New Beginnings

by Leenie Brown

  “I will stay,” said Georgiana softly.

  “Very well,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “Your talks with my niece, Mr. Darcy, did not go unnoticed by Mr. Wickham. He questioned her about them and refused to believe they were as she said, mere inquiries into the wellbeing of Mrs. Darcy. His attentions to her increased. He said hateful things about you, Mr. Darcy. Things she would not repeat. But in her opinion, he possessed a greedy and jealous heart, a heart which desired to have all that you possessed.” She paused and drew a deep breath. Mr. Gardiner took her hand and held it firmly. “However, his heart was darker than she could have ever imagined, for he sought an opportunity to ruin her and forced himself upon her, threatening to harm her should she ever tell anyone about it. She, of course, was frightened and understandably ashamed. She wrote to me of it only when she needed my help to tell her mother she was with child.”

  Mr. Gardiner placed his handkerchief in her hand. “She was sent to us,” he continued. “She arrived as Elise Monahan, a young widow whose husband had been tragically killed in an accident. We had means to help her establish herself after the baby was born, but sadly our assistance was never needed as both she and the baby died in childbirth two days before her nineteenth birthday.”

  “She did not leave to care for an ailing relative?” asked Darcy breaking the silence which had engulfed the room.

  Mrs. Gardiner shook her head.

  “She was harmed in an attempt to harm me?” There was great sadness in his voice.

  “Something for which you are not responsible,” said Richard firmly.

  “He is right, Mr. Darcy.” Mr. Gardiner held Darcy’s gaze for a moment. “We can only be held responsible for our actions, not those of others.”

  Mrs. Gardiner spoke softly. “I know from the stories I heard while I was living in Lambton that Mr. Wickham tormented you. He seemed bent on making you suffer for having been born to your status. I know that each time, his attacks became more personal, closer to home. Though he will not attack you personally; he seems rather determined to make you suffer. I do not know how he has treated you since your father died, but I imagine, his attacks are not any less personal.”

  Darcy nodded. “You would be correct.”

  “His last attack on my brother was very close to home,” said Georgiana.

  “Georgiana,” cautioned Darcy.

  “No, brother, ”said Georgiana. “I must be allowed to speak of it.” She waited until Darcy gave a resigned nod. “Last summer, Mr. Wickham convinced me to elope with him. I was foolish.” Her cheeks grew rosy, and she looked at her hands which were folded in her lap. “I was taken with his looks and manners. He was all that was pleasing, just as a young man should be. He spoke so eloquently of his feelings for me that I believed he really loved me. Before we were to elope, I thought better of my plans and wished to be allowed to tell my brother of my desire to wed. Mr. Wickham became incensed. He berated me for being so inconstant in my feelings and childlike in my behaviour. He accused me of playing him false and threatened to tell my brother I had allowed him liberties.”

  She looked to her brother. “I later discovered he was only after two things, my dowry and my brother. Had I followed through with the elopement, his revenge would have been complete. Fitzwilliam would have suffered severely for the rest of his life, I know this now.” She finished in a small voice that was filled with sorrow.

  “Mr. Gardiner,” said Roberts coming into the room. “A Lieutenant Saunderson to see you, sir.”

  “Send him in, Roberts. What he has to say may be shared with all who are here.”

  “Lieutenant,” Mr. Gardiner rose to greet the officer and introduced him to the others in the room. “I assume you bear news from Meryton?”

  “Yes, sir. Colonel Forster sent me, sir.” He glanced nervously toward the ladies. “It is about Lieutenant Wickham, sir.”

  “I expected as much. Please continue.”

  “Very good, sir. Colonel Forster wished me to inform you that Lieutenant Wickham was spotted in town two days ago. According to a witness we have recently located, he asked some people at the park about a lovely family that was playing near the water. The family consisted of three gentlemen, two ladies, and four children. Upon further questioning, we were made aware that one of the gentlemen was Mr. Darcy and another was Colonel Fitzwilliam. Colonel Forester immediately wished me to inform both you and Mr. Darcy. Would I be correct in informing Colonel Forster that the others of the family are members of your household, sir?”

  “You would be correct. I suspect Colonel Forster had already come to that conclusion?”

  Lieutenant Saunderson nodded. “Indeed he had.”

  “You may report the following to him. No one will be leaving this house without an escort. You must have a footman or one of these gentlemen with you at all times when you are out and about. This applies to all of you ladies and my children as well, but I think we know that, Lizzy, this is most particularly important for you. Wickham befriended you in Meryton and has now seen you in the company of Mr. Darcy. If his pattern holds, you would be his first choice as a target. I hate to be so blunt, but I would rather be blunt than to have you injured or worse, Lizzy.”

  “Of course, Uncle. I will be very cautious,” replied a shaken Elizabeth.

  Darcy’s heart ached as he saw the fear in her eyes. Silently, he cursed George Wickham and vowed that this would be the last time Wickham would trouble his family. His mind caught on the word. He looked about the room. Yes, the word was correct. These people would hopefully soon be his family.

  Chapter 5

  At the Gardiner house, the shock of the news concerning Wickham gradually wore off, and the awkwardness of the recently imposed safety precautions melted into a sort of routine. One week later, the entire household, save Mr. Gardiner, who was at work and Michael, who was too young, prepared for a gift buying excursion.

  “John,” said Mrs. Gardiner, “We shall be ready to depart in half an hour.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. I will be ready,” replied the burly footman.

  Half an hour later, true to her word, Mrs. Gardiner had the entire party gathered at the front door, ready to depart. “It will be a bit of a squeeze getting us all in the carriage,” she said, “but we shan’t catch a chill being so cozy together, now shall we?” She let Charlotte, Maria, Elizabeth and Jane climb into the carriage first before handing in her three children and instructing them to sit on a lap or squish tighter. Then she climbed in, and John joined the driver on the box.

  “Mama?” asked Andrew. “May we stop for Papa’s book first?”

  “Yes, Andrew, I think we shall,” she told him. Then turning to Elizabeth, she added merrily, “I dare say if it is not the first stop, we shall hear of little else all morning.”

  Elizabeth winked at her aunt and wrapped her arms more tightly around the youngster who sat on her lap. “It is the best shop, is it not, Andrew?”

  Andrew scrunched up his face as he thought for a moment before giving a small shake of his head. “It is almost the best. The sweets shop is better.” A smile split his face at the thought of the treats contained within that shop.

  Mrs. Gardiner chuckled. “I know of a lovely tea shop with chocolate and scones just down the street from the bookseller’s.”

  “Oh, yes,” said Jane. “Their chocolate was delightful.”

  “And the company may be just as pleasing.” Mrs. Gardiner’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “The gentlemen did say they frequent that shop, did they not?”

  “They did,” answered Elizabeth.

  Andrew peeked up at his favourite cousin and pulled his brows together which combined with his slight pout let everyone know he was not best pleased with this information. “Will Mr. Darcy be there?” he asked.

  A faint blush coloured Elizabeth’s cheeks. She hoped he would be. At the end of each year, it was Gardiner tradition to give gifts that showed thankfulness for and gave blessing to the receiver. Although she enjoyed spending time searc
hing for just the right gift, she had been disappointed she would not be home to receive a call from Darcy and Georgiana. “Perhaps.”

  Andrew’s expression became more of a scowl. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, too?”

  Elizabeth nodded.

  Andrew’s face relaxed somewhat although he still did not look satisfied. “I like chocolate,” he said. He worried his bottom lip for a moment as he thought before he sighed. “But I think I still prefer the sweets shop.”

  The carriage groaned to a stop outside the bookseller.

  John jumped down from the box and went into the store. A short while later, he opened the carriage door and handed the ladies and children down. Then, after a quick word with Mrs. Gardiner, he took up his post at the front door, carefully watching each person who entered.

  Margaret, Amelia, and Andrew followed their mother first to the section of books from which to choose a present for their father. After making their selection, they waited near the children’s books while Mrs. Gardiner picked up a few other books, carefully hiding them from Elizabeth’s view and paid for them. Elizabeth had already made her purchase and was wandering the shop admiring the row on row of books. She stopped at a shelf of poetry books and paged through a few.

  “Lizzy,” said Andrew tugging at her coat, “it’s time to go.”

  Elizabeth took his hand and walked to the front of the store. “Oh, dear,” she said.

  “Is there a problem?” asked her aunt.

  “I seem to have left my parcel back on the shelf by the poetry books. It will only take a moment to retrieve it.” She turned back into the store as the rest of the group, save Andrew, who was still holding her hand, chatted on the walkway out front.

  “Excuse me, sir. I left my parcel on the shelf,” she said to a gentleman in great coat and top hat who was perusing the same volume of poetry that she had previously been enjoying.

  “Ah, Miss Elizabeth,” said the man turning to face her. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

  Elizabeth gasped and jumped back, pushing Andrew behind her. “Mr. Wickham, are you on leave from the regiment?” She hoped her voice sounded steadier than she felt.

  “You could say that,” he said with a smirk. “I am on a sort of mission, I guess.”

  “It would be a pity to keep you from your purpose, and my party is waiting for me, so I will wish you a good day, Mr. Wickham.” She gave a quick curtsey and began backing away from him.

  “Miss Elizabeth, your leaving would keep me from my mission,” he said taking a step closer and pulling a pistol out of his pocket. “I would suggest that you stop.” A menacing sneer suffused his face.

  Elizabeth froze. Keeping her eyes fixed on Wickham’s face, she gave Andrew a little push towards the door and hissed, “Run!”

  Wickham’s eyes flicked toward the young boy, his pistol following his gaze. In desperation, Elizabeth threw her package at the gun and lunged toward her cousin. A gunshot reverberated through the store.

  Mrs. Gardiner’s eyes grew wide in terror. “Jane, get the girls in the carriage. Someone get help.” She ran after John, who had already entered the store.

  Maria lifted her skirts and raced down the street toward a group of men who stood chatting in front of the tea shop. “Help!” she cried. “Oh, please help us!”

  “What happened?” asked Richard as he caught her by the arm.

  “A gunshot.” She gasped trying to quickly fill her lungs with air. “At the bookstore.” She again took a gasping breath. “Elizabeth and Andrew…” It was enough. Richard was running toward the book shop following closely behind his cousin while Bingley hurried behind them with Maria.

  Darcy was the first to enter the store and came around the book stack only moments after Mrs. Gardiner. He froze as he took in the scene. Wickham lay motionless on the floor, a pile of books surrounding him. A gun lay several feet away from him, and John was standing over him. In front of Darcy, Elizabeth clutched the lifeless form of Andrew. Mrs. Gardiner dropped to the floor beside Elizabeth and began checking her son for injuries. There was blood, a good deal of blood.

  “Aunt, take him, please.” Elizabeth’s words slurred, and her body swayed. “I am not feelin….” She slumped against her Aunt. It was then that Darcy realized the blood was not just from the wound on Andrew’s leg but was also from a wound on Elizabeth’s arm. Mrs. Gardiner lifted her son from Elizabeth’s arms as Darcy lifted Elizabeth from the floor

  “Bingley!” Darcy yelled. “Your cravat, give it to Mrs. Gardiner, she can use it as a bandage to stop Andrew’s bleeding.” He waited for Bingley to hand the piece of cloth to Mrs. Gardiner. “Now, take my cravat and tie it around Miss Elizabeth’s wound. Tightly!” Bingley did as instructed. “Send Miss Bennet and the children home, then bring Gardiner’s physician,” he looked to Mrs. Gardiner for the name.

  “Dr. Clarke, the same one who attended your father,” Mrs. Gardiner said looking at Bingley.

  “Bring Dr. Clarke to Gracechurch Street as quickly as possible. And my carriage ─send it round back of the store.”

  “And a surgeon,” added Richard. “We will need a surgeon to close those wounds.”

  Bingley shook his head. “Dr. Clarke still has his apprentice, does he not, Mrs. Gardiner?”

  “He does indeed.” She stroked her son’s hair as a tear slid down her cheek. “Andrew knows him. It will make it easier.”

  “I will make haste,” Bingley assured Mrs. Gardiner before turning to do as he had been instructed.

  “Colonel, you will come to the Gardiner’s once that,” Darcy indicated Wickham with a tilt of his head in the man’s direction, “has been disposed of.”

  Richard nodded. “John and I will move him to new accommodations as soon as you have removed the injured.”

  “Sir,” Darcy addressed the shopkeeper who had come running from the back of the store and stood wringing his hands and staring at the scene before him, “where is your back door? We mustn’t exit to the street.” The man’s eyes shifted to Darcy. “You will want to lock the front door and hang up your sign. I am afraid the shop is not fit for customers at the moment.”

  “Yes, sir.” The shopkeeper immediately locked his door and then returned. “Follow me, sir. The backdoor is just through here.”

  “Mrs. Gardiner, are you well enough to carry Andrew?” Darcy asked in a gentle voice.

  She nodded. “I will follow you.”

  Darcy carefully positioned Elizabeth in the carriage and then took Andrew from Mrs. Gardiner as she climbed in. He placed the boy back in his mother’s arms, and after giving directions to his driver and sending one of his footmen to Mr. Gardiner’s warehouse, he climbed in next to Elizabeth’s still form and gathered her into his arms. It would not do to have her jostled about by the motion of the carriage.

  Mrs. Gardiner gave him a half smile. “They will be well.” Her voice wavered.

  “Yes, of course, they will be well.” Darcy swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. “They must be well,” he whispered.

  ~*~*~*~*~*~

  The doctor arrived shortly after Mrs. Gardiner, Jane, and Charlotte had, with the help of Mr. Darcy, gotten Andrew and Elizabeth into bed. Darcy paced the sitting room while he and Bingley waited for news.

  Mr. Gardiner burst into the house, hat in hand, coat unbuttoned. “Roberts, tell me what is happening.”

  “Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are in the sitting room, and Dr. Clarke is attending Miss Elizabeth and Master Andrew, sir,”

  “Wickham?” Mr. Gardiner asked as he entered the sitting room.

  “He was at the book shop,” said Darcy.

  “Whose…?” Mr. Gardiner sat heavily in his chair, his eyes resting on the blood-stained coat which lay discarded on a footstool.

  “Elizabeth’s and Andrew’s,” replied Darcy coming to a stop in front of him. “I do not know the details, but both have sustained wounds from a gunshot. The doctor is with them now. We are just waiting for word.”

  “Wickham has been tak
en into custody,” added Bingley.

  “He will not be hurting anyone again,” said Richard coming into the room. “He was conscious when we took him in, and we got his statement—with a little coercing.” He smiled wickedly. “Of course, I will need to talk to Miss Elizabeth and Andrew later to confirm the veracity of his words. However,” he rubbed his fist, “I have little reason to believe he was anything less than honest.”

  Richard took Darcy by the shoulders and steered him to a chair. “Sit. Your constant pacing does no one any good. It only stirs up the nerves.”

  Darcy acquiesced and took a seat. “What can you tell us about what happened?”

  Richard unbuttoned his jacket before sitting down. “It is quite a tale if it is true.” He tossed one leg over the other and settled back to share his story. “Wickham says he saw the footman at the front of the store, so he slipped in through the back door. He confronted Miss Elizabeth when she came back into the store to retrieve a forgotten parcel. He claims he brandished the gun to intimidate Miss Elizabeth and make her follow him out of the store to the alley. Apparently, Miss Elizabeth is not easily intimidated.”

  Mr. Gardiner snorted. “Indeed she is not.”

  Richard chuckled. “Instead of cowering in fear, she told Andrew to run for help. That is when Wickham took a shot at your son, Mr. Gardiner. However, his efforts were somewhat thwarted by Miss Elizabeth, who concurrently stepped in front of the gun and threw an object knocking the gun out of his hand, but not until the shot had been fired.

  “Wickham asserts that Andrew stumbled and fell, hitting his head rendering him insensible. At this point, Miss Elizabeth rounded on Wickham and showered him with books before pummeling him senseless with an exceptionally large volume of poetry.”

  All three men sat slack-jawed listening to the Colonel’s recital of the events that had occurred in the book shop.

  Richard gave his cousin a sympathetic smile. “He admitted he was only after Miss Elizabeth to make you suffer.”