The Conservatory of Hope

by Melanie Schertz

  Moving to take Hannah’s place, Darcy looked at the shaking young lady who was not only frightened, but in pain from thrashing around in her sleep. He prayed that one day soon, she would know that she was safe and these cruel dreams would leave her in peace.

  “Cousin, you are safe. You are at Pemberley, in my home. You had a nightmare; please know that you will not be harmed here. Calm yourself so that your pain will not be so severe.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes finally began to focus. “Cousin William…what…what happened? Oh, no, did I wake you with my nightmares again?”

  “I can understand why you would be having them. You have endured more than any of us could imagine. Are you well?” “The pain is severe, though I am sure that it is my own fault. I can remember feeling as if I were fighting someone, pushing them away and trying to run.”

  “Cousin, what can I do to relieve your pain? Would another dose of laudanum bring you comfort from what you are feeling?” “Please, no. I feel as if I am drowning in moving sand after taking the medicine. Perhaps that is why I am having the nightmares, I feel helpless when I take the laudanum.”

  Darcy had not thought of this. “I will speak with Mrs Reynolds tomorrow to see if there is something else that we can give you for the pain. Perhaps an herbal remedy that would give you some relief, yet keep you from feeling so desperate. Now, what can I do to assist you to deal with the pain and allow you to relax?”

  “Could you tell me more about yourself? Why would a man who owns a fine home as this go to such extremes to assist someone they had just met, especially someone like me?”

  “Let me see, what could I tell you that would interest anyone? My name, of course, is Fitzwilliam Darcy, and you know my estate is Pemberley. It is located in Derbyshire, and is one of the largest estates in the area. My parents have been dead for some time, my mother died when my younger sister was born, and my father died near five years ago. My sister, Georgiana, is twelve years my junior and I share guardianship of her with my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.”

  “Your cousin is in the regulars?” Darcy smiled. “He is. And, unlike many who are from the upper circle of society, he began his career amongst the troops, earning his promotions each step of the way. I admire him, as he is a man of great integrity.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “It must be a family trait, for you can be described in the same manner.” Darcy could see that fatigue was beginning to claim her. “I thank you for your compliment, and I am flattered by causing such a comment. There is a big difference between my cousin and myself. He is good natured and charismatic. I am extremely shy and suffer a great difficulty in being able to converse with others.”

  “That, good sir, I find to be a falsehood. You have been able to converse with me easily enough.” A shy smile grew on Darcy’s lips. “But you are my cousin, and it is you alone. Had we met in a large group of people, say a ball, I would not have been able to do so.”

  “Well, Cousin William, while I recover, my duty will be to assist you in overcoming your shyness. It is not much, but it is all that I have to offer you for your generosity.”

  “I have not asked to be repaid, but I do appreciate your kind offer. I accept your training of me on the ways of conversing with others and look forward to our lessons.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes were nearly closed as she spoke. “I look forward to them as well, Cousin. Now, please return to your bed and find sleep. We will speak later, at a more respectable hour.”

  Darcy lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. “Until a respectable hour, Cousin Julia, and I pray for you to find peace in your dreams the rest of the night.”

  ~~ ** ~~ Georgiana was pleased to see their carriage was pulling into the grounds of Pemberley. They would be at her home in another hour. So many things had been skipping around in her mind. Her brother’s behavior was the top item that flitted about.

  She was pleased to be going home. Whenever she was away from Pemberley, Georgiana felt frightened, like a fish out of water. Especially when she had to go to Town, for the young girl was much like her brother in that she was extremely shy and withdrawn. At Pemberley, everyone knew her and had known her all of her life. They cared for her, for her family, and saw her for the young lady she was. There were no people trying to garner a relationship with her brother for financial gain. There were no falsehoods, no young ladies wishing to know more of her brother in their quest to ensnare the great Master of Pemberley in marriage.

  At Pemberley, Georgiana could play her pianoforte, do her lessons, spend time in the park surrounding the main house, ride her horse as often as she wished, and feel the motherly love of their housekeeper, Mrs Reynolds. Not knowing her mother, Georgiana had become close to Mrs Reynolds over the years of her childhood.

  When her brother first explained the reasons that she should attend school, Georgiana thought he was ridiculous. How could he expect her to interact with all the young ladies that he tried desperately to avoid? Why did he insist on her being involved with society, the very same people with whom Darcy could not tolerate spending time? While she was at home, she intended to speak with him on this matter. Perhaps Richard would support her view as well. And if she were to befriend this young lady who seems to have become important to her brother, perhaps it would also be of some benefit for her as well.

  ~~ ** ~~

  Jane Bennet was a sweet natured young lady, the eldest of five daughters born to Mr and Mrs Thomas Bennet of Longbourn, in Hertfordshire. Jane had been raised with her mother’s words telling her how beautiful she was. At this point in her life, Jane did not feel so beautiful. She felt confused and disappointed in how her life had become.

  The second daughter of the Bennet family was Elizabeth. Though she was said to not be as beautiful as Jane, Elizabeth was beautiful in her own right. And Elizabeth was intelligent, well read, and liked by all who knew her. The two eldest sisters had been dearest friends all of their lives. That is until their father took ill and their mother sent Elizabeth to London to find a husband.

  When word was received of her sister’s wedding, Jane was devastated that it had happened so quickly and that she was unable to attend. It had always been their dream to stand up for each other at their weddings. How could Elizabeth not ask her to be at the wedding? How could they not have the wedding from Longbourn, so that the entire family could meet Lizzy’s husband and wish them both well?

  Mrs Gardiner had sent an address of the home where Lizzy and her new husband, Mr Albert Bentley, would be living. Jane wrote letters to her sister, every week for several months. Only when the letters returned saying that Elizabeth Bentley and her husband had moved, somewhere unknown, did Jane stop writing. Has Elizabeth decided that she no longer wishes to have contact with our family? Is she so happy to be away from us that she wants nothing more to do with us? I cannot believe that she would have forgotten us; perhaps we are an embarrassment to her. Mamma can be difficult to be around, the flitting of her nerves and the way she is always trying to find husbands for us. And our sisters are quite silly little creatures, as no one has checked their behavior in many years. Mamma allows Lydia to do whatever she wishes, and Kitty does whatever Lydia does. Mary spouts sermons to everyone and her playing on the pianoforte is acceptable, as long as she does not attempt to sing.

  But Jane knew that Elizabeth had always been close to their father, every day of Elizabeth’s visit with the Gardiners, she had written to Jane, praying that their father would be well again soon. The fact that Elizabeth suddenly stopped asking for news of anyone in the family, that she did not write to learn of their father’s welfare, was what bothered Jane the most.

  Suddenly, Jane heard her mother calling out in a state of anxiety. Mrs Bennet entered the drawing room where her eldest daughter was sitting to make her announcement.

  “Oh, Jane, such wonderful news, Netherfield Park is let at last. I just received the news from my sister when I was in Meryton. The young man who is to take possession of the estate i
n a fortnight is not married, and he is said to be bringing some of his friends from London. Is this not the most wonderful news? We are saved.”

  “Whatever could you mean, we are saved? What does this man’s arrival have to do with us?” Jane asked “Why, he will marry one of you girls, of course. Any young man of fortune will be in want of a good wife. And what better than for him to choose one of my daughters, for you are the jewels of the neighborhood. I must speak with your father immediately.”

  “He is in his study.” Jane said. “Please tell him I will be with him shortly. He wished for me to read his letters to him.” “Well, I do not envy you the task. When he learns that there is still no letter from your sister, his mood turns sour. To think that it has been so long, and no contact from her, why would she not write or even visit? I would very much like to meet her husband. My brother said that he is handsome, and quite wealthy. I am sure that, by now, Lizzy has given him a son.”

  “Tell Papa I will join him shortly, and I will bring him tea when I come.” “Very well, Jane. Oh, I cannot wait for the Assembly, for Sir William Lucas has invited the young man and his guests to attend.”

  Jane shook her head as she heard her mother continuing to chatter as she walked down the hall towards Mr Bennet’s study. “Lizzy, my dear sister, where are you?” ~~ ** ~~

  Darcy welcomed his little sister and their cousin home. “How was your trip?”

  “It was pleasant, for this time of year.” Colonel Fitzwilliam stated. “Thankfully, there was no snow.” “Richard was pleased that there were only the three of us, so he was able to rest his legs on the seat across from him. Having his legs cramped while he recovers is quite painful, he said.” Georgiana said as she embraced her brother. “Had he been in pain, the trip would have been miserable for all of us.”

  The colonel’s batman saw to his belongings taken to his regular rooms when he stayed at Pemberley. “Simmons, would you request a bath for me?” Richard asked.

  “Yes, Colonel, and would you prefer to wear civilian clothes or uniform after bathing?” “Civilian clothing will be fine. I will be up shortly.” Richard said before turning his attention back to his cousin. “Now, shall we step into your study for a chat before I bathe?”

  Darcy smiled. “Come, Richard, I have a bottle of my best port waiting for you.” Georgiana followed the two most important men in her life to her brother’s study. Once the door was closed, she took hold of her brother’s hand and began questioning him. “How is our ‘cousin’, Miss Julia? What can you tell us about her? How did you come to make such a generous offer to act as family for her?”

  “Slow down, Georgie, give me a chance to answer before firing off more questions.” Darcy laughed at his sister’s excitement. “Miss Julia is making a recovery, though she is still experiencing a great deal of pain in her back. Part of it is from the abuse she survived before the accident. She is about twenty years of age, I have not asked her for a specific age as of yet. She is not as tall as you, though she has the same dark hair and brown eyes that we Darcys have, which would assist in convincing people that she is related. In a way, she has sort of the same smile as our great great grandmother’s portrait. I went through the gallery to see if there was any one of our ancestors that we could claim she resembled. That was the closest I could come.”

  “I still do not understand, Brother, why are you doing this. It is out of character for you to behave so.” Darcy stood and walked to the nearest window. Looking out the window, he collected his thoughts before he spoke. “I cannot tell you the reason, for it is still difficult for me to understand myself. Miss Julia has a look about her that says she is a wonderful young lady, filled with life. It is only that her husband has tried to extinguish that life by beating it from her. Mr Blaine gave me most of the details of her injuries, including burn marks which appear to be from a fireplace poker. The beast heated a poker so hot that it burned her skin when he used it on her. Her wrists had been bound together so much that there is permanent damage to her hands. Mr Blaine stated that her hands will never be strong from the damage done. There are welts from being beaten with objects, and when he examined her for injuries, he could feel the areas of bone which had healed from being broken. Her skull has an indentation and a scar on the scalp over the top of it. She was struck hard at one point, a blow that most likely should have killed her.”

  “So much like what Father told me of Aunt Catherine’s abuse when Sir Louis was alive.” Richard said. When Georgiana looked curiously at him, he continued. “She was beaten so often by our uncle that he nearly killed her. Her one leg never did heal properly from being broken multiple times and not set when it should have been. That is the reason she uses the cane to walk. My mother stated that you will never see Aunt Catherine in a gown that has short sleeves or a neckline that is lower than the base of her neck. Too many scars that she does not wish others to see.”

  “I knew that she had been abused by our uncle, I had never heard that it was this severe.” Georgiana said, a tear threatening to escape her eye. “No wonder Aunt Catherine prefers to keep to herself.”

  “I know that she was also distraught each time that she lost a baby. I believe that she had five miscarriages due to Sir Louis’s beatings. I remember overhearing my mother and Aunt Catherine discussing it.” Darcy said as he returned to his seat. “Aunt Catherine told Mother that if she had been able to have her children, she could have tolerated what her husband did to her. But he robbed her of even them. Except for Anne, that is. And even then, Anne suffers terribly from his cruelty, long after his death.”

  “William, I wish to know, is it only the similarity between our aunt and this young lady which makes you desire to come to her aid?” Richard asked. “I cannot explain it, Richard. I have asked myself over and over, and I cannot understand the overpowering need I have to see that she is protected. There is goodness about her, a kindness and intelligence to her. I do not wish to see it destroyed by this… this… scoundrel is too kind a word for this man. I wish for her to be able to live, to have a life that will bring her joy and happiness, not death and sorrow as she would have if she remains with him. She is lucky to be alive; I doubt that she would be able to survive another attack.”

  “Can we meet her, discover for ourselves the sort of young lady she is?” Georgiana asked her brother. It was a fair request to make, as his request of acceptance required more from them.

  “Most certainly, Georgie, you and Richard can either meet her now, or wait until after you have refreshed from your trip. We could all join her after your bath, and I can have refreshments prepared for us. Miss Julia is finally able to eat more. She had been nearly starved to death as well, and her stomach could hold no more than a crust of bread at a time.”

  Richard nodded his head. “I will take my bath then, and meet you at Miss Julia’s rooms in, say, an hour.”

  “That would be wonderful, Richard. I had her placed in the floral rooms in the family wing.”

  Georgiana and Richard looked at each other for a moment, both surprised to learn this development. His sister came around the desk and placed a kiss on Darcy’s cheek. “I will wash up and change to a fresh gown before I meet our new cousin. I am pleased to be home, William.”

  “And I am pleased to have you home. I truly hated sending you to the school, and I was thrilled to have a reason to bring you home again. The house is empty when you are away.” He wrapped his arms tightly about her and held her to his chest. Before releasing her, Darcy placed a kiss on the top of her head.

  ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 4 Albert Bentley was a man accustomed to having his way. When his business dealings with Edward Gardiner did not earn the profit he thought it should, he made his displeasure known to the man. It was a time in Mr Gardiner’s life that he would never forget.

  “Edward, you promised that the returns on my investment would be substantially higher than they are. Was I wrong in trusting you?” Bentley asked. “No, Mr Bentley, I swear that th
ere were unforeseen circumstances that caused our returns to be smaller than expected. There was an infestation of insects on the plants of my biggest supplier of coffee beans. They nearly lost their entire crop.”

  “I do not know about this, Edward, for it makes me look foolish. I place an investment with you and it fails. Only if we were family could I overlook such and not appear to have been taken in.”

  Mr Gardiner was curious at this statement. Mr Bentley had met his niece, Elizabeth, who was staying in Town with his family. “My wife was telling me that you have taken quite a shine to our Elizabeth. Are you, perhaps, suggesting an arrangement between our two families? Elizabeth would make you a wonderful wife, she is witty and beautiful, and would be the perfect hostess for your gatherings. She is well read and keeps current on events throughout the country.”

  “The question is, will she do as she is told to do? Will she do as her husband says? I cannot abide a woman who does not follow her husband’s dictate.”

  “She can be made to see the proper way to behave, Mr Bentley. I am sure that you will be pleased with her.”

  “And will she see that, once married, her family is no longer her family, only her husband will matter?” This sent a cold shiver up Edward Gardiner’s spine. “Her family would miss her terribly, but, you are correct. The husband is the one to dictate the connections and if you did not wish her to contact her family, she will accept your decision.”

  “I will leave a generous gift to ease the burden for your niece’s leaving the family. They will soon forget that she exists.”

  “A gift, Sir? What sort of gift?” “In addition to my forgiving your bad investment advice, I will add twenty thousand pounds to be placed in a trust for her family. Did you not say that your sister would be homeless when her husband leaves this world, as the estate is entailed to a distant cousin? This would provide for your sister and she would not have to rely on you to take her in.”