An Excellent Walker: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Lyndsay Constable

Author:Lyndsay Constable [Constable, Lyndsay]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Quills & Quartos Publishing
Published: 2022-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

E lizabeth woke late again the next morning. Her head weighed heavy with the consequence from consuming more wine than was entirely proper. But since she had been rewarded by hearing a laugh from her friend again, it was well worth some discomfort. She smiled to herself as she strode out past the columns marking the end of the parsonage’s drive.

True to her promise she had made to calm a nervous Charlotte, Elizabeth stayed mostly in the lanes and only entered into fields that could be easily observed from the roads.

“There may still be some French soldiers about. How could I ever show my face in Meryton again if I had lost Miss Elizabeth Bennet for a second time in one week?” Charlotte had said that morning as she had watched Elizabeth put on her bonnet.

Elizabeth, not ready for a long, solitary tramp through unknown forests anyway, had decided to heed her friend’s advice and stick to well-travelled roads and open fields.

After she had gone some distance from the parsonage, she heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching from behind her. Feeling no inclination for conversation or company, she stepped off the road and a little way into the adjacent field.

Elizabeth was surprised that, as the sound approached, her heart sped up. Recent mishaps had made her more nervous, but she was determined to reassert the independence of her walks as soon as possible to regain her adventurous spirit.

If I do not have my walks, I shall go mad. One bad experience will not quell the joy and comfort of a thousand prior walks.

Keeping that in mind, Elizabeth took a deep breath and turned her face to the road so that she could see who the rider was.

Darcy, sitting tall atop Aesop, came into view. He saw Elizabeth in the field and directed his horse off the road and towards her. Aesop high-stepped his legs and snorted in greeting. She suspected that the animal enjoyed showing off for her. Once they came before Elizabeth, Darcy carefully dismounted. His clothing was still untailored and cobbled together, but his commanding bearing would leave no one in doubt of his station in life.

“Miss Bennet, I was hoping to see you this morning.”

“Mr Darcy. I hope you are feeling well. Should you be riding again, so soon, after only a day of rest?”

“The doctor did want me to wait another day, but I find that so much needs my attention, that I am obliged to return to London. The carriage at Rosings is available, but only one of the horses to pull it has been found since they were turned loose due to the fire.”

“And the French, as I recall.”

“Yes.” He frowned momentarily at the remembrance. “Miss Bennet, I must ask you—”

After one look at Elizabeth, Darcy’s gaze wandered the meadow as if searching for either words or enemy soldiers. The idea of both of them seemed to give him smouldering anxiety. Elizabeth looked around as well, uncertain if he was going to continue, but feeling his disquietude.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.