Page 12 of Not Without Me, Miss Elizabeth

"I have had a note from Miss Bingley, Mama. She has asked me to join her for tea next week." Jane smiled and coloured a little as she spoke.

"Tea! Next week! Excellent news indeed. Oh, my dear, lovely girl! I am so glad his sisters have taken such a liking to you. You must continue to please them, Jane, so that they may speak well of you to their brother."

"Mama, Jane hardly requires flattery to recommend herself," Elizabeth said, coming to her sister's defence.

"Hush, Lizzy, I will not hear it. Jane will do as I advise, if she wishes to secure Mr. Bingley's affections."

"Yes, Mama," said Jane, eager to close the subject.

With that settled to her satisfaction, Mrs. Bennet turned to question Mary about new music for the pianoforte, while Elizabeth and Jane drew together to speak, rather more quietly, of Mr. Bingley and the marked attention he continued to pay the eldest Miss Bennet.

CHAPTER 8

The weather was far from fine, but Elizabeth was resolved not to let a little rain deter her. She added an extra layer against the fine, persistent drizzle and set out on her morning walk regardless, choosing this morning a route that would carry her nearer the lake, where the trees might offer some shelter should the clouds open in earnest.

She hoped, besides, that so different a path might spare her another encounter with the disagreeable Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth continued walking and came to a stile and climbed it with practised ease, then set off down the adjoining path toward the lake.

Her thoughts, shifting again, this time to reflect on Jenny.Where can Jenny have got to? Her poor family must be half out of their minds with worry.

She stepped neatly over a fallen tree. The trail here ran through close, ancient wood, thick with moss and fern, the canopy so dense that little sunlight found its way through. Her thoughts moved again, this time to Sarah.

Poor Sarah, trading her girlhood for security. What is to be done for her?

A sound broke into her thoughts, and she turned to find its source; Elizabeth noticed a hound bounding through the undergrowth some way ahead to her left, ears flying, its evident good humour drawing a laugh from her despite herself.

Not recognising the animal, and supposing it might have strayed from its master, she followed it a little way into the thicker growth. It made no sound but its own laboured breathing, until, quickening its pace, it vanished entirely from her sight.

Now where has he got to?Elizabeth looked around for a moment, tracing the foliage until shespotted what looked to be a newly worn trail, and followed it, eventually stepping round a stand of trees into a small clearing, only to regret the choice at once.

For, as soon as she stepped around the cluster of trees, she discovered four men in a small opening. One of them was stripped to the waist and idly petting the hound that had just arrived, another stretched upon the ground with his head against a rock, and two more standing together in conversation.

Her sudden appearance startled the men perhaps nearly as much as they had startled her; the reclining man came to his feet at once, while the others stopped what they were doing to look upon her. Each man looked to be young, Elizabeth thought. As she quickly surveyed the scene, she noticed a red coat hung from a nearby branch and told her that at least one belonged to the regiment, likely stationed outside Meryton.

"Well, look what we 'ave 'ere," said the leanest of the men.

The man who was patting the dog added, sounding confused, "Oy, what's this, then?"

However, it was the man standing farthest to her left who raised a hand, indicating for the others to stop talking. He started, "Good morning, madam," in a voice and manner considerably more refined than his companions. He was, besides, uncommonly handsome, and Elizabeth felt herself somewhat eased, as he asked, "Can we be of assistance?"

"Good morning, sirs. I beg your pardon for intruding upon your gathering; I had only followed a stray hound, to see it safely returned. As it seems well accounted for, I shall trouble you no further. Good day." She turned to retrace her steps, but the well-spoken man closed the distance between them with unhurried ease.

"You are very kind, madam, to have troubled yourself. Might I know your name?" The handsome man persisted.

Elizabeth demured with a smile, "I assure you, I am no one of consequence. I am only a Bennet, and my father’s estate is just that way,” she pointed through the thick grove of streets in the direction of Longbourn. “I really must be going, my family will wonder at my absence before long."

She started off again, but his stride easily outpaced hers, and a moment later his hand closed upon her shoulder. "There is no cause for such haste, madam."

Elizabeth's heart dropped, her stomach rising to meet it. She turned her head, offering the barest civil smile while attempting, with a small shift of her shoulder, to dislodge the hand that gripped it, “Excused me, sir,” she added, indicating that she did not favor the hand upon her person.

The hand, however, did not move, and the man’s expression quickly hardened. He had drawn closer still when, suddenly, a great commotion broke from the trees, and Elizbaeth saw a large man bursting from the thicket with such suddenness that she was momentarily startled.

She was even more shocked to hear the sound of her name on his lips.

"Elizabeth!" The voice was Mr. Darcy's, his eyes bright with fury as he took in the scene before him. The hand upon her shoulder fell away at once, its owner stepping back.

"Mr. Darcy!" Elizabeth projected with a mixture of confusion and shock.