He had enough trouble ruining things on his own,Darcy fumed to himself.He did not need the help of that deviant Mr. Thomson!
Pushing the oaf out of his way, Darcy blinked as he stepped into the hall. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen.
Would that his foolish fears and words did not end their future before it began.
∞∞∞
When supper came, Elizabeth was not to be found, her sisters, after coming late to the dining room, apologizing on behalf of their sister. Elizabeth had not been up to company.
The minutes ticking slowly by, Darcy ate little and what he did, he neither tasted nor recalled.
He would not join the rest in the drawing room,he considered as the meal neared its close.Like Elizabeth, he did not feel up to the company.
“Tomorrow,” Lady Charmane announced in a loud voice, her guests silent as she continued, “Mr. Moore has offered to lead those who wish to join on a historical tour. Though limited to the church, its grounds, and rectory, he assures me it is well worth the effort. Any who wish to remain behind might enjoy walks, riding, archery, cards, and the like–once the weather turns, skating and all manner of bracing amusements might be had. We get rather cold here I am afraid.”
“The Reverend is all kindness,” Miss Wordsworth effused, “I would be happy to accept.”
“It might be a pleasant diversion,” Bingley remarked as he turned to Miss Bennet. “Would you care to come?”
“I should like that. Mary? What about you?”
“If we can convince Elizabeth to join, it would be a delightful change.”
Nodding, Fitz put in his agreement, then Lord Ramsgate and Mr. Thomson.
Miss Edmund, Lord Brayburn, Miss Wordsworth, and their host each made their excuses, Darcy half tempted to do the same save for the small opportunity it might provide for him to apologize to Elizabeth. Thus, he agreed to join those who would follow Mr. Moore on his tour before retiring to his room. Sleep slow to come as his mind sought how he might apologize to Elizabeth, and his chest clenched at the notion of her not accepting.
Please, Lord. Give me the words.
Chapter 30
Staffordshire, England – 1812 – Day 15
At the insistence of her sisters, late in the afternoon Elizabeth dressed in her warmest outfit, her fur lined gloves, hat, and red shawl finishing her ensemble. In the night the temperature had plummeted, the draft in her room prompting her to nestle deeper into the covers; the warmth of the fire hardly reaching the bed. That they had chosen this particular day to journey to the rectory seemed foolish indeed.
If fortunate, it would be called off and she could remain in her room a little longer.
“Elizabeth, it is time,” Jane said from outside her door, Elizabeth releasing an unhappy sigh in reply.
No such luck.
Joining her sisters in the hall, the trio made their way downstairs, the rest of their party waiting; amongst them, Mr. Darcy, his eyes seeking hers even as she sought to avoid his.
Two carriages at least. She simply had to find herself in the one without him.
Keeping close to her sisters as they braved the cold, Elizabeth smiled as they piled into one carriage, the final of the four seats taken by Mr. Bingley.
She would be safe.
The shawl she had brought pulled over her lap as a gust of wind filled the carriage before the door could be closed, she amended her thoughts,Safe from Darcy.Perhaps not the cold.
The drive smooth for some fifteen minutes, Elizabeth’s hands clenched as the wind began to cause the carriage to dance wildly; her sisters and even Mr. Bingley grasping at the straps above.
“It is snowing,” Mary remarked as much to herself as any of them, the thick blanket obscuring the world outside.
“Ought we turn back?” Jane wondered as the carriage rocked again.
“The church was but a quarter hour’s drive in fine weather… Mr. Moore’s parish and rectory should see us safe. Even with this turn in the weather, we ought to be nearly there.”
