The chill of the marble floor beneath her had seeped into Elizabeths bones, a stark contrast to the fire that burned within her. The reality of her marriage to Mr. Darcy had never been more apparent than in these cold, lonely hours. She had been a fool to believe that love could grow where it had not been planted.
As the first light of dawn crept through the curtains, Elizabeth stirred from her fitful sleep, her dreams haunted by the image of Scarlett in Mr. Darcys arms. The pain in her heart was a physical thing, a wound that refused to scab over.
A sharp knock on her door jolted her from her melancholy. She opened it to find Scarlett, dressed in a sheer lace nightgown that left little to the imagination. Elizabeths initial groggy confusion cleared, replaced by a sharp wariness.
"What do you want?" Elizabeth demanded, her voice rough with sleep and unshed tears.
Scarletts lips curled into a cat-like smile. "Oh, my dear cousin," she purred, "Ive come to give you a message. Im back, and you can leave now."
Elizabeths heart clenched at the casual cruelty in Scarletts voice. "You think you can just waltz in here and take over my life?" she retorted, her anger rising.
Scarletts smile turned predatory. "I dont think, I know," she gloated. "Mr. Darcy is mine, and you... youre just a placeholder. A pawn in this grand game of love."
Elizabeths temper snapped. She grabbed Scarlett, her fingers digging into the other womans arm. "You think you can just take whatever you want? Well, I wont let you. Mr. Darcy is my husband, and I wont be discarded like some broken toy."
Scarletts eyes widened in feigned innocence. "Oh, Elizabeth, you misunderstand. Im not taking him from you. Im saving him from you."
The words were like a slap in the face. Before Elizabeth could respond, Scarlett let out a theatrical scream, her eyes filling with fake tears. The door to Mr. Darcys room burst open, and he stormed out, his face a mask of rage.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice echoing down the hall.
Scarlett crumpled, her body going limp in Elizabeths grip. "Mr. Darcy, save me!" she cried, her voice a perfect blend of fear and desperation.
Mr. Darcys eyes blazed as he took in the scene. Without a word, he grabbed Elizabeth, his fingers biting into her arm as he flung her aside. Elizabeth crashed into the wall, pain blossoming in her side.
"How dare you lay a hand on her?" Mr. Darcy roared, his face contorted with fury.
Elizabeth slumped to the floor, her body aching from the impact. She looked up at him, her heart breaking at the sight of his protective stance over Scarlett.
"Mr. Darcy, cant you see what shes doing?" Elizabeth pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mr. Darcys expression softened as he turned to Scarlett, who was now sobbing quietly against his chest. "Dont worry, my dear. I wont let anyone hurt you."
He scooped Scarlett into his arms, carrying her back to his room as if she were the most precious thing in the world. The door slammed shut, leaving Elizabeth alone in the hallway, her heart shattered into a million pieces.
She could hear Scarletts muffled cries and Mr. Darcys soothing whispers through the door. Each word was a knife to Elizabeths heart, a stark reminder of her failure as a wife and a woman.
As she lay there, her body aching and her heart broken, Elizabeth made a decision. She would not stay in this loveless marriage a moment longer. She would leave Mr. Darcy and Scarlett to their twisted game of love and find her own path to happiness.
But before she left, she would make sure that Mr. Darcy and Scarlett knew the truth about each other. She would not go down without a fight, and she would not leave them in peace.
With renewed determination, Elizabeth pulled herself off the floor. She might be broken, but she was not beaten. She would rise from the ashes of her marriage and show them all that she, Elizabeth Bennet, was not a woman to be trifled with.