OUT OF THE BLUE CLEAR SKY: (A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VARIATION)

by SANDRA P. HIGGINS

  Right away Elizabeth knew the man was large by his big hands and the way he picked her up and kept her from screaming before she lost consciousness. He was near six feet with a heavy build and looked as if he had been a laborer. She could see an old scar on the right side of his face from the corner of his mouth to his right ear. Now she watched as she saw him reach for a bottle of whiskey but Nellie took it away. His response was to push her down until she relented and poured him a glass of whiskey and told him she was sorry.

  “Do not be so sure that we will not be found out, Nellie. You have already told her that we plan to go to Ireland and so it looks like I may have one more job to do with Darcy’s favorite woman. I still have not made up my mind but I do think that we will have to do something about her and unfortunately she is in the wrong place at the wrong time. We cannot trust that she will not tell the authorities where we have gone. Remember, a dead person does not speak from the grave.”

  Elizabeth could not believe the mess that she had got herself into and now realized she knew much more than she ever should know if she wanted to keep her life. She was nearly in a state of panic but she still managed to think clearly and searched the room with her eyes to see if there was possibly a way that she could eventually escape, or if necessary, could defend herself and fight for her life.

  She did see a knife that looked to have blood on it and wondered if that was the knife that was used on Mrs. Younge, because she had overheard Nellie’s earlier talk with the man. The knife had been put on the table not too far from where she was sitting but of course her hands were behind her and there was no way that she could reach it. Elizabeth knew if would be a battle of wits for her to win her freedom but this man was an evil killer and so she thought of other things she could do to gain her freedom.

  That night Doris returned and inspected Elizabeth.

  “Nellie, we must move quickly to ransom her. What does this woman have to say?”

  The man removed the gag from her mouth and untied her hands.

  “You can say you kidnapped me but Mr. Wickham had a bigger scheme in mind.”

  Now all listened carefully as Elizabeth began to speak. “I was to come to town and steal from Mr. Darcy and his aunt and his uncle, Lord Matlock and I was to join up with you.”

  “But where is George Wickham?”

  “Mr. Wickham was arrested for not paying his debts and for sexual crimes with young women. He was given a choice to go to debtors prison or be tried for his crimes, but he was then offered the choice to leave for Australia. He is on a ship heading that way but asked me to help you rob Darcy.”

  “Were you one of his victims, Miss?”

  “Please call me Elizabeth but my last name is Bennet.”

  “No, ours was strictly a business proposition. I needed to show Darcy that I cared for him and loved him and I had thought to steal from him even before I met Mr. Wickham.”

  “Do you love him?” asked Doris.

  “No, I love neither man but I do love Darcy’s money and later we can steal more from his estate at Pemberley.”

  “You make an interesting case, Miss Bennet, said Nellie, her face not as pale as earlier. Now her face as well as the others glowed in their greed as they saw that soon they would all be rich.”

  “Look at it this way, you are speaking of twenty-thousand pounds split three ways whilst I can get us nearly sixty-thousand pounds split four ways or fifteen-thousand pounds for each of us. So kill me if you wish but you will regret it later for this is our best chance to join together to take all their money.”

  She waited for the others to make a decision but clearly the others argued amongst themselves. Elizabeth was betting on their greed, though she was not certain they would welcome her joining them.

  * *

  The magistrate left with Darcy to contact the coroner and after the magistrate and the coroner returned for the body, Darcy made his way back to his uncle’s house.

  Darcy was eager to be with Elizabeth again but his intuition was that she would not be at his uncle’s house. His uncle John and some of the servants had walked near the house calling out her name but there was no reply.

  Darcy could hear the others calling out Elizabeth’s name. He fought to get his mind clear but she was gone and his premonition that he would never see her again made him sick. His chest heaved as he tried to take in more of the night air but he was exhausted and he felt like he would vomit.

  Get control, Darcy. You cannot save her this way. Think! Elizabeth would use her beautiful mind to get out of her predicament. She knows enough about Wickham and me to get accepted by the others and she will arrange to free herself or set a trap for the others.

  Colonel Fitzwilliam meanwhile had asked the housekeeper to provide names of all the current renters with the newest renters first and the woman gave him the list.

  She soon returned and showed him the ledger Mrs. Younge kept and they included a woman who took a room nearby but the housekeeper noticed that a key was missing. It looked as if someone had started to make an entry on the ledger and never completed it and Darcy’s cousin wrote down that address.

  Colonel Fitzwilliam caught up with his cousin on the road near his parent’s home.

  “Darcy, I believe we can find Miss Elizabeth. The housekeeper showed me an entry that was about to be made in the ledger for a new rental. I suspect the kidnappers killed Mrs. Younge at that time and took the key from her key panel which has keys for all the rooms she manages. On the panel she keeps one key and provides the renter with the other. In this case, one key had been removed and I expect our friend is being held there. We must leave now, Darcy. I have a pistol for each of us and some rope to use to tie up any that we capture who are involved in her kidnapping.”

  “Then let us go, Richard.”

  “We can secretly go there and listen to any conversation and look for rooms with the lights on.”

  Before his cousin’s arrival Darcy had little hope that he might soon find Elizabeth but now he was determined to find everyone involved and save Elizabeth.

  They returned to the location he had thought contained Elizabeth and the others but no one was there. They walked by many rooms that night but still there was no sign of Elizabeth or the others but they soon noticed a light on in one of the rooms across from the address the housekeeper had given him and they next went there to learn what they could. The address was 195 W and the side of the street they had searched on was 195 E.

  * *

  Inside the room Elizabeth listened to the others and watched as the man continued to drink more whiskey and began to slur his words.

  She pretended to be asleep and listened as the two sisters whispered to one another and it was clear they planned to kill the man and after that they would kill her but make it look like the man had done it.

  The sisters had sipped some whiskey but were able to function and when they moved to enter an adjacent room Elizabeth took the knife and put it on her person and hid it between her skirts.

  Darcy and his cousin could see from a safe distance when the sisters returned to the room. Elizabeth pretended to be asleep when the sisters went over near the man and looked for the knife.

  He has taken the knife, Doris. See, he will kill us and take all we have brought here. He likely has the knife under the table.

  “We need to get rid of him now!”

  Darcy watched as Nellie grabbed the empty whiskey bottle and filled it with water and then she hit the man with all her might and watched with delight as the man bled profusely and collapsed on the floor. After that Doris took her turn and bludgeoned the man.

  That was the time that Darcy noticed the magistrate and his men had returned and Darcy and his cousin broke down the door.

  “Mr. Darcy they were going to kill me.” The sisters made a run for it but could not get by Darcy or his cousin and the magistrate’s men captured them. The magistrate asked if Elizabeth was well but she would not leave Darcy’s arms.

  “I
believe she is exhausted and I fear the man is dead,” replied the magistrate.

  “Darcy, which sister killed him? Did you see what happened?”

  “They took turns beating him about his head,” replied Elizabeth.

  “Darcy, you and Miss Bennet and your cousin had best return home. I will take care of this mess and will contact you in the next two days to take all your testimonies. And Miss Bennet, do not ever again walk alone in a London fog when there is known trouble all around you.”

  “Thank you kind sir. I shall remember that advice.”

  When the friends arrived at his uncle’s house, it was a spirited group and everyone had wet eyes.

  “Miss Brinn, I am so happy you are safe. Brother, this girl has spunk and vitality. Darcy, if things do not work out between you and Miss Bennet you would be wise to consider this lovely lady that you have just helped save from the kidnappers. I should be very proud to see either woman but there’s something about Miss Brinn, that makes me believe she is right for you.”

  “Sister, I believe it is time to correct this charade. This young woman is Miss Elizabeth Bennet. We did not wish to have any more angst between you and Miss Bennet and so we made up that name.”

  Rather than getting mad, Aunt Catherine went over and embraced Elizabeth and apologized for all she had done and Elizabeth accepted. It was the best of times and the celebration continued into the early morning.

  * *

  The next day Elizabeth and Georgiana and Darcy stopped off at the Gardiner home as she wished to see them and introduce her new friends. Mrs. Gardiner was home and was very pleased to see her niece and especially pleased to meet her new friends. She was careful to acknowledge Darcy’s sister and include her in the conversation and Darcy thought he saw a lot of her aunt’s countenance in his Elizabeth, though it was Mr. Gardiner who was directly related to Mrs. Bennet. She did say her husband would not return until much later but that she would tell him of their visit. When she took the visitors upstairs to see the children they came out and greeted the guests and then embraced them. Darcy watched as Georgiana’s eyes grew moist as the little ones kept asking her questions and then the eldest boy asked his cousin Elizabeth if Mr. Darcy was going to marry her.

  This brought on a deep blush by Elizabeth but she then told her aunt that she and Darcy were in a courtship.

  The boy still wanted to know more and then Darcy replied that being in a courtship meant that the man and woman had decided to get to know each other better and if later they still liked each other they would announce their intention to marry.

  After visiting with the children they returned downstairs as Darcy and his sister talked about Mrs. Gardiner’s home in Lambton and spoke of Pemberley but they did not talk about the plot to kidnap Anne or Elizabeth. The truth on these events would come out later.

  “Mrs. Gardiner, when you and your family next visit Lambton, I wish to invite you to stay at Pemberley. It will not be any imposition and it is close to Lambton. Who knows, but your niece may already be living at Pemberley if things go to plan.”

  “Thank you Mr. Darcy, that is a very generous offer. Lizzy, that would be worth seeing and of course I mean Mr. Darcy and his sister as well as that grand estate.”

  After taking tea they left and planned to spend that night at Darcy House before meeting with the magistrate the next day to give depositions and after that they would return to Hertfordshire.

  Elizabeth had not yet stepped foot inside Darcy House but the staff already were certain that Darcy would marry the young woman and all the staff liked her very much. Some of the older staff even said she reminded them of Darcy’s mother. Of course most there knew of the kidnappings and thievery of Nellie and her sister and the murders of Mrs. Younge and the man but nothing was mentioned.

  “Miss Bennet, you asked about my library but first, I wish to show you my study.”

  “This is all breathtaking. The solid walnut furniture and panelling are perfect for a man’s study. There are so many shelves of books, and just look at the fireplace and these comfortable leather chairs. Can I read here some tonight?”

  “Yes, you may read later but the doors will remain open and a footman will be seated outside after Georgiana leaves for bed.”

  “And here is the library. As you can see there are many more books but much of my study consists of files and assorted paperwork.”

  “Elizabeth, it is too bad you have not seen Pemberley. The library there is three times the size of this one.”

  “Oh my! It is all so grand. Just think of all the knowledge in these books.”

  CHAPTER 13

  After visiting the library Georgiana took Elizabeth on a quick tour of the rest of Darcy House but Georgiana soon realized that her friend and also her brother were exhausted. Except for cat naps they had little rest since they left Longbourn. After returning to John Fitzwilliam’s house, Elizabeth did take the opportunity to bathe and dress but now back in her room at Darcy House she wondered if she should visit Darcy and Georgiana in his study. Elizabeth thought she at least could tell her friends goodnight and she wished to again thank Mr. Darcy and later his cousin Richard for saving her life.

  As she entered the study Elizabeth greeted Georgiana but Darcy’s sister was also tired and had been up worrying about her brother and Elizabeth and told them goodnight and left to go to her room.

  “You do look exhausted, Elizabeth. I feared that soaking in a hot tub might put you to sleep.”

  “I have not been able to keep my eyes open since then. My thoughts of cuddling with you on the sofa in front of the fire may not be realized this evening.

  I felt unclean after being kidnapped by the sisters and watching them murder the man. It was all about money, William. First the man murdered Mrs. Younge and then he bragged about not having to give Mrs. Younge her share.”

  “Are you saying Mrs. Younge was involved with the others?”

  “No, I suppose I am still too tired to properly articulate what I want to say. The man they killed thought Mrs. Younge was part of the kidnapping but she was not involved at all. The sisters were both mad at the man for killing their aunt. At first Nellie did not want him to drink his whiskey but sometime later the sisters were glad he was drunk and once he actually passed out Nellie crushed him in his head and knocked him to the floor and then Doris finished him off. Then it was the two sisters who celebrated the man’s death by saying only they would share the spoils. I overheard them say that I would be next and I pretended to be asleep.”

  Much of this she had already told Darcy and the others but Darcy forgave her for he knew she was exhausted from her ordeal.

  “Elizabeth, the magistrate took all of the jewels and money and told Richard and I that he would keep them safe until his aunt and I and Mrs. Hughes could make an accounting. He did say Nellie’s bag possessed her things and likewise her sister had her own bag and that he would catalog everything and would go over all of this with us before we left town.”

  “Yes, I now recall he said those things,” replied Elizabeth.

  “We will visit him after we leave Darcy House but first I must speak with Mrs. Hughes, as she can tell us what Nellie took. All of this means my Aunt Catherine will have to go there as well to see what Doris stole from her but Anne should come as well for most of those valuables now belong to her. I imagine she will let her mother keep wearing her favourites.”

  Darcy watched as Elizabeth’s eyes grew heavy and she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He breathed her scent of lavender and after a few minutes he could hear her struggle with a dream until she woke and was crying.

  “It is over, Elizabeth. You do not have to fear anymore.”

  “You do not understand, William. I am the biggest fool in England. You told me to stay inside but I was defiant and it nearly cost me my life and jeopardized others. You and Colonel Fitzwilliam could have been killed or perhaps the magistrate or his men. I can understand if you feel that you cannot trust me. If you want
to stop the courtship I will not stand in your way.”

  “Now you are making no sense. There is nothing I would not do to save your life and I would give my life to keep you safe. I know it is different here than in Hertfordshire and now you also know that parts of London can be very dangerous and there are many out to do ill.”

  “You are correct, William.”

  “Elizabeth, I knew you would survive and would use your exceptional mind to keep from being killed.”

  “You came just in time, the sisters would have killed me.”

  “But you had the knife with you.”

  “I did and would not have hesitated to use it if they had come after me.”

  “Elizabeth, I love you for who you are. I doubt we will ever experience the angst that we have had these last few weeks. Soon all of this will be just a bad dream and we will continue our courtship, but I do have a question for you.”

  “Please continue, William.”

  “Elizabeth, I hope to keep this business about you being kidnapped away from your relatives. I already spoke with the magistrate and he will try and keep this news from the papers. The papers have been reluctant to publish such stories in the past so as to hide the fact that rich people can be kidnapped. There is no reason to upset your parents about your ordeal and I do not want anyone to have reason to oppose you and I getting engaged soon.”

  “But others know.”

  “Yes, but my cousins will not mention it and neither will Lady Catherine and my aunt and uncle. All of them are on your side, Elizabeth, and they do not wish this publicity either.”

  “Thank you, William, I do not know if I can wait too much longer to marry you. Last evening I was almost your shadow as I did not want to leave your side. I cannot believe you really love me. I have never been loved before by a man and you chose me and now I am tired and need to go for some sleep.”