They remained silent for a time.
“Are you well, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Yes, sir. I am warm and at ease, but I regret that you came in search of me. In the morning, I shall be ruined, and you will stand compromised.”
“Let us not think beyond this moment. You are safe. Tomorrow may answer for itself.”
“Yes, sir.”
After a long silence, he asked, “Miss Elizabeth, would you consider telling me about yourself?”
“Of myself, sir?”
“Yes, ma’am. As you said, we will be compromised; there is no way around that fact. Since we are to marry, we ought to know one another.”
She shifted and turned her head, though the darkness concealed him, and she settled again. “Mr. Darcy, perhaps it will not come to that. You may return to Rosings at first light and offer some excuse. Change into dry clothes, then come in search of me. I shall await your return, sir.”
“That account may serve, especially if Richard has also been caught in the storm and has taken shelter somewhere. There are caves along the bluffs, as I recall.”
He was silent for quite some time and finally said, “Yes, I believe that explanation may serve.”
Elizabeth settled against him. “Then I am glad for you, sir. I would not have you lose your choice of wife. Lady Catherine said…”
“Pay no heed to what Lady Catherine has said. My cousin and I never intended to marry, though I foresee that Anne and Richard will marry and be well-suited. Give my aunt’s words no further thought.”
“And you, sir? Had you fixed your regard upon any lady before this?”
“No, ma’am. I had not given marriage a thought until recently. I approach eight and twenty, and it is my duty to marry and secure an heir, yet I have not begun to seek a wife. My aunt Helen arranged a dinner and drew me to several balls and assemblies this past month, but I found no one who was suitable.”
“No one, sir? You must possess a very high standard.”
“I do. I desire a wife who is intelligent and kind, and one who does not indulge too freely in strong drink.”
“You refer to the lady who can rival a gentleman at the table, the one the colonel teased you about that night when we watched the stars.”
“Yes, ma’am. My experience with that lady convinced me that it is far more difficult than I had supposed to find a woman I could both admire and respect. As for a match of affection, I had thought it beyond reach.” He shifted a little and then asked, “And you, Miss Bennet, have you a suitor?”
“No, sir. My days pass in long hours with Homer or Cicero or some other beloved volume. I take the air in the early morning. The remaining hours are occupied with mundane tasks.”
They were both silent when Elizabeth added, “I fear for Mr. Collins’s position, sir. He may lose it after this. Your aunt will not take this lightly.”
“Be at ease, Miss Bennet. My aunt believes she holds the power to remove a rector, but she does not, and neither my cousin nor I will permit it.”
Elizabeth yawned.
“Do you feel tired, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Yes, sir. I imagine it is quite early yet, but the long walk and the cold have left me weary.”
“I shall trouble you no further. You must rest.”
Chapter 19: Consequences
Darcy woke. His muscles were stiff, and his arm was numb. Memory returned. He lay within an old ruin with Elizabeth. The scent of her hair was pleasing, and he was keenly aware of her warmth as she lay nestled against him. He opened his eyes.
Her head rested upon his arm, her curls falling about her face. Heat radiated from her. He raised himself and looked down at the lovely woman who lay nestled against him. Color burned in her cheeks. He set his hand to her forehead. She was burning with fever.
“Miss Bennet, how do you feel? I fear you have taken cold.”
