A Life Apart: A Darcy and Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation by Harriet Knowles & A Lady

Author:Harriet Knowles & A Lady [Knowles, Harriet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-06T02:00:00+00:00

It was, of course, too early to expect her for breakfast just yet, but he wished to be ready for her as soon as she came downstairs.

He turned into the breakfast room and helped himself to coffee. The steaming jugs had just arrived and the aroma swirled around him, refreshing.

He turned to the table, where his newspaper was waiting for him, and frowned.

A footman was just resetting Elizabeth’s place, a used teacup was on the tray.

“Has Mrs. Darcy been here already?” Darcy’s voice came out rather more sharply than he had intended, and the man looked startled.

“Yes, sir. She only took tea, and said she would be back for breakfast.”

Darcy nodded, he didn’t want to appear too concerned, but he took only one sip of his coffee and hurried out into the hall.

“Mrs. Reynolds!” When the housekeeper appeared, he looked at her. “Where did Mrs. Darcy go when she’d had her tea, and how long ago?”

She curtsied. “She went for a walk, sir. About ten minutes ago. I wasn’t sure where she was going, so I sent a man to alert Mr. Reed.”

Darcy nodded at a footman and within minutes, Mr. Maunder was there with his coat, gloves and hat.

“Do we know which way she walked?” He was by the great front door, as the butler pulled it open.

“In the direction of the lake, sir.”

Darcy nodded at him and hurried down the steps. Halfway down, he stopped and surveyed the park. Perhaps she might get further if he walked the wrong way at first, and he turned back to the footman.

“No, get me a horse at once.” He went back up to the top of the steps so that he could see a greater distance, but she was nowhere in sight.

In the direction of the lake, the housekeeper had said and he gazed over. Surely she should still be in sight? He could not even see Mr. Reed.

Perhaps she was going to the hothouse. He knew from seeing her expression yesterday how much the place already meant to her.

It was only a few minutes before his horse was led out, skittish in the early light. Soon he was cantering up the path towards the head of the lake, soon he would see her, be able to stop and walk with her to the hothouse.

But the path remained obstinately unpopulated, and Darcy frowned. She could not have got this far so quickly. He must check the hothouse in case she’d had longer than thought, but his thoughts of having the hothouse as a place to tell her he loved her were receding, supplanted by a rising sense of concern. Where else would she go on this cold morning?

Please, no. Not the lake. His heart was in his throat. Why had he not been downstairs earlier?

A brief glance inside the hothouse showed him that he had erred in thinking she would go there and he remounted hastily, the horse circling on the tight rein. Darcy decided to follow the other side of the lake and cross the outlet stream, before heading to the main entrance gate.

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