A Ride with Mr. Darcy Read online

  She turned and followed the stableboy out the stables. Though she had been anxious the entire afternoon, she was surprised how the awkwardness was fading away. She was surprised to find that she had actually begun to find Mr. Darcy’s company bearable. Perhaps this ride would not be so bad after all.

  Chapter 4

  Darcy

  A quarter of an hour later, they were all on their horses and Darcy led them out of the door at an easy pace. Persephone had already attempted to nip at the piebald Mr. Gardiner rode, and Darcy had been forced to speak quite sternly to the mare.

  Darcy could feel Elizabeth watching him and he hoped she did not find the action too foolish. He knew it was somewhat silly to watch him talking to his horse, but the horse listened when he spoke—most of the time. For now, she was behaving, but Darcy was forced to keep a close watch on her.

  He also kept glancing at Elizabeth, to ensure Tiberius was behaving himself—at least that is what he tried to convince himself. It only took one glance to realise that Elizabeth was a fine rider; she sat straight and strong in the saddle and handled the horse expertly. The golden stallion could sense the strength on his back and did not appear tempted to misbehave.

  The truth was he kept looking because the joy on Elizabeth’s face warmed his heart. This afternoon had begun disastrously: he was uncertain it would have been possible for it to be more uncomfortable and awkward. However, the ride seemed to be smoothing away everything and only happiness and enjoyment was left.

  Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner also looked to be having a wonderful time and Darcy was enjoying answering their questions about his home and family.

  “How long have the Darcys been at Pemberley?” Mrs. Gardiner asked. “My mother always said that you have been here as long as anyone can remember, but I am curious to know the truth of the matter.”

  “Well, your mother was right in many senses,” Darcy laughed. “Before the Darcys, there was no Pemberley. My great-grandfather built that house at the beginning of the last century and we have been here since.”

  “It is truly an extraordinary place,” Mr. Gardiner said, his head turning this way and that to take in everything that surrounded him. They had made their way through a wooded area out onto the wide expanses of the moors. Rocks dotted the wide, desolate landscape. Darcy knew many would consider the view inhospitable, but he loved every inch of it.

  “If you look in the distance, just there,” he said, pointing to what appeared to be a small mound of rocks. “You’ll see the ruins of a church that was first built in the sixth century. It was used up until the reign of Henry the VIII when the king closed many churches. Since then, as you can see, it has fallen into disrepair.”

  “How interesting,” Mrs. Gardiner said, looking over and shielding her eyes from the bright sun. She turned to say something to Mr. Gardiner and Darcy took the opportunity to drop back and ride next to Elizabeth. As soon as Tiberius pulled up next to Persephone, he saw his mount eye the other horse with malicious intent.

  “Don’t you dare,” Darcy said in a warning voice.

  “What?” Elizabeth asked, sounding startled. She looked at Darcy as if she had not noticed his presence until that moment.

  “My apologies, Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy said, slightly embarrassed—slightly. Nothing compared to earlier in the day. “I was talking to my horse. She seems tempted by the flesh of yours.”

  Elizabeth leaned forward to look into Persephone’s eye. “Poor girl, it is obvious that she was not created for this pacing. She was made to run and this gentle walk must be agony for her.”

  Darcy smiled, few people would be so astute. But before he could respond, Mr. Gardiner had turned to ask him a question.

  “Mr. Darcy, would it be possible to see that church up close?”

  “Of course,” Darcy agreed quickly. He had a passion for history, and it seemed as though Mr. Gardiner might share it. He was delighted at the prospect of speaking more about the church, the Tudor reign, the transition from Roman Catholicism to Church of England—whatever Mr. Gardiner might want to discuss. The possibilities were endless.

  “Perhaps this is an opportunity to ease Persephone’s discomfort,” Elizabeth added casually.

  Darcy turned to give Elizabeth a questioning look. He could see that she had a spark in her eye and a smile playing across her lips.

  “What did you have in mind, Miss Elizabeth?” He asked. He had never seen this particular expression on her face before. He felt his mouth go dry as he noted how much the look added to her attractiveness.

  “Perhaps a race?” She cast an eye over the field. “There does not seem to be too many obstacles.”

  Darcy followed her gaze. She was correct. In fact, this was one of his favourite stretches to let his mount go as fast as her heart wanted.

  “Are you certain?” He asked, glancing at her sidesaddle. “I do not know many ladies who can keep their seat on the gallop.”

  “Then it is well past the time for you to see such a marvel,” Elizabeth replied dryly, tossing her head in an annoyed fashion. She was clearly quite confident and Darcy found it irresistible.

  “Quite right,” he said, a smile slowly crossing his face. “It would do me well to have these scales fall from my eyes. Will your aunt and uncle object to such an activity?” He knew some ladies’ relations were quite protective; Darcy did not think the Gardiners were such people, but it was best to check.

  “They will not mind,” Elizabeth said with a smile, throwing a glance ahead to Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. They had already swung their horses towards the church.

  “Alright then, to the church?” Darcy asked, his heart beginning to speed up.

  “Perfect,” Elizabeth replied with a wide grin. She stared at him for the space of two heartbeats and he felt his heart speed up even more—and knew it had nothing to do with their impending race. “Go!” She said without warning, digging her heels into the side of her mount. Tiberius leapt forward as if he had been shot from the barrel of a musket.

  Darcy was taken completely by surprise, expecting them to begin the race on the count of three or something of the like. But he lost no time in urging the black mare into motion. He felt the powerful animal spring into motion and a feeling of complete abandon and joy came over him.

  Elizabeth’s sudden start—her cheating, he thought with amusement—had given her several yards advantage, but Persephone eagerly surged forward, her hooves eating up the grass.

  Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were left behind in an instant, and Darcy forgot about them as soon as he raced past. His mind was empty and his body was joined to his horse. He focused only on the path ahead, keeping eyes open for potential dangers, and on Elizabeth’s back.

  She leaned down low over Tiberius’ neck and kept her eyes forward. She could undoubtedly hear him coming up behind her, but she resisted the urge to check on his progress.

  As he gripped the horse’s flank with his legs, he found himself impressed that Elizabeth was managing this ride sitting sidesaddle. He could not understand how women could ride in such a fashion, but Elizabeth confidently kept her seat and obviously had no trouble.

  Darcy could see the church quickly coming closer and realised, with a start, that he and Persephone were coming no closer to the other pair! Tiberius, it seemed, was faster than Darcy had previously known.

  With a laugh of delight, Elizabeth pulled up her reins just before the outer wall and turned to face Darcy with a look of triumph. Darcy, however, made no effort to stop just yet. Instead, he urged his horse forward and at the last second, jumped the animal gracefully over the fallen wall, into what used to be the sanctuary of the small country church.

  Darcy heard Elizabeth gasp behind him, and a smile played over his face as well. She may have won the race, but he knew he had redeemed his and Persephone’s reputation with that jump.

  “Good girl,” he murmured to the horse, rubbing her neck. She was breathing hard, and he walked her gently around the grassy church, allowing her to cool dow
n. He was about to swing out of the saddle, when Elizabeth came around the wall.

  “Well done,” he called, a smile still on his face. “I was not expecting such an outcome. It was well earned.”

  “You have a magnificent horse in this young lad,” she said fondly, patting the horse’s neck. “And I have never beheld such a creature of grace as she,” Elizabeth continued, indicating the black mare who was still breathing hard after her exertions. “Such a leap over that wall. It must be five feet tall if it is an inch!”

  “We practice,” Darcy said proudly. It was easy to take pride in an animal such as this one. He swung out of his saddle and held her reins in his hand. “I think, however, she is done for a while.”

  “Yes, Tiberius as well,” Elizabeth agreed. She made a move as if to dismount as well, but Tiberius danced and walked this way and that.

  Elizabeth laughed. “Or perhaps not,” she said. “It seems he is still energised from his ride. Poor boy does not yet know he is exhausted.” She murmured some soothing words that Darcy could not quite make out and the horse seemed to settle.

  “Would you care for assistance?” Darcy asked, walking toward her.

  Elizabeth smiled, as if she appreciated his offer.

  “That is not necessary, Mr. Darcy. But thank you,” she said with confidence, beginning to dismount once more.

  However, before she could properly get down, a rabbit tore across the open patch of land, a fox in hot pursuit. Tiberius saw the pair and gave a loud neigh. Fear gripped Darcy’s heart as he saw the horse’s eyes roll and his front hooves begin to leave the ground. He reared back and Elizabeth, not anticipating the movement, was thrown.

  Time seemed to stand still as she was in the air. Her terrified scream pierced the air and Darcy felt himself go pale as he tried to rush forward to help her. He grabbed for the rearing horse’s reins—he knew he could not catch Elizabeth, but he had to ensure that she would not be crushed beneath powerful hooves.

  Pulling the horse back to the ground, Tiberius did not attempt to rear again. Darcy pulled him away and his eyes desperately searched for Elizabeth. He felt his heart stop as his eyes fell upon her. She was a few feet away, crumpled, and he could not see her moving.

  “Elizabeth!” He said in a panic, running to her side. She did not respond to his words, and he prayed desperately that she was unhurt as he dropped to his knees beside her.

  Chapter 5

  Elizabeth

  The sudden movement of the horse caught Elizabeth completely by surprise. She had loosened her grip in preparation to dismount, and Tiberius’ frightened rearing popped her off his back with shocking ease.

  Flying through the air, a scream tore through her throat before she could stop it. She had no time to twist or move or attempt to soften her fall before she slammed into the earth. She felt her head knock into a rock forcefully, and the blow made everything go dark.

  Through the darkness, she heard a muffled cry that she thought sounded like her name. But it seemed as if her ears were stuffed full of wax and her eyes were covered by a thick cloth. With no concept of how much time had passed, she felt gentle hands take her shoulders and turn her onto her back.

  Sunlight began to penetrate the dark veil and as she blinked against the brightness, the image of Mr. Darcy came swimming into view.

  “Elizabeth,” he breathed, fear in his voice. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” she tried to say, but her tongue felt thick in her mouth, her head pounded in pain, and she had trouble forming the words. She blinked hard and shook her head in an attempt to clear it. This proved to be a poor decision, as the motion caused the pounding in her head to increase tenfold. A small moan escaped her lips.

  “What am I saying, of course you are not alright,” Mr. Darcy said, panic in his voice. He wiped his thumb gently over her forehead, and Elizabeth gasped in pain at the sudden pressure. “I’m sorry,” he said apologetically. “But you are bleeding.” He held up his thumb as proof.

  Elizabeth heard more hooves gallop into the yard. “What happened?” The voice of her aunt cut through the fog in Elizabeth’s head. “We heard a scream, and, oh dear Lord. Elizabeth!”

  Elizabeth could not tell what was happening, but seconds later, she felt her aunt kneel beside her.

  “I’m fine.” This time, the words came out as she intended. Indeed, the longer she laid there, the more clear her head became. She still felt thick and out of sorts, but she was no longer robbed of speech as she had been a few minutes before. She turned to see Aunt Gardiner’s worried eyes. “Truly, I am alright.”

  “But you’re bleeding,” Aunt Gardiner said, Elizabeth’s assurances seemingly having no impact upon her. She took a handkerchief from her sleeve and placed it against the cut on Elizabeth’s forehead. Elizabeth gasped again, but it was not so painful as Mr. Darcy’s original touch.

  “What happened, Mr. Darcy?” This time, Elizabeth heard Uncle Gardiner voice the question. “We saw you gallop off, but we had no worry. Elizabeth is a fine rider. Was she thrown?”

  “Not on the gallop,” Mr. Darcy assured her uncle. “Her horse was spooked by an errant rabbit. She was dismounting and it was the exact wrong moment.”

  Elizabeth thought that Mr. Darcy sounded scared, as if worried her aunt and uncle would blame him for this accident.

  “It was an accident,” she assured her relations. In fact, she thought to herself, one that was completely her fault. If she had only accepted Mr. Darcy’s help, she would not be in this situation at all. Embarrassment began to flood through her. “And I am fine,” she said again, with more force.

  She pushed her aunt’s hand away and attempted to sit up. A wave of dizziness came over her and she was forced back down. She glanced around, hoping that no one noticed.

  “She needs a doctor,” Mr. Darcy said, the expression on his face telling her that he, at least, had seen her attempt.

  “Indeed, she does,” Aunt Gardiner agreed with a worried sigh.

  “No, I do not…” Elizabeth began to protest, but another wave of dizziness came over her and she did not finish her sentence.

  “I shall have the village doctor summoned at once. We must bring her back to the house,” Mr. Darcy said, beginning to pace. “She should not ride alone… I think she should ride double with you, Mr. Gardiner. That way you can make sure she keeps her seat.”

  “A fine idea, Mr. Darcy,” her uncle said at once.

  “Now wait,” Elizabeth said, her embarrassment over being thrown quickly being replaced by anger. They were talking about her instead of to her as if she were unable to voice her own opinion!

  She sat up once more and, this time anticipating the dizziness, pushed through the wave to remain in a seated position. To her frustration, however, she was forced to grab her aunt’s hand to maintain the position.

  “Elizabeth,” Aunt Gardiner said gently, adding to her support for her niece by putting her arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders. “Now is not the time for stubbornness.”

  Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest: if now was not the time, then when was? However, the dizziness was joined by nausea and she closed her mouth without a word.

  “Come on, my dear,” Uncle Gardiner said in a forced, cheerful voice. “Up you get.”

  He kneeled down to help Elizabeth to her feet. Elizabeth’s embarrassment returned when she realised that Mr. Darcy had come to help as well.

  “I can stand,” she said with annoyance and moved her feet beneath her to prove the point. But as soon as she put weight on her right ankle, she felt pain shoot up her leg and a small cry escaped her lips.

  Tears came to her eyes, and it was only partly due to pain. It was bad enough to hit her head, but to add an ankle injury as well seemed too cruel. She was in pain, still could not think very clearly, and drowning in humiliation. It was all too much to bear.

  “It’s alright,” she heard Mr. Darcy say softly. She glanced at him and saw that he was staring at her intensely.

 
Mr. Darcy presented yet another layer to her current misery. He was being so kind and thoughtful, yet she could scarcely imagine a person she would like less to see her in such a state.

  “Have you hurt your leg?” Aunt Gardiner asked, politely ignoring Elizabeth’s tears and the moment that had passed between her and Mr. Darcy.

  “Yes,” Elizabeth admitted miserably.

  “That will complicate matters a bit,” Uncle Gardiner sighed. He thought for a moment, and cast several glances between Elizabeth, Darcy, and the horses. Elizabeth, still quite dizzy and fighting to keep her eyes open, did not notice his deliberations.

  “Yes, I think this is the best way,” he said finally. “Mr. Darcy, I propose that I get on my mount and you lift Elizabeth up to me. It is the only solution I can think of at present.”

  Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy blush slightly and she felt her own thrill of dread. To be so close to him was not proper.

  “It is fine,” Aunt Gardiner said, squeezing Elizabeth’s hand. “There really is no other way.”

  Elizabeth glanced at Mr. Darcy and saw him swallow hard and nod.

  “Right,” Mr. Gardiner said, turning towards the piebald. He led the horse as close as he dared and swung into the saddle. “Bring her up,” he said, reins firmly in one hand.

  Elizabeth was not sure what to expect, but without warning, she felt Mr. Darcy pick her up in a single, graceful motion. Despite her best attempts to fight it, the dizziness overwhelmed her attempts to keep her head straight, and she felt her cheek fall against his chest. She burned with further shame—both for the situation and for noting how strong he felt.

  “I’ll help hold the horse,” she heard Aunt Gardiner say. “We would not want another scare.”

  “Be careful,” Uncle Gardiner warned. Elizabeth could tell that he did not want his wife to put herself in that position, but she also knew her aunt could be quite as stubborn as she.