“It would be me, your lordship. As her father’s heir, I would become the Master of Longbourn, and therefore, would be in position of authority over her.”
“But, you stated you were to marry her.” Lady Matlock stated. “To me, it would appear that, out of jealousy, you are taking steps to destroy her marriage so that you would be able to secure her for yourself.”
“You know nothing, Rebecca.” Lord Matlock admonished his wife. “You have not been with Catherine or Mr Collins, how do you know they are not telling us the truth? With the word of a clergyman supporting Catherine, I am inclined to believe their story. I will send word for the solicitor to come tonight.”
“I insist you send word to the encampment and have Richard come as well. If anyone knows what is going on with William, it would be our son.” Lady Matlock stated.
Lord Matlock turned red with anger. “I am the master of this house, and I will not be questioned by my wife or anyone else. Rebecca, I suggest you return upstairs to your rooms. I will have a tray sent up to you there. We will be quite busy with the solicitor, so you will be bored with the discussion.”
Lady Matlock knew that she would not be able to convince her husband against his sister’s ranting on her own. “Very well, Henry. I am hopeful you will come to see me before you head for your own chambers tonight, for I would wish to say goodnight to you.”
“Of course, my dear. Thank you for understanding.” Lord Matlock foolishly thought his wife was complying passively. As soon as Lady Matlock arrived at her rooms, she pulled out some parchment, ink and pen. She quickly penned a letter to her second son, informing him of the situation with Lady Catherine and Mr Collins. Then Lady Matlock sealed the message and called for her maid.
When Lucy entered to attend her mistress, Lady Matlock handed her the note. “Please send one of the young men who is loyal to me, to take this note to Colonel Fitzwilliam. It is important for my son to receive the information as soon as possible.”
“Of course, Ma’am. My brother is in the mews, I will send him.” ~~ ** ~~ Richard Fitzwilliam was shocked to receive his mother’s message, especially being so late in the day. He was fortunately free from duty and left the camp to see his mother, going up the back staircase to avoid being seen by his father or aunt.
“Richard, thank heavens you came. It is vital we send word to William to let him know what is happening. Your father and aunt are attempting to have his marriage annulled, and this Mr Collins is attempting to have William’s father in law declared incompetent as well. It is terrible, and the only reason they are doing all of this is to further their own selfish desires.”
“Tell me everything they are planning. I will take a leave from my duties and make my way to Bingley’s estate. Now that the quarantine is lifted, I will be able to speak with William personally.” Richard stated.
For the next two hours, Lady Matlock informed her son all she had heard from Lady Catherine, Mr Collins, and Lord Matlock. Once Richard was ready to leave, he gave his mother a kiss on the forehead. “Thank you Mother. I am sure that William and his wife will thank you as well. As soon as we know anything, I will write to you.”
“Thank you, Richard. I knew I could count on you.” Lady Matlock squeezed her son’s hand.
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 8 When Darcy and Elizabeth returned to the world outside their private suite of rooms, they learned of Darcy’s aunt visiting and threatening the Bennet family. “How dare she think she can rule my life?” He said as he paced about Mr Bennet’s study. “And Mr Collins, what does he think he will gain from assisting Lady Catherine.”
“Mr Collins tried to persuade me to see his way of thinking before he left Netherfield. He believes he will be able to marry Lizzy once you are out of her life. The man is quite ill, and I do not trust him at all.”
“We had best speak with Mr Phillips with regards to all the legal papers. We should plan our strategy, as we know that Lady Catherine and Mr Collins are not finished with us. They will not just give up and walk away.” Darcy stated.
“I have sent a message to Mr Phillips, he and his wife will be joining us for dinner tonight. I am grateful for his being involved throughout the preparations for the marriage, Mr Phillips is highly regarded for his legal mind.”
“When we first spoke of the marriage contract, I thought you were being foolish in involving your brother in law. I would have sent to London to have the papers all drawn up, there is no problem that would keep me from taking good care of Lizzy. Now, I am grateful for Mr Phillips’ being involved. It will protect us both, and it will be nice if he is on our side if my aunt or Mr Collins tries anything.”
~~ ** ~~ Mr and Mrs Phillips were pleased to spend the evening with the Bennets, Darcys and Mr Bingley. Bingley’s sister, Louisa, and her husband had moved to the townhouse in Town, and Miss Bingley had been taken to a sanitarium on the outskirts of London.
After dinner was over, the men moved to Mr Bennet’s study to discuss the possible problem with Mr Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. “I do not believe there is anything they can do to break the contract, as it was signed by both parties and has been officiated legally, with special license which was provided by Mr Littleton. And, I assume, the marriage has been…well…you and Lizzy have…”
Darcy turned red with the suggestion. “Yes, we have consummated our marriage.” “I also took the liberty to send our brother, Gardiner, the announcement to have posted in the papers.” Mr Phillips stated. “I knew that there were many other issues of importance when all of this came about, so I hope I am forgiven for taking such a step.”
“I appreciate your wise move, Mr Phillips.” Darcy said with a breath of relief. “With the announcement to all of London, they will see that I have no reason to hide the wedding, and that I have no problem in declaring Elizabeth as my wife.”
“It will be difficult for your family to hide the fact, since the announcement was posted. Would your aunt attempt to have you declared mentally unable to decide for yourself? Perhaps claim you were ill with the fever even then?” Mr Bennet asked.
“You are all my witnesses as to my health and state of mind at the time I agreed to marry Elizabeth. Will all of you stand as my witnesses if need be?” Darcy asked the other men.
Bingley nodded his head. “You have my support, Darce. If you had not accepted the agreement to marry Mrs Darcy, I would have declared you insane. You are a very fortunate man.”
“Of course you have my support, Mr Darcy. You are married to my niece, and I will not allow anyone to cause you any problems, if it is within my power.”
“And you know how I feel, William.” Mr Bennet stated. “Then we will battle whatever Lady Catherine and Mr Collins try to throw at us.” Picking up his glass of port, Darcy held it out towards the other men. “Cheers, gentlemen.”
~~ ** ~~ The day was pleasant and sunny, so Georgiana Darcy had talked her companion, Mrs Younge, into taking a walk in Hyde Park. Little did the young lady know, a plot was in the making and her companion was not to be trusted.
As they rounded one of the curves in the path, Georgiana bumped into a gentleman walking towards her. “Forgive me, Sir. I did not see you.” “There is no offense, Miss. Are you well? Were you harmed?” The man stopped for a moment before speaking again. “No, it cannot be. You would not happen to be Miss Darcy of Pemberley?”
“Why, y-y-yes. I am Georgiana Darcy. Do I know you?” She was curious. “It has been several years since we have last seen each other, but I had not thought I had changed so drastically as to not be recognized.” The man bowed slightly. “Mr George Wickham, at your service, Miss Darcy.”
“Mr Wickham, it has been some time since I saw you at Pemberley. Forgive me for not recognizing you. I feel quite silly now. This is my companion, Mrs Younge. Mrs Younge, this is a friend of my family from many years back, Mr George Wickham. His father was the steward of Pemberley when I was a little girl. Mr Wickham was a kind man, he always had a smile and a pleasant
greeting when he saw me. Oh, I meant Mr Wickham’s father, as George is now Mr Wickham. Oh, forgive me for calling you by your Christian name.”
Wickham chuckled. “Have no fear, Miss Darcy, for we are good friends. And I could not abide by my good friend referring to me as Mr Wickham, not after all the years we have been acquainted. You must refer to me as George, as you did when you were a young girl. I have always enjoyed the way my name flowed from your lips.”
“That is very kind of you, Mr…George. I believe it is time to return home. It has been a great pleasure to see you again.” Mrs Younge smiled sweetly. “It is still early, Miss Darcy. I am sure that we could walk a little further, perhaps you could walk with Mr Wickham over by the pond where the ducks are. I will take a seat on the bench, so I will be able to see you as you walk.”
Georgiana was nervous, and was about to decline the offer, when Wickham smiled brightly. “Yes, Miss Darcy, for I would dearly love to learn of your brother. It has been far too long since I last saw my childhood friend, and it would bring me comfort to hear what he has been doing these past years.”
Finally, Georgiana gave into the request and placed her hand lightly upon his proffered arm. As the two began to walk, Georgiana did not witness the sneer of delight which was passed between Wickham and Mrs Younge.
As Mrs Younge looked on, Wickham led Georgiana Darcy towards some nearby trees, and, after glancing around him to see if anyone was paying attention, reached into his pocket and brought out a cloth and a bottle of liquid. Pretending to wipe something off his coat with the cloth, he spilled some of the liquid onto the cloth and quickly brought it up to Georgiana’s face, pulling the girl to his body as she fought, momentarily, before collapsing in Wickham’s arms. Mrs Younge walked over to the two, and made the appearance of a couple out for a walk with their young daughter, who had become fatigued. Wickham carried the unconscious Georgiana to a nearby carriage which was awaiting him. Once the three were inside, Wickham tapped on the roof of the carriage for them to leave the area. At the same time, a message was being delivered by an unknown boy at Darcy House. The message was of urgent importance and was immediately sent off by private courier to Netherfield Park. Darcy House was in an uproar. Miss Georgiana had been abducted.
~~ ** ~~ Richard arrived at Netherfield as the Darcys and Mr Bingley returned from Longbourn. He was shown into the drawing room, where the trio had just entered.
“Richard, what brings you here?” Darcy said as he walked towards his cousin. “Is something wrong with Georgiana?” “No, William, my mother sent me to assist you. It appears our Aunt Catherine has joined forces with Father to have you declared incompetent, so they can have your marriage annulled. Mother is sure that Aunt Catherine has plans to wed you to Anne immediately after the annulment is accomplished. They have already contacted a solicitor. And some man, named Collins, was with them. He claims he was to marry your wife, and that her father was not of sound mind when he gave you permission to wed.”
Elizabeth gasped. Darcy turned his attention to his wife, wrapping his arm about her shoulder. “We knew we had not seen the last of them.” Darcy said softly. “We are prepared for all that they throw at us. Mr Hale has already signed documents confirming both of us were of sound mind at the time of our wedding. Mr Phillips has all the documentation in his safe, and Mr Littleton has sent copies of our special license to his friend who is a bishop. We have taken precautions, do not fear their actions, my love.”
“To know what they are willing to do to destroy our happiness is overwhelming. To know the sort of lies and falsehoods they would concoct to gain their plan is unbelievable.” Elizabeth said as tears were building up in her eyes. “They are tearing your family apart. Your cousin and his mother obviously care enough to see our side, while your aunt and your uncle are working with my cousin to tear us apart.”
“I am surprised at Lord Matlock’s behavior.” Darcy stated, looking at his cousin. “Why would your father believe his sister’s foolishness?” “Father has been ill. He has not wished anyone to know, but he had a bout of apoplexy. It was mild, and he has recovered. Now he wishes to see everything in his life set in perfect order, in case he were to die any day. Father knows Aunt Catherine is off her rocker, but he wishes to see Anne protected in marriage and you settled down and taking your rightful place in society. You have kept out of Town as much as possible to avoid society. My father does not understand why you would throw all of that away.”
“What do we need to do to make him understand the truth of the matter?” Darcy asked. “We will need to make him see how happy you are in your marriage and that your wife is not taking you for your money and nothing more. I can see the devotion each of you have for each other, if only my father could see this.” Richard smiled as he spoke.
Bingley chuckled. “I never would have believed our boy, here, would ever be such a besotted puppy, but you can see for yourself, he is so. And Elizabeth is very much in love with him. When he took ill, she was beside him night and day, tending to his every need. She is completely devoted to Darce.”
“Well, then, I have only two objections to this marriage. The first is that my cousin has yet to introduce me to his very beautiful wife, and the second is that I did not met her first.” Richard bowed as he joked to his cousin.
“Forgive me, Richard, but with such beauty before me, I cannot help but ignore such a rough looking scoundrel such as you. And I am pleased you did not meet her first. With your easy way of charming the ladies, I would never have stood a chance.” Darcy said and he stood with his wife. “Lizzy, dearest, this is our cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard, this beautiful enchantress before you is Mrs Elizabeth Darcy, nee Bennet, formerly of Longbourn estate, which is the nearest neighbor of Bingley’s estate.”
“Mrs Darcy, it is a pleasure to meet you. If the sour demeanor of my cousin becomes too great for you, please know you are welcome to turn to me to lighten the load.”
“Colonel, I have heard many stories of your childhood years with my husband. If only half of the stories are true, I am amazed either of you survived your youth. It is a pleasure to meet you. I know you are a dear friend to my husband.”
“And I share guardianship of your new sister as well. Uncle Gerald determined it would be best for William and I to hold the position rather than our elders, which was a major bone of contention with my father and our aunt.” Richard laughed.
“Colonel, would you like something to eat? We ate at Longbourn, but I am sure my staff could put something together for you.” Bingley said. “Bingley, I would be grateful for any morsels you could come up with.” ~~ ** ~~ The following morning, the Netherfield party had made its way to Longbourn, to discuss with Mr Bennet the news from London. Not long after everyone had enjoyed a midday meal, Darcy’s personal courier was shown into the dining room.
“Mr Darcy, I have urgent news. It is Miss Darcy.” Timmy said as he held out the letter that had been delivered to Darcy House earlier that day. Darcy and Richard were on their feet in seconds, making their way around the table to the courier. Darcy took the letter and began to silently read. Richard had been reading over his cousin’s shoulder and fury was apparent upon his expression.
“Good God, you should have allowed me to deal with that scoundrel years ago.” Richard spat out. “When I get my hands on him, I promise you this much, he will never bother us again.”
“William, what has happened?” Elizabeth asked as she moved towards her husband. “Georgiana has been abducted, by a man I have known all of my life. Mr Bennet, might we go to your study to discuss this situation further?” Darcy asked his father in law.
“Of course.” Mr Bennet moved towards the door of the dining room. As soon as the men and Elizabeth were seated in the study, Elizabeth asked her husband who the man was. Darcy stood and began to pace about the room.
“George Wickham is the son of my father’s steward. Mr Wickham was a good man, and a loyal employee. In honor of Mr Wickham’s dedication to
Pemberley, my father became George’s godfather. George is a year younger than I am, and we were friends when we were children. My father paid for George to attend school and the university, receiving the education of a gentleman. Mr Wickham was grateful for all my father promised his son, grateful for the advantages George would have to make his future a promising one. Unfortunately, Mr Wickham died during George’s first year at the university. George’s mother wished to live close to her son, so my father purchased a small house that was less than a mile from the university.”
“Mrs Wickham was a greedy woman. She felt she should have received more from my father, more than a house to live in and a monthly stipend to live on. And she felt George was meant for far greater things. In her mind, the reason my father paid for such a fine education for her son was to make him more appropriate to match with my sister or other young ladies of the ton, ladies who had large dowries or property. Mrs Wickham filled George’s head with talk of his future, a future filled with all the advantages of the wealthy and no effort on George’s part. He began to believe he was entitled to everything, that he was owed the good life and need not put any work into earning such a life.”
“When my father died, George was convinced my father would leave him an estate or large amount of funds. My father bequeathed him a very valuable living, if he chose to take orders, as well as a thousand pounds. George had no intentions of taking orders, and I gladly gave him a monetary settlement instead. He signed papers relinquishing any further rights to the living, and received three thousand pounds settlement, in addition to the original thousand pounds. I had hoped all connections between us to be severed after he received the funds. Unfortunately, last spring, the living came available and George showed up at Pemberley, demanding to have his inheritance. I refused him the living as well as any further financial assistance, which angered him. George began to accuse me of trying to destroy his future, saying that I was jealous of his relationship with my father. It was obvious George was delusional, for my father did not think as highly of the son as he had Mr Wickham, and only did what he did out of respect for the father.”
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