The Ashes of Longbourn (16 page)

             
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Chapter 13

             
Darcy entered his bedchamber which he now shared with his wife.  She was awake, dressed and waiting for his return.  “William, I have been worried.  You have been gone so long, are you well?”

             
Taking a seat beside her on the bed, he wrapped her in his embrace and kissed her gently on her lips.  “I am well, my dearest love.  I was speaking with our uncles, Bingley and Richard.  We have learned of some news that I will explain to you and Georgiana.  She will be joining us soon.  I felt it would be easier to explain it once and see what your opinions are as to how we should precede.”

             
Elizabeth wore a concerned expression.  “I am not going to like this news, am I?”

             
“No more than any of us does.  The news affects us all.”  He lifted her hand to his lips.  “Now, the important thing is, have you eaten this morning?”

             
Chuckling lightly, Elizabeth nodded.  “Mrs Hill brought a tray of toast and marmalade, as well as some peaches that had been put up from this fall’s harvest.”

             
“That sounds delicious.  I am envious.  I have asked Mrs Hill to bring our breakfast on trays so that we may have more time to speak with Georgiana.  I believe that Mrs Hill stated that there were to be sausages, potatoes, and eggs this morning.”

             
“That sounds delightful.  I believe that the cook here is attempting to fatten me up after all I have lost after the fire.  I am about half the woman I was in size.  Aunt Helen teased me when she came to see me this morning that I could wear her daughter, Ruthie’s, clothing if it were just longer. Truth is, I most likely could.  I am no larger than a twig.”

             
“But you are my twig and I find you to be the most beautiful twig I have ever seen in my life.  I believe that there are blossoms coming alive in your eyes, as you return to life.  Now that you are eating, it will not be long before you are returned to your normal size, I am sure.”

             
“You, my dear husband, are a charmer.” Elizabeth said as she stroked the side of her face with her finger.  “I love you, William.  I pray that you never forget that I love you with all of my heart.”

             
“I will never forget, for it equals my love for you.”  A knock came to the door and Betsy made her way to open it.  After granting Georgiana entrance, Betsy made her way out of the room.

             
“Ah, dear sister, come and sit beside us here on the bed.  I believe we will all be more comfortable, since there is much for us to discuss.”

             
Georgiana and Elizabeth looked at each other, neither knowing what Darcy was about to tell them.

             
“Richard learned last night of Mr Collins’ behavior towards Elizabeth surviving the fire being quite rude and despicable.  So after we retired for the evening, our family members spoke of learning more of what Mr Collins was about.  Richard sent his Sgt. Winters to follow Mr Collins this morning when the man left Lucas Lodge to make his way to Longbourn.  Lizzy, I am not sure if you are aware, but after the fire, and especially after Mr Collins moved to the neighborhood, all but one of the tenants moved from Longbourn to Netherfield.  It worked out nicely for Bingley, as Netherfield had no tenants for some time.  But this added to Mr Collins’ anger and his desire to get his hands on your inheritance to allow him to build a new house.”

             
“I remember Charles saying something to Jane when I was napping, but it never really mattered to me.  Is he still trying to gain my inheritance?  It cannot be much, as I remember Papa telling me years ago how terrible he felt that there was only one thousand pounds each for our dowry.”

             
“But, with your younger sisters gone, their shares go to be divided between you and Jane.”

             
“When we married, the dowry goes to you.  Mr Collins has no claim on it, it is rightfully yours.” Elizabeth frowned.  “He has no claim, does he?”

             
“If you and Jane were both dead, and had not married nor had children, the funds would go to Collins.”
              Georgiana gasped.  “Did Mr Collins have something to do with the fire?”

             
Elizabeth’s eyes were round as saucers.  “William, did my cousin kill my family and attempt to kill Jane and I?”

             
“Dearest, we learned this morning that there was a conspiracy, and, yes, Collins was involved.  Do you remember a tenant that moved to Longbourn just months before the fire?”

             
“Mr Jolly.  He had a letter from a friend of his who had been a tenant before and had to move suddenly to be with his widowed mother. Why are you asking about Mr Jolly?”

             
“He is the only tenant who remains at Longbourn and is reportedly friends with Collins.  And there is more.  Lizzy, are you well, do you wish me to wait to tell you the rest?”

             
“No, I wish to hear it all now.  I am well, pray, do not worry for me William.”

             
Darcy nodded his head. He kissed his wife’s forehead before returning to his information.  “There is another man who is living in one of the distant tenant houses of Longbourn.  He and Collins had a meeting today; a meeting which was overheard by Sgt. Winters.  The man is George Wickham.” He paused as he heard gasps from both of his ladies.  “We are keeping a close watch over his whereabouts and he will not come anywhere near either of you.  You must know that it was he that set the fire at Longbourn, and he was hired by a woman to do so, a woman who has connections with Mr Collins.  My love, the worst is that this woman hired Wickham to kill only you.  Whoever she is, she wishes you disposed of.”

             
“And instead, my poor family paid the price with their lives.  My parents and my sisters were murdered because of me?  How am I to ever live with this information?  How I wish it had been me who had died and that they were still living.  They did not deserve such a fate.”

             
“Lizzy, we have no way of deciding what hand we are dealt in life.  You lived for a reason.  I do not understand it; I do not understand why your parents and sisters died, or why you were so horribly injured.  But I will not allow you to take the blame upon yourself and wish that you had died.  I will not have it.  You were returned to me and I am grateful to God for his granting me a life with you as my wife.”

             
Georgiana took hold of Elizabeth’s other hand.  “Elizabeth, our father used to tell me that everything that happens in life, good or bad, happens for a reason.  We do not always learn the reasons, but we cannot second guess God’s wisdom for what happens.  We need to learn from what happens, and grow from what we learn.  If we grow into good and kind people, caring for others and doing what is best, then we have learned from our lessons.”

             
“What am I to learn from my family being murdered in my place?  I cannot see anything good coming from having my family murdered instead of me.”

             
Darcy took ahold of her shoulders.  “You are alive and need to respect the sacrifice that was made for you.  Do not waste the life that you were given, honor their deaths by living your life in their memory.  Our future has been given to us, and I refuse to allow anyone to ever take it from me willingly.”

             
“William, I feel so empty.  Why would someone hate me so that they would wish me killed?  And not only wish me dead, but hire someone to kill me?  What sort of person could do such a thing?”  Darcy could see the pain in his wife’s eyes as she spoke.

             
“We have a thought as to someone, but we are having a difficult time believing even she would be so despicable.”

             
Georgiana’s eyes grew with realization.  “Aunt Catherine?  Would she behave so to force you into marrying Anne?”

             
“Uncle Henry came to that deduction as well.”

             
Fear took hold of Elizabeth.  “What if they try again?  All of you are in danger by being with me.  I must leave; go far away so that they follow me away from the rest of you.  If anything was to happen to any of you, especially to you, William, I would never be able to live with myself.”

             
“We discussed whether it was best to remain here or leave, and it was decided we would be safer remaining here.  Richard has sent an express to Brighton.  We will have more soldiers here as soon as possible, as well as guards hired from London.  Netherfield will be safer than even the royal residence.  Charles insists we remain here, and our uncles have pledged their support through this.  We will need to practice caution, making sure that whenever outdoors, you have guards with you.  Not just Lizzy.  Georgiana, Wickham would have no difficulty striking back at me by hurting either Lizzy or you.  So, Lizzy, it is not you who is to blame for all of this.  It is someone wishing to deny me of your love who has caused all this harm.  Whether it be my aunt or Wickham, they are trying to strike at my very heart by taking the two ladies I love with all my heart from me.”

             
Tears began to flow down Elizabeth’s cheeks.  “William, you have lost so much in your life.  I cannot believe that anyone could wish to harm you.  Please, my love, forgive me in my selfishness.”

             
“Lizzy, I do not know of any reason I would need to forgive you.  It is I who has brought so much pain into your life.  Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

             
“My heart is now and always yours, William.  I hold you innocent of all the wrong doing that has happened.  Georgiana, I believe that you and I will need to do all in our power to assist your brother as we struggle through this time of uncertainty.”

             
Georgiana nodded her head.  “I will do whatever you ask of me, William.”

             
“Thank you, both of you, for your love and understanding.  We will do what we can to discover who is behind all of this as well as rid us of those who conspired to destroy us.” Darcy said as he pulled Georgiana into his embrace and he wrapped his other arm gently around his wife.  “How did I ever become so fortunate as to deserve the two of you?”

             
Trying to lighten the situation, Elizabeth smiled.  “Remember these words, Georgiana, years from now, when we have vexed him terribly.  We will remind him that he is fortunate in deserving us.”

             
                                          ~~ ** ~~

             
Darcy escorted his ladies downstairs after they had eaten from the trays that had been brought to their room.  A new sense of determination had struck deep inside Elizabeth and she began planning what she could do to lighten her husband’s burden.  Mr and Mrs Gardiner were pleased to see that Elizabeth had taken the news as well as she had.  Jane was devastated to learn of the conspiracy, she could not understand why someone would be so evil as to hire someone to commit murder, especially of someone like her sister.

             
Mrs Hill, Mrs Cartwright, and several others of the key members of the staff were asked to join Bingley and Darcy in the study.  They were informed of the danger, who to be aware of, and the plans that were being put into place.  Mrs Hill was furious.  “I never did like that Wickham.  Far too syrup and cream for my taste, I even told Mr Bennet that.  And that is who killed the Bennets.  There is a special place in hell for the likes of him.”

             
Mrs Cartwright nodded.  “When the militia was here, I heard of two maids in the area who were ruined by that man.  When the one was found to have ‘stubbed her toe’, Wickham laughed at her and told her it was not his problem.  He then told all of the other soldiers that the girl was a harlot.  She took her own life; they found that she had taken some herbs which were poisonous.  Her mother was devastated.”

             
“Why do you not have the scoundrel and that former clergyman arrested?” The butler, Mr Cartwright, asked.  “You have enough information to have them hang.”

             
“We need to discover who hired Wickham.  Without taking them into custody, we will have to worry for the rest of our lives.  We will make sure that Wickham does not step foot on Netherfield property, and have sent for guards from Town. This will be a veritable fortress by the time we are done.”

             
“Mr Darcy, how did Miss Lizzy take the news?” Mrs Hill asked.  “I worry that she will lose the strength she has found since you returned to her.”

             
Darcy smiled.  “Mrs Hill, you are a gem.  At first, Lizzy did blame herself.  I spoke with her and made her realize that she is not to blame.  She is doing much better now.”

             
“You can rely on me to watch over Miss Lizzy.  She has always been dear to me and my family.  I will not allow Mr Wickham to cause Miss Lizzy any further harm.”