Disclaimer: It's all Jane Austen's, not mine.
Author's Note: Thank you for your fabulous reviews. Congratulations, Mr. Darcy appears in this chapter! Hopefully you'll like the way I made him. I am interested to hear how everyone liked my portrayal of Elizabeth, too. Please do continue to review and criticize (in a nice way). Happy Reading, Aurelia Calliope
Chapter 2- Of Knights in Shining Armor
As the mud splattered onto Elizabeth Bennet's face and clothes, she let out a cry of pain. Her ankle was throbbing and she could only hope it was strong enough to hobble home on. She absolutely had to get out of this situation, that is, if she did not want to freeze to death. As she raised herself slowly and gently, steeling herself for another fight with the ditch and it slippery high walls, which came up above her waist, she tentatively placed her weight on her bad ankle she let out a yelp of pain, and a groan of temporary defeat, as she grasped the side of the ditch to prevent herself from falling into the mud again.
"I cannot imagine a worse scenario! I suppose I shall have to crawl home, at this rate!" she cried, infuriated. But Lizzy knew that she would not be able to move until help arrived. She could no longer contain her emotions, which had been threatening to overflow since that disgusting idiot would not accept no for an answer. The last few days had been so humiliating, so unbelievable, and so awful! Lizzy began to sob. She saw no way out of this awful predicament until someone came looking for her. Her family would be too preoccupied: her father in his library thinking she had already returned; her mother -along with Lydia, Kitty, and Mary- too concerned with themselves to care; and dear Jane daydreaming about Bingley, so as not to notice her absence. She suddenly felt completely and utterly alone and abandoned.
Her only hope she decided, trying to make light of the situation, was that Mr. Collins, realizing how he had pained her, his lady fair, would jump upon his noble steed -armor and all, of course- in search of his one true love. Lizzy began to laugh and sob at the same time with a vision of Mr. Collins in armor riding across the hills calling desperately, "Cousin Elizabeth, my love, where have you wandered to? My sweet lady, do not forgive me!" She could nearly see him having trouble staying on his horse, practically falling off into the mud himself. What a rescue that would be! At this point laughter took control of her and she lay against the side of the ditch, soaked through, covered in mud from head to toe, and laughing as the rain poured onto her.
"Well, at least Mr. Collins will not rescue me. I am spared that pain! It would not do to die in the rain because I was picturing Mr. Collins rescuing me, so I had better get myself out of this hole, and soon." she mused. She managed after a time to pull herself out of the ditch, and she lay on the ground breathing rather heavily, for her effort had taken quite a bit out of her already exhausted and bruised body. As she surveyed her surroundings, and came to the conclusion that the nearest residence was Netherfield, she knew it was impossible for her to attempt going home at all. Well, at least Caroline Bingley would be shocked senseless for a good long time. She saw no way out of this mess, movement was nearly impossible, her ankle was throbbing too much to make for her to attempt even the short walk to Netherfield, and she had begun shivering incessantly. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing up and down feverishly, and tried desperately to think of the best course of action. She decided for the moment at least she could continue to lie on the ground picturing Mr. Collins as a valiant knight defending the honor of his noble patroness, Lady Catherine DeBourgh. She smiled at the picture, as tears slipped down her face rapidly.
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He was tired of Hertfordshire, its society, its landscape, and everything about it. And to make matters worse Bingley was head over heels in love with Jane Bennet, who obviously didn't love him in return, but would marry him for his wealth at her mother's urging. Fitzwilliam Darcy knew that this would be the ruin of Bingley; marrying a woman with so few connections could alter his standing in society profoundly, even if Jane was charming and pretty. Marriage certainly had the power to make or break a man in these days, and there was no way he was going to let his friend ruin all of his prospects.
His horse carried him across the fields at a trot away from Meryton, where he finished arranging the trip to London. As he hurried on towards Netherfield, he convinced himself Bingley's welfare was his only motive for fleeing from Hertfordshire. However, more especially, he wanted to escape a certain person. He was thinking of Elizabeth Bennet much more often than could be deemed healthy. If he could only escape this hold she had over him, all would be right again in this world. He would be able to sleep again, and would be able to stop worrying about what she thought of Wickham. In a way he hated that most of all: that she should prefer that thing to him was insufferable.
"Well," thought he, "All our troubles will soon be over. Bingley's sisters and I will make a point of showing him how imprudent this whole ridiculous thing is. I shall soon be away from her, and then everything will be fine. The best course of action now is a hasty retreat to Town." With a glance at the sky Fitzwilliam Darcy was awakened from his reverie. "What could have possessed me to stay outdoors so long without taking any heed of the weather? I just hope this storm will hold off until I reach Netherfield!"
He urged his horse into a gallop, taking off at a much quicker rate. As he did so the rain began pour down, and it appeared that it had no intention of stopping for sometime. Darcy, thinking he could reach Netherfield just as easily as anywhere else he might take refuge, urged his horse on across the fields. Within in several minutes he was soaked to the skin and shivering with cold.
"I cannot imagine a worse scenario! All I need now is something to prevent me from following Bingley to town!" he yelled in exasperation. It was not proving to be his day at all. No sooner had he spoken those words than he saw a figure lying on the ground, shivering with cold. It was a figure which looked vaguely familiar, but at this distance he could not tell for certain.
Author's Note: Thank you for your fabulous reviews. Congratulations, Mr. Darcy appears in this chapter! Hopefully you'll like the way I made him. I am interested to hear how everyone liked my portrayal of Elizabeth, too. Please do continue to review and criticize (in a nice way). Happy Reading, Aurelia Calliope
Chapter 2- Of Knights in Shining Armor
As the mud splattered onto Elizabeth Bennet's face and clothes, she let out a cry of pain. Her ankle was throbbing and she could only hope it was strong enough to hobble home on. She absolutely had to get out of this situation, that is, if she did not want to freeze to death. As she raised herself slowly and gently, steeling herself for another fight with the ditch and it slippery high walls, which came up above her waist, she tentatively placed her weight on her bad ankle she let out a yelp of pain, and a groan of temporary defeat, as she grasped the side of the ditch to prevent herself from falling into the mud again.
"I cannot imagine a worse scenario! I suppose I shall have to crawl home, at this rate!" she cried, infuriated. But Lizzy knew that she would not be able to move until help arrived. She could no longer contain her emotions, which had been threatening to overflow since that disgusting idiot would not accept no for an answer. The last few days had been so humiliating, so unbelievable, and so awful! Lizzy began to sob. She saw no way out of this awful predicament until someone came looking for her. Her family would be too preoccupied: her father in his library thinking she had already returned; her mother -along with Lydia, Kitty, and Mary- too concerned with themselves to care; and dear Jane daydreaming about Bingley, so as not to notice her absence. She suddenly felt completely and utterly alone and abandoned.
Her only hope she decided, trying to make light of the situation, was that Mr. Collins, realizing how he had pained her, his lady fair, would jump upon his noble steed -armor and all, of course- in search of his one true love. Lizzy began to laugh and sob at the same time with a vision of Mr. Collins in armor riding across the hills calling desperately, "Cousin Elizabeth, my love, where have you wandered to? My sweet lady, do not forgive me!" She could nearly see him having trouble staying on his horse, practically falling off into the mud himself. What a rescue that would be! At this point laughter took control of her and she lay against the side of the ditch, soaked through, covered in mud from head to toe, and laughing as the rain poured onto her.
"Well, at least Mr. Collins will not rescue me. I am spared that pain! It would not do to die in the rain because I was picturing Mr. Collins rescuing me, so I had better get myself out of this hole, and soon." she mused. She managed after a time to pull herself out of the ditch, and she lay on the ground breathing rather heavily, for her effort had taken quite a bit out of her already exhausted and bruised body. As she surveyed her surroundings, and came to the conclusion that the nearest residence was Netherfield, she knew it was impossible for her to attempt going home at all. Well, at least Caroline Bingley would be shocked senseless for a good long time. She saw no way out of this mess, movement was nearly impossible, her ankle was throbbing too much to make for her to attempt even the short walk to Netherfield, and she had begun shivering incessantly. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing up and down feverishly, and tried desperately to think of the best course of action. She decided for the moment at least she could continue to lie on the ground picturing Mr. Collins as a valiant knight defending the honor of his noble patroness, Lady Catherine DeBourgh. She smiled at the picture, as tears slipped down her face rapidly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was tired of Hertfordshire, its society, its landscape, and everything about it. And to make matters worse Bingley was head over heels in love with Jane Bennet, who obviously didn't love him in return, but would marry him for his wealth at her mother's urging. Fitzwilliam Darcy knew that this would be the ruin of Bingley; marrying a woman with so few connections could alter his standing in society profoundly, even if Jane was charming and pretty. Marriage certainly had the power to make or break a man in these days, and there was no way he was going to let his friend ruin all of his prospects.
His horse carried him across the fields at a trot away from Meryton, where he finished arranging the trip to London. As he hurried on towards Netherfield, he convinced himself Bingley's welfare was his only motive for fleeing from Hertfordshire. However, more especially, he wanted to escape a certain person. He was thinking of Elizabeth Bennet much more often than could be deemed healthy. If he could only escape this hold she had over him, all would be right again in this world. He would be able to sleep again, and would be able to stop worrying about what she thought of Wickham. In a way he hated that most of all: that she should prefer that thing to him was insufferable.
"Well," thought he, "All our troubles will soon be over. Bingley's sisters and I will make a point of showing him how imprudent this whole ridiculous thing is. I shall soon be away from her, and then everything will be fine. The best course of action now is a hasty retreat to Town." With a glance at the sky Fitzwilliam Darcy was awakened from his reverie. "What could have possessed me to stay outdoors so long without taking any heed of the weather? I just hope this storm will hold off until I reach Netherfield!"
He urged his horse into a gallop, taking off at a much quicker rate. As he did so the rain began pour down, and it appeared that it had no intention of stopping for sometime. Darcy, thinking he could reach Netherfield just as easily as anywhere else he might take refuge, urged his horse on across the fields. Within in several minutes he was soaked to the skin and shivering with cold.
"I cannot imagine a worse scenario! All I need now is something to prevent me from following Bingley to town!" he yelled in exasperation. It was not proving to be his day at all. No sooner had he spoken those words than he saw a figure lying on the ground, shivering with cold. It was a figure which looked vaguely familiar, but at this distance he could not tell for certain.