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“All the more reason for my company.”

On the road to Sheffield the following day

They were almost in Sheffield, and thus far, the trip had been uneventful. Darcy’s coach was very comfortable, and the weather had been unseasonably sunny, resulting in roads that were, for the most part, easily traversed. William glanced over to the corner of the carriage where Richard’s snores confirmed his deep repose. He shook his head in wonder. Being a true soldier, his cousin could fall asleep anywhere.

William, however, was too full of Elizabeth to sleep. He remembered how exquisite it felt to envelop her in his arms. Though he knew he had often crossed the bounds of propriety since finding her alive, he was determined to show her his deepest feelings. Long over the pride that declared her beneath his station, he needed her to remember a different man, a man who loved her. His greatest fear was that she might never recover. Almost as great was his fear that she might recover and recall only the cruel way they had parted at Hunsford and not the bond they had shared since he had brought her to Pemberley. Knowing Richard would not wake, he closed his eyes to relive once again the events of that morning.

Elizabeth was in the habit of waking before dawn with Mrs. Drury. As he wished to tell her in person that he would be away, William made his way to her sitting room immediately after dressing. She was already on the balcony, leaning against the rail and staring up into the heavens as the sunrise painted the grey skies with patches of purple, orange and red. A gentle wind blew about the wisps of hair which had escaped her braids.

Taking in her dishevelled appearance—curls blowing about, a silk dressing gown that the breeze occasionally parted to reveal a lace nightgown—he could resist no longer. Knowing he should not, William stepped behind her, slipping his arms around her waist. At his touch, she inhaled sharply; then recognizing his scent, she relaxed into his body, turning her head to lie against his chest. He was nearly undone. Willing his hands not to move up and cup her breasts, he closed his eyes and buried his face in her scented hair. They stood like that for a short while, and in those tender moments, William pretended she was his. It was only with great effort that he released her, turning her to face him.

“Sweetheart, I must go away today, but I will return very soon. I leave in a few minutes and will be gone until the day after tomorrow. Mrs. Drury, Mrs. Reynolds and all my servants will care for you and protect you while I am away.”

He searched her dark chocolate orbs for some sign of recognition, some spark of the lively Elizabeth he had fallen hopelessly in love with at Netherfield. But there was nothing to indicate that that woman still existed.

He sighed heavily. “Do you understand?”

He held her hands, longing for her to squeeze his in reply as before, but she did nothing. So he gently cupped her face and leaned in to place a warm kiss on her forehead. She sighed at the touch of his lips and her long dark lashes fluttered down as she closed her eyes.

“I shall return to you as quickly as possible.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. Drury discreetly waiting inside the sitting room door and nodded for her to come. He addressed her even though his gaze never left his love.

“Mrs. Drury, as I explained last night, I shall return Friday. If there is anything you or Miss Elizabeth have need of, you have only to ask Mrs. Reynolds or one of the other servants.”

She tried to hide her smile. “Thank you. I am sure we will be well taken care of by your kind staff.”

He gently drew the back of his fingers across Elizabeth’s cheek, and she focused on him. “Take care of her…please.”

“You need not worry, sir. I will.”

He stilled, memorizing Elizabeth’s face, before leaving the balcony and heading out of the room. At the sitting room door, he looked back at her one last time before exiting.

Mrs. Reynolds and Mr. Walker waited in the foyer, as the master had requested. Seeing him descend the grand staircase, they exchanged glances and stood taller, awaiting his instructions. Looking between the two, William reiterated how to contact him should an emergency arise. In that event, they were to send a trusted footman on horseback to locate him in Sheffield and another servant to Rosewood Manor to fetch Evan and Georgiana. Days before, he had extracted a pledge from them to be available if Mrs. Reynolds needed any help if he was away.

Thus, it was with a heavy heart that he had left Elizabeth at Pemberley while he travelled to Sheffield.

“Are we close?” Richard’s enquiry abruptly ended William’s meditation. He tried to recover from his memories of Elizabeth while Richard rubbed his eyes, groaned and sat up straight. Groaning again as he flexed his back, Richard then settled his gaze on William, waiting for an answer.

William smiled at his cousin’s dishevelled appearance. “I believe we have only a few more miles to suffer.”

Richard guffawed. “Riding in this fine coach is not suffering, Darce. Travelling for days on horseback, only to sleep in tents every night—that is suffering.” He absent-mindedly scratched his chest. “Where are we staying?”

“The Rose and Crown. We are to wait there for further instructions.”

Richard nodded. “I suppose that it is best to be careful. No need to ride into trouble unknowingly.”

William nodded his assent. “To be sure.”

~~~*~~~

Chapter 14

Sheffield, England

Rose & Crown Inn

It was nearly noon on the day after William and Richard had arrived in Sheffield, and still no one had come to meet them. Having reached the Rose and Crown in the afternoon, they had gone to bed at dark, as they were exhausted from their long journey. In addition, they had arisen early, dressed and eaten, fully expecting someone to arrive promptly at eight o’clock as the letter indicated. As the hours slipped away, William kept pulling the missive out of his pocket to read it through again, wondering if he had missed some detail. Nevertheless, upon each reading, the instructions were the same—to wait at the inn for someone to contact them.