grooms rubbed them down thoroughly, and Elizabeth went back into the castle. She went upstairs to repair the damage to her hair, wrought by the elements, and to remove her outdoor apparel.
When she had gone halfway up the imposing stone staircase, Elizabeth heard Darcy calling her. She stopped and turned round. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her.
‘Elizabeth!’ he said again, as he began to climb the stairs towards her place on the half landing.
Illuminated by the light from the large window she made a lovely sight. Her cheeks were aglow, her eyes sparkled, and she radiated good humour and health.
‘I am glad you enjoyed the company of my uncle’s guests, but it would be well not to encourage them too far,’ he said in some agitation.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said in surprise.
‘You were enjoying their attentions,’ he said with a sudden spurt of jealousy.
She was taken aback by the injustice of his remark and flashed back, ‘And why should I not? I never get yours.’
He looked startled.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked.
‘You know full well what I mean. We have been married for weeks and yet I am still not your wife.’
‘Elizabeth—’ he said, and then stopped, as if at a loss.
‘Why do you never come to me?’ she asked him, hurt.
‘I—’ He shook his head. ‘I should never have brought you here,’ he said.
‘Then why did you?’ she asked.
‘I didn’t know how it would be. I thought it would be different.’
‘Different? How?’
‘Not so difficult—or yes, difficult, but difficult in different ways.’
‘I don’t see what is so difficult,’ she said, looking at him beseechingly and reaching out a hand to touch him.
‘No, I know you don’t,’ he said, but he did not take her hand.
‘Then explain it to me. Talk to me, Darcy,’ she begged him, taking his hands and looking into his eyes. ‘Tell me what is wrong. I will not leave this spot until you talk to me, though sunset is already on its way. I will stand here until dark if necessary.’
He lifted his eyes but he did not look at her, he looked beyond her, over her shoulder, to the reddening sky. Then his whole attitude changed.
‘That’s no sunset,’ he said.
She was startled and, looking over her shoulder, she saw that he was right. The sky was not flamed with crimson, it was stained with a fire’s glow.
A bell on the stables started to ring out and there was a clamour from the courtyard outside. Through the window she saw the mercenaries mount with all speed as the grating of the drawbridge’s chains rent the air. The vast bridge began to lower and the mercenaries streamed across it, filling the air with the flash of their bright swords.
‘There is no time to lose,’ said Darcy, seizing Elizabeth by the hand and pulling her down the stairs, just as the Count appeared at their foot.
‘Quickly,’ the Count said, ‘you must go at once. The mob, it is on the move.’
Elizabeth was at once alarmed, remembering everything she had heard about the revolution in France, when the mobs had stormed the houses of the nobility and wreaked havoc, burning and murdering as they went.
‘We can’t leave the castle,’ she said. ‘The walls are thick. We will be safe here.’
‘We can and we must leave,’ said Darcy.
The Count said something under his breath and Elizabeth thought he said, Get her away from here. It is her they will not stand for, before realising that she must be mistaken, because those words didn’t make sense. Then, in a louder voice, he said, ‘Do not stop for your things. Me, I will have them sent on.’
‘We can’t leave at night,’ said Elizabeth. ‘The horses—’
‘We cannot ride our own horses, there is no time to have them readied,’ said Darcy.
‘You will find everything needful at the usual place,’ said the Count to Darcy. ‘Go quickly, my friend, and the wind, may he be at your back.’
Darcy nodded, then saying, ‘Send our things on,’ he turned to Elizabeth and said, ‘We must go.’
Caught up in the sense of urgency, she ran down the flight of stairs with Darcy beside her, but when she headed for the door he caught her hand and, pulling her along with him, took her to another staircase leading down into the bowels of the castle. The steps were smooth and slippery, and the cold bit into Elizabeth’s feet through the soles of her shoes. The light faded as