Did Darcy Do It?: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Sophie Lynbrook

Author:Sophie Lynbrook
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Not in Amazon Library, To Transfer, Alternate Universe, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms
Published: 2016-09-23T04:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

Mr. Darcy stood alone in the middle of a small, dark cell which smelled of damp stone. Its only piece of furniture was a narrow bed, scarcely more than a bench, with the thinnest mattress and a solitary worn and tattered blanket, both of them dirty. It seemed that this was to be both his bed and his seat. He chose to remain standing. The walls seemed to be closing in on him. He stretched his arms out across the width of his cell and the tips of his middle fingers brushed against the walls on either side. High up in the wall in front of him there was a little window crossed with heavy iron bars. Beyond there was only shadow. He stared at the metal grid, listened to the distant sound of different voices speaking all at once, and guessed that the jeering crowd which had followed him to this prison had not yet dispersed.

He dropped his arms, went over to the wall, then turned around and paced out the distance from it to the door. Seven steps. There was a tiny window before him. If anybody came to visit, he would just be able to see their faces. Would anybody come? Or would he be alone the whole time he was confined to this meager space with nothing to do but pace back and forth. Just his own thoughts for company. For two months. Could he bear it? Had he the strength to endure the dismal conditions and the loneliness? He sat down upon the repulsive bed and stared at the wall, certain that he did not.

He had never cultivated that kind of strength. His life had not been difficult. He had enjoyed luxury and convenience almost every day of it. This was beyond anything he had ever had to endure. Yesterday, he had thought himself prepared for this, had made his plans, and had considered what it was like to be in jail, but that had not prepared him for the reality.

And then there was the trial looming over him. He had anticipated his arrest, but not the evidence against him which had been put forth at the inquest. He was no longer confident that all could be satisfactorily resolved at the assizes. Yesterday he had been certain that the lack of any real evidence would make the Grand Jury dismiss the case, but today he knew that they would approve a true bill, it would go to trial, and he would then be required to prove himself innocent. Even an unbiased jury would probably still find him guilty once they heard the same evidence which had been presented today, and he could think of no way to contradict it. It now seemed likely that a second jury would pronounce him guilty. Then the judge would put on his black cap and pronounce the sentence of death.

The condemned were usually hung at the same time. Would they make any allowances for his standing, or would he

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