The Portrait of Elizabeth

by Jane Angwin

  "Wickham, can you hear me?" Darcy yelled. "Where is she? Where is Elizabeth?"

  Wickham opened his eyes again and mouthed the words "She stabbed me. Please help me." Darcy felt such anger that he wanted to immediately run from the cabin to find her, but his better senses told him that although Wickham may be evil, he could not stand by and let him die. He carefully pulled the knife from Wickham's back, and found a rag to hold against the open wound. He knew that if Wickham lost more blood, he would surely die, so he stood there trying to determine his next move. At that very moment, he miraculously heard the distinct sound of horses and the voices of several of his men yelling out for him.

  "I'm in here!" he yelled back. "Hurry!" Mr. Raymond and two of his grooms ran into the cabin and found Darcy holding the knife over Wickham. "It's not what it looks like, Raymond. I found him here with this knife in his back, and it looks grim. There is an old wagon behind the building that you might be able to use to get Wickham back to Pemberley, and if he is still alive, the physician should be there to assist you. One of you should continue putting pressure on his wound to keep him from losing more blood. Miss Bennett isn't here, but I'm sure that he had her, and she has somehow escaped, so I must go find her."

  Darcy raced from the cabin, and mounted Omega again, but he sat in the saddle, momentarily not knowing where to begin looking for her. She didn't know the land, and she had been on foot, probably in a panic. "Elizabeth," he whispered, "Where are you my love?" Just then, he felt a slight breath of air brush past his face and he smelled the familiar scent of lavender all around him. He knew that this was a strong message that she was alive and that she was somewhere waiting for him to find her. But where was she? Again, as he silently tried to communicate with her, he saw a vivid picture in his mind of her in a small room, but this time he saw a soft light and he felt warmth. "The cottage," he said aloud. "She is in the cottage." He flicked the reins, and he rode the miles toward Elizabeth with a growing hope in his chest. "I'm coming, Elizabeth," he said. "You are safe."

  Chapter Forty One

  The Portrait

  Elizabeth stirred on the couch, opening her eyes in the darkness, trying to remember where she was. She immediately felt that she was in danger, and for just a moment, she dared not move a muscle to give away her presence. Slowly she remembered that she had escaped from Wickham's clutches, and she had somehow miraculously found this safe place, but where was she? She looked around the room, and tried to see if there were any signs of who might live here. Strangely, the candle that had been burning when she came upon the cottage was still burning on the table. "I could swear that I extinguished it before I fell asleep," she thought.

  As it was now quite dark outside, she knew that night had fallen, but she had no idea how long she had been asleep. There was a definite chill in the room, and she wondered if she could be so bold as to build a fire in the fireplace. As she stood there debating whether or not to do so, she glanced at the fireplace to see if there was any firewood, and there on the mantle was a large portrait of a woman. She wanted to get a better look, so she carried the burning candle closer, and she audibly gasped and stood stunned, staring at the portrait of her exact likeness. There was no question it was her. The woman was wearing the same white dress she had worn to the dinner at Netherfield, and in the background was a perfect depiction of her home at Longbourn with a rope swing that hung from a tree, just like the apple tree in her garden. "How can this be?" she said aloud. "Who painted this? And how did this painting come to be here in this cottage in the woods?"

  She moved closer to the painting, and there in the bottom right corner she saw the small initials, "F.D". "Good Lord", she realized. "Fitzwilliam Darcy." She slowly began to recall the conversation that she had with him that early morning in the woods at Longbourn when he told her about the strange occurrences whenever he felt his mother was trying to communicate with him and the mysterious portrait of a woman that he had painted. It then occurred to her that the last thing he had said to her that morning in the Longbourn woods before they were interrupted by her sisters was that he had "painted a portrait of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen" and it was "the woman that he wished to marry." "Could this be the portrait he was telling me about?" she wondered. How was that even possible? Were the longing looks and gentle touches his way of telling her that he was in love with her after all? Sadly, she realized that none of that mattered now that he was married to Anne, and her heart felt as though it would break.

  Shaken to the core by this discovery and the horror of what she had endured with Mr. Wickham, she felt an overwhelming fatigue set in again, and she returned to the couch, covering herself with the quilt. She extinguished the candle and put her head down and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep again. In her half awake - half dreamlike state, she heard the sound of a horse coming closer and closer, and she imagined that it was Mr. Darcy riding to her rescue on a white horse. She felt his arms close around her, and she felt his breath against her ear, hearing him whisper her name, and she smiled at the warm feeling that flowed through her body. "Elizabeth," he said, "My darling Elizabeth. Thank God I have found you." Her dream felt so real, she reached up and put her arms around his neck, holding him tightly, reveling in his warmth and the love she felt for him.

  Darcy basked in the moment, holding Elizabeth in his arms, feeling her respond to his embrace, but he knew that she was dreaming and not fully aware yet that he was really there. It was a miracle that he had found her, and she was safe in his arms. Not wanting the moment to end, he held her quietly, but as he gently kissed her hair, she suddenly awoke and yelled out in fear. "Let me go! Do not touch me!" She tore her arms from around his neck and jumped up from the couch. She ran to the door but stumbled on the steps, losing her balance. Two strong arms caught her as she fell, pulling her back into an embrace. "Please, let me go!" she pled.

  "Miss Elizabeth, it is Fitzwilliam Darcy. Please, do not be afraid. You are safe with me!" Elizabeth recognized the deep timber of his voice and stopped her fight. Darcy gently turned her around to see that he was telling her the truth. "You are truly safe, Miss Elizabeth. I have seen Wickham, and he cannot harm you anymore."

  "Is he dead?" she implored. "Did I kill him?" The tears began to fall from her eyes, and she started shaking violently. "I stabbed him, Mr. Darcy. I have murdered a man, and what will become of me?" She sobbed deeply against his chest, and he held her tightly, never wanting to let her go.

  "He is not dead, Elizabeth." He rubbed her back, and allowed her to calm herself. "Please, my darling girl, please look at me." He waited until she had calmed herself, and he gently moved her back to look at him. "You have not killed him. He has been severely injured, but it is quite obvious that you were protecting yourself from his evil intentions, and you have done nothing wrong."

  She shook her head and her entire body quivered. "I did not know what to do." She looked down at her torn bodice, shyly covering her exposed shoulder. "He told me he was going to ruin me, and he started grabbing at my body." She blushed a deep red, and looked back up at Darcy. "I was so afraid."

  Darcy held her again, and she wept for what seemed like a long time. "You have nothing to fear now, Elizabeth. My men have taken him back to Pemberley, and he will be given medical attention, but if he dies, it is only because of what he attempted to do to you. You will not be blamed. If anyone is at fault, it is me. He did this to you because of me."

  At last, she seemed to realize the impropriety of their embrace, and she tried to pull away. "I must sit down, Mr. Darcy. I am afraid that I am a bit weak." He released her, and he assisted her to sit down on the couch where she had slept. As he did, he noticed that a candle was burning on a small table, allowing him to see her more clearly. When had she lit the candle, he wondered to himself.

  "I do not understand why he would take me to hurt you, Mr. Darcy. He kept saying that hurting me would hurt you, and he would not believe that you have married your cousin, Anne. I tried to explain tha
t I am nothing to you, but he would not listen to me"

  Darcy stared at Elizabeth, knowing that this was the moment he had waited for. His heart began to beat faster, and he took her hands in his hands. She did not resist this time, and as he raised his eyes to hers, he felt the familiar breath of air pass by his face, and the aroma of lavender again permeated the air. "Elizabeth, I am not married to my cousin, Anne," he said softly.

  Elizabeth looked at him as if she was in a dream, not at all comprehending what he was saying. "I do not understand, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley and his sister informed me of your plans, and I have seen with my own eyes that you brought her to Pemberley after your wedding. Why are you telling me this?"

  "Because it is true, Elizabeth. I did not tell Mr. Bingley or his sister that I was going to marry Anne. They assumed as much when I left suddenly for London after receiving a letter from my cousin, Richard asking me to stand up with him as he married Anne. They are married, Miss Elizabeth. I am not her husband."

  "But why did you bring your cousin to Pemberley and not Richard? Why are they not together?" she asked. "I'm afraid I do not understand any of this."

  "It is a long story that I promise I will tell you some day very soon. There is so much to explain to you and so many things I wish to say, but this is not the time or the place to discuss such important things. You have been through a terrible trauma, and for now, please let me take you back to Pemberley so that your family will know that you are safe."

  "Pray tell me, Mr. Darcy, where am I?" Elizabeth asked. "And how did you ever know where to find me? Am I still near Pemberley?"

  "Yes, we are still on Pemberley land, but quite a distance from the estate. Wickham took you where he knew that I would find you, but when I found him in the hunting shack and you weren't there, let me just say that this is a very special place to me, Miss Elizabeth, and it is no mistake that you are here. I knew exactly where I would find you."

  Darcy picked Elizabeth up, still covered with the quilt, and he carried her outside to where he had tied Omega. He lifted her gently up to the saddle and told her to hold on tightly to the pommel. He quickly returned to the cottage to blow out the burning candle, and as he leaned down to do so, it extinguished itself. He nodded his head, smiling at the darkness. "Thank you, Mother," he said. "Thank you for helping her find your cottage and for keeping her safe for me."

  As he swung up behind her on Omega's back, Elizabeth quietly confessed , "I am afraid to ride, Mr. Darcy."

  "I remember, Miss Elizabeth, but I'm afraid that this is the only way to return you home." He assured her that he would hold her tightly and that she would be quite safe. As they began the slow walk back to Pemberley, she put her head back against his chest, and she fell asleep within minutes. "I will keep you safe, my love," Darcy whispered. "I will take care of you for as long as I live."

  Chapter Forty Two

  The lights of Pemberley

  The candle lights of Pemberley burned bright as they approached the estate. Darcy knew that everyone would still be awake waiting for word about Elizabeth, but selfishly, he didn't want to end this intimate time with her. He had held her tightly for the duration of the ride home, reveling in the warmth of her body next to his, smelling the beautiful scent of her hair as she slept. The gentle rocking of Omega as they walked had lulled her to sleep almost immediately, and it had given him time to hold her in his arms as he had so often in his dreams. He knew that once they arrived home, he would have to relinquish her to her family, and their time alone would end. He had finally told her that he was not married to Anne, but he still needed to tell her how much he loved her, and he did not know how or when that time would come. When she awoke, the reminder of the nightmare she had endured would be with her for a long, long time, and if Wickham was now dead, she would feel the guilt of killing him so deeply he wasn't sure she could recover.

  Mrs. Reynolds had stood waiting at the window for hours, and she finally heard the sound of a horse coming up the drive. She motioned to a servant, and they ran down the steps of the house as Darcy rode up. Also watching from the stables, Mr. Raymond saw him approaching the house with Elizabeth, and he raced up the drive to meet them as well. Without waking her, Darcy carefully lifted Elizabeth down to Mr. Raymond, and he dismounted and then took her back to carry her into the house. The family had heard the commotion and were all gathered around in the foyer, but Elizabeth's Aunt Madeline came forward, and seeing Elizabeth's eyes closed, she cried out, thinking that she was injured. Darcy shook his head, and Mrs. Reynolds shushed everyone, letting them know that Elizabeth was asleep. Darcy took the stairs two at a time, carrying her to her bedchamber, and he placed her gently on the bed, staring at her beautiful face. "We are home, Elizabeth," he whispered. "And you are safe."

  He knew that it was improper for him to be alone with her in her chambers, so he turned to leave, but as he did, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Her eyes were open, and in a soft voice she responded, "Thank you for finding me, Mr. Darcy."

  Madeline and Georgiana had reached her room by that time, and they saw the tender moment between them. "Thank you for bringing her back to us, Mr. Darcy," Madeline said. "The physician is downstairs, and we should send for him immediately." Darcy took the cue that he should leave, and he and Georgiana left the room to find Dr. Phillips.

  "What happened, William?" Georgiana asked. "The men brought Wickham back here earlier today in grave condition, but they knew nothing about Elizabeth's whereabouts. Where did you find her?"

  "I knew of a place that she might have found that would provide protection and warmth, and my guess was correct." He knew that Georgiana would want to know if Wickham had assaulted Elizabeth but wouldn't know how to ask, so he assured Georgiana that she had not been compromised. "She fought valiantly to escape, and fortunately, she was not badly injured, but she has suffered from the cold, and she ran for miles in torn shoes and her feet are raw. I believe that she will also suffer from the trauma of what happened, and especially if Wickham dies. Do you know what his condition is?" he asked.

  "I only know that he was brought in to the servants quarters on a long plank of wood, and the physician has been with him ever since. There has been no word of his condition, and to be honest, I have not asked. I find it difficult to care. Am I a terrible person?" She had tears in her eyes, and she turned to look at her brother. "How could I have fallen for his charm, brother? He is truly an evil man."

  Darcy put his arm around his sister as they came to the bottom of the stairway. "You were just a young girl, Georgie. How could you have known that such evil exists in the world. I am just thankful that both you and Miss Elizabeth are safe from him now. If he lives, he will be punished, and we will never see him again."

  Darcy saw that the physician was walking toward him, and he told him how to find Elizabeth's room. "What is Wickham's condition, Dr. Phillips?" he asked.

  "He lost a considerable amount of blood, and he is barely alive, but fortunately, the knife did not go near his heart. He is having trouble breathing, and I believe one of his lungs has collapsed, but I have treated the wound, and now we just have to wait to see if he gets a fever from an infection. He was yelling about nonsensical things, and I have sedated him with laudanum so he has stopped yelling, but he seems to have serious mental instability. He kept talking about being the rightful owner of Pemberley and that you are an imposter! I have known him and his wicked ways all his life, William, but his rage and jealousy toward you has become quite dreadful. Poor wretched man." With that, he continued up the stairs to check on Elizabeth.

  Darcy and Georgiana joined the rest of the group in the sitting room where they were assembled and waiting to hear about Elizabeth's harrowing experience. Not wanting the others to hear, Edward Gardiner stood and approached Darcy, quietly asking him about Elizabeth's condition. "I fear that the news regarding her circumstances may be grim. Are you at liberty to share anything with me?"

  Darcy put his hand on Gardiner's shoulder and assured
him that Elizabeth had been spared his worst fear but that she was quite shaken. "Elizabeth is a very brave woman, and she managed to escape Wickham's treachery, but she had to commit a violent act on another human being, and she feels tremendous guilt. At least Wickham is not dead. That would have undoubtedly caused her much angst for years to come."

  "Thank God, Mr. Darcy. She is strong as you say, but that would have destroyed her spirit. Taking another man's life is nothing to trifle with. Is the doctor with her?"

  "Yes, he is checking her over now." He lowered his voice and said "She was able to confide in me when I found her that there was no compromise, and I didn't see any outward injuries, but it is her ability to mentally deal with the attempted assault that worries me. He did attempt to do so, and she was faced with the ultimate evil, so her emotional state may be altered for a time."

  To all the others, Darcy related a shortened version of how he found her, and he assured them that she was unharmed. After many questions and assurances, he said, "It is quite late, and I do not expect that there will be any updates tonight, so you can all get some sleep. I have sent word to the Constable to come in the morning, and after Elizabeth has told her story to him, she may be able to accept visitors."

  The room emptied, but Charron came to Darcy and asked for a moment of his time. "This has been quite a dramatic event, William, and I feel that my family is in the way here. Perhaps it is time for us to leave and return to London. Father is much improved, and I think he can safely travel now."

  "I won't hear of it, Frederick. I have just arrived and would very much like to spend more time with your brother and sister. Georgiana has become quite close with them as well, and I know that she would be unhappy if they were to leave." He wanted to ask him if he had noticed a growing attraction between Georgiana and Nicolas, but he felt that if Charron was concerned, he would either caution his brother or inform Darcy. "Your family is almost like family to us now, and I would very much like to have you stay on as long as you wish."