The highwayman shouted as Darcy's normally mild-mannered gelding reared up, the carriage swaying alarmingly. The horse's wide eyes rolled with terror, neighing frantically as it tried to escape. The previous gunshot and the following shouts and commotion and the unease surrounding the group terrifying the poor animal.
Men shouted as they scurried away from the great beast, heads ducking as hands raised to protect themselves from its flailing hooves.
Darcy flinched as the bullet that had been aiming for his chest grazed his arm instead. Scoring a thick red line through the clean white of his pressed dress shirt. It stung and burned and Darcy gasped around the pain. Uninjured hand immediately flying to press itself against the wound, offering a pale shade of comfort. Blood welled between his fingers. It trickled down his arm, drenching the fabric of his shirt, and pooled at the base of his wrist. His knees trembled, suddenly weak from shock and pain. He gasped again, gritting his teeth as he bowed at the waist; unable to bear the constant burn that seared his skin.
Sinking to his knees, he pressed his forehead to the ground, trying to breathe through the pain. Shakily, he removed his hand. He inhaled sharply, surprised to find his entire hand saturated with blood. It ran in rivulets down his fingers before dripping onto the ground.
Red splotches marred the previously green grass.
The skin of his arm was red and inflamed. Blood streamed from the wound. He watched in fascination as the blood welled up then slid down his arm.
"Fitzwilliam! Fitzwilliam!"
Lizzy collapsed at his side, face pale and stricken, as she placed her bound hands against Darcy's back.
"Give me your arm," she demanded. "Where did it strike you?"
Darcy wiggled the hand covering his arm.
Lizzy didn't hesitate, awkwardly moving her bound hands, she pried Darcy's hand from his wound.
It bled profusely and Lizzy quickly grabbed the hem of her dress to press against the wound.
"It's not that bad, Fitzwilliam. It's not that bad. Why, I've seen papercuts that looked worse than this," she joked, trying to lighten the air.
"Lizzy," Darcy groaned. He blinked blearily. "How did you get over here? I thought-"
"The scoundrels holding us all ran away when poor Phillipe started to kick up a fuss."
"And Bingley?"
"Jane is tending to him."
She swallowed thickly. "He'll be right as rain in no time," her lips trembled, "you both will. Everything's gonna be fi-"
Her sentence cut off with a startled shriek.
The highwayman stood over her, his face red with fury, lips twisted into a snarl. Lizzy quailed internally but stood her ground. She tried to pull her arm away; her muscles trembled as the highwayman fought to pull her away from Darcy.
It was a brief but spirited battle.
He dragged her roughly to her feet, his hand clamped viciously around her arm. He shook her.
His anger distorted his features into that of a demon. He stood alone, his men scattered to the wind. "You've made a mockery of me for the last time, girly."
He drew a knife from his belt.
He dragged it idly along the thumb of his hand, Lizzy leaned away.
"But first," he drew his gun again, "that damn horse needs to be taken care of."
He drew back the safety, the gun clicked, Lizzy cried out in protest to no avail. The bullet sailed through the air to nail Phillipe underneath his left ear. Exploding out the other side of his throat, he gave one strangled whinny before slumping to the ground. The carriage tipping alarmingly as it was pulled in the direction of the falling horse.
Lizzy cried, screaming insults at the wretched highwayman.
Darcy stared in horror at his dead horse.
Phillipe had been given to him by his father when he was a boy. Phillipe had been his confidant and friend for years.
Jane cowered in the background, tears slipping silently down her face, over Bingley who lay mostly unconscious in the grass; the highwayman laughed.
Whipping around the highwayman slashed Lizzy across the face.
Darcy gained new life, pushing past his grief, he reared up on unsteady legs.
"No!"
He moved to tackle the highwayman but the blade was quickly brought to Lizzy's throat, stopping Darcy in his tracks.
"I'll slit her throat, I will! Don't move." The highwayman laughed derisively. "You've all caused me a lot of trouble. I wouldn't have had to kill you if you'd surrendered peacefully."
"Please. Please, stop," Darcy begged. "Kill me instead."
"You believe I'm only going to kill one of you," the highwayman laughed again. "No. I'd like to see all of you dead."
"I beg you, don't kill her. I'll give you my entire fortune. 10,000 pounds a year. Please, don't kill her."
The highwayman sneered and pressed the knife a little harder, bubbles of blood dotting the thin line carved into Lizzy's throat.
Darcy's eyes filled with tears. "No. I'll give you anything, everything."
"Anything?"
"Yes. Yes. Anything."
He smirked. "Her."
The hope that had filled Darcy's face immediately disappeared, his stomach dropped.
"I shall enjoy this."
A rifle clicked behind him, the highwayman froze.
"Drop the knife and let the lady go," a voice commanded.
The highwayman hesitated.
The click of the safety is heard. "Now."
Slowly, he lowered the knife, releasing Lizzy.
Darcy darted forward and swept Lizzy into his arms, they slumped to the ground beside Jane and Bingley. Lizzy still safely encased in his arms.
Jane had buried her face into Charles' shoulder, arms wrapped around him.
Three men step out of the tree line. The apparent leader pointing his rifle at the highwayman. The other two stepped toward Jane and Bingley and Lizzy and Darcy.
"You're coming here is nothing short of a miracle," Darcy breathed relieved.
The one by Darcy spoke, "We were hunting grouse a little ways to the west and heard a gunshot. Not knowing of any other hunters in the area, we decided to investigate."
"Henry, ride to the nearest town and bring back a doctor and the constable," the leader called. He inclined his head towards the disgruntled highwayman sitting in the clearing, hands and feet bound with rope. "Our friend here has lots to tell the honorable constable."
Darcy turned his head away.
His shoulders slumped in relief and exhaustion as he took in the battered visages of his family. They all looked a sight, covered in blood and developing bruises, but Darcy had never been so relieved to see his chosen family looking so wonderfully alive. They lay together in the woods, the flowers twining around their legs, sunlight dappling their skin.
It was strangely beautiful.
Almost poetic, Darcy thought, that despite the horrors that had occurred in this little meadow in the woods there was still beauty to be found here.
He didn't dwell on it, the thought drifting away like mist, as he turned to more important matters.
Darcy's hands framed Lizzy's face, inspecting her cuts.
"Lizzy, you're bleeding," he grimaced.
Lizzy was silent.
Worry welled in Darcy's chest.
Was she hurt worse than he thought? He hadn't seen her receive any other injuries besides the cut but what if-?
His train of thought derailed as Lizzy struck the heels of her bound hands against his chest.
He grunted.
"Don't ever do that again, you- you- fool ," she cried, fire in her eyes. "You idiot! What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that!"
"He was going to kill you," Darcy protested.
"As much as that flatters my pride, that's no reason to throw everything you've worked for away! What about Georgianna!? Where would she be without you to take care of her! How could you be so selfish!"
Darcy bristled before softening, "It would have been worth it. If giving away my life or my fortune meant saving your life I'd do it a hundred times over. I don't regret my choice. Elizabeth, I-" he broke off, adam's apple bobbing. "I love you with every inch of my being. You're worth everything to me. I would live in your love as the sea-grasses live in the sea, I would empty my soul of the dreams that have gathered in me, I would beat with your heart as it beats, I would follow your soul as it leads ."
Lizzy laughed wetly, burying her face in his neck. "Fool man," she mumbled. "You can't nearly get yourself killed and then recite poetry at me."
Darcy laughed; inclining his head, his lips brushed against Lizzy's chastely.
Jane snorted behind them and the bird hunters politely looked away.
A breach in propriety can be excused in the circumstances.
"I adore you both but please let's never go on vacation again," Jane said.
They all laughed, the sun shining down on them, as they basked in the high of surviving a highwayman ambush.
The past few hours had been brutal and had almost cost them everything they held dear. The highwaymen had been greedy; monsters in pursuit of nothing but earthly riches, completely oblivious to the fact that they had a treasure with them that was far more valuable than all the gold and land and power in the world..
Something that no highwayman could ever take from them.
They had each other and all the love between them.
It was arduous and hardwon love and at times it had felt like it was breaking something inside of them, the feelings were so intense.
Yet, in the end, they had prevailed and came out stronger. The damsel rescued, the prince found, the fairytale coming to a close as they hurried into their happily ever after.
Bound together by the golden clasp of love.