Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
THURSDAY, 14 NOVEMBER 1811
PEMBERLEY
A fter a month of marriage, the Darcys were reluctantly leaving the solitude of Pemberley to journey to London to deal with matters that could no longer be delayed. This business with the solicitor required Darcy’s presence, for he would transfer all his business with his current firm to a new one. His new wife’s uncle had been useful in this endeavour, for Gardiner had recommended two solicitors who were impeccably trustworthy. They were also not popular amongst the members of the ton, another point in their favour. Gardiner arranged meetings with both men, and Darcy would interview them both to decide which was the best fit.
Heeding Fitzwilliam’s advice, Darcy approached his uncle’s overtures with caution. When Lord Matlock’s letter arrived, Darcy took several days before replying, drafting multiple responses and discussing each with his wife. Ultimately, he decided on a brief and polite letter, expressing gratitude for his uncle’s congratulations but firmly declining any suggestion of a visit to Pemberley for the time being.
“Elizabeth,” Darcy called as he saw his wife walk past his study, “do you wish to visit Longbourn on our way to London? Although Bingley intended to remain in Hertfordshire for the winter, he gave into his sister’s demands to return to town. I cannot imagine she will have anything good to say about our marriage, but it will be impossible to entirely avoid her. However, Bingley asked if we wished to stay at Netherfield for a few nights.”
Elizabeth sighed heavily. “Yes, we will need to confront my father eventually. However, I would prefer to do so after we have completed our business in town. We need to speak to my aunt and uncle and find out what else they have learned about the reason for our separation. Besides, you said we will be there for a fortnight or less if you can manage it, did you not? If possible, I would like to invite Jane to return with us to Pemberley. She is of age, and Father cannot prevent her from coming if she desires, and if he threatens her, she can simply come to live with us permanently. I would like to ask her to do just that, but I cannot be certain she would agree to it.”
“You are correct, my dear. I will go with you to confront your father. However, I thought you might wish to go sooner to see what, if anything, might be done about that pest Collins. Your mother’s letter indicated he was causing considerable difficulty for your family.”
Mention of her father’s cousin caused Elizabeth to scowl. “Jane calls him a toad, which, coming from Jane is a rather strong epithet. She always sees the best in people, and if he is frustrating her, he must be terrible indeed. He is apparently refusing to leave, no matter how many times my father asks, even though he has outright refused to marry any of my sisters. Mama would have normally been furious, but she apparently decided that he was not worthy of any of her daughters after meeting him. She frequently takes to her room to avoid him, and my sisters are spending far more time in their own rooms or at the Lucases’.”
Darcy snorted. “Yes, because my aunt forbade him from marrying a Bennet,” he scoffed. “It would seem the man cannot make a decision on his own. How he managed to resist coming to Longbourn sooner, as your father insisted, is beyond me,” he added, referring to Jane’s letter explaining the revelations about Elizabeth’s supposed engagement and the reasons for the delay in their marriage. Apparently, Collins had no qualms about discussing both his actions and those of others that led to his “intended” being stolen from him.
“From how Jane describes him, I am astonished that he could have ever finished university, much less been ordained,” Darcy continued. “However, it does not surprise me that Lady Catherine gave him the living, for she adores people who will do her bidding without question.”
“What do you hear from Richard?” Elizabeth asked. “How is he settling into Meryton? Jane mentions him once or twice, and Kitty and Lydia are enamoured with all the soldiers. Mama is delighted to have a colonel who is related to her, especially since he is also related to an earl. Based on what little I know of him, I cannot imagine your cousin is enjoying the company of those who are only playing at soldiering, as the militia seems to be doing.”
“He is anxious about Anne, especially after the letter she wrote to him regarding Wickham. His father wrote to him that she disappeared from Rosings when Lady Catherine came to Pemberley. The note she left indicated that she intended to marry but did not specify to whom, and my uncle’s investigators have been unable to find any record of the marriage in either London or the surrounding areas,” Darcy replied.
Elizabeth nodded. “You are troubled about Anne, are you not?”
“I am. Her mother kept her so isolated. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of her. Rosings was left to her unconditionally upon her majority; however, she allowed her mother to continue to run it. Each year when we visited Rosings, Richard and I would try to persuade Anne to take charge, but she never wanted to fight her mother. Richard was able to find the solicitor Anne hired for the estate transfer, but he claimed he was not responsible for marriage articles,” Darcy replied. “It has been several weeks since anyone has received word from her and the servants at Rosings have been tight-lipped, according to Richard.”
“When we go to London next week, will you hire additional investigators to find her?” Elizabeth asked, snuggling into her husband’s side.
Darcy nodded, pulling Elizabeth more tightly to him. “Yes,” he replied. “For now, however, let us think of more pleasant things to occupy our time.”
Elizabeth gladly agreed, and the two lost themselves in each other for the rest of the afternoon.
MONDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 1811
The Darcys spent their remaining days at Pemberley resting and taking leisurely walks through the estate’s grounds. With the trouble that awaited them in London looming over their thoughts, this time became a brief respite—one they would later recall as the calm before the storm.
On the third Monday of November, all three Darcys boarded the carriages that would take them to London. Their large travelling carriage was accompanied by a second with their luggage and the servants who would accompany the family to town.
However, with Richard’s earlier warning about Lady Catherine still fresh in his mind, Darcy took no chances. He ensured both coachmen were well armed and placed a second man beside each of them for added security. Several outriders flanked the party, some riding ahead while others trailed behind. They kept their distance, staying out of sight whenever possible, but always ready to act should any danger approach unnoticed.
The first two days of travel passed without incident. Early on the third day, however, an advance rider spotted a large tree blocking the narrowest stretch of road. The carriages would be forced to halt so the coachmen could move the obstruction, making the Darcys easy targets.
The scout, cautious, rode a short distance beyond the log before circling back through a wooded area, scanning for any sign of an ambush. Finding no one, he returned to the carriages and signalled for them to stop. Darcy, still seated in his carriage, listened as the scout reported the situation to him and the other outriders. His expression darkened as he processed the news.
“We will proceed with care,” Darcy muttered, his voice low and tense. He glanced at the armed outriders. “Have the men ready. I suspect this is more than a coincidence.”
As an extra precaution, the Darcys moved into the secondary carriage. Two outriders tied their horses to the back of Darcy’s now-empty carriage and boarded it, pistols drawn, prepared for anything. The other outriders rode ahead, positioning themselves strategically in the forest around the downed tree, careful not to make any noise and to hide themselves and their horses from sight.
The convoy approached the blocked path slowly. The coachmen dismounted from each carriage to clear the downed tree. Normally, Darcy would have joined in to help, but in this situation, he stayed inside, a pistol resting in his lap, his senses alert for any sign of danger. His valet, sitting next to him, was also armed with a pistol and was prepared to use it as necessary.
As they waited for the tree to be moved, the tension within the carriage grew. Every creak of the wheels, every rustle of leaves seemed to echo louder than usual. Darcy’s eyes flicked to Elizabeth, who was seated across from him, next to Georgiana. Sitting between Mrs. Annesley and the maid that accompanied them, the two ladies clasped their hands tightly in their laps as they waited. Elizabeth caught his gaze and gave him a small reassuring smile though he could see the worry she hid beneath her calm exterior. At Georgiana’s slight tremble, Elizabeth reached over and took her new sister’s hand in hers to provide whatever reassurance she could.
The coachmen worked quickly but cautiously, glancing nervously at the surrounding woods as they began to clear the obstruction. Darcy’s men remained on high alert, hidden within the trees, their pistols ready. It was only a matter of time before something happened.
They heard an owl sound—a warning from one of the scouts. Before anyone could react to the noise, a group of masked men appeared from the dense underbrush, charging towards the carriages. Darcy cursed under his breath. It was an ambush.
“Get down!” Darcy whispered harshly, pulling Elizabeth and Georgiana to the floor of the carriage and crouching over them.
Wickham led the charge, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. Even with the mask, Darcy recognised his former friend. His small band of men followed, weapons drawn, their target unmistakable—the carriage where they believed Elizabeth sat.
The four men surrounded Darcy’s carriage, and Wickham’s voice rang out. He grinned as he moved closer, his pistol raised as he shouted at the carriage with the shades drawn. “Darcy, raise the shades immediately. Send Mrs. Darcy out, but no one else in the carriage should move. I might consider exchanging Mrs. Darcy for Georgiana, although I would need your carriage to take the two of us to Gretna Green. Which will it be, Darcy—your sister or your wife?”
Silence hung in the air as Wickham awaited a response. Darcy leapt down from the second carriage, his gun trained on Wickham. “You will not take either one,” he declared, his voice steady despite the tension.
As Wickham’s men shifted their focus, a sudden commotion erupted from within the carriage where they were standing. The sharp crack of gunfire rang out, and two of Wickham’s men crumpled to the ground, struck down before they could react. Wickham’s remaining accomplice, eyes wide with fear, dropped his weapon and sprinted towards the woods, desperate to escape.
“Come back!” Wickham shouted, his bravado faltering as he instinctively took a step back. The realisation that his carefully laid plans were crumbling before him dawned on him, and he wrenched open the door of the carriage he thought held Elizabeth. At seeing the carriage occupied only by two men, their guns at the ready, his expression morphed from arrogance to desperation. “This is not over, Darcy! I will have what is rightfully mine!” Wickham yelled, as he attempted to back away into the trees.
“Not if I can help it,” Darcy muttered, eyes narrowing as he prepared to pursue Wickham. But a quick glance at the carriage containing Elizabeth and Georgiana reminded him of his priorities. He needed to ensure his family’s safety first.
Nearly as soon as Wickham entered the woods, he was knocked to the ground by a fist. “Got him,” the man yelled out to those in the carriages. A moment later, the rather large man, one of the former soldiers sent by Fitzwilliam, hauled an insensible Wickham over his shoulder. “The third man got away in the woods, but I do not think we need to worry about him returning,” he said. Working quickly, he tied Wickham’s hands and feet, leaving his mouth uncovered.
The rest of Darcy's men reappeared from where they had hidden in the trees, leading their own horses and those belonging to Wickham’s accomplices. Wickham was tossed onto one, his hands tied to the saddle to prevent his getting away. The coachmen, together with the outriders not still guarding the carriages or their prisoner, made quick work of the tree that blocked their path. Before much longer, they were back on the road headed towards London.
When they arrived in the next town, Darcy decided against continuing any further that night. Instead, he and two of his men took Wickham to the local magistrate, where they explained the situation and the longstanding grudge Wickham held against the Darcy family. The magistrate, a stout man with an air of authority, accepted Wickham into custody, assuring Darcy that the prisoner would be looked after.