Darcy's Unexpected Guest: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Caroline Bryant

Author:Caroline Bryant [Bryant, Caroline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Not in Amazon Library
ISBN: 9781543161083
Amazon: B07FG811F8
Goodreads: 40790983
Published: 2018-07-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

The sun had now risen far enough to shine weakly through the bare branches—Elizabeth could just make it out behind the rain clouds. She shivered. She did not know how long she had been waiting, but she was cold to the bone.

She knew with certainty that she had not missed him—she had barely slept the night before as she anticipated their conversation. She had initially longed to delay the news, but those hours waiting in the cold had changed her mind. Now, all she longed to do was tell him what she knew and hurry home to a basin of hot water.

Jane’s excitement about Bingley had made Elizabeth’s wait even more unbearable. The grave sense of foreboding that had settled over her was so thick that no joy could permeate it—not even Jane’s sheer delight. Elizabeth had never seen her sister so excited and it pained her that she had been unable to share that happiness with her.

Soon, she said to herself, wrapping her arms around herself and trying to rub some warmth into her shoulders. Soon we shall celebrate.

She wondered if some ill fortune had fallen on Netherfield in the hours since the ball—Mr. Darcy had struck her as a gentleman who was fastidious with time regardless of whom he was to meet.

She paced amongst the trees once more, thinking back upon their conversation. Had she not conveyed the urgency of the matter? No, she thought, Mr. Darcy had seemed quite alarmed by the prospect. So what then? What had kept him from coming?

Elizabeth paced another while and was about to give up and return to Longbourn when she spied movement between the trees. A second or so later, the rider was close enough for her to see it was Darcy.

She waited with trepidation as the figure on the black stallion grew larger and larger and finally loomed over her. He jumped off the back of the beast quite deftly, showing none of the awkwardness Elizabeth herself had displayed when she had tried to dismount the huge horse.

‘Mr. Darcy,’ she said, walking towards him as he tied up the horse. ‘I worried you had forgotten our engagement.’

He glanced up at her for the first time and she was surprised to see that his eyes lacked the warmth with which he had regarded her the previous evening. ‘Miss Elizabeth,’ he said with a curt nod.

Wrongfooted, Elizabeth began to pace. She had imagined the conversation in her mind—even prepared for him to be ill-tempered—but she had not expected him to be hostile before she shared the news.

Heart racing, she decided there was no other course of action but complete candour.

‘Mr. Darcy,’ she said, scarcely able to look at him. ‘I regret very much the tale I must now tell you, but I believe it is essential that you know what is afoot.’

When he did not respond, she carried on. ‘Good sir, I found myself in the library at Netherfield at the ball last evening. I sought solace from the crowd

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