Twixt Two Equal Armies

by Gail McEwen

  The sound of Elizabeth’s book snapping shut, therefore, startled her from her concentration.

  “Holly,” said Elizabeth, “I have something both to tell you and to ask you.”

  Welcoming the opportunity to drop her pencils and stretch her tight shoulders, Holly slid her chair back and lifted her arms above her head.

  “Perfect timing,” she yawned. “I am just ready for a break.”

  “I have been doing a great deal of thinking, as you might imagine, last night and today,” Elizabeth began, “and I think I must go for another walk.”

  “Well, of course, I can be ready — ”

  “No, Holly, that is what I had to tell you. What I ask of you is this: I would like to go alone. There is a chance I may run across Mr Darcy again; indeed, I think there is a very good chance of it, and I have thought of a few things that we might talk of somewhat easily. I can ask him about his sister, or Mr Bingley, or his plans for staying or leaving, simple things — Holly, please do not give me that dark look. I have thought this over carefully, and I would like to have the opportunity, just me, to talk with him again now that these first uncomfortable meetings are over with, to see how he acts toward me. If I can but watch him in a relaxed or unguarded moment, I might discover some inkling as to his feelings and then might be able to be clearer as to my own.”

  It was not hard to understand Elizabeth’s need, but that did not make Holly any more apt to like it. For the hundredth time since her cousin’s arrival, she silently cursed the name ‘Mr Darcy’; fervently wishing she had never heard it. Elizabeth looked at her, silently asking for understanding, so she put on a mild face, declared that her plan made perfect sense, and wished her a nice outing.

  “Go!” she smiled.

  “I will,” Elizabeth answered and jumped off her seat.

  It was not until after the door closed behind her that she let out an explosive sigh and flopped gracelessly down on the sofa.

  “Ahhhhh!” she yelled out to the ceiling, childishly kicking at the arm of the sofa. “Why did he have to come here? Stupid man! Stupid, stupid man!”

  When her outburst was over, she jumped up and looked around hurriedly, hoping her mother had not heard. She tried to settle down to her work again, but soon discovered that it was impossible. Her mind kept wandering outside to where Elizabeth walked, wondering if or where she might meet up with that man. What if her initial fears were right and Mr Darcy’s motives were not honourable? What if he had followed her to Scotland in anger and frustration? He had already admitted on more than one occasion to purposefully seeking her out, looking to find her when she was alone.

  The more Holly pondered these questions, the more concerned she became. Even as she told herself she was being ridiculous, that despite his faults Mr Darcy appeared to be an honest and respectable man, the doubts persisted. Elizabeth herself trusted him and believed him to be good; there was no cause for her to worry. But then again, Elizabeth had believed that same thing of Mr Wickham, and had admitted how mistaken she continually felt regarding Mr Darcy.

  Holly was pacing now. Elizabeth was out there somewhere — looking to speak to this man alone. Night fell fast this time of year . . . what if . . . what if . . .

  “Enough!” Holly declared before grabbing her cloak and heading out the door herself. It was nothing, she was sure, but she would not be easy in her mind until she found her cousin and made sure she was safe again at Rosefarm.

  MRS MCLAUGHLIN GLANCED AT THE door. All was quiet.

  “Well now,” she said. “How’s things at Rosefarm these days?”

  Her cousin, Mrs Higgins, concentrated on her turnips a moment longer before looking up with a shrewd smile.

  “Same as here I should think.”

  Mrs McLaughlin returned the smile and said casually, “She asked aboot him, then?”

  “Aye. Just as he did aboot her?”

  The two women shared a quiet laugh.

  “Nosy folk these southerners,” Mrs Higgins said. “And always in need of a bit of help with the snooping, aye? I tell ye, I could have burst out laughing when the gentlemen walked through that door. And to think, just the day before, Mrs Tournier was asking me about his lairdship”

  “His lairdship asked most especially about Miss Bennet though.”

  “Well, I know why she is of such interest. It’s that friend o’ his. The way he gaups at her . . . ”

  “Mr Darcy?”

  Mrs Higgins proudly wiped her knife on her apron and nodded.

  “Like he wants to eat her and give her a set-down at the same time.”

  The women burst out laughing.

  “Aye, well, then there’s nothing else for it, is there?”

  “No, indeed. Only cure for that particular trouble is marriage, aye?”

  FIRST HOLLY LOOKED CAREFULLY UP and down the lanes leading from Rosefarm Cottage out of the village and into the countryside. Nothing.

  Then she returned to Clanough and canvassed the central, and then the peripheral streets for any sign of them. Nothing.

  Then, with a hurried pace, as evening was drawing near and the sun was close to setting, Holly turned up the road that led from Clanough toward Clyne Cottage. The further along she walked the dimmer the light grew — as the sun began to sink her feelings of fear increased. Soon she felt as if she was on the verge of a panic and her pace quickened so that she was nearly running. In no time she was on the grounds of Clyne itself, but once there she stood frozen, not knowing where to go next. To her great relief she saw someone crossing the fields, a lone gentleman making his way straight through the fields in long, unhurried strides. It was Lord Baugham, obviously just returned from a day of hunting. Recognising someone whom she could involve in her desperate search and mounting worries, she ran up to him.

  “My lord,” she gasped. “Please . . . I must beg for your assistance.”

  Baugham’s eyes registered first shock and then strangely narrowed into something resembling suspicion. He looked her up and down in the dusky light and although he wore a friendly smile, it did not quite reach his eyes.

  “Why, Miss Tournier, don’t tell me you’re out trespassing again. That would be slightly disconcerting, wouldn’t you say, considering your promises of just yesterday.” Fighting to keep his voice on a courteous level he looked at her a little closer. “Or have you come across any more interesting sights on my land that you believe I should familiarise myself with?”

  “What?” was Holly’s confused reply. “Trespassing . . . no, please do not think — oh, for heaven’s sake, there is no time for this . . . we must find them! He is your friend!”

  “I am sorry, Miss Tournier, but find who? What is it you would like me to do for you?”

  Exasperated, Holly stomped her foot. “You must come and help me! Mr Darcy has made off with my cousin and we must find them. Now. Hurry!”

  His lordship resumed his slow and steady walk toward the house. “Made off? I am sure there is no need to worry, Miss Tournier. But if it will make you feel better, I’ll send Mr McLaughlin out. He can see you safely home and then — ”

  “No!” her determined insistence surprised him. “It is getting dark, we must find her now!”

  They stood watching each other, though Holly kept looking around her hoping she could catch a glimpse of Elizabeth and even hoping Lord Baugham might tell her he had seen them or knew where they were heading or . . . anything! Without realising it, she drew her breath and it came out again as a quiet, distressed whimper.

  “Now please don’t concern yourself,” his lordship finally said. “Of course I will help you but . . . well, this is a bit extraordinary and I am sure Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet — ”

  “Sir!” Holly said, exasperated. “It will very soon be dark and my cousin is unfamiliar with the grounds around here. I have looked everywhere else I know she likes to walk except here. Do you wish to have that on your conscience?”

  Baugham was not quite sure what Miss Bennet’s ill-advised outin
gs with or without his friend at this time of the day had to do with him, but he found himself mumbling something about being glad to be of assistance.

  “Oh, I hope she hasn’t gone to the bit of everwood down east,” Holly suddenly said impulsively. “She would, though, she was fascinated by that last time she was here.”

  “What? My bit of everwood? That patch north of Kye?”

  Holly rolled her eyes at him and set off eastwards towards the even darker sky. “Before it was yours this and yours that, my lord, it was mine too. All of ours. I have lived here since I was eight years old and I have as much affection and right to wander here as you have. Maybe more.”

  “Well, if that is so, it is only because the previous owner was too lax to enforce his property lines! Or take care of the place, I should add. It certainly did not do any of the local inhabitants proud, the way it was mismanaged.”

  “It was enjoyed all the same.”

  As they reached the thickening growth of the wooded patches, they stopped, both of them realising how dark it was fast becoming. The trees were already heavily shadowing the path, obscuring the colours and textures of the thick undergrowth.

  “Oh, I hope she didn’t consent to venture off the path . . . ” Holly muttered. “She so loves that patch by the stream . . . ”

  “Truly, Miss Tournier,” he protested, “all this concern is quite unnecessary. Miss Bennet is a grown, capable woman and Mr Darcy will be sure to see her home safely. If she is with him she is in no danger I can assure you.”

  “If she is with Mr Darcy! If she is with him she is very much in danger — I don’t trust him and I don’t trust his motives concerning my cousin. I don’t know what your scheme was in bringing him here to harass Elizabeth, but you can be sure that I will not let it go unchallenged.”

  “Harass? My dear Miss Tournier, you are speaking nonsense! My friend is utterly reliable and if they have been foolish enough to wander off the path at this hour, I am sure they have only Miss Bennet’s ‘love of nature’ to blame.”

  She turned on him and gave him a vicious look.

  “Yes, you would say that, wouldn’t you? You men all plead female folly to excuse your own licentious motives and then pretend you were led into situations that presented no alternative. I need to find my cousin. Now.”

  “And I am not surprised to hear you say that,” Lord Baugham shot back. “After all, it is never a woman’s intention to deliberately lead a man into a compromising situation and so to force his hand in order to satisfy her own avaricious motives. Is it, Miss Tournier?”

  Holly gasped, “What are you implying, sir? She is not thinking clearly when it comes to him, that is true, but by no means is she intending such — she only sought him out to ascertain his . . . ” she stopped abruptly, angry at his lordship for goading her in to admitting that Elizabeth had set out to deliberately meet Mr Darcy, however innocent she knew her intentions to be. “How can you possibly think — ”

  Baugham knew he was being unreasonable, but the way she kept directing fierce comments at him, obviously expecting him to cower before her either out of gentlemanly sentiments or fear, caused him to want to lash out, to make her as angry as she was making him.

  “Quite easily, my dear Miss Tournier. I begin to wonder just what exactly is Miss Bennet’s reason for seeking out my friend, in the waning light and in such an out of the way location. I think you must try to persuade her that daylight and respect for one’s neighbour’s territory are good and prudent means to prevent such a predicament in the future.”

  “Her reasons? I think you would do better to ask his reasons for his year-long campaign to destroy her peace and comfort. Why does he follow her here, only to stare at her like a mute and disapproving schoolmaster? I cannot blame her for wanting to find out what he is about, though I must say that I don’t think him worth the trouble.”

  Steadying herself so as not to trip over the tangled brush, Holly pulled at her hem as it caught in a bramble.

  “But you really ought to think a little less about your own feelings of ill-use and concern yourself with others a little more. I see now that I was in error asking for your assistance. Please, don’t trouble yourself further. I will find her out.”

  The smallest smirk appeared on his face. “Are you able to find your way home from here? If not, I would be happy to point you toward the shortest route.”

  “I know the way, sir! I know things about this place that you could never imagine, even if you made it your home for the next twenty years! And if I need your help, it is only to keep that friend of yours a respectable distance from — ”

  Suddenly his lordship shushed her, stopping her short. Before she could take proper offence, Holly followed his gaze and saw the object of her frantic search walking arm in arm with Mr Darcy, turning through the wood to reach the field just beyond it. She stood as if rooted to the ground when she saw Elizabeth’s head lift up and the sound of her laughter ring through the damp evening air. To her great surprise, Mr Darcy’s rich, deep laugh joined with her cousin’s and in that moment it was quite obvious to her that Elizabeth was exactly where she wanted to be at the moment, in no danger and extremely content with her companion.

  All she could do was turn to her own companion with a look of deep relief mixed with utter confusion on her face and say, “Oh . . . ”

  Baugham watched as Miss Tournier seemed to lose all her energy and go limp beside him. Suddenly, she looked vulnerable and any impulse he had had to answer her with an “I told you so” vanished.

  “Well,” he said gently. “All’s well that ends well, then.”

  “Yes.” She was still looking at him with a frown, but then turned her head to catch the last glimpse of her cousin and Mr Darcy turning down the slope towards the village in the dying light. They looked magical, somehow, against the gathering evening fog at their feet, Mr Darcy slightly bent towards Elizabeth in explanation of something.

  Before the silence between them threatened to turn embarrassing, Lord Baugham cleared his throat.

  “So may I escort you home now, Miss Tournier?”

  “No,” Holly said absently, still looking after the oblivious couple down the slope, “that won’t be necessary.”

  Baugham’s smile was a little warmer this time. “But my dear Miss Tournier, a moment ago you were concerned for your cousin’s safety and worried about the coming dark, and you don’t even have a suspicious gentleman to add to your protection. Please let me perform that function. You can hardly want for less comfort than your cousin. What is good for the goose, and so on.”

  Now she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

  “No,” she said calmly. “It will be all right. You forget, I know these lanes like the back of my hand. And I am not like my cousin.”

  With that she left him standing and made her way towards the village too. Baugham looked after her a while as she slowly followed the previous walkers. Then he shrugged, picked up his things and made his way home again.

  HOLLY ARRIVED ONLY A FEW minutes after Elizabeth, causing her to suspect Mr Darcy had taken his time getting her home. She had taken her own time, sauntering the longest way she could contrive without leaving the safer lanes and paths.

  Elizabeth sat in the parlour with her mother and Holly could instantly see she was happy. One glance at her mother also told her Elizabeth had seen fit to share with her the reasons for her long walk and sparkling eyes.

  “So, Holly!” she cheerfully greeted her and rubbed her hands against the small fire in the grate. “Were you as lucky as your cousin here, to meet a protective gentleman who allowed you to stay out far too long and talk far too much as well?”

  “No,” Holly said carefully, “but Elizabeth did?”

  “Yes, I did,” her cousin answered cheerfully. “And Mr Darcy was kind enough to indulge my incessant love of the scenery and he took me up to the Pillidon Cave. Remember, we went there once determined to live the glamorous life of a highway man, but were chased
home again by the bats? We must have been no more than thirteen, I think. And oh! the scolding we got, even though we thought my dear aunt would appreciate the female courage in our career choice!”

  Despite herself, Holly had to laugh. “Yes, I do remember that. The stones in the cave were cold too. And you had forgotten to bring the butteries left over from breakfast so we would really have been forced to rob and pillage if we had stayed any longer.”

  “Well, this time I saw no bats, but the stones are still cold.”

  Holly smiled and gave her mother a glance. She was smiling, too. Elizabeth saw the exchange and took Holly’s hand, making her sit down beside her.

  “Ask what you need to ask, Holly. I have no secrets from either you or Aunt Arabella,” she said gently.

  Holly looked at her cousin’s happy expression and open face.

  “And Mr Darcy?” she asked. “Does he still have secrets from you?”

  “Secrets? Probably. But we are very good friends now and have forgiven each other numerous times for all manner of trespasses and misunderstandings — wilful and accidental alike.”

  “And . . . what will he do now?”

  “Well, considering I gave him quite a dressing-down when he last laid his feelings open to me, I fear he will not soon want to risk that again. But who knows? Perhaps I shall be allowed back into the drawing room at Pemberley one way or the other — if I behave myself.”

  Holly smiled, happy for her cousin’s happiness even in the midst of her own confused feelings on the matter. She suppressed a sigh as she realised how much this visit had changed from what she had earlier anticipated. It would no longer be one last escape into a carefree past. Instead, she was witnessing the beginnings of Elizabeth’s emerging future — a future richly deserved and filled with promise. And what of me, I wonder . . . for as pleased as she was for Elizabeth, she could not escape the feeling that she was losing her; she was being left behind.