Page 14 of Roses from Pemberley
“I shall do it,” said Darcy.
He met Charlotte’s gaze and she gave a quick nod as Darcy bent over Elizabeth’s sleeping form.
Jane Bennet removed the covers from over her as Darcy put one hand under Elizabeth’s neck and the other under her knees. She was indeed hot. Hotter than he could possibly have imagined.
“Yes, that’s it, Mr. Darcy,” said Dr. Stephens, “lower her into the tub.”
She was in a white nightdress and her dark hair was plastered across her forehead and falling over her face. He knelt down and began to lower her in, feeling the icy water against his forearms as he did so.
She let out a long, agonised scream and began to struggle, as Darcy removed his right arm from beneath her knees while continuing to support her neck and shoulder with his left.
“Good, Mr. Darcy, that’s it,” said Dr. Stephens. “She shall need to remain there for a few minutes.”
He gave a brief nod as Elizabeth continued to half-weep, half-wail while thrashing about in the freezing water. Eventually the flailing turned into occasional feeble cries. He absently noted Jane Bennet take a step back and put her hand over her mouth. Charlotte Collins was a little behind her and had thankfully pushed her husband out of the room.
He turned his attention back to Elizabeth whose thrashing had become less pronounced.
“Mr. Darcy,” she whispered all of a sudden.
It had occurred during such incoherent ramblings and was spoken so softly that Darcy initially thought that he was imagining things. Another minute or two went by wherein she continued to whimper, her pale slender fingers clutching at his sleeve.
And then followed the words, “Do not go.”
He stared at her closed eyes and felt that she had addressed him. But whether in her mind or if she really saw him there he could not tell.
But still, he answered, “No, I shall not. I shall not leave you, Elizabeth.”
It was then that Dr. Stephens broke into his thoughts by saying, “Very well, Mr. Darcy, you may lift her out now.”
He lifted her up then placed her on the bed where Charlotte Collins and the maid immediately covered her with towels. In the meantime, the doctor conferred with Jane Bennet about the next course of treatment. Darcy knew at this point that he was no longer needed and thus left the room.
*****
Elizabeth continued to dream of Darcy, her dreams becoming more elaborate. But there was one underlying theme to them, namely that she behaved more kindly towards him.
She was cold and her entire body ached. She saw flickering lights in a general sea of darkness. She imagined the two of them in the parsonage together, that he was proposing and that she was asking him to explain himself. She recalled the words he spoke,I would have loved you with all the ardency and depth of one who has never loved before.The words struck her in retrospect as one of the most romantic things a man could tell a woman.He never loved anyone before,she told herself,dwelling on that one fact for quite some time. And this made her feel infinitely worse when she recalled how badly she’d treated him in return.
In her dreams she would behave better and sometimes accept him. But eventually - always - ended up losing him. Sometimes they were swimming in the ocean together and he was trying to hold her up, and then somehow he would let go and she would begin to drown.Do not let goshe would scream to him in her mind. But her voice was gone. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out.
However, there was one instance when she’d actually been able to say his name aloud, and then ask him not to go. She felt like ice was running through her veins and that she was actually slipping away from life. But then she’d heard him say, “No, I shall not. I shall not leave you, Elizabeth.”
It seemed so real. His voice, his arms around her. And she was almost comforted by it despite the aching coldness. It was the one bright spot that made her believe that there was yet hope for her. She was in an icy dark ocean but she would not allow it to pull her under. She wished to live. If only she could hear that voice again.
CHAPTER 8 After the Coldness
After leaving Elizabeth’s room, Darcy went down into the small vestibule, sat in a chair and waited. He wondered where Mr. Collins was but was thankful that he was not there at the moment. Darcy did not think he could make idle conversation just then about the generosity and condescension of Lady Catherine.
Eventually Mrs. Collins came down and stood before him. He looked questioningly at her but did not trust himself to speak.
“Do you have an understanding with Elizabeth?” she asked, apparently too weary to mince words.
“No, I do not,” he answered. And then added, “But it is not for lack of trying.”
“You love her?”
“Yes,” he answered, thinking that he had been more honest about his sentiments over the past day than he ever had in his life.
“I heard what she said earlier,” said Mrs. Collins abruptly.
