An Unequalled Affection

Part 4

Longbourn was still shrouded in darkness when Elizabeth crept downstairs, careful to avoid a certain creaking step that had betrayed her many times before when she was young and engaging in mischief.

Not mischief today, she reminded herself. Today her errand was of the utmost importance. It may even save a life! Whilst that was an exaggeration, surely, she could not help but recall the severe slant that had come to Mr Darcy's face when he spoke of the duel.

She frowned, recalling how often she had read of such things and considered them romantic. As if such a thing could ever be so outside of the pages of a book! Now poor Mr Bingley - poor Colonel Fitzwilliam! And here Lizzy stumbled, for she did not begrudge either man their claim on Jane's affections. Indeed, her heart hurt for them both, but that did not mean she was about to stand by and allow them to let their pistols decide for them.

She had briefly considered waking Jane, telling her of the plan and pleading with her to come along with her to put a stop to it, but at the last moment, her courage had failed her. Jane had been strangely quiet all evening and whilst Lizzy knew she was ignorant of the upcoming melodrama, Mr Bingley's return had unsettled her. Lizzy would put her own self through fire before she forced her sister to walk it.

"Where are you going?"

With a yelp, Lizzy spun on her heel, so startled she almost missed her last step and steadied herself at the last second by grabbing a tight hold of the bannister.

"Mary!" she hissed, holding her breath and straining to hear if their interaction had disturbed the rest of the house. Nothing but the very faint sound of snoring reached her ears and she took a deep breath, wiling her jangled nerves to settle. She beckoned Mary to follow her downstairs and into the parlour and was startled to see that she, too, was dressed and readied for action.

"I might ask you the same question! What are you doing up and dressed so early?"

Elizabeth closed the parlour door behind them and allowed her voice to return almost to normal.

"I always rise early," Mary said, archly. "I had intended on a quiet hour of prayer, reading and reflection when I heard you pass my door."

Lizzy winced, recalling at least one creaking floorboard she hadn't been aware enough to avoid treading on.

"Well?" Mary stared at her. "Where are we going?"

"We are going nowhere." Elizabeth stood, crossing the room to peer out of the window into the pale morning light. "I thought I might take a walk."

"Alone? At this hour?" Mary was unconvinced.

"Very well, if you must know I plan to walk to the clearing near the ridge. I am...meeting someone." Elizabeth finished, lamely. She could feel the heat flooding her cheeks at this most unbelievable of lies and Mary was only too quick to pounce on it.

"You can't! Oh, Elizabeth! You can't run out before dawn to meet some - some gentleman!" Mary spoke the word with such reproach that Elizabeth almost laughed, util she realised the implication of her sister's comment.

"Mary!" She was appalled. "How can you think me so foolish! I am not Lydia!" in fact, Elizabeth doubted even Lydia would be foolish enough to sneak out on some romantic assignation at so early an hour as this. "Very well, you must come with me, then, Miss Propriety, and see for yourself that my errand is all to the good." Grabbing Mary sharply by the arm, she marched her to the door, pausing just long enough to grab wraps and bonnets for them both.

"You might at least tell me what we are going to do," Mary murmured when Lizzy at last let go of her. She rubbed at a spot on her forearm and Lizzy wondered if she had pinched her arm so very tight as to cause her pain even now. "If there really is no gentleman involved."

"I did not say no gentleman," Lizzy said, airily. She kept walking but felt, rather than saw, Mary grind to a stark halt. "Come along, Mary! We shall be late, and if we are -"

"I am not moving another inch until you tell me what is going on!"

Mary could be quite as stubborn as Elizabeth when she chose to be and right now she seemed bound and determined to grow roots where she stood, planting her feet, folding her arms across her chest and fixing her sister with a mutinous glare.

"Oh, very well! Mary, you have become far too self-possessed since your return from London. I shall have to have words with Miss Darcy, and her brother, if this is the change a few weeks in their company will have." She drew a shaking breath and decided, at last, there was no use but to confide all in Mary and pray she viewed things with the same degree of urgency and concern as she did.

"There is to be a duel this morning, between Mr Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam." She swallowed. "Over Jane."

"Over Jane!" Mary glanced over her shoulder as if she expected to see the spectre of their eldest sister trailing along after them.

"She does not know about it!" Lizzy said, hurriedly. "It happened when they both chanced to call here. Mr Bingley - that is, Colonel Fitzwilliam -" She trailed off. How could she tell Mary precisely what led to the duel being called when she did not know herself?

"Well, they have decided their disagreement is so dire that it may only be resolved by pistols." She drew a shaky breath. "Darcy assured me he would be there but that he had not the power to call the thing off altogether." She tossed her head. "I think it highly unlikely either one of them will act so foolishly if ladies are present." Reaching out one arm, she urged her sister to take it. "But Mary, we must hurry. If we are not there in time to stop the first shot from being fired, I dread to think what may happen. Please. You must help me stop this."

Mary considered their plight for all of a minute before Lizzy felt her hand folded in Mary's warm, capable one.

"Well, what are you standing around here waiting for?" Mary smiled, grimly. "Let us go, and go quickly!"