Chapter 23
“Lizzy, what happened? Where is Mr Darcy?” Jane enquired, approaching her.
“He went to ask Papa something.”
“Would you come into the house with us? I am a little tired.”
“Of course.”
Her sister and her betrothed chatted, but Elizabeth hardly listened, her mind engaged with the man who was now speaking to her father. The man whom she would soon be able to call her betrothed too.
They entered the drawing room to find their mother, their sisters, and Mr Collins in the middle of an animated discussion. Elizabeth was pouring herself and Jane a cup of tea when Tom, their servant, entered with a panicked voice and a frightened face.
“Miss Lizzy, Peter Brown is here. Mr Jones sent him to fetch you. He said you are urgently needed in Meryton. An officer had been shot, and Mr Jones said he needed help!”
Elizabeth needed a moment to comprehend, then jumped to her feet, addressing the man standing behind Tom.
“Peter, who was shot? Where?”
“Mr Wickham, miss. He was taken to the colonel’s house. There is blood everywhere. Mr Jones sent me to fetch you,” the man replied.
Rushing into the hall, Elizabeth grabbed her coat and bonnet and was putting them on when her father appeared with Mr Darcy.
“What on earth is this commotion? Where are you going, Lizzy?”
“Mr Wickham has been shot, Papa. Mr Jones needs help and sent for me. I am going now.”
Mr Collins suddenly grabbed her arm.
“My dear cousin Elizabeth, surely you cannot be serious! What help could you be to an injured man? You cannot even enter his room! I shall never allow that!”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “Mr Collins, step aside and release my arm. I am going,” she said firmly.
“Miss Bennet, I shall accompany you,” Mr Darcy declared, moving to stand next to her. “Wickham is an old acquaintance, and I must see what has happened to him. We shall take my carriage.”
Elizabeth glanced at her father, who nodded, and she nodded in reply. As Mr Darcy opened the door for her, she heard Mr Collins saying, “This cannot be! Lady Catherine would never allow such a breach of propriety!”
“Well, apparently Lady Catherine’s nephew approves,” Mr Bennet responded. Then the door closed and she heard no more.
The short ride to the colonel’s house passed in complete silence, and once they arrived, she hurried inside, with Mr Darcy following her. The house was in uproar, with the colonel’s wife whining, several other officers as well as servants rushing about, and the colonel pacing the room.
“Miss Bennet, thank you for coming! Mr Jones said you were the only one in Meryton who could help him. I have sent for an army doctor, but he will not be here until tomorrow.”
“Show me where they are,” Elizabeth said, throwing her coat, bonnet, and gloves onto a chair.
The colonel led the way, and she followed him, Mr Darcy only a few steps behind.
When they entered the patient’s room, Mr Jones gasped in relief, but a grip in her stomach stopped Elizabeth.
Mr Wickham was lying on the bed; all the sheets, as well as the carpets, were stained with blood, and the patient was still bleeding.
The apothecary and two male servants were standing next to the bed.
Elizabeth gathered her courage and stepped forwards, asking how she could help.
Mr Jones’s answer came incoherently, more like a mumble; he was covered in blood, too, including his face.
“He has been shot once in his left leg and once in his left shoulder. I must take out the bullet in his shoulder, but I think the one in his leg passed straight through. I have not treated such a nasty wound in many years. I wish Dr Gardiner was still here. Oh, Mr Darcy! You came too?”
“I just brought Miss Bennet, but I shall wait downstairs. I do not want to bother you,” Mr Darcy replied. “I shall send a note to Dr Gardiner immediately. Let me know whether I may help in any other way.”
Elizabeth tried her best to assist Mr Jones to the best of her ability, though she had rarely, if ever, watched her uncle treat such injuries.
After a few moments of hesitation, she assumed her role, following the apothecary’s instructions, though the smell of blood made her dizzy.
Mr Jones was rather clumsy and hesitant in extracting the bullet.
The patient was still half-conscious despite the laudanum he had been given, and he moaned at every step, making the process even more difficult.
Eventually, the bullet from his shoulder was extracted, and the officer fainted.
“Now we must stop the bleeding and pray to the Lord he will survive,” Mr Jones told Elizabeth, as if seeking her approval. She nodded, her hands pressing the man’s wound, and the memory of Mr Darcy’s injury on the beach in Brighton returned vividly.
∞∞∞
The conversation in the colonel’s drawing room was difficult, and Darcy struggled to remain composed.
For a long time, he had believed he would be relieved if Wickham were to disappear from his life, and he was resentful that the man had managed to ruin the day of his engagement; yet, seeing his enemy struggling on his deathbed, Darcy felt concern and pity.
He was worried for Elizabeth but also proud of her compassionate heart, her strength, and her determination, and he wondered how he could support her more.
“Does anyone know what happened? How was Wickham shot?” he enquired after an express to Dr Gardiner was sent.
The colonel pulled Darcy into a corner for more privacy. “It was a conflict between him and Lieutenant Denny. I am taking the liberty of telling you this because you already warned me about Wickham. Besides, I trust your secrecy, Mr Darcy.”
“Did Wickham owe Denny money?”
“Probably, but it was more of a personal matter. Apparently, Wickham had an illicit relationship with Denny’s married sister. There was a confrontation, and Denny’s gun fired. It was an accident, I am certain. Besides, both of them had drunk too much.”
“There were two shots fired, which cannot be an accident, Colonel,” Darcy replied. “But I am not unsympathetic to Lieutenant Denny. Wickham’s betrayal, once discovered, has this effect on people.”
“Yes, well…I cannot believe something like that happened in my regiment. It will cast a shadow over my career. I should not have trusted Denny when he brought me a stranger.”
“Colonel, you cannot be blamed for trusting your officer, and Denny cannot be blamed for trusting Wickham — many others have been deceived before. Where is the lieutenant now?”
“He is being held in custody until all the circumstances are clear. He will probably have to leave the regiment, or he might even be imprisoned. I am confused. I have never been in a similar situation.”
“I am sure you will find the best way to settle the situation properly and fairly, Colonel. And you may depend on my assistance. For now, let us hope and pray Wickham will survive.”
“Yes, yes…I cannot believe how brave Miss Elizabeth Bennet is. I was not even aware she had such skills until Mr Jones asked for her. Quite a remarkable young woman.”
“I could not agree more,” Darcy said heartily. A most remarkable woman who had just agreed to bind herself to him for the rest of her life — the woman he longed to hold closely in his arms, where she belonged.
Several hours passed, dinner was forgotten, Mrs Forster went to rest, while Darcy, the colonel, and two other officers remained.
He spoke to Lieutenant Denny briefly, and his side of the story did not surprise Darcy in the slightest. Denny had befriended Wickham a couple of years previously, and last summer, after his failed attempt at an elopement with Georgiana, he had shamelessly seduced Denny’s sister and ruined her marriage.
Denny did not regret trying to kill him, and Darcy could understand him only too well.
It was late in the evening when Darcy finally conveyed Elizabeth back to Longbourn.
There were only the two of them in the carriage, but neither of them cared about the impropriety.
After all, they were already engaged and had Mr Bennet’s approval.
As soon as the journey began, without another word, Darcy embraced Elizabeth and pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly.
She leant her head against his shoulder, while he placed gentle kisses in her hair.
There was nothing but care and tenderness in his gesture; his passion and desire would remain hidden behind his concern for her well-being, until the proper time came.
“My dearest, loveliest Elizabeth,” he whispered in her ear.
She lifted her head for a moment to meet his eyes.
“It was him, was it not? In Brighton, it was Mr Wickham who stabbed you and almost killed you.”
“Yes, but for that, I should be grateful to him since his actions placed you in my path. I cannot dare imagine what my life would have been without meeting you.”
Her hand gently touched his face, and he turned his head to kiss it; then she leant forwards, both her hands glided around his neck, and her lips pressed against his, demanding their first kiss, which he had longed dreamt of but not dared attempt yet.
When they arrived at Longbourn, the entire household was still awake, and Bingley was still there. The moment they entered, Elizabeth was met with countless questions from her sisters, as well as with her mother’s cries and reproaches.
“Lizzy, what have you done? You are filthy! What shall I do with you? Oh, dear Lord, this girl has no pity for my poor nerves! Go to your room and change immediately before Mr Collins sees you! He is appalled by your behaviour, and who can blame him? Any man would be disgusted by a woman with such wild manners! Mr Collins will never propose to you, I am certain!”
Elizabeth looked at Darcy, mortified; he smiled at her, glanced at Mr Bennet, then, with an impulse he could not control, replied, “Mrs Bennet, it is quite fortunate that Mr Collins will not propose to Elizabeth, since I have already done so, and we are already engaged, as your husband will testify.”
His statement surprised Elizabeth and Mr Bennet but shocked everyone else.
Mrs Bennet stared at him, her eyes and mouth wide open.
She tried to speak, gulped a few times, then turned white and fell into the nearest chair, struggling to breathe.
When she was finally able to do so, her exclamations of joy and disbelief shook the house until close to midnight.