Saving Elizabeth Bennet

by Melanie Schertz

  “Mr Gardiner and Mr Bingley are concerned for Miss Elizabeth’s safety when she is moved tonight. They are worried Mr Armstrong has someone watching our house, and could possibly seek to harm her in the carriage.”

  “Do not fret, Poppet. The men I recommended to Bingley are top notch, and I will accompany them. But I must ask that you never allow my father to learn of this.”

  “I will keep silent. As you know, your father frightens me.” Georgiana shook, involuntarily. ~~ ** ~~ The carriage was waiting near the servants’ entrance at the rear of Darcy House. It was nearly midnight, and all was prepared for Elizabeth Bennet to be moved to Timberlake House. Elizabeth and her nurse were escorted to the carriage, both with shawls over their heads and wrapped to hide their faces. Two guards entered the carriage after the ladies, and two men were to ride on top of the carriage with the driver. Two more men would follow a fair distance behind the carriage, on horseback, in case there was any problem. Colonel Fitzwilliam decided to ride on top of the carriage, giving him a better vantage point to watch for potential danger.

  The journey was only six blocks, though it seemed to last hours. The carriage was pulled to the front of the townhouse, and the ladies were escorted inside, with the men circled around them while outdoors. Once inside, the nurse, Mrs Owens, assisted Elizabeth in removing her outerwear.

  With the shawl and bonnet off her head, Richard could see her face for the first time. A gasp escaped him. This is how she looks after a fortnight? Good God, Armstrong deserves to be beaten as severely or worse. If the man was before me this moment, I would strangle him with my bare hands. I will inform Father that Armstrong is not to be trusted. He must find a way to separate himself from doing business with the man.

  “Miss Bennet, though I wish we could have met under better circumstances, it is an honor to meet you at last. I have heard much of you from both of my cousins?”

  Elizabeth frowned. She was still unable to speak, but was able to write. Turning to her nurse, she motioned for pen, ink, and paper. Writing quickly, she handed the paper to Richard.

  “Both?” was written on the paper. Richard smiled. “Yes, I received news of you from my cousin, Fitzwilliam, when he stayed with Mr Bingley in Hertfordshire. From your expression, you seem surprised. This tells me that my stoic and taciturn cousin donned his mask of indifference and kept to himself while he was in your neighborhood. Am I correct?”

  Elizabeth nodded slightly. “Well, Miss Bennet, my cousin is extremely shy. He does not show his true feelings to anyone outside his closest family and friends. He is not comfortable in society, and rarely attends balls or large parties. I assume he skulked about, attempting to blend into the furnishings, not speaking.”

  A slight smile turned the corners of Elizabeth’s lips. “Ah, yes, he behaved as usual. Have no fear, Miss Bennet, my cousin is not as he appears. He is a kind and caring man, and the best friend I have.”

  Taking pen in hand, Elizabeth wrote another message. “Not to Wickham” she wrote.

  “George Wickham? Where did you meet the likes of that scoundrel?”

  The next piece of paper declared “militia, Meryton”. “I have plenty I could tell you of Wickham, and none of it is good. But now is not the time for such discussions. You are weary, and need your rest. If you will allow, I wish to visit someday soon. Perhaps I could bring Georgiana to visit as well.”

  Elizabeth nodded her head. “I will take my leave. If there are any problems, feel free to send a message to Darcy House and I will come as quickly as possible.” Richard bowed and turned to leave. He felt a frail hand on his arm and stopped. Turning, he saw Elizabeth writing on another piece of paper. She handed him the message.

  “I am grateful, Colonel. Thank you.”

  “Miss Bennet, it is my honor. Good night.” ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 5

  Colonel Fitzwilliam entered his father’s study the following day. “Richard, I thought you were to stay at Darcy House. Is Darcy not returning today?” Lord Matlock frowned.

  “He will arrive later today. I wished to discuss this situation with Armstrong. I have met the young lady he assaulted.”

  Lord Matlock stood quickly. “Can she be bought off to remain silent? Perhaps I could convince Darcy to pay her, as he has far greater access to funds than I do.”

  “You would be fortunate if Darcy does not wish to call out Armstrong himself. The young lady is known to Darcy, and, if I am not mistaken, he is partial to her.”

  “Dear God, how can this be? I thought the young lady was a paid lady’s companion. Darcy would never develop feelings for such a young lady.”

  Richard shook his head. “The young lady is the daughter of a country gentleman, though the sudden death of her parents left her in a position of needing to find employment. And I must tell you, Father, I have seen the young lady myself. The attack against her was a fortnight ago, but the injuries were still quite visible on her face and neck. I was appalled to see such damage inflicted on a young lady.”

  “Armstrong will be the ruin of us. He is still bragging.” “Good God, Father, if Darcy hears of this, he will certainly demand a chance to avenge the young lady’s honor.” Richard made his way to the sideboard to pour a drink. “We must find a way to rid ourselves of Armstrong, or run the risk of being ruined beside him.”

  ~~ ** ~~ Timberlake House was a lonely, nearly empty townhouse, which was in need of much improvement. Elizabeth walked about the house, looking in each room. She had slept fitfully after arriving at the house, nervous of what danger might be lurking in the shadows of the unfamiliar house. Having overheard Mr Johnston and her uncle speaking with Mr Bingley, Elizabeth knew enough to know Mr Armstrong was still a threat to her. And he was a powerful man, with many connections.

  Even knowing there were guards watching over the house and protecting her, she was uncomfortable. Other than the nurse, who she had only met two days before, everyone at Timberlake House were strangers. Normally, Elizabeth would have had no difficulties, as she had an easy nature which welcomed strangers. Since Mr Armstrong beat her, Elizabeth had become reclusive, not wishing anyone to be close to her. Her ability to trust was sorely tested, and that left her uncomfortable.

  Though she was still in pain and weak, Elizabeth was able to be free of her bed for periods throughout the day. Used to spending as much time as possible outdoors, walking or reading a book under a tree, being forced to remain indoors and confined was quite aggravating to her. The library at Timberlake House was sparse, which was another source of frustration. Elizabeth was not certain she would be able to endure being captive in the townhouse for long.

  ~~ ** ~~ “Cousin, welcome to your house.” Richard smiled as Darcy entered the foyer. “Good to see you.” “Nice to see you have made yourself at home. Do I have any brandy or port left?” Darcy smiled as he embraced his cousin. “It is good to see you survived your latest battle. How long will you be in England?”

  Richard had only recently returned from the battlefields of France. “I am on leave until March, after that, who knows. I am supposed to instruct new recruits, but if they have need of me elsewhere, I go.”

  “I wish we could find a way to keep you in England. Every time you are dispatched into battle, I fear it will be your last.” Darcy had always been close to his cousin, being closer than Richard was to his own brother.

  “Brother!” Cried Georgiana as she hurried down the final steps and ran into her brother’s open arms. “Georgiana, it is good to see you, my little pipsqueak. Have you been behaving?”

  “She has, indeed.” Richard replied.

  “So how is your guest? Miss Benson, is her name, is it not?” “William, we had best go to your study to discuss her.” Georgiana decided it would be best to be behind closed doors when he was told. She had a notion that her brother would not react well to the news of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

  Darcy nodded his head and led the way to his study. Once inside, he shut the door. He noticed Richard had gone to
the sideboard and poured two glasses of port, placing one on Darcy’s desk.

  “What is wrong? Has Miss Benson perished under our roof?” Georgiana looked nervously at her cousin, then turned her attention back to her brother. “No, she is alive. Will, we learned that her name was not Miss Benson.”

  “Then what is her name?”

  “Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

  Before another word was said, Darcy turned to leave the room. “Where is she?” “Darcy, she is no longer here. We moved her last night to Bingley’s aunt’s house. I assisted in guarding her until she was safely inside the house.”

  “Elizabeth was beaten? But you said she was an orphan. She has parents, I met them.” Darcy’s eyes pleaded with his sister to tell him he had heard her wrong.

  “Will, you had best take a seat. The tale is long.” Georgiana explained to her brother the horrifying news of the murders of Mr and Mrs Bennet and Lydia, and Jane’s injury. The news was shocking, and, as he listened to his sister, Darcy could not help but feel the pain Elizabeth must have endured. Knowing how close she was to her father, and the devotion to her beloved sister, Darcy was certain Elizabeth was devastated.

  “She was employed as a companion? Why would she seek employment?” “Her uncle told Mr Bingley and me that Miss Elizabeth wished to help pay for the doctor for Miss Bennet, and the upkeep for her other two sisters. Mr Gardiner tried to talk Lizzy into not seeking

  employment, but, he said, she was determined.”

  Ignoring the intimate name his sister used to refer to Elizabeth, Darcy was confused by the other name. “Mr Gardiner? Mr Edward Gardiner, from

  Cheapside?”

  “Yes, he is Lizzy’s uncle.” “I was to meet with him in a fortnight, to discuss business. I had no idea that he was related to the Bennets.”

  “Mr Gardiner is a kind and good man. Mr Bingley is planning to invest in some ventures with him. They have become good friends through all of this.”

  “How is Bingley handling the situation with Miss Bennet’s injury? He thought himself to be in love with her.” Darcy looked at his sister.

  “It pains him. He has sent Mr Johnston to tend Miss Bennet. The bullet is believed to be too close to her spine. If they were to operate, there is a chance it would kill her. Whenever her uncle speaks of her, Mr Bingley has tears well up in his eyes.”

  “He still cares for her. Of all the young ladies with whom Bingley has thought himself to be in love, Miss Bennet was truly the one to capture his heart.” Darcy picked up the glass from his desk and gulped it down. “Bingley knows the Bennet family, we spent many hours in their company while we were at Netherfield. How is it he did not realize it was Miss Elizabeth?”

  Georgiana looked towards her cousin. They both knew the time had come, and they would be causing Darcy pain with what he was about to learn.

  “Will, I wrote to you of her injuries. She was battered beyond recognition. It was more than a week before she could open both of her eyes, due to the swelling. And she could not speak, her throat was injured and her jaw broken. Her right hand was injured as well.”

  “Cousin, I have to admit, seeing the young lady last night, I am not surprised Bingley would not have recognized her just after it happened. It has been a fortnight since the beating, and she is still bearing the evidence of what happened to her. I was furious at the scoundrel, and I had not known her before yesterday.”

  “Who did this? Was it Armstrong?” Darcy demanded, fury building inside him. Richard nodded his head. “I have already informed Father of my opinion of the man. If it were not for my brother’s gambling debts, I would tell my father to ignore what we have invested with Armstrong and take the loss. But Father runs the risk of losing Matlock if he were to do so. Armstrong has many supporters, though he is still new money and not of the gentry.”

  “And what does Armstrong have to say for himself?” Darcy asked as he walked to the sideboard, refilling his glass.

  “Lord Bentley is the magistrate, and he confronted Armstrong. The scoundrel denied any knowledge of the situation, claiming Miss Elizabeth fell down some stairs and was informing him of her injuries, when Mr Bingley entered and came to a wrong conclusion.”

  Richard continued. “Though he denied assaulting her to Lord Bentley, Armstrong is bragging at his club, claiming the liberties he had taken, though, in truth, he did not.”

  “I will kill him.” Darcy spat as he stood and began to walk towards the door. “Will, you cannot kill him. I know you care for Miss Elizabeth, but you will do no good if you are killed or sent to prison for killing him. Miss Elizabeth needs all of us to be strong for her, she needs you to be strong for her.”

  “Her health and her reputation are in tatters, someone must avenge her. Her father is dead, and she has no brothers. I must call out that scoundrel and make him pay for his insults.” Darcy clearly had tears welling in his eyes.

  “Darce, you will do no good in calling him out. It will only bring more attention to the situation. As it is, Miss Elizabeth is still in danger from Armstrong. We need you to be strong. We need you to be thinking clearly rather than running off, halfcocked.”

  The tears escaped Darcy’s eyes and flowed down his cheeks. “What danger? What is Armstrong doing?”

  “He has begun to search for Miss Elizabeth. I believe he plans to make certain that she does not talk to anyone. Bingley overheard some whispers at the club, and we received a message from Mr Gardiner stating there are men watching his home and business. I believe this house is being watched as well. Bingley has been here daily, so it would be easy enough to assume he brought Miss Elizabeth here. Last night, when we moved Miss Elizabeth, I made certain we were not followed, and we drove in a manner which would disguise where we were heading. Bingley came to me for recommendations for guards, and I gave him a list of former soldiers I know personally. So she has guards at the house, a nurse, cook, maids. She is protected and well looked after. Bingley and Mr Gardiner will have to stay away from the house, so they will not be followed. Georgiana and I can visit, as it is near Georgiana’s favorite modiste. We can slip out the back of the modiste’s shop and make our way to the townhouse without being seen.”

  “I will give your father all the financial assistance I can, if he refuses to do any further business with Armstrong. I wish to ruin Armstrong publically and financially.” Darcy said as he walked to a nearby window, staring out at nothing in particular.

  “We will speak with Father later today. The main problem will be curtailing my brother’s gambling. The markers Father has had to cover are substantial, and yet, Anthony continues to build up more.”

  “Then we will speak to Anthony as well. And I will pay for additional guards for Miss Elizabeth. How will Johnston be able to check on Miss Elizabeth? If someone has been watching this house, they will know he has been treating her. Would they not follow him?”

  “We thought of that, so we hired a nurse to see to her needs. If there is any problem, we will sneak Mr Johnston to the townhouse, which should not be difficult, as he is on the move constantly each day.” Georgiana announced.

  “Thank you, Georgiana. Thank you for seeing to Miss Elizabeth. She is deserving of your kindness.” “I know, Brother. Your letters from Netherfield were enough to make me realize that you hold her with tender regard.”

  “I have been so confused by the feelings I have for her. I knew I could never marry her, for she was a country miss, with no dowry or connections. But she has touched my heart in a way no one else has.”

  “She will need your support as she recovers, Cousin. From what I have heard of her, and now, learning that she has garnered your affection, I find myself thinking highly of the young lady.” Richard said, clapping a hand on Darcy’s shoulder.

  “If only I could find a way to…”

  “To what, Brother?”

  “Forgive me, I was just thinking out loud. It was nothing.”

  Georgiana looked at Richard, both realizing that Darcy cared deeply for
Elizabeth Bennet.

  ~~ ** ~~ “Aunt Helen, why has Lizzy not come to visit? She promised she would do so faithfully, and yet, it has been more than two weeks since she has been here. Something has happened and I wish for you to tell me what it is.”

  Mrs Gardiner had tried desperately to keep her eldest niece from worrying over her beloved sister. But the time had come and Jane deserved to know the truth.

  “Jane, Lizzy had to leave her position, as Mr Armstrong… he beat her terribly. I have not seen her, but your uncle has. She is healing, but Mr Armstrong has also damaged her reputation. She was adamant that she not be brought here, as she was afraid of bringing harm to you and your sisters.”

  “I care not for my reputation, but I do care for my sister’s wellbeing. Please, Aunt Helen, I wish to see Lizzy.” Jane began to weep. “I cannot lose Lizzy. After everything else, I cannot lose Lizzy.”

  “Jane, Jane…do not make yourself so upset. Lizzy does not wish you to cause harm to your own health over her. She would be quite put out with us both if you were to take ill. She is worried for your health.”

  “Please, can you send a message to Lizzy for me? If I tell you what to write, could you write a letter to her?”

  “I am sure Lizzy would be pleased to hear from you.” Mrs Gardiner reached out to gently move a wayward strand of hair from Jane’s forehead. “How are you today? You seem to be getting stronger. Your uncle suggested that in a month or so, we could take a holiday to the sea. Would that not be wonderful?”

  “It would, especially if Lizzy can join us.” “I hope she will be able to as well.”

  Jane looked directly in her aunt’s eyes. “Is there more for you to tell me? Is there another reason Lizzy is not here?”

  Mrs Gardiner looked away for a moment. Only when she felt her niece’s frail hand touch her arm, could she find the courage to tell her the rest. “Mr Armstrong is attempting to find your sister. She is the only one who can attest to the truth of the situation, and could cause him humiliation if she proved him to be a liar. He has proven he is the sort who would have no problem with harming her further. There have been men watching Mr Bingley, your uncle and our house.”