Netherfield Park Quarantined

by Schertz, Melanie

  “I had George removed from Pemberley, and I told him never to return again. That is the last I heard from him, until this. He must believe he is entitled to more from me. If he harms Georgiana, I will never forgive myself.”

  Elizabeth turned towards Richard. “Why would you have wished to harm this man prior to this event? You sounded as if there were something more to this situation.”

  Richard nodded his head. “George Wickham is not to be trusted around young ladies. I spent a large portion of my childhood at Pemberley with William, and I saw how Wickham treated the maids. Then, when we went to the university, I learned the true nature of the animal Wickham had turned out to be. One of my friends at the university had a very sweet and pretty younger sister. Miss Roberta Meadows. When she was visiting, she met Wickham. Two days later, she was raped and beaten to death. We could never prove it, but I know it was Wickham who attacked her. He leered at her when he met her, nearly salivating. After Miss Meadows was discovered, Wickham had scratches on his neck and cuts on his hands. He claimed he had been with a barmaid, and we could never prove differently. William and Mr Meadows kept me from killing Wickham with my bare hands. I will not be stopped this time though, especially if he harms Georgiana.”

  “What is this man asking for the return of your sister?” Mr Bennet asked. “He asks for my sister’s dowry, thirty thousand pounds. I would pay that amount and more to bring Georgiana home safely, my only concern is what he will do to her. I do not trust the man.”

  “When will we leave for London?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Lizzy, perhaps it would be better if you were to remain here, with your family, until we return with Georgiana.” Darcy attempted to persuade his wife. “No, William, I will be there with you. You need me there, even if it is only to reassure you and give you comfort. Do not leave me behind. I wish to do what I can to bring your sister home safely.” Elizabeth moved to Darcy’s side, placing a hand gently on his arm. “Please, William, do not shut me from your life. Allow me to be with you.”

  Darcy nodded his head. “We had best return to Netherfield and pack our belongings. We will leave for Town this afternoon.” “If there is anything you need of me, William, you need only send word.” Mr Bennet said and he shook his son in law’s hand in farewell. “Keep safe, and watch over my daughter while you are retrieving your sister.”

  “I will do everything to keep Elizabeth safe.”

  “I trust you, William. Lizzy, you do what your husband tells you, for he will do whatever he can to keep you from harm. Do not give him any problems.” Mr Bennet embraced his daughter.

  “Yes, Papa. I love you. We will send word as soon as we know what is happening.” Elizabeth said as she placed a kiss on her father’s cheek. “I love you, my Lizzy. Be safe.”

  ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 9 Darcy, Elizabeth and Richard were packed and their carriage was ready to leave within an hour of their return to Netherfield. Bingley promised to keep a close watch over Longbourn and the Bennets, as he planned to spend as much time there as possible. He had acquired permission from Mr Bennet to officially court Jane Bennet, and he intended to win her heart.

  The carriage was off and Darcy sat beside his wife, his arm wrapped around her, pulling her slender body to his. “Have no fear, my love. We will find Georgiana and bring her home safely. Wickham will never again harm our family.”

  “I am worried. Not only because of Georgiana’s situation, but also your aunt and her brother wishing to dissolve our marriage. It seems like everyone is attempting to destroy our happiness.”

  “Elizabeth, listen to your husband.” Richard chimed into the conversation. “There is nothing to fear from my father and aunt, as there is nothing legally they can do, and my father is very staunch about what others think of him. He will not wish to do anything which will make the family look bad in society. Lord Matlock does not wish to have any scandal touch the family, and, with your marriage being publically announced in the papers, to annul the marriage against your wishes, would cause a huge scandal.”

  “And Lord Matlock has power over his sister, as he is the head of the Fitzwilliam family. He will keep Lady Catherine from making a public scene.” Darcy agreed with his cousin. “Once we have Georgiana with us, we will leave Town and make our way to Pemberley. I want to go home with my two favorite ladies and ignore the outside world as much as possible.”

  “I would dearly love to hide away at Pemberley with you, William. From everything you have told me of your estate, I can see myself living there, happily, for many years to come.”

  “It is our estate, my love. You are my wife, and what is mine, is yours. It is your home, do not forget that.” Darcy said as he kissed Elizabeth’s lips, with his cousin watching in shock. Richard would never have thought it possible that his strict and proper cousin would behave in such a manner outside the privacy of his home.

  “Mrs Darcy, I do believe I have already witnessed a tremendous change in my cousin’s behavior, and I am very pleased with what I have seen. I fully support you and William, and pray you have a long and happy life together.”

  ~~ ** ~~ The feel of the carriage coming to a halt woke Darcy from the nap he had unexpectedly taken. The feel of his wife’s warm body cuddled into him, as his head rested on top of her hair, gave Darcy a sense of comfort he had never known before meeting Elizabeth. A soft chuckle was heard from across the carriage.

  “You two have such an appearance of love. If I did not know better, I would have thought you had been married for years.” Richard smiled as he watched his cousin.

  “With Elizabeth, I can speak openly, be myself. We have had our misunderstandings, but have been able to talk about them and learned of our mistaken beliefs. I feel as if I finally am whole, now that she is in my life.”

  “I envy you, Wills. For the first time in my life, I wish I were you. I have never wished for your money, or property, my family has its share of wealth and things. But to be loved, to have a beautiful woman who cares for you in such a way as Elizabeth obviously cares for you, that is the greatest treasure in the world.”

  “You are completely correct in that, cousin.” Darcy said as the door opened on the carriage. Richard exited from inside first, and Darcy picked up his wife in his arms, carrying her to the house. Inside the door, the butler and housekeeper of Darcy House were waiting for them. “Mrs Whitaker, I hope the Mistress’s suite is ready for my wife. She is exhausted, and I will take her upstairs. I will then meet with you and Mr Crossman in my study. Richard, you will join us, will you not?”

  “Of course. I wish to send a message to Mother, so I will head to the study to write it.” Richard walked quickly down the hall, while Darcy took the stairs leading to the second floor, and down the hallway to the family wing.

  ~~ ** ~~

  “So, Mrs Younge has vanished as well?” Darcy asked his housekeeper.

  “Yes, Sir, we have had no word from your sister’s companion since the abduction. When I searched Mrs Younge’s rooms, after we received the letter from Mr Wickham, I have discovered most of her belongings are missing. Yesterday, Mr Crossman saw her carrying a rather large box out of the house. When he asked her if she needed assistance, she declined. Mrs Younge stated the box contained several gifts for her sister and her children. When Mr Crossman informed me of this, I thought it was peculiar, as I remember Mrs Younge telling me, when I interviewed her, she had no family. She told me that she had one sister, but that she had died five years ago, in a fire at her family’s home. The sister, her husband and their three children were said to have perished. That is not something I would easily forget, so when I heard what Mrs Younge told Mr Crossman, I was instantly concerned.”

  “Very good, Mrs Whitaker. And are any of my sister’s belongings missing?” “No, Sir. Laney looked through her mistress’s belongings, and the only items missing are the clothes Miss Georgiana was wearing. Even Miss Georgiana’s reticule was in her room.”

  “We will need to keep a c
lose watch over the house and the neighborhood.” Richard declared. “It is certain that Wickham has someone watching the house, waiting for your arrival, William. I would not be surprised to see a message arrive soon from Wickham.”

  “Richard, we will need to downplay your involvement in this matter, as Wickham fears you more than he does anyone else. If he knows you are in here, he will be careful, not wishing you to find him. I believe that if he thinks he only has me to contend with, Wickham will not use as much caution.”

  Richard nodded his head. “And if he learns you have your wife with you, he will taunt you with her to distract you.” “You are correct, Wickham will love to torment me in any way possible. We will need to have someone keep close watch over Elizabeth, as I cannot lose my wife.” Darcy stated.

  “I have assigned Hannah to be Mrs Darcy’s maid, and I am certain we can count on her to keep a close eye on the Mistress. And Hannah’s brother is in the stables, so he would be able to keep watch over the ladies when they walk in the garden behind the house.”

  “Good, Hannah and her family have been dependable for many years. She is a good choice, Mrs Whitaker. Richard, do you have anyone from the military who can be trusted to carry the money from the bank to the house?”

  “Yes, there is a lieutenant who has been extremely loyal and I would trust completely.” Richard picked up a pen and dipped it into the nearby inkwell, then began to write a message to the young man. Timmy was sent for and, when he arrived in the study, Richard gave him the information as to how to find Lieutenant Walker. “Give the message to Lt Walker only, no one else.”

  “Of course, Colonel.” Timmy said as he left the room.

  ~~ ** ~~ Elizabeth woke in a strange room, all alone. At first she was confused, the last thing she could remember was being in the carriage with William and Richard. She realized she must have fallen asleep during the trip, and a smile came to her face as she realized her husband must have carried her inside rather than disturb her slumber. So this must be the Mistress’ chambers of Darcy House. My, if this is my suite, I can only imagine the grandness of the rest of the house. This room is far nicer than anything in which I could imagine living.

  Rising from the bed, Elizabeth wandered about the room, taking in all the details to the lovely room. The scene which had been painted upon the wall was incredible. She felt as if she were outdoors, with a fence painted leading towards a path which led up the wall, where a mountain could be seen in the distance. The ceiling of the room was a soft blue with billowy white clouds painted all about. There was lush green carpeting which, with the painted walls, made Elizabeth feel as if she were walking in a grassy field. There was a bench along the one wall, near a window, which was inviting and comfortable, so Elizabeth took a seat there and continued to roam the room with her eyes.

  The bed frame was made of a deep walnut color, with the bed coverings being flowery in shades of mauve, yellow and green. The feeling of the bed being an actual bed of flowers was tremendous. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Elizabeth could almost imagine smelling the wild flowers and fresh, country air.

  Darcy opened the door quietly, incase Elizabeth was still sleeping. Seeing her sitting on the bench, her eyes closed and smiling, made Darcy’s heart jump with joy. She looked as if she had lived in this room all of her life. This was the perfect room for his Elizabeth, as she always seemed so comfortable in nature. When Darcy’s father had the rooms decorated for Darcy’s mother, the boy thought his father to be silly. Now, seeing the joy Elizabeth appeared to have found in the room, Darcy could not be more grateful to his father.

  Opening her eyes, Elizabeth saw her husband standing nearby. “Forgive me, William. I was just enjoying the feeling of the room.”

  “There is no need to apologize. You appeared very comfortable and relaxed. Am I correct in assuming you approve of the room?” Darcy asked. “Very much so. Did you have this done? There does not seem to be much aging to the decorations.” “Actually, my father had it done for my mother. Mother hated leaving Pemberley to come to Town, so this was Father’s gift to make her feel as if she were home in Derbyshire.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Your father was a wise man. It is wonderful.” “Did you sleep long enough? Are you well?” Darcy asked, tucking a stray curl behind Elizabeth’s ear. “I am well. It was a little alarming to wake in this room, all alone, but I realized where I must be and began looking about at everything. It really is the most incredible room in which I have ever been.” Elizabeth embraced her husband, wrapping her arms around his chest. “Has there be any further news?”

  “Nothing we did not already know. As we assumed, Mrs Younge is gone. Mrs Whitaker, our housekeeper here at Darcy House, says she checked Mrs Younge’s rooms, and her belongings are gone. I believe it is safe to assume Mrs Younge is involved with the abduction.”

  “What an evil woman. What will you do now?” “Richard has written to one of his men to come. We will use the lieutenant to retrieve the funds from the bank, and then we wait for Wickham to contact us. He most likely already knows of our arrival. I doubt it will be long before we receive word from him.”

  “Promise me you will be careful. The thought of losing you is too much for me to accept.” Elizabeth held tighter to her husband. His hand caressing her back, as he held Elizabeth to him, he spoke softly. “Have no fear for me, dearest. Richard and I have many advantages on our side, and we will have men with us, where Wickham will have very few, as he will not wish to part with any of the money.”

  After several moments, Richard was heard at the door. “William, a message just arrived from my father. He demands we come to Matlock House immediately. If we do not, I am sure it will make matters worse than they already are, so we had best make our appearance and state the facts, then we can return to the matters of importance.”

  “Of course, we would be summoned at this moment, when I am extremely comfortable and do not wish to be disturbed.” Darcy exclaimed. “As you say, we had best deal with this matter and be done with it. I will be down in fifteen minutes. Have the carriage brought around.”

  “No need, Father sent his carriage so we would have no excuse.” Richard shook his head. “I will see you downstairs.” Darcy returned is attention to Elizabeth. “I wish you to remain here, my love. I do not wish to subject you to my uncle’s cruelty, and if Lady Catherine is there, I definitely do not wish you to have to endure her.”

  “Very well. I will see you off, though. And I would like to meet Mrs Whitaker so I might speak with her after you leave.” “Yes, my dearest love. Whatever you wish.” Darcy squeezed his arms tighter around his wife, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I truly love you, Elizabeth. Do not ever forget that.”

  The couple made their way downstairs and out to the awaiting carriage. Elizabeth stood at the open door of the townhouse to watch the carriage roll out of sight before returning inside.

  Moments later, the voice of a child was heard crying out as there was banging upon the front door. Elizabeth rushed to the door alongside Mr Crossman, and the door was opened to reveal a boy, no more than ten years of age. “Missus, there be a wreck. A carriage overturned. The Master, he bad hurt. He begged me to come fetch you. Please Missus, you must hurry.”

  Mr Crossman called out for some of the footmen to come, and before he could turn back towards the door, Elizabeth was outside, racing after the child. One of the footmen, Alfie, was coming down the hall when he heard Mr Crossman, and he ran out of the house in search of his Mistress.

  Alfie looked around the streets, trying to spot Mrs Darcy or the carriage wreckage. He could find nothing of the sort, but he kept looking. More of the men from Darcy House joined him, but no sign of an overturned carriage could be found, nor could they find a clue as to where their new Mistress had vanished.

  An hour went by, and still there was no sign of Elizabeth. Mr Crossman sent Alfie to Matlock House to inform the Master of the event.

  ~~ ** ~~ Darcy and Richard arrived at Matlo
ck House, both prepared to deal with the disapproval of Lord Matlock. Darcy was certain Lady Catherine was there as well, and he was not wrong. As soon as the young men walked into the drawing room, Lady Catherine descended upon Darcy.

  “What were you thinking, Darcy? Your mother and I planned your marriage to Anne, from the moment each of you were born, we knew you were meant for each other. How could you through away your birthright, and what you owed to your family name, all for some country chit? You have made a foolish mistake, and it is fortunate for you that your uncle and I wish to save you from your mistake. We have already taken steps towards rectifying the situation.”

  “There is nothing to rectify.” Darcy stated boldly. “And I do not recall asking for your assistance or your advice. I am pleased with my decision to marry Elizabeth, and I look forward to many years to come with her at my side.”

  “You cannot be serious, Darcy.” Lady Catherine nearly shouted. “She is no one of importance, no family connections or wealth. This chit is of no more status than my scullery maid.”

  “That is enough, Lady Catherine. My wife is the daughter of a gentleman. Their family history goes back farther than your own husband’s did. Sir Lewis was given his lands and title, the Bennets have held their estate for over one hundred years. They may not be wealthy, but what does that matter to me? I have enough wealth to take care of a family for many years to come. And if wealth and title go hand in hand with making someone influential, there are many in the peerage who would be in danger of losing respect. How many Lords and Baronets have gambling debts or spend too extravagantly and have nothing left of their family fortune?”

  “Fitzwilliam, enough of that. You will treat your aunt with respect.” Lord Matlock added to the conversation. “No, Uncle, I will treat her with the same respect she has shown my wife. Elizabeth is my wife, by my choice, and it is a love match. Why would I give that up to marry my sickly cousin who does not care a lick about me?”