“What did you mean, Fitzwilliam?” Her voice came colder than the disdain he suffered at Hunsford. “I can be your wife and your partner in the privacy of this bedroom, but when the public is involved I am still inferior to your family.”
“Elizabeth, I . . .”
She furiously pulled her arm from his grasp and picked up her pelisse. She started for the door’s entrance, pausing to look back at him. “Fitzwilliam, my father warned you I would not be caged by your society’s regulations; you continue to see me as your inferior; if that be so, I am entitled to the same privileges you provide your staff—my privacy; I can no longer bear to look at you; please do not come to this room again.” Saying so, she left him standing arms akimbo, watching her retreat down the hall into the late afternoon shadows.
Several hours lapsed before Georgiana found him sitting in his study staring at nothing at all. “Fitzwilliam, please,” her voice held her agitation,“Elizabeth has not returned to the house.”
“What? I thought she came back.” He sprang to his feet immediately.
“It has been nearly three hours, Fitzwilliam. The temperature has dropped, and snow has started to fall. What is worse is Hero returned to the house without Elizabeth. I am worried.”
Instantly, he headed toward the door.“Tell Mr. Shepherd to saddle Cerberus.Where is the dog?”
“Mrs. Reynolds has it under control in the front hall.”
“Hurry, Georgiana, find Mr. Shepherd!” Full of fear, he ran thelength of the hallway.“When did Hero return, Mrs. Reynolds?”
“Nearly a quarter hour ago, Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy often returns after the dog, but she is never this far behind. Something must be amiss.”
“Keep the animal here, Mrs. Reynolds.” He ran toward the stables. Within minutes, Darcy reined Cerberus toward the abrupt rise his wife preferred on most of her walks; he hoped she would be a creature of habit today.The light snow gave him some ideas—Hero’s paw prints clearly visible; yet, if he did not find Elizabeth quickly the ever increasing snowfall would soon fill in the dog tracks. Darcy prayed she had not met with danger, but his instincts told him otherwise. Elizabeth was too impetuous! But if she was hurt, he was at fault! Trying to spot the dog’s tracks, he urged Cerberus across the pathway. Darcy’s eyes scanned every tree, every rock, and every rise of the land hoping desperately he would turn his head, and she would be there. Something could not—could not—happen to Elizabeth. He would never forgive himself.
At the bottom of a sharp precipice the dog prints stopped, but Darcy noted the animal clearly ran back and forth on this spot several times. He dismounted the horse and began to frantically call her name. “Elizabeth!” He climbed, nearly crawled, the rock surface, thinking he could see best from the height. “Elizabeth!” The snow came down steadily now, and the smooth surface of the rock made climbing difficult. Reaching the summit, Darcy turned round and round in a circle—heart racing—trying to decide what to do next—fighting the fear which crept steadily through his chest. Then his heart stopped; lying in a clump about thirty feet down on the backside of the climb lay Elizabeth. She did not move even when he called her name.Please God!He quickly pulled off his outer jackets and began to snake his way down the slope, holding onto tree limbs and broken rocks, inching his way toward the ball which was Elizabeth.
At last, Darcy reached her. “Elizabeth,” his voice calm compared to the tension in his body, “I am here.” He turned her over slowly, not wanting to know if she did not live. Her body shivered, andDarcy gave God a heartfelt thanks. “Elizabeth,” he said again.
“Fitzwilliam, you came,” her voice barely audible as the coldness racked her body. Mud and snow and scratches covered her face. A bruise showed at her left temple, and dried blood seeped down the side of her cheek.
“I love you, Elizabeth; of course, I came. I will not lose you again.” He pulled her close. “I must get you out of here. Put your arms around my neck and hold on no matter what.” Darcy scooped her in his arms, holding her tightly to him with one arm and using the other to pull the two of them to safety. He was scared; he wasterrified—he could not do this, but he must or Elizabeth might die. Perspiration filled his eyes—stinging them, but he would not blink—would not lose focus. He moved slowly up the precarious, weather-beaten side of the cliff, using splintered logs and roots for support. He pulled their weight up—inch-by-inch—often dodging rocks he loosened, covering Elizabeth’s head defensively, as debris plunged like bullets at his head. Working as fast as he could, he traversed the muddy, narrow pathway leading to the top. After several intense moments, covered in snow, sweat, and mud, they emerged over the rock’s surface. Frantically, Darcy ran his free hand up and down each of her arms and legs to look for protruding bones. Finding none, he held her there, rocking Elizabeth in his arms as he regained his breath.
Finally, with tears stinging his eyes and silent prayers being offered to Heaven, he wrapped Elizabeth in his greatcoat and carried her down the rock’s flat surface to where Cerberus waited. She said no more than his name when he picked her up the first time, and now she buried her face into his chest as he carried her to safety; her heart beat as if in his chest; the pain of it clutched his own; he wanted to sob for his loss, but he could not give up hope. He caressed her head and repeated,“I love you.”
Elizabeth allowed him to release her long enough to place her on Cerberus’s back. He forcibly swung up into the saddle behind her and settled her in his arms once again, the tightness with which she clung to his neck being the only tension in her body; otherwise,Elizabeth’s body drooped and withered in his embrace. He wrapped the coat around her and turned the horse toward Pemberley.
Georgiana was out the main door when she saw him ride into the courtyard. “Oh, my God, Fitzwilliam, is she hurt?” she gasped at her brother’s appearance and the bundled body of Elizabeth.
“I do not know, Georgiana.” He slid off the horse, still carrying his wife. Irrationally needing to somehow protect her, he lifted her closer to him, afraid if he loosened his grip, Elizabeth might slip away from him forever. He quickened his steps, nearly staggering up the stairs and heading towards his private quarters. He took the steps two at a time. “Send Mr. Shepherd after the physician. Tell him to hurry! She fell over the precipice!”
Exhausted from his efforts, Darcy leaned heavily against the door, his weight swinging it wide. Kicking open the door, Darcy carried her to his bedchamber and laid her gently back on the pillows. He pried her fingers from around his neck to lay her down completely and to examine how fragile she seemed. “Mrs. Reynolds,” he screamed. As much as he could, he again checked Elizabeth’s arms, back, and legs to look for injuries. Finding nothing evident, he removed his neck cloth, poured some water from the pitcher into the basin, and began to bathe her face and hands with it. His heart raced; she breathed, but Elizabeth did not move nor did she open her eyes. All the time he gently called her name and repeated his love for her; prayers came and went along with anger at how easily he could lose her. He lost everyone he ever loved; he could not lose Elizabeth, too.
The housekeeper entered the room. “What may I do, Master Fitzwilliam?”
“I need clean water and bandages,” he snapped.
“Yes, Sir.” In a fit of frenzy she ran from the room.
In a little over a half hour, Mr. Spencer, the physician, entered the room followed closely by Georgiana.While Mr. Spencer completed his examination, Georgiana convinced Darcy to go to Elizabeth’s dressing room and change his clothes. He did so, reluctantly,not able to abandon the scene—the hurt and the anger—which played out there earlier. If only he did not let her leave, she would not be injured and lying helpless in his bed. How could he be so stupid? His insecurities compounded by those Elizabeth felt as Pemberley’s mistress could cost him the woman he loved. He touched her brush on the dresser, and the sadness enveloped him.
Some time later, Georgiana knocked lightly on the door.“Fitzwilliam, Mr. Spencer would like to speak with you.” He wiped his eyes quickly on his shirtsleeve and found the doctor.
“Mrs. Darcy has no broken bones, which is the good news. From the multiple scratches and bruises, it appears she slid down the surface rather than falling freely. An impact from that height would have caused more severe injuries. She did hit her head and will probably spend several days sleeping most of the time; these types of injuries can be serious, Mr. Darcy. Your wife may not recover right away, but Mrs. Darcy is young, and I, truthfully, expect her to have no serious complications. Someone should stay with her at all times until she is conscious.When she does come around, she will not be able to stand on her left ankle until the swelling goes down.There are various cuts and bruises, which will need attending. Have her maid bathe her thoroughly and dress the wounds.”
“No, I will do it, Mr. Spencer.” Darcy’s insistence surprised the doctor, but he would not argue with a man of prominence in such a matter.“Did my wife say anything, Mr. Spencer?”
“Just your name, Mr. Darcy.” The man hesitated.“I have known you, Mr. Darcy, since your birth; may I make an observation?”
Not taking his eyes from Elizabeth’s delicate body lying on his bed, Darcy absentmindedly nodded.
“Although we must watch her carefully, I suspect your wife has no major injuries. A bad headache and a sore ankle is a little price to pay for such a fall as what your sister described.Those will easily heal; why she was outside for so long on such a day as this may take longer to heal.” He patted Darcy on the shoulder as he prepared his bag to leave. “I will come to check on Mrs. Darcy in three daysunless things change and you need me before then. I will leave you several draughts for pain; once she is awake, she may need them.”
