Netherfield Park Quarantined

by Schertz, Melanie

  “Your family still is unaware of your daughter’s being taken?” “I did not wish to cause any further fear until we know for sure what has happened to her.” Mr Bennet said sadly.

  “Very good, Sir. None of my men know the situation. I will keep the news to myself.” “Mr Denny, you are as commendable as Mr Darcy said you were. When he sent you to Mr Gardiner to arrange coming here, I was amazed at the high regard the man had for you.”

  “Mr Darcy is a gentleman of great compassion and kindness to those who are loyal to his family. My aunt, Mrs Agnes Reynolds, has been the housekeeper at Pemberley since the Master was a small boy. There is no finer master to be found, and my family would give up their lives to protect them and theirs.” Denny then got a grin on his face. “Besides, if my aunt thought for a moment I had not done my best to protect the family of our new Mistress, she would take me behind the barn and tan my hide. Even though I am grown, I do not underestimate the fury that is my Aunt Agnes when she gets up a head of steam. I would rather battle Napoleon himself than tangle with Aunt Agnes.”

  Mr Bennet smiled. “I look forward to meeting your aunt in the future, and am grateful for the advice on not getting her dander up. I am truly grateful for your loyalty to my family as well. See to it the men are fed and able to rest.”

  Denny nodded his head. “We have it all worked out, Mr Bennet. Do not fret a bit.”

  ~~ ** ~~ Lord and Lady Matlock had just taken rooms at the inn near Rosemoore when they heard voices entering the building. Turning around, they saw the haggard face of their beloved nephew. Lady Matlock moved quickly to him, pulling him into an embrace.

  “William, my dear boy, are you well?”

  “I am Aunt. I am surprised to see you here already.” Darcy said, glancing at his uncle wearily. “Have no fear of me, Darcy.” Lord Matlock stepped to his nephew as his wife released her hold on the young man. “My wife has made me see the error of my way of thinking and now I understand the truth. I am here to assist in rescuing your wife and sister.”

  “Thank you, Uncle. How did you arrive so soon? You must have been behind us in travels.” “Actually, Richard wrote to me ahead of your departure from England. He was sure that Wickham had gone to Dublin from Liverpool, but was awaiting confirmation. His letter told me you were most likely traveling to Ireland soon. If you were gone from Liverpool, we would travel to Ireland. I also sent word to my cousin to have a ship ready for us when we arrived in Liverpool. We also had the fortune of knowing where we were going, where you and Richard have had to figure it all out.” Lady Matlock smiled.

  Lord Matlock was confused. “The letter you showed me from Richard stated they were sailing to Dublin that day. You knew they had not left Liverpool when we left London?”

  “There were two letters. The first one told me the truth. The second letter I was to use if you finally came to your senses and realized what a mess your sister had created. You see, your son knows you well.”

  Lord Matlock shook his head. Turning his attention back to his nephew, he had questions. “Where is Richard? Have you found your ladies?” “Richard is at a shack nearby, waiting for word from inside the house at Rosemoore. Lizzy and Georgiana are inside the house, though we believe Lizzy is quite ill.”

  “Oh, no.” Lady Matlock exclaimed. “What do we know of the situation? Will you and Richard be able to gain access?”

  “It appears there are only two, possibly three armed people inside the house. George Wickham, Mrs Younge, and Mr Collins.”

  “Mr Collins? What is he doing here?” Lord Matlock bellowed. “He is the new master of Rosemoore, as Lady Catherine gave the estate to him as a gift to keep my wife away from me.”

  “Good God, Catherine is a bigger fool than I had thought. Are there any guards on the grounds?” “No. And, fortunately, one of the men with us is known to the housekeeper and her family. He has already been able to speak with her and she is to send word to the shack as to how we can best recover the ladies without further harm.” Darcy stated.

  “You men can discuss the situation further while you eat. William, you need to refresh yourself and I will order you and your men something filling and nourishing.” Lady Matlock stated, as she shoo’d her nephew to the necessary room.

  Once Darcy had splashed some water on his face and washed off with a cloth and some soap and water, he felt much more alive. He returned to the dining room to find the other men already beginning to eat the fine food which was being served to them. Cold meats, breads, a hearty stew, and plenty of strong coffee were consumed. While eating, Darcy and Lord Matlock were able to discuss options for the rescue.

  It was decided that Lord Matlock would stay at the inn with the physician, for which had been sent and arrived at the inn while the men were eating. Once the house was secure, a runner from Darcy’s men would be sent to the inn to bring Lord and Lady Matlock and the physician to Rosemoore.

  As Darcy and the men, including most of the men who had arrived with the Matlocks, prepared to leave, Lady Matlock kissed her nephew on the cheek. “That is for you.” She then kissed his other cheek. “And that is for Richard. And I insist you give it to him as I did you. Now, you have food for him and the other young man?”

  “Yes, Aunt. And some coffee in the heavy crock, to keep it warm. Thank you for coming to aid us.” Patting his cheek, Lady Matlock felt tears stinging in her eyes. “I cannot imagine anywhere else to be at a time like this. Now, be careful and bring our girls back safely.”

  ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 14 It was nearly midnight when Wickham knocked on Mr Collins’ bedchamber door. “What is the meaning of this, disturbing me at such an hour?”

  “I suggest you come up to the attic. Miss Elizabeth is not doing well. Perhaps it is time to call for an apothecary.” Wickham said.

  “Do whatever is necessary, and we will discuss it in the morning.” “Mr Collins, I am firm on insisting you come up to the attic. You need to see her condition. I will not be held responsible if she were to die.” “Elizabeth will not die, she is looking forward to our wedding. With such a joyous event coming, she has much to live for.” Mr Collins declared. “Very well, I will accompany you. I am sure you are exaggerating the situation.”

  The two men made their way up the stairs, finally arriving at the attic. Wickham opened the door, allowing Mr Collins to step inside. Indeed, Elizabeth appeared to have worsened since Mr Collins had seen her earlier in the day. “Very well, send for the apothecary.”

  Wickham nodded his head. “You should remain here until I return. I will not be long.” He then left the room in search of the housekeeper. Mrs O’Rourke was preparing to go to her rooms, knowing the rescue party would be arriving soon. She knew Mr Collins had gone to bed early, as he was fatigued from his journey. She thought Wickham and Mrs Younge had gone to bed, in the room they shared on the second floor.

  The footmen and Mr O’Rourke were more than willing to assist in the recovery of the two young ladies to their family, and had formulated a plan. The footmen were to meet Darcy and the Colonel at the servant entrance in the back of the house. They would lead them up the back stairwell to the second floor to remove the young lady from the room in the north corner. The men would then work their way up the stairs to the attic to free the other young lady. While two men secured each of the young ladies, three men each were to force their way into the bedchambers of Collins and Wickham, securing the three culprits.

  The men had just arrived as Wickham came to ask for the apothecary. Seeing Richard, coming through the rear door, Wickham turned around and ran up the stairs. He continued up to the attic, leaving Mrs Younge on her own, alone and asleep in their bed. Wickham was smart enough to know his best bargaining tool was Elizabeth. Darcy would do anything to regain his wife, most likely even allow Wickham to leave unharmed. Wickham could not care what happened to Mr Collins, as he had little use for the pompous clergyman.

  Rushing into the maid’s room in the attic, Wickham pushed Collins out of
the way, dragging Elizabeth off the bed. As he turned around, the nearly limp body held before him with a pistol in his other hand, Wickham came face to face with the man he hated more than anyone else in the world, Fitzwilliam Darcy.

  “Darce, what brings you all the way here? I was planning to return Georgiana soon, we were bringing her back to England in a few days.” “You know why I am here, Wickham. Georgiana is only part of my reason for being here. Now, hand me my wife. There is no need to jostle her about like you are.”

  Wickham sneered. “Ah, well, I cannot just hand her over to you. You see, if I do, you will kill me. I just cannot allow such a thing. So, I think we need to work out a trade.”

  Richard had arrived at his cousin’s side. “Georgiana is safe, the men have her outside with Mrs O’Rourke. She is well and not injured.”

  “See, old friend, I did not cause your sweet sister any harm. And your dear wife, well, her injury was an accident. She took a fever from the wound.” Mr Collins was outraged. “She is not Mr Darcy’s wife, she is to marry me. Lady Catherine told me she would make certain the annulment happened, so Elizabeth was free to marry me.”

  “My aunt is the one who is wrong. Elizabeth is my wife, and will be my wife for eternity. You will never marry her.” Darcy growled. “You have no say in the matter. Lady Catherine and her brother will be seeing you placed in a sanitarium, as the fever you had at Netherfield has left you addled.”

  “Mr Collins, it is you who is addled.” Richard stated. “And my father is well aware of the truth. He and my mother are down the road, waiting for us. They support us, in returning Elizabeth to her rightful husband.”

  “It is not possible.” Mr Collins sputtered. “He told Lady Catherine and me he would support all we did to protect their family. He suggested a solicitor to assist with the annulment. Lord Matlock believed all we told him.”

  “Once he learned the truth, my father decided to show his support to my cousin and his wife. The best thing you and Wickham can do is hand Elizabeth over to us.”

  Mr Collins stood possessively beside Wickham and held on to her limp hand. “She is my betrothed. She is to marry me. I am her father’s heir, it is natural for us to marry. And it was Elizabeth’s own mother who suggested the arrangement, she supports the marriage.”

  “Mrs Bennet has no authority to make arrangements for marriage. Mr Bennet is the head of the family, it is his name on the marriage contracts and he who decided Elizabeth and I should wed. Hand over my wife, immediately.” Darcy was growing angrier by the moment. It was clear Elizabeth was ill, she needed to be tended to by a physician.

  Wickham began edging closer to the door leading to the platform, dragging Elizabeth with him. Mr Collins followed Wickham’s retreat, firm in his refusal to give up to Darcy, the woman he planned to marry.

  The door to the platform was open, and the two men took their hostage outside. There was a rope ladder at the far corner, near the chimney, where some repairs had recently been accomplished. Wickham planned on carrying Elizabeth over his shoulder down the ladder, and then he would drop her to the ground and take one of the horses. But he had not counted on Mr Collins being such an idiot.

  As they neared the edge of the platform, Wickham called out his plans to Darcy. “Your bride and I will be climbing down the rope ladder. Once I reach the ground, and everyone stays away from me, I will leave her on the lawn while I leave on one of the horses you brought with you.”

  “You will do no such thing, Mr Wickham.” Mr Collins declared. “I am the master of this house, these men are trespassing and they have no claims to my betrothed. You may climb down the ladder if you wish, but you will not be taking Elizabeth with you. Mr Darcy will not harm you, or I will have further charges pressed on him.”

  “Collins, you are addled. Darce could not care if you are master of the estate or not. I am taking this chit with me, she is the only protection I have to get to the ground and leave.” Wickham was furious with Mr Collins’ interference.

  “She is my intended, and I will not allow you to take her down the ladder. Now hand her over to me.” Mr Collins made to grab hold of Elizabeth. The next moments occurred in a blur of activity. Mr Collins and Wickham were struggling over the young lady who was too ill to notice. While the two were pulling at Elizabeth, Darcy and Richard took the distraction as an opportunity to strike. Both leapt forward, Darcy attempting to gather his wife in his arms and pull her from the other men. In the struggle, Wickham’s gun fired, the bullet striking Mr Collins in the chest. He released his hold on Elizabeth, his weight propelling him into Wickham, knocking him backwards towards the edge of the platform. The two men fell over the edge. Mr Collins, unable to grasp on to anything, went straight to the ground. Unfortunately, Wickham was grasping tightly to Elizabeth’s arm while Darcy held her body to him.

  “Let go of my wife.” Darcy cried out to Wickham. “If I am to die, I will take her with me.” Wickham gasped in his struggles. “You will not be able to live happily ever after, you will live the rest of your life knowing I was the one who took her from you.”

  Richard held the barrel of his own pistol, and brought the grip down hard on Wickham’s hand. Crying out in pain, Wickham instinctively let go of Elizabeth, though there was nothing else holding him to the platform. His screams were heard for the length of his fall, until he hit the ground with a horrible thud.

  Tears were forming in Darcy’s eyes. Tears of joy to have his beloved in his arms, and tears of pain at seeing her so ill. The arm to which Wickham was clinging was bent at a most unusual angle, most likely broken from the weight of Wickham pulling on it in his struggle to take Elizabeth over the edge with him.

  “Richard, send one of the men for the physician. Her fever is dangerously high.” He cried out to his cousin. “I already did.” Richard stated as he assisted Darcy in standing, with Elizabeth still held close to his chest. “I sent one of them before we entered the house.”

  The cousins returned down the stairs, and into one of the bedchambers on the third floor. Darcy laid his wife on the bed and stepped back as Mrs O’Rourke moved forward to tend to the young lady. Turning at the sound of footsteps coming quickly towards the room, Darcy was relieved to see Georgiana run into the room.

  “William, oh, William.” The girl cried out as she sank into his embrace. “I was so frightened. Are we safe? Where are they?” “Wickham and Mr Collins are on the ground outside, after falling from the top of the house. They are both dead. Mr Collins was shot by Wickham in a struggle. I am not sure where Mrs Younge is.” Darcy spoke as he caressed his sister’s hair, attempting to soothe her fears.

  Mr O’Rourke entered the room, bringing cloths to his wife. “Have no fear, young miss. The woman is bound and locked in the room where you had been held. She will be turned over to the magistrate. You will never have to fear the likes of her again, as she will most likely be hanged for her part in the kidnapping of two young gentlewomen.”

  Richard had made his way downstairs to check on the men and to have the bodies moved from the ground outside the house. Seeing the lifeless form of George Wickham, the shocked expression frozen on his face, a sigh of relief escaped the colonel’s lips. The nightmare Wickham created was over, and Mr Collins could no longer cause them harm. If only their prayers could be answered and Elizabeth be returned to health.

  Mrs O’Rourke tended to Elizabeth for nearly an hour before the physician, Mr Webb, arrived with the Matlocks. Lady Matlock was not one to stand on her position in society, she went to her new niece to do what she could for the young lady who loved her nephew.

  Darcy and Richard stood in the hallway, speaking with Lord Matlock, as the physician was in the bedchambers, examining Elizabeth. After what felt like an eternity to Darcy, Mr Webb came out of the room.

  “Sir, your wife’s fever is high, and the infection has a strong hold on your missus. She has a cut on her side, this is from which the infection stems. Had she been fed properly and tended to when the cut was in its early sta
ge, she would be well and good now. The next two days will be critical. If she survives until three days from now, she will recover. From what I was told, her arm was wrenched tonight, causing a break. We will set the break and splint the arm.”

  The thought that in three days, he could be a widower, Darcy nearly collapsed. Seeing Darcy was in a bad way, Richard inquired as to what could be done for Elizabeth.

  “I have instructed the ladies on the application of poultices which should aid in drawing out the infection from the wound. Also, I have given them several draughts which will, hopefully, lower her fever and strengthen her body. Whenever she is awake, she needs to be encouraged to take some broth or anything she can eat. And she needs to drink plenty of water. Water will aid in flushing all the impurities from her body.”

  “Thank you, Mr Webb.” Richard replied. “When will you return?”

  “I will return in a few hours. I am in need of a little rest and fresh clothing. And my wife will wish to see me for a few moments.” The physician said with a smile.

  Lord Matlock acknowledged his gratitude for all the man had done for Elizabeth. Taking a bag of coins from his pocket, Lord Matlock handed it to Mr Webb. “Whatever is needed for my niece, no matter the cost, see that she has it.”

  “Of course, Lord Matlock. I will bring more supplies when I return.” ~~ ** ~~

  Georgiana did not stray far from her brother and cousin. With her aunt tending to Elizabeth, Georgiana needed the compassion of the brother who was more like a father, due to their age difference and Darcy being one of her guardians. As she stood, wrapped up in her brother’s arms, Georgiana was finally able to feel safe and secure. Finally, exhaustion took hold, and Georgiana began to yawn.

  “Richard, will you see that Georgie gets a new room and someone to see to her needs, so she may get some sleep.”

  “Truly, Brother, I am well. I wish to stay with you until we know how my new sister is.” Darcy placed a kiss on her hair as he squeezed his arms around her tighter. “After all that you have been through, my sweetling, I wish for you to rest. We may have a few days before we know if Elizabeth will recover, and you cannot stay awake all that time. I do not wish to see you take ill from not taking proper care of yourself.”