Chapter Twenty-One
“Is it as bad as we expected?”
These were the first words Richard spoke as he entered Mr. Bennet’s study and closed the door behind him.
Darcy nodded and then turned his attention to Bennet, who paled to the color of a bed sheet the further he got into the missive.
Suddenly, his eyes widened and he leaned over and vomited into the waste paper basket by his desk.
“Let me see,” Richard demanded and Bennet handed over the letter.
Darcy watched his cousin closely and knew he had come to the vilest portion of the letter when he turned preternaturally still, his face transforming into a mask of stone. He had seen that expression before and knew these unknown men were already dead, they just weren’t aware of that fact yet.
“I will leave for London immediately. Father must be made aware of what she planned and I will send a contingent of good men to guard you whilst you are here and to escort you back to London.”
“I have strong footmen. They are capable.”
“No, Darcy. This calls for specific talents and your footmen, while strapping lads, would not be prepared to sink to the same depths as these Cretans if required. My men are trained in this and will not lose sleep.”
“Elizabeth and I should return to London with you.”
“Absolutely not! If you return too soon, you may tip Aunt Catherine off that you know something. Also, your wife would never forgive you if she could not see her closest friend married. Let her enjoy the day in peace and happiness.” Richard folded the letter and placed it inside his pocket.
“This also gives me time to put things in place for her protection.”
Bennet stood, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Colonel, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If we lost Lizzy…” Tears formed in his eyes. “I do not think my heart could take the loss. Not this way.”
“I had not intended to speak so soon, but I love Jane and wish to marry her. I consider you my family, Mr. Bennet and will do what needs to be done to protect them. As will Darcy.” He clicked his heels together and gave Mr. Bennet a formal bow.
“I must leave now if I wish to make London this afternoon. I will send notice of what I have put in place with my men.”
Richard left the room and Bennet sank back into his chair. He then scrunched his nose and pulled the lanyard to summon the butler.
“Forgive me, Griggs,” he said when the man appeared and handed over the basket. “I am afraid my nerves got the best of me when the colonel asked for Jane’s hand.”
The slight twitch of the butler’s eyebrows told Darcy the man did not believe what his normally satirical master said, but he wisely just nodded and accepted the basket.
“I will have one of the maids give this a good scrubbing and have it returned within the hour.”
“No hurry, Griggs. Mr. Darcy and I have some business to discuss and do not wish to be disturbed.”
The butler gave a nod and left with the putrid basket.
Bennet reached into the drawer of his desk and brought out two tumblers, then a bottle of brandy.
Without asking, he poured them each a drink and swallowed all of his in one shot before pouring another.
Only then did he put down the glass and stare at Darcy, fear still very much in evidence in his eyes.
“What kind of madness does your aunt suffer? How could a Christian woman wish such vile things upon an innocent lady?”
“I do not know, but I will promise you that she will not succeed.”
“We must tell Lizzy.”
“No!”
“You cannot hide this from her. She has a right to know.”
“I will tell her, after the wedding. I wish for her to have a happy day with her friend. She is safe for now because my aunt’s plans were for after we returned. I think Elizabeth is safe whilst here.”
“Where would she have gotten all those details of where Lizzy walked and at what times?”
“She must have someone watching the house.”
“No, the details were too specific and some of her phrasing too familiar.”
“’Tramping about without regard for her petticoats, which some have said is six inches deep in mud’,” Darcy quoted from the letter. “Makes me think I know the source of her information.”
“Miss Bingley.” Bennet made an accurate guess. “She has never liked Lizzy.”
“No, she saw her as a rival. Not that I ever, ever thought to make her mistress of Pemberley,” he stressed at Bennet’s raised brow. “All of her dreams were naught but wishful thinking.”
“Why would she write your aunt?”
“The gossip mill in town must be working overtime and very likely she heard snippets as she prowled the parlors of chin-waggers. She may think that if she aids my aunt, she will gain a toe hold in the level of society she craves.”
“Miss Bingley expects a woman who castigates a gentleman’s daughter to lift a tradesman’s daughter into her circle of friends. I do not know who is more delusional. Lady Catherine, or Miss Bingley.”
“Be that as it may, she is very likely the source of Elizabeth’s walking habits.”
“Are you aware that because Elizabeth is of royal blood, albeit a minor royal, what your aunt has set in motion is treason?”
“That did cross my mind.”
“If this gets to the Palace, she will lose everything. The whole Fitzwilliam family will fall alongside her. The social carnage would be catastrophic.”
“My uncle, Lord Matlock, is a powerful man and enjoys a good relationship with the royal family. I believe he and his family would survive. Also, Rosings is in my cousin Anne’s name. Aunt Catherine has nothing but her funds and some family jewels. The estate would not be forfeit.”
“But your aunt’s life well could be.”
Darcy heaved a heavy sigh.
“Yes, it could. I will leave that in the hands of my uncle, the earl. I am hoping we can keep this within the family.”
“We should join the ladies. They will be wondering why we have sequestered ourselves for so long.” Bennet quickly finished his drink and then stood. “Are you able to keep this information from your wife? Can you project an image of calm and easiness, knowing what you do?”
“Although I normally abhor deceit of any kind, for Elizabeth, I will lie through my teeth and not bat an eye.”
“I believe you. Let us go.”
Darcy drained his drink and set the empty glass on the desk. He stood and said, “I am ready.”
***
Elizabeth burned with curiosity. A very grim-faced Richard and a distraught Jane had accompanied Mr. Collins to where she and Charlotte awaited them on the path. She had just finished telling her friend all she could about the finances of Longbourn when the others came alongside.
Alarmed at the visible nervousness of her betrothed, Charlotte bade them all good day, saying she would see them on the morrow at the church.
Elizabeth looked to Richard and Jane, asking after her husband, but they stayed as quiet as the Sphinx and she could not winkle out one bit of information from them.
Not even Jane, who had never before withheld secrets from her.
She could only deduce one thing. Given the nervousness of Mr. Collins, the determined levity of the colonel and the quiet despair of Jane along with the absence of her husband led her to believe that something had occurred concerning Lady Catherine.
She was the only common denominator within this eclectic group of people and Elizabeth wondered what the woman had done now.
They arrived back at Longbourn and retired to the parlor where the colonel excused himself and hastened toward her uncle’s study.
Jane quickly became involved with pouring tea and asking Kitty to show her some drawings of a gown she wished to sew.
Jane was so intent on not speaking with Elizabeth that her mother thought they had a falling out during their walk.
“Whatever happened? Did that dreadful colonel do something to upset you both? I see he did not return with you. Is he hiding his face?” Mrs. Bennet huffed and smoothed out her skirts. “I hope he has left and returned to London. I do not know why he came here in the first place.”
“Mamma,” Jane implored. “The colonel has not done anything wrong, and he is speaking with Papa and Mr. Darcy.”
All attempts Elizabeth made to speak with Jane were thwarted. If she weren’t so piqued by the whole affair, she would have delighted in the way her cousin neatly diverted all conversations without anyone in the room aware of her deviousness.
“Mr. Collins looked quite nervous. Do you not agree, Jane?”
“I am sure by tomorrow, once Miss Lucas is his wife, all his nerves and fears will be laid aside.”
First point to Jane.
“The colonel was very quiet on our walk home. Did you find he did not have much to say, Jane?”
“I am sure he was ruminating on the beautiful countryside. Hertfordshire is a delightful county.”
A second point to Jane.
“Why did Mr. Darcy leave so abruptly? We did not get a chance to walk to Oakham Mount and I was so desirous of showing him the view.”
“I believe the heel on his boot had come loose. He did say he wished for us to continue our walk, but I knew you would much rather return home and be with family. We can always walk to Oakham Mount another day.”
This was getting her nowhere. She would have to be less subtle, it seemed.
“I never thought you would all become so discombobulated over Lady Catherine,” she said as her husband and uncle entered the room.
Jane gasped, “How…?”
Mr. Darcy immediately came to her side, and taking her hand in his, sat down beside her.
“How much do you know?”
She watched Uncle Thomas almost fall into the chair beside Aunt Frances, his face so pale she thought he was deathly ill.
“Elizabeth!” Darcy brought her attention back to him. “How much do you know?”
“Nothing, it was an educated guess.”
“Thank God!” Uncle declared.
“What is going on, Mr. Bennet?” Aunt Frances demanded. “Who is Lady Catherine?”
“She is my aunt, Mrs. Bennet, and the lone dissenting voice in my family over my marriage to Elizabeth.”
“Is this the same woman Mr. Collins always blathers on about?”
Although the tension was ripe in the room, Mr. Darcy could not help the glimmer of a smile to make an appearance at his mother-in-law’s description of Mr. Collins’s effusive praises of a woman who did not deserve one syllable of them.
“Yes, the same.”
“Oh, pooh. Who cares about a woman who lives in Kent and has nothing, whatsoever, to do with our family?”
“You are in the right of it, Fanny,” Uncle Thomas said, some of the color returning to his face. “How long until dinner, my dear?”
If Elizabeth had not worried something was afoot, the fact that her uncle called his wife ‘my dear’ was a signal. He only did that when he needed to divert her attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, he was unable to turn his niece’s mind from the previous conversation.
“Where is the colonel?” she asked.
“He had to return to London.”
“Interesting. He said he would only return if there was an emergency. Is there something I should be made aware of? Is Georgiana well?”
“As far as I know my sister remains at Matlock House and is enjoying our aunt’s company.”
“Hmmm… does this mean you have unearthed Lady Catherine’s plans?”
Her uncle dropped his teacup and it shattered on the floor. In the ensuing chaos, Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy and said, “Walk with me, husband.”