Chapter 37
Dr. Taylor finally located a physician who had treated a consumptive patient who regained vigor in both his physical and mental faculties before succumbing to the disease a year later.
A year was a long time, but Mr. Darcy was rejuvenated by Elizabeth’s firm belief that, in the end, no matter how far in the future, they would be together. He could endure this.
Every day he was in town, he received an express from Anne. In her first, she urged him, nay, ordered him to come back to Brighton right away because the Prince Regent was in residence. She wanted to meet His Royal Highness, as her father had told her what a great man the prince was.
Then she scolded Darcy for being tardy, and let him know she would wait no longer.
The following day, she informed him that she had gone with Mrs. Jenkinson in her open landau and was the envy of the crowd gathered there.
Mr. Darcy was not surprised that she would have defied his counsel for staying away from the Royal Pavillion, but he had put two footmen to accompany the mistress when she went out, and so he was not too worried about her encountering troubles.
Besides, her thin figure and sickly appearance should protect her from unwanted attention.
Her fourth and fifth letters sounded ominous.
She threatened that if he did not return the next day, he would regret it.
He was reminded of his aunt's empty taunts: "I shall know how to act!
" every time she did not get her wish. Mr. Darcy had become accustomed to Anne's transformation into her mother.
On the sixth day, there was no letter. He left for Brighton with his contingent of doctors on the seventh day. For each of the previous six days, he had written to Anne, counseling patience as renowned physicians could not be ordered to come to her at a moment’s notice.
In the meantime, he visited Northampton House every chance he had.
Seeing Elizabeth made him feel whole. Elizabeth, to her surprise, began to feel the strain of being Fitzwilliam’s platonic soulmate.
Somehow, the one kiss in the conservatory ignited a fire within her.
She wanted more, even though she knew it to be wrong and impossible.
And although their parting was more difficult than either of them had expected, part they did.
Mr. Darcy was not in any mood to discuss diseases with the physicians in the carriage. He was immersed in cherished memories, which might be all that remained of his having found true love.
His carriage arrived at the rented house before noon on the eighth day. As he descended from the vehicle, Mrs. Jenkinson ran, as much as she was able to run, toward him, her face covered in tears.
“Mr. Darcy, you are here at last!” She saw three other gentlemen stepping out of the carriage, one of whom she recognized as the Darcy family physician, Dr. Taylor. She looked relieved at seeing the gentleman.
Mr. Darcy looked around. The street and beach were more crowded than usual on account of the fine weather.
“Mrs. Jenkinson, let us step into the house. Is your mistress well?”
On hearing this inquiry, Mrs. Jenkinson cried even harder.
“Shhh… Mrs. Jenkinson. Please do not make a scene.”
He hurried the older lady into the study and closed the door, leaving the doctors to be settled by the staff.
“Now, Mrs. Jenkinson, please tell me what happened and why you are so distressed. Is the mistress still abed?”
“Sir, it was around an hour ago when I noticed the mistress had not yet stepped out of her chamber.
Her maid said the mistress told her not to come into the room until she heard the bell, but she never did.
I decided to go to her because I knew she would want to be prepared for your arrival today, as she had lately been using rouge and paying more attention to her appearance.
“But when I found… she was already cold, and the bedclothes were stained with blood. Sir, the mistress is dead!”
Mr. Darcy was shocked beyond comprehension.
He had never allowed himself to wish for his wife’s death, and now she was in fact dead.
Was he in some way culpable? And blood? Did she meet with violence while he was away?
The town of Brighton was thronged with people because the Prince Regent was in residence.
His entourage was filled with wastrels and scoundrels, some of them downright debauched.
But she had two footmen to protect her.. .
“Have you told anyone about what you discovered? Has the butler been informed?”
“No… I have not talked to anyone. I have not even allowed Fiona to enter the room because I was expecting you to arrive this morning.”
“Are there signs of forced entry, broken windows and such?”
“No.”
“Did you see any strangers around the house who seemed suspicious?”
Here the companion hesitated.
“Mrs. Jenkinson, please hold nothing back. I must find out what occurred.”
“During the last few days, Mrs. Darcy had been meeting with a man. The first time was when she insisted on visiting the Royal Pavilion before you returned. After that, they met on the beach while she took the air in her chair. It seemed the man always turned up while she was out. Yesterday evening, when she was preparing for bed, she sounded mysterious and excited. And then this morning, I found her…” Mrs. Jenkinson began crying again.
Mr. Darcy waited until she was calm to ask, “What was the man like? Did you know him, or did the mistress introduce him to you?”
“The gentleman was in a red coat. He introduced himself to the mistress while we were both seated in the open landau. He said he was Mr. Wickham and had known the mistress for a long time. Mrs. Darcy seemed to remember him as well. They talked for a few minutes about ordinary things. Mr. Wickham offered to guide her through the public rooms of the Royal Pavilion. Usually when the Prince Regent is in residence, the palace is closed to the public, but Mr. Wickham must have connections. The mistress seemed pleased to have a private tour. Mr. Wickham managed to find a wheelchair. Mrs. Darcy took the chair and told me to stay behind, for which I was grateful. I wanted to go with them, but my health would not allow me to walk for long. About half an hour later, Mr. Wickham returned with the mistress, who seemed very pleased. She kept turning around in the chair to talk to Mr. Wickham, who was very pleasant, and smiled the whole time…”
“Mrs. Jenkinson, what happened on the beach?”
“Well…” Mrs. Jenkinson stalled again.
“Jenkinson, you must tell me everything you saw. I need to know what happened and how the mistress died.”
“Neither I nor the footmen were allowed to get close to them. From what I saw, Mr. Wickham was the one doing most of the talking. The mistress looked… bashful but very pleased. Afterwards, she told me she was proud that the people on the beach watched her and her ‘beau,’ and… he could become her… lover. She said her father had beautiful mistresses. You see, sir, Mr. Wickham is a very handsome man, especially in his red coat. Then she told me not to come to her room until she called for me in the morning, that is, today.”
“I see. Is there anything else I should know?”
Mrs. Jenkinson looked away, but said softly, “Last night, I saw Fiona open the back door for Mr. Wickham. Sir, you must understand there was nothing I could do to prevent what transpired. I had no way of knowing Mrs. Darcy would die.”
“Mrs. Jenkinson, do not use the name Mrs. Darcy for your mistress. It is quite clear she was unfit for the title.”
Mr. Darcy then interviewed the maid, Fiona, and the other staff of the house.
Virtually everyone, by now, had heard of and seen the handsome man who had been asking about the master and mistress—even before they had arrived in Brighton.
A footman and the butler had also seen the man when he made his nocturnal visit.
And I thought Anne would be a safe bet for marital fidelity!
Mr. Darcy shook his head and sighed deeply. Even though there was little love lost between him and his legally married wife, he would never have wished a violent end for her. Blood on the bedsheets! Would this have happened if he had returned one day earlier as he had told Anne?
He invited only Dr. Taylor to examine Anne’s body. There was no need for the others to inspect someone who had already died.
“Sir, Mrs. Darcy appears to have died of a sudden heart stoppage during… the act of copulation. The blood was due to a small tear in the area close to the … penetration of the male organ. She would have died quickly and painlessly. Although the blood looks frightening, it was not a large quantity to have caused her death.”
“Thank you, Dr. Taylor. As I do not wish gossip about her death, please inform your colleagues that my wife died of a previously unknown heart issue caused by her consumption.”
“Of course, sir.. However, these are preeminent physicians, and this case could add to our understanding of the disease. Would you consider letting us discuss this case in strict confidence for the advancement of medical science?”
Mr. Darcy thought for a moment and said, “It is known that certain activities could cause the death of a patient with consumption. I had sought to consult with you on precisely this topic. At best, what happened could be construed as another validation of the well-known fact. I give you permission to discuss this case in a general, anonymous manner. Dr. Taylor, I am certain you understand the repercussions of exposing the details. She is dead. Let her have some dignity.”
“Yes, sir.”
The body of the former Mrs. Darcy was prepared to be transported back to Rosings the following day. With the weather being so warm in this part of England, time was of the essence.