming that Maggie was his daughter—though he said her name was Cecilia—he appeared anxious and demanded that she be given over to him without delay. My mother was quite alarmed but questioned the man as best she could. His answers made little sense to us, especially as he said that she went missing a month ago, yet she has been staying with us for longer.” She glanced at the girl. “Maggie was distressed. Not the reaction one would expect from a child whose parents had finally arrived.”

Mr Darcy’s eyes darkened, and his jaw tightened imperceptibly, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue.

“My mother did her best to get information from him but what we heard was nonsensical and did not line up with what we know to be the truth. I had taken Maggie into my sister’s chamber and she confirmed to us that the man was not her father. In fact, he had hurt her in the past. We decided it would be best if I took her and hired a carriage to take me away to Northampton to meet up with my father, or perhaps to catch him sooner. He would know what to do, surely.”

“But that does not explain your hasty dash through the woods. Why not take the direct path to Meryton to take a carriage from there?” he asked.

“I planned to do just that but as I rushed out of the house with Maggie, I happened to see two other men standing by their horses in the garden. They were rough-looking, Mr Darcy, and though they remained at a distance, they were watching the house. It struck me as odd that he would bring companions and yet make no mention of them, especially if he were simply collecting his child. Why would he need their assistance? And where was any sign of a maternal figure? None of it made sense.”

Mr Darcy’s expression grew even more severe, and he nodded slowly. “You are quite correct, there is something most peculiar in all of this,” he agreed. “It is hardly the conduct of a father seeking to reunite with his daughter, especially one so young and vulnerable.” He paused, then shifted his gaze to Maggie, who had curled herself into Elizabeth’s side, her small frame trembling with each breath. “Maggie,” he said gently, leaning forward slightly, “can you tell me—were those men with him when… when you found yourself alone? Were they involved in what happened to you?”

“I do not think she saw them very well,” Elizabeth interjected but then Maggie’s eyes, wide and frightened, locked onto Mr Darcy’s, and her little hands balled into fists. After what felt like an eternity, she nodded, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Maggie then buried her face against Elizabeth’s shoulder, her tiny frame wracked with silent sobs.

“Shh, Maggie,” Elizabeth murmured, stroking her hair with a tenderness that belied her own fear. “You’re safe now, I promise.”

“Indeed, you are,” Georgiana added softly, her voice as soothing as a lullaby. With a gentle smile, she reached into the small reticule that hung at her side and produced another sweet. “Here, my dear,” she coaxed, pressing it into Maggie’s hand. “This will make you feel better.”

The child glanced up, her tears momentarily forgotten, and took the sweet with a tentative nod of thanks.

“I have a rather lovely book with pretty pictures. Would you like to see it?” Georgiana asked and Maggie nodded, shifting slightly over to where the young woman sat.

“Thank you, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said.

Taking this opportunity, Mr Darcy turned back to Elizabeth, his voice dropping to a murmur. “I am afraid I believe your mother was correct to be cautious—as were you. Something sounds rather peculiar. Clearly something has happened to make her fear him.”

Elizabeth nodded, “That was why my mother decided it was best that we leave the house. If my uncle fetched the constable there was always the chance that he might believe this man’s story and hand the child over. We are all so fond of Maggie, and while we want her to be reunited with her parents, we must be sure that they are her parents. You hear such awful stories nowadays.”

“Your father is in Northampton?” Mr Darcy asked.

“He is. Or on his way. He is visiting my aunt who lives there… I do thank you for your kindness and I wonder if I might trouble you to extend it a little further and take us to the nearest posting inn so we might hire a carriage?”

“I will do no such thing,” Mr Darcy stated firmly.

Elizabeth was confused, she had thought he would help them. Then what did he mean to do? “Is your intention to dispatch us swiftly at the nearest crossroads and leave our fate to chance?” she asked, anger churning inside her.

Mr Darcy raised his eyebrows, apparently amused by her anger. “I meant that I have no intention of abandoning you at a posting inn when you are fleeing from a dangerous situation. We are travelling towards Northampton, in fact, I intend to spend the night there. Mrs Annesley, Georgiana’s attendant, is staying in Market Harborough with family and we are collecting her on the way back home, I have sent word already. She’d planned to travel to Netherfield this week but since our plans have changed I did not want to have her travel in vain. In any case, she is expecting us to collect her.”

He took a breath after his long-winded explanation and then carried on. “As we are travelling in the same general direction, I’d thought it most prudent you accompany us.”

“Oh,” she replied, feeling her cheeks colour up.

The carriage pressed onward through the winter’s chill, the wheels crunching softly over the frozen road. Inside, Elizabeth’s thoughts churned as restlessly as the snowflakes outside. Though the warmth of the carriage offered comfort, an undercurrent of unease refused to be quelled. She was acutely aware of the impropriety of travelling alone with Mr Darcy, regardless of Georgiana’s presence. What would her family say? What would society think, should they be discovered? The scandal, the whispers, the ruination that might follow such an act of folly—it was enough to make her head spin.

“I beg your pardon. And I thank you for the offer although I am not certain how prudent it would be. We are after all both unmarried and your sister is not of an age to be a chaperone.”

“Miss Bennet,” he began, his voice low and measured, “I understand your concerns. The matter of travelling together, as we are, is not one to be taken lightly.”

Elizabeth’s eyes flickered up to meet his. “Indeed, sir,” she replied, striving to keep her tone steady, “it would be foolish to ignore the conventions of society, even in such trying circumstances. I would not wish to bring shame upon my family.”

“Nor would I wish to be the cause of it,” Mr Darcy said gravely. “However, the danger you and young Maggie face compels us to take certain measures that may appear unorthodox. The presence of my sister will lend us some measure of propriety, but I fear it may not be enough to dispel suspicion, particularly at the inns where we must stop to rest.”

Elizabeth frowned, her brow furrowing. “What do you propose, then?”

He paused, as though weighing his words with care. “It would be prudent,” he said at last, “to present ourselves as a married couple—husband and wife and Maggie our child. It is the only way to avoid questions that might otherwise jeopardise your safety.”

Elizabeth stared at him, her heart skipping a beat. “Mr Darcy, you cannot be serious!” she exclaimed, her voice rising despite herself. “To pretend… to pretend such an intimacy with you… it is—”

“Unthinkable?” he suggested, a faint, rueful smile touching his lips. “Perhaps it is, but it is the only plausible explanation that will prevent unwanted attention. A young lady travelling unchaperoned with a gentleman is bound to raise suspicions, but a married couple—particularly one with a child—will attract far less notice.”

She bit her lip, torn between propriety and pragmatism. “But to be thought your wife,” she murmured, half to herself, “to allow others to believe such a falsehood…”

Mr Darcy’s expression softened, his eyes never leaving hers. “I understand your hesitation, Miss Bennet,” he said quietly, “and I assure you, I would not ask it of you were it not absolutely necessary. My concern is for your safety, above all else. If these people you ran from are indeed of ill intent, they might take notice of a young woman at a posting inn with a child. In fact, I daresay they shall be looking for such a person. They will not look for a party of four. Naturally, should you wish to devise another solution, I will abide by your decision.”

Elizabeth felt the carriage sway gently as they travelled along the uneven road, her mind in as much turmoil as the journey itself. She could not deny the sense in his words. If they were discovered by the men who wanted Maggie, she would lose the child to an unthinkable fate—should their worries be rooted in reality. This, more so than Mr Darcy’s assertations about propriety, was what made her understand she did not have another option. “Very well, Mr Darcy,” she said. “If it must be so, I shall agree to your plan.”

Mr Darcy inclined his head, the hint of relief evident in his expression. “You have my gratitude, Miss Bennet, and fear not, I shall ask that we have adjoining rooms, you may take one and stay with my sister and the child and I shall take the other,” he replied. “I promise you, this deception will not last a moment longer than necessary.”

Elizabeth gave him a faint smile, though her heart felt heavier than before. “I only hope,” she said with a touch of dry humour, “that you will prove to be a tolerable husband, Mr Darcy. Even if only in appearance.”

His eyes gleamed with a lightness that she had never seen before, and for a moment, she thought she glimpsed a trace of the man behind the mask of pride and formality. “I shall endeavour to meet your expectations, Mrs Darcy,” he said with a slight bow of his head, his tone gentler than she had ever heard it.

She could not help the faint blush that crept into her cheeks at his words, using the very same word he’d used to describe her at the Meryton assembly not long ago. And though her mind remained uneasy, Elizabeth felt an odd sense of comfort settle over her. There was something in Mr Darcy’s steady gaze, in the warmth that emanated from his presence, that reassured her in a way she could not fully comprehend.

Perhaps, she thought, as she glanced out the window at the falling snow, this journey might not be quite what she had expected. And perhaps, despite the strange turn her life had taken, there was something to be gained in allowing herself to trust Mr Darcy, if only for a little while.