The Gypsy Blessing

by Wendi Sotis

  William felt her eyes upon him and turned. The look in her eyes when he met her gaze astounded and confused him. His ingrained reticence warned him to withdraw. It was not natural for him to display vulnerability for all to see, and whenever he was caught in Elizabeth’s gaze he felt completely exposed—especially now that she knew he cared for her—but he could not help himself from searching her eyes for answers.

  Mrs. Bennet inadvertently moved between them to administer the medicine, saying, “Here you are, Lizzy; drink this, and you should be feeling better shortly.”

  Mrs. Bennet and Jane spoke at length about this specific tincture as William watched Elizabeth drink it. Suddenly it dawned on him that Mrs. Bennet was speaking quite sensibly, and his head snapped back in her direction. Elizabeth saw his stunned expression and nearly choked on her drink.

  When he finally looked back to Elizabeth with a question in his expression, the light in her eyes danced with amusement in response. “All is not what it has seemed to be, is it, Mr. Darcy?” She tilted her head a bit and continued, “Which do you believe is the façade?”

  After a few minutes more in discussion with Jane, Mrs. Bennet approached Elizabeth. “You do not seem strong enough to climb the stairs, Lizzy. I will call Mr. Hill and have him carry you to your bedchamber.”

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Bennet. May I offer my services in assisting Miss Elizabeth with the stairs?” William offered.

  Everyone startled when Mr. Bennet exclaimed, “And why would I allow you to assist my Lizzy, Mr. Darcy?”

  “Mr. Bennet! A moment, please?” Mrs. Bennet rushed over to her husband standing in the kitchen doorway. What she whispered to him caused his eyebrows to arch in surprise and his eyes to lock on Elizabeth. After receiving a nod from his favourite daughter, Mr. Bennet mumbled to himself, “Why did not Mother inform me?” Remembering where he was, Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. “Thank you for your offer, Mr. Darcy, but I will carry Elizabeth if assistance is required.”

  William bowed slightly. “Mr. Bennet, may I speak to you about an urgent matter as soon as possible?”

  ~%~

  Mrs. Bennet led William and Jane into the breakfast room to join the remainder of the family. As he entered the room, the younger Bennet ladies stopped speaking abruptly. Mrs. Bennet offered him some food, and William replied, “I thank you, but we have already broken our fast, Mrs. Bennet. Though I would appreciate a cup of coffee.”

  The absolute silence in the room, the younger girls’ questioning looks directed at their mother, and their frequent glances at himself made William feel quite uncomfortable. Eventually, Mrs. Hill entered to inform him that Mr. Bennet awaited him in his study.

  Knowing Mr. Bennet would wish to ask him some questions at this juncture, William remained mute. The two gentlemen sat, one on each side of the desk, staring at each other.

  Finally Mr. Bennet broke the silence, “May I ask how much of the Sanun you were present for, Mr. Darcy?”

  “As far as I can tell, I was witness to part of the first half and the entire conclusion of the ritual.”

  “What made you think you had the right to intrude?” Mr. Bennet asked.

  “Sir, when I heard Miss Elizabeth’s song, I was drawn to the meadow. My most prevalent thought was to assure Miss Elizabeth’s safety, her being in the woods in the middle of the night. I did not understand the meaning of what I was about to see, as I had never heard of the Sanun before my parents came to me after the first part of the ritual was complete. I have learned a great deal since I left Netherfield for a walk to tire myself last night, Mr. Bennet. I admit to being a bit overwhelmed.”

  “Yes, I can imagine.” Mr. Bennet hesitated several moments, studying the young man before him, trying to decide how much to reveal. “Do you understand why your attendance at the Sanun without disrupting the rite is significant?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Mr. Bennet’s eyebrows arched high on his forehead. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “I see.”

  “Sir, there is much more to discuss. Last night I learned that Olc have discovered a way to identify the High Priestess and will soon be coming to Meryton.” Mr. Bennet jumped up out of his chair in alarm as William continued, “My parents have explained that you are the Lead Immun, and I must request to be trained by you as soon as possible, along with Bingley, and my cousins, Lord Reginald Matlock and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.”

  “Ah, you are of the Darcy and the Fitzwilliam lines?”

  “Yes, sir. I was informed last night that my mother was Priestess of Imol before she passed into the Otherworld. She was the daughter of the Earl of Matlock. My father began to train my cousins and me, but he has told me that we will need your expertise to be successful in protecting Miss Elizabeth from the evil that will soon be near. I am afraid we have not practiced much since my father passed on five years ago, sir, although we all have a great deal of experience in fencing. If I had understood the importance of it…” William’s forehead furrowed in concern as he trailed off.

  “How long do we have, Darcy?”

  “The man who can identify Miss Elizabeth will be here in a fortnight, sir.”

  Mr. Bennet returned to his chair heavily. With a sigh he said, “I will require the remainder of the day to gather the correct equipment from the armoury located beneath Longbourn. We will begin training tomorrow at dawn. How soon can your cousins arrive?”

  “I will send an express directly, sir, if you will lend me the proper supplies. I was told to request the Sword from Pemberley as well—my Sword.”

  “So, apparently your father was the Keeper?”

  William nodded, “I have only just last night discovered it, sir.”

  After discussing some particulars about the training, Mr. Bennet retreated to the window to give William some privacy as he wrote his letters.

  When William’s task was complete, he joined Mr. Bennet at the window. Without redirecting his gaze, Mr. Bennet began, “There are several subjects we must discuss. I do not know to what degree you are aware of Elizabeth’s feelings for you, but I must warn you that up until this time, she did not hold a very favourable opinion. I want to make it perfectly clear that I will not force her to marry you if she does not wish it. You must wait until she is ready, son. Be warned: Elizabeth does not alter her opinions without a great deal of effort to convince her.” Mr. Bennet turned towards him.

  William surmised that Elizabeth had learned the habit of raising one eyebrow from her father.

  Mr. Bennet continued, “It would be wise to begin by apologizing for stating that she was ‘tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt you.’” Mr. Bennet chuckled at William’s blush.

  “I have become painfully aware of Miss Elizabeth’s less than ideal opinion of me, sir, though I had not an inkling of it before last night. I was told that since those in the Otherworld have become conscious of the trouble coming our way, it was required to make us aware that we are Soul Mates now instead of waiting for the natural outcome. It seems we both will be stronger working together than we would be apart. I, for one, did not need to know this information to improve my opinion of Miss Elizabeth, although perhaps that knowledge will help me feel a bit less tongue-tied in her presence.”

  Mr. Bennet nodded and then said, “Although Elizabeth is High Priestess of the Tribes and you are, without a doubt, her Soul Mate if you were able to attend the Sanun without interrupting the ritual, Lizzy is still my little girl, Darcy. I expect you to follow the modern rules of propriety when in the public to protect all my daughters’ reputations.

  “Another point of which you must become aware is that, though the servants at Longbourn know that we are of high rank in the Tribes, they do not know specifically what positions we hold. They do know that I am an Immun, but not Lead Immun, and they are aware that my wife and daughter are Fili—but nothing else. We do not doubt their loyalty; it is only that if coerced, they can honestly answer that they do not have that information to divulge.”

  “I unde
rstand, sir.” William hesitated to speak further, but his curiosity got the better of him. “Mr. Bennet, my parents had little time to tell me all that I needed to know; therefore, I have been left with many questions. If you would be so kind to explain to me why most children are not told about the Tribes before they come of age? As far as I know, none of the people whose families I now know to be a part of the Tribes know that any of this exists.”

  Mr. Bennet answered, “In times past, when all within the Tribes gathered together to celebrate whilst the Priestesses performed their rituals, the children were instructed in the ancient culture. All knew the identities of the four Priestesses, as well. But, fairly recently, there were several occurrences that caused these traditions to end.

  “As modern times took shape and travel became easier, the members of the Tribes spread out across the world. With each succeeding generation, more of the ancient traditions were lost, except among the descendants of the families of the highest order.

  “And then, several generations past, a great evil force quietly became powerful in Europe. These Olcs knew of our ancient rituals, and wished to control them. The Priestesses at that time understood that they and their descendants were in great danger. The protection of their identities became an absolute necessity.

  “Now, even the Priestesses do not know who two of the others are, though I am told that if they happened to meet, they would recognize each other—probably similar to the way that my mother had recognized Elizabeth as the Destined One at the very moment she was born. While each of the four Priestesses are taught the rituals of the others to ensure that the most important of our traditions will be passed down to the next generation should tragedy befall any one of them, it is possible only for the Destined One for each position to carry out the rites they were born to perform.”

  “You said that each Priestess would not know two of the others, sir. I understood there were four?”

  “Yes, but due to the precautions, each Priestess and her closest relatives know the identity of one other Priestess. Should one of them die before passing on what she knew to an Apprentice, the other would be notified by the deceased’s closest family member. The search would then commence within the family of the deceased for the Heiress to the title. The Destined One would eventually be trained by the other Priestess.”

  “Has a position ever remained vacant?”

  Mr. Bennet responded, “Throughout the history of the Tribes, only once has a Priestess position remained unfilled until another had been born and was old enough to take on the ritual. The resulting years devoid of the rite having been performed proved to be disastrous, but nothing could have been done to prevent it. Accidents do happen, even to Priestesses.” His countenance became grave. “We will not permit that to happen now with the Sanun, Darcy.”

  “We certainly will not, sir.” William extended his hand, and Mr. Bennet shook it. William vowed, “Please know that I will not allow Miss Elizabeth to be harmed—I would sacrifice my life if necessary, sir.”

  “As would I, my boy, as would I.”

  ~%~

  After receiving a report that Elizabeth was sleeping soundly, William bid the ladies goodbye. Even though he was exhausted, he declined the offer of the use of a horse for his return trip to Netherfield. He required some time alone to think about all he had learned since beginning his walk the night before.

  Noticing the position of the sun, William realized that his life had changed immeasurably in fewer than eighteen hours. When he had left his room last night, his most pressing concern had been rooted in the anticipation of British society’s reaction towards Elizabeth if he should make her an offer since her position was so far beneath his own. Yet, this morning, he found himself a member of a secret society and Soul Mate to the same woman, who in this society actually held the highest status possible, but hid her true position. He had been pulled into a completely different world, one that he unknowingly had been born into, and one that coexisted with that which he had been brought up to understand.

  Which “world” was more important? How did the others balance their dual lives? Did they pay more attention to one or the other? He wished he had thought to ask his parents for advice when he could have. He would have to depend on Elizabeth or Mr. Bennet for answers.

  For now, until he determined how to manage, he would have to attend whichever one had the more urgent matters—and there was nothing more urgent to him in either “world” than Elizabeth’s safety.

  Of one thing he was certain: no matter which society he was in, he would always be required to shoulder the burden of secrecy—a difficult task indeed for one who abhorred disguise of any sort!

  Mr. Bennet’s comments concerning adhering to the rules of modern propriety when in public made him think there were different rules of propriety when amongst only Tribe members. How far did these rules deviate from the ones he had known all his life? Would he be able to adapt?

  When William finally arrived at Netherfield, he found Bingley waiting for him. “Where on earth have you been, Darcy? Did you not remember we were to go shooting this morning? You must have left very early for me to have missed you.”

  “I apologize, Bingley. You are correct; I did not remember. I had some business to attend to.”

  “Business! What kind of business could you possibly have had while rambling about the countryside without your horse so early in the morning?”

  William eyed his friend closely. Was Bingley contacted the previous night, as his parents had alluded to? Would he have believed it was just a dream, as he had himself for all these years? What would it take to help him to understand that last night’s visitors had been real? After witnessing the Sanun, it was simple for him to understand, but how could he explain to Bingley what was expected of him? William realized he should have been anticipating the answers to these questions on his return walk to Netherfield instead of those on which he had ruminated.

  “You and I must have a long discussion about this, Bingley, for my business includes you as well, but it will have to wait a little while. I am in desperate need of a short rest and a bath! Before I retire, I should inform you that this sudden business also involves my cousins, Lord Reginald and Colonel Fitzwilliam. I have sent an express requesting them to join us here, but if it is an imposition, we can stay at the inn.”

  “Do not give it a second thought; of course they are welcome to stay at Netherfield, Darcy! There is plenty of room, and besides, Caroline will be thrilled to have a viscount as a guest. I should tell her immediately so that she can direct the staff to make appropriate arrangements for their comfort. When shall we expect them?”

  “Thank you, Bingley. I hope that they will arrive very soon, but I cannot imagine that it would be before late today, though more likely not until tomorrow. I am unsure of how long they will stay, but it might be of some duration—more than two weeks for certain.”

  “Shall I plan some sport during their stay or anything in particular for their entertainment? Caroline has even mentioned hosting a ball.”

  William shook his head. “Please tell your sister that they will be here on business and definite plans should not be made—including meals, except a brief, very early morning meal and dinner. She should expect us to be out all day, every day. There will be plenty to keep us well occupied, but do not trouble yourself with trying to puzzle out the business in which we shall be involved. Your imagination could not come close to reality.” He rubbed his hand over his eyes. “Please, Bingley, may we discuss the remainder later? At this moment, I am far too exhausted to concentrate.”

  “Certainly. After speaking to Caroline, you may find me in the study for the remainder of the afternoon.”

  William nodded and made his way to his chambers. After instructing Hughes, his valet, to begin drawing his bath in two hours and wake him when it was ready, he collapsed into bed.

  ~%~

  A little more than three hours later, William entered Bingley’s study.

&n
bsp; “You look much better, Darcy.”

  “Thank you,” William replied as he sat across the desk from his friend. While he had readied himself for the day, William had concluded that he should get right down to business. “Bingley, I am not certain how to begin. Did anything out of the ordinary happen to you last night?”

  Bingley startled and then stared at William for several moments, his forehead furrowed. He seemed to be struggling to find an acceptable answer. “What if I said that there had been something unusual?”

  William examined his friend’s concerned countenance before saying, “It was not a dream, Bingley.” The two gentlemen were quiet for a minute or two before William asked, “Was it your parents who came to see you? Did they tell you what we must do?”

  Bingley let go a long breath as if a weight had been taken from him. “Yes! How – how did you know?” His eyes opened wider. “You, too?”

  “I have been having dreams of my parents since they died, but only on All Hallow’s Eve did they seem real. Last night, I was awake when they came to me.” William nodded in response when the young man sitting across from him seemed even more shocked. “What did they tell you, Bingley?”

  “They said that generations ago, my family was a part of an ancient civilization, but their ways had long since been rejected by my ancestors in favour of a more modern lifestyle. My mother insisted that it was imperative that I now rejoin the Tribes and that we,” his hand moved back and forth between them, “must protect Miss Elizabeth Bennet, for she is in terrible danger. We must train to become her guard. All of this is a great secret only to be discussed among ourselves.”

  “It is all true, my friend. I have seen a great deal of evidence with my own eyes, and I do not doubt the remainder of what I have heard. My cousins will train with us and…” William was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  Bingley called out, “Enter!”

  In walked Lord Reginald Fitzwilliam and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.

  “Were your ears ringing, gentlemen?” Bingley asked as he stood and bowed. “Welcome to Netherfield, Lord Reginald, Colonel. We were just speaking of you both!”