Six Inches Deep in Mud
When Elizabeth Bennet's carriage overturns in a violent storm, her childhood fear of horses threatens to leave her stranded miles from safety. The last person she expects to come to her rescue is the proud Mr. Darcy, whose gentle patience in her hour of need forces her to question everything she thought she knew about him.
As Elizabeth recovers at Netherfield, tension builds between duty and desire, propriety and passion. With her reputation at stake and her heart increasingly uncertain, Elizabeth must decide if her prejudices against Mr. Darcy were as misplaced as her fears
Chapter 1 - When it Rains
Chapter I - When it Rains
"Well, my dear," said Mr Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, "if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness - if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr Bingley, and under your orders."
"Oh! I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her if I could have the carriage."
Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, was determined to go to her, though the carriage was not to be had; and as she was no horsewoman, walking was her only alternative. She declared her resolution.
"How can you be so silly," cried her mother, "as to think of such a thing, in all this dirt! You will not be fit to be seen when you get there."
"I shall be very fit to see Jane - which is all I want."
"Is this a hint to me, Lizzy," said her father, "to send for the horses?"
"No, indeed. I do not wish to avoid the walk. The distance is nothing when one has a motive; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner."
"I admire the activity of your benevolence," observed Mary, "but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required."
"We will go as far as Meryton with you," said Catherine and Lydia. Elizabeth accepted their company, and the three young ladies set off together.
"If we make haste," said Lydia, as they walked along, "perhaps we may see something of Captain Carter before he goes."
In Meryton they parted; the two youngest repaired to the lodgings of one of the officers' wives, and Elizabeth continued her walk alone, crossing field after field at a quick pace, jumping over stiles and springing over puddles with impatient activity, and finding herself at last within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise.
She was shewn into the breakfast-parlour, where all but Jane were assembled, and where her appearance created a great deal of surprise. That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt for it. She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother's manners there was something better than politeness; there was good-humour and kindness. Mr Darcy said very little, and Mr Hurst nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion's justifying her coming so far alone. The latter was thinking only of his breakfast.
Her enquiries after her sister were not very favourably answered. Miss Bennet had slept ill, and though up, was very feverish, and not well enough to leave her room. Elizabeth was glad to be taken to her immediately; and Jane, who had only been withheld by the fear of giving alarm or inconvenience from expressing in her note how much she longed for such a visit, was delighted at her entrance. She was not equal, however, to much conversation, and when Miss Bingley left them together, could attempt little beside expressions of gratitude for the extraordinary kindness she was treated with. Elizabeth silently attended her.
When breakfast was over they were joined by the sisters; and Elizabeth began to like them herself, when she saw how much affection and solicitude they shewed for Jane. The apothecary came, and having examined his patient, said, as might be supposed, that she had caught a violent cold, and that they must endeavour to get the better of it; advised her to return to bed, and promised her some droughts. The advice was followed readily, for the feverish symptoms increased, and her head ached acutely. Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment, nor were the other ladies often absent: the gentlemen being out, they had, in fact, nothing to do elsewhere.
When the clock struck three Elizabeth felt that she must go, and very unwillingly said so. Miss Bingley offered her the carriage, and she only wanted a little pressing to accept it. It had begun to rain again, and she had not wish to catch a cold herself. Jane was sleeping soundly, so Elizabeth quietly left the room after writing her sister a quick note to bid her farewell. She stood by the door-frame for a with only a slight moment hesitation as she looked back at Jane's sleeping form.
"You need have no fear, Miss Eliza." Miss Bingley said taking her arm as they walked down the stairs, "dear Jane will receive every attention while she remains with us."
Elizabeth thanked her quietly. Morris the butler was waiting at the door, with an umbrella. Although the rain was not falling as heavily now as it had been an half an hour before. She smiled as he handed her into the carriage, being careful to not stand in a large puddle by the bottom step. And settled herself into the carriage for the trip home.
Elizabeth did not enjoy carriage rides as a rule, she much preferred to be out in the fresh air. The Bingley's fine carriage, with its superior springs, swayed and rocked in a way that made her stomach increasingly uneasy.
It was not so bad when she could look out of the window and see the countryside, but she tended to feel quite ill if she were trapped inside a carriage. It was always worse in the winter than in the summer. She tried to distract herself by thoughts of Jane, but thinking of her sister did little to settle her growing nausea. Jane would wake and she would have gone.
The carriage began to shake and rock alarmingly. She could hear the coachman calling out to the footmen over the noise of the rain, which had increased. A tremendous crack split the air - a sound she would later realize was a tree giving way to the storm's fury.
The horses screamed in terror. Elizabeth gripped the underside of the seat, bracing herself against the carriage's violent swaying. She felt the wheels on one side lift from the ground, heard the driver's shout of alarm. For one terrible moment, the carriage seemed to hang suspended, and then with a sickening lurch, the world tilted sharply.
Everything happened at once. She was thrown across the carriage, her head striking something hard. The world spun in a confusion of sound and motion. She was aware of tumbling, of impacts, of her limbs tangling with cushions and blankets as the carriage rolled. When it finally stopped moving, she lay in a heap, unable for several moments to determine which way was up. The taste of blood in her mouth and the throbbing in her head made it hard to think.
She could hear muffled shouts and the panicked whinnying of horses through the carriage walls. Rain leaked through the seams of the door above her. She tried to call out, but her voice caught in her throat as pain shot through her ankle.
ooOoo
Darcy had planned to take a walk around the grounds that morning, he wanted to be away from the house and Miss Bingley's attentions. But the downpour of rain had that that nearly impossible, so he found a quiet spot in the library and picked up he had been reading the night before. He was unlikely to be disturbed, Bingley had gone into Meryton. Hurst was no doubt asleep somewhere after his large breakfast, while the ladies were upstairs with Miss Bennet.
The book however, failed to keep his attention and his thoughts soon wandered to Miss Elizabeth Bennet and her bright fine eyes. There could be no danger in enjoy the company of a member of the opposite sex. Nothing would come of it. She would turn out to be as silly as every other young woman he had ever known. The rain was making it seem much later in the day then it really was and he soon drifted off to sleep, to dream of her certain pair of eyes and the young lady to whom they belonged looking at him.
He was woken quite a bit later by voices in the hall, too far off for him to hear what was said. He picked up his book, that had spilt onto the floor and stretched his long limbs. The fire had burnt low while he slept, so he ruse slowly and put a few more logs on it.
The owners of the voices draw closer, and he recognised Miss Bingley and the butler, Morris.
"Have the carriage brought round directly." Miss Bingley said.
"Very well Miss." The Butler replied, then after a moment, "Mr Bingley has the coach out at the moment, but I will have the chase prepared."
"Yes, yes that will do." Miss Bingley said impatiently.
Darcy glanced over to the window and noted that the rain had mostly stopped now. Hopefully the ground would not be too wet for a chase. He waited for a few minutes to make sure the hall was empty before leaving the library to billiard room, he needed to do something to make himself up a little. He would have gone for a ride, but decided against it.
The room was empty and soon the gentle clicking of balls hitting against each other was the only sound in the room and he was able to put Miss Elizabeth Bennet out of his thoughts at least for the moment.
Darcy spent a peaceful and quiet hour in the billiard room, but at least put down his cue and put his jacket back on. It was almost time to change for dinner. The rain was still falling heavily. He would go up to his room and read over his last letter from Georgiana, her spirits was still affected more than he would have liked. He had been hoping he could bring her to Netherfield for Christmas, but with Miss Bingley here that would not be a good idea.
He would have to decide what they would do, if he would go to London or if they should both go to Pemberley. Georgiana was staying with his aunt and uncle at the moment in London, he had hoped that the abundance of things to do in London would have distracted her from her melancholy. It did not seem that that had been the case.
Maybe he should have remained with her, rather than coming with Bingley to Netherfield. But that would not have helped, Georgiana needed time. He had not helped her with his moods and pacing, he found it very hard not to be doing something when someone he loved was in pain. It had been the same with his mother's long illness and his father's death. He had not been able to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time.
He was just heading up the stairs to his room when Bingley came into the hall talking to the butler.
"Darcy!" Bingley called, spotting him. "Have you seen Miss Elizabeth? Surely she must have returned by now."
Darcy frowned. "I believe Miss Bingley saw her off in the chase some time ago. She hasn't returned?"
Bingley shook his head, his expression growing worried. "The weather's taken a turn for the worse. I passed several fallen branches on my way back from Meryton."
Just then, Morris approached them. "Begging your pardon, Mr Bingley, but the chase hasn't returned yet. Given the state of the weather, the stable master is growing concerned."
Bingley and Darcy exchanged a look of alarm. "We should send out a search party," Bingley said decisively.
Darcy nodded, already moving towards the door. "We'll go ourselves. Have the horses readied, Morris."
As they waited for the horses to be prepared, Darcy found himself filled with an inexplicable sense of urgency. He tried to dismiss it as mere concern for a lady's safety, but he couldn't shake the image of Elizabeth's fine eyes from his mind.
ooOoo
Elizabeth wiped blood from her mouth with a shaking hand. Rain leaked through the seams of the door above her. Pain shot through her right ankle as she tried to move. The floor—now a wall—was at a steep angle beneath her. Outside, she could hear muffled shouts and the panicked whinnying of horses through the carriage walls.
Disoriented and aching, Elizabeth struggled to orient herself in the confined space. As she put weight on her right foot, it buckled beneath her, sending a fresh wave of pain up her leg. She bit back a cry, realizing with growing alarm that she was trapped in the overturned carriage.
"Miss Bennet!" The voice was faint through the walls competing with the noise of the storm. "Can you hear us? Are you hurt?"
"Yes, I can hear you!" Elizabeth called back, though her voice sounded strange to her own ears. She tried again, louder. "My ankle - I cannot stand! Are you all alright? What happened?"
The confined space seemed to be growing smaller with each passing moment. Rain continued to leak through the seams of the carriage, and she could hear the wind howling outside. There were more shouts now, and what sounded like the scraping of tools against wood.
"We're going to try to get the door open, Miss!" The voice was closer now. "Hold on! A tree came down - spooked the horses something terrible. But we're all right, miss, don't you worry about us."
Elizabeth pressed herself against what had been the floor, trying to stay as still as possible as the carriage creaked ominously around her. Her head throbbed, and she could still taste blood. How long would it take them to reach her? What if the carriage shifted again?