Posted on Tuesday, 22 October 2002
Darcy entered the master bedroom and looked for his bride: At last he saw he standing before the window, curtain pulled back, looking out on the garden below. The moon was full and it's light gave her a ethereal glow as she stood there in her white dressing gown. Her dark hair nearly reached her waist.
Darcy had not realized her hair was so long and he lifted it to kiss her beautiful white neck.
"My love, my dearest loveliest Elizabeth he whispered as he turned her to face him.
"Fitzwilliam, my Fitzwilliam," she breathed softly as he took her hand and led her to the bed.
Kissing her gently he moved to lift her onto the bed.
She pushed him away and ran to the door crying, "No, no, do you think I could ever marry a man who is responsible for the heartbreak of a most beloved sister; or the man who would dishonor his own father by refusing Mr. Wickham what is his due. You have reduced him to his current state of poverty, yet you have no regrets."
"I knew when first I met you that I could never marry you. Your arrogance, your conceit and your selfish disdain for the feelings of others have made me despise you, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy."
She threw open the door and there leaning against the wall was his bane, George Wickham.
"Take me away from here, my love," she said to Wickham as she fled on down the hall.
Wickham smirked and made a bow to Darcy saying, "You may have stopped my marriage to Georgiana, Darcy, but I now have the only woman you will ever love."
He laughed as he sauntered after Elizabeth, but after a few steps he turned and said, "How I shall enjoy her favors, Darcy, perhaps I will send her to you when I have done with her."
His laughter rang through the hall as he went out the door.
Darcy threw the covers off as he leapt from the bed. Tossing off his wet nightshirt he took his head in his hands and moaned, "Elizabeth, Elizabeth."
Pacing back and forth about the room he stopped at last at the window and leaned his head against its cool pane.
"Dear God, he thought. When will I ever be free of this nightmare. Night after night it returns, and awake my bed and my nightclothes soaked with my own sweat.
"Is Bingley going through the same torment. Have I made him as miserable as I am. He has not recovered his high spirits since leaving Netherfield."
"What have I done to you my friend. I am responsible not only for Miss Bennet's pain but yours also."
"Well I can remedy that, and I must as soon as may be, even if it means losing your friendship forever. I must confess to you what I have done and get you back to Herdfordshire."
Sitting down in a chair near the bed he ran his fingers through his hair and leaned his elbows on his knees.
Rising he pulled the wet bed clothes back before he went to the sofa before the fireplace where he would attempt to get some sleep. He knew that there would be talk among the servants if his bed was still wet when they came to do the room.
He moved to the divan there before the fireplace and laid down.
Sleep would not come, his mind was in too much turmoil. Still he lay there hoping that he would be able to get some rest.
He sat up and walked about the room talking to himself.
"I show go to Pemberley tomorrow, the letter from my steward will give me a good excuse. The matters he writes about are not pressing but it will give me a reason to go early."
"I will go at first light and speak to Bingley, fortunately he is an early riser.
I will ask him to take Georgiana in his carriage so that she will not have to ride with his sisters. I know they will ride with Mr. Hurst."
"A two day journey with Miss Caroline Bingley is more that I can tolerate at this time."
"Pemberley, perhaps I can escape her there, perhaps I can find some sort of peace."
After a night at the Blue Boar Darcy donned his greatcoat as he left the inn. The morning air still had a chill in the north country.
As he rode on through the day it became more and more warm and by the time he reached Pemberley he was soaked with sweat. He stopped his horse and stared at the lake. It looked so inviting, a cool dip was just what he need. He shed his coat, jacket, ascot, waistcoat and boots and dove into the cool waters.
As he emerged from the lake he was startled to see a stable boy standing there beside his horse. The boy informed him that one of the gardeners had seen him ride up and the stablemaster had sent him to see if he wished to have the animal taken to the stables.
Sending the boy on his way with the horse he put his boots back on and started to the house, down the hill. He smiled as he admired the field of buttercups he was walking through.
When he reached the bottom of the hill and walked around a row of bushes he lifted his head to see Miss Elizabeth Bennet standing before him looking shocked and surprised.
"Mr. Darcy," she gasped.
"Miss Bennet, he heard himself say. What else he said to her was a blur to him, as he hurried up the rise to the house. He could only remember himself mumbling something about her parents and where was she staying.
Mrs. Reynolds gaped in surprise as the master burst through the door tossing a pile of clothing to the floor to go leaping op the stairs shouting, Malcomb, Malcomb, I must have dry clothes at once. Make haste, make haste, I have not a minute to lose.
Stopping for a trice to toss of one boot and after three steps the other he rushed on to the top of the stairs and down the hall.
In less time than she would have dreamed possible he was back to the top of the stairs and not bothering with the steps he slid down the banister and out the door.
She started to giggle when Mr. Malcomb appeared at the top of the stairs to make his way down picking up clothing and boots as he came.
"What has happened, what is the master in such a rush about," he said
"I can still not believe what I have been witness to, Mrs. Reynolds. Mr. Darcy came running to his room clad only in his breeches, To my dismay he struggled out of one leg there in the hall and leaping into the room he flopped down on the bed and tossed off the other leg. He leapt into his clothing like the devil himself was at his heels and dashed from the room before I could straighten his tie or comb his hair."
"How fortunate that none of the maids was in the hall or they might have caught a glimpse of the Master's bottom."
"Whatever is going on here, Mrs. Reynolds,"
Mrs. Reynolds only shook her head in reply but she was certain that it had something to do with the young lady who had toured the house and was now in the gardens. The girl had said she that knew the Master and it would certainly seemed that the master knew her.