Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love-kindle (76 page)

“Please do not reprimand Mr. Darcy. I believe from what Charles has said that he loves her dearly. Surely this is difficult for him, too.”

“As it should be. He brought her into this circle of greed. I shall deal with him as soon as Lizzy is back under my protection. I know that she fancies herself in love with him, but I am not wholly convinced that he is worthy of her devotion.”

It was evident that it would do no good to keep pressing her sister’s case while her father was so upset, so she quieted on the subject. Standing to leave, she patted his hand. “I have faith that Lizzy shall be returned unharmed.”

“I hope your faith is rewarded.”

“I shall let you rest and retire to my room. There, I can be alone to pray.”

“I doubt I shall rest, but it will be nice to have some silence. I shall attempt to address the Lord myself, as it is the only thing I am good for at present.”

“Take heart, for I am fully persuaded that prayer is what shall ultimately save Lizzy and all those risking their lives to return her.”

“Thank you for reminding me of that.”

She leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight, Papa.”

“Goodnight, child. Hopefully tomorrow shall bring us good news.”

~~~*~~~

Darcy House
Nearly Dark

A few minutes before sunset, Darcy House was full of men dressed in riding clothes and boots, ready for the mission to come. A table in the foyer held an array of pistols, rifles, ammunition, daggers and swords that were being inspected by the marksmen chosen to accompany their masters to Stillwater. Suddenly, amongst the din of conversation, William walked up the grand staircase and turned on the fourth step to address the gathering. His proclamation, which succeeded in quieting everyone, would soon empty the house of all but his kin and closes friend—those riding with him.

“Those of you assigned to occupy the later coaches please gather your bags, take the weapons you have chosen, additional ammunition and follow Mr. Fairfax to his apartment at the stables where food and drink awaits. Your journey will, of necessity, begin an hour later, and you will arrive at Lord Percival’s estate behind us.”

William tried to jest though it was obvious that he found little humour in the situation. “Do not worry. We shall not start without you!”

Nervous laughter spread among those assembled.

“Now, it is time for some of us to depart. The sooner we get to Stillwater, the sooner we shall return. May God grant our petitions and bring all of us home safely.”

Amidst murmurings of agreement, all of the servants departed to occupy Mr. Fairfax’s apartments until it was time for them to leave. As the noise level in the house receded, Richard, Colonel Neilson, Sergeants Pugh and Robeson, Lord Matlock, Lord Landingham, Bingley and Mr. Gladstone, the physician, moved into William’s study where glasses of brandy were being poured. At William’s request, Gladstone had agreed to go along with them in case there were injuries. Though only five and forty, he had treated the Darcys for twenty years and told Fitzwilliam he was pleased to be of assistance, as the family had always been very generous with him.

After every glass was filled, William held his up, declaring, “We shall assemble with the others at Percival’s estate and plan our assault on Stillwater there. I believe we have adequate men to do what is necessary and, with God’s help, justice will prevail.”

“Hear, hear,” rang out as each man downed the amber liquor before slamming his glass down on the desk. 

“Does anyone have a question before we depart?” Silence reigned. “Then, we shall be off. Please follow me.” Without another word, they left William’s study and filed down the hall that led to the back door.

William had already said his farewells to his aunt earlier and had her escort Georgiana to the milliner, with plans to call on a neighbour on the way home. The scheme would keep his sister away while the men gathered, and she would be unaware of what was happening. He had no intention of informing her. However, unbeknownst to him, one of the horses threw a shoe as they left the milliner, and she and Audrey returned sooner than had been expected.

Audrey Ashcroft looked about suspiciously as she and Georgiana gave their bonnets, gloves and shawls to Mr. Barnes. Immediately, she noticed Georgiana eyeing the table that had not been in the foyer before, the one that had held the guns and ammunition.

“Mr. Barnes, is that the table that my nephew wanted moved to the back parlour?”

With a slight nod at Lady Ashcroft, he replied, “Yes, madam, it is. Lyles and Colby are making room for it now and shall return shortly for it.”

“Good.” She turned to her niece. “Georgiana go to your room and dress for dinner. I have something to do, but I shall look in on you once I have changed.”

Georgiana gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for helping me to find the perfect materials for my new bonnet.” Then, she went up the stairs rapidly without awaiting a reply.

Watching her go, Audrey smiled. Then her countenance grew sombre at the thought of what her nephews, brother and the others were about to face.  Looking over her shoulder, she found Barnes waiting patiently. 

“Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Lord Matlock, Lord Landingham and a few other gentlemen are in the study, milady. You almost caught them in the foyer when you returned.”

Her brows furrowed. “Lord Landingham? Did you say Lord Landingham was with my nephew?”

“He is, madam.”

Her heart sank. Fitzwilliam had not mentioned that Marshall was going to be one of the men going after Wickham. In fact, before he left Darcy House, he was still suffering from occasional headaches and spells of dizziness, so she never considered he might try to insinuate himself in this conflict. He was not well!

Instantly, she decided to speak to him.

~~~*~~~

Landingham was the last to leave the study, and as he followed the others down the hallway, a hand reached out to grab his arm as he passed the billiards room. Pulling him inside the dark room, Audrey threw her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Instinctively, Marshall embraced her, closing his eyes to savour the sensation of her body next to his. Feeling her tremble, he pulled her even tighter to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

“Please do not go,” she whispered against his coat.

“I must, my darling.”

“I shall chastise my nephew for not telling me that you intended to go. Perhaps if I had more time, I could convince you to stay. You have not recovered sufficiently from your wounds. Let the younger men fight this battle.”

He chuckled softly. “Do not be angry with Fitzwilliam. I asked him not to say anything to you. And, as for letting younger men do the job, your brother is included.”

“But, he has not been injured recently,” she sulked, adding dryly, “Unless you count the times he has tumbled from a chair after falling asleep.”

Landingham tried not to laugh. She was upset because she was worried. “All will be well, you shall see.” He ran his hands up and down her back to soothe her. “I shall return unscathed.”

She leaned back to look at his face, though only half of it was illuminated by the sconce in the hallway. “Promise me you shall return to me.”

“I swear it.”

And with that promise, he claimed her lips in a torrid kiss, reminiscent of those they had shared before she learned that he was Georgiana’s father. Only the sound of his godson calling his name broke the spell, and he stepped back into the hall still holding to her hand. William was standing at the back door when Marshall succeeded in pulling Audrey into the hall, her face a deep shade of crimson.

“Are you going, or have you decided to stay? No one would blame you.”

Landingham looked at Audrey, who seemed to be awaiting his answer. “I am going.”

Leaning down to place a chaste kiss on her lips, he whispered, “I could not live with myself if I let him go alone. I shall return, my love. Wait for me.” Then he walked purposefully towards William.

Silent tears rolled as she followed his progress.
I shall wait for you forever.
 

~~~*~~~

As she touched the knob to her bedroom door, Audrey was surprised to hear shouts coming from the sitting room across the hall. Georgiana was screaming at someone, so she opened the door to determine the problem. Inside her niece was trying to pull her hair back and capture it with a ribbon, while a young maid stood behind her, buttoning her dress as she urged, “Hurry! Hurry!”

“Help me, Aunt,” she exclaimed upon seeing her at the door. “I must stop my brother and my… Lord Landingham before they leave! I was on the balcony when they passed below me. I heard them talking about some horrible danger that they are off to face.” She whined, “Oh, please, hurry with the dress!”

A jerk of Lady Ashcroft’s head dismissed the maid much to her niece’s dismay. Then her aunt addressed her as she knelt on the floor, desperately trying to find her slippers. “Georgiana, please, you must stop. It is too late, child. They have already gone. Listen! Do you not hear the coach pulling down the drive?”

The torches in the yard illuminated the scene as Georgiana stood up and ran onto the balcony just in time to see the coach pass the stables on its way to the back entrance. Her shoulders fell and she sobbed as she realised it was too late. “What are they doing that is so dangerous? Can you at least tell me?”

“Miss Elizabeth has been kidnapped by Mr. Wickham.” Georgiana gasped, covering her mouth as her aunt continued. “They know where he has taken her and are certain they can return her unharmed. Naturally, they did not want you to worry, but since you have learned it on your own, I see no reason to keep the details from you now.”

“How horrible!” she moaned, sinking down in one of the chairs on the balcony. “She has been taken in my stead, has she not? Why must she suffer for helping me?”

“Do not take on this burden. It is not your fault. She was taken because George Wickham learned that Fitzwilliam loves her. He wants to hurt your brother.”

“Tell me truly. Do you think she will be returned unharmed? I could not bear it if something happened to her, but I fear most what Brother will do if she is not.” Her voice was strangled as she wept. “He is so in love with her.”

“I have faith that she will.”

“I… I shall pray that she will as well.” A small sigh escaped. “But how I wish they had told me everything before they left! That way I could have told my godfa… my father that I was no longer angry with him about… about what he told me.”

Audrey pulled her from the chair and into her arms, holding her close as she wept. “He knows that you love him, and you shall be able to tell him yourself when he returns. They all shall return safely, just you wait.”

“I suppose because I acted like a child at Ramsgate, they are treating me like a child now—not telling me anything.”

“No, Fitzwilliam and Marshall are treating you like a woman. Even if you were grown, a gentleman would never tell you that he is off to do something dangerous if it is in his power. It is the nature of a gentleman to protect a lady, even if that includes protecting us from those things they feel might worry us.”

“But it is not necessary!” Georgiana sniffed.

“I agree. But it is so. The best you can hope for is to marry a man who will be honest with you. But I have to warn you that, even then, if he loves you deeply, he may keep secrets to protect you.”

“I do not want a man who would keep secrets. I shall not settle for that.”

“You may be surprised at what you shall settle for when you meet the man of your dreams.” She tilted Georgiana’s chin so that their eyes met. “Your brother loves you deeply; therefore, he believes he is protecting you by not having you worry.”

“And my… my father?”

“He loved you so much that he kept a secret for fourteen years because he thought it would hurt you. Why would you think he would not protect you now?”

Georgiana fell into her arms again. “I do not think I shall EVER understand men.”

Audrey chuckled as she smoothed her hair. “Even at my age, I do not understand them.” Taking her niece’s hand, she began to lead her towards the balcony door. “Come. You and I shall eat, and then we shall read the Bible and spend the evening praying for our loved ones and friends.”

“That is an excellent idea. At least then I shall feel of some use.” 

~~~*~~~

Teddington
Stillwater Manor
The Next Day

A strong, musty odour permeated Elizabeth’s senses, so much so, that it caused her nose to crinkle and her eyes to flutter open. Ghostly images of sheet-covered objects appeared in the faint light filtering through the filthy curtains. It unsettled her, and for a brief moment, she could not recall where she was. Then the events of yesterday came rushing back.

Now she remembered the abduction in the park and the long trip in the coach. It had not taken long to learn that Mr. Wickham was her abductor, for while she feigned being asleep, he had proceeded to get drunk on the bottle of brandy he brought along to celebrate.  He had immediately begun commemorating his triumph in besting Darcy, and the rogue was very entertaining when he was in-his-cups, if one were to judge by the guffaws of the old woman who rode along with them. So between gloating about the morning’s successful events, as well as making remarks about what happened in Ramsgate, Elizabeth was left in no doubt as to his identity.

“I was right!” Wickham had proclaimed to the other occupant of the coach. “All the ridicule I endured when I decided to go to the park this morning, regardless of the rain, was unfounded. Surely you heard Grady grumbling that no one with good sense would be out in the rain, did you not?”

“Aye,” the woman replied.

“You would have thought I was ordering him to jump into the Thames instead of endure a little downpour,” Wickham had snorted, taking another swig from the bottle. “But I was right in doing so! Darcy was there, and Miss Bennet as well, acting as though they had nothing to fear by meeting in the park in such foul weather! I suppose he, too, thought no one else would be afoot. What a fool he is! I am sure he believed that because I was thwarted in my attempt to grab his sister, I would be too put off to try again—this time with his mistress.”