by APRIL FLOYD
Mr. Darcy’s voice caught him up short at the parlor door. “Do not misunderstand, Mr. Collins. You shall receive swift and just recompense. You might wish to reconsider your living here in Kent.”
Mr. Collins trembled at the threat he believed to be true and hurried from the parlor, bewildered by the events of the evening having gone horribly wrong.
Lady Anne caught his arm, surprising the man, her countenance one that frightened him more deeply than her son’s words. “You best get on your knees and pray, sir, that no harm comes to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. My sister cannot save you from my son’s retribution should she come to harm. And should there be a shred of you left when he has finished, you shall stand before me.”
Mr. Collins drew himself up and bowed to the lady, and Miss Anne de Bourgh, before taking his leave. He cared not where his cousin might be, but would heed Lady Anne Darcy’s advice, for Elizabeth’s safety ensured his own.
In the parlor, Mr. Darcy stood before his aunt and considered his options. “I have not the time to argue the terrible wrong you have done. Anne shall leave Rosings with us and we will search for Miss Bennet diligently.”
Lady Catherine tapped her cane angrily upon the parlor floor and glared at her nephew. “Anne shall not leave this house without I say she might. And I do not. She has no business upon the roads without my escort.”
Mr. Darcy thought of delaying to set his aunt straight on the facts of the matter, but turned on his heel and quit the parlor with but a parting message.
“Aunt Catherine, there is nothing you might do to stop me. Anne will come with us as a means of protection. After the discovery of Miss Bennet’s escape with finances provided by your dear child, I feel it best Anne accompany us as we search for Miss Bennet.”
With that, Mr. Darcy left Rosings without so much as a glance spared for the woman who followed behind him screeching of her superiority and ill use.
Mr. Darcy climbed into the carriage and seated himself on the bench across from Lady Anne and his cousin.
Anne turned her face away from the sight of her mother descending the front steps of Rosings, her angry voice bitterly screeching, as Mr. Darcy signaled the driver to be away.
12
Elizabeth Bennet hurried through the woods with the maid and into Hunsford as daylight swiftly left the sky. She dared not wait at an inn nearby for fear of Lady Catherine sending men to find her and bring her back in time for a horrid wedding and a future she might never escape.
The purse full of coins Anne de Bough had supplied weighed heavily in her pocket and after securing a post-chaise that would take her as far as London, Elizabeth breathed easier.
The driver helped her inside and she sent up a silent prayer of thanks that the first part of the plan she and Anne de Bourgh devised had passed easily, though her heart still raced to think of it.
Her driver roused his footman and told the man they would travel through the night. Elizabeth had never done such a thing and she was hesitant, but her desperate situation made propriety a luxury she could not afford. Eleanor took her hand and squeezed it gently before giving a smile to her new charge.
“Do not fear miss, the driver is my mother’s brother. He is a good man and will not see us come to harm. I have told him of your situation and he knows of Mr. Bingleys house in Hertfordshire. He is of the mind you should go there for protection but I assured him we must travel to Derbyshire.”
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief as the maid’s words and the cold weight of the blade Anne had given her brought comfort.
She must do all she might to move daily toward Brambling Hall. Thoughts of Netherfield Park were easily dismissed as she wished to be in the last place anyone might think to find her.
She sat back on the bench and removed her gloves and hat. She smoothed the traveling dress and admired the dark blue of the fabric. There were lovely bits of embroidery upon the sleeves she had not noticed until this moment, her escape from Rosings having distracted her mightily.
The dress was given to her by Miss Anne and she would treasure it until the day she might see the kind young woman once more. But she worried terribly for her new friend.
Lady Catherine would be livid over Elizabeth’s escape and if she found her own daughter had plotted and funded it, well, it pained Elizabeth to think of the words she would use to hurt the gentle Anne de Bourgh.
The post-chaise moved along further from Hunsford and Elizabeth allowed herself the small luxury of a yawn and stretch. In but a few day’s time, she would throw open the doors of Brambling Hall and lock herself away until Jane and Bingley returned. Mr. Darcy and Lady Anne would come to her and all would be well.
She passed the miles in conversation with Eleanor and came to find the young woman quite intelligent and eager to discuss novels and plays.
In due time, the post-chaise stopped briefly and Elizabeth alit from the conveyance and went inside the inn with Eleanor to find something to eat. The thrill of her escape and the first bit of rest she had enjoyed outside the walls of Rosings gave her a hearty appetite.
As she sat waiting for a small basket of food, she spied a man and woman staring at her. She became most uncomfortable and signaled for Eleanor to retrieve the food as she returned to the post-chaise.
The couple followed her from the inn and came to walk beside her. Elizabeth kept her pace and tried to ignore the pair.
“I say, young lady, do you travel alone?” The handsome man asked as his lady friend took her hand gently.
Elizabeth eyed the pair with doubt, hoping only to disengage herself from their company. “I do not. I have a maid, a driver and a footman.”
The gentleman laughed and smiled down at Elizabeth Bennet. “We are bound for London and wondered if we might share your conveyance as far as you would allow?”
Elizabeth glanced between the two and while they were dressed as well as any gentleman or lady, a bit of unease settled in her mind. “I am not opposed to your presence, but the next stop will be for the night and then we shall be traveling along to Derbyshire come morning. I would see you are far as Town.”
The gentleman bowed and introduced himself as George Wickham and his lady friend as a Miss Sally Younge. Elizabeth’s unease at their company grew. She reluctantly offered her name in introduction. Eleanor had caught them up and kept an eye on the strangers.
Mr. Wickham assisted the ladies into the carriage and Elizabeth regretted having agreed to travel with them. Before they had begun the journey in earnest, the man plied her with unending questions and she soon grew bored of his charming ways. Only when the name Darcy fell from his lips did she take notice.
“Are you acquainted with the Darcy family, then? I live near Pemberley with my sister, Jane Bingley, and her husband.”
George Wickham’s eyes flashed his delight as he glanced to Miss Younge before offering his smooth lie. “Perhaps we might meet again in the future as the Darcys are family friends, you might say.”
Elizabeth nodded and pointed up the road. The next stop was only an hour away and she would be relieved to lose their company if only for the night. She silently chastised herself for allowing she would share the conveyance as far as London. She didn’t care for the man’s leering glances nor the woman’s strange smile.
* * *
George Wickham followed Elizabeth Bennet and her maid as his female companion kept the young woman company to secure their place come morning. She was eager to escape their presence, he could tell by the tension in her shoulders.
They stopped before a small inn and he opened the door for the ladies. He and Miss Younge could afford but the night at the establishment. He was greatly relieved at his ability to have found a way to further impose upon the lovely Miss Bennet and her kindness.
Soon, they were parted from their benefactress and left her with her maid at her room before continuing down the hall to the one they would share.
His mind delighted at his stroke of profound luck in meeting a young woman well
acquainted with the Darcy family. While Sally Younge slept on the bed in their small room, he paced the floor plotting how they might make use of their fortuitous meeting.
He had wasted the last bit of money he’d swindled from Fitzwilliam Darcy after the Ramsgate debacle almost a year ago and with dear Georgiana dead not long since, he must find a way to refill his coffers, and soon.
He sat lounging in a chair watching his lady friend sleep, biding his time. Sally was a mean woman, but without her rest she was downright wicked. His mind satisfied at the idea of tracking Miss Bennet to her home in Derbyshire, he allowed himself to fall into a light sleep.
He was shaken from his slumber some hours later by the now well-rested Sally Younge.
He rose and washed his face before tossing the cloth in her direction. “Make yourself a fine lady and we shall seek our fortune. That Miss Bennet is someone important to the Darcy family. Her manner, her dress, her ready admission of their connection. Yes, she will do.”
“I would not think you ready to face the Darcy family now, Georgie. With their little princess dead in the ground, they will have little patience with your petitions.”
George Wickham winked at his accomplice, his dashing, gentlemanly manners ready to earn their keep. “We shall find a way, Sally. We always do.”
13
The next morning, Elizabeth rose early and dressed as quickly as she could. She would break her fast with Eleanor in the dining room of the inn and then wait for the driver and footman to hitch the horse to the post-chaise.
Sitting in silent companionship at the table with Eleanor, Elizabeth relished the quiet peacefulness of the early hour. Recalling her promise to the strange couple the night before, she sighed again in frustration at her offer of seeing them as far as London.
Perhaps they might leave before the couple arose from slumber and be done with the pair.
Just as Elizabeth and Eleanor finished their meal, the couple appeared in the doorway of the dining room. Elizabeth regulated her emotions and smiled at them lest they read the intent to leave without them in her expression.
The couple joined her without waiting for an invitation and Mr. Wickham remarked upon her presence and habits. “Miss Bennet, you are an early riser. I advised Miss Younge that we must not tarry this morning for we would be stranded here with no means of paying for another night’s stay in this establishment.”
Elizabeth moved her hand from the pocket where Anne’s purse rested. She had been ready to pay for the meal but did not wish for the man to know the heft of her purse.
“I am eager to return home, sir. I have been away for much too long as it is. You will recall that I can only offer to see you to London and there we must part.”
George Wickham nodded, his voice as smooth as cream. “Sally and I are most grateful for your kindness, Miss Bennet. London is as far as we would go but we wish you well on your journey.”
“I shall be safe, Mr. Wickham. There is no need to worry for me.”
Elizabeth said the words with all the conviction she could muster in order to convince the man of her safety. She would suffer them no longer than the first stop in London.
She nodded to Eleanor and the two left the dining room after paying for the meal and asking the mistress of the inn to serve the couple at her table their breakfast.
Only an hour later, Elizabeth was made to regret her decision once more. As soon as the couple seated themselves across from her in the post-chaise, the man continued his questions and declarations in the same manner he had during their previous travels.
As they moved along through the dissipating dark of early morning, Elizabeth was soothed by the presence of Eleanor. The droning nature of the man’s voice, coupled with the restless night Elizabeth had endured, left her struggling to keep her eyes open.
Before long she nodded off as the cool morning air moved through the carriage chilling those within. She heard whispers and snatches of conversation but thought it all a dream. Suddenly, the carriage stopped and she came fully awake. Wickham jumped from the open door of the carriage and Miss Younge doubled over in her seat making a terrible noise.
Eleanor clung to Elizabeth, her face a mask of concern. Moments later, the door of the carriage slammed shut and they were off again. Elizabeth leaned her head out the window and saw the driver and footman laying by the side of the road in the light of the swinging lanterns.
She searched the ground as the post-chaise moved farther away, thinking Mr. Wickham must have been set upon by bandits, but could not find the body of a third man. Miss Younge sat up, a broad, wicked smile on her face, and laughed at Elizabeth’s agitation. “No need to worry for Mr. Wickham, miss. He is in the driver’s seat.”
Elizabeth rose swiftly, her aim the door of the carriage. Miss Younge knocked her easily back against her seat, pinning her roughly in place. She turned an object before Elizabeth’s eyes. “Try your tricks again and I shall cut your pretty maid, miss.”
Elizabeth saw the glint of the woman’s blade and breathed deeply, her mind racing along as quickly as their conveyance. “What does Mr. Wickham hope to gain by doing such an evil deed? I have no connections from which to seek a fortune as ransom.”
Miss Younge laughed at Elizabeth’s words. “We shall find the truth of your statement, miss. Wickham is a desperate man and were I you, I should consider doing all I might to ensure my safety and honor.”
Elizabeth’s maid gasped at the woman’s implication and cast her eyes to the floor of the carriage. Her trembling body threatened to send Elizabeth into her own fit of terror.
Perhaps her captors believed they might extort a large sum from Charles Bingley or even the Darcy family? Elizabeth thought of Jane and the anguish her plight would bring to her sister.
The ousted driver and footman would return to Netherfield with the news of the treachery if Wickham had not killed them.
“I speak the truth. My father is quite ill and my family is dependent upon my sister and her husband. I am certain they would pay whatever Mr. Wickham asks, within their ability.”
Miss Younge sat back on her bench and made a pitiful face before laughing at the young women before her, trembling as small rabbits when a fox is near.
“I have given you sound advice. If you choose to ignore it, I can do no more. Wickham is terribly erratic when funds are low. I do hope he spares your maid, at least.”
Elizabeth squeezed Eleanor’s hand for comfort as sobs racked the young woman’s thin body. Mr. Wickham’s partner in crime had a way with words, her presence far more menacing than Elizabeth had first thought.
14
Mr. Darcy sought to find all that he could of Elizabeth’s plan from his cousin as they rode for Hertfordshire. “If she had only waited a while longer, I would have her beside me now. Tell me, Anne, where was she bound? I imagine it must be Netherfield.”
Anne took her aunt’s hand and spoke freely in the Darcy carriage. For the first time in her life, she was at ease and without worry.
“She would not say, William. I asked her, I did, but she was worried mother would force the truth from me. I cannot think she was planning to return to Netherfield for the fact Mr. Collins would certainly search there first thing.”
Mr. Darcy agreed with his cousin. Elizabeth would not choose to return to the place Mr. Collins had stolen her from the night of the ball. She must be headed to London or Derbyshire.
Lady Anne sighed deeply, her remorse at having parted company with the lovely, young Elizabeth Bennet causing her melancholy to return.
“Had we only gone to Hertfordshire from the start, we might have avoided the terrible scene at Rosings Park. I promise this, William, she shall never worry about that parson again. I only wish she knew it as she made her way to a safer abode.”
Mr. Darcy took his mother’s hand and held it warmly in his own. “I shall find her, mother, of that you may be certain. We shall go to Netherfield first, though Anne is certain she would not risk it. The comfort of her s
ister Jane would be a temptation our dear Miss Bennet may not be able to resist in her current state.”
* * *
The hijacked post-chaise arrived in London but Elizabeth and her maid were bone tired, neither having slept with Sally Younge’s eyes upon them.
The door to the carriage opened and George Wickham smiled tenderly at his new friends.
“You may find your new accommodations lacking, Miss Bennet, for we cannot afford lodgings as comfortable as our last stop and certainly none to approach the likes of Pemberley.
Elizabeth stood to take his arm, her skin crawling with fear. She would do all she might to keep her young maid calm until they were settled.
Mr. Wickham heard the unmistakable clink of coins as Elizabeth stood and turned to Ms. Younge. “Search her now, for she has hidden a good deal of money on her person. I would dearly love to find it myself but I know you have quite a jealous streak, my dear.”
He winked and stood watching. Elizabeth would not endure such horrid actions against herself and angrily turned over the purse Anne de Bourgh had given her.
Sally Younge laughed in Elizabeth’s face. “I had thought you more capable of a good fight, Miss Bennet. I find it must mean you are only a threat to the ladies at a fancy tea.”
Elizabeth kept her face serene as her emotions nearly choked her with their ferocity. Mr. Wickham and his crude companion would pay for their misdeeds, she would see to it the first chance that presented itself. She had not escaped the prison of Rosings to fall into yet another trap.
“Come, Eleanor, do not fear. This despicable pair has their money, a good bit of my possessions, and a fine post chaise with a horse. We may take our leave of them.”
