Apparently, posting at night is a perfect time to post! Here's my second ever PnP fic. Enjoy!
Elizabeth was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the hurried footsteps coming her way. As she rounded the corner, she ran straight into the gentleman she had wanted to avoid.
"Mr. Darcy!"
"Miss Elizabeth! Quickly, this way!" Surprised at seeing him so soon after she quit the drawing room, she couldn't understand why he was ushering her in the opposite direction of Netherfield.
"Mr. Darcy what- " But she wasn't able to finish her question; he had grasped her hand and was pulling her along through the garden maze.
"Miss Elizabeth please, quietly or she'll hear."
"Who will hear?" Mr. Darcy didn't have time to answer as he pulled her to a stop and listened intently. Off in the distance Elizabeth could hear a nasally voice calling.
"Mr. Darcy!" It was Miss Bingley. "Mr. Darcy! Where is that man?"
Realization dawned on Elizabeth; he was hiding from Miss Bingley! The thought of such a proud gentleman as Mr. Darcy running from a woman was too tempting for her humor; she could have laughed out loud. Her amusement must have been evident on her face.
"Miss Elizabeth, please, I pray you do not laugh lest she hear and discover me!" Mr. Darcy urgently whispered. Biting her bottom lip and bringing her free hand to her mouth, she nodded and kept silent.
Having been given assurance, he led her deeper into the garden's maze. In no hurry to be in Miss Bingley's company so soon after she left it, Elizabeth was all too happy to be guided away from her; even if it meant she'd be in Mr. Darcy's company.
"Sir, aren't you afraid we'll become lost?" Elizabeth hadn't been of an idea to even go into the maze until Mr. Darcy had come and taken her in.
"Not at all. I come here often to escape certain," He paused and gave what Elizabeth would have thought was a miniscule smile, if said gentleman smiled, "company, and have become adept at finding my way through."
"Well then, by all means, lead the way, sir." She said in that impertinent way that Mr. Darcy had come to find attractive. He continued holding her hand as he led her this way and that through the maze away from Miss Bingley.
The only sound was the crunching of the gravel and dried leaves as they ran further into the maze. Through the thinning hedges, Elizabeth saw a flash of orange as Miss Bingley walked along another path.
" Mr. Darcy," she whispered. "Are you sure Miss Bingley– " But she was cut off as he sharply turned a corner and then suddenly, she was in an overgrown alcove. If you weren't looking for it, you would walk right past it.
She felt his hand slide out from hers with an acute feeling of disappointment. But just as suddenly there were hands on her waist and she was being helped onto the bench in the alcove.
She gasped and felt her face heat up.
"Sir!" But she was silenced as Mr. Darcy stepped up onto the bench with her, nearly pressed flush against her.
"Pray, forgive me but please be silent or she'll hear." He whispered. She felt his breath on her face as he spoke.
"Mr. Darcy-" She started, but he silenced her again. His hand was now pressed against her mouth!
"Miss Elizabeth please!" He whispered urgently, "do you want to be found out?"
She narrowed her eyes at him; to place his hands on her person!
Elizabeth did the only thing she could think of to get him to remove his hand; she licked it.
It was a tried-and-true method that she had applied in the past against her sisters.
But Mr. Darcy was impervious to her attempt. He merely raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Elizabeth, that will not work," He whispered with a smirk, "I have a sister more than ten years my junior. I will not be deterred."
Elizabeth glared at him.
She grasped his wrist to remove it, but he firmly kept his hand in place. He raised his eyebrows in a pleading look. She rolled her eyes and removed his hand.
She poked her tongue out at him in a fit of pique. Mr. Darcy quirked a brow but stayed silent.
They stood on the bench, listening. Birds whistled. The trees rustled. No sign of Miss Bingley.
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in question.
Mr. Darcy shook his head.
Not yet, he mouthed.
Then, she heard it. The soft rustling of skirts.
She glanced down and saw Miss Bingley's orange dress come into view of their hiding place. If they weren't standing on the bench, they would have been spotted.
Elizabeth, with wide eyes, grasped Mr. Darcy's forearms. He grasped hers in return, silently willing Miss Bingley to keep walking.
Without knowing what she was doing, Elizabeth leaned closer to his chest. Mr. Darcy, however, was very aware of Elizabeth. He pulled her closer, hoping that she wouldn't protest and give away their hiding spot.
After a few moments of intense silence, Miss Bingley's orange skirts continued their path through the maze, back towards Netherfield.
Elizabeth glanced up at Mr. Darcy; his head was tilted down, close to hers. She knew it was because he was a great tall gentleman, so he would be visible if he stood to his full height; she felt her face begin to heat all the same.
She leaned back from him; to take a step back would mean falling off the bench into the hedges.
It was then that she realized she was still holding his arms; she released them and brought her hands to her face.
"Pardon me," she whispered.
Mr. Darcy reluctantly released her arms also, disappointed at the loss of contact. He shook his head.
"Not at all," he whispered back.
He raised his head to look over the maze, towards the manor house.
"It appears as though Miss Bingley had returned to Netherfield. It should be safe to continue walking, if you wish to do so."
"I-" Elizabeth had only started her morning walk when it was interrupted, "I thank you, but I believe I should return to Jane."
Mr. Darcy nodded. He understood the devotion to an ailing sibling.
"Of course, I shall escort you back." He stepped down off the bench and reached for her waist to lower her back to the ground.
"Sir," Elizbeth had not expected him to lift her again. Mr. Darcy realized what he had been about to do and where his hands were still. The tips of his ears turned pink.
"I apologize," He hastily removed his hands from around her waist.
Elizabeth nodded, too startled to speak. Mr. Darcy offered his hand, she accepted and stepped down.
"I thank you." Elizabeth gestured towards the alcove with the hidden bench. Mr. Darcy nodded and offered his arm to escort her back to the entrance.
As they walked along, Elizabeth was grateful that Mr. Darcy had learned the maze so well; she had not paid attention when they were fleeing from Miss Bingley and so did not know which way to go.
Once they were back at the maze entrance, Elizabeth released Mr. Darcy's arm and curtsied to him.
"Thank you sir, for the escort out of there," Mr. Darcy offered a perfunctory bow. Elizabeth scurried away towards the kitchen door; it allowed the most direct path back to Jane's chambers.
Mr. Darcy stood there a moment, watching her walk away. Sighing, he walked toward the front of the house. From the foyer, he could go directly to the library without passing either the drawing room or the parlor where Miss Bingley might be.
He needed solitude to contemplate his rapidly growing feelings for the enchanting Miss Elizabeth.