A/N: I'm soooooo unbelievable sorry that I haven't updated in forever!
First, I needed to get the book out of the library for this, and then I
have been so busy it took me a while to write it, and then the site was
giving me problems so I couldn't post it! Please forgive me! :'-(! It'll be
a while till I post again, because I'm going to camp, so have patience with
a poor, busy writer!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Darcy was in good humor. He sat straight on his horse as it carried him towards Lambton, to wait on Elizabeth and her uncle and aunt. It was a clean, crisp day, with a slight breeze stirring the warm summer air. He felt that he was on his way to gaining Elizabeth's good opinion, and though he seriously doubted that she could ever come close to loving him, her friendship would be nearly as good. Darcy had a kind word for everyone today, and a humor that might last him through all incivilities, save a few. It was to change, however, when he reached the inn.
He entered the parlor, words of cheerful greeting already on his tongue, to be confronted with the sight of Elizabeth, who had suddenly halted when he came in. She was pale and seemed stricken and distracted. Her eyes were wide and she looked ready to burst into tears.
"I beg your pardon," she said in a rush, hasty words tumbling from her pale lips, "but I must leave you. I must find Mr. Gardiner this moment, on business that cannot be delayed; I have not an instant to loose." Darcy's heart did a double take. What could be wrong to have her act so unlike her normal state?
"Good God! What is the matter?" he cried, his feelings rising in his voice. He recollected his scattered wits, and then said, in a calmer, soothing tone, "I will not detain you a minute, but let me, or let the servant, go after Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. You are not well enough, you cannot go yourself." He looked at her worriedly when she gave him a hopeless look, and her eyes seemed to beg support as she trembled on her feet. She called back the servant, and in a hurried and breathless tone, commissioned him to fetch the Gardiners home immediately. When the servant had left, she sat down in a chair, and looked desperately miserable and disheveled. Darcy's heart throbbed for her, and he desperately searched his mind for anything that might relieve her of her distress. He looked at her soothingly and moved closer by, hoping to give her some comfort. Gently and compassionately, he said, "Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take to give you present relief? -A glass of wine; shall I get you one? -You are very ill."
He saw that she made an attempt to recover herself, and marveled at her brave spirit in the face of whatever had afflicted her. "No," she replied, "I thank you. There is nothing the matter with me. I am quite well. I am only distressed by some dreadful news which I have just received from Longbourn." And she burst into tears, sobs shaking the body that now looked so frail and sickly, without any of its previous glow or good spirit. Wretched with suspense and the agony she felt, Darcy murmured something incomprehensible about his concern, hardly knowing what he was saying. He watched silently, mind running over anything that could cause her so much pain-surely none of her family was sick, or deceased? What could have happened? Tears continued running down her cheeks, and at last she controlled herself, and dabbing at her eyes with a small handkerchief, said in difficult and pained tones, as if she hated to tell him but knew she had no choice, "I have just had a letter from Jane, with such dreadful news. It cannot be concealed from anyone. My youngest sister has left all her friends-has eloped-has thrown herself into the power of-of Mr. Wickham. They are gone off together from Brighton. You know him too well to doubt the rest-she has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt him to- she is lost forever." Darcy stood, immovable in astonishment. This, he had never thought possible. To his great pain, she went on, even more agitated, "When I consider that I might have prevented it! -I who knew what he was. Had I but explained some part of it only-some part of what I learned to my only family! Had his character been known, this could not have happened. But it is all, all too late now." Her speech gave Darcy great troubles, for he knew that she had not spoken to preserve his secret. He blamed himself, now, for this happening, and consequently for giving Elizabeth this much pain. If only he could find a way to help her! With his whole heart, he wished for a solution to save her from this torment. He could not think less of her for this, could not and would not. He still loved her, for herself, and not for her family.
"I am grieved, indeed," he cried feelingly, "grieved-shocked. But it is certain, absolutely certain?"
"Oh, yes! -They left Brighton together on Sunday night, and were traced almost to London, but not beyond; they are certainly not gone to Scotland." The small hope of false information within Darcy died almost as soon as it had surfaced. But still, he would ask more. He hoped to calm her slightly as he did so.
"And what has been done, what has been attempted, to recover her?"
"My father is gone to London, and Jane has written to beg my uncle's immediate assistance, and we shall be off, I hope, in half an hour. But nothing can be done; I know very well that nothing can be done. How is such a man to be worked on? How are they ever to be discovered? I have not the smallest hope. It is in every way horrible!"
Darcy felt that he could not do anything for her, and it made him wretched, his heart pounding in his chest with pent-up emotions. He was entirely engrossed in feeling for her, and was as pained as she was miserable. She went on in self-blame, while he was sure that no one was to blame but himself-after all, had he not kept the whole affair secret?
"When my eyes were opened to his real character. Oh! Had I known what I ought, what I dared, to do! But I knew not-I was afraid of doing too much. Wretched, wretched mistake!" Her remark caused Darcy to remember something, combined with her earlier comment on the hopelessness of their discovery. *If there was anyone in London that could be harboring Wickham, * he thought, *it is Mrs. Younge. * He paced, trying to remember all the details that he could about her and her residence in London. His brow contracted in concentration, he did not notice that Elizabeth looked at him with a heightened gloom and desperateness. He must, he decided, go to London as soon as he could and search out Mrs. Younge. There was not a moment to waste. Every minute he waited was another minute that his beloved Elizabeth had to wait in anguish and false hope. Determined to excuse himself and then set off for London, he excused himself compassionately, but restraining his voice from telling of the hope that he had for her. "I am afraid that you have long been desiring my absence, nor have I anything to plead in excuse for my stay, but real, though unavailing concern." *And love, * he thought slightly bitterly. "Would to heaven that anything could be either said or done on my part that might offer consolation to such distress. -But I will not torment you with vain wishes, which may seem purposely to ask for your thanks. This unfortunate affair will, I fear, prevent my sister's having the pleasure of seeing you at Pemberley to-day." It pained him to think of Georgiana now, and the similarity of the situations. She looked up with a pained and regretful face.
"Oh, yes. Be so kind as to apologize for us to Miss Darcy. Say that urgent business calls us home immediately. Conceal the unhappy truth as long as it is possible. -I know it cannot be long." He assured her that he would keep the secret as long as he could, and then said again, though he felt the uselessness on her condition, that it would come out well, left his greeting to the Gardiners, looked at her anxious face once more, his heart burning in mixed hope, despondency, and pain. As he left the room, he thought heavily, *I shall probably never see her again. *
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
A/N: Thanks so much for reviewing! Again, sorry to my faithful reviewers to have kept you waiting!
Breeze: Thanks! Darcy is my favorite because of all his pining for Lizzy!
Laurore: I will put them in order, I promise-I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Soon, though. I'm going to wait a little while so I have some more done. Thanks for the suggestion!
Siriusly Weird: Thank you so much! I hope this chapter gave you goosebumps (or a similar feeling) too!
Sunshine: I know! If he was alive now I might even marry him! If he weren't obsessed with Elizabeth, that is.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Darcy was in good humor. He sat straight on his horse as it carried him towards Lambton, to wait on Elizabeth and her uncle and aunt. It was a clean, crisp day, with a slight breeze stirring the warm summer air. He felt that he was on his way to gaining Elizabeth's good opinion, and though he seriously doubted that she could ever come close to loving him, her friendship would be nearly as good. Darcy had a kind word for everyone today, and a humor that might last him through all incivilities, save a few. It was to change, however, when he reached the inn.
He entered the parlor, words of cheerful greeting already on his tongue, to be confronted with the sight of Elizabeth, who had suddenly halted when he came in. She was pale and seemed stricken and distracted. Her eyes were wide and she looked ready to burst into tears.
"I beg your pardon," she said in a rush, hasty words tumbling from her pale lips, "but I must leave you. I must find Mr. Gardiner this moment, on business that cannot be delayed; I have not an instant to loose." Darcy's heart did a double take. What could be wrong to have her act so unlike her normal state?
"Good God! What is the matter?" he cried, his feelings rising in his voice. He recollected his scattered wits, and then said, in a calmer, soothing tone, "I will not detain you a minute, but let me, or let the servant, go after Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. You are not well enough, you cannot go yourself." He looked at her worriedly when she gave him a hopeless look, and her eyes seemed to beg support as she trembled on her feet. She called back the servant, and in a hurried and breathless tone, commissioned him to fetch the Gardiners home immediately. When the servant had left, she sat down in a chair, and looked desperately miserable and disheveled. Darcy's heart throbbed for her, and he desperately searched his mind for anything that might relieve her of her distress. He looked at her soothingly and moved closer by, hoping to give her some comfort. Gently and compassionately, he said, "Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take to give you present relief? -A glass of wine; shall I get you one? -You are very ill."
He saw that she made an attempt to recover herself, and marveled at her brave spirit in the face of whatever had afflicted her. "No," she replied, "I thank you. There is nothing the matter with me. I am quite well. I am only distressed by some dreadful news which I have just received from Longbourn." And she burst into tears, sobs shaking the body that now looked so frail and sickly, without any of its previous glow or good spirit. Wretched with suspense and the agony she felt, Darcy murmured something incomprehensible about his concern, hardly knowing what he was saying. He watched silently, mind running over anything that could cause her so much pain-surely none of her family was sick, or deceased? What could have happened? Tears continued running down her cheeks, and at last she controlled herself, and dabbing at her eyes with a small handkerchief, said in difficult and pained tones, as if she hated to tell him but knew she had no choice, "I have just had a letter from Jane, with such dreadful news. It cannot be concealed from anyone. My youngest sister has left all her friends-has eloped-has thrown herself into the power of-of Mr. Wickham. They are gone off together from Brighton. You know him too well to doubt the rest-she has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt him to- she is lost forever." Darcy stood, immovable in astonishment. This, he had never thought possible. To his great pain, she went on, even more agitated, "When I consider that I might have prevented it! -I who knew what he was. Had I but explained some part of it only-some part of what I learned to my only family! Had his character been known, this could not have happened. But it is all, all too late now." Her speech gave Darcy great troubles, for he knew that she had not spoken to preserve his secret. He blamed himself, now, for this happening, and consequently for giving Elizabeth this much pain. If only he could find a way to help her! With his whole heart, he wished for a solution to save her from this torment. He could not think less of her for this, could not and would not. He still loved her, for herself, and not for her family.
"I am grieved, indeed," he cried feelingly, "grieved-shocked. But it is certain, absolutely certain?"
"Oh, yes! -They left Brighton together on Sunday night, and were traced almost to London, but not beyond; they are certainly not gone to Scotland." The small hope of false information within Darcy died almost as soon as it had surfaced. But still, he would ask more. He hoped to calm her slightly as he did so.
"And what has been done, what has been attempted, to recover her?"
"My father is gone to London, and Jane has written to beg my uncle's immediate assistance, and we shall be off, I hope, in half an hour. But nothing can be done; I know very well that nothing can be done. How is such a man to be worked on? How are they ever to be discovered? I have not the smallest hope. It is in every way horrible!"
Darcy felt that he could not do anything for her, and it made him wretched, his heart pounding in his chest with pent-up emotions. He was entirely engrossed in feeling for her, and was as pained as she was miserable. She went on in self-blame, while he was sure that no one was to blame but himself-after all, had he not kept the whole affair secret?
"When my eyes were opened to his real character. Oh! Had I known what I ought, what I dared, to do! But I knew not-I was afraid of doing too much. Wretched, wretched mistake!" Her remark caused Darcy to remember something, combined with her earlier comment on the hopelessness of their discovery. *If there was anyone in London that could be harboring Wickham, * he thought, *it is Mrs. Younge. * He paced, trying to remember all the details that he could about her and her residence in London. His brow contracted in concentration, he did not notice that Elizabeth looked at him with a heightened gloom and desperateness. He must, he decided, go to London as soon as he could and search out Mrs. Younge. There was not a moment to waste. Every minute he waited was another minute that his beloved Elizabeth had to wait in anguish and false hope. Determined to excuse himself and then set off for London, he excused himself compassionately, but restraining his voice from telling of the hope that he had for her. "I am afraid that you have long been desiring my absence, nor have I anything to plead in excuse for my stay, but real, though unavailing concern." *And love, * he thought slightly bitterly. "Would to heaven that anything could be either said or done on my part that might offer consolation to such distress. -But I will not torment you with vain wishes, which may seem purposely to ask for your thanks. This unfortunate affair will, I fear, prevent my sister's having the pleasure of seeing you at Pemberley to-day." It pained him to think of Georgiana now, and the similarity of the situations. She looked up with a pained and regretful face.
"Oh, yes. Be so kind as to apologize for us to Miss Darcy. Say that urgent business calls us home immediately. Conceal the unhappy truth as long as it is possible. -I know it cannot be long." He assured her that he would keep the secret as long as he could, and then said again, though he felt the uselessness on her condition, that it would come out well, left his greeting to the Gardiners, looked at her anxious face once more, his heart burning in mixed hope, despondency, and pain. As he left the room, he thought heavily, *I shall probably never see her again. *
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
A/N: Thanks so much for reviewing! Again, sorry to my faithful reviewers to have kept you waiting!
Breeze: Thanks! Darcy is my favorite because of all his pining for Lizzy!
Laurore: I will put them in order, I promise-I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Soon, though. I'm going to wait a little while so I have some more done. Thanks for the suggestion!
Siriusly Weird: Thank you so much! I hope this chapter gave you goosebumps (or a similar feeling) too!
Sunshine: I know! If he was alive now I might even marry him! If he weren't obsessed with Elizabeth, that is.