Chapter 36
Darcy knew he had to calm down; it would not do to get to the Buchanans looking ready to go upon the warpath. He needed to show measured but cold rage, not hot, insane fury.
He could not believe that a lady - he used the term loosely - could viciously attack another lady and leave her for dead.
Even for a scheming, lying and cheating person like Julia, he had, foolishly, believed it impossible that she should sink that low, so depraved as to attempt bodily harm on another.
He was wrong!
Unfortunately, the recent events had proven that there was nothing that the young woman would not do for revenge; it seemed that she could sink even lower than Darcy had given her credit for.
Miss Buchanan had expected outrage. She had expected gossip. She had even expected a summons from a magistrate, but she had not expected Mr Darcy, Lady Anne and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, fully attired in his regimentals.
The drawing room in her father’s estate seemed suddenly smaller when they entered. Mr Darcy’s and Lady Anne’s eyes were red rimmed and blood shot and their faces bore hollow chinks from exhaustion. They had obviously not slept much in the last three days.
“Mr Darcy, Lady Anne,” Mr Buchanan greeted them with surprise, “what a pleasure…”
But Darcy put his hand up to halt the older man, “I assure you sir, there is no pleasure on our side.”
The coldness in his voice went through all the occupants in the room.
Mrs Buchanan frowned, “to what then, should we account for your visit?”
Miss Buchanan rose from her chair. She was only five and twenty years old and still a very beautiful young woman. She was obviously accustomed to be admired. Even now she attempted a flirtatious smile. She ignored Darcy and looked at his cousin instead.
“I have not seen you in a long time Richard, you look well.”
“It is Colonel Fitzwilliam to you, madam.” Richard replied coldly.
She shrugged her shoulders and turned to Darcy, “Did you miss me, William? I can only imagine that the contrast between myself and your current… errr… guest must have awakened in you a desire to renew our friendship.”
The nerve of the young woman caused Lady Anne to stare at her dumbfounded, but Darcy, completely ignoring her as if she had not spoken addressed Mr Buchanan instead,
“Sir, did your daughter, Miss Buchanan, inform you that she attacked a guest of Pemberley near our border three days ago, leaving the young woman unconscious, lying on the wet and cold ground without her mount and fighting for her life?”
The old man gasped, “Mr Darcy,” Mr Buchanan began, “surely there must be some misunderstanding.”
“There has been none.”
“I regret the unfortunate accident.” Julia said nonchalantly.
All three Buchanans and three visitors turned to look at her.
“Are you saying Julia,” her father asked in stupefaction, “that what Mr Darcy has just accused you of, did actually occur?”
“It was an accident.” She repeated it, dismissing her father’s concern with a wave.
“Accident?” Lady Anne’s cold voice rang in the room. Her contempt was dripping so thickly that made Julia doubt for the first time in her own ability to convince her family of her innocence.
“Miss Bennet was riding recklessly,” she said, “I merely startled her horse.”
“You struck her,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said with the hardest and most official voice Darcy had ever heard from his cousin.
“I touched her shoulder,” Julia challenged.
“With a riding crop to her face?” Richard sneered.
Her father stepped forward, “Sir, Mr Darcy, Lady Anne, it seems my daughter meant no serious harm.”
Darcy’s anger finally won over and came out of his mouth with a volume he had never used in front of ladies before, “Miss Bennet lays in bed with a fever, a sprained ankle a concussion and an open wound to her face. She has been unconscious for three days and she is certainly not out of danger yet.”
A horrified silence followed.
Mrs Buchanan pressed a hand to her mouth, “three days?” She whispered.
Lady Anne nodded grimly, “none of us have had much sleep lately, but Miss Bennet is the only one who truly suffers; simply for encountering a nasty and vindictive woman in the woods, a troll who saw fit to strike her down from her horse and run away like a coward.” Lady Anne turned to Julia, “And for what? Did you hope to achieve anything useful with your malice? Did you really believe that this violence against our guest would turn William’s heart back towards you again? ”
“I do not care about Mr Darcy anymore.” Julia lied defiantly.
“No, of course you do not.” Darcy said sarcastically, “you are just jealous, vindictive and murderous for no good reason. You just attacked Miss Bennet, tried to kill her for sport, did you not?”
Julia’s face turned crimson, “I never meant…”
“You never meant what, to kill her?” Darcy spat angrily, “You may still succeed, Miss Buchanan for she is not out of danger yet, madam, and if she dies the next visitor coming through your doors, will be the magistrate to drag you to the gallows.”
“You cannot prove anything.” She spat right back.
“Do you mean,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said coldly, “other than the lady herself whispering your name in her fever-induced delirium?”
“Would you like to see the official statement from the doctor? Stating that her injuries could only be caused by her being thrown violently from the saddle after being struck on the face with a riding crop?” Darcy asked.
“Maybe we could still call the magistrate so he can examine Miss Bennet’s injuries and ascertain that it matches not only the doctor’s statement but most importantly, Miss Buchanan’s riding crop.” The Colonel said as if considering the option.
“Papa,” for the first time there was panic in Julia’s face and voice. She extended her hand to grab his but he looped his hands behind his back.
“I am disappointed in you, Julia... again.” He shook his head sadly.
“Calling the magistrate would be fair, I think,” Lady Anne said coldly, “for Miss Buchanan does not seem repentant to me.”
“Yes I agree,” Darcy exclaimed, “Do you want to know what I found when I finally discovered her?” Darcy said quietly, “She had been lying there in the rain for at least four hours. Hamlet, my Great Dane found her. He laid his head on her lap and cried believing that she was dying. She was pale and chilled to the bone. Another hour and she would have certainly died.” His voice faltered.
For a moment their composure cracked, “we all thought that we had lost her.” Lady Anne voiced what they all had believed.
Mr Buchanan cleared his throat, “I am so very sorry, Lady Anne, Darcy, but it seems I can do nothing to help the lady. But I understand your fury, so what is it you seek from us, restitution, compensation?”
Darcy looked at the man appalled, “do you think money can fix this, Mr Buchanan?”
“Then what?” The older man asked.
“If you think,” Lady Anne retorted before her son had the chance to reply, “That money is what we came here for, I am afraid you never knew us.”
“We know your secret, Mr Buchanan,” Darcy said directly, “Miss Buchanan is traipsing on very thin ice, since one word from us will ruin not only her reputation for ever but also the whole family’s.”
“Also it would see you in jail,” The colonel said nonchalantly, “for trying to pass off a bastard as your heir. I wonder what your cousin and my good friend, Frederick Hopkins, would say if he heard these rumours?”
Mrs Buchanan gasped, “You would not dare.” She whispered.
“Do not test our resolve, madam.” Lady Anne said firmly.
“We have kept your secret for years because of the old friendship we had with your family and how much my husband respected your husband. We certainly have never gone out of our way to ruin your reputation, nor reveal your dirty little secret; even though we were outraged when you returned from Scotland presenting little David as your own son and heir to this estate. We kept our mouth shut. But it seems our good-will has not been appreciated nor returned. Our respect for you, although undeserved, has been thrown back in our faces with the most horrific attempt against our friend and guest” Lady Anne looked at Julia with contempt, “your daughter saw fit to physically attack a guest of Pemberley; that cannot go unpunished. So, we will consider what to do. Should we choose a public revelation of your circumstances, it will result in dire consequences for all of you.”
“But my lady,” Mrs Buchanan cried, “Mr Buchanan and I had nothing to do with what Julia did. It is unfair to punish the whole family for the sins of one member.”
“She is your daughter, under your protection and responsibility. What she does is a reflection of her parents. Therefore, I disagree; you are fully culpable for her actions.”
“And,” the colonel added, “She does not even seem repentant.” He pointed at Julia who sat alone looking defiant. “What guarantees do we have that the next time she will not simply shoot Miss Bennet in the back of the head and finish the job?”
“Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Mr Buchanan said firmly, “I do swear by all that is holy that nothing of the sort will ever happen again. Julia will be leaving Derbyshire to never return, you have my word of honour.”
“But Papa,” Miss Buchanan started to cry, while her mother, father and sister simply turned their back on her.
Soon after this promise, the Pemberley party left the Buchanan estate to also never return.