“Her health is poor; I believe she has a weak heart like her father. To be honest, all of us have been surprised that she has lived this long. Well, let us call for Mr Phillips and Sir William to join us, we have a great deal to discuss today.”
~~ ** ~~
Messages were sent to Meryton and Lucas Lodge, requesting the men to come as soon as possible. Sir William arrived first, bringing with him his daughter, Charlotte. He felt that it was important for her to be involved in the conversation as it pertained to her life.
Darcy and Elizabeth had finished with her treatment early that day, and, at Richard’s urging, the two joined the meeting. Mr Gardiner and Lord Matlock decided that it was time that all the ladies were included in the meetings, and they brought their wives and Jane with them. Only Mr Phillips came without his wife, as she was not the sort of lady to keep a secret.
Richard related what he and Colonel Forster had learned from Jolly, which led to a great deal of conflicting emotions within the group. Sir William was concerned with the fact that his daughter was married to a criminal, a man whose true identity was unknown. Fortunately, Lord Matlock spoke his peace.
“As the Earl of Matlock, I promise you this, Mrs Collins, I will see that you are protected as all of the information comes to light. You are an innocent in all of this, and I will not allow my sister’s evil to harm you. When this man, who claims to be Collins, dies, you will be provided for. You will have your own home, at Longbourn if that is your wish.”
“As the man I married is not truly Mr Collins, he is not the true heir of Longbourn. Therefore, it is my belief that the estate belongs to Lizzy and Jane. I could not live there; it does not belong to me.”
Elizabeth spoke her mind. “Charlotte, you have been as much a victim as Jane and I, and our family. I am married now; my husband has no use for Longbourn. Jane and Charles will be married soon. We are not dependent on the estate. And to be honest, I do not believe I could ever come to Longbourn with the same love that I did before. After this is all over, I believe it is fitting for us to see Longbourn begin anew, but not as the Bennet’s property. But we will all discuss that later. Our first priority is to see that those responsible pay for what they have done.”
Darcy squeezed his wife’s hand. “Uncle, after what Richard discovered from this Mr Jolly, is there a question in your mind that Lady Catherine was involved? Do you require Wickham alive to confirm this information?”
“No, William, I do not need further confirmation. I am certain that Catherine is the one who hired Wickham to kill Elizabeth. If we attempt to take Wickham alive, most likely others will be injured or killed. No, I believe we allow him to surrender if he wishes, but if he refuses, send him to Hell where he belongs.”
“And Lady Catherine, how will you confront her?”
“As soon as Wickham is dealt with, we will need to take the soldiers with us to Rosings. It would be wise to leave the guard here to protect Netherfield, if for no other reason, to sooth my nerves.” Lord Matlock stated. “William, I know you will wish to come with us to Rosings. I will urge you though to remain here, with your wife. Richard and I will handle Catherine.”
Mr Gardiner looked at his wife before speaking. “I wish for my nephew and my soon to be nephew to remain here when you confront your sister, Lord Matlock. I insist on accompanying you, representing my family and loved ones.”
“And I will join you, Edwin, as they are my family too.” Mr Phillips said.
“I will do no good coming with you, as my health is not the best.” Sir William stated. “But my eldest son will come with you, as our family’s honor is involved as well. John is furious already with Collins’ behavior, he will be livid when he learns of this news.”
Georgiana had sat quietly at her sister’s side, holding Elizabeth’s other hand. Looking at her aunt, tears welled up in Georgiana’s eyes. “What will happen to Anne? With her frail health, this news will most likely kill her. What can be done to care for her?”
Lady Matlock moved to sit beside her young niece. “We will be at her side and care for her as needed, Georgiana. It does my heart good to hear you speak of your concerns for her. Perhaps we should invite Anne come to London for a stay. She can be tended to by the best physicians, take in the theater and the arts. I am sure that having our love and support at this time will mean a great deal to her.”
“Have no fear, Georgiana; we will see that Anne is taken care of.” Darcy said. “So how shall we deal with Wickham? I assume that we will see to him before you head for Rosings.”
“If it does not matter how Wickham meets his demise, I believe the best way to catch him off guard would be to have you taunt him from a safe distance.” Richard said to his cousin. “If we have you on the hillside, calling out to him of what a failure he has been, how you and Elizabeth are happily married and he will not be able to harm her again, I believe Wickham will be unable to control his hatred. When he comes from the cottage, we will be able to take him. If he does not, then we set the cottage ablaze.”
“Richard, you must promise me to keep my husband from harm.” Elizabeth said; her fear prevalent in her voice. “I do not care what happens to Wickham, but I will not lose my husband to that man’s evil. He has done enough damage to the ones I love; I will not survive if I lose William.”
“Have no fear, Lizzy.” Richard said as he knelt before his cousins. “This man is like a brother to me. If I thought, for a moment, that he would be in any danger, I would keep him as far from the cottage as possible. Even with the gun powder, at that distance, William will be plenty safe.”
Darcy nodded his head. “Tomorrow morning sounds like the perfect time to put an end to Wickham, once and for all.”
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 18
Just after breakfast the following morning, Darcy left his wife in the care of Mrs Bogs as he went with Richard and the other men to the hill near the cottage were Wickham had been staying at Longbourn. Jane decided to stay at her sister’s side while they awaited news.
While Mrs Bogs began the treatment, Elizabeth lay on her stomach, her face turned towards where her sister was sitting near her head. “Jane, have you and Charles set a date for your wedding yet? I know that you have been taking care of me, but I am doing much better. I am married now and growing stronger. It is time for you and Charles to begin your future.”
“There is plenty of time for that, Lizzy. Charles and I have spoken, but the time just has not been right. We are worried about what will happen with Mr Wickham, and Mr Collins. What will happen when he is confronted? And then there is Lady Catherine to contend with. Who knows how long it will take to deal with all of these problems.”
“Jane, you have been unselfish through all of this, but I really wish for you to think of your own happiness. You and Charles need to have your wedding. Our family is here. You deserve to have your happiness in being able to sleep in the comfort of your husband’s arms. Please, Jane, do this for me. I am so happy to have William with me and that he is my husband. I want the same for you. Wickham will be gone by the end of this day. Of that, I am certain. Before Lady Catherine and the man claiming to be Collins are dealt with, you and Charles should marry. Both you and Charles deserve such happiness.”
They heard the door from the servant’s hall open and Mrs Hill entered the room. “Miss Jane, I heard what your sister has said. I may be only a housekeeper, but you young ladies have been as dear to me as if you were my own. I have watched you be strong and take care of others all of your life, especially in these past few months. Your sister is correct; it is time to think of your own happiness, Miss Jane.”
Tears began to stream down Jane’s cheeks. “Mrs Hill, you are anything but only a housekeeper. You have been the most amazing strength and support to us all of our lives, but especially since the fire. But I have responsibilities to see to. I cannot be selfish and think of my needs alone.”
“It is time that you did just that, dear sister.” Elizabeth said
. “If you do not, I will be angry with you for the rest of my life. You deserve to have some happiness in your life.”
Jane looked deeply into her sister’s eyes for quite some time before she finally nodded her head. “I will speak to Charles later today. To be honest, I pray that we are through with Mr Wickham today. I have never disliked someone so much in all my life.”
“Such words, are you certain that you are my sister, Jane Bennet?” Elizabeth smiled slightly. “Make sure that you speak with Charles today or I will speak with him for you.”
~~ ** ~~
Darcy stood on the hillside, about a quarter of a mile from the cottage. Beside him was his family and friends, all as hopeful that this day would be the end of George Wickham.
The soldiers were all in place, prepared to keep Wickham from escaping if he tried. Colonel Forster gave the signal when all of his men were in place.
“Wickham, you low life creature, you lose once again. I am here to make certain that you know that you have failed. You have failed so poorly that you shall hang on the gallows while my wife, Elizabeth, and I watch.”
A shout came from inside the cottage. “Your wife is crippled and will never give you children. She will die, she is so weak, due to me. You will never have a long marriage, and will always remember that it was me who took her away from you.”
“Elizabeth is recovering. She is growing stronger every day. And she looks forward to seeing you pay for your crimes against her family. You failed at destroying my life, as you have failed at everything in your life. Never good enough, you have never been able to be as good as a Darcy.”
The door of the cottage opened slightly. “You are the coward, Darcy, standing so far away. Afraid to get your hands dirty by coming down here to face me? You know I am the better man, the one your father desired as a son rather than you.”
Richard was worried that this taunt would infuriate Darcy into forgetting the plan. He was shocked when he looked at his cousin and found a smile on Darcy’s face, as the Master of Pemberley began to laugh. The laughter grew and grew, and was heard inside the cottage.
Finally able to contain his laughter, Darcy shouted out. “If you believe that lie, you should read my father’s journals. He found you entertaining, bringing him laughter with your antics. When he learned of your follies, of all the women you had defiled, he was disgusted with you and wished you far away from our homes. Did you never wonder why he would not allow you to stay at Pemberley? He did not wish you to cause harm to any of the girls and women who lived and worked at the estate.”
“He never knew.” Came a shout from inside the cottage, and Darcy knew he had made the first strike. “He kept me away because of your jealousy.”
“He knew everything. The gambling debts, the merchants you swindled, the girls and women you ruined by bedding them. Father knew of your lies and the cheating to obtain grades. He even knew about your being expelled from the University for breaking into the dean’s office and stealing papers. My father knew it all. He tolerated you because of his appreciation of your father’s hard work. If not for that, he would have had you sent to debtor’s prison long before he died.”
The cottage door opened all the way and Wickham could be seen in the doorway. “You are the one lying. You never could accept your father’s love for me, and you did everything you could to hurt me out of your jealousy. I should have inherited Pemberley, not you. It should be mine. But I took your wife’s family from her, ruined her life. That will always be a thorn in your side. Because of you, because you cared for her, her family has had to suffer as she does. Her life will not be long; she will die, just as the rest of them did. I looked in the rooms that night. I saw her father and mother sleeping in their rooms. Her younger sisters were sleeping, until I smothered Lydia with her pillow. That girl was vulgar, just like their mother. I had wanted to eliminate her almost since the day I met her. Kitty woke at the sound, but I strangled her. The pious one, Mary, she was a pleasure to kill as well. I slit her throat. The door was locked to the bedchambers of your precious Elizabeth. As Jane’s bed was empty, I assumed that she was in the room with Elizabeth. That was the only reason they were not killed before the fire was started. Because of your interest in her during the Netherfield ball, I was planning to taste the delights of your dear Elizabeth before killing her.”
“You might have thought of it, but she is my wife, and the only one who tastes her delights is me, and believe me, she is worth savoring.”
“A crippled woman is supposed to be so delightful? I cannot imagine, though, with your lack of success when it comes to the ladies, anything is better than nothing.”
“You are pitiful, Wickham. You prefer to use a woman for what you wish, then on to the next. Having the love of a good woman and facing the rest of your life at her side is a blessing. Thank you for being unsuccessful in taking her from me. I will have the great pleasure of loving her for the rest of my life.”
Wickham’s fury grew by the moment. “I will kill you and then kill that chit. And once I have finished killing the two of you, I will take your sweet sister and taste her delights, before I take her dowry from her. Pemberley will be mine, as it should be. You can never beat me, Darcy. It is time that you pay the price of challenging me.”
Smoke was beginning to grow at the back of the cottage. Richard had given the order to set the small house on fire. Darcy knew that if his words could not provoke Wickham out, there was no other means of doing so without causing harm to anyone else. They meant to force Wickham out to escape the fire or he would die in the flames as he had forced others to do.
Shouting came from inside the cottage. “If you do not wish me to blow a hole that would most likely kill all of you, you had best start dousing the flames with water. I have several kegs of gun powder in here. It would kill you if it blows up.”
“Thank you for your words of caution, Wickham, but we are at a safe distance and will not be harmed. It is you who will be killed. Do us all a favor and remain inside the house. Remain inside and die like the coward that you are. You would hang if you came out, for murder and attempted murder. Either way, you are already dead. It only matters as to now or in a week from now.”
The flames grew, beginning to consume the building. Smoke was pouring out of the front door, and the men could hear Wickham’s coughs coming from inside. He finally stumbled out the door, falling to the ground just moments before the cottage blew with the tremendous power of the barrels of gun powder.
The men took cover, though the force of the explosion knocked Darcy and Richard to the ground. It was several moments before the air cleared enough to allow them to see the remnants of the building. But the body that had been on the ground beside the cottage was no longer there. Frantic, Darcy shouted out to the men to search for Wickham. He was afraid that Wickham had deceived them and escaped. The first thought that went through Darcy’s mind was that if Wickham had gotten away, he would go after Elizabeth and Netherfield.
Suddenly, shouts could be heard from the base of the hill. Darcy and Richard ran towards the soldiers who were grouped around something on the ground. When they were close enough, it was plain to see that they were gathered around the body of a man. Reaching out, Richard turned the body so that his face could be seen. It was that of George Wickham. The evil that had plagued so many lives for more than two decades had finally come to an end, as Wickham’s body was checked for any signs of life, only to have none found. Richard pulled out his saber, using it to turn Wickham’s head from side to side, making certain that the scoundrel was not playing opossum. Looking up at his father, who nodded his agreement, Richard raised his sword and plunged it into the space which should contain the heart that Wickham had so rarely used in his life. Finding no reaction to this action, Richard was finally certain that George Wickham was truly and finally dead.
Darcy stood near Lord Matlock, watching his cousin stab the corpse to ensure the body was dead. No movement or bleeding came from the stab wound, no br
eathing or beating of a heart was detected. It was over. Wickham could harm no one ever again. He had been given a chance to surrender, but Wickham was a coward. Then Darcy noticed his childhood friend’s arms. They were covered in blood, from what appeared to be cuts on each. Wickham had taken the coward’s way out and committed suicide. Even in death, the man took the easiest route.
Mr Phillips moved forward with the team of horses pulling a wagon. The body was placed on the wagon bed, and covered with a dirty horse blanket. “Take him to Mr Wagner, the undertaker. I sent him word this morning that he would most likely be receiving a body. He will bury him in the village cemetery.”
A nod of the head from Darcy gave his agreement. Mr Gardiner stood with his brother in law as the body was loaded, shaking his head at the waste. Wickham had destroyed his own life, as well as the lives of so many others. The gifts that the man had been given in life, from Darcy’s own father, and what this man could have been, were all thrown away because of Wickham’s jealousy of Darcy, and his greed for money and things. Now it was time to deal with the man who had falsely claimed to be a member of the Bennet family.
The men were silent as they returned to Netherfield. Bingley and Richard kept a close watch over Darcy as he walked immediately towards the stairs and up them. They knew where he was going; no words were needed to tell them that he wished to be with his wife. And Elizabeth would tend to his pain.
The rest of the men gathered in Bingley’s study. Bingley walked directly to the sideboard and began to pour out the port that was waiting for them. After everyone had had a drink, they went in search of their own loved ones to deal with the day’s events in their own way.
~~ ** ~~
Darcy made his way to his bedchamber to find it was empty. He was sure that Elizabeth would still be having her treatment; the time of day told him that she should be in this room. He quickly made his way to the adjoining rooms, finding his wife had just entered her bathing tub. Dismissing the staff, Darcy took off his clothing and slid into the tub behind Elizabeth. Wrapping his arms around her, his lips sought refuge at the tender spot where her neck and shoulder combine.
The Ashes of Longbourn Page 17
