Chapter Thirty Six

Elizabeth heard someone coming towards her. She listened carefully wondering whether it was the man or the woman. She wasn't sure, but it sounded more like the man. The woman had been there earlier. She had loosened the ties that held her and she had been able to move more comfortably. She had also held a cup to her lips and allowed her to drink some water. She had gulped so much she had immediately felt nauseous. "Let me go," she'd whispered, but then the woman had stuffed a cloth back in her mouth and tied it so she couldn't scream.

She still didn't recognise the voice and since the man had insisted her eyes be bound she had been unable to see anything. She had lost all sense of time and whether it was day or night. Her stomach gave an uncomfortable groan. She was very hungry.

Elizabeth tensed as someone moved towards her.

"I think we should move her," said a voice.

It was the man who had brought her here.

"The only place for her is down a shaft."

Elizabeth wriggled. That was a voice she recognised. It was Lord Wilmington. She wriggled harder and she heard him laugh.

"You're going nowhere, Mrs. Darcy," and Elizabeth felt a hand run down her neck and over her breast.

Elizabeth was furious. If her feet had not been bound she would have kicked him.

"I'm going to ruin your husband. He's taken everything from me. Everything. And now I'm going to take it back from him. I'm going to make him suffer. He'll be sorry when you're dead."

The man was mad. What was he going to do to her? Tears stung her eyes. She didn't care about herself, but she was worried for the fate of her unborn child.

"Stand her up," said Lord Wilmington.

The other man started to drag her to her feet, but dropped her when the door suddenly opened. Elizabeth cried out in pain.

"What is it?" cried Lord Wilmington.

A third man spoke. "It's Kenwell. He says Mr. Darcy and others are on their way here."

"What. Fools. How did they let him on the land?"

"I don't know. But we should leave. Let her go. No good can come of this."

"Let her go. I will not hang for this."

Elizabeth heard a scuffle and soon she could hear men coming to blows. She frantically tried to loosen her ties as she heard them shouting and cursing at each other. At last she had one hand free and she pulled at the covering over her eyes as one of the men cried out and fell to the ground. She still couldn't see clearly. The door opened and there was a shaft of light beyond. She could see one man lying on the floor and the other was starting to leave. It was Lord Wilmington.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Darcy. He picked up some straw from the floor and lit it from the candle the other man had in his hand and tossed it on the ground.

Despite the damp the hay quickly started to catch and soon the barn was filled with acrid smoke as the fire started to take hold. [AM1] Elizabeth tried frantically to untie the ties around her ankles but they had been tied too tightly. She began to cough. "Help…" Her voice was only a whisper. The tears started to pour down her face. No one was going to hear her. This is where she was going to die.

Getting onto the Wilmington Estate was easier than Darcy had expected. Lady Wilmington guided them through a wooded area that had a deep descent which was unguarded. "You'll find the barn if you keep going east. It's not easy to see from this position. It's built down into the hill and you reach it through a narrow shaft."

Darcy glared at her as she gave them this news. He was certain that Lady Wilmington was involved in Elizabeth's kidnapping but he would have to deal with that later. The only thing that mattered was the rescue of his wife. They left the horses and Lady Wilmington and set off on foot, breaking into two groups so they could make different approaches towards the barn.

Suddenly someone shouted. "I see smoke… flames!"

Everyone started to run. Darcy quelled the suddenly feeling of panic that rushed through his body. He had to get to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was finding it difficult to breath. She was disorientated. She rolled on her front and tried to wriggle towards the door. The man who Lord Wilmington had fought with had still not moved. There was nothing she could do for him. She continued to crawl, but the smoke was so bad, all she wanted to do was go to sleep. She couldn't. She had to save her unborn child. She kept crawling, wriggling forward as best she could

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth!" She had never heard a sweeter sound. It was Mr. Darcy. He had come for her. She tried to move… but she could move no more. She closed her eyes.