Page 17 of Until My Last Breath

Her caring question pierced his soul.Yes, Elizabeth, I am broken hearted. “No, Miss Elizabeth. I am fine,” he replied instead. “I beg your pardon for causing you any concern.”

She puffed and trembled, finally exploding. “Fine, sir? How is that possible? I have been calling you for some time and you did not respond.How can you say you are fine?”

“I am sorry to have caused you any distress,” he repeated, schooling his face into that aloof expression she absolutely hated. “I did not sleep… much… last night and, after walking for some time, I stopped to rest. My head was plaguing me, and my tiredness must have caught up with me. I believe I had just slept,” he concluded without meeting her eyes.

“Really? Very well, then. If it is as you say, I am sorry for having interrupted your rest. I bid you a good day, sir.”

She began to walk away from him, angry stamped in the way she fetched her gloves and shoved her bonnet back on her head, not even caring to tie the lace.

Swallowing his pride, Darcy ran after her; he would not achieve anything without being honest with her. “Elizabeth, please, wait.”

She stopped and shut her eyes, balling her fists beside her, but did not turn. She could sense the constriction in his voice. He had called her by her Christian name again, as he had done when he declared his love for her and when they had quarrelled.

She shook her head. She did not want to listen to what he had to say.

Darcy took a deep breath at seeing her reaction. He knew that if he really wanted her to receive his letter, he should choose his words carefully.

“I am sorry,” he said in a whisper, brushing his hands over his legs. “In truth, I was hoping to find you.”

“Sir, please.” She did not want to listen to him. She was still too hurt to talk to him; and too proud to make any amends.

“I know how it sounds, but my intention was — aargh!”

The strange noise was enough to make Elizabeth turn. To her horror, two masked men were surrounding Mr Darcy and subduing him, while he offered no resistance. She gasped at the sight of blood trickling down from his head to his collar.

Before she could react to what was happening, a third man came from behind, grabbed her arms and covered her mouth. In her struggle, he seemed to hesitate, allowing her to free one of her hands and rip off hismask.

“Mr Wickham!” Despite his swollen and bruised face, she recognised him at once.

One of Wickham’s companions saw what had happened and, lifting his pistol, he pointed it towards her. “Duck!” the man shouted to Wickham.

Wickham hesitated but let go of Elizabeth, throwing himself on the floor.

At the man’s voice, Elizabeth turned and saw the barrel of the pistol pointed in her direction.

She just had time to close her eyes.

At the loud noise, her bonnet flew in the air and she could not breathe, as the smell of smoke filled the air.

Still holding her breath, she opened her eyes and saw Mr Darcy in front of her, his gaze locked on her, his face strained by pain.

“Eliz…” he started saying but collapsed onto the floor. A growing blur of blood started to stain his white shirt around his neck and chest. In the centre, the burnt hole of a gunshot.

“Mr Darcy. No!” She collapsed, kneeling beside him, blinded by the sudden flood of tears.

Oh, God, no. Please, no.

From her reticule she pulled one of her embroidered handkerchiefs and pressed it against his wound, but the bleeding was too intense and soon the small cloth was completely sodden. She opened his coat and searched in his pockets for his own handkerchief. She saw an envelope first, but then found what she was looking for and pressed it together with the other piece.

Someone seized her by the arm.

“No!” she shouted again, flouncing and kicking, trying to fight against her captor, but with a precise blow to the side of her face, she was knocked out and everything turned into darkness.

~ ♥~

Wickham was horrified by the scene before him. His plan had been very simple: kidnap Darcy, pay off his debts — and live. After his frustrated attempt to seduce Georgiana, Darcy’s younger sister, he had tried, and failed, to attach himself to another rich heiress. He was penniless, burdened with an enormous debt, which had almost cost his life, and, because of that, he had been forced into a life of crime.

As he stood up, he saw Brown violently striking Miss Elizabeth on the face, knocking her out.

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