Sam looked at his wife, then at the others in the room. “I didden wanna kill anymore. Mr Armstrong was angry, threaten me wife. Forgive me, I didden wanna kill a lady.”
“Do you agree with my terms, Mr Butler?” Lord Bentley asked again.
“Yes…Yes, just keep me wife safe.”
“We will indeed.” Darcy replied. ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 15
“Who did they haul inside Darcy House?” Armstrong shouted. “I demand to know who it was. If the person was bound, it was someone being taken there against their will. They must think they have someone who will give them information against me, but they must know that none of you would turn against me. You all know the penalty of such treasonous acts against me.”
“Yes, Mr Armstrong.” The taller man stated. “Perhaps they are making us believe they have someone, but it was really one of their own men trussed up.”
“Darcy is intelligent, but I cannot see him making such a move. No, I believe he has something up his sleeve. And the men said Lord Bentley was at Darcy House as well?” Seeing the men nod their heads, Armstrong began to consider his options. “The old man has announced his relationship to the Bennet family, making it publically known his connection as their cousin. What an old fool he is. I will not be stopped, I will put an end to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I care not what anyone says, she has humiliated me far too much. The end must come soon.”
“You have said you wanted the Bingley man to pay, along with Miss Elizabeth. I have an idea which will get everyone out of Darcy House, and easy pickings for our men.”
“I am all ears, Jess. What do you have to suggest?” “If the entire townhouse is on fire, they would be forced to vacate the building.” Armstrong sat, pondering this suggestion. Slowly, an evil grin grew on his lips. “I like that notion. But it would take multiple fires coming from different areas of the house at the same time, as one location could easily be contained.”
“With archers shooting flaming arrows, we can make multiple attacks easily. The townhouse to the north of Darcy House is vacant at the moment, as the owners are in Bath. We could place men on the front and rear sections of the roof of that house, making the upper levels accessible to set on fire, at the same time as the lower level.”
“You have been thinking of this for some time.” Armstrong chuckled. “Very well, make the
preparations. I want it done quickly. By tomorrow evening, at the latest. In the dark, in the middle of the night. Yes, in the middle of the night.”
~~ ** ~~ The Darcys spent most of their first day of marriage together with their family. After taking Sam Butler and his wife to a secure room in the cellar, and guards posted to keep them safe, the family wished to discuss the news.
Lord Bentley was prepared to issue a warrant for Armstrong’s arrest, charging the man with conspiracy to commit murder. Richard asked that the arrest be postponed for a day, as he was hoping for more information on the raid of Bingley’s aunt’s townhouse. He had received word of Armstrong being at the raid, and had been wounded. One of Richard’s army friends had learned of a physician who was said to have treated Armstrong, and it was hoped that they would be able to convince him to speak. If they could prove the information, it would seal Armstrong’s guilt and lead him to the gallows.
A letter arrived in the late afternoon, addressed to Elizabeth. It was a letter she had never expected to receive.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet,
I find I need to write to you, to apologize for all that has happened to you. At first, all the allegations I heard of my father’s behavior were unbelievable to me. How could the man I have always known and loved, my father, behave in such a manner to the daughter of a gentleman, a young lady who was hired to be my companion? It was not possible for him to be the scoundrel everyone said he was.
Recently, I learned the truth of my father’s behavior, not only towards you, but of other instances. It was made known to me of my siblings, or, I should say, my half siblings. My father has had many liaisons, even before my mother’s death. I was shocked, to say the least, to hear of his lack of morals.
Mr Bingley’s rescue of you is to be commended. I am grateful you were removed before my father could harm you further. My heart breaks with the knowledge of how severe the injuries were.
I will tell you now, I have left my father’s home. He believes I am simply visiting my aunt. But I have no intention of ever returning to my father’s home or be in his presence again. My aunt and I have decided to travel, and so we shall. There are many lovely locations we have always wished to visit, and, I believe, we shall visit as many as possible.
Please know you are in my prayers, and that my father will be brought to justice for his crimes. He has lost the love of his family, and the respect of all civilized society, which will make him furious. As you are well aware, when he is furious, he becomes more dangerous than ever. Take care, Miss Elizabeth. Though part of me would believe my father incapable of bringing harm to you, the truth is, he is most likely plotting for worse things than before. Keep those you love close and protected, as he will do anything to get to you.
Thank you for the time we shared with one another. You are a wonderful lady, who has had far too much happen in such a short time. I will hold you with the greatest regard, and hope that one day, we will meet again.
May God watch over you,
Miss Lucy Armstrong “I am speechless.” Elizabeth said, after reading the letter. “Armstrong’s daughter has deserted him, and is warning me, as she feels her father will strike again. But, from the letter, it sounds as if Armstrong is not aware of her plans, so we should be safe for a few days. Once he learns of her leaving England, his fury will be difficult to contain.”
“When was she leaving England?” Richard inquired. “She does not say for certain, but from the sounds of it, Lucy and her aunt were planning to leave soon. I wish her safe travel and a happy life. Her father hid many of his…unique behaviors…from her. To learn of them must be painful.”
“Well, I am certain Armstrong will not be pleased with the announcement in the papers tomorrow.” Darcy said with a satisfied look. “I sent the
announcement of our wedding, just before the ceremony. I, for one, would love to witness the look on Armstrong’s face when he reads the news.”
“Perhaps it would have been wiser to have waited.” Elizabeth stated, nervously. “Antagonizing him at this point might hold dangerous
consequences.”
“All will be well, my dearest. Have no fear.” Darcy said as he leaned towards her, holding her close to his side.
~~ ** ~~
Though many would like to see the inner dealings inside the Master’s bedchamber for the wedding night of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, it will remain in the imagination of each reader to fill in their fantasy. Whether Darcy and Elizabeth came together in a frenzied moment of passion or coupled in a tender, shared pleasure, will depend on the reader. All that the author of this tale is willing to share is Darcy and Elizabeth were quite late arriving in the drawing room the following day, and both wore smiles which could not be destroyed.
~~ ** ~~
After luncheon, Lady Catherine asked to speak with the newlyweds. “William, I will come to the point. When I spoke with Anne, she was adamant that she did not wish to marry, to anyone. She knew she could never be a wife completely, and never bear a child. So she is determined to remain unwed. Her health is growing considerably worse this past year. Our physician is not certain she will live more than a year.”
“Aunt Catherine, why had you not told us how poorly Anne’s health was?” “I still held in my heart that you would do as I wished and marry her. If for no other reason, to protect her when I am gone. To be honest, I must have believed the truth, years ago. I will most likely outlive Anne. As difficult as it is for me to say, I know it is true. My heart breaks at the thought of outliving my child. But I must look towards Rosings Park’s future. So, I have already sent word to m
y solicitor as to my will. Anne and I spoke of the matter before I came here, and we were settled on Richard before I arrived. I have decided to name Georgiana as our heir. There are no de Bourghs left, Anne is the last of their line. So the only member of the family with no estate to inherit is Georgiana, now that it is for certain Richard will have Drummond. I was certain Lord Bentley would have left the estate to Richard, even before the knowledge of the Bennet family being related, and Richard falling in love with Miss Mary Bennet. Bentley never trusted his son in law, which was clear when he did not allow the fiend to inherit anything after Bentley’s daughter died. He tied his legacy up tight before her marriage, as he
disapproved of the man.”
“Georgiana is still quite young, Aunt.” Lady Catherine smiled. “Which is why you are to act as executor of the estate until Georgiana has reached her majority. You know Rosings nearly as well as Pemberley. You will be able to guide her along and make Rosings as profitable as Pemberley.”
“I am certain Georgiana will be grateful for your kindness, Aunt Catherine. I pray that she will not take possession of the estate for many years to come.”
Lady Catherine stood and walked to where her nephew and his new wife were sitting, side by side. “If I can give you a piece of advice which you would actually appreciate, it would be this. Love each other, completely and without reserve. Do not live like my generation, in marriages which held no love or respect for one’s partner. I was miserable for more years than I can count. Henry is miserable as well, though he was able to be friends with his wife. Anne and Gerald, they never loved each other. So much anger and discord, for money and status. We were fools, as is society.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I appreciate you generosity, Aunt Catherine. My promise to you is to always love my husband.”
“Very good. Now, I must have my say on Georgiana’s practicing on her pianoforte. Darcy, you know I have told you time and again, she will never become truly proficient unless she practices often. Had I learned to play, I know I would have been quite proficient, for no one has more love of music than I.”
Darcy chuckled, hearing his aunt’s constant reminders of how accomplished she would have been, had she been taught.
“I plan to leave Monday morning, as I do not approve of traveling on God’s holy day. Keep that in mind, when you travel. You should always refrain from traveling on Sundays.”
“Yes, Aunt Catherine.” Elizabeth laughed. “We will remember your wisdom.”
~~ ** ~~
“NO!” Armstrong banged his hands upon his desk. “This cannot be true. How were they able to manage such an event and no word of it reached us until now?”
“What is wrong, Mr Armstrong?” The young man standing before his desk asked. “The announcement in the papers, claiming Fitzwilliam Darcy has married that chit, Elizabeth Bennet. This cannot be happening. She was to be dead, long before now. But, instead, she is married to Darcy. They must believe they have won the war, but they have not. Is all ready for tonight?”
The young man was nervous. “Yes, Mr Armstrong. We will take our positions near midnight. If we wait until two or three in the morning, most everyone will be asleep. This will keep them confused, and unable to battle the fire.”
“Very good. And I will be there, waiting for my chance to finish that whore with my own two hands.” Armstrong declared in a voice which boomed throughout the room.
~~ ** ~~ As the family gathered together to dine, announcements were made. Charles and Jane smiled brilliantly as he asked for everyone’s attention.
“I am sure everyone is aware of what I have to say, but Jane and I wish to make it official. I asked my beloved Jane to make me the happiest of men, and she has agreed. We will wait until the half mourning period for Caroline is over, as Jane wishes to keep the gossip to a minimum. With all the talk about town, it would be better to allow time to settle some of the tongues before we wed.”
“Well, I for one do not intend to wait so long.” Richard said as he stood up. “I have been granted permission by my dear Mary, to announce our engagement. She wishes to marry in a month, though I do not wish to wait so long. I believe a fortnight would be long enough to wait.”
Darcy smiled. “Always the regimental soldier, charging head first into battle.” “Some battle, William.” Elizabeth laughed as she slapped her husband’s arm playfully. “Mary, Jane, I am so happy for both of you.” She embraced her sisters, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks. “And Mary, if Richard does not behave himself, make him wait longer. Wedding dates can always be
postponed.”
Richard nearly choked on the sip of wine he had just taken. “I will be on my best behavior, dearest Mary. I promise, there will be no need to delay the wedding longer than a month.”
Everyone in the room laughed at the Colonel’s response. Mrs Jarvis entered the drawing room to announce dinner was served, smiling at all the joy which was filling the once empty house, making it more of a home.
As they reached the dining room, a servant approached Richard with a letter. Taking the letter to the table, Richard broke the seal and read the missive quickly. “Good news. My informant has information on a witness who can place Armstrong at the attack on the townhouse. It appears Armstrong received a nasty wound, and the witness is the physician who patched him up. Since the injury, Armstrong has been medicating himself to overcome the pain. The physician has stated he is concerned with the combination of medicines and heavy drinking, which has made Armstrong even more volatile than usual.”
“We should send a message to Lord Bentley.” Darcy stated. “If he is available, we can have him come tomorrow morning to discuss the situation, and send someone to secure the physician and his family. It will need to be done quickly, especially to keep Armstrong from learning what we are up to.”
“Fitzwilliam Darcy, tomorrow is the Lord’s day.” Lady Catherine admonished. “I am certain there is no reason you cannot wait until Monday to have the scoundrel taken into custody.”
“Aunt Catherine, I wish that we could wait, but I am concerned for the safety of our family. With Armstrong becoming more volatile, it is best to see to it in the morning. If it were not so late tonight, I would suggest we apprehend him now, but I know Lord Bentley was planning to retire early tonight, as he has not slept well lately.” Darcy explained. “I am certain the Lord will forgive us for behaving so on Sunday, as it will be securing an evil man from committing further harm.” Lady Catherine huffed, though kept silent.
“Once we have the physician’s statement, there should be no trouble in prosecuting Armstrong.” Bingley nodded his head. “I would love to see his face when he is taken into custody.”
“As would we all.” Mr Gardiner added. “Though it has been pleasant to visit your fine home, and be treated as wonderfully as we all have, there is no place like home. I am looking forward to working on my plans to expand my business.”
“William has promised to take me on a wedding trip. It is possible we could make contacts for your business, Uncle.” Elizabeth smiled.
“What a wonderful suggestion, dearest.” Darcy was pleased with his wife’s idea. “We could find items which would add to the import business. Yes, I like the idea.”
~~ ** ~~ After the meal was over, the men separated from the ladies to enjoy their cigars and port. The ladies made their way into the drawing room, as Georgiana looked through the sheets of music to decide what she wished to play for her family. A year prior, Georgiana would have hid in the shadows, hoping no one would notice her and ask her to play the pianoforte. After the short time in Elizabeth’s presence, the young lady had gleaned confidence from her new sister. Georgiana looked forward to being able to bring pleasure to her loved ones.
The men soon joined their ladies, and enjoyed the entertainment offered by Georgiana, followed by Elizabeth, and finally, by Mary.
Once the music was done, the conversation turned to plans for weddings. Hearing all that would need to be accomplished for Ma
ry and Richard’s wedding made Elizabeth glad she and Darcy had simply married at their home. Finally, it was late, and everyone bid goodnight to each other, making their way to their rooms.
~~ ** ~~ Armstrong was found behind the neighboring townhouse, north of Darcy House. He was waiting until his men gave him the sign that all was clear to move inside the house.
The townhouse in question was owned by Lord Hamilton, who disliked being in Town, so the townhouse was frequently empty. The minimal staff in the townhouse consisted of a butler, housekeeper, cook, two maids and a footman. When the family came to Town, they brought staff with them from their estate.
Armstrong knew it would be simple enough to contain the servants. His men had been watching the Hamilton townhouse for days. The servants had set routines, and none of them ever altered them. The cook was usually the first to bed, as she was one of the first to wake in the morning, preparing meals for the other servants. The butler was usually the last to bed, but rarely was seen outside his rooms after ten each evening. The staff had learned Lord Hamilton’s preference of early rising, and lived by his standards, whether he was in residence or not.
Taking out his pocket watch, Armstrong looked at the face, illuminated in the moonlight. Eleven o’clock. Another hour and they would be able to take their places. Two of his men were stationed near the front corner on the south side of Darcy House, keeping out of sight of Darcy’s guards. There were four men behind the mews, ready to move forward during the confusion which would come during the blaze. And Armstrong would be prepared on the second floor of the Hamilton house, waiting for his chance to kill Elizabeth.
Another swig from his flask was needed by Armstrong. He was becoming addicted to the brew which was inside the flask. A combination of opiates and alcohol. Believing that he would no longer require the concoction after ridding himself of Elizabeth Bennet, Armstrong took yet another swig.
Keeping hidden amongst the bushes and buildings, Armstrong’s men prepared to move forward with the plan. They had identified where several of Darcy’s guards were to be found, though they were certain there were others hiding, blending in with the surroundings. It would not matter. The scheme was well planned and thought through. Once Elizabeth Bennet was eliminated, Charles Bingley would be second. Armstrong cared not for any of the others in Darcy House, and had granted his men permission to kill anyone who exited the burning townhouse.
Saving Elizabeth Bennet Page 17
