“I do not feel so very well, Jane. I am afraid I may not be able to continue on today.”
“Henry can take over for the time being. You must rest, my lady. Indeed, you look quite poor.”
“Am I that wretched? I was unaware I was unfit to be seen.” She managed a small, weak smile.
“You know I did not mean a slight upon your person, Elizabeth.”
“I know,” Elizabeth replied. “I am exceptionally out of sorts at the moment.”
Jane bit her lip and helped Elizabeth to bed. She tucked blankets around her small, shivering body and rang the bell for more coal. Once the hearth was ablaze, Jane pulled a chair close to the bed and began to read to Elizabeth.
* * *
Elizabeth started, her eyes wide for a moment before she blinked Jane's face into focus.
“You were dreaming. I thought it was best to wake you lest you become more upset.”
“Thank you,” she said in a soft voice. “Did I say anything? I am known to talk in my sleep.”
Jane’s eyes turned to the side of the room as if she wished to evade the question. “After you fell asleep, I continued to read, then I ordered a hot meal prepared, and sent a message to Henry Drake that we would not be returning to court. Lord Bingley came by, nearly out of his mind that his charge had fallen seriously ill, but I still denied him access and promised him I would send word as soon as news was to be had.”
Her meal arrived, and Jane dismissed the servants and saw to it that Elizabeth actually ate. “Are you sure it is simply exhaustion?” she finally asked.
“I have not slept well since William went away. What else could it be?”
Jane's response was nothing more than a single raised eyebrow.
“Oh, dear! You do not think? Not now!” Elizabeth exclaimed before calculating in her head. “Jane! It is the only answer I can come to!”
“I wish you joy, my lady Elizabeth. William will be ecstatic.”
Elizabeth grasped her friend's hands, allowing a huge grin to cover the whole of her face. Her sense of being alone the last few days since William had left had been so strong, but she had not been alone. They had made a child. She had a part of him within her belly! They had become one!. She had never been so happy, never enjoyed so much love. And, for one brief moment, her world was absolutely perfect.
* * *
The rebels were milling about their camp. Darcy shook his head at their arrogance. The fodder that had been posted to stand guard for the enemy group seemed to be lost in a tankard of ale. He was at once enraged and amused by the sorry scene that lay before him. With a slight nod to Finn, his friend and top advisor in turn gave the signal to Darcy's men to surround the pathetic camp.
Once the soldiers were in place, Finn roared a guttural battle cry, and the men descended upon the rebels, taking most of them by surprise. Unwilling to assume victory over the ragged band of troublemakers, Darcy did not allow his guard down for one moment. He slid from his mount to take on one of the few coherent men in the party of which his men were laying waste. With a few flicks of his sword, the rebels fell, and Darcy turned to carry on his fight.
His heart iced over, though, at the sight that befell him. The man who was charging him—the dolt was familiar! The red hair would have been enough, but Darcy had already committed every line of his face to memory.
George sneered at him.
A thousand thoughts flashed through Darcy's mind as George produced a shining blade.
“Hello, Blackheart,” he growled. “I was going to come to you, but I see I no longer have to wait to take back what is mine.”
“She does not want to be with you,” Darcy retorted. “She told you as much in her letter.”
“Lies, all lies. You forced her to write that rubbish.”
Darcy swallowed hard. Caroline's warning marched from the back of his brain and made its presence known. He had to try to resolve this without killing George. He would lose Elizabeth for sure if he took away the man she loved.
“I cannot conceive of any way to convince you otherwise, Wickham, but you must accept that she has every intention of fulfilling her duty to the gods, the North Country, and her husband.”
“I am her husband!”
“Perhaps in your heart, but not by the book!” Darcy roared.
