‘Isn’t that Wickham, Lizzy?’
‘You know young Mr Wickham?’ asked the porter, his tone changing. ‘Of all the students I’ve known come through these mighty walls, he is the most gormless gawk, rotten to the core, nowt good to be said of him. Expelled he was for deeds dark and dismal, which I will not repeat in front of this delicate young lassie, mind. But what his picture is still doing on our College Board of Student Officers, I do not know.’
And with that, the porter ripped the photograph of Wickham off the board, tore it into little shreds, jumped up and down on it, then kicked the little pieces into a mouse hole that he had spotted between two large stones in the wall.
‘Good for nothing little…’
‘Oh, but, Lizzy! Do you not know that gentleman, too?’ asked Aunt G, interrupting Reynolds as she recognised the name of one of the other student officers.
‘Fitzwilliam Darcy!’ exclaimed Reynolds, immediately recovering his good humour. ‘Now, hinny, there’s a fine fellow. He was First Knight of the Castle last year, captain of rowing, rugby, wrestling, debating, and jousting, and the best young fellow anyone could wish to meet. Clivvor, chivalrous, fair, kind, compassionate, strong, brave, resilient, courageous, generous, wise, intelligent, bold, valiant, industrious…’
‘…and do you not think him very handsome, too, Lizzy?’ interjected Aunt G.
‘Aye, pet!’ replied Reynolds on Lizzy’s behalf. ‘He is a most handsome young man. All the fresher maidens here are madly in love with him, and I dare say some of the chaps, too. Whoever captures his heart will be a lucky lassie indeed.’
Lizzy, throughout, was dumbstruck. She had no idea that Darcy was at Durham, let alone University College. In all their conversations, it had never arisen. She could never apply now. He would think she was chasing him! Oh, the embarrassment! And the disappointment when she had quite lost her heart to the place.
‘I think the young lady’s besotted already!’ teased Reynolds.
‘No! No! You are much mistaken!’ replied Lizzy, her emotions in turmoil. Then another thought struck her. ‘When did you say the students returned?’
‘Not for a week or so, pet. And then all hell lets loose, but until then, the ghosts of the past have the castle all to themselves.’
Reynolds took them down the grand staircase and out into the central courtyard. It was a most sensational place. Lizzy, her mind awhirl with what she had seen and heard, moved away from the group to gather her thoughts. As she wandered towards the portcullis, she saw a mysterious tall, dark figure outlined against the sky, walking directly towards her. When he was but twenty yards away, the light shifted, and she could make out his shape and his features at the same moment as he saw hers. Their eyes met instantly. Darcy!
It was indeed Darcy, who stopped abruptly and stared, unable to move, momentarily transfixed in surprise. Was this an apparition? A ghost of the woman who had bewitched him and whose hold over his being he had so desperately tried to fight off? He trembled.
Lizzy, but ten paces away, felt the cold hand of regret squeeze her heart. This was what she had spurned. She trembled.
A raven high up on the parapet swooped down, squawking, awakening Darcy from his momentary paralysis. He strode forward and grasped Lizzy’s pale white hand in both of his. His eyes burned into hers.
‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet! Welcome to Durham!’
‘Darcy!’ Lizzy could hardly breathe. ‘What are you…? Why are you…? Where are you…?’
Her words faded as they were uttered. She was enfeebled in his powerful presence. He towered over her like the ancient turrets pushing to the sky behind. Her throat was constricted. Her breath came in short, sharp bursts—yet through it all, she became aware of a dampness. To her surprise, she realised Darcy was wet through, his clothes stuck to his body like limpets, revealing his fine, muscled torso as well as if he was completely naked. Lizzy was astounded and found herself unable to peel her eyes away.
‘Oh, my clothes,’ said Darcy, realising that the wet proximity of his body was alarming Lizzy. ‘Yes, I am soaked through. Completely drenched! I returned to college early to train for the rowing season and have just met with a misadventure on the river.’
‘I see,’ said Lizzy in barely more than a whisper.
An awkward silence followed, broken by Darcy speaking hurriedly, almost desperately, as if he had made up his mind on some important matter and must get it off his chest.
‘I have friends visiting the castle tomorrow. Mr Bingley and his sisters.’
Lizzy felt the awkwardness intensify and could offer only a slight gasp in response.
‘And with them comes one whom I would dearly like to make your acquaintance. My young sister, Georgiana.’
Lizzy gasped again.
‘Lizzy?’ Aunt G’s voice brought Lizzy back to her senses.
‘This is Aunt G and Uncle G, Darcy,’ exclaimed Lizzy as her uncle and aunt approached.
‘Very pleased to make your acquaintance,’ said Darcy, nodding. He was unable to shake hands, as he still had Lizzy’s grasped in his and seemed unwilling or unable to let go.
‘Do you enjoy rowing?’ Darcy enquired of Uncle G with the utmost civility and to Lizzy’s great surprise. ‘The college boathouse is just down there,’ he continued, jerking his head in the direction of the boathouse. ‘It is a beautiful walk down through the trees. The path is steep, but I could lend you some stout shoes if you would do me the honour of joining me later.’
‘That is most kind!’ replied Uncle G, delighted.
Darcy began to shake alarmingly. His hands were icy cold upon Lizzy’s, but he seemed not to notice. His face was deathly pale.
‘You look cold, sir,’ said Aunt G kindly.
‘Oh, yes. So I am!’ Darcy’s teeth began to chatter. ‘I w-w-will g-g-get ch-ch-changed. Perhaps… perhaps you w-w-will join us for t-t-tea?’
‘How lovely,’ Uncle G thanked him, ‘but we have an appointment to view the cathedral.’
‘O-o-of course! The c-c-cathedral. Y-y-you must! A-a masterpiece of the Romanesque… don’t miss the treasures of St… Cuth… Cuth… Cuthbert… or the m-m-monks dormitory.’
Darcy moved off stiffly, but his hands were either frozen onto Lizzy’s or he just could not let go. Luckily, Aunt G always carried a flask of sweet hot tea in case of emergencies such as these, and holding it below the conjoined hands, managed to warm them and prize them apart without as much as the smallest hint of chilblains. Freed, Darcy walked off as briskly as a frozen man can, bowing and waving as he went.
‘Well!’ exclaimed Aunt G after he had gone. ‘What a charming young man, Lizzy!’
‘I forgot to say, pet,’ interjected Reynolds, who had been observing this exchange, ‘that sometimes some students come back a little earlier than the early students. Such an example of this is young Mr Darcy, as you have now seen for yourself.’
Chapter 44
Following their visit to the cathedral, Uncle G said triumphantly, ‘I have a surprise for you. Reynolds has kindly booked us into the Chaplain’s Suite itself in the very heart of the castle!’
Lizzy flushed red. Not only was she imposing herself on Darcy’s territory, she was practically staying in his room!
‘Oh, Uncle!’
‘I knew you’d be delighted!’
And that was that.
The following morning, Lizzy, having risen late and still clad in her nightdress, was gazing at the romantic view of a medieval world through the arrow-slit window of her bedroom, when there was a knock on the massive oak door. Thinking it would be Aunt G, she opened the door and felt the blood drain from her face in shock. There stood Darcy! To think she stood before him so exposed! So revealed! The transparency of her garment! How it clung to her every outline! How the neckline was low, very low. Darcy took all this in, sighed wistfully, and then announced,
‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet! I am dry today, and this is my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy.’
Georgiana appeared from b
ehind Darcy, blushing and barely able to look directly at Lizzy. She was a handsome girl; her figure, though young, was womanly and graceful, and Lizzy, despite her own confusion, warmed to her unassuming and gentle manners and felt compelled to invite brother and sister in. Hurriedly adding a matching silk negligee to her attire, she offered them refreshments from the complimentary tea tray.
‘Do sit down!’ added Lizzy as she busied herself.
‘Would you like tea or mead?’ she asked, reading the sachets on the tray.
The visitors opted for tea, and Georgiana perched herself on a little stool. Darcy stood motionless and uncertain. The only other place to sit in the room, apart from Lizzy’s unmade bed, which was unthinkable, was a large chair hewn from an ancient oak.
‘Oh, Lord!’ said Lizzy, turning round holding two cups of tea and immediately seeing Darcy’s dilemma. The chair was prettily adorned with her white, lacy bra, knickers, suspenders, and stockings.
‘Oh, Lord!’ repeated Lizzy.
‘Shall I?’ Darcy took the initiative and gently gathered up the underwear from the chair and placed the items slowly and reverently on the bed. He then sat down on the chair and smiled at Lizzy.
‘What a fine chair this is,’ he commented. ‘Jolly good legs.’
‘I am so pleased to make your acquaintance,’ ventured Georgiana to Lizzy. ‘My dear brother has told me so much about you.’
‘I fear what your brother might have said,’ replied Lizzy warmly, ‘but I am certainly glad to meet you.’
‘My brother says you are a very spirited young lady. You must be to spend the night in this room alone. They say the castle is haunted. I would be frightened to death of ghosts and ghouls and would not sleep a wink!’
At that moment, there was a curious moaning sound from behind the door.
‘You see!’ said Georgiana in horror. ‘It is haunted!’
The ghostly moaning was heard again.
Georgiana leapt to Darcy, throwing her arms about him for protection, and Lizzy herself felt a tinge of fear. The moaning grew louder.
‘It might be the wife of one of the former Prince Bishops of Durham,’ whispered Georgiana. ‘I read about her last night. She haunts the black staircase; she fell down it and broke her neck!’
This time the moaning was accompanied by a faint clanking.
‘Stay here!’ said Darcy. ‘Elizabeth, look after Georgiana, and whatever you do, don’t come out. Whatever you hear, however fearful, stay right where you are. I’m going to see what it is. Georgiana, you will be safe with Elizabeth.’
Lizzy, though with a growing feeling of dread that the paranormal was upon them, nevertheless felt the compliment from Darcy. Their eyes met and lingered.
‘Take care,’ she whispered.
‘I’ll be back,’ replied Darcy, echoing her whisper, and he crossed the room, slowly opened the creaking door, and was gone.
Lizzy and Georgiana took comfort by sitting together on the ancient chair, the younger girl holding tightly onto the older girl’s hands. They did not speak. They hardly dared to breathe so desperate were they to hear what could be happening beyond the great oak door.
To begin with, there was only deathly silence. Then there was a great clanking, and somebody, not Darcy, said ‘Gotcha!’ and laughed in delight. It was a familiar laugh, although Lizzy could not quite place it.
***
The door opened again. Darcy entered with a knight in armour following.
‘Bingley!’ said Darcy and sat down on the bed.
‘Hello! Hello!’ said Bingley, springing open his visor. ‘I hope I didn’t frighten you. I was just so dying to try on one of these suits of armour that seemed to be scattered around all over the place in this ancient castle, and then… well one little thought led to another… and I thought it would be quite a merry joke to spook you! Did I take you in? Did I?’
‘You did, so we are doubly pleased to see you,’ said Lizzy, her eyes shining in delight at being reunited with the young man.
Meanwhile, the commotion had brought the Gardiners, also still in a state of undress, rushing from their room. It was a curious meeting, half the people fully clothed, half still in nightwear, and one in knight’s armour, but the atmosphere was jolly, and good humour was apparent on all sides. On seeing Bingley, Lizzy’s thoughts had immediately turned to Jane. Could it be that the young man retained any affection for her? Or had Cazza been right when she said Bingley was in love with Georgiana? From observation, she saw no evidence of this. No secret looks, no paddlings of palms. Nothing. She found herself standing by the window with Bingley, who ventured that it had been a long time since he had had the pleasure of seeing her. In fact, the last time he had been with her family was 3:38 p.m., Tuesday 14, at Sunny Cove, just after he had rubbed some extra suncream on one of Lizzy’s sisters’ snowy white back, which was beautifully decorated with a faint freckle two inches below the right shoulder blade, and another to the left of her fourth vertebrae, and just before he had left Salcombe for London. Lizzy was pleased with the precise nature of this observation and felt that there was still hope for Jane.
After further merry conversation, the meeting drew to an end. Darcy had the pleasure of inviting the Gardiners and Lizzy to enjoy refreshments in the Great Hall that evening with themselves, Cazza, Lulu, and Hattie, who were expected to arrive during the day. All accepted gratefully, and the visitors left.
It was only later, while getting dressed, that Lizzy was unable to locate one of her stockings. Fortunately, she had a spare, but she dreaded to think where the original might have gone.
And it was only later that Darcy, on changing for rowing, found that the article had become attached somehow to the button on his back trouser pocket—probably when he had sat on it on the bed after discovering Bingley. It was too awkward to return, and besides, the sight of the item, its silky touch and softness, gave him more pleasure than he would like to admit.
Chapter 45
Dinner in the Great Hall was an awkward affair. The ladies gathered first in the Tunstall Gallery. Cazza, Lulu, and Hattie remained reserved and curt; Georgiana was so shy she spent the whole time hiding in the deep recess of an arrow window, peeping out to view the company occasionally and retiring quickly if anyone caught sight of her. Reynolds brought a roast pig into the Great Hall and encouraged the ladies to tuck in before the gents arrived. The conversation had reached a low ebb, and so whilst they seemed unable to speak, the ladies were able to eat. Lizzy was desperate for the gentlemen to appear. Half an hour later, Darcy and Bingley stood before them. Cazza, not yet beaten by Lizzy, threw herself upon Darcy, encouraging him to sit by her and showing off her decolletage to its best effect, yet with little effect. This made her angry, and she turned her jealous passion upon Lizzy.
‘Eliza, are not the lifeguards now confined for their training at South Sands? How trying that must be for your family!’
***
Lifeguards instantly brought the name of Wickham to the minds of several in the room. The vicious dig intended for Lizzy also sent a knife into the heart of Darcy, and worse, Georgiana, who still too shy to join them, remained in the Tunstall Gallery but could hear every word. Still recovering from her near elopement, she fell in a faint into the recess. After trifle, Lizzy and the Gardiners left, and Cazza, Hattie, and Lulu had an enjoyable time knocking back vodka and tonic whilst tearing Lizzy’s character and looks apart.
‘Totally sad, a complete waster,’ was Hattie’s view.
‘Did you see her earrings? Costume jewellery,’ chortled Lulu. ‘So cheap!’
Cazza tried to draw Darcy in. ‘Did you admire her earrings, Darcy? Do you think they set off her face to best advantage? I do recall you thought her rather pretty at one time.’
‘I did, once, think her pretty. Now I consider her one of the handsomest women in my acquaintance,’ retorted Darcy, finishing the tail end of a glass of single malt whisky and retiring uneasily to bed.
Chapter 46
The
following morning, Lizzy had a text from Jane.
Hey, Lizzy, Lydia run off with Wickham. Gone 2 Newquay! Parentals crazy! Jane :(
A second text followed almost immediately:
Lizzy, Lydia not just 2 Newquay. It’s worse—much worse—mega worse. Yes she has gone 2 Newquay, but no money, so Wickham has got Lydia job in a club. Not just bar work. Think poles (not country). Parentals freaking out in Salcombe! Come back urgently!
Jane :-(
At that moment, Darcy appeared at the door. Lizzy in her distress revealed the ghastly news.
‘Newquay,’ he muttered.
Lizzy, through her tears, went on to explain about Lydia’s new career.
‘Poles!’ exclaimed Darcy and left.
‘Oh, foolish Lydia!’ cried Lizzy, bursting into tears, and grabbing her Quba bag, and accompanied by her uncle and her aunt, she caught the next train back to Salcombe.
Chapter 47
A sound of moaning reached Lizzy’s ears before she reached 3 Island Street. The house was indeed in uproar!
Jane was waiting anxiously on the street for Lizzy’s arrival. The girls embraced with tears in their eyes, and Jane, between sobs, gave Lizzy a crisis update.
Mr Bennet, on hearing the dreadful news, had set off immediately to trawl the lap-dancing clubs of North Cornwall to try and recover his daughter. On hearing this, Uncle G bravely said he, too, would try and rescue his lost niece, and he also set off, some observers noted, in particularly good spirits, for the lap-dancing clubs of North Cornwall.
Meanwhile, Kitty was constantly crying because she wanted to go to Newquay.
‘It’s so unfair. Lydia’s clubbing, and I’m crabbing.’ Kitty just could not see the problem. ‘I don’t see what’s wrong with Newquay. Just because it’s common and everyone has raves on beaches and Lydia might be doing a bit of lap dancing—but I mean, what’s the difference wearing your bikini on the beach in the day or wearing your bikini in the evening and sliding down a pole?’
Mr. Darcy Goes Overboard Page 10
