Remembrance of the Past

by Lory Lilian

  “I have no time to sit, Darcy—I must leave immediately.”

  “There is nowhere you can go for the moment, Bingley. You cannot enter Markham’s house by force, and fighting with him would be a foolish thing to do. We will find a more reasonable way.”

  “You were not calm and reasonable when your wife was involved, Darcy,” Bingley replied sharply. “You fought Markham yourself, remember?”

  Darcy ignored the offensive tone. “I did fight Markham, but I did not have a wife and a newborn son at the time, Bingley. You cannot afford being hurt for behaving impulsively. Let us consider this situation wisely.”

  “I know neither of you care much about her, but she is my sister,” Bingley whispered. “I have not forgotten how poorly she behaved in the past, but she is in a dangerous situation—I am certain of it. And I cannot abandon her—I simply cannot.”

  He handed the note to Darcy in a defeated gesture of helpless despair. Darcy glanced at it, looked at David, and finally turned to Bingley.

  “So, it appears that Miss Bingley—I mean Lady Markham—is in town now. You are right to be worried, Bingley—such a pleading note is hardly her style. She must be quite desperate to send it.”

  “See? See? You agree with me!”

  “I do…and do not worry; nobody will abandon your sister, Bingley. We will find a way to speak to her.”

  Darcy rang for his servant and sent him to fetch his attorney; in the meantime, he wrote a note to the elder Lord Markham, asking for an urgent audience. He also sent word to Mr. Gardiner, requesting his attendance, and then turned his attention back to his companions.

  “We shall consider the situation carefully. Though I understand your sister’s difficulties, we must not forget about Mrs. Bingley and Elizabeth—we cannot allow any of this to affect them. As for Cassandra—she probably will be overcome with anger.”

  “You are right Darcy—you are right, of course. I do not want Jane to discover anything. She would be devastated with worry,” Bingley said while the colonel nodded in agreement, obviously agitated himself.

  “Of course we must keep this private, but I cannot help saying it sounds more silly than dangerous to me,” the colonel intervened. “It sounds like he is keeping her prisoner, but that is ridiculous. I mean no offence, Bingley, but why would a man like Markham keep your sister hidden? He has little to gain from her except her dowry, which I doubt is important enough to justify such a ruckus.”

  “I do not know, Colonel! I could not speak reasonably with him; I doubt he has any sense remaining in him. He kept saying I should bring Darcy and Fitzwilliam to beg him to see Caroline. It is as though he has become obsessed with you.”

  “The first thing we have to do is search for Markham’s companions,” Darcy directed. “He is not the sort of man to stay alone all these months. I also believe we should talk to the earl; I shall do that myself. If we are to speak to Markham, we should have his father with us. Perhaps he will make his son more reasonable.”

  “He has never been reasonable when it came to his sons. I doubt he will have much influence on that lunatic.” The colonel was becoming more irritated with each passing moment.

  “I shall speak to the earl; do not bother yourself. Now let us establish the details; we need a strategy for approaching Markham,” said Darcy.

  “I cannot believe we are planning strategies for Markham,” the colonel burst out. “This is quite ludicrous! Here is my strategy: break the door down, put Markham on the floor, beat him senseless and take your sister out of the house; after that, let him come and search for her if he wants. If we are lucky, he will be so drunk that he will not remember what happened.” Darcy looked at him with reproach, but Bingley’s face lit slightly.

  “Well, if there are not many servants around, we could try that approach. Colonel, Darcy, I am sorry to give you so much trouble. Perhaps I should go and solve it on my own.”

  “Oh shut up, Bingley,” said the colonel. “That is not what I meant. It is not your fault. This stupid Markham has been an annoyance for years. We must do something about him.”

  “Yes we must.” Darcy was serious and decided. “As I said, let us prepare our strategy.”

  ***

  It was almost dinnertime, and Cassandra took a final look at her image in the mirror; she was pleased with her appearance and, with a smile, waited to see the approval in her husband’s eyes—as usually happened. She wondered what was taking him so long to prepare himself. He returned home just minutes before, apologised briefly and went to change, promising he would join her presently. She was worried as his entire behaviour was changed, and his disposition, she had noticed, was quite poor. She was determined not to hesitate a moment before asking him about the nature of his unexpected business with Darcy, which had kept both of them out the entire afternoon. Something was not well; she could sense that.

  A few moments later, David entered her room, took her hands and gently made her sit while he spoke softly. Despite his caring voice, each of his words threw her deeper and deeper into her nightmare.

  “Surely you are mocking me, sir! You cannot seriously consider confronting Markham in order to see Caroline Bingley! You have no right to do that! You gave me your word! You promised me!”

  “Cassandra, please calm yourself.” He tried to embrace her, but she pulled away in a rage. “I promised I would never lie to you, that I would never keep anything from you. That is why I am here talking to you.”

  “You are twisting your own words, sir!”

  “No, I am not, my dear.”

  “Do not dare patronise me, Colonel. You are not a man of your word; that is all I can say!”

  “My love, I promise nothing bad will happen. We are only going to talk.”

  “How dare you do this. How dare you promise me again.”

  She fought so hard against her tears that her voice lost all its strength.

  “I am making you this promise as I am certain I shall keep it. I shall return before you even know it.”

  She was pacing the room, and he stopped her, encircling her in his arms. Her fears and despair turned into rage, and she continued to accuse him of betraying her until she concluded she should not have married him at all. Her words were offensive and hurtful, but David gave them no consideration. He could feel her fear, and for a moment, he wondered whether it was fair to put others’ troubles before his wife’s peace of mind.

  “I have never cared about Caroline Bingley, and I thought you felt the same, but apparently I was wrong. You clearly are more concerned with her than you are about me.”

  “My dear, that statement does not even deserve a reply; you know as well as I do how unfair it is. I am not concerned about Caroline either—why should I be? But Bingley is deeply worried for her—she is his sister, after all. And Bingley will go and deal with Markham. What should I do, Cassandra? Should I hide to keep myself safe? Would that truly please you? Would I be worthy then of your affection? Bingley is my friend, and we were there for him as he worried about his wife and child. Should we then abandon him in this trying situation?”

  “No, of course not! But Bingley should not expose himself either! What we should do is to hire 100 people to go with Bingley—perhaps from the army or the militia. He should wait outside while they bring Caroline out. I will pay for those 100 men. I will pay for anything necessary to help Bingley!”

  She became more animated as she realised how unreasonable her ideas were; David smiled with gentle understanding as he kissed her hair. She was still resisting him and struggling to push him away.

  “My love, you know only too well I have to go. You are the most courageous woman I know. I do understand your torment, but the past is gone—we cannot live our lives in fear of Markham. For heaven’s sake—he is an idiot! I know he is a dangerous idiot though, and I promise I will be cautious. We will be at least four men there—none of us will be in real danger, you must see that. We are not going to war, for God’s sake!”

  “Then I
shall come with you!” Cassandra declared and David burst out laughing so hard that he had tears in his eyes. He covered her face in kisses while she fought to escape his arms.

  “That was the sweetest profession of love, my dearest, and I shall always be grateful to you for your care. Now I have to leave; the others are waiting for me. I shall return before you know it.”

  “Stop patronising me, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I intend to come, too, so do not treat me like a child!

  “Then do not behave like a child, your ladyship. Surely you cannot imagine I would allow you to participate in a potentially dangerously situation. So you are worried for me and want to come—for what? If we are unable to handle him—four men—of what use could you be?”

  “So you admit the danger for yourself!”

  “No I do not. I only admit how delighted I am with your care for me. I will gladly continue this conversation as soon as I return—which I estimate will happen a little after midnight. Please have dinner and then try to find some sleep; you will awake in my arms tomorrow morning.”

  David placed a soft kiss upon her lips and then left; she heard the door shutting behind him. Her hands trembled and her heartbeat increased wildly with the sound of his retreating steps.

  For a few moments she remained as stone in the middle of the room, and then she moved to the window only to see him enter the carriage. David cast a last quick glance to the window, and she thought she could see a smile on his face. Her heart seemed to stop, a cold shiver shattered her spine, and everything became dark around her.

  ***

  In the peaceful comfort of their rooms, Elizabeth was sitting on the sofa close to the fire; Darcy had been speaking for quite a while but she could not—would not—accept the meaning of his words. Caroline always wanted to marry a title with considerable wealth; now that her dream had come true, why would she want to leave? That was preposterous, and she was certain it was only one of Caroline’s schemes. She was likely just upset with Markham for not giving her enough pin money or something.

  “Surely, you cannot consider going,” she said bluntly.

  “My love, you must understand why I have to go. We cannot leave this burden on Bingley alone!”

  “Charles should be at home taking care of his wife and newborn son, not chasing Markham around town for one of Caroline’s whims.”

  “Elizabeth, that is not fair. Everything indicates that Caroline is in a dangerous situation. And you know only too well that one cannot abandon one’s sister, no matter how badly that sister behaves.”

  Elizabeth turned pale and averted her eyes. “Lydia was silly and impulsive, but she has never been as mean as Caroline. It is not a fair comparison.”

  “I know it was not fair; forgive me. I did not mean to compare them, only to sympathise with Bingley’s worry. I understand why he cannot dismiss his sister’s cry for help despite her past misbehaviour. Can you imagine his torment, his distress, his fatigue after all those sleepless nights of fear—and now this? How can I leave him alone in this trying moment? I am certain you understand Bingley cannot succeed in this without my help.”

  “I still do not understand why a woman would be unable to leave and visit her family? Why would she need an entire regiment to take her from her husband’s house? This is all so strange!”

  “I agree with you, and that is precisely why Bingley is so out of his mind with worry and why I know I have to go with him.” She looked straight at him as tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “William, I am so afraid.”

  “My love, do you trust me? Do you trust me when I tell you nothing is more important to me than you and our child? Do you trust that I will not do anything to put myself in danger—not for me, but for you? I give you my word that we will be exceptionally cautious; we have planned our strategy carefully.”

  “A strategy? What strategy?”

  He explained it to her in every detail while holding her hand and caressing her fingers; she only nodded in silence. She could see the wisdom of their plan, despite the cold claw of fear that clenched her heart.

  “And,” Darcy concluded with a smile, “as an ultimate solution, if Markham proves unreasonable, David has proposed to beat him senseless and grab Caroline from the house.”

  Elizabeth’s lips twisted and her eyes narrowed as she met her husband’s curious gaze.

  “Well, what can I say? Perhaps you should apply the colonel’s solution first—after all he is an officer in His Majesty’s army and familiar with the requirements of a successful strategy.”

  Darcy laughed, and she smiled with a heavy heart. Feeling their child kicking, she startled and took his palm to press it to her abdomen. She did trust him implicitly. She knew he would take care of himself, if only to be able to take care of her and their child. She could not ask him to stay idly by her side, abandoning their brother in time of need. He would not be Fitzwilliam Darcy if he accepted that, and she would not be worthy to be his wife if she continued to upset him with unreasonable pleas.

  “Please be careful, my husband,” she whispered as she wiped her tears and wondered why breathing had suddenly become so difficult.

  ***

  Four men could be seen entering the small cottage in which Markham had taken residence; two of them barely maintained their composure as distress shaded their faces darker than the night.

  They had expected to be detained; however, surprisingly, a servant invited them in the moment they knocked at the front door. The earl attempted to inform the servant who he was but the man seemed completely indifferent to his words. The only remark was that his master was waiting in the main room—and then the servant withdrew down the hallway.

  Though Bingley’s story had given them some indication about the alteration of Markham’s state, the latter’s appearance took both Darcy and Fitzwilliam by surprise. He was drunk, but it was more than that; his cold laugh the moment he saw his visitors only confirmed the impression.

  “Oh, you are finally here—Darcy and Cassandra’s new husbands; what an honour for my humble abode! I expected you earlier. What took you so long? I have already started to drink alone, but I may offer you something. What would you like?”

  “Son, what is happening to you? Are you unwell? You look very ill. What are you doing here in this house? I cannot believe you are in town and did not inform me.” The earl moved toward his son, and the young Markham cast a quick glance at him.

  “I have been very busy, Father. Do not start lecturing me; I am in no mood to listen to you.”

  The earl stared at his son, his eyes wide in disbelief, completely ignored in the middle of the room. Markham filled his glass once more and turned to his visitors with an inquiring look.

  “Lord Markham, I apologise for interfering, and I hope it will not be a long interruption,” said Bingley with perfect politeness. “I only wish to speak to my sister if that is convenient.

  “In fact it is not convenient. I do not want you to speak to my wife. She is my wife—you know? I told you as much earlier, but I notice you brought reinforcements this time. I was certain you could not accomplish the job alone.”

  “Lord Markham, I shall not enter into an argument with you; I have a simple request, and you cannot deny me. Surely, you must see how strange is your refusal to allow me to meet with my sister. This is not acceptable, and I cannot understand how—

  “You cannot understand because you are an idiot, Bingley—as is your stupid sister. I am so tired of her that I will not speak of her any longer. Now—you two—may I be of some assistance to you?”

  “Lord Markham!” Bingley burst out furiously, but Markham ignored him completely while he continued to smile at the others. Darcy cast a quick glance at the earl; clearly, he was of no help in solving the situation.

  “Come Markham, stop fooling around. We are here to see Mr. Bingley’s sister, and we will not leave without achieving our purpose. All we want is a few minutes with her; you cannot deny us this.” Darcy took a step toward Markham
, his countenance as decided as his words; he intended to put an end to the quarrel, and he would not be stopped.

  “Of course I can deny it to you. I can do whatever I please regarding my wife; however, I might be tempted to exchange benefits. I will allow you to speak to my wife if you will allow me to speak to yours. How is that? That way, every party involved will be satisfied to some degree.”

  Darcy instantly turned pale and took another step forward; a moment later, he regained his composure. “You tread on dangerous ground, Markham. Be careful what you say.”

  “You are on dangerous ground, Darcy; you are in my home at my disposal, and now you upset me. Leave my home immediately! I will call on you if I want to speak to you again!”

  “Charles…please do not leave me,” sounded a weak voice, and everyone’s eyes turned to the door where a woman dressed only in a nightgown and holding a small bundle tightly to her chest stepped tentatively into the room, supporting herself with the wall. “Please do not leave m—

  “Caroline?” cried Charles as he ran to her. Darcy and the colonel looked at each other in utter disbelief. The woman—so thin that it was a wonder she could walk, her hair cut off and in complete disorder, her face swollen, looking at them with fearful eyes—could not possibly be Caroline Bingley! Even Bingley seemed unsure of her identity but, as he moved closer to see her face, he ran to her, calling her name. A barely audible whine mixed with Bingley’s voice and Markham’s command.

  “Stay away from her, Bingley, and you—go upstairs woman. How dare you leave your room?”

  “Oh God, you have a child,” Bingley cried as he supported his sister in his arms. “This is a child. Is it yours, Caroline?”

  “A ch-child?” The earl, livid, looked at his son in utter disbelief. “You have a child? My grandchild?”

  “Oh, do not be too enthusiastic, Father; I do not think he will live. The poor creature was born too soon and will likely die any minute; this woman was unable even to give me a worthy heir.”