Rapacity & Rancor

by Abbey North

  “Of course, Miss Bennet.”

  Lizzy had no paper or ink to write, so she would have to send a verbal message. She wanted it to be something he would recognize, so he wouldn’t dismiss the boy as telling tales. Finally, she said, “Could you please tell Mr. Darcy there is fabric that needs protecting? Then I would like you to bring him here. Do you think you can do that, Charlie?”

  The boy looked bewildered by the message, but he nodded. “I am to tell Mr. Darcy to bring you here for fabric.”

  She shook her head. “No, you need to tell Mr. Darcy there is fabric that needs protecting from Miss Lizzy Bennet. Then I want you to bring him here. Do you understand?”

  His face screwed up with concentration when he said, “I am to ask Mr. Darcy to come to you to protect the fabric, and I am supposed to bring him here.” He beamed at her.

  She ruffled his hair. “Excellent. Do run along, and hurry back. This is particularly important.” As Charlie turned and ran off, she couldn’t help wondering if she should’ve sent a different message, but she was afraid the little boy wouldn’t remember something too long, and she wanted it to be specific enough that Darcy would believe it came from her. If he recalled their first conversation in the library, it would be quirky enough to hopefully get his attention and allow him to overcome any doubt to follow the boy.

  Lizzy kept a wary eye around her as she waited for Darcy to come via the accompaniment of Master Buckingsale. She also watched to ensure the thief didn’t return. If he did, she would have to find a hiding place or scramble up the tree if she had a chance. She was wasn’t foolish enough to confront him on her own.

  After what felt like forever, though was probably less than an hour, Mr. Darcy appeared in the company of little Charlie. He held the boy in front of him on Goliath’s back, and Charlie was grinning with delight. It was probably the highlight of his day, if not his entire life. As soon as Darcy saw her, he drew on the reins, and Goliath’s large hooves thundered onto the ground as he stopped a few feet away from her, allowing Darcy to dismount before holding up hands to lift down the boy.

  Lizzy didn’t want to bring Charlie into the situation any further than she had, so she knelt down to his level and said, “Thank you so much, Charlie. If you go to Longbourn this afternoon, tell Mrs. Hill Lizzy wants her to give you four of her apple tarts.”

  The boy laughed in delight. “Marvelous, Miss Bennet. That is one for me, Mama, Papa, and Sarah. Thank you so much.” He tugged at his hat in a respectful fashion before grasping the fishing pole he’d left on the ground near Lizzy when he ran off to get Mr. Darcy.

  Darcy said, “Wait a minute, young man.”

  Charlie halted, turning back to face Mr. Darcy. “Yes, sir?” If he was intimidated by Darcy, it didn’t show.

  “I believe your tie is faulty.”

  Lizzy looked at the boy, who was not wearing a tie. What was he talking about?

  A moment later, disregarding his highly polished Wellingtons and tan breeches, Darcy knelt on the ground beside the boy and took his fishing pole. With a quick twist of his fingers, he reconfigured the way the child had tied his knot, saying, “This will make it sturdier, so it is less likely to break when you catch a fish.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Darcy.” With a wave and a whoop of joy, the little boy ran away. Lizzy grinned after him for a moment before looking at Darcy and losing her smile. He seemed troubled. “I am sorry to send for you in such an unorthodox fashion, Mr. Darcy, but I could think of no one else to assist me.”

  He arched a brow while he touched his hat. “I am always happy to assist a lady.”

  “As I was walking to Meryton this morning, I observed a sly figure creeping about. I followed him, and he approached the shed.” As she spoke, Lizzy pointed to and started walking in that direction. She drew to a halt when his hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to him. “What?”

  “Have you no common sense, woman? Following a thief? You could have been gravely injured.”

  She scowled at him. “I hardly knew I was coming upon the situation before it happened, did I, Mr. Darcy? For your information, if I had made a big production, he likely would have noticed me more than when I ducked into the bushes. When I saw he was coming back my way, I scurried up the tree and hid there until he passed.”

  He looked aghast for a moment, and then he startled her by bursting into laughter. “You climbed a tree?”

  She put her hands on her hips, wincing when she scraped her abraded palm anew, and glared up at him. “Truly, I did.” As an afterthought, she looked down to ensure she had pulled the hem of her dress from her bodice, and to her great relief, she must have done so automatically after getting out of the tree.

  “Anyway, after he left, I looked in the building, and it is where he is hiding his stash of stolen goods. I recognized Mrs. St. Croix’s lace and Mr. Cravvy’s straight razor among the things.”

  “Excellent. We must speak with Constable Walters at once.”

  She frowned. “Do you not want to inspect the items yourself?”

  He tilted his head slightly. “Why would I need to do that?”

  Lizzy was honestly puzzled. “You are prepared to accept my word on the matter?”

  He seemed amused. “Is there some reason I should not be? Is this an elaborate ruse to make me look like a buffoon?”

  She could have made a cutting remark about his lack of needing assistance in that department after the impression he’d made at the Assembly ball, but she kept the words to herself. She was still startled by his trust, and in fact so startled she didn’t think to protest returning to Meryton and finding Constable Walters until they were near Goliath. “I am not a horsewoman, and Constable Walters is unlikely to be of any use.”

  “We must inform the proper authorities, Miss Bennet.” With those words, he mounted the horse with perfect grace.

  “I shall just stay here and wait for your return.”

  With an impatient sigh, he bent down and put his arm around her shoulders, lifting her up as she cried out in protest. It was a temporary sound she quickly muffled as she regained control of her senses, finding herself tucked uncomfortably in front of Darcy on his English saddle when she would have preferred a sidesaddle. “This is most unusual, Mr. Darcy.”

  “Everything about the situation is entirely unusual, Miss Bennet.” He spoke briskly and entreated Goliath to start running. They soon arrived in Meryton.

  Lizzy was self-conscious about riding through town on a shared horse with Mr. Darcy, but she couldn’t allow it to distract her from the task at hand. He stopped outside the constable’s building moments later, dismounting first before helping her down. Her bum was throbbing slightly from the unaccustomed exercise, and she was glad it had been less than two miles.

  The constable came out of the office, likely hearing the horse arrive, or perhaps he was drawn by the spectacle of seeing Miss Bennet riding one, since it was well known she had no interest in horses. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested. They were simply incompatible with her comfort level, being so large and capable of injury, and her being so uneasy and incompetent around them.

  Speaking of incompetence, the constable reacted much as she had expected. “I shall retrieve the items and redistribute them to the proper owners then. Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Darcy.”

  Lizzy scowled, not missing he completely disregarded her contribution to the situation. That hardly surprised her though, since he was a typical man. She cleared her throat. “Do you not think it would be wiser to leave the items where they are and set up an ambush? You could wait until he returns to add to his stash or take something away and catch him in the act.”

  The constable sneered. “I have better things to do than waste hours sitting in the woods.”

  “Is that not your job?” asked Lizzy with a tone that was entirely too sweet to be convincingly polite.

  Even Walters, thick as he was, recognized the insult in her tone. “I know what my job is, Missy, and it is not indulging
spoiled brats.”

  Lizzy stiffened, but Darcy put a hand on her shoulder, speaking for her, which she also resented. “Constable Walters, would you be agreeable to leaving the items there for at least one more day? I should very much like to observe the area to see if our thief returns.”

  Walters appeared to consider the matter for a moment. “You will be the one waiting out there to see if he comes back?”

  “I shall.”

  After a moment, the constable shrugged in a careless way. “Do enjoy yourself, Mr. Darcy. The people who have been stolen from have waited this long. I do not suppose it will matter another day, and I confess my rheumatism is acting up something awful today. Yes, I should quite enjoy not having to fetch the items until tomorrow.” He shot Darcy a considering look. “Unless you plan to deliver them yourself, sir?”

  Darcy’s expression turned frigid. “I do not, Constable. Tomorrow should be expedient enough for you to retrieve them.”

  The man looked disappointed, but he nodded. “Of course, sir.” He didn’t even acknowledge Lizzy, which was beyond the pale, as he turned and went back into the small office used by the constable.

  Lizzy glared after him before turning her glare on Darcy. “I can speak for myself.”

  “You can, and I have no doubt you were going to suggest a similar solution, but a man like Walters would take it better coming from me. I suspect part of him would be inflexible and insist on arguing the matter just because you are a woman.”

  If that did not drain her anger, she couldn’t think of what might. She was marveling at his perceptiveness and how much trust he’d placed in her to start with by not insisting on examining the stolen goods himself. “We shall return to set up our camp. It needs to be somewhere discreet, but close enough we can approach him if he appears.”

  He frowned. “I will not allow you to put yourself in danger, Miss Bennet. I shall see to this task alone, or perhaps ask my valet to attend with me.”

  She glared at him. “I fail to see how you can stop me, Mr. Darcy. If you do not wish to share a lookout, I shall simply find my own. I can still climb a tree, though I do not know about you.”

  He looked irritated for a moment before his expression cleared. “What of your reputation, Miss Bennet? The two of us spending time alone in the woods without a proper chaperone? That would be scandalous. You could be ruined.”

  She grimaced. “I believe the excitement of finding the burglar will certainly overshadow any gossip that might arise from the two of us working together to bring the villain to justice. It is a risk I am prepared to take.”

  He sniffed. “I am not, Miss Bennet. Return to Longbourn.” With those words, he turned to Goliath, mounted the horse, and rode away.

  Lizzy resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and stomp her foot. She was too mature for such antics, but the man drove her to the point of tantrum in her rage. Shaking her head at his heavy-handed command, as though she would listen to him, she squared her shoulders and started walking. She knew exactly where she was going, and she arrived only a little while after him.

  Lizzy made a point of finding herself a perch that was not near him, though she was aware of him watching her. It wasn’t the most comfortable spot, but the rotted log she had taken residence on had the benefit of being shielded by a fall of leaves from an overgrown tree that hung down under the burden of its branches and leaves. It was still possible to be seen, but not likely, especially if the thief wasn’t expecting someone to be waiting to ensnare them.

  Darcy was a stubborn man, but he had come running as soon Lizzy found the villain, so he was reliable. His perch was close enough to allow him to come running, and she reluctantly admitted she was glad to have him involved in the situation. There was reassurance in having him nearby, though she would never admit that to him. She would feel just as relieved to have any man in the vicinity to back her up when it came time to confront the thief, she assured herself.

  Watching for a robber to return was dreadfully boring, and soon, her buttocks were tingling from the position in which she sat. Lizzy had to relieve herself, so she looked around, verifying Darcy had not left his spot, and found a discreet place in the woods.

  After finishing, she returned quietly, not wanting to disturb the thief in case he was there, and she was almost back to her perch when a hand clamped around her mouth while another dragged her back against a body. She stiffened in alarm, but at the same time, she could summon no fear. There was something familiar about the body against hers, and by the scent of the man, she immediately knew it was Darcy.

  “That is how easy it is to overcome you, Miss Bennet. I implore you to do the wise thing and return home.”

  As soon as he released her, she took a step away, though she was strangely reluctant to do so. She spun and stared up at him. “I am not going anywhere, Mr. Darcy.”

  He heaved a sigh of impatience. “Of course not, for though you are intelligent, you make terrible choices.”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I do not require your good opinion of me, Mr. Darcy.”

  He curled his lip. “That is good, because once you have lost my good opinion, you are unable to ever reobtain it.”

  She shook her head, feigning sadness. “How uncomfortable it must be to be so narrowminded and certain of all your impressions that you never reevaluate them.”

  He was glaring now. “You have given me no reason to reevaluate my opinion of you, Miss Bennet.”

  She shrugged. “I am certainly torn up about that, Mr. Darcy, but there are far more important things on which we must focus now. I suggest you return to your hole, and I shall do the same.”

  With another sigh of impatience, he lifted the branches for her in what she supposed was the gentlemanly equivalent of opening her door. She slipped under, surprised when he followed her. She gave him a look of shock. “What are you doing?”

  “Your hiding place is better than mine,” he said with a hint of rancor in his tone. “It provides a better view of the area while shielding our presence more effectively.”

  Lizzy supposed she could abandon her spot, but she decided to take the more mature approach and nod her head. “Very good.” She was doing her best not to grin like an idiot at having found the better spot, though he seemed to realize her struggle, because his eyes narrowed, and his lips had closed into a thin line of disapproval.

  Lizzy took her spot on the log, sliding over as far as she could to make room for Darcy to sit beside her. It was certainly improper sitting like this with him, and she couldn’t recall being this close to any man, other than her father. Of course, there was nothing improper about the situation, other than the inherent shock of her being part of an operation to find the thief and catch him in the act.

  She could well imagine her mother’s horror at the idea, but she suspected her father, though he would not approve of her risking her safety, would have a little chuckle at the concept at least. He might even envy her the adventure.

  Not that there was much adventure involved as they whiled away the rest of the afternoon slowly. Lizzy’s stomach grumbled more than once, but when Darcy suggested they stop for food and return later, she refused. “You are free to have a break if you would like, Mr. Darcy, but one of us should remain here at all times.”

  He shook his head. “Do you anticipate taking down the robber on your own then, Miss Bennet? I wonder why you did not do so earlier if that is your plan?”

  She glared at him. “I simply meant one of us should be here to keep watch.”

  His lips twitched, and she suspected he was deliberately provoking her. Cranky as she was from hunger, she thought he might be risking his life in a different way, but she held back an angry retort.

  Most of the afternoon passed in silence, though they occasionally exchanged conversation about various benign topics. She was surprised to discover they had similar tastes in music and reading, as she never would have anticipated sharing any true commonalities with Mr. Darcy.

  As the
sun started to set, Darcy moved restlessly. “I believe it is time to yield for today, Miss Bennet. I must get you home before dark, and it seems unlikely our thief will be returning tonight. Even if Constable Walters reclaims the items and redistributes them, we might yet catch him returning to the shed.”

  Lizzy sniffed. “Constable Walters is incompetent and lazy. He is likely to leave the cart of items to be reclaimed out front and post an announcement throughout the village to do so. As soon as Constable Walters reclaims these items, our thief might as well have the announcement in his hand that there is no point in returning, and we shall not catch him.”

  He frowned. “I concede the point, but I cannot have you out after dark in my company alone. It would be unseemly.”

  “I understand that, and I do not wish to risk my reputation or yours, and Lord knows the last thing I would want is to be forced into marriage with you, Mr. Darcy, but I suggest we wait a little longer.”

  He scowled, but after a moment, his shoulders slumped. “Twenty more minutes, and that is all, Miss Bennet. At seven p.m., I am taking you home.”

  Since he stated it is a fact, she felt no need to agree. He seemed to accept her silence as a promise or consent, but she would decide at seven o’clock if she was ready to go, or if she planned to stay longer. Part of her recognized her obstinacy was simply a reaction to Mr. Darcy and the feelings he engendered in her. The man was maddening, and he made her want to be contrary just for the sake of contrariness.

  The minutes ticked past, and she was well aware of Darcy watching them, because he did not put away his pocket watch. He kept it open the entire time, and once seventeen minutes had passed, he looked like he was going to stand up again. “There are still three minutes,” she said in a mild tone.

  He lifted his hand. “Shush.”

  Lizzy’s mouth parted, and it was her first instinct to argue, because she thought he was shushing her in a very rude fashion because he was intent on leaving, but then she heard footsteps approaching. She immediately closed her mouth and remained quiet as their thief neared the building.