Pride And Prejudice, The Sequel

Chapter 6

Elizabeth followed her out of the room, but in the hallway, they met Mrs Jenkinson who looked greatly distressed, "Lady Catherine, I am sorry, Miss de Bourgh is tired. She would not rise from her sleep."

"Alright. Let her rest, Mr Darcy will send her in the carriage in three days. Remain at her side and alert Mr Darcy immediately in case she needs to see a doctor."

"Yes lady Catherine,thank you very much. "

"Let me not disturb her sleep, give her my goodbyes."

Without a glance at Elizabeth, Lady Catherine matched out of the house and into the waiting carriage, her party of five and twenty in tow. " Give my regards to my niece and nephew, " she said to Elizabeth before the carriages took off.

Elizabeth nodded politely, embraced Charlotte warmly and went back to the house. She inquired from the Steward whether there was any word from Mr Darcy, there was none, to her disappointment. Georgiana and Edward soon came down for breakfast and found Elizabeth pacing around the living room in worry.

"He did not come back last night? Strange, I thought I heard a carriage sometimes in the night," Edward said.

Elizabeth looked questioningly at the steward, "Did a carriage arrive here at night?"

"No Mrs Darcy, none that I heard of, " the steward replied.

"Well find out from the guards at the gate," Elizabeth said sternly.

"My dear Lizzy, Edward only said he thought he heard a carriage, not that he heard a carriage, it could have been nothing, " Georgiana said.

"Mr Woodland is no fool. If he heard a carriage, then there must have been a carriage,"Elizabeth said.

As they awaited on the steward's report, Elizabeth excused herself and went to Ella's room. The child was fast asleep, her small chest rising up and down peacefully. Elizabeth assigned a maid to sit in the room and take care of the child when she woke up.

By the time she came back down, the steward had returned, but he looked uneasy, and he brought two guards with him.

"Well?" Elizabeth asked impatiently.

"They are saying the most unbelievable thing Mrs Darcy," the steward said.

Elizabeth felt suddenly dizzy, she controlled herself and sat on the high chair in the living room "I want to hear this unbelievable thing too,"she said evenly.

"It is true Mrs Darcy, a carriage arrived here tonight," one guard replied.

"Whose?" Elizabeth asked with mild interest, probably just a late wedding guest.

"Mr Darcy's," the other guard answered.

For a minute, Elizabeth thought she had misheard him, "Excuse me? "

"Mr Darcy's carriage arrived here tonight."

"Are you sure it was his? "

"Yes, the shiny silver one he had left in, and we could not mistake the horses and the coachman. "

"Was Mr Darcy in the carriage? "

"Yes. The coachman said he was in a hurry, he had come to pick up something and then go back to London. "

"What time was that? "

"About an hour after the ball came to an end."

"Did you see Mr Darcy for yourselves? "

"Yes but from a distance, we saw him leave the carriage and enter the house but we are sure it was him, the height was unmistakable. "

"Did you see him leave the house? "