Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Denise O'Hara

  “You are speaking nonsense!” Kitty stared at him out of annoyance. “Of all the ridiculous claims to make! I know that Georgiana would let Alex go if he ever needed to get back to the sea. But after all, they have just married. I do not see the need for a rush,” Kitty retorted, defending Georgiana. Richard chuckled.

  “That was not a ridiculous claim at all. The sea has been the man's mistress for years. She is not likely to give him up so easily,” Richard replied as his smile widened a bit at Kitty’s overreaction.

  Kitty fumed. She did not even notice that she was already stabbing her steak a bit too hard. “Georgiana and Alex are happily married! And he is busy helping to take care of the new business. No respectable man would drop his wife and career to gallivant over the ocean,” Kitty countered.

  “Gallivanting might be good for a healthy relationship,” Richard said in a light tone. “If they get into a squabble, they will have forgotten what they were quarreling about by the time he gets back. He can bring her finer things than flowers as peace offering as well,” Richard continued before giving a very handsome wink. Kitty’s heart almost jumped out of her ribcage, but she tried her best to maintain position in the repartee. Why, Richard was almost questioning Georgiana and Alex’s marriage!

  “Like a monkey?” Kitty challenged, watching him fluster slightly at the mention of that misadventure, one Alex had gladly shared with Georgiana, and then revealed to the ladies in general. Not one of his finer moments, to say the least.

  “Do not encourage him, Kitty,” Darcy intervened as his eyes looked sternly at his cousin. “He is only trying to rile you up. He would rather spend his days skirting dangerous situations and strange lands than settle in a manicured estate with his sweet wife and delightful children. Monotony and predictability are cages for him. As a result, he tries to make light out of married life. You will do well not to encourage him. He is always looking for a contest,” Darcy continued. Elizabeth finally looked up. Her candied carrots were reduced to an orange mush.

  “Come now, Darcy!” Fitzwilliam frowned as he turned his attention to his cousin. “You know it is nothing of that sort.” Darcy wiped his mouth with his napkin and crossed his arms.

  “You have become a man of means over the years with some wise investments. Are you yet not ready to settle down?” Darcy challenged lightly, though the sharp edge was more than apparent. Elizabeth silently pleaded with her eyes on her husband to stop the budding argument, but Darcy did not heed her.

  “One day,” Richard said simply.

  “One day,” Darcy echoed hollowly, taking a sip of his wine. “Let us hope you actually make it to that day, Fitzwilliam.”

  “Darcy, let us not be so serious this evening! Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Elizabeth. Later this evening, who wants to lose to me in a game of cards?” he asked.

  Darcy exhaled audibly and forced a smile. “Elizabeth and I will take on you and Kitty, but you have another thing coming if you think you will best us. We make a formidable team, I assure you.”

  Richard looked at Kitty and smiled. “I think we will make a pretty interesting team ourselves.”

  Chapter Ten

  That night when Kitty retired to her room, Elizabeth knocked on her door. “You wanted to see me, dear?” her sister asked.

  “What is happening between Darcy and Fitzwilliam? Please tell me!” she begged. Elizabeth shook her head.

  “All I know is that Fitzwilliam has accepted a dangerous assignment. What is that work – I know nothing about. Darcy tried to persuade him out of it, but Fitzwilliam can be… hard-headed. Please understand that my husband is only worried about his cousin’s safety. Many of his friends in much less favorable circumstances are settling down, but Fitzwilliam seems to have fallen in love with the dangers he faces in his profession,” Elizabeth exclaimed. Kitty nodded.

  Elizabeth looked at her sister. She might be a woman now, but her heart still seemed that of the young girl that they had all looked after before. “Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam is a man that lives for the thrill. He likes the adventure and chase. If you are seeing him as your future husband, I beg you to please consider what that will be like. Do you know what will happen to you if you were to end up marrying Richard?” Elizabeth asked. Kitty shook her head.

  “He will marry you, honeymoon for a fortnight, and then leave for his next assignment. You will need to grow accustomed to saying your farewells,” Elizabeth informed her. Kitty looked devastated.

  “He would never do that to me, Elizabeth!” Kitty argued. “I believe he knows he must make up his mind one way or the other. He may play the jester with me, but he would never purposely hurt me. If he chooses me, he will not look back.”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath. “We will see, Kitty. I am just warning you. As much as Darcy and I love him, Richard is not the man a young lady should to play with. He has spent half of his life now as a man whose occupation does not allow him to stay in one place for long. He is always practicing his skills and at the ready for a battle. Darcy has insinuated that his cousin even seeks out dangerous situations at times. I just want you to consider these facts before your heart becomes attached and will not allow you to see things as they really are. He may not choose as you wish,” she said before bidding her sister goodnight and leaving the room.

  Knowing this was to be Fitzwilliam’s last visit before he headed out on a dangerous assignment made everything seem more urgent and meaningful.

  When morning came, Kitty met him at the bottom of the stairs again; this time she was successful not to trip or miss a step. Darcy and Elizabeth were already in the breakfast room waiting to receive them. If there was any awkwardness due to their last meeting, it was not in any way obvious. There was laughter around the table as Elizabeth recounted her morning with the children. Wendy was most excited to see a few hairs had appeared on her baby brother’s head. Darcy reminisced about how long it had taken for Georgiana’s to come in.

  When they were all satisfied, Darcy asked, “When are you heading out, Fitzwilliam?”

  “Tomorrow,” he answered. Kitty almost choked on the last of her tea.

  “Why are you leaving so soon?” she questioned.

  Fitzwilliam gave her a sweet smile before he stood up from the table and offered her his arm. “May I walk with you in the gardens, Miss Bennet?” he asked. Kitty gladly held onto his well-built arm, and together they left the dining room.

  “You still did not answer my question,” Kitty remarked when they were out of anyone’s earshot. They went to the marble fountain where Kitty plucked red roses. Fitzwilliam watched her quietly.

  “I answered that already. My mistress is waiting. I am not the man who makes my woman wait,” he said. Kitty almost dropped the roses in her hand.

  But I have been waiting for you, Kitty’s heart whispered. Kitty did not voice that thought, however. Was it evident by Richard’s response that he never saw her as his potential wife? Is that why he was letting her wait so long? Perhaps she was getting the answer her sister had warned her to expect.

  “Is there no woman who has taken your heart yet?” Kitty asked in a tone as if she were just being curious.

  “You will know if there is,” he answered. Kitty faced him abruptly, unable to stop herself.

  “Why?” was all she said.

  “Because I will let you know,” he taunted. Kitty was shook back to herself. Talking seriously about love had made her mind dull for a moment.

  “Well, you have to ask me first if I want to know. I do not want to hear frivolous affection from a man who leaves a woman in every town he is based in,” Kitty pointed out. Fitzwilliam held her hand.

  “You are truly unbelievable, Kitty. And you believed those gossips about me? Just because I am incredibly smooth and good-looking, it does not mean that I discard women when I am done with them. I do uphold chivalry and respect for ladies in the highest pillar” he said, squeezing her hand. Kitty was falling into the moment but then held herself back. When she face
d Elizabeth yesterday, she bravely said that he would not play with her heart, but why was she questioning her faith and confidence now?

  “A woman is like a good horse,” he suddenly remarked. Kitty’s eyes flew open. She tried to pull her hand away from his hold, but he was too strong for her.

  “Do I look like a horse to you?” she asked angrily. On this beautiful morning, Fitzwilliam looked more handsome than she had ever seen him.

  But he practically called her a horse!

  “No, you have become the most beautiful woman I have set my eyes on, but a woman worth keeping is like a good horse. Good horses are cared for and kept. That is how I judge which woman I should keep for good.” He explained. Kitty thought that his comparison was ridiculous.

  “Even the best horse gets abandoned in the battleground if she fails to protect her rider. Not only that, if the best horse gets old or if the man runs out of use to her, she will be put back in the stables where she would wait for an unclear future. Your comparison is preposterous and incredibly angering,” she asserted. “A man will not think about his ideal like that unless he plans to come and go as he pleases and cares little about the effect it will have on the lonesome creature!”

  Fitzwilliam took a deep breath. “Kitty, in a soldier’s point of view, a good horse matters more than anything else in the field. When we rest, we water down the horses and make sure they are rested before we even rest ourselves. A good horse saves a soldier’s life many times. If not for good horses, soldiers would never make it home,” he clarified, but the look at Kitty’s face told him that he had made her even more confused.

  “In short, a good horse is as important as the man’s life,” he simplified. Kitty’s slightly parted lips were starting to attract his attention, but he wanted to clear things for her.

  “So you are saying that your woman will be as important to you as your own life?” she asked. He almost laughed. Finally, she understood his position.

  “Yes, of course,” he said. Kitty’s eyes shouted hope.

  “And you have not met this woman yet?” she asked.

  Fitzwilliam looked into her eyes intently. He would like to have those eyes etched in his memory before he left on this particular mission. “I said you will know if I did, did I not?” he responded.

  Kitty was getting impatient with him so close to her and staring into her eyes. Was he expecting her to play this mind game? If he cared for her, why did he not declare himself? She took a step back and felt her dress snag on a thorn from a dormant rosebush.

  “Well, whoever she is, I wish her all the best in the world. She must be very unfortunate to catch your eye. I will pray for her,” Kitty said with irritation as she struggled to free her dress.

  He laughed. “You had best start right away, then. Six months from now, I will be marrying that unfortunate woman. Do your best in praying for her, my lady. I am the man everyone warns a woman about,” he said as he kissed Kitty’s hand and bowed low. She was left speechless.

  “Shall we go back to the house? The wind is getting colder. I do not want you to catch your death even before finishing your prayer vigil,” he taunted. He pulled Kitty’s hand and together they went back to the house.

  After dinner Fitzwilliam stood by a window, looking out into the darkness. “I think I will step outside to enjoy the full moon by the pond.”

  “How many times growing up did we sneak out at night to sit by the pond?” Darcy fondly reminisced. “It was always our favorite spot.”

  “Would you like to join me?” Fitzwilliam asked.

  “I think I would at that. Ladies, are you inclined to take a moonlit walk this evening?”

  The four of them walked together down the well-traveled path leading to the pond. The sky was free of clouds, and the countless stars along with the full moon lit up the sky.

  Elizabeth had brought two blankets, and they laid them out next to each other to sit where they had the best view. They talked quietly, content enjoying the beauty of the sky and the moon which looked ten times as large when reflected off the water while listening to the sounds of the night.

  Fitzwilliam offered his arm to Kitty for the return walk back. He reached across and placed his other hand on top of hers. She was thrilled at what she perceived to be a beginning of something that could be wonderful.

  He hoped with all his heart that it was not the end of something that might have been wonderful.

  Chapter Eleven

  Fitzwilliam woke the next morning thinking of Kitty Bennet. He was not sure that he should declare himself to her before he left. He knew it was common for men of his age to play with the hearts of many a young woman. Fitzwilliam did not feel the need to stray from Kitty, though he felt pangs from time to time, wondering if he did have a divided heart, one who went by the names Adventure, Daring, Rescue. He wondered if this shared affection was any less destructive than a cheating heart.

  He had made up his mind that she was the one with whom he would like to spend the rest of his life and raise a family. On the other hand, he could not deny that the missions with the Scarlet Pimpernel were getting more dangerous. It seemed all of France and much of England were speculating about the master of disguise’s identity and were earnestly trying to reveal him. The next several weeks the men would be working in various locations around Paris to throw off those who were intent on discovering them and thwarting their rescue attempts. In actuality, with each new mission, Fitzwilliam recognized the looks of suspicion he received as everyone was distrustful of a new face.

  He was making his way down to breakfast when he heard the undeniable laughter of Kitty with her niece and nephew. Going towards the nursery, he looked in and saw Lawrence Darcy running around on his chubby little legs. He smiled as he watched them. Kitty scooped up the boy and twirled him around. After giving Wendy a turn as well, Kitty and her niece plopped down on the floor, laughing and dizzy. Lawrence ran over and threw his arms around his aunt. She lightly tickled him and then held and kissed the child. The sun was shining on her through the window behind them, and the effect was quite lovely. It was both a beautiful and a touching sight for him that he would carry with him on his journey.

  “What a pretty picture you make,” he said as he entered the room. “I wish I could stay longer.”

  “You must leave?” she nearly gasped as he offered his hand to help her up. “And so suddenly?”

  “Yes, I must. You see, there is a matter of land to which I must be a party. A noble family is looking to make landfall in our area. You must understand that I have an important role to play in their settling in to our rather picky community.” He toed the line between truth and something more deceptive. There is much to do, I’m afraid.” Fitzwilliam was satisfied with his ruse. There was nothing strictly untrue about his explanation. The Theriot family was indeed noble, and they were, in fact, in desperate need of Fitzwilliam’s particular connections. He continued, “I assured you I will do all in my power to safely return as quickly as possible.”

  “What do you mean by “safely return?”

  “An expression I’ve grown accustomed to,” he explained. “Kitty, will you be here when I return?”

  “It depends. My sister Mary is to be married in about eight weeks, and I will be returning to Longbourn a few weeks before the happy event. I am a bridesmaid, you know.”

  “I suppose I did not mean literally here at Pemberley. I meant will you be waiting for me when I return?” he asked with such intensity that there could not be any misunderstanding as to his meaning.

  “Yes, I will be here for you, Fitzwilliam.”

  “Oh, there you, Kitty, Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth said as she entered the nursery. “Are you going to join us for breakfast? We are going down now.”

  “Yes, I always look forward with anticipation to Mrs. Maricle’s cement rolls.”

  “Fitzwilliam, you are so bad to tease her by calling them that. You know very well they will melt in your mouth!”

  “She loves it when
I tease her. Why do you think her rolls are always served when I am here, Elizabeth,” he laughed.

  “Very well, Fitzwilliam, can you bring Lawrence down?”

  “I am not sure if I can handle such a big boy as Mr. Lawrence Darcy,” he said as he pretended to have difficulty lifting the child. “How would you like to ride on my back instead?”

  “If you will excuse me,” Kitty said, “I will be down soon. There is something I must attend to first.”

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