Chapter Twenty-Six #3
Twenty minutes later, Edward tapped lightly at her door. “I am off to make arrangements.” He looked presentable once more. “I will meet you and Darcy in the fields. Make haste. Mr. Peters just rode back into the courtyard. Wickham will be returning to his home.”
Elizabeth nodded and grabbed a shirt and overcoat from among Darcy’s things. She also took a flask of water, afraid to give her husband anything else for the moment. “I am going out the back of the inn. Should I take Trident for Darcy?”
“No, it would draw more attention.” He left her standing in the doorway and headed towards the village after speaking privately to the innkeeper.
Elizabeth watched him go and then took the back stairway.
At this time of the day, no one was around, so she darted out a side door, which was blocked from the front view by a lean-to, and scooted across the courtyard, crossing to the field once again.
Watching her approach, Darcy wondered of the exchange he observed as his cousin and Elizabeth left him.
Something happened between the time she touched Edward’s arm and the moment he assisted her over the stile.
Whatever it was, they made their peace in those few minutes.
Has Edward developed a regard for Elizabeth?
The thought kept returning to Darcy’s mind.
If so, would it not be better for her to spend her life with him?
Edward Fitzwilliam would provide for her and treat Elizabeth with respect; but even more importantly, she would no longer be involved in the madness of my life.
She would be safe with Edward. Darcy fought back the jealousy seeping into his veins.
He knew neither his cousin nor his wife would ever act on any growing regard between them as long as Darcy lived.
As long as I live. Despite the knot forming in his stomach, he reconciled himself to the knowledge that, at least with Edward, someone he trusted could be a part of Elizabeth’s life, especially if things turned bleaker.
Darcy stood and made the effort to smile upon his wife’s approach. “You are beautiful, Mrs. Darcy,” he said as he painfully lifted her off her feet, welcoming her into his embrace.
Elizabeth responded as he wished. “I am happy you are safe, my love.” Her fingers trailed down his face, as if memorizing it. “I am afraid, Mr. Darcy, you will not have the comfort of a fire by which to change your clothes, but as your wife, I will enjoy observing you, nonetheless.”
“Wife, you have no idea how I missed your relentless teasing.” Darcy set her on her feet and took the shirt and coat and water she offered.
Before he did anything else, he took several sips from the flask.
Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he said, “Thank you for thinking of the water, Elizabeth.”
She nodded her head in acceptance. “You may add the waistcoat and cravat at the inn.” She sat where she might see her sister’s body. He grieved for his wife’s loss.
Darcy stripped off the torn shirt and donned the clean one. Despite what she said, Elizabeth did not look at him while he changed. Instead, she looked upon her sister’s face. “Thankfully, Lyddie did not shrivel up like the other woman.”
Darcy went quiet. “I suspect your sister still retained some small part of her humanity. She was under Wickham’s control for only a short time.”
“My parents will appreciate our efforts. I will write them when we reach the inn.” Elizabeth stood to brush the dirt from her skirt.
“I was to be with them by now. I thought in my letter that I would tell them we discovered where Wickham could be found, but we arrived too late to save Lydia. Does that sound reasonable?”
“Your parents will be thankful we recovered Lydia’s body.
” Darcy paused, wondering if he dared hope she would accept his next suggestion.
“We should follow to Longbourn.” Darcy watched her face to see how she would react.
Less than a week earlier, she adamantly refused the same offer. “Would you like that, Elizabeth?”
She hesitated before agreeing. “Yes, William.” Two heartbeats later, she rushed into his embrace. “I never meant all those awful things I said.”
Her tears now stained his clean shirt, but Darcy paid no mind. Elizabeth sought solace in his arms, and the world was good. “I am sorry about Lydia—what I had to do today. I could not stand by and permit her to harm you.”
Elizabeth swallowed hard before saying, “That was not Lydia. The girl lying under yonder tree is the true Lydia.”
She leaned into his closeness, and Darcy settled his hands at her waist. “Edward and two other men are approaching,” he murmured into her ear. Then he reluctantly released her so he could don the coat she brought for him.
As the men prepared Lydia’s body to remove it to the village, Edward told the undertaker, “We have been searching for my cousin’s sister for more than a week.
We originally assumed she eloped. My cousin and his wife traveled from Derbyshire, while I traveled from London, but, unfortunately, we were too late.
Mrs. Darcy’s sister slept out in the cold when she ran out of money.
It appears a wild animal has attacked her.
We are most grieved to find her in this condition, but it will be a balm to her poor parents to have a body to bury in the family cemetery. ”
Darcy suspected his cousin presented the men an exorbitant fee to ensure the story of a disgruntled runaway would be repeated.
These were the same people who experienced more than one unusual death thanks to Wickham.
Why should they take note of a stranger?
No one would know what Lydia Bennet had endured as one of Wickham’s disciples, and the Bennets would be relieved to have a body over which to grieve.
“You are not going back to that house tonight!” Elizabeth threw her napkin onto the table in frustration. They dined in the privacy of Darcy’s room. “I will not have it, William! Do you hear me?”
“I agree with your wife, Darcy. You can barely move your arms. How can you face Wickham?” The colonel speared another slice of ham and lifted it from the platter.
Darcy knew they meant well, but he also recognized how Wickham would respond. The entire neighborhood would suffer. “If I do not face Wickham, he will wreak havoc tonight. He and his followers will feed on the innocent.”
“Darcy,” his cousin reasoned, “these people know the dominion that Wickham holds over them. It is an unspoken reality. We must spread the word and all will be well.”
“How would we go about doing that, Edward? How might we sound a warning?”