Darcy couldn't sleep. He had spent the whole night thinking about the possibilities of the young woman not surviving without some problems. He had seen it in his sister and the stories his cousin Richard shared from the war. If there was anything he could do, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
He wasn't sure how this woman had struck him so, that he felt needed to secure her wellbeing. Only a day ago, he didn't even know she was a woman. The feelings had been there though before the discovery. An interest and afterthought when they were no longer together. It was unsettling and he needed something that would occupy him.
Deciding he could do with writing to his sister, he penned a letter to her to tell him that he was well and that he had met up with Charles safely. He unconsciously began retelling the story of how he first met Ms. Elizabeth, wondering how his sister would react to her brother foolishly not seeing that she was a woman. It would give her something to laugh at. Darcy knew that what she needed right now most of all was a good laugh to take her mind off the past.
Once he was finished writing his letter and sealing the envelope, address finely written, Darcy looked out his window to check the light outside.
The sun was finally up, and he quickly got dressed to knock on Bingley's door.
The younger man was clearly still asleep by the lack of a shirt, baggy eyes, and messy hair.
"Darcy," Charles yawned, leaning his head on the doorjamb, "why are you up so early."
"I need your face." Darcy said quickly, and from Charles's confused expression, he clarified, "You have a good relationship with the Bennet family, where mine is at best, an unknown stranger."
"You wish to see how Elizabeth is doing." Charles straightened up, focusing more on the topic now. He then gave a playful grin, "What is with the sudden interest? Surely there is no need to worry. The doctor was sure that there was no need for alarm. No doubt he'll be paying a visit today as well."
Darcy was a little annoyed by Charles's easy manner in saying Ms. Elizabeth's name while he, out of a strict upbringing, had to stick to formalities. Also, the man was teasing him, something Darcy was not in a habit of being the recipient of besides from his cousin Richard.
"It is to make sure. Any number of things could've occurred overnight. Are you coming or not?"
"I shall get dressed and be down in five minutes, but my dear friend, you give yourself little credit. I doubt the Bennet family would think of you as a stranger, but more as a savior for saving their daughter."
Darcy wasn't going to attempt to say anything to refute his friend's optimism but moved to go prepare his horse.
They set off to Longborne and for the duration of their travels, didn't say anything. Charles was too busy worrying about Lizzie and then of course for the lovely Jane. Darcy was worried about Ms. Elizabeth and her health, that, and how he was going to have to explain his sudden appearance this morning and wanting to know how the patient was fairing.
On arriving at the Bennet property, Darcy noticed how large it was and that the rain and darkness from yesterday had made it difficult to see how beautiful it all was. Much of it was untamed, just like his Pemberley. It was easy to see how they had gotten lost in the trees.
The farmland was to one side where crops were growing and there were a dozen cattle behind a closed gate.
A young man came to take their horses as they ascended the few steps to the porch and knocked on the door.
The housekeeper from the night before had let them in. It would seem that most of the house occupants were out in town. Mrs. Bennet and her two youngest had left to visit relations in the next town over, Mary Bennet was practicing playing on the pianoforte, leaving Jane the only one to receive them at present.
"Is your father not here as well?" asked Darcy, not sure how he felt about a man who would leave his daughter who was injured.
"He is out checking the property and tenants, he shall be back once that business is concluded."
"How is Lizzie, Jane?" asked Charles with feeling.
The way the younger man said Ms. Jane Bennet's name was unmistakable to Darcy as his friend already lost in love. She however only thought of the gentleman's question it would seem, and gave a smile at his concern for her sister.
"She woke up this morning for a little to eat and drink something. Unfortunately, she doesn't recall much of yesterday's ordeal."
Darcy stiffened, doing his best to refrain from climbing the stairs to attend to her. He needed to act proper and ask questions to further gain knowledge of the young woman's condition.
"Would it be too much if Charles and I were to see her, to see if there is anything we can do to help her remember?"
Charles rose a curious eyebrow as to why his friend was using his name to disguise his true purpose, but he went along, also concerned for Lizzie.
Jane nodded and asked them to wait a couple of minutes before she came to get them.
Once she was gone Bingley decided to get some answers from the older man.
"I still don't think there is any real need to be worried. Lizzie went through a big ordeal. It will take time to recover, and I doubt she needs us disturbing her sleep."
"Charles, it is important to discover any abnormalities as possible before they can take root and worsen. This is completely necessary."
A minute later Jane returned and asked that they follow her.
The young woman was still asleep, but the paleness from the night before was gone and was replaced by a few beads of sweat. A frown was etched on her face as if she was in pain.
Darcy moved with long steps to the side of the bed and inspected the patient with a critical eye.
Glancing to see if he had the sister's permission, he lightly touched Elizabeth with the back of his hand to check her temperature. The bandage didn't cover the whole of her forehead and he could feel the heat rising from there.
Even though he had touched her, the woman did not stir.
Carefully, he removed the bandage from around her head to inspect the head wound.
Charles distracted Jane so she wouldn't have to see the matted spot once more. The older woman looked a little pale when she caught a glimpse of it and he led her to a seat.
Darcy used a light touch to turn Elizabeth's head and used the water in the basin and a cloth to dab away the dry blood that had come after the first time it had been cleaned.
The bump was a little unsettling, but not enough to cause great concern, which was something. No new blood started to flow as he rewrapped the area with clean bandages.
It was probably just him being ridiculous, but her hair, as he pushed it out of her face to wrap her wound, it felt incredibly soft. He could feel himself getting lost in the thought of letting his fingers run through them.
A slight noise below him made Darcy move a little out of sight as brown eyes appeared. They blinked several times, obviously trying to stay awake.
Staring at her lips, he noticed they were dry and he quickly fetched her water and lifted her up slightly so she could drink. When she was settled back down, her eyes turned to Darcy for the first time.
"Why do you always seem to appear?" she murmured before her eyes fell shut again and she was out.
Darcy wasn't sure what that meant, but decided not to think on that at the present.
Footsteps coming up the stairs made Darcy move a bit further from the bed and take up position by the window as Mr. Bennet walked inside.
"Gentlemen, I was not expecting you today. Is there a problem?" his eyes going to his sleeping daughter.
"We just came to check on Lizzie, sir. I hope you don't mind. After finding her yesterday in such a state, it was hard for either of us to find rest and wished to pay her a visit." Charles explained smoothly.
"I thank you for your concern, but I would've imagined that young men such as yourselves would be needed for business matters. That is, if you were still looking at Netherfield property, sir."
"I am. We- I will be going there next."
Mr. Bennet gave a knowing smile as he looked at the two men, "Gentlemen, there is no need for you two to conceal your relationship with me. I can only imagine this was done because of my Lizzie, and while I appreciate your trying to not complicate things, I fear we are beyond that point. She, as well as Jane and myself, will understand your efforts."
"We didn't mean anything by it- I didn't mean anything by it. Darcy was made to go along by me. It all seems rather selfish I guess in the end."
Mr. Bennet chuckled, "Well, considering your friend was willing to go along with your schemes, I feel that there are no real hard feelings."
After a brief silence, Darcy decided to ask a few questions of his own to the man.
"Your daughter, she was out hanging on a tree the other day. Does she do that often, and alone?"
Mr. Bennet let out a sigh as he moved further into the room to take a seat on the edge of his daughter's bed.
"Lizzie likes to go out to her tree, yes. She also takes a ride each morning on the property, never beyond."
"I think," Jane spoke up finally, "Lizzie may have been a little distressed with the contents of our mother's letter."
"A letter?" repeated Charles, curious, but at the same time doing his best not to pry.
"Ah," Mr. Bennet waved off the mention of the letter as if it was of no concern, "My wife has been having this scheme of forming an arranged marriage with a gentleman in California to one of our daughters. However, the likelihood of his securing Lizzie's affections is impossible."
The older gentleman looked at his daughter, a sad expression briefly crossing his face before he gave a tired smile and said he would retire to his office.
When he was gone, the remaining two gentlemen looked to Jane for a better explanation.
"If your mother is scheming behind her husband's back, why does he not take action to correct her?" Darcy asked, disapproving once more of the man of the house.
"Because he cannot. Eventually, the man from California will come." Jane played with her fingers in her lap. "He is the rightful owner of Longborne once my father dies because we have no brothers to take possession. My mother, deciding to put us in good graces with the man, has offered Elizabeth as a potential bride for him since he is unmarried."
"But an arranged marriage." Charles couldn't fathom it. And it was obviously something that had disturbed Lizzie enough that she wanted to be out of the house on an evening that had the potential to rain.
"My grandfather fell into a circumstance where he owed this man. The debt carried over until if there were no male heirs to take over Longborne, they would take control of the property."
"So how long has this information been known... to Ms. Elizabeth," Darcy asked, mostly trying to discover how long she was already spoken for. He never would've guessed with her wild behavior.
"My mother has known for quite some time it would seem. About a month. Lizzie picks up the mail from town and has been growing suspicious from the out of state mail. Yesterday she was told."
"Well," Charles thought, trying to think of something positive about the circumstance, "I'm sure Lizzie wouldn't mind having the security of a home."
A small smile appeared on Jane's lips as she shook her head, "I don't think that is what my sister is looking for in regards to her future. From what I've gathered from the letter that was shared, they would be exact opposites. Not the kind that attracts either. He was recently ordained apparently and is a very old testament type of gentleman."
A thought had Charles laughing, leading to the others looking at him with confusion until he settled down enough to explain, "I'm sure he'll be surprised to see a bride in breeches at the ceremony."
"I honestly doubt there will be one. Mostly because I know my sister..." Jane said in a soft voice, staring at the sleeping woman.
The time for the gentlemen to leave came and they said their farewells. Since they were invited to dinner soon, they were expected to be back the following night.