Page 2

Lizzy looked round in desperation, thinking she might ride the horse back to get help, before noticing it was lame. Perhaps it had put its hoof in a rabbit hole and stumbled, dislodging its owner. Grazing placidly nearby, the horse seemed completely unconcerned that it had sent its rider to grass.

“Mr Darcy! Mr Darcy!” Elizabeth pleaded, beginning to chafe his gloves.

Suddenly, remembering how the local apothecary, Mr Jones, had attended a fallen rider once before, Elizabeth leaned over and carefully opened one of Mr Darcy’s eyelids. It looked vacant, the pupil unnaturally enlarged. The other eye was similar, although the pupil was not as large.

“Oh dear!” she exclaimed, before getting up. Lizzy had just decided to run to the house for help when the dog’s growl made it clear that this was not an option.

“You stupid dog!” she railed. “How am I to get help for your master if you will not let me go anywhere?”

Wondering desperately what she should do, Elizabeth had an idea. “Go get the groom!” she ordered, pointing in what she hoped was the direction of the stables.

The dog tipped its head sideways, considering; but did not move.

She thought again. “Go get Mr Bingley!” she said, pointing again.

That got more of a response. The dog gave a yap and took off through the grass.

Elizabeth turned back to Mr Darcy and began to chafe his gloves again. Then thinking better of it, she pulled off his perfectly fitted glove, one finger at a time, and chafed his bare hand.

“Please wake up!” Lizzy moaned.

She took the other glove off and chafed each of his hands alternately for several minutes at a time, but still there was no response.

Leaning over him again, she opened his eyelids once more. Still skew-whiff, but were they better or worse?

Frustrated, she almost considered leaving him there, now that she had sent that damned dog off, and running back to the house herself, when Mr Darcy spoke.

“Mother?”

Elizabeth jumped.

“Mr Darcy! You’re awake! Oh, I cannot tell you how relieved I am!”

“Kiss me, Mother, and I promise to go to sleep.”

“I am not your mother!” she retorted. “And I’d prefer if you stayed awake!”

“Pleeease,” he wheedled in a childlike voice, and before she could escape, he had captured her hands, puckered up and pulled her towards him.

Elizabeth struggled, but Mr Darcy was too strong. As he pulled her down and levered himself up, she thought she would not escape being kissed, when he promptly fainted away again.

“Oh, dear! Now look what you have done!” Lizzy remonstrated as she extracted herself from his grasp. Secretly, she was relieved: firstly, to avoid being manhandled; but also, because Mr Darcy could not be injured too badly if he had regained consciousness, even if he was not exactly compos mentis. Or so she comforted herself.

Then she heard Mr Darcy’s dog bark again and, with considerable relief, saw Mr Bingley’s top hat appear above the grass.

Elizabeth jumped up and waved. “Over here! Mr Darcy is injured!”

Mr Bingley yelled out to someone behind him and ran towards Elizabeth. Mr Darcy woke once more soon after. Fortunately, he did not confuse Elizabeth with his mother again. She insisted he stay horizontal until he could be carried back to the house. Obviously pleased with the care she had taken of his master, Mr Darcy’s dog attempted to give Lizzy a big lick then, which she managed to fend off with her hands. Soon after, further help arrived, and Mr Darcy was eventually transported back to the house on a hurdle retrieved from the stables.

Caroline made an incredible fuss over Mr Darcy when they reached the house, allowing Elizabeth to gratefully retire.

An hour later, the local physician arrived at Netherfield to tend Mr Darcy. After he had gone off, assuring everyone that Mr Darcy would likely be right after a couple of days’ bed rest, Elizabeth petitioned Caroline for the use of the Bingley carriage to take the Bennet sisters’ home; a move taken in consultation with Jane.

“I am sure you cannot want two invalids in your house,” offered Elizabeth, “and Jane must cede her place to Mr Darcy’s greater need.”

Caroline most graciously agreed.

Chapter 2: Pretty in pink