## Chapter 5 Mr. Darcy
His had completed his bath in record time, his valet had dressed him quickly but not fast enough because Mr. Darcy dashed out of his bedroom buttoning up his jacket as his long strides ate up the distance to the main staircase.
"Miss Bennet, where is she? The blue sitting room?"
The startled maid dropped into a curtsy. "No, sir. Er, she departed."
He stopped still and felt as if time slowed to a treacle. "Departed?"
Time snapped back while he ran down the curved staircase, across the far too large foyer and out the front door that the footmen held open for him. And there was her carriage, with her uncle just climbing in. Elizabeth's head was turned away. Why was she wrapped in that sodden, dirty blanket again? Did she not bathe?
His boots pounding on the stone steps, he did not take these steps quite as fast as he had the staircase inside. It would not impress Elizabeth if he tripped and fell down the entire flight. But he could not let her leave without speaking to her.
"Miss Bennet!"
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner's heads turned towards him as he hurried down the stone steps. At some point, since his last glance at her a few seconds ago, Elizabeth had pulled the blanket over her head. He frowned, unsure as to why she thought she needed to hide. She had done nothing to embarrass herself.
"Please allow me to apologize for not receiving you properly just now. You are not leaving?"
Elizabeth's aunt shared a look with her husband, who answered for them. "We were, sir, I think we must."
"I hope you are not displeased with Pemberley." He had directed his question to the blanket covered person that still refused to turn towards him.
After a glance at her niece, Mrs. Gardiner whispered. "Lizzy!"
Finally, the woman that had graced his dreams turned her head towards him. She still looked pale. "No, not at all."
"Then you approve of it?
She smiled. Mr. Darcy's chest felt lighter. "Very much. But I think there are few who would not approve."
"But your good opinion is rarely bestowed and, therefore, more worth the earning."
"Thank you." She looked at her aunt and uncle, her eyes pleading.
"You are staying in Lambton, I hear."
Elizabeth's aunt responded. "Yes, sir. I grew up there as a girl."
With no more response forthcoming, and Elizabeth not looking at him again, Mr. Darcy clenched his hands behind his back to keep himself from fidgeting with his jacket. "I…I had hoped you would stay for supper. You are not leaving because my staff did not attend to your needs?"
Finally, she turned her head towards him again. Her brown eyes looked like a fine chestnut horse in the sun's light. "I believe we must."
"Please allow me to make amends for my ornery sheep. I would like to invite you to dine with me and a party of friends arriving tomorrow. There is one member of the party quite eager to meet you, Miss Bennet. I would be honored if you and your aunt and uncle would be my guests for supper. Would tomorrow evening be convenient?"
She glanced down with a faint blush, then looked up at him directly. "Thank you. We shall be delighted."
At a throat clearing, he dragged his eyes off of Elizabeth to her uncle. "I would like to meet with you regarding a matter of business after I see the ladies settled at the inn."
Mr. Darcy lips tightened, but he had been expecting it. It was not an unwelcome meeting, not for him at least. But, it was embarrassing that he would wed Elizabeth due to being compromised by his bloody sheep. He would not know if she truly cared for him.
He nodded to Mr. Gardiner, then pounded twice on the carriage door, a signal every driver knew. Mr. Darcy stood there following the carriage with his eyes until it rolled around the bend of the lake and out of view.
Mr. Darcy sighed and rubbed his face. Then he slowly turned and climbed up the steps like a man going to his hanging. He entered his office and closed the door behind him. He was not given to drink, but this occasion warranted it if any did. He poured a finger of Scottish whiskey and threw it back. Standing, staring at nothing he lost track of time. Then he poured himself another finger of whiskey and sat in his chair.
He had hoped to impress Elizabeth the next time he saw her, and now her uncle would demand he marry his niece because they had been compromised. Mr. Darcy could not deny that Elizabeth's dress was transparent and that several of his servants had ogled her before he had ordered them to avert their eyes.
### Elizabeth
The Gardiner's carriage pulled up at the Lambton Inn with Elizabeth still huddled under the blanket. Her uncle instructed their driver to pull up at the servant's entrance. They wanted to keep her state of dishabille hidden. Nothing untoward had happened between her and Mr. Darcy, but when a young eligible woman arrives looking as she did, the inn's proprietor would be within his rights to have her thrown out. This was not that type of establishment.
She held the blanket tightly, jumping out of the carriage and ran into the inn. It was not hard to find the servant's staircase to the upper floor where her room was, as it was directly to the left once Elizabeth got her bearings. Her hands shook as she rushed to her room and closed the door. If anyone had seen her, and recognized her, she would have been ruined. Instead of just compromised.
But her compromise could be kept quiet, only her family and Mr. Darcy needed to know. If word got out that Elizabeth Bennet had been seen in a state of undress, her hair disheveled, well, that was something she did not want to consider. That gossip would have far reaching effects, such as ruining her sister's chances for ever finding an eligible suitor.
She pulled off the blanket and dropped it on the floor. It should be burned. Or would Mr. Darcy expect it returned? Turning, Elizabeth rubbed her face and sat on the edge of her bed. How lucky were they that only Mr. Darcy had arrived a day early? A large party would be arriving the next day! If Miss Bingley had seen her…her reputation would have been ruined completely. She could envision the sneer on that woman's face, having seen it many times in Hertfordshire.
After a quick tap at the door, she raised her head to see her aunt enter and blanche. "Lizzy, what are you wearing?"
Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had forgotten what she was wearing. Her plan had been to change into one of her other dresses before her relatives saw her. But it was too late now.
"Did they truly dress you in a maid's uniform?"
Opening her eyes for a peek, they quickly widened when she saw how upset her aunt was. "The dress was lying on the bed when I was finished with my bath. It was most likely difficult for them to find another dress that would fit me on short notice."
Mrs. Gardiner had never looked so stern. "I had expected the modiste in Lambton to be sent for. I specifically remember mentioning it to the housekeeper." Now she frowned, her ire replaced by worry. "This is a scandal, Lizzy. On top of the one you were already part of. A gentleman's daughter dressed as a servant! I am glad your uncle will speak to Mr. Darcy yet today."
Elizabeth did not want an awkward situation made worse by her uncle dressing down Mr. Darcy. Not when he would already be unhappy that he would be forced to marry her. Oh, how she wished they had never visited Pemberley.
She stood and approached her aunt, still standing by the door. "I cannot imagine that the housekeeper who had seemed so kind, would do such a thing. Most likely it was something to wear until the modiste arrived."
Mrs. Gardiner pinched her lips. "It is still not proper. You could have worn a robe and stayed in the room. To have you wear a servant's dress, then send you out with your hair braided so unwell… This is worse than any behavior I would have expected from that man based on your stories of his behavior in Hertfordshire."
"Aunt, do not blame him. I braided my hair without waiting for a maid. I wanted to quit Pemberley before Mr. Darcy saw me again. And truly this could not be Mr. Darcy's doing. He was a gentleman today, he would have never ordered or allowed this. But no one saw me and my reputation is still intact."
Her aunt did not look mollified but thankfully dropped the subject. "I will speak with your uncle before he departs for Pemberley."