Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
All Around the Mulberry Bush
Darcy found it hard to fall asleep, so he decided to visit the library.
If he could find a boring enough book, he knew it would help put him to sleep.
He had been in the library for over an hour, and the one book he thought might help turned out more interesting than he expected.
Around midnight, he saw a figure walking across the back garden.
In fact, if it was humanly possible, he would say the figure was floating across the grass.
Following his curious instinct, Darcy walked to the French doors to see who was making a late-night walk.
On the lawn, looking as if she were gliding along, was Miss Elizabeth. Her presence surprised Darcy. He opened the French doors and stepped out into the night. Rowan moved beside him. Darcy had not gone far when he noticed Miss Elizabeth stopped beneath a tree and stood still.
Rowan whispered, “Mulberry.”
Darcy had never really seen a Mulberry tree before, but he knew Rowan knew all the trees.
He then looked around for Butterbell, for he knew the brownie would be somewhere nearby.
He spotted him halfway between the door Miss Elizabeth must have come out and the lady herself.
He was about to walk over to see if she needed any help, but Rowan pulled on his pant leg.
“No.” Rowan commanded but in a soft tone. “Nature be speaking to her. Must not interrupt.”
Darcy made no reply but watched. He saw the attentiveness in Miss Elizabeth’s countenance, but her mouth did not move, so he knew she was not speaking.
Suddenly, another movement drew his attention.
Miss Bingley came rushing out the same door Miss Elizabeth must have used.
Her bedjacket was flapping behind her but was open in the front showing her night gown.
Upon spying Darcy, Miss Bingley opened her mouth. “She means . . .,” but stopped abruptly. Darcy then saw Butterbell hold his hand out toward Miss Bingley. To Darcy, she appeared to be caught in mid-step with her mouth still open.
“Butterbell know what to do,” Rowan said quietly beside Darcy. “Must never interrupt Nature. That be powerful. Not happen often,” he commented.
“What does not happen often?” Darcy inquired.
“Nature to speak to one. Miss be special, though,” Rowan added thoughtfully. “Maybe Nature speak to her many times.”
Darcy did not respond, but he did watch.
Never once did it appear that Miss Elizabeth spoke but only listened.
He knew the moment Miss Elizabeth had finished listening.
Her posture seemed more relaxed, and Butterbell was walking toward her.
Darcy watched as Butterbell, upon reaching her, took her hand and lead her toward the house.
Only then did Darcy begin to walk toward the two meeting them halfway to the house.
“Mr. Darcy, what is wrong with Miss Bingley?” Darcy noticed her eyes focused on the lady in question. He also noticed the tone of her voice, soft, low and almost other worldly.
Just then, Miss Bingley moved and spoke, “to compromise you. Can you . . .” she broke off as she realized no one was where she expected them to be. “How did you . . .” she began but did not finish.
Without looking at the lady, Darcy responded, “The only one who might appear to want to compromise me is you, Miss Bingley. I suggest you return to the house. You are not decently attired.”
Lizzy looked at the lady and suppressed a smile. She saw the correctness of Mr. Darcy’s comment, especially since the front of Miss Bingley’s robe was wide open.
Miss Bingley looked down, squeaked, and rushed inside the house.
“Seems there is no compromise tonight,” Lizzy chuckled.
Darcy too chuckled but then asked, “Are you well?” as he touched her hand.
Lizzy smiled up at him. “I am fine, just a little shaken by what I learned.”
“Might you be able to share the information with me?”
“Yes,” Lizzy replied. Then, with emphasis on the first word, she added, “He is coming.”
In unison, Butterbell and Rowan breathed, “Eliminator.”
Darcy asked, “Eliminator. What does that mean?”
Rowan answered, “The one who want to banish all brownies from world.”
“I never heard the term before,” Darcy replied with a questioning look at Lizzy.
“From the start of my family’s role as ward weavers, they have always referred to the one who wishes to terminate all brownies as the eliminator because he does truly remove them from existence.”
“But there must be bodies left behind?”
“No,” Lizzy replied. “Once he eliminates them, there are no remains or traces of them. They are just gone.”
“Eliminated,” Rowan and Butterbell uttered sorrowfully simultaneously.
“Why is he coming?” Darcy asked. There were many facets of the weaver’s existence that Darcy had no knowledge of.
“He is coming to destroy me,” Lizzy answered calmly, but internally, she felt slightly fearful knowing she would have to meet this man.
“Eliminator knows Miss only one who stops him,” Butterbell added.
“Once Miss gone, he can remove all brownies,” Rowan supplied.
“But not the ones protected by wards, surely,” Darcy replied.
“The wards last only so long. Without renewal, they will vanish, and the brownies will be unprotected. Furthermore, there is no new ward weaver being trained. In fact, the new ward weaver has yet to be born.”
“Cannot one of your sister’s be trained?” Darcy wondered aloud.
“No. One must be born into the role,” Lizzy informed him. “When my grandmother’s young daughter died, she feared there would be no new ward weaver, for she did not have any more children. When her son married, she hoped one of her granddaughters would fill the role.”
“How old were you when she knew you would be the next ward weaver?”
“I was little more than a baby, according to grandmother, less than a year old, when she realized I would be her successor.” Lizzy chuckled before adding, “Grandmother always told the story of how she found me out in the field surrounded by flowers and talking to two brownies. She would laugh when she added ‘The brownies said they understood your baby talk, and all the flowers around you were taller than those further away.’ She loved that story, and I enjoyed how she told it. Sometimes she would add little embellishments, like how I would crawl down the stairs backwards and then sneak out the kitchen door. I always wondered how a baby just learning to walk could sneak past the kitchen help. Mrs. Hill, our housekeeper, would have been ever watchful for any of us children trying to go out the door in the kitchen.”
“Maybe she was always absent when you went out,” Darcy offered with a slight chuckle. “I can just imagine you as a babe tottering around and slipping out the door. You loved nature even at that age.”
“Yes. The minute I was old enough to look out the nursery window, I felt a deep connection with nature just like I shared earlier,” Lizzy said with a far off look in her eyes.
Wondering what else Miss Elizabeth might tell him, Darcy asked, “Is there anything else you might share about the conversation.”
Becoming serious, Lizzy replied, “I must begin to prepare for battle. I will have to train for what is to come.”
“Prepare and train how?” Darcy wondered aloud.
“By finding a way to keep myself protected and by discovering a way I might minimize or contain the Eliminator’s power,” Lizzy explained.
“Butterbell and I have talked about the possibility of weaving a ward around someone who attempts to use the power for harmful purposes, but so far, I have not been able to create an affective ward against someone with a strong use of power.”
“Maybe I might be of some help,” Darcy offered.
“I will keep your offer in mind,” Lizzy replied. “Now, I think I need to return to my room. I must get some sleep, and tomorrow I must return home and begin my preparations.”
Darcy had nearly forgotten they were still standing outside. Offering her is arm, he said, “Miss Elizabeth, might I escort you to the door?”
Lizzy laughed and nodded her head, and the couple walked toward the door she had first come out with Rowan and Butterbell following behind them.
Early the next morning, as Lizzy dressed in preparation to return home, she heard a soft knock on her door. “Enter.”
Mary came through the door saying, “Lizzy, I believe Jane will be able to return home tomorrow.”
Lizzy turned to her sister as she was attempting to fasten the buttons on the back of her gown. “Then I will see you and Jane tomorrow at home.” As she spoke, Mary walked up behind her and finished fastening the buttons.
“Will you not stay until tomorrow,” Mary asked as she worked.
“No, I must return home. I have some important tasks to begin undertaking.”
“Will you at least stay to break your fast. Jane and I will join you downstairs. I know Jane will wish to bid you goodbye.”
“No. I want to leave as soon as possible.” Lizzy then felt Butterbell tugging on her gown.
Looking down at him, Lizzy heard, “Miss needs to eat first. Better here than wait til you are home.”
Lizzy smiled and the looked at Mary. “I will meet you and Jane downstairs. Butterbell will not allow me to leave until after I have fortified myself.”
Mary chuckled and then left the room.
“You see, good idea to have food first,” Butterbell said with a smile, but it was a smile Lizzy suspected was hiding something he was not ready to share.
The three sisters were seated at the breakfast table enjoying a quiet morning meal. Lizzy had just finished buttering her toast and was adding strawberry jam to the slice when Miss Bingley barged through the door. Miss Bingley made her outrage evident to all present.
“Charles,” the lady shouted, “I demand you and Mr. Darcy search all the servants’ quarters now.” As she reached the chair the footman had pulled out for her, she, in an unladylike manner, plopped down into it.
“Why, Caroline?” Bingley’s tone countered his sister’s by being soft and mild.
“My pearl earrings are missing!” She declared as a footman began to pour her usual cup of tea.
Without batting an eye or acknowledging the footman, Miss Bingley placed her spoon in the sugar bowl and promptly spooned three measures of sugar into her tea.
“Last week it was an opal ring,” Mr. Hurst said as he finished chewing his ham. Looking at his wife, he asked, “And where was the ring found, Louisa?”
“In Caroline’s pudding,” his wife replied with a smile.
“I told you. Whoever stole it put it in the pudding just before it was served.”
“Caroline, it is highly unlikely a servant could have put the ring in the pudding without being seen,” Mrs. Hurst said.
“Also, there was no indication it was placed in the pudding after it had been put in the bowls, and if it had been put in the bulk of the pudding, then any of us could have found it in our own bowl.”
“I don’t care what you say. There is a thief in this house,” Miss Bingley declared just before she brought her cup to her lips and took a sip of her tea. She promptly sputtered out the tea as well as one of her earrings.
Rowan tugged on Darcy’s sleeve. “No thief. Brownie paying her for rudeness about house and about Miss.”
Darcy only nodded in agreement.
Mary then spoke up. “Miss Bingley, you were warned that it was not advisable to disparage the house or the brownies. They do not take kindly to anyone who openly criticizes their work.”
“Brownies! How ridiculous. There are no such things as brownies.”
“She be sorry,” Rowan whispered to Darcy.
Without warning, Miss Bingley’s chair tipped backwards landing her ungraciously on the floor, and a plate filled with eggs flew through the air, overturning as it reached her, leaving her with a mess of soft eggs running all over the front of her gown.
Mary and Lizzy both repressed their laugh while Mrs. Hurst hurriedly grabbed a large cloth to cover her sister.
Lizzy knew Jane would have also rushed to Miss Bingley’s assistance except for her leg stopping her.
Charles stood from his chair while motioning for Mr. Hurst’s help, and the two gentlemen assisted Miss Bingley up from the floor.
“Louisa, why don’t you take Caroline to her room and help her clean up.”
Still fuming and mumbling barely audible curses, Miss Bingley left the room.
“She was warned,” Darcy said to those still in attendance. “I do not think she will learn, so the brownies may continue to plague her.” He then turned his attention to Bingley. “It might be advisable for you to strongly suggest your sister return to town for her own safety and health.”
“Do you truly believe so?” Charles asked incredulously.
“I agree with Darcy. These brownies are upset with Caroline,” Mr. Hurst added.
“It may only get worse,” Mary said. “Every time she verbally abuses the brownies, the more disagreeable will be their reprisal.”
“Mary is correct,” Lizzy agreed.
“Mr. Bingley,” Jane said softly, “Your sister will be safer in town.”
“I doubt she will leave while Darcy remains,” Charles replied as he shook his head.
“I might be able to support your suggestion about her safety,” Darcy added.
“I will speak to Louisa. Maybe she can sway her sister’s decision,” Mr. Hurst offered.
“I hope that will help, but you know how stubborn Caroline can be when it comes to leaving Darcy’s company,” Bingley adding shaking his head hopelessly.
“Better she leaves than comes to serious harm,” Mr. Hurst observed.
After an hour of coxing by Bingley, Darcy, and Mrs. Hurst, Darcy finally told Miss Bingley, “There really are brownies. I have seen them all my life, and once angered, they will do all in their power to drive away the person who offends them. Today was not the beginning; it was just a sample of how much worse it can become. The longer you stay will only cause their retaliation to grow. For your own safety, it is best for you to return to town.”
“Maybe it would be best for all of us to return to town,” Miss Bingley smiled coquettishly at him.
“Miss Bingley, I have nothing to fear. I know the brownies. I have not offended them or their home. You on the other hand, have grievously offended both them and their home. It is not my safety I fear but yours. If you do not care about what is to come, to let it fall on your head and no one else’s,” Darcy warned.
As evidence of his warning, a vase of flowers moved through the air and overturned onto Miss Bingley’s head. A scream ripped through the house, and Miss Bingley sprang up from her chair and rushed out of the room followed by the laughter of unseen beings.