Chapter 4 - Alarm #6
With these words, Darcy lowered his firearm, revealing its chamber at the back, and pointed it towards Wickham.
"Are you aware of the number of bullets it contains, Wickham?"
The chamber held five bullets, a deduction Wickham had already made.
"You see, there are five bullets. Allow me to remove four of them," Darcy counted each bullet as he removed them from the chamber and tossed them into the vacant stalls on the right, safely beyond immediate reach.
“Wickham, I don’t think you require my assistance to count the remaining bullets in this firearm.
I want you to relinquish your knife and release the boy.
Hurst shall guide the boy and Mrs. Goulding to safety.
I shall give the firearm to you. Let me see if you have the fortitude to shoot and kill your childhood playmate and your favourite Godfather’s only son. ”
Darcy hurled the firearm in Wickham's direction. It landed at the feet of Wickham, who immediately bent down to pick it up. The boy, now free, rushed into his father's embrace.
“Hurst, take the boy home. Can you also carry Mrs. Goulding? She is injured,” Darcy inquired to the boy’s father.
No, Darcy. That I can’t allow.
“No, sir, escort the boy home. Mrs. Goulding shall remain here,” Wickham instructed Mr. Hurst, who sought a confirming glance from Darcy before departing with the boy.
“You are a coward, Wickham. I stand unarmed before you. Your days are numbered anyway. You have nothing to lose. Yet you still hesitate to face me directly?” challenged Darcy as he began to approach Wickham at a measured pace.
Wickham immediately aimed the firearm at Darcy's head, who continued to advance undeterred.
"Wickham, I've never comprehended why I became your adversary.
I've always tried to assist you, protect you.
I concealed your misdeeds from my father, settled your debts to shield you from creditors, and cared for the young girls you wronged.
Yet, all you did was endeavour to exploit my generosity, and you persist in blaming me for the hardships in your life. "
Wickham easily discerned Darcy's strategy. Darcy was trying to distract him by talking incessantly. Employing a circuitous path as he approached, Darcy sought to shield the lady seated on the floor. On the other hand, the lady was making a valiant effort to divert Darcy’s attention and position herself in front. Ah, so she cares for him as well.
Darcy was now merely five feet away, while the lady, still on the floor, struggled to draw closer.
"You even attempted to harm Georgiana, Wickham? I still can't fathom how you could do that to Georgiana. Wasn’t she our darling? How much time we spent together for her amusement in the past? She trusted you as she did me, and you shattered that trust. She grieved for months."
Darcy was just three feet away, within arm's reach. Wickham had waited long enough. Without warning, he stepped around Darcy and pointed the gun at Mrs. Goulding.
Darcy. I want you to bleed from your heart. And for that I don’t even have to shoot you. Forgive me, Mrs. Goulding. This has nothing to do with you.
"Darcy, mourn for her for the rest of your life," Wickham cried as he pulled the trigger at Mrs. Goulding, who closed her eyes and covered her ears in fear.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth found herself in a situation far beyond her depth. The intricate game being played by both Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy was well beyond her comprehension. Sure, Mr. Darcy had managed to extract George from Mr. Wickham’s grasp. George is now safe, but at what cost?
As Mr. Darcy cautiously advanced towards the scoundrel, Elizabeth couldn't help but notice his protective manoeuvre to shield her from the danger.
It was evident that he was willing to place himself in harm's way to ensure her safety.
She wanted to call out, to dissuade him from such a sacrifice, but fear silenced her.
She was also uncertain if calling out would disrupt any of his strategies.
Desperate to alert him without words, she began to inch her way closer. Yet her efforts were not swift enough. It was at that moment, when she was on the verge of rising to her feet on her uninjured leg, that Mr. Wickham suddenly turned the firearm in her direction.
The dread that washed over her was overwhelming. This was no empty threat; this was real. She was at the mercy of a desperate man. She was helpless.
As Mr. Wickham's fingers ominously tightened around the trigger, Elizabeth instinctively shut her eyes and raised her hands to cover her eyes.
She braced for the gunshot that never came.
Instead, a series of distinct clicks echoed, followed by the sound of a small, solid object clattering to the floor.
Then, a resounding cry and a solid, heavy object – a human body – crumbled to the floor with a thud.
Wickham
Wickham anticipated Darcy to lunge at him or attempt to thwart his aim, yet nothing transpired.
Darcy just stood there, making no move. Wickham was confident he had aligned his shot flawlessly, but to his chagrin, the wretched firearm failed to discharge.
He squeezed the trigger once more, only to be met with that same faint click.
Before he could make a third attempt, Darcy’s fist landed squarely on his face. The blow was so powerful that he felt the warm rush of blood pouring from his mouth. A tooth clattered to the floor. His vision dimmed rapidly as he tumbled backward with a cry.
As his consciousness slipped away, he distinctly heard Darcy calling him a coward.
Darcy
"Take that from my father, you coward," Darcy uttered as he bent down to retrieve both his firearm and Wickham's knife. He then proceeded to the rear stall to recover the gun that had been wrested from Wickham's hand earlier.
"You have done well, Mr. Darcy," Mr. Archer said as he entered.
"Thank you, Mr. Archer. Your restraint in not firing was commendable as well. I feared you might have missed my signal," Darcy replied.
"I did not. However, I am astounded that the man fell for your deception. Is he a simpleton to believe you would gift him a loaded firearm? I distinctly observed you taking two bullets instead of one when you counted three," Mr. Archer remarked.
Darcy smiled before replying, "Wickham is a creature of habit.
He consistently thought he comprehended me better than anyone else, except for my cousin Richard.
It was always Richard he dreaded, not me.
The Fitzwilliam Darcy he knew would never conceive of the stratagem I have just executed.
He held steadfast faith in my honesty and would have set the boy free, even if I had promised him the firearm once the lad was out of peril.
I didn't even need to toss the firearm to him. "
Mr. Archer let out a hearty laugh. "So, in a way, you betrayed his trust. Yet, he is the scoundrel, not you. Anyway, allow me to examine him. He's lost a considerable amount of blood. We need to stitch him up so he can face the trial."
"Yes, I may have betrayed his trust, but I have not yet learned to contempt that fact," Darcy replied as he knelt before Elizabeth, who gazed at him with teary eyes. He hoped those were tears of relief.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Goulding? You need not worry any longer. Wickham won't harm anyone in this lifetime. I promise you that," he assured her.
"I am feeling well, Mr. Darcy. Thanks to you," was her simple response. Darcy sensed she wanted to say more, but he chose not to press the matter. Instead, he turned to Mr. Archer, who was still working on stopping Wickham's bleeding.
"Mr. Archer, permit me to go to the entrance and call for assistance. Mrs. Goulding is injured and must be carried back to the estate. When Wickham wakes up, we'll need to restrain him as well."
"No, Mr. Darcy. You needn't go anywhere. I can easily signal the others," replied Mr. Archer. With that, he cupped both hands to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle, forcing both Darcy and Elizabeth to cover their ears.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth's ears were still ringing from the sound of Mr. Archer's whistle when Charles, accompanied by a couple of other men, entered the clearing.
Charles immediately approached her to inquire about her well-being.
Only after he was assured of her condition did he proceed to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Archer.
Elizabeth remained in a state of confusion.
When Mr. Darcy knelt before her to ask about her well-being, an overwhelming desire to run into his arms and seek solace swept over her.
Hearing him address her as Mrs. Goulding nearly brought tears to her eyes.
All she longed for was to return to the estate and retreat to her chambers to sort out her emotions.
Thoughts of returning to the estate prompted another concern. Jane.
“Mr. Darcy, were you able to find the physician to check on Jane?” she enquired. Mr. Darcy promptly introduced her to Mr. Archer.
"Mrs. Goulding, I intended to administer a specific herbal remedy to your sister.
I was waiting for the housekeeper to prepare it when the gunshot interrupted.
Allow me to attend to your sister and administer the medicine.
After that, I need three hours to monitor how your sister reacts to that medicine.
I can provide you with an accurate prognosis after three hours," Mr. Archer replied.
Elizabeth accepted his explanation and leaned on Mr. Darcy's arm to stand. However, her brother had different intentions.
"Elizabeth, it's time for me to escort you back to the estate. You spent a considerable time alone with Darcy and Wickham today. I wish to ensure your reputation remains untarnished. Darcy, I shall escort Elizabeth back to the estate."
Elizabeth held her brother in the highest esteem.
Charles was as fine a brother as anyone could wish for.
Yet, at that moment, she struggled to conceal her frustration.
She distinctly sensed Mr. Darcy's arm stiffen, tension running through his entire frame, and saw the pain in his expression when he handed her over to Charles.
It revealed everything she needed to know.
He was still in love with her.