Chapter 4

After the criminals abducted Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, there was a tremendous commotion at the inn. Many were glad that they were safe, but at the same time, they felt sorry for the elegant gentleman and his beautiful young wife.

Mrs. Taylor and Mr. Darcy's servants were the most concerned and decided to join forces to leave that place as soon as possible. But unfortunately, two events happened that delayed their plans until the following day.

First, the magistrate of the nearby town decided to question each of the witnesses to find out what had happened and kept everyone from leaving the place for a few hours. Afterward, the mailcoach drivers refused to continue the journey until they were certain the roads were safe. So they wanted to avoid traveling in the dark before they reached London. In this way, leaving the inn was impossible until the other day.

As it rained practically all night and part of the morning, they could only continue the trip in the afternoon the next day. In addition, it was not easy to transit due to the state of the roads, so the mailcoach only reached London a little before nightfall, two days after Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were abducted.

Fortunately, Mrs. Taylor's son-in-law had kept alert and was at the station to meet his mother-in-law and make sure she was safe and sound. He also ensured Murray and Morgan got home safely to Darcy House.

Mrs. Taylor did not have Elizabeth's uncle's address. She only knew his name and that he lived in Cheapside. She was desperate to contact her family, but her son-in-law explained that because it was so late, they could only investigate and find Miss Bennet's family home the following day.

Meanwhile, at Darcy House, Murray and Morgan told Mr. Hunter everything that had happened at the inn. They also explained how Mr. Darcy had risked his safety defending a young lady he met in Hertfordshire. The butler knew very well how his master's family was and knew that he only had to contact Colonel Fitzwilliam. He was aware his young master trusted no one, but his cousin, and the Colonel would know what decision to make.

Finally, the magistrate of the town where everything happened closed the case since the criminals had fled far from his jurisdiction. He fulfilled his duty to notify the central authority and send messages to the magistrates of the neighboring towns about the incident so that they would be alert and take charge of capturing the thieves and releasing their captives.

The day after they arrived in London, Mrs. Taylor, with the help of her son-in-law, went to Cheapside to inquire among the merchants if anyone knew Mr. Gardiner. After a few hours, they finally managed to get the address and went to the gentleman's house to notify him of what had happened with his niece. When they arrived, they realized they had been given the address of Mr. Gardiner's office rather than his home. So they had to make new inquiries, and it was not until the following day that they could go to the Gardiners' house to bring them the horrible news.

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Mr. Bingley was so excited that he could hardly speak. His beloved angel was in front of him, as beautiful as ever, although something about her worried him. As soon as she saw him, Jane blushed and lowered her eyes because she was unsure if she could contain her emotions if she continued looking at him.

Mrs. Gardiner realized how uncomfortable her niece was, so she decided to intervene. "Apparently, my dear niece and your friend know each other, Jonas."

"You are right, madam. I rented a property in Hertfordshire that adjoins Mr. Bennet's, and there I had the opportunity to meet Miss Bennet and her family," Mr. Bingley said, still nervous.

"Mrs. Gardiner, let me introduce my childhood friend; this is Charles Bingley," Jonas said. Mr. Bingley effusively greeted the mistress of the house but did not take his eyes off Jane.

Mrs. Gardiner understood why Jane was so nervous. That was the gentleman who had deluded and then abandoned her. To avoid Mr. Bingley noticing how uncomfortable her niece was, she invited the group to sit and immediately served them a cup of tea.

Mrs. Gardiner and Jonas led the conversation for several minutes since neither Mr. Bingley nor Jane had anything to say. They remained silent, more concerned with their own thoughts than with what was happening around them.

Mr. Bingley realized he was being rude and could not keep looking at Jane like that. So he thought it was better to say something than to sit there staring at Jane like a fool. "Miss Bennet, how long have you been in London?"

Jane had to take a deep breath before speaking because she did not want her voice to show her nervousness. "I have spent almost two months with my aunt and uncle and enjoying the company of my dear cousins, Mr. Bingley."

"What a pity we could not meet sooner. If I had known that you were in London, I would have come to visit you much sooner because I always remember with great affection the hours we were able to share in Hertfordshire. In fact, since I returned to London, I just…" Mr. Bingley preferred not to say anything else when he noticed Jane's blush. He was about to confess that there was no hour of the day when he did not think about her.

Mrs. Gardiner overheard part of Mr. Bingley's conversation with Jane, and to avoid making her niece feel uncomfortable, she began to talk to her guest. It was evident that Mr. Bingley's sisters never told him about Jane's visit almost two months ago. "Mr. Bingley, we had the honor of hosting your sister in our home a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, Miss Bingley did not have time to stay for more than twenty minutes."

"Caroline was here? Why?" asked a puzzled Mr. Bingley. He was reasonably calm, but the surprise of what Mrs. Gardiner was telling him was so great that he did not know how to control his emotions.

"Miss Bingley returned the visit Jane paid her when she first arrived in London," Mrs. Gardiner explained.

"Did you call on my sisters, Miss Bennet?" Mr. Bingley asked between surprise and anger.

"Yes, and as my aunt explained, your sister was kind enough to return my visit," Jane said nervously. She did not know what the matter was, but she had noticed how upset Mr. Bingley was. He had stopped smiling and seemed angry, immersed in his thoughts.

While all this was happening, Jonas had taken the trouble to watch Jane and his friend Charles. It was evident that they knew each other, and apparently, Jane Bennet was the woman with whom his friend was in love.

What he could not believe was that the opinion of others had influenced the fool of his friend. He was blind or too insecure to realize that the beautiful lady was evidently in love with him. It was enough to observe her for a few seconds to notice how she blushed just looking at Charles and how she regarded him with longing eyes.

The situation was becoming increasingly tense, so he asked Jane some questions to lighten the atmosphere. "How much longer do you intend to stay in London, Miss Bennet?"

"I am waiting for my sister Elizabeth to return from Kent, she will spend a few days in London, and then we shall head back to Hertfordshire together, probably by the end of the following week," Jane explained, a bit calmer.

"Why are you leaving so soon, Miss Bennet?" Mr. Bingley asked, unable to hide his disappointment. But he immediately added, "Mrs. Gardiner, I hope you do not mind if I come to visit your niece another day. I would like to have the opportunity to converse with Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth. Of course, if I am not interfering in your plans."

Mr. Bingley did not wish to lose contact with Jane. When he found out that she had been in London for so long and that she had tried to contact him, he was filled with hope and did not want to miss the opportunity.

"I do not have any plan, Mr. Bingley and I would be happy to receive you," Jane replied, smiling. "Of course, if my aunt has no other commitments." Jane could hardly breathe with such happiness. Seemingly, Elizabeth was right, and Mr. Bingley had not come to visit her because his sisters had taken care that he did not know she was in London.

"Thank you, Miss Bennett. I feel delighted and honored to be able to restore our friendship." Even though Mr. Bingley was pleased to have been reunited with Jane, he could not calm his anger against his sisters.

A few minutes later, Mr. Gardiner came home, and Jonas introduced him to his friend. After greeting his wife and niece, Mr. Gardiner went to see his children, and after a few minutes, he returned to the drawing room to invite both gentlemen into his study to discuss business.

Jane was so happy and encouraged that she offered to read her to her cousins while her aunt prepared everything for dinner. She read their favorite story and kissed and hugged them on more than one occasion. Somehow Jane had to share her immense happiness with someone. She finally had a little joy after so many sad and lonely months.

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Elizabeth woke with a ray of sunlight on her face. She was still sleepy because she had difficulty falling asleep the previous night thinking about their precarious situation. Sometimes she even felt like crying but held back to prevent Mr. Darcy from seeing her falter. She still was not sure what that gentleman felt for her because his declaration of love had been so offensive that she often thought everything had been nothing more than a passing feeling.

When Elizabeth finally opened her eyes and became aware of where and who she was with, she realized she had her head resting on Mr. Darcy's chest. She immediately sat and saw Mr. Darcy awake, staring at her as if trying to guess what she was thinking.

"Good morning, Mr. Darcy; I hope you have been able to rest and feel a little better," Elizabeth said nervously.

"I feel much better than yesterday, Miss Bennet," Mr. Darcy replied, saying nothing more for several minutes. He had woken almost an hour before and remained still watching Elizabeth without wanting to awaken her.

Mr. Darcy had noticed how each day Elizabeth lost the sparkle in her eyes, and although she tried to hide how uneasy she was, he was aware of every one of her mood swings. He had dedicated himself to observing her for so long that he knew her facial expressions well when she was content, sad, or worried.

But Mr. Darcy could not ignore the fact that one of the reasons for Elizabeth's distress was knowing that she was hopelessly doomed to marry a man she despised and whom she probably could never love.

With each minute that passed in silence, Elizabeth grew more nervous. She was exhausted; her wrists hurt because the rope was tight, and she could barely move her hands. But she was also hungry, and she felt drained.

"Miss Bennet, it must be after ten o'clock, and those ruffians have not returned. Maybe something happened to them, and they might not come back. In any case, I think this is our chance to escape," Mr. Darcy explained. "We must try to access the small compartment under that seat to get the knife and cut these ties. But we must be quick because if they surprise us trying to flee, we shall not get another chance."

"You are right, Mr. Darcy. Let us not waste more time talking then," Elizabeth replied more animatedly. The thought she could escape that nightmare had helped her feel better. Besides, Mr. Darcy looked quite recovered. The day before, he slept practically the entire day, which helped him regain some of his energy.

After several minutes of pushing as best they could with their bound hands, they managed to remove the seat cover, and Elizabeth had access to the small compartment since her hands were smaller than Mr. Darcy's. After trying for almost ten minutes, she finally could get the knife out of the compartment.

"I finally have it, Mr. Darcy," she said excitedly.

"Miss Bennet, give me the knife, and let us sit back to back." Mr. Darcy carefully and patiently began cutting the rope until he freed Elizabeth's hands. She immediately took the knife and cut through Mr. Darcy's rope.

As soon as Mr. Darcy was free, he opened the compartment, took the pistol and a small bag full of coins. Then, he put the knife away and told Elizabeth to take some clothes out of the trunks and put them in a small traveling bag. Elizabeth put away the blanket and a change of clothes, and Mr. Darcy did the same. Once ready, they walked away from the carriage as fast as they could and began walking along the roadside. They had planned to hide if they heard people or a carriage approaching, but nobody passed through that route.

"I am so sorry, Miss Bennet. I slept practically all day yesterday when I should have been aware of what was happening around us to have a better idea of where we are," Mr. Darcy explained.

"Do not worry so much, Mr. Darcy. You have not been in good health in recent days. You did well resting because, thanks to that, you are a little better today. Also, as I told you, if we keep walking in this direction, we shall come to a small town."

"According to what you have told me, Miss Bennet, that town is about six hours away by carriage. That means we shall not get there today but rather tomorrow at noon if we keep walking at this pace. An hour before dusk, we should look for something to eat, water, and a place to shelter. I believe there is a stream near here, and it must be walking down toward the forest."

"Yes, I also hear the sound of water," said Elizabeth, who was very tired.

After walking for a few minutes bordering the forest, they reached the stream and were able to freshen up and clean up a bit. In addition, near there, they found several bushes of wild berries that alleviated their hunger. Finally, they found a kind of abandoned cabin in a terrible state, but that would offer them some shelter and protection from the cold of the night.

"Miss Bennet, I think it is best not to try to make any kind of fire because that might alert those criminals if they're looking for us."

"I agree, Mr. Darcy. Fortunately, we have a blanket and some clothes to keep us warm."

Elizabeth made up a kind of bed with the blanket and her coat and told Mr. Darcy they could share it if he got too cold.

"I don't think it is necessary, Miss Bennet. With my coat and greatcoat, I am very well protected."

Everything was very dark when night fell, and the cold intensified. But also, a series of sounds were heard that made Elizabeth very nervous.

"Are you awake, Mr. Darcy?"

"Yes, Miss Bennett. I shall not fall asleep until you are asleep," replied Mr. Darcy. He knew Elizabeth was tense and wanted to hold and tell her everything would be alright soon.

"And how will you know if I am asleep if you cannot see me?" Elizabeth asked, trying to jest.

"Because when you sleep, you stay very still, and now I can hear how you move."

"Are you cold, Mr. Darcy? Do you know what those sounds are?" Elizabeth asked. She felt like she was freezing.

"I am a bit cold, but I know I am much more used to low temperatures than you are because I am from the north. Miss Bennet, please do not worry about those sounds; they are from nocturnal animals that are hunting."

"Hunting animals?" asked Elizabeth, concerned.

Mr. Darcy felt like laughing, but he did not want to scare Elizabeth more and clarified the situation. "Do not get scared; let me clarify that they are small animals that do not attack people."

"Thank you, Mr. Dar-Darcy," Elizabeth replied, unable to help but shiver.

"Miss Bennet, take my greatcoat and cover yourself with it."

"No, Mr. Darcy. You are not fully recovered yet. But perhaps… Mr. Darcy, perhaps we could share your overcoat. If you do not mind…" Elizabeth did not finish speaking because she sensed Mr. Darcy next to her. She approached him immediately and let him hold her while they covered themselves with his overcoat and the blanket."

"Are you still cold, Miss Bennet?" asked Mr. Darcy.

"No, Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth felt ashamed when she realized what she had done. Unfortunately, she had no choice because the night was freezing. But to defend her dignity, she decided to clarify the matter.

"I know the opinion you have of my sisters... Please do not think that I..."

"Miss Bennet, please do not worry about something like that. We are both trying to survive this horrible situation and must keep our minds only on that and nothing else."

"You are right, Mr. Darcy. I am so sorry," Elizabeth said, and she could not help but cry uncontrollably. At that moment, those tears helped her release all the tension accumulated during three days of continuous fear and uncertainty.

Mr. Darcy instinctively snuggled his beloved Elizabeth into his arms as he spoke comforting words. She settled and let him hold her close and kiss her forehead and cheeks in a way that was so soft and tender that it made her feel a lot of sensations that were entirely new to her.

"Sleep, my love, do not worry anymore; I shall protect you," Mr. Darcy said between kisses while Elizabeth slept peacefully in the arms of the only man willing to risk his life for her.

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Thanks to everyone who leaves comments and enthusiastically follows the story.

In the next chapter, bad news comes to Jane and the Gardiners as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth try to find help.

See you soon!

Saludos,

Yo

P.S. My daughter has published "The Heir, "and it will probably be available tomorrow for those wishing to read it.