Elizabeth’s answer was simple. She placed a kiss on the fingers that were tracing her lips. “No one has ever touched my heart the way you have. If only I could turn back the hands of time and have met you before my father took ill. If only I had not been sent to London; if only my uncle had not felt it necessary to marry me off immediately. But life is filled with ifs. One if I can give you is that if it were in my power, I would give you more than my heart. But my heart is all that I can give you.”
“We will pack and leave tomorrow for Rosings. It is a long journey, though I am certain that we will have a pleasant time with Richard and Georgiana traveling in the carriage with us.”
“Very well, William. I look forward to meeting your aunt. And I thank you, all of the kindness and caring you have given me has made me realize that there is still good in the world.”
Darcy placed his hand underneath Elizabeth’s chin and lifted it gently. He placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her lips, and as he broke contact, he whispered, still close enough for her to feel his breath upon her. “You deserve far more than I have given you, and one day, I pray, I will give you all that you truly deserve.”
~~ ** ~~ The trip was peaceful enough, though it took three full days to arrive. By the time of their arrival, all were ready to stretch their legs. The Darcy carriage was comfortable and one of the finest made, but even it had limitations. With both Darcy and Richard being tall men, they required more leg room than the others. And Elizabeth was desirous of a chance to walk, even for a few moments, and breathe in the fresh, crisp air. Lady Catherine had their rooms prepared and had informed her kitchen staff to be ready to send up trays to her guests after their arrival.
By the time they arrived at Rosings, Georgiana was beginning to feel poorly. She was taken to her rooms, where a hot bath was drawn for her, she had some of the food sent up on a tray, and then she was tucked into her bed by Elizabeth.
After seeing her young friend taken care of, Elizabeth found her way to her own rooms where Hannah was ready to tend her. She enjoyed having her hair brushed, and having Hannah run the brush through her dark locks reminded her of when she was younger and Jane held the brush. The memory was delicious, and made Elizabeth look forward to the day that she would be reunited with her family.
When she finally climbed into bed, she was sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. And, for once, she had no nightmares at all. Instead, she had one of the most pleasant dreams, and her dream included one very tall and handsome young man from Derbyshire.
~~ ** ~~ Darcy had written to Bingley, informing him of the change in locations and suggesting that Bingley and Mr Bennet could bring Jane to Rosings to visit. Rather than send the message by regular courier, he sent three men by rented carriage to Netherfield. This was unexpected, therefore, no one was watching for it, and the message arrived at Netherfield with no difficulty.
Knowing how important the message was to his betrothed, Bingley quickly had his horse readied and requested one of the footmen to join him. Since the attack on the courier, Bingley had taken to having at least one footman with him whenever he was out of the house.
Arriving at Longbourn, Bingley was sent down the hall to Mr Bennet’s study. He knocked on the door and announced himself before the door opened and Jane welcomed him inside.
“Charles, I did not expect you until this afternoon.” “Darcy sent word that they are moving Elizabeth to his aunt’s estate. After the courier was robbed, he decided to take no chances that it was someone attempting to find her. His aunt’s home is well guarded. And it is in Kent, not nearly so far away as Pemberley is from here. My friend has also sent an invitation for the two of you to join them at Rosings Park. I am invited as well. It has been a few years since I was last there, but I remember that it is a grand house with a very pretty park. It is near the village of Hunsford.”
“Hunsford?” Jane asked. “Papa, is that not where your cousin, Mr Collins, lives?” “He has the parish there. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is his patroness.” Mr Bennet said with a smirk. “The man is a boot licker, a bigger fool I have yet to meet.”
“Lady Catherine de Bourgh is Mr Darcy’s aunt. I have never met this Collins, but many in her employ are…shall we say, unique.” Mr Bennet laughed. “I believe that after the New Year, we should plan to accept the kind offer your friend. I cannot wait to be with my Lizzy once more.”
“I, too, cannot wait. To see Lizzy, to hear her musical laugh, it will be a wonderful gift to start the New Year.” Jane said with a whimsical smile. “Charles, I can never thank you enough for all you have done.”
“No thanks are needed, dearest. Now, I need to return to Netherfield, as I am to meet with my steward. Are you still planning to visit your aunt tomorrow?”
Jane nodded her head. “Will you meet Kitty and I there, and escort us home?”
Bingley took hold of his fiancé’s hand and kissed it. “It will be my honor.”
~~ ** ~~ Elizabeth spent most of the next day tending to Georgiana. She had a slight cold, but the headache that came with it kept the young girl in bed. Having her friend read to her brought Georgiana a great deal of comfort, as did her brother sitting in the chair beside her. Though she was ill, she found it pleasant to have such a family setting with her favorite people tending to her.
Georgiana fell asleep near midday, so Darcy took the chance to escort Elizabeth around the park. He was intoxicated with watching Elizabeth take in the natural beauty of the park. Even in winter, there was much to enjoy. The pond that was near the house had a thin layer of ice on top, and the sunshine was making quick work of that. The small icicles on the branches of the trees were dripping on the ground reflecting the sunlight and causing dancing lights underneath the lower branches. Moving several of the limbs ever so slightly, Elizabeth giggled when she let loose a branch, making the reflections dance even more. She felt like a child again. And it was a joyful experience for her, and for Darcy as he watched her come to life.
~~ ** ~~ Jane and Kitty were taking a morning walk to Meryton, to visit with their Aunt Phillips, on New Year’s Eve day. When they were a mile from Longbourn, they heard a wagon coming towards them at a rapid speed. Jane nudged her sister to the side of the road, and a moment later, the wagon was in sight. Seeing the driver was one of the tenants from Netherfield, Jane did not worry about her safety. When the wagon was next to the young ladies, Mr Morgan called out a greeting to them. “Miss Bennet, Miss Katherine, it is a pleasure to see you this morning. Are you traveling to Meryton?”
“It is a pleasure to see you too, Mr Morgan. How is your wife doing since the birth of your son?” Jane asked. “She is still weak, but the apothecary sent over some herbal tea that should help her gain her strength. I am sure that she will be pleased to know you were kind enough to ask about her.” He then glanced about to see if anyone else was in the area. “Would you ladies like a ride into Meryton? I would be pleased to take you to the village.”
Kitty wished to ride, as she said her foot hurt her, so Jane accepted the offered ride. The young ladies climbed aboard the back of the wagon, and they were off. The sisters were discussing the news of the militia soon to be arriving, and how Lydia would be enraptured with all the young men in their red coats. After a little while, Jane noticed that they had turned onto a different road and were heading to the west of Meryton, towards Purvis Lodge. No one had lived at Purvis Lodge for several years, but it had smoke coming from the main chimney. Something was wrong, very wrong. Jane turned to ask Mr Morgan what was happening when the man cracked the reins to urge the horses to gallop. The wagon was now traveling too fast for the young ladies to jump off, it would have caused them great harm or even death.
Looking at her dear younger sister, Jane could see the fear in Kitty’s eyes. Jane quickly wrapped her arms around her sister, holding her close to her. Whispering words of comfort, a comfort that she did not feel herself, Miss Jane Bennet tried to calm the violent shaking that was racking through her sister’s body.
“Mr Wilmington, you promised to release my family when I brought the Misses Bennet to you. I beg you to release my wife and babe and we will be on our way. I give you my word that we will speak of this to no one.”
“You will need to speak with Mr Bentley on that matter, for he makes the decisions. Please, it is cold out here; let us step inside where it is warm.” Jane held tightly to her sister. “My father and my fiancé will be searching for us when we do not arrive at our destination. Mr Bingley was to meet us at my aunt’s home.”
“Your father is a blind old man who cannot find his way in his own house; he is of no consequence, my dear sister.” Mr Bentley said as he stepped outside the house. “And we wish for your betrothed to find that you are missing. When he discovers the message we have left him, it will make your return to him that much quicker. Believe me when I say that you are not the Bennet sister I am wanting.”
Kitty stared at her sister. “Jane, who is this man?” “He is Lizzy’s husband. Mr Bentley. What are you doing here?” Jane was attempting to be strong, knowing what this man had done to her dearest sister.
“Why, I am here to collect my wife, and since she seems to be missing, I thought I would visit her family in hopes you might be able to aid me in locating her.”
“Why would we know?” asked Kitty. “We have not heard from her or seen her since she married you.” “Ah, but that is not true, is it Miss Bennet? You and your father have been in contact with Elizabeth. Or should I be correct, you have been in contact with Miss Julia Moreland, who is, in fact, my wife using a false name.”
“How did you learn this information?” Jane gasped. “Do you mean, how did I learn the information that my wife is posing as a cousin of your fiancé’s best friend, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy? Quite simple actually, as Mr Bingley’s sister has a loose tongue and it is easy to make her talk. I learned of a great many letters being exchanged between Netherfield and Pemberley. And when Mr Bingley received the letters, he would take them to Longbourn. But I could never get ahold of any of them coming to you, only two that you and your father sent to Miss Moreland. Though I could not confirm by seeing my wife’s handwriting on a letter to you, I am quite certain that Miss Moreland is, in fact, Elizabeth.”
“Jane, of what is he speaking?” Kitty was frightened more than she had ever been in her life. “You and Papa have heard from Lizzy? Why did you not tell us?”
“For everyone’s safety.” Jane said. “This man is a monster, and he nearly killed our sister. If he finds her, he will kill her, and everyone who is with her.”
Kitty looked at the man who had married her sister. “Why would you treat my sister so terribly? Lizzy is a good person, and you want her dead?” “She does not mind as a good wife should, therefore she must be punished for misbehaving. I will not tolerate her not doing exactly as I instruct. And she could not be trusted when I would need to leave the house, so she had to be secured to keep her from running away.”
“Keep her secure? Keep her your prisoner that is what you did.” Jane shouted at this man. “You have killed people for disappointing you, so what is there to make me believe that you will not kill us, even if you were to get Lizzy back?”
“I give you my word, and I am a man of my word. As soon as I have your sister back at my side, I will release you young ladies. You will be able to marry your Mr Bingley, and you, Miss Katherine, will be able to grow up and find a young man of your own.”
“I do not believe you. You will harm anyone who has protected and sheltered my sister from you. That would include my betrothed, his friend, my father and me. Kitty did not know of our communication with Lizzy, she truly is innocent here.”
“Miss Bennet, you must believe me when I tell you that I have no wish to harm you. If you all abide by the agreement, you will be reunited with your loved ones and be protected. If you do not, well, your beloved father will be the first to pay for your misdeeds.”
Jane continued with her false appearance of being strong. “Kitty and I will give you no reason to harm our father or anyone else. Now, let us see if you can live up to your word.”
~~ ** ~~ Bingley raced his horse towards Longbourn. He had to find Jane, and he prayed that she was still at home. When he arrived at the Phillips home in Meryton at the time they had arranged, only to find that Jane had yet to arrive, his heart nearly stopped.
As he came to a stop at the front door of the main house, Bingley was already jumping off his horse and making to knock on the door, when the door opened quickly.
Mrs Hill was standing at the door and asked Bingley inside. He instantly asked for Jane. “Mr Bingley, Miss Jane and Miss Kitty left two hours ago to visit their aunt in Meryton. But a message arrived for you just a few moments ago.”
She handed the letter to Bingley and he began to shake as he broke the seal on the back. Reading the words, Bingley nearly collapsed from fear. Mr Bingley,
As you have knowledge of the whereabouts of my wife, and I know the whereabouts of your fiancé, I believe it is time that we exchange the sisters so that we have the one we are promised to. I will give you until tomorrow afternoon at five to collect my wife from wherever you have her tucked away, and I will send a letter telling you as to where we will meet to exchange Bennet sisters. I suggest that you do exactly what I tell you, for I am sure that you know of what I am capable. I would not like to see such a pretty young face be marred by injuries.
Your future brother in law,
AB
Bingley rushed to Mr Bennet’s study to inform him of the situation. The men wrote a message to Darcy and called for one of Mrs Hill’s sons to act as a courier to deliver the message to Rosings Park. Darcy and Richard would come quickly, and they would know what to do.
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 11 Darcy and Richard were returning to the main house of Rosings Park, after taking a brisk ride across the park. They were pleased with the security that his aunt had in place and let out a sigh of relief. Elizabeth would be safe here, they were sure of it.
Suddenly, as they neared the house, the butler was outside the front door waving a letter at them. “Mr Darcy, an express from Longbourn arrived.” Mr Josephson cried out.
Darcy quickly dismounted his horse and nearly ran up the steps. He broke the seal and began to read as his cousin joined him. “Good God, the blackguard has taken Miss Bennet and one of her younger sisters. He wants to exchange them for Elizabeth.”
“I will prepare to ride immediately.” Richard said. He turned to the stable hand who had taken control of the horses. “Have them prepared to leave within a half of an hour.” The young man nodded his head.
Knowing what he faced, Darcy went to speak with Elizabeth and his aunt. Fortunately, he found them together in the conservatory, as his aunt was speaking with Elizabeth of some of the unique plants she had.
Seeing the expression on his face, Elizabeth knew that something terrible had happened. “What has he done? Who has been hurt because he is trying to find me?”
“Bentley has abducted two of your sisters, and is prepared to exchange them for you.”
“Then we should be off, for I will not stand by and allow him to harm them if I can prevent it.” “Elizabeth, please, do not make me order you to stay. If you go with us, my thoughts will be only for you and not in aiding to return your sisters to your father’s home. I cannot take you there.”
She stood and began to pace. He was right, of course, but it did not make it any easier for her to accept. Elizabeth Bennet was not the sort to be the damsel in distress, at least when she could do something about it. But this would be best handled by the men, for she would not do anything which could bring harm to her sisters. “Very well, but you must promise to keep us u
pdated on what happens, as soon as possible. I will not be able to rest until I know that Jane and Kitty are safe.”
“Dearest, we are supposed to make the switch tomorrow, late in the afternoon. Richard and I will travel to Longbourn now, determine what can be done, and if, mind you, IF, you can be of assistance, one of us will return to collect you. In the meantime, I wish for you to remain inside the house, and use caution. I promise you that I will do everything to protect your sisters. Their safety is as important to me as it is to you.”
“William, please make sure they are safe. I could not live with myself if they are harmed because of me. Or if any of you men are injured, as well. You are all so very important to me.”
“We will do all in our power to rescue them without anyone being harmed. Hold on to your faith, Elizabeth. We will do all that we can to protect your sisters and the rest of your family. Bingley and your father have, most likely, begun the search as to where the scoundrel is holding them. Bentley will not hide in some small, abandoned shack. He will wish to be comfortable wherever they are. That will limit the number of places they could be.”
“Be safe, William. And I will be prepared to leave here as soon as you come to collect me.” Elizabeth tried to project strength in her voice. “Have no fear, William, I will see that your young lady is safe. Georgiana is going to be well, the physician said that her cold is not severe and several days in bed should see her back to normal. I will make sure that all is protected here.” Lady Catherine said, standing strong and proud as she spoke. It made her feel strong to know that she could be of assistance.
The men were soon on their way to Longbourn, unaware that the messenger who had brought the letter had been followed.
Hidden behind some trees, Albert Bentley smirked as he watched Darcy and Richard riding away.
~~ ** ~~ Elizabeth returned to the conservatory. She had found comfort in the room at Pemberley, the lush green plants growing brought such serenity to her that she went there often. There was a settee near a stove which was used to heat the room when the winter was severe, and this was Elizabeth’s favorite place to curl up with a book.
The Conservatory of Hope Page 10
