To say that Fitzwilliam Darcy was shocked would be an understatement. He was utterly bewildered as to why Miss Elizabeth Bennett had just collapsed into his arms.
"Thank god," She has whispered before sagging against him. In his haste he almost did not catch her. Now he had her in his arms, a very compromising position indeed. He scooped her up and carried her back to where his horse was. He would not be able to carry her all the way back to Longbourne, nor would he be able to ride with her on the horse if she was not awake. He settled on placing her down upon his great coat and trying to coax her into waking up.
He was startled again by the appearance of her. Her long brown hair was matted with leaves and twigs. Her bonnet was hanging on loosely down her back. The pale green dress she wore was torn and dirty about the hem. Her left cheek was decidedly bruised, while the right was splattered in mud. She looked as if she had been attacked.
"Miss Elizabeth" He shook her shoulder gently. "Miss Elizabeth please wake up"
Her eyes slowly blinked open. He watched as her lively, bright eyes appeared, then quickly widened in fear. She struggled against the hand he had placed upon her shoulder.
'Please, you are safe now Miss Bennett, I will not hurt you" He urged. He attempted to make his voice as calm and gentle as the tone he used for Georgiana. He found it was much simpler to comfort Miss Bennett then he had originally assumed.
"Mr. Darcy?" She all but whispered.
"Are you injured Miss Bennett?" He questioned. She blinked up at him again. She looked as if she was in shock.
"My cheek." She whispered again. She brought a rather tan hand up to her cheek to gently pat at the bruise. "He struck me"
"Struck you?" Mr. Darcy was unable to keep him calm demeanor. He was angered by the knowledge that someone, a man, would strike such an innocent and beautiful woman.
"I spat at him," She told him. Her eyes still held that dazed look. He doubted if she would have ever told him so much if she hadn't been in shock.
"Miss Bennett, please, tell me from the beginning, what happened?" He asked of her.
"I woke up late, too late to walk alone" She murmured. Her eyes finally left his as she picked a twig out of her hair. "It was a glorious morning, was it not?"
"It twas indeed madam" He murmured. "So you awoke late, then what?" He questioned.
"Everyone was already breaking their fast. He requested a private audience." She paused, and met his eyes once again with her own, hollowed ones. "Alone. With him"
"With whom Miss Bennett?"
"I told him I did not wish it. I wanted to walk outside. Mama insisted that he accompany me" Again, she paused. Perhaps she had hit her head?
"Miss Bennett, what happened after that?" He asked.
"We walked too deeply into the path. He cornered me. He proposed"
"Proposed what?"
"Marriage of course" She stated. Her voice was clearer now, her tone angered.
"Miss Bennett, I am correct in understanding that the man who struck you, caused you to run through the forest screaming, petrified, asked for your hand in marriage?" He was getting confused in her story.
"I refused the odious toad!" She spat.
"Mr. Collins?" Darcy asked, just to be sure. He was almost certain he had heard the younger Bennett sisters refer to the parson as a toad.
"Yes" Her anger dissipated at once. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell forward. To her chagrin, tears began falling fast. Here she was, sobbing, in front of Mr. Darcy!
"Here" His voice was surprisingly gentle, yet again. She felt him press a handkerchief into her palm. She hastily dried her tears.
"Miss Bennett, you are shaking. Please, eat this" He passed her what appeared to be a raspberry filled pastry. She took a small bite. It tasted heavenly. She quickly ate the whole thing. He passed her his canteen of water without words. She hesitantly took a sip.
"Thank you" She told him. He nodded, still looking at her. He wished there was something he could do to put a smile back on her face.
"We have to get you back to Longbourne, Miss Bennet," He told her. She swallowed and nodded. He stood and extended his hand. She gratefully accepted and allowed him to pull her to his feet. He wrapped the thick coat around her shoulders. It was heavy on her thin frame. "We will need to ride double, it's going to storm" She looked to the sky. It was dark, the storm clouds already moving in. He helped her onto the saddle, before getting on behind her.
The rain started falling in sheets. They were both drenched within seconds. He rode as quickly as possible; trying to shield her from further scrapes and cuts from the branches of the passing trees.
"Mr. Darcy!" She called suddenly. He pulled the reins, stopping the horse dead in his tracks. A ravine had flooded, barring their path.
"Perhaps we should wait out the storm in the alcove over there, Mr. Darcy. When it rains the ravine around Longbourne swells too. Our path will be blocked again no doubt." Mr. Darcy heard her voice shake as she said Longbourne. He could see the fear in her face; she had been growing tenser as they got closer to her home.
"All will be well Miss Bennett. You are in no way to blame for this" He repeated the words he had told Georgiana months ago, in the hopes that they would bring her some comfort. "However, I believe you are correct. We may ride out the storm in shelter" He jumped off the saddle and led the horse and Miss Bennett to the small cave.
Lizzy was unsure why she was seeking Mr. Darcy to comfort her, or why she felt so much better when he did. Perhaps it was because he was her savior, or perhaps she actually had grown to have feelings for the man.
Cavallo was a gentle horse. He settled in against the far wall of the cave, and closed his eyes. He barely moved as Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett leaned against him for warmth, and to keep as far away from the rain as possible.
Mr. Darcy was acutely aware of how compromising a situation he was in. If they were discovered, they would be in trouble. They were alone, their wet clothes were clinging scandalously to their bodies, and Miss Bennett's dress was ripped and torn. But he could no bring himself to care at the moment for small tears were leaking from the corner of Miss Bennett's sad eyes.
"Here" He passed her the handkerchief. She hastily wiped her eyes.
"I apologize," She whispered.
"Miss. Bennett you have nothing to apologize for" He assured her.
She smiled faintly, a small spark illuminating her eyes.