Page 25 of The Cherry Trees of Rosings
Her heart hammered in her chest.
“Mr. Darcy.”
She glanced at the door then back at him, hoping Maria would not hear her speaking this time. A deep blush warmed her face.
Mr. Darcy had never been this close to her before. Despite the darkness, she could see the softness in his eyes as he held her gaze. She had the sudden urge to reach out and touch his face...
Thatimmediately made Elizabeth sit up and clear her throat.
“You have returned.”
“Yes,” he said, standing up.
They did not speak as she lit the candle beside her bed. Then she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned.
“Lady Catherine sent some spies to find your whereabouts while you were not here.”
Mr. Darcy looked alarmed. “Spies? What do you mean?”
She threw the cover aside and stood up. “Well, one cannot call them spies precisely,” she said. “They were simply a pair of footmen recruited for the task. But they were meant to tail the messenger who came with news of you, and discover where you are convalescing.”
The alarm on Mr. Darcy’s face intensified. Elizabeth suppressed a sigh as she remembered the tea at Rosings earlier that day.
“You will be glad to know Colonel Fitzwilliam’s man sent them packing. Her ladyship was very upset about it, understandably.” She wondered how many more of such engagements at Rosings she would have to endure before her eventual return to Longbourn.
Bewilderment and doubt quickly crossed Mr. Darcy’s face. Then a quiet thoughtfulness settled over it.
“I am not dead?”
He sounded unsure. Elizabeth bit her lip.
“I do not know, Mr. Darcy. I hope that is so… and the message did say you are beginning to heal. But…” She eyed him. “It does not explain how you are here.”
Mr. Darcy dropped his gaze to the floor. Elizabeth picked up the candle and carried it to her writing desk.
“Shall we proceed with the letter? I believe we are nearly done with it.”
She gazed at him over her shoulder. Mr. Darcy was still standing where she had left him.
Then, he looked at her. There was an odd intensity in his eyes. She raised her brows.
“If you would not mind, Miss Bennet, I would like to dictate a different letter to my cousin,” he said.
Elizabeth could feel her brows climbing higher.
“Do you mean… we should start afresh?”
“No, just my portion.”
A grimness had begun to settle over Mr. Darcy’s face. It disconcerted Elizabeth as she sat down on her chair.
“Very well, Mr. Darcy. You may speak when you are ready.” She pulled some rough sheets towards herself and reached for a pencil.
He did.
Richard,
I do not have time to beat around the bush, so I shall only mention what will confirm my identity to you in the quickest manner. I refer to Ramsgate.
