"You are not."
"I am," she mumbled petulantly.
Darcy looked down at her.
Miss Bennet glared up at him. But after a moment she sighed, "Perhaps not."
"An encouraging improvement in your self-awareness."
Ahead of them Burke had already reached the carriage and thrown open the door. "About time," he muttered. "At this ratethe pair of you would still be standing in the rain arguing come Christmas."
"I shall wait for Mr Frost," she said once settled inside.
"You will do no such thing."
Her eyes flashed, and despite everything, despite the rain and the cold and the fear that had lodged somewhere beneath his ribs at the sight of her alone in that carriage, Darcy felt that familiar pull towards her. Even half-frozen and wrapped like a parcel, she looked like an avenging angel, ready to argue him into the ground.
"Mr Frost will return with help," she said and he will be worried if I am not here.
"Perhaps. But he has not returned yet and you are shivering so hard you can barely speak."
Burke came up beside Darcy, rain dripping from the brim of his hat. "Begging your pardon, miss, but the gentleman is right."
Elizabeth looked at him properly for the first time. Burke gave a brief bow. "Burke, miss. Mr Darcy’s valet and general factotum. And I’d say you’ve maybe an hour before the cold has you properly ill. Less, if this wind and rain keeps on."
Darcy expected Elizabeth to object to this assessment, largely because it came from someone connected with him, but she only glanced between them and then out into the road where therain had turned the world almost black. "I cannot leave without knowing whether Mrs Frost is safe."
"We shall enquire when we find shelter," said Darcy. "And there you may pen a letter berating them for their lateness." The rain outside seemed to grow louder.
Darcy lowered his voice. "Miss Elizabeth, whatever else you may think of me, I hope you believe I would not place you in danger."
Then another gust of wind struck the carriage and she shuddered so violently that the decision was made for both of them. "Very well," she said, through gritted teeth. "But if Mr Frost returns and finds me gone, he will be alarmed."
"We shall leave a note."
Burke produced paper, pencil and an oilskin pouch from somewhere within his coat. Elizabeth stared at him. "You are very prepared, Mr Burke."
"A necessity, miss." Burke glanced briefly at Darcy. "I serve a gentleman who likes everything arranged just so."
She wrote the note with fingers so stiff that Darcy had to restrain himself from taking the pencil from her hand. When it was done, Burke ran out and fixed it inside the carriage where it would be found and then went back to help the coachman andThomas, a footman, to secure what little luggage could be moved quickly.
Darcy settled across from her as the carriage began to move. She was wrapped in dry blankets that Burke had produced from somewhere. He wanted to ask her if she was well, to see if there was anything she needed, to take her hands between his own and rub some warmth between them. Instead he said nothing, because every word he had ever addressed to Elizabeth Bennet seemed to emerge wrong.
For several minutes there was only the sound of rain, wheels and Elizabeth’s unsteady breathing.
At last she said, "You are going to London?"
"Yes."
"Could you take me to my uncle’s residence in Cheapside?"
Darcy frowned. "I do not see that will be possible, Miss Elizabeth."
"Of course, it would not be. I could not put the great Mr Darcy’s schedule in peril!"
Burke let out a cough that sounded very close to a laugh and Darcy shot him a warning look.
Elizabeth pulled the rug closer around her shoulders, though some colour had begun to return to her face. "I am sorry. That was ungrateful. You have rescued me and I am behaving badly."
