“No.”
“His chief aim will always be money, but it is clear that the hope of hurting me was an additional motive. His revenge is complete indeed.”
Mrs. Bennet came into the entry hall flapping her hands. “What is the matter! You are calling your carriage so soon? And an express — there surely must be no great hurry.”
“Madam,” Darcy said to her stiffly, he was always stiff when talking to Mama, “my sister has left the establishment created for her, with the intention to elope with a worthless man. I must chase after her, in the vain hope of finding and stopping them before the marriage is accomplished.”
“But… but the wedding. Your wedding. It is in two days… surely this will not… or you can wait until—”
“Mama,” Elizabeth said firmly. Anxiety clutched at her chest. It was as though the world had determined to tear her apart from Darcy. “Mr. Darcy has no choice.”
“No, no, you said you would marry my daughter. I expect you to marry her the day after tomorrow.”
“I am honor bound to marry her,” Darcy replied. “You cannot doubt my honor — Elizabeth, might you bring your father down here, so I might take leave of him myself. I do not wish to lose the time required to manage going up and down the stairs unnecessarily.”
“Yes…”
“No. But you’ll fight this man,” Mrs. Bennet said as Elizabeth left the room. “And then he’ll kill you, and your honor won’t be able to make you marry Elizabeththen.”
Suddenly she felt a panic in her throat.
Mr. Bennet was quite surprised to see Elizabeth when she entered his study, and demanded he come downstairs. When the two of them returned to the room, Mrs. Bennet turned to Mr. Bennet and said to him, “You must make Mr. Darcy marry Elizabeth immediately!”
Elizabeth went pale. She did not believe that was something she would want.
Mr. Bennet said, “Why is that necessary? Two days is plenty soon enough.”
Darcy handed him the express he had received. “It is impossible to hide the news from you — or from anyone. It will be known far and wide, my sister has eloped with a worthless man, and I must make some effort to stop them.”
With a frown, Mr. Bennet scanned down the letter. Then he nodded. “If you must leave now, you must. God with you.”
“But, Mr. Bennet, he must—”
“My dear. He must follow his sister — I see your carriage has been hitched and brought round. I will see you when you return, Mr. Darcy.”
Mr. Bennet shook the sitting man’s hand, and immediately returned back upstairs.
Darcy stood with his crutches, and using his swinging stride he quickly went to the carriage.
Elizabeth followed him, feeling as nervous as Mama always claimed to be. “You must promise me to fight no duels with this Mr. Wickham.”
“Oh,” Darcy replied humorously, “I hardly think I even can, in my situation.”
“You could determine that the rule would be to have both of you sitting ten paces apart with pistols. I’ve seen how well you can shoot when hunting pheasants.”
“If I’ll shoot my man, why do you worry for me?”
Rather than saying anything Elizabeth passionately kissed him, and then she turned away angrily, too hurt in her heart by all that had passed today to say anything further.
But as she stomped back into the house, he called out to her, “Lizzy, I promise! No duels.”
She’d seen him leave Longbourn before.
The carriage rolled away as it always did, and she could not see him any longer, just the back of his equipage.
But he’d never left in such a situation. With so much unresolved, and on such a quest.
The trees looked the same as they had the day that he had come to ask her to marry him. Still crisp, clear, and wholly bare in the cold winter air. The sky above was icy blue except for a few splotches of whitish grey clouds high in the sky. A harsh blowing wind made one of Darcy’s grooms clutch onto his hat to keep it from flying away.
