Mr. Darcy's Refuge Read Online Free PDF

came.”
     
    “That was very clever of you,” said Elizabeth, hoping that Jenny’s doll had in fact survived the flood. She was likely to need to comfort of her familiar toy soon.
     
    Afterwards, Elizabeth realized she had never corrected Jenny’s error about her relationship to Mr. Darcy. Well, what did it matter if a little girl she would never see after tomorrow thought they were married? It might be easier to allow her to believe that than to explain why they were both in the same bedroom.
     
    ***
     
    When hunger finally sent Elizabeth downstairs in search of some sort of breakfast, she was relieved that Mr. Darcy was nowhere to be found. It looked like the rain had finally stopped, so with any luck, he might have taken his horse to wherever the next bridge might be and found his way back to Rosings Park. The kitchen was in chaos, with six women working in a space sufficient for no more than three. It was fortunate that Charlotte could not see what had become of her well-organized domain.
     
    She helped herself to a bun, deciding that the prospect of a hot drink was hopeless. It was not worth the effort to try to make herself heard over the din. She sought out refuge in the dining room where she startled the maid who was carefully counting the silver.
     
    “Oh, Miss Bennet, you made me jump! I thought I should see that everything is here, with all the comings and goings, and Mrs. Collins sure to be furious if anything goes missing. I’m thinking I should take the valuables upstairs where they’ll be less in harm’s way.”
     
    “A wise idea,” said Elizabeth. She did not doubt that Mr. Collins’s parishioners would be trustworthy under normal circumstances, but some of them had just lost all their possessions, and temptation might get the better of them. “I take it they cannot yet return to their homes?”
     
    “Mr. Darcy says not, but he sent some of them to stay in the barn at Brown’s farm over the hill. Old Tom Brown was happy to take them in, but he doesn’t have anything to feed them, not this time of year. I don’t know what we’re going to do, miss, if this keeps on. We’ve already gone through most of the provisions here.”
     
    Elizabeth chewed a bite of the cold bun thoughtfully. “We will have to send someone to a nearby town to buy more food, then.”
     
    It was her turn to jump as a familiar deep voice came from behind her. “It has already been attempted, Miss Bennet, but without success. The road to the east has been washed out, and the men I sent to Tunbridge Wells returned empty-handed because the shopkeepers there would not extend them credit.” He turned to the maid. “There is a manservant here, is there not?”
     
    “Usually there is, sir, but John lives on the other side of the river.”
     
    “Pity. I will need you to press my clothing as soon as possible, then.”
     
    “Yes, sir.” The maid scurried off to do his bidding.
     
    Elizabeth turned slowly to face him. She had not noted his appearance earlier, but he certainly lacked his usual impeccable style. The coat he wore, made for the heavier Mr. Collins, hung off his shoulders, and his cravat was limp. She hardly thought that ironing his clothing was a matter of the highest priority in a situation such as this, but apparently it was to a man of such pride and vanity. “So you are returning to Rosings, then?” she said.
     
    “No. Lady Catherine can be of no help to us here. It would take a day, if not more, to reach Rosings. I would have to ride most of the way to London to go around the floods. I am going to Tunbridge Wells. They will not refuse credit to Lady Catherine’s nephew, but I will need to look the part if I am to convince them.” He looked down ruefully at his rumpled appearance.
     
    She quickly revised her opinion of his foolish vanity. “It will be a long trip for you if the rain begins again.”
     
    He shrugged, his lips thinning. “There is no other choice - for either of us,” he