The Ashes of Longbourn (17 page)

             
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As everyone was preparing to dine, a knock was heard on Bingley’s dressing chambers.  “Mr Bingley, your sister has arrived.” Mrs Cartwright announced when the man opened to the door.  “And she is in quite a fluster.  I have placed her in your private sitting room.”

             
“My thanks, Mrs Cartwright; I will see to her immediately.” Bingley said with a sigh.  He knew it was only a matter of time before Caroline descended upon Netherfield, though he had hoped for a little more time to prepare.

             
Taking a deep breath, Bingley prepared himself to enter the sitting room which was attached to his suite of rooms.  “Caroline, what brings you to Netherfield?”

             
“I had heard in Town that Mr Darcy had returned to Netherfield and knew that you would be in need of a hostess.  So I hurried to be of service to you and Mr Darcy.”

             
“That was unnecessary, Caroline.  I have a hostess who has taken good care of my guests.”

             
“Guests?  I had not heard that there are others staying with you.  And, as Louisa is in London, who could you possibly have to serve as hostess for you?”

             
“My fiancé has been taking very good care of my guests.”

             
Caroline was surprised.  “I was not aware that you had become engaged since Miss Bennet’s death.  Why did you not send word?”

             
“Miss Bennet is my fiancé, and we plan to marry near Christmas.”

             
“Charles, you simply must come to terms with the fact that Miss Bennet is dead.  She and her entire family died in the horrible fire at Longbourn.  She will never be able to assist you, and if you cannot accept this, we will be forced to have a physician take charge of you.”

             
“Caroline, my beloved and her sister, Elizabeth, survived the fire.  Elizabeth was injured critically and only recently began to improve.”

             
“How dare you keep this information from me?” Caroline raged.  “You did not tell us that those two ladies survived, and that you had them living here, with you, in a most inappropriate manner possible.  Are you trying to ruin us by your behavior?”

             
“I did not wish you to come here and cause Jane or Elizabeth any further heartache.  They endured more than enough without you coming here and bringing them further grief.  And there was nothing improper going on.  My fiancé and her sister had nowhere else to live and they came here at my request.”

             
“You should have sent them to Cheapside to their uncle in trade.  It would have been far more fitting for them.”

             
“You will keep a civil tongue or you will be packed back to London before you can utter another word.”

             
“And what of poor Mr Darcy?  I am surprised that he has remained in the same house as you and your mistress, not to mention her vulgar chit of a sister.”

             
“NO MORE!” Bingley called for a footman to have his sister’s carriage prepared to leave immediately.

             
“You cannot believe that I will leave here and allow Miss Bennet and her harlot sister to remain living in your home, ruining our family and bringing shame to not only us, but Mr Darcy as well.”

             
The door to the sitting room was ajar, allowing the sound of Miss Bingley’s voice to carry down the hallway.  Knocking rather roughly on the door, Darcy did not wait for an invitation before stepping into the.

             
“Miss Bingley, I will kindly ask you to lower your voice and to keep your opinions of the Bennet family to yourself.  My wife and I do not appreciate your scathing words.  I will not tolerate your belittling my new family in such a manner.”

             
“Mr Darcy, forgive me, but did I hear you correctly?  Your wife, I had not heard that you and your cousin had married.”

             
“That would be due to my marrying the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet.  My uncle, Lord Matlock, and his wife and son were here to support the marriage, which was by special license.  I have been in love with Elizabeth since the moment I first saw her.  When I learned that she had survived the fire, I came immediately back to be at her side and married her the following day.  Now, if you have any further opinions of my wife and my family, I suggest you keep them to yourself.”  Darcy then turned and stormed from the room, leaving Caroline Bingley’s mouth to resemble a fish gaping.

             
“Now, Caroline, I believe you were just leaving.  I will be contacting our solicitor and having an establishment made for you.  You are no longer welcome to live in my home or pay your debts when you over spend your inheritance each month.  It is time that you learned to take care of yourself.”

             
“But I am to be the Mistress of Pemberley, how can my spending matter with such a prize to be had.  You would wish me to appear my best to please your friend.”

             
Shaking his head in disgust, Bingley could not understand what had happened to his sister.  “Caroline, you will never be the Mistress of Pemberley.  Darcy never cared for you.  He only tolerated you when he had to for my sake.  It is over, Caroline, he has married another.  Leave now, and never return.”

             
Bingley motioned to the nearby footmen, causing the servants to move towards Caroline Bingley, and, between them, took hold of Miss Bingley’s arms and dragged her from the house.  Watching his sister, kicking and screaming as she was removed, Bingley knew that he would need to send an express to the Hursts as soon as possible.

             
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Chapter 14

After meeting with the Colonel’s family and friends, Sgt. Winters kept watch over Wickham until the guards from London arrived.  Most of the guards had been former Bow Street Runners, and had years of experience in protecting.  Sgt. Winters took the guards in small groups to the area surrounding the tenant house so that they could catch a glimpse of the man they were to keep from Netherfield’s property, and more importantly, those living at Netherfield. 

From what Sgt. Winters could gather, Wickham was imbibing a great deal on the whisky which was brought to the house by Mr Jolly.  The men spoke of their dislike for Collins and what they wished to do with him.
  It was apparent that the two men had no worries at the moment, so they had no knowledge that Darcy had arrived at Netherfield or that he had married Elizabeth Bennet.  This was a blessing, giving the inhabitants of Netherfield a little longer to set up their security.

             
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The morning after the men had learned of the conspiracy, Darcy read the newspaper to his wife before going down to break their fast.  “Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire was married to Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn, daughter of the late Thomas Bennet.  Mr Darcy’s uncle, the Earl of Matlock, and his wife were in attendance at the private service held at Netherfield Park, home of Mr Darcy’s friend, Charles Bingley.
”

             
Elizabeth ran her fingers lightly over the words written before her.  Now everyone knew that she was Elizabeth Darcy.  She was not certain if she preferred her marriage being common knowledge, for the privacy that they had when the outside world was oblivious to the news allowed her and Darcy time to recover from all they had suffered. The day before, Elizabeth had noticed the scars on her husband’s hands and forearms.  She could not remember his being scarred when she had held his hand at Hunsford, and questioned him of what happened.

             
Darcy was caressing the back of Elizabeth’s hand, keeping his eyes locked on the rhythmic movements of his thumb gliding over her skin.  “When Richard came to me in Scotland, he was certain that you had perished with your family.  He even brought the newspaper telling of the tragedy.  I lost my mind.  To be honest, I do not remember a great deal, mainly my cousin pulling me away from a window, glass broken everywhere and blood covering my hands.  Richard later told me I began to pound on the window, breaking it bit by bit, cutting my hands and arms in the process.  They kept me sedated for several days before they could trust that I would not do myself harm.”

             
“William, my poor love, you have suffered greatly.” Elizabeth lifted her husband’s hand to her lip, placing gentle kisses on each scar she could see.

             
“No more than you, Lizzy.  You wished to wither away, your melancholy made you give up the desire to live.  No more.  It is time that we think of the future.  We must plan for the lives that we wish from this day forth.  And I am very pleased to know that you will be my wife for the rest of my life.”

             
“Perhaps, after we break our fast, we can take a stroll in the garden.  It is cold outside, though not bitterly so.  Then I would like very much if you were to read to me. I love the sound of your voice.”

             
“I will read to you on your promise that you will rest while I do so.”

             
Smiling, Elizabeth nodded her head.  “I would like that very much, especially if you indulge me by holding me close to you while I rest.”

             
“Always, my dearest, as I find my arms ache to be wrapped around you.” Darcy placed a kiss on her lips.  “Let us join the others in breaking our fast so that we can step outside for our walk.

             
Darcy scooped his wife into his arms and carried her down to the bottom of the stairs, where her wheeled chair awaited her.  He then escorted Elizabeth into the breakfast room to join their family.

             
“Good morning, Lizzy, you are looking more like your old self each day that passes.” Mrs Gardiner stated.  “I believe that the clothes we have ordered for you might fit you in another fortnight.  I am pleased to see that you are eating better.”

             
“I believe my appetite is increasing, as is the size of my stomach.  I am able to eat a little more at each sitting.  I believe it will not be long before I am eating as I used to.” Elizabeth smiled.  “I must admit that it was difficult to smell the food when I was so ill and not have any desire to partake of it.”

             
Darcy filled his plate as well as a plate for Elizabeth.  In just a few days, she had been able to eat more than a muffin in a setting.  This morning, he chose some fish, pastries, and some eggs for her plate.  “Would you prefer tea or a cup of chocolate this morning, my love?”

             
Her eyes lit up.  It had been some time since she had last enjoyed a cup of chocolate, though she had never enlightened anyone of her pleasure in the rare treat.  “The chocolate would be a pleasant change.”

             
Having come to memorize each and everything he could about his wife, Darcy knew that she had just divulged a secret pleasure.  He would make certain that there was chocolate to sip whenever she wished from that day forward.  Making a mental note, he would commit the information to his journal later.  Darcy had also planned to speak in private with Jane and the Gardiners as to some of Elizabeth’s other preferences so he would be able to surprise his beloved wife from time to time.

             
As everyone was finishing their meal, a footman announced a visitor had arrived, wishing to speak with Mr Gardiner.  When asked, the footman stated that the visitor was Mr Collins.  Silence took hold of the room for a moment as everyone looked at the others.  Mr Gardiner spoke to the other men. “I have nothing of which speak to this man in private.  If it is agreeable with everyone, shall we invite him in here?  I believe it will throw him off guard to have to speak in front of all of us, especially with Elizabeth in the room.  It may cause him to slip up and give us more information than he would have liked.”

             
All agreed and the footman was sent to retrieve the former clergyman.  Darcy held tightly to Elizabeth’s hand, making no attempt to hide the sight under the table.  He wished to show his aunt’s toady that their marriage was strong and that Elizabeth was protected.

             
Mr Collins was shocked to find himself shown into the breakfast room, and even more so when he discovered that Mr Gardiner was not alone.  Seeing his fair cousin sitting beside Mr Darcy prickled at his innards.  “Forgive me for interrupting your meal. The footman must have relayed my message incorrectly, as I wished to speak with Mr Gardiner alone.”

             
“Mr Collins, I know of nothing that would constitute a need to speak with you in private. These are members of my family; you may speak freely in front of them.”

             
“Sir, what I have to speak with you regards rather delicate circumstances and I would not wish embarrassment to any of the ladies.” Mr Collins said with a smile that could turn stomachs.