Chapter 24

D arcy galloped madly, forgetting about Mr Gardiner; he needed speed and wind to calm his terrible worry. He remembered being so tormented only a year ago when he rode to Ramsgate because of his aunt’s suspicions about Mrs Younge. He felt the same despair, that sense of loss, fearing he would not be in time.

No matter what the future brought, Elizabeth was the love of his life, and all he wanted was for her to be safe. During those horrible days after Bath, when it seemed like he had lost her forever, he had decided to do something for her and free her from the predicament of the entail on her father’s estate. He wanted her to plan her future calmly and have the means to make good decisions, protected from material problems. He visited his solicitors and made some arrangements that he intended to communicate to her when she arrived in Derbyshire.

And here she was…yet he could hardly understand what wa s happening.

He yearned to reach his destination as quickly as possible, eager to begin the search. However, he was also grateful for those fifteen minutes of riding, which allowed him to clear his mind and organise his thoughts. The rhythmic gallop made him accept that this was not a dream, as the events of the past few moments were a scary, incomprehensible mist. If it were not for the acute anguish in his heart, he might believe he was imagining this; his previous weeks had been consumed and tormented by Elizabeth’s memory. His strong desire had been to talk to her, to explain the sudden and painful separation that had disrupted their budding happiness.

Instead, he was riding on a desperate quest to find her. He knew the woods well, thanks to numerous hunting expeditions, and he held one fervent hope—that she was not at the bottom of the ravine that loomed in the eastern depths of the forest.

He struggled to avoid thinking of tragedy, choosing instead to remember her spirited smile, which would become almost shy when she entered unknown territory. And love was unknown territory for that witty and beautiful lady.

Both were to blame for their predicament; pride and prejudice had prevented them from being married and already happily living together at Pemberley. They could have explored the woods together, showing her the estate that was also hers.

If only he had chosen his words more carefully in Kent, or if that incredible yet maddening lady had delayed her response, giving him a chance to correct his misguided comments about her family. He now understood that a proposal should have been an expression of love, a plan for their shared future, an assurance of her place in his arms and heart. Even if Elizabeth had not loved him on that fateful day at the Parsonage, he was sure that a heartfelt declaration and a spontaneous kiss would have swayed her. In Bath, Elizabeth had loved him; her feelings were evident in her gaze, her gestures, her sighs when he kissed her hand or almost pulled her into his arms at the ball.

He profoundly and painfully regretted not kissing her that night, but he also congratulated himself, for the future showed that would have been unjust towards the only woman he would ever love. That much was as clear as the sky above—except that afternoon, the sky above Pemberley woods could barely be seen.

His eyes spotted Mr Gardiner’s carriage in the distance—a sight that brought a sigh of relief. He knew that the ravine in the woods posed less danger from this spot—it was at least half an hour’s walk away. Accidents had happened there, but mainly due to the inattentiveness of people out hunting.

Elizabeth would have seen the ravine , he said to himself. Unfortunately, nothing could reassure him.

???

They chanced upon a hectic Mrs Gardiner, who could not contain her despair any longer. That country she had been eager to visit only hours ago suddenly was dangerous—even the delightful sounds of the forest becoming frightful. Mrs Gardiner hastened to her husband’s arms as soon as the gentlemen dismounted. “She is not here, she is not here!” she cried with desperation, and only then did she turn to the other gentleman and say warmly, “Thank you, Mr Darcy, for being here.”

Darcy bowed but said nothing. He could scarcely believe what was happening, for since his departure from Bath, which must have appeared more like running away, he had yearned to gather his courage to write to her and explain everything that had happened. And to find her in such a perilous situation was a tragedy.

Mr Gardiner spoke gratefully to his men who had finished the repairs, and Maria took her mistress into her arms again.

“Our carriage will take you and Maria to Pemberley,” Mr Gardiner declared, paying no heed to her protests. “Be brave, my dear, for I must join Mr Darcy in the search.”

The search party, led by the two gentlemen, was preparing to venture into the woods. But this time, they were almost twenty strong, and Mr Darcy had organised them so as not to leave an inch of the wood unsearched.

They still had a few hours until darkness, although shadows would engulf the woods long before sunset.

“We shall shout her name and comb the woods around the place where you stopped. She could not have gone so far,” Mr Darcy said, attempting to sound composed even as his heart raced with anxiety.

“What do you think could have happened?” murmured Mr Gardiner as they prepared to part ways, each with a retinue of men.

“The woods are scattered over the hills, and on the eastern side—” Darcy hesitated to continue.

“Tell me the truth, Mr Darcy!” Mr Gardiner implored.

“There is a ravine. You venture the opposite way, while I make my way there, as I am familiar with the terrain.”

And with that, they separated, agreeing to reunite in two hours.