Disclaimer: I own nothing but I really, really wish I did.
Summary: What if Mr. Darcy returned early from London before his aunt interfered, but was seriously injured and forced to stay with the Bennets? What if Bingley didn't get up the nerve to propose to Jane while Darcy was gone? What would have happened then?
If you are reading this and wondering what the heck happened to my other stories – do not give up on me! I have writer's block at the moment!
Chapter 1
Lightning slashed across the ferocious night sky as the horse and rider battled their way through the storm. It had been a bad idea, riding ahead after the baggage coach like that, Fitzwilliam Darcy decided as the rain pelted down, soaking him to the skin. His stallion jigged nervously under him as Darcy carefully guided it through the dark trees and along the road towards Netherfield. He hoped to be able to congratulate Bingley on his arrival on his engagement to Miss Bennet, that was, if Darcy had been right and that his friend would have proposed by now. In the past few months, it seemed that Bingley had finally developed a backbone.
Darcy's thoughts were interrupted as his mount half reared, reminding him that now was not a good time to be lost in thought. He glanced up at the sky, squinting against the rain. He couldn't be that far from his destination now, could he? But he had no time to wonder for, at that moment, a monstrous roar of thunder seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth and his horse bolted into the trees. Suddenly completely out of control of the situation, Darcy clung desperately to the creature's neck, praying that it would stop.
He never knew what happened next because, just as he thought the beast beneath him was beginning to slow, a wayward tree branch snagged his coat and dragged him off the panicking horse. He was unconscious before he ever hit the ground.
-O-O-O-
Elizabeth Bennet stared moodily up at the gray clouds over head that were all that remained of the previous night's gale. The earth and turned to mud and every leaf and blade of grass dripped with an over abundance of water, but she and Jane had gone walking, they'd done a lot of walking of late. Beside her, Jane hummed tunelessly, wondering if she would see Mr. Bingley again today. Did he really still love her as Lizzie so adamantly proclaimed? She glanced over at her usually talkative and cheerful sister,
"Lizzie, you are very quiet today. Is something the matter?"
Elizabeth glanced over at her. Something was the matter but she really didn't want to talk about it.
"No, Jane." She smiled but it didn't quite make it to her eyes. "Everything is perfectly alright." They walked slowly in silence for a few more minutes, and then Jane tried a different subject,
"That was a terrible storm last night." Lizzie nodded her agreement,
"I thought for sure that we'd wake up very wet with no roof over our heads this morning!" Jane laughed then stopped and frowned. "What is it?" Her sister peered over to see what she was looking at. Jane bent down and picked up the object in question turning it this way and that in her hands.
"It appears to be a gentleman's top hat." Elizabeth rolled her eyes,
"I can see that. What I meant is, what is it doing here?"
"I don't know." Lizzie reached over and took the hat from Jane's unresisting hands. She flipped over the inside brim in hope of possibly finding the initials of its owner. On the right side, she found them: F.D.
"Do we know anyone with the initials 'F.D.'?"
"I don't think so, unless it's Mr. Darcy's hat, Lizzie, for I do not know his first name." Elizabeth let the hat spin slowly around on her finger as, unbidden, an image of the man who had been plaguing her thoughts of late appeared in her mind.
"Well, if we see any men wondering around these woods without a hat on, we shall know it is his." Elizabeth walked forward again, once again lost in thought, but not for long.
As she wandered slowly out of the clearing, something in the shadows of the trees caught her eye and drew her out of her reverie. What was it? She squinted and stepped closer. Poking out from behind a dense shrub was a boot… a man's riding boot. A sudden sense of urgency caused Elizabeth to quicken her pace.
"Lizzie? Where are you off to?" Jane called after her. Elizabeth ignored her sister, instead gasping and covering her mouth in horror. She had, in heart of hearts, longed to see Mr. Darcy again, but… not like this. His clothes were bloody and torn and stained with mud. He was soaked to the skin, his dark hair stuck together in clumps, and every scrap of the composure he had always done his best to maintain in their previous meetings had fled in face of the fact that he was unconscious.
Elizabeth slowly knelt down next to Mr. Darcy and reached out and gently brushed a finger against the skin. His hand was ice cold but his face was burning up with fever. She felt strangely detached from the scene, like she was watching it happen to someone else. Lizzie was only vaguely aware when Jane gasped behind her.
"Jane, run back to the house. Tell them what has happened then have father send someone down to Netherfield to inform Mr. Bingley of what has happened. Quickly!"
-O-O-O-
Charles Bingley was pacing up and down the length of his study in worried frustration. If only Darcy had been more definite about how and when he was to be arriving! For all Bingley knew, he might have been caught in that dreadful storm last night!
He turned at the end of the room and was about to start off in the opposite direction again when the doors of his study unexpectedly burst open.
"I'm sorry, sir!" gasped the servant desperately. "But I thought you'd want to know right away sir!" Bingley's head shot up from his transfixed gaze on the carpet,
"Know what?"
"They've found Mr. Darcy, sir!"
-O-O-O-
Elizabeth sat by her silent companion and waited until the men arrived with Mr. Bingley in their lead. They wanted him to be taken back to Netherfield but she pointed out that they were only a little less than a mile from Loungborn, whereas Netherfield was at least three miles from where they now stood and moving Mr. Darcy very far would probably worsen his condition. Mr. Bingley gave her a strange look as she said all this but Elizabeth ignored it instead looking back to the unconscious man on the ground.
Word was sent ahead to Loungborn that they were about to receive a visitor who would be staying with them for an indefinite amount of time.
Review, Review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive! Will write more soon, hehehe, is Darcy ever going to get a shock when he wakes up!