Chapter 3 Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man #3
Mr Darcy was ebullient, believing his walks with Miss Bennet had produced tender feelings.
She seemed to understand his need for peace, not filling his ears with inane chatter, clutching his arm, or flattering him.
Miss Bennet was considerate of his reticence, and she put him at ease in a manner no one else had since his mother was alive.
How could he have known?
He was almost whistling on his walk to encounter Miss Bennet, somewhat prepared to propose to her as he knew his heart. The smile vanished from his face the moment he turned the corner, expecting to see her—only to find Miss Bennet standing beside the man he hated most in the world.
Not only that, but an equally irritated Richard came from the opposite direction.
“Wickham!” Richard shouted, his face purpled with rage.
Trouble always comes in threes. Trouble always comes with Wickham.
“Why, Colonel Fitzwilliam! Darcy! What… What…do you do here?”
“My annual visit to Rosings. What do you do here?”
“Courting, Fitzy, what does it look like?” Wickham sneered.
Darcy said, “I am courting Miss Bennet,” as Richard declared, “Miss Bennet and I are in a courtship.”
“What?” all three spoke at once.
Miss Bennet stepped back and coughed into her handkerchief. “I was not aware I was courting anyone.”
“What do you mean you were not aware?” Darcy asked. He caught her furrowed brow, and her lips thinned. “We walked every morning these past weeks. You must have known I was courting you.”
“If your silence and displeasure with my company is your idea of courting.”
What? “I thought you enjoyed our silences?” Darcy could not believe she misunderstood him.
“Miss Bennet, I thought…as you and I have been spending time together”—Richard wrinkled his brow—“that our afternoon walks and tea…”
Jealousy sprang from Darcy’s breast. His desire to propose dimmed as he learned that she did not, in fact, welcome his company. Then he felt something like anger. Did a woman beneath his notice play him the fool?
Then Wickham grabbed Miss Bennet by her waist and pressed her to his body.
She shrieked. “Unhand me!” Elizabeth struggled in his grasp.
“I am afraid that no one will marry you, sweet Miss Bennet, but me. You understand, dearest, after Darcy cheated me out of the living, that I must marry for fortune! You will be Mrs Wickham.” He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers.
After a rough kiss, she wriggled in his embrace, attempting to escape, but he was too strong.
Darcy’s heart raced. “Unhand her!” How could Darcy rescue her from the blackguard without hurting her or his cousin in the process?
Richard scoffed. “I see you remain a thief.”
“A thief? What do you mean?” Miss Bennet’s eyes widened with fear, her gaze fixed on the gun that was now pointed at the colonel.
Where did he pull a pistol from?
“Wily Wickham forgot to inform you that Darcy paid the grand sum of three thousand pounds on Wickham’s own suggestion that he was not suited for the living, and that he wanted to study law.
With a thousand already given him from Uncle George’s will.
Within two years, it was wasted on idleness, dissipation, and loose living. ”
“I was cheated out of what is rightfully mine!” Wickham yelled, spit flying out of his mouth.
“No!” Miss Bennet exclaimed as she struggled. “I will not marry you!”
Wickham barked. “I will have you, Elizabeth Bennet, and your thirty thousand pounds!”
Darcy’s fear burned in his soul as the woman he loved was caught between two men scuffling over the gun. Elizabeth stomped on Wickham’s boot and pulled away from him violently. Darcy was about to reach out for her, but it was too late.
He watched in horror as Richard twisted Wickham’s gun hand to a precarious position. Wickham fought strength for strength against Richard. Amongst the confusion of the tussle the gun fired, and blood spattered on Richard’s face and neck.
Wickham stared stupefied as he watched Miss Bennet stagger towards Darcy who rushed to her side before she collapsed to her knees. Richard stood horror struck, the sound of the gun shot echoing in everyone’s ears.
“No!” Darcy caught her as colour drained from Elizabeth’s face.
His hand was already stained with her blood.
His ears ringing, he could not feel Richard’s hand on his shoulder, could not hear Richard’s entreaties or the sounds of footsteps running away.
All he saw was his Elizabeth, all he felt was her hand slip slowly down his arm as her eyes fluttered shut,
“I feel…” she managed through laboured breaths.
“No, no, no…stay with me, dearest, loveliest…”
With one last show of strength, she clasped tightly to Darcy’s forearm, her last sight his eyes. “Not handsome enough to tempt you…”
Her hand slipped from his arm, and the light in her eyes dimmed as she stared blankly at the blue sky. Never had he felt such heartache as he rocked her in his arms. “Foolish. Foolish. She heard me—all this time I did not know she heard me.”
This was not how our story was supposed to end.
Darcy was agitated; his pacing would wear a hole in the rug.
Tears had tracked down his face, and he felt there were still more to shed.
Darcy’s heart felt like it had been ripped from his chest. Sorrow soon turned to anger at Wickham.
Bitterness consumed him, he took a glass and poured some brandy to take the sting away.
Darcy then sat by the fire, wiping his face with his free hand, a brandy in the other hand.
His attention rested on the books; there was one that seemed to stand out.
He rose from his seat and slid the book out from the shelf.
He did not know why he felt compelled to read suddenly.
Surely, he was too sore of spirit to concentrate on a book.
Then he read the title; Part of Something Greater by Diane Ferguson.
He took another sip of brandy, tenderly caressed the smooth leather of the covering, and then opened the book to the first sentence.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if the universe grants you a second chance, you try to correct past wrongs. He gulped down the rest of the brandy and settled himself to read.
If only there was a way to have a second chance, he would surely have put his idiotic pride aside to be able to court Elizabeth properly.