by Kate Speck
“Well now, we shall see where this young love leads. If you will help me remove part of her dress; oh, what a shame, it is a very pretty dress. My daughter would have loved this colour.” Mr. Hastings smiled.
~*~
Darcy paced back and forth in front of the fireplace while they awaited the doctor’s word. Mr. Gardiner was using his desk to write a letter to Miss Bennet’s father and Georgiana was speaking softly with Mrs. Annesley.
He suddenly noted that Mrs. Younge was nowhere to be seen. He turned to his sister, “Georgiana, where is your companion? She should be here to sit with you.”
“I do not know, William. I saw her last when you were carrying Lizzy upstairs, I believe, but I had not seen her since. She might have been overwhelmed with the activity and is most likely in her rooms.” Georgiana answered.
Darcy opened the door and instructed the footman to fetch Mrs. Younge. He was red with anger when the servant returned and reported that she was not in her rooms. “I will get to the bottom of this but our main concern right now is Miss Bennet. Mr. Gardiner, if you are done with the letter, I can have my man ride to Hertfordshire now.”
Mr. Gardiner chuckled, “It is the middle of the night, sir! I am certain it can wait until morning. I wish to add word of Lizzy’s condition after the doctor is done in any case.”
Darcy coloured, “But of course. I am certain everything will turn out well. It has to turn out well.”
Soon, there was a knock on the door and the doctor entered.
“Everything went smoothly and Miss Bennet is still fast asleep and Mrs. Gardiner and the maids are seeing to her comforts now. Mrs. Gardiner sends her thanks for the clothes, Miss Georgie. Mr. Gardiner, you are at liberty to see your niece, sir.” Mr. Hastings shook the older man’s hand.
After Mr. Gardiner departed, he continued, “She will have a scar on her left shoulder but the bullet only grazed her and she will heal. It might have scraped her bone, though, so she will need to take care to not move her shoulder to avoid further damage. She is very fortunate. Any lower or closer to her neck, she might not have been able to recover.” He turned to Darcy, “You did a fine job to manage the bleeding but she did bleed out quite a bit and will need fluids and slow intake of warm broth as often as possible once she awakens. She seems an energetic young lady so I did bandage her up as I would my own daughter,” he chuckled, “so even if she decides to walk independently, she will not be able to get out of the arm sling that I wrapped around her.” He shook Darcy’s hand. “I will return tomorrow morning, William.” He kissed Georgiana’s forehead, “See you later, Georgie. I am certain everything will turn out well for your friend.”
Georgiana embraced her father’s best friend heartily and went upstairs with Mrs. Annesley to see what else she could do for her friend’s comfort.
Darcy sat down to compose a letter of his own when there was a knock on the door again.
“Richard, I am glad you were able to come at such a late hour. My guest was attacked tonight and I need to find out who is responsible. I am going to kill...” Darcy took in a deep breath. “Do you believe it is because someone found out about my latest... involvement? The Thames River Police is looking for all suspicious characters for the murders and they think a gentleman is implicated. That witness, the one that the papers described, he might be able to track...”
Richard interrupted, “Do not worry about that right now, Darcy. It is likely that this was an isolated incident. Your involvement there, should it have been discovered, would not result in Miss Bennet being fired upon. Perhaps the pistol was not aimed for you but someone with a grievance against Miss Bennet.” He rubbed his chin in contemplation for several moments, “I remember her from before. I remember hearing that name... perhaps two years ago? I cannot recall exactly when, but it had to do with Lord Suffolk and Mr. Kingston, I think. There were some gossips that she might have been Mr. Kingston’s mistress? Or was it Lord Suffolk’s mistress? I was not paying attention much but Mother was furious that some of those catty women dared to besmirch Lord Suffolk’s good name. Mother is good friends with Mrs. Kingston so she was upset but I do not remember further. She is a pretty little thing, Darcy, and in your bed, nonetheless.” He smirked.
“Do not mock me, cousin. I do not know how in the world I will be able to explain this to Bingley. She is his lady friend, you dolt. I think... I know… that I am in love with her.” Darcy confessed. “I am composing a letter to Bingley to explain her injuries and he will most likely be a daily visitor. You know what that means,” he shuddered, “he might bring his sisters.”
Richard Fitzwilliam laughed loudly, “You must forbid it! I would rather be facing Napoleon than to sit in a drawing room with those ladies. I still cannot believe you contemplated courting Caroline Bingley at one time.”
Darcy chuckled, “She was beautiful and had £20,000 pounds and sister to one of my best friends. I thought her perfect... until she opened her mouth. She has no intelligence, nothing in her little brain than lace and ribbons, and all of her professions of accomplishments sickened me. Miss Bennet...” He took another breath, “she is... she is what I want. Even if she is not of high standing, she is wonderful and makes Georgiana happy and I believe she will be a good wife. I am going to propose to her. I know she will accept me.” He stood to pace around the room and contemplated his life with Elizabeth Bennet.
“Perhaps you can establish her as your mistress. You told me you offered her £50 to be Georgie’s companion. Perhaps you can give her £500 a year and she might be tempted to take you on.” Richard laughed. “It would be a bargain compared to making her your wife.”
Darcy stopped his steps and looked at his cousin pointedly, “I care not how impressive you are with your sword, Colonel; I will challenge you to a duel if you do not cease slandering her good name. She is an excellent woman and she would tan your hide if she heard you speak of her this way.” Darcy soon chuckled, “But I think I will rather have Georgiana deal with you.” He laughed louder when his valiant cousin paled, “She still has not forgiven you for pushing Miss Bennet toward the edge of the balcony, although your actions did result in a woman literally falling into my lap.” Darcy smiled tenderly at the memory. “I found her fascinating at first sight and it took all of my willpower to control myself because Bingley was interested in her. I found out tonight that she does not feel the same toward him and I should not be so happy about that but I am finally ready to relinquish my bachelorhood and marry her. As soon as I discuss it with Bingley, I am going to ask her to marry me and I know she will make me happy.”
“Congratulations, cousin! A woman would have to be a fool to refuse a man of your standing. Well, let us return to the business at hand. Have the Bow Street Runners been called? We must increase your guards as well. No more sneaking out alone, cousin. I had difficulty explaining to Mother and Father why you were not at church again on Sunday. They thought you might be severely ill, as you rarely miss services.” Richard chastised Darcy.
“I keep returning to Southwark to see if anything had been left behind under the bridge. I could not rest until I checked it again myself. There had to have been other witnesses from the location.” Darcy answered. “If you are able, return tomorrow morning. Mason was able to report to the constable of the events and they were instructed to return at ten o’clock.” He stood to shake his cousin’s hand. “Bring a few men in uniform. I want everyone to feel the weight of my wrath if this villain is not captured quickly.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam departed Darcy House and the master of the house checked with the housekeeper to ensure that his guests were comfortable for the night in the guestrooms and that Miss Bennet was resting peacefully.
After using the servant’s entry to gain access to his own dressing room, he peeked into the bedroom to see the injured woman sleeping soundly, and with a smile on his face, he retired to the guestroom that had been prepared for himself.
~*~
With a moan and a dry mouth, Elizabeth
turned in bed and opened her eyes slowly when she could not move her left arm.
She saw the fireplace lit to warm up the space and noted the maid sleeping in the corner of the room. Looking down, she recalled that she had an injury to her shoulder and the doctor had wrapped her arm in a way to keep it immobile with no way to get out of it.
Elizabeth wiggled her legs to ensure her other limbs were working well and slowly sat up. She reached for the glass of water by the bedside and drank it down until the pitcher was empty then inspected the room to see that it was a very large bedroom with a firm but luxurious mattress. The colours were dark and matched that of Mr. Darcy’s study and Elizabeth suddenly realised she must have been sleeping in Mr. Darcy’s bed.
Finding a small throw by the foot of the bed, she awkwardly wrapped it around her shoulders with one arm and stood to stretch. Her shoulder hurt sharply and her head felt heavy but she had wished to move a little instead of asking for more medication. Elizabeth hated the feeling of the grogginess after laudanum and would rather suffer the pain with a clear head.
She saw that there was a small light coming from the slit of a door that had been left open and walked towards it to see what was there. Still barefoot, she stepped quietly as to not disturb the sleeping maid, and went into the door to find it a dressing room. She saw a few articles of clothing on a chair and noted a row of shiny hessian boots against the wall. The dressing room was the size of her bedroom at Longbourn and smelled like sandalwood and lemon.
After lifting the candle that had been burning in the room, she walked to the back of the room to see that another door had been left ajar. Having always been curious, even as a child, Elizabeth opened the door further to see where it would lead. She guessed it was a servants’ corridor and she felt rather adventurous after such an exciting night, and wondered if she could find a way to the library to look for a book.
Elizabeth carefully descended down the stairs and saw a long corridor with several doors lining the hallway. Thankfully, the doors were marked with plates to identify which doors led to which rooms.
She noted the doorplates to the dining room, the drawing room, another staircase leading to the kitchens downstairs, one to the study, the ballroom, and at last, the door to the library.
After placing her candle on a small table next to the door, she turned the doorknob very quietly, just in case someone might be present in the room. She was stunned when she saw that it was indeed occupied and not by one, but rather two persons who were far too engrossed in their own activity to notice the servants’ entry open.
Elizabeth quickly blew out her candlelight and peered in to see what was going on. She could see mainly shadows inside the room due to the fireplace burning, as a man stood in front of a woman between her legs, who was sitting on the desk and moaning loudly. It took a moment to realise that the man was thrusting his hips as the woman made unnatural noises, and when the man bent down to place his mouth on the woman’s exposed chest, Elizabeth could clearly see Mrs. Younge’s face, as she was being ravaged with full consent.
The man began to move faster and huffed loudly and Elizabeth could only see the dark shadow of the man. Then she heard Mrs. Younge mumble out loud, “Oh, Willia...”
Elizabeth quickly closed the door and stood gasping for air with a hand on her chest. She had seen animals mating, having grown up on farms in the country, and had some knowledge of the marriage bed from both her Aunt Diana and Aunt Madeline explaining in general terms. She recalled Mr. Darcy’s words of looking for ‘redeeming qualities’ before dismissing Mrs. Younge as Georgiana’s companion and burned in indignation.
Tears rose to her eyes, having found more to like Mr. Darcy the evening before and yet once again, her opinion had turned completely upside down, now understanding that he was a dissolute man who would take advantage of his employee.
She quickly wiped her face and realised that the corridor was very dark, and after blowing out her candle, she could not see her own hand in front of her face. Finding no matches to relight the candle, Elizabeth stumbled around and carefully headed back toward the direction she came from, and after feeling for several doorknobs, she slowly opened a door to see if there was a light she could use within.
Seeing that the fire was still lit, Elizabeth sighed and walked toward the fireplace. She had dropped her wrap somewhere and was now cold and shivering, still in shock from what she had witnessed in the library.
“Elizabeth!” She heard a man’s voice gasp. She turned swiftly to see Mr. Darcy sitting in a chair that had been facing the fireplace, and after too much bewilderment tonight, she felt knees weaken and the world turned black.
~*~
Slowly, Elizabeth’s ears perked to her name being called and felt a soft hand on her cheek. She was warm and comfortable and she was soothed by the scent of sandalwood and lemon. She suddenly jolted awake when her forehead was being kissed and her free hand was touching the bare arm of a man.
“Mr. Darcy! What are you doing? Release me immediately!” Elizabeth hissed. “Who do you think you are? How dare you attempt to importune an injured lady?!”
She felt Mr. Darcy immediately stiffen. “I... I am sorry, Miss Bennet. I caught you when you fell and you were chilled. I had been attempting to wake you for a few minutes now.”
Elizabeth looked down and although she was laying in his embrace, he had covered her body with a blanket up to her neck. She flushed with embarrassment, recalling what she had seen in the library, and to now see Mr. Darcy so informally dressed.
“I... I need to return to my rooms, sir. I will be out of your way tomorrow and you can do whatever you wish in your own home. I need to go.” She attempted to sit up but Mr. Darcy gently caressed her cheek.
Darcy softly spoke to her. “What if I do not wish you to go? What if I never wish to let you go? I have held you several times in my arms, Elizabeth, and I cannot think of a better place for you to be. I… I love... I love you. I am in love with you, Elizabeth Bennet.”
Elizabeth’s heart thumped wildly with his profession but she was quickly reminded of what she saw. “Ha! You said I would not tempt you! You may now have feelings for me, Mr. Darcy, but I could never attach myself to a man of such... such immoral behaviours. I saw you with Mrs. Younge and I know what you are about. Did you make her beg for her position so you can take advantage of her? Or did she seduce you to try to keep her employment? Do you sleep with all of your servants, and in a public room, no less?” She began to fume and stood up to distance herself from the handsome man.
“And I cannot forget Mr. Wickham. He told me...” Elizabeth was interrupted.
“WICKHAM! How do you know Wickham? When has he approached you?” Darcy barked. “He is not to be trusted, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth let out a humph, “That is what he said about you, Mr. Darcy! He told me how dishonourable you were by giving the living that your father willed to him to another when it became vacant. He is poor and left despondent because you were jealous of him.” She began to paced now. “I had wished to give you the benefit of doubt but after seeing you fornicating with Mrs. Younge, I find that my first impression of you was indeed correct. You are an insufferable, arrogant man who hates everyone and is displeased with everything. You offered me employment so I could reside under your roof as your sister’s companion and I now fully comprehend your motives, sir. I know you have no wish to marry someone so low! Did you possibly think I would agree to be your mistress? From the first moment of my acquaintance with you, your manners, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others were such as to form that groundwork of disapprobation of dislike, that I had not known you an hour before I knew you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.”
Darcy stood with his fists tightly closed. “You have said quite enough, madam. I perfectly comprehend your feelings and I beg your forgiveness for having taken up so much of your time.” He responded formally. He walked to the door and opened it and turn
ed back to look at her once more. “I am innocent of all of your charges, Elizabeth, but I know you have no wish to hear me out. I may be an arrogant sod, but in regards to Mrs. Younge and Wickham, you will find no fault with me.”
Elizabeth could take no more. Her head was spinning and her throat felt dry and her shoulder began to ache more than ever. With a weak cry, she fell to her knees and she held her head with one hand, shutting her eyes tightly in pain. She felt herself being wrapped in the blanket and lifted up, and after sensing the warm bed under her body, she drifted into deep sleep once again.
Chapter 6
Elizabeth’s hearing caught a voice reading something next to her. The peaceful voice grew louder and louder until she recognised whose voice it was. She cringed to open her eyes in the bright light and saw that her dearest sister was sitting at her bedside to read ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, her favourite Shakespearean comedy, and Elizabeth softly smiled and attempted to speak.
“Jane!” She croaked out.
Jane Bennet immediately put the book down to embrace her sister. She helped her sit up a little and offered her a drink of water.
“Millie, please let my father and relatives know that my sister has awakened. And also, please inform Mr. and Miss Darcy. Thank you.” Jane spoke quietly to the maid. She turned to her sister and smoothed her hair. “Oh, Lizzy! I am so glad to see you awake. I was so worried about you. I could not believe it when I heard what had happened and papa and I rushed to town as quickly as possible.” She wiped her tears. “You must never scare me like this again, Lizzy. I could bear anything in life but I could not abide losing you.”
“Oh, I am so sorry to worry you, dearest Jane. I am well now. Everything will be fine.” Elizabeth cried. “Oh, papa!” She exclaimed when her father ran through the doorway. He embraced her firmly and kissed her temple several times.
