4 – The Journey Home
AN: You have no idea how much I've appreciated the comments and suggestions you've all given (even the ones I can't respond to). Thank you for being patient as this story continues.
Darcy waited almost a count of five after Wickham disappeared before turning back toward Bingley and Elizabeth. The tension in his face as he approached revealed the anger he suppressed inside. His mind was in turmoil as he weighed what had just transpired and Wickham's parting words. But he could not reveal this to anyone just yet, not until he had determined what further action need be taken.
Elizabeth tensed as he drew closer, observing his countenance. What had Wickham said to disturb him further? She wondered if his anger was directed at her for any reason and thought what she could have done. Yet, he had just demonstrated such protectiveness toward her; could that have changed so suddenly?
Darcy, meanwhile, saw what he interpreted as fear on Elizabeth's countenance as he approached. The thought crossed his mind that his physical actions may have overstretched the limits of propriety and caused unintended offense. Perhaps I was too physical with her person, he thought as he slowed his steps coming nearer.
No verbal communication occurred as Darcy came to stand before Elizabeth; their eyes seemed to speak volumes when their lips said nothing. And, where they felt no awkwardness with their silent exchange, Mr. Bingley, on the other hand, most certainly did.
"If you both will excuse me," he interjected," Miss Jane Bennet is waiting for me to retrieve her at the bank." They showed no acknowledgement of what he had said as Bingley continued. "I assume you would prefer to wait here for our return rather than to accompany me."
Still silence.
"Darcy." Finally, he was heard.
"Yes," Darcy was almost startled, "Of course, Bingley." His eyes stayed on Elizabeth's. "We shall remain here until your return."
Bingley's arm had remained around Elizabeth while the other hand had held hers. She was still holding onto his as he prepared to leave, causing him to not want to seem ungentlemanly by merely releasing hers. His only course of action, he deemed, was to place her hand in Darcy's accepting hand before he made his hasty departure.
Their continued silence remained until they both tried simultaneously to speak. The slight moment of mirth was followed by Darcy indicating his acquiescence for her to speak first.
"Sir," she started, self-consciously formally, "you can have no doubt as to the depth of my gratefulness to you. Had you not come …"
Darcy's abrupt step forward startled her. "Please, Miss Bennet," he began, "the only thanks I need receive is the knowledge that," he paused and changed his inflection indicating the following as a question, "you are not harmed?" He studied her face to ascertain whether her expression would reflect the contrary.
She paused before answering as she was struck by the kindness he displayed toward her.
"I am unharmed, I believe, thanks to you."
He nodded in acceptance of her thanks. "I am afraid, Miss Bennet," he began slowly, "that my actions during this unfortunate occurrence may have caused you, if not physical harm, no slight amount of undue duress. And for that I must apologize."
"Mr. Darcy," she sighed, weighing her words, "as I am unfamiliar with occurrences such as this, I can hardly criticize your actions. Considering that your appearance here, along with Mr. Bingley's, gave me the greatest consolation during this ordeal, I find it completely unnecessary to grant forgiveness where no offense was taken.
"However," she continued, "if there is forgiveness to be requested, then it must be my asking it of you." Darcy started to protest but she stopped him. "It was my lack of judgment in believing the words of a liar that contributed to my presence in this situation." She tried removing her hand from his, but he held on to it firmly. "I was too willing to think ill of you and for that," her voice dipped to an almost inaudible level, "I am truly sorry … and embarrassed."
"Miss Bennet," he started, moving closer so that mere inches separated their faces, "had I not given you reason from our first meeting, you would not have been so easily led. But understand that Wickham is a well-practiced deceiver. You are not the first person he has preyed on." He faltered and pressed his lips together as though trying to repress a memory. "I am grateful you have become aware without any further distress to yourself."
Elizabeth looked in his eyes and recalled his words from their dance at Netherfield. "As you said, 'Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his making friends - whether he may be equally capable of retaining them, is less certain.' I believe I understand you more fully now, Mr. Darcy, and wish I had heeded your words more quickly."
"I could not force you, Miss Bennet, for I know trust must be earned. And I have learned enough from sketching your character," they both smiled at his reference, "that it would be difficult to force you into anything."
They were still engaged in pleasant conversation when Bingley returned with Jane on his arm. Jane was instantly aware of how close the couple stood to each other, their hands entwined, and the gentle smiles that graced both their faces. She rushed forward when she caught sight of them, nearly dragging Bingley along.
"Lizzie!" she called as she approached. It was then that Darcy relinquished Elizabeth's hand as she reached out to Jane's.
"Lizzie, are you all right?" Her tone was breathless as she gave her sister's face closer inspection.
"I am fine, Jane, really. I am quite alright." She glanced over at Mr. Bingley. "I am not sure what you know of what has occurred."
Glancing back at Mr. Bingley first, she addressed Elizabeth, "Mr. Bingley has only said you were part of a serious incident, but you were not physically harmed. Is that true?"
"Jane, I am unharmed, thankfully. However, I am not sure I could say that were it not for the intervention of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy."
"Well," Jane swallowed, "am I not to know the particulars?"
Darcy spoke up. "Perhaps that is a conversation you would prefer to have in private, Miss Bennet. More important at the moment is to return you to Longbourn; would you not agree?" And with this, he gestured toward the horses.
Elizabeth stopped as she felt Darcy's hand brush her lower back and turned to him. "Sir, do you intend for me to ride your horse?"
Darcy's expression was of profound bewilderment. Was it not obvious, he thought.
Jane quietly stepped in, as though needing to interpret. "Lizzie doesn't ride horses, Sir."
Darcy looked down and saw Elizabeth's pensiveness. Leaning down in a posture well practiced only recently, he spoke very quietly to her. "This is a very gentle horse that will give you no reason to fear. I will lead him while you ride." She still looked at him, doubting.
"Miss Bennet," he began, "you have already trusted me much today and very quickly in order to avoid any harm to yourself. Pray, trust me on this as well and you have my assurance you will still be unharmed."
She begrudgingly resumed their trek toward the horses. "I thought you said I could not be forced, Mr. Darcy."
He let out a quiet snicker. "I am not forcing you, Miss Bennet; I am merely coaxing."
Once they were at the horses, Darcy lifted Elizabeth into the saddle and settled both the horse and rider before securing the reigns. Bingley did likewise with Jane, but with considerably more ease.
"Miss Bennet, I assume you would prefer your returning to Longbourn by way of a less public route?" Darcy asked.
"You assume most correctly, thank you, sir," Elizabeth replied and with that, the party began their journey. Jane reached over and gave Elizabeth a reassuring pat on her arm. Elizabeth returned her gesture with a shaky smile of thanks, envious at her sister's ease in riding that she had never possessed.
When they had made their way out of the village proper, Jane could stand it no longer. "Lizzie," she said quietly but firm enough to get her sister's attention, "Must I wait until Longbourn to hear of what happened today?"
Elizabeth realized it was unfair to keep Jane in suspense, but her own unease riding caused her some distraction from feeling comfortable discussing the incident. In addition, she was concerned how Jane would bear hearing of the turn of events. Nevertheless …
"Oh, Jane," she heaved a sigh, "We have been played for fools, taken in by a most charming deceiver."
"Lizzie!" Jane was aghast. "What can you possibly mean?"
With that, Elizabeth proceeded in providing Jane the details of what had so recently transpired. She kept her voice just at a level to be heard in an effort to convey the discretion she wished to maintain about the event. And, while their escorts were quietly in conversation before them, they could not help overhearing and somewhat enjoying Elizabeth's description of their part in the drama, told with admiration for their heroic actions.
In spite of her attempt to remain calm throughout recounting the event to Jane, Elizabeth noted her sister's becoming more troubled. Though she tried to reassure Jane frequently that she herself had suffered no harm, Jane's stress was increasing.
Finally, Elizabeth took the only action she could. "Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, please," she called to them, "we must stop." When they looked at Elizabeth, questioning, she indicated to her sister. "It is Jane," she plead, "please, we must stop at once."
They quickly responded, halting the horses and assisting the ladies down. Elizabeth hurried to Jane's side with both Bingley and Darcy coming to stand nearby, waiting to be of service.
"Jane, please," Elizabeth tried to soothe, "you must not trouble yourself. As you can see, I am quite well."
"But Lizzie," Jane started in a very quiet voice, indicating her need to maintain control, "what if they had not come?" She glanced quickly at the two gentlemen. "What would have happened to you?"
It was a thought Elizabeth herself had wondered and tried not to dwell on. Jane giving voice to the question made it an issue she was realizing she would eventually need to resolve in her own mind.
It was Darcy who quietly took charge. "Miss Bennet," he said very softly, "it is best for now to not consider what the alternative could have been." He refrained from the motion of placing his hand on her arm for reassurance, for fear of upsetting her further.
The retort Jane was forming went unspoken as she began her recovery from Elizabeth's shocking tale. She looked Darcy in the eye, nodded her thanks to him, and, with the lightest touch on her sister's hand, quietly dismissed herself and stepped away. Bingley made to follow her, but Elizabeth's slight step impeded him.
"Please, Sir," she started, "give her a moment to collect herself." Neither gentleman understood her meaning, for neither had witnessed anything improper from Jane.
"Although she has been upset to know the details of what occurred," Elizabeth explained, "my sister is more embarrassed by her actions just now. She is not one to display her emotions in front of others."
At this, both Darcy and Bingley were stunned. How unlike her mother or youngest sisters was Miss Jane Bennet. That she would be so discomfited by this barely exposed show of emotions was a shocking revelation to both men.
With amazement in his voice, Bingley asked, "Then how does one know how she is feeling if she conceals so much?"
The barest smile touched Elizabeth's eyes as she replied. "One must observe carefully, spend time with her, listen to her, and earn her trust."
While Bingley watched from a distance with increasing amazement at his angel, Darcy was contemplating how utterly in error he had been when considering Miss Jane Bennet's feelings for his friend. His previous assessment that she did not return Bingley's affections could now be thoroughly discounted as he watched her silently settle any remaining unrest.
Jane still faced away from the others at a distance as she lifted her head and seemed to square her shoulders. It was then Elizabeth took a step past Bingley, toward Darcy, indicating Bingley could now see to her sister. He approached her with a compassionate stealth, not wanting to cause her any renewed upset. When she slightly turned at hearing his approach, her smile was restrained, but her eyes displayed her welcome to him. He gently reached for her hand and held it with all the comforting assurance he could.
Neither Elizabeth nor Darcy realized they had been studying the other couple until they saw Jane's acceptance of Bingley's presence; they both simultaneously let out a sigh of relief and shared a mild laugh. How odd, thought Elizabeth, that she should be enjoying the company of this man who, previous to today, she was sure shared a mutual dislike. Her mental review of the events of the day brought her back to Jane's question.
"Mr. Darcy," she asked, "I fear Jane's question can't be easily ignored." Darcy realized she would press him on this. "What would have happened had you and Mr. Bingley not come as you did?"
He looked her in the eye, a myriad of emotions running through him, before he answered, with the slightest of smiles. "Miss Bennet, I should not be surprised at your persistence." His attempt to distract her from answering was not successful, as she arched a playful eyebrow at him. "I fear there are many other alternatives, and thinking of them fills me with greater disdain for Wickham." His voice sounded colder and frightened Elizabeth. "So, you see Miss Bennet," he softened his tone, "it is as much for your benefit as my own that I prefer not to think further on that question."
"I understand Sir," she responded. Though not satisfied with his answer, she thought it best not to press him further.
Jane and Bingley were now approaching them with Jane's hand resting on his arm. They decided that, since they were so close, they would all continue on foot to Longbourn.
As they approached, there seemed to be much activity within the house. Squeals, shouts, wails amid further commotion emanated, causing no small amount of consternation for the two couples arriving.
Drawing closer, Elizabeth's blood froze as she heard one of her mother's wails, "Oh poor Mr. Wickham."