Elizabeth was lying in a hole, six feet deep.
Surprisingly, she wasn't hurt as she had landed on a mass of ferns.
The hole smelled funny and she yelled as she saw an earthworm squiggle its way up the wall of mud.
She was still too dumbfounded to think straight but a sound nearby made her look up.
A face peeped over the edge. It was the apparition. A rather human-like spirit wearing a strange hat. Its features were indistinguishable in the dark and presently it spoke in a clear, deep voice.
"Are you alright Miss?"
The phantom looked at her curiously and laughed.
Fortunately, Lady Bennet's niece had the wits to realize that she had horridly confused an obliging young man for a specter, though she couldn't exactly point when the miraculous transformation had taken place. For one thing, ghouls certainly did not address their victims in that manner.
He saw her doubtful expression and apologized,
"I'm sorry miss. It's just that this trap has never caught anything quite human-like before. I guess the wolves were too smart. Forgive me, may I have the honour of knowing my captive's name?"
Was he calling her stupid!?
"Are you in the habit of trapping innocent young ladies in holes and interrogating them, sir?" Elizabeth asked, indignantly.
The young man met her heated question with up-turned eyes and a quiver about his mouth.
"Hardly miss. But you must admit it is easier to get 'innocent young ladies' to converse with you when they are six feet below the ground."
Oh what an impertinence! thought Elizabeth. Is he going to question me all day long!? And I hardly know him!
Elizabeth stamped her foot and threatened,
"If you won't leave me alone this instant, I shall scream for all of Kernshill to hear and when the villagers come running, I shall blame you for throwing me in."
Her fear and nervousness made her sound angrier than she actually was.
To her irritation, he regarded her amusedly and chuckled.
"That won't be necessary miss. You shall save your breath for more genteel conversation once I help you up,"
"What gave you the notion that I should allow you to help me up? How do I know I can trust you?" asked Elizabeth naively.
"Well miss, for one thing I don't intend to kidnap you and hold you for ransom if that is what you were suggesting…" here he paused, clearly enjoying his victim's impatience, "and I don't think you are left with much of a choice. I can't leave you here and summon help. The wolves would have devoured you by then."
Elizabeth grudgingly admitted to herself that this little speech did make a lot of sense. Also, she didn't have any other options and it was also already very late. Oh that she had never gotten herself into this in the first place!
Sighing, Elizabeth reluctantly gave her hand to the loathsome young man and was pulled out.
She staggered onto her feet and dusted her muddied dress. It was slightly torn above her right foot, revealing an inch of stocking, but other than that, she wasn't scratched. Elizabeth cringed as she thought about the rage nana would be in. She would have to come up with a feasible explanation.
"I think you must have dropped this er, on your way out."
She looked up and saw that he was holding The Fool's Blunder in his hand.
"Oh, yes."
She took the book and for a moment neither said anything.
"Thank you…for your assistance, sir." she forced herself to say at last and then introduced herself, "Elizabeth Bennet."
"Nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Bennet. Mr. Darcy." he nodded by way of introducing himself.
