Proudly, Darcy by Georgina Peel & Harriet Knowles

Author:Georgina Peel & Harriet Knowles
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2018-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

14

Before Mr. Darcy brought Elizabeth back to Longbarn and carried her into the front parlor, Lydia had somehow already arrived, maintaining a screen of vague and elusive evasions over how it had all come about. She stood back to watch with wide eyes as Darcy carried Lizzy in and draped her onto the chaise longue.

He accomplished this with a deft consideration of touch that Elizabeth, in spite of herself could not, truly, fault. Peering at her and about him in the low light he said, “My, but you are kept in the dark here. That cannot much aid your love of reading.”

When Elizabeth made no effort to return his stiff and hollow conversational gambits, he took his leave. Lydia was skipping out of the room after him, but Elizabeth called her back.

All she was able to extract by way of explanation was, “Oh, Lizzy, I was fine. Although we did wonder where you had taken yourself off to, sister dearest.” Lydia’s tone and her employment of the term, ‘we’ alarmed Lizzy, though there was nothing to be done about it now.

In that moment, she wished that their father had been able to make the journey from Saint Louis with them. Then she turned the thought away. Dearly though she loved her father, he may not have been very much more authoritative than Mr. Bonet, who was charming but of scant use.

Caroline Bingley came to call. She had apparently brought herself swiftly as soon as she heard news of Elizabeth’s injury. Elizabeth did not inquire as to how the knowledge had reached Miss Bingley, but was sure that she could guess. Still, Lizzy had to admit, Miss Bingley attended to her ankle with a sure and careful thoroughness that surprised her.

The look in her eye as she examined Lizzy was unsettling but her hands were plainly adept and expert. She massaged Elizabeth’s ankle and foot, first in a way that was soothing, then with some force. She turned the foot in all possible ranges and directions, but only to the very beginning of discomfort, which she seemed able to intuit perfectly. After she was satisfied that no greater damage was evident, she massaged the ankle again, this time with some oil she had brought and an ointment that did not smell too vile. Then she bound Lizzy’s ankle tightly in a white bandage.

“You are most skillful, Miss Bingley. I wonder where you have gained your practice?

“The war brought some use as well as its horrors. While my brother and Darcy were across the battlefields defending our union, I did what I could to repair some few of its citizens. I learned much; a deal of it I would have been happier not to know but, as I say, there was some use in it for me. And,” she stood with a smile in her dark eyes, “now it has been of use to you.”

Lydia sneaked back into the room to gape as Caroline told Lizzy, “You will heal, but you need to rest and not put stress or strain on the leg for at least a week or two.

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