New Beginnings Page 6

  “He squandered all the money on women, wine and gambling in less than a year. When the living at Kympton became open the following year, Wickham returned to Darcy House and asked that the living be given to him since it was my Uncle George’s wish. Darcy knew Wickham was the last man on earth who should ever provide spiritual guidance, so he gave Wickham another one thousand pounds and told him to never return to Darcy House or Pemberley.

  That was more than a year ago, but in January Wickham did return to Pemberley, presumably to ask Darcy for more money. At that time of year, Darcy and Georgiana would normally be there but they were in London, so she could study with a special music master. Wickham remained at Pemberley to await Darcy’s return and it seems that while he was waiting for my cousin he fell in love.”

  Elizabeth just shook her head in disbelief over what she was hearing. “Colonel, I do not understand how Mr. Wickham falling in love led to my fiancé being murdered.”

  “Wickham was always jealous of Darcy. You have never seen the Darcy townhouse in London or Pemberley, but they are both very grand. Pemberley is extraordinary, not just the manor house but the grounds are magnificent, and the estate is very large. Contrary to his habit of brief dalliances, Wickham met a young maid at Pemberley and rather than immediately trying to seduce her, apparently, he got to know her. Her name was Nora Kelly and she and Wickham fell in love.”

  “Her name was Nora Kelly?”

  “Wickham asked Miss Kelly to marry him but since he did not have a shilling to his name, he set off for London to make enough money for them to wed. Most men would look for honest work, but George tried to win enough money by gambling and it took him three months to amass enough money to return for Miss Kelly. Unbeknownst to either of them, Miss Kelly was with child before Wickham left for London.

  Mrs. Reynolds, Pemberley’s housekeeper became aware of her condition and wrote to Darcy in London. Darcy told Mrs. Reynolds to have the girl sent to his estate in Scotland to have the baby. Darcy told Mrs. Reynolds that Miss Kelly could have her job back at Pemberley after she recovered from the birth.”

  “On the way to Scotland, the roads were treacherous due to many days of rain and the Darcy carriage was involved in a terrible accident. Miss Kelly, and a maid sent to travel with her, were tossed around the inside of the carriage and were taken to a nearby inn to seek medical help. The driver and the coachman were thrown clear of the wrecked carriage and are recovering back at Pemberley. The other maid survived with only a broken arm. Miss Kelly was the most seriously hurt but there was no one at the inn or anywhere nearby to provide proper medical care. The innkeeper’s wife tried to help Miss Kelly, but her injuries were too severe, and she died. When Wickham returned to Pemberley, Mrs. Reynolds told him of Miss Kelly’s death.”

  “That is a very sad story but how can Mr. Wickham blame William for a terrible accident?”

  “As I said, Wickham has always hated Darcy and envied his wealth and the respect that Darcy had earned since becoming master of Pemberley. Darcy was quite overwhelmed when his father died but he worked day and night to keep Pemberley going and supported his sister through the terrible loss of my Uncle George.”

  Chapter 12

  Elizabeth and Colonel Fitzwilliam were both very quiet for a few moments. They were each lost in their own thoughts of the man they had both loved. “Colonel, how did William die? You must tell me.”

  “Some of our men took Georgiana and Mrs. Younge to the house by the seaside Darcy had rented for his sister. After they were safely removed from the house where they were being held, there was a confrontation. The Bow Street Runners captured some of Wickham’s men and the rest of them ran off while Darcy and I were dealing with Wickham. Wickham tried to attack Darcy but when he attempted to remove his sword, he was so blinded by his hatred of my cousin that he fumbled pulling it from his belt. Darcy quickly disarmed him, and after Darcy removed Wickham’s sword and I discovered the small pistol he was hiding inside his coat, we thought the confrontation was over. When Darcy turned to speak to one of our men about contacting the local magistrate, Wickham drew a knife from his boot, stabbed Darcy in the back and then ran out a side door.

  “At that moment, no one thought to follow Wickham, we were all stunned that Darcy had been stabbed. We could see that he had been grievously wounded and as much as we tried, we could not stem the bleeding.” He paused, “we should never have turned our backs to that devil. Stabbing a man in the back is totally in character for George Wickham. After he died, I took Darcy back to Pemberley for a private burial.

  Miss Elizabeth, I am so sorry that I have to relay this terrible news. You should know that my cousin’s love for you was real and other than reviewing our plans to rescue Georgiana, he spoke of nothing but you during the carriage ride to Ramsgate. I truly regret that you will not be joining our family, from Darcy’s descriptions, you would have made a wonderful addition to the Darcy and Fitzwilliam families.” The Colonel reached into his coat pocket and removed a handkerchief with the initials FD embroidered on one corner. “I think you will want to have this as well.”

  With trembling hands, Elizabeth took the folded linen square and opened it to see her own chestnut hair. She placed the handkerchief in her pocket. Elizabeth sat in silence, unable to find the words to express her grief. Eventually she composed herself and asked, “Colonel, how is Miss Darcy? She must be inconsolable about her brother. He often told me how close their relationship was.”

  “Thankfully, we were able to foil most of Wickham’s plans and Georgiana was physically unharmed. She is still in shock about what has happened. I am sure Darcy told you of his sister’s love of music.” Elizabeth nodded her head. “She has not touched the pianoforte since her abduction and says she may never play again.”

  “Oh, the poor girl. Do you think Miss Darcy would receive me if I called on her the next time I am in London?”

  “Miss Elizabeth, she has been through a terrible ordeal; first, by being kidnapped by an old family friend she believed she could trust, then learning her trusted companion was in on the plan from the start, and finally, knowing her beloved brother was killed trying to rescue her. I believe after some time passes, Georgiana would be very happy to meet you. You are the two women who truly loved Darcy. He told me that he had written many letters about you to his sister. Although Darcy never had the opportunity to speak to her of your engagement, I told her all about it when I returned her to London. She was deeply saddened that you will not become her sister. I would have been here sooner, but my first priority was getting Georgiana settled and securing a new companion for her.”

  “Through some close friends of my parents we found Mrs. Annesley, whose references were thoroughly checked and then checked again. So far, it seems that she is helping Georgiana deal with the events of the past month and I am hopeful that we will slowly get our Georgiana back. I provided Mr. Bennet with the direction of Darcy House, so you might write to her and perhaps visit her some day in the future.”

  “I hope I do meet Miss Darcy one day.” Elizabeth paused. “Oh dear, we must tell Mr. Bingley. Darcy was like an older brother to him.”

  “I stopped at Netherfield Park on my way here and conveyed the sad news to Charles. He was extremely upset and was quite concerned for you. It seems Darcy shared some of his feelings for you with Bingley.”

  “Thank you for coming here, Colonel. I know this ordeal has been very difficult for you as well. William spoke of you often and with great affection. I know not if we will ever see each other again but, in some way, I feel that we will always be connected by our love for William.”

  “There is one more thing, Miss Elizabeth. Darcy knew that rescuing Georgiana might be dangerous for all of us. While we were still in London organizing our rescue efforts, Darcy made arrangements with his bank. He set up an account for you in the sum of twenty-five thousand pounds.”

  For a moment Elizabeth was speechless. “I cannot take William’s money. Colonel, you must realize I could
never accept money from someone I never had the chance to marry.”

  “Darcy wanted you to have some financial protection in case, well, in case he was never able to return to you. The money is there for you, if and when you need it. I left all the financial details with Mr. Bennet.”

  They both stood, and Elizabeth took his hand, “Farewell, Colonel Fitzwilliam and I pray that you will be safe in all you do.” Colonel Fitzwilliam kissed her hand and Elizabeth rose on her tiptoes to quickly kiss his cheek and then ran from the room. She saw her father out of the corner of her eye as she rushed from the study and ran up the stairs to the privacy of her room.

  Elizabeth collapsed in tears on her bed unable to comprehend all that she had just heard from Colonel Fitzwilliam. She sobbed for several minutes before she realized she had been gripping Darcy’s ring since the Colonel had given it to her. When she finally remembered she was holding it and opened her hand, there were deep ridges on her palm. She rose from her bed and went into her jewelry box. With tears in her eyes, she placed the ring on a long silver chain, which enabled her to wear it unseen. Elizabeth wanted to keep Darcy’s ring close to her heart where no one else could see it. She removed her hair from the handkerchief and threw her curls into the fire. She took Darcy’s handkerchief and put it in the box which already contained Darcy’s book of sonnets. He had asked her to keep it for him and now he would never return to tell her which sonnet was his favorite.

  She sat on her bed and caressed William’s ring. She cried about the future she had often dreamt about, now knowing it would never come true. No Darcy, no children walking with her around the lake, no love.

  Chapter 13

  The next morning at breakfast, Mr. Bennet quietly asked Lizzy to join him in his study after breakfast. She had no appetite and was quickly finished with her meal. She knocked on the study door, and her father bade her enter. Elizabeth sat in her usual chair in front of her father’s desk.

  “Lizzy, I can see you are quite pale and have not slept well. Colonel Fitzwilliam vaguely outlined why he was here, but he left out many of the specifics while we waited for you to return to the house yesterday. Now, I would like you to fill in the blanks, for it seems there were many things going on of which I was completely unaware. The Colonel left these papers for you. They contain Miss Darcy’s direction and the details of your bank account in London.”

  Elizabeth took the papers her father held out to her and placed them in her pocket. Then she told her father everything. She told him about meeting Darcy near Oakham Mount on the morning after the Assembly. She described how they fell in love while walking and discussing a wide range of topics. Elizabeth assured her father that nothing inappropriate transpired during their daily meetings. She gave her father a detailed description of everything that occurred on Darcy’s last day in Hertfordshire. Elizabeth told him about her conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam and learning about the money that Darcy had placed in a bank account for her. She did not say anything to her father about Darcy’s book, handkerchief or signet ring. She saw no reason to share the existence of her most treasured possessions.

  “Lizzy, why did you not tell me this when you returned from your walk on Darcy’s last day here?”

  “Papa, there was really nothing to tell you. Since William did not have the opportunity to ask for your permission, our betrothal was still unofficial. For every week he was gone, my fears increased that William might have changed his mind. By keeping our betrothal to myself, I thought I could save myself the humiliation of being jilted. But I also prayed that he would return to me in time for us to have a double wedding with Jane and Mr. Bingley.” Elizabeth had tears in her eyes and her father came around his desk and put his arms around his favorite daughter.

  “I am so sorry, my Lizzy. I can see that you are in terrible pain and I now realize how much you loved your Mr. Darcy.”

  “Yes, Papa, I believe I will always love him. I was so happy when he asked me to marry him. You would have enjoyed his company. He was a skilled chess player, very well read and he was an excellent debater. I heard Miss Bingley mention that the library at his home in Derbyshire contains over five thousand books. Papa, I fear my heart is broken and may never heal.”

  “Lizzy, my dear child, I believe you will be able to overcome this hurt one day. Right now, you should mourn your Mr. Darcy in any way you see fit.”

  “Thank you, Papa. I feel quite tired and wish to return to my room to rest. I will try to join the family in the sitting room later.”

  After Elizabeth learned of Darcy’s death she began to dress in grey and lavender, the colors of half-mourning. She knew if she wore something darker she would arouse too much suspicion, especially from Mrs. Bennet. When Elizabeth was with her family, she was very quiet and very much lost in her sad thoughts. She did not exhibit her usual outgoing personality. Shortly after Colonel Fitzwilliam’s visit, all the Bennet women were together in the sitting room when her mother looked up from her sewing and said, “really, Lizzy, where is your usual conversation? You always have such strong opinions about everything and recently you have been behaving as if you’re in mourning.”

  Elizabeth tried hard not to betray her feelings. “I beg your pardon, Mama. Pray excuse me.” Elizabeth rose from her chair and quickly left the sitting room before anyone could see the tears which had started streaming down her cheeks.

  Jane and Mr. Bingley were walking in Longbourn’s gardens with Elizabeth serving as their chaperone. Jane said she wanted to pick some flowers for the house. Bingley had been looking for an opportunity to speak to Elizabeth privately about Darcy and his death. He told Jane he would join her in a few minutes. After Jane had walked away, Bingley said, “Miss Elizabeth, I know you must be heartbroken about Darcy. He told me that he had fallen in love with you and planned to ask for your hand. I miss my friend and mentor every day. He was someone I always knew I could rely on to tell me the truth. Friends like that are very rare.”

  “I can see how melancholy you are and wonder if you would like us to postpone our wedding? I have not told Jane of Darcy’s feelings for you, but I know she would understand if we were to delay our wedding until you are feeling better.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Bingley. I believe I will always love Mr. Darcy but we were both so happy for you and Jane. If Darcy were here, I believe he would not want you and Jane to delay your happiness. He told me about the estate for sale near Pemberley. Are you interested in buying it?”

  “I am very interested. Darcy spoke so well of the property and we plan to see it on our wedding trip. I would not mind being with my new wife somewhere a little farther away from her home than Netherfield Park.”

  “That sounds like a very good idea, especially if you do not want my mother visiting you every day.” Bingley and Elizabeth smiled at each other. She knew he shared her views of Mrs. Bennet’s intrusive personality.

  “If we do move to Derbyshire, I hope you know you will always be welcomed there and you may stay as long as you wish. I know Jane would like nothing better than to have you living with us. And Miss Elizabeth, since I will soon be your brother, please call me Charles.”

  “Charles, I thank you for your invitation, but I believe I will stay where I am for now. Hertfordshire is where William and I fell in love and I am not quite ready to leave those memories behind. And Charles, please call me Lizzy.”

  “I had best be joining Jane, but I am glad we had this opportunity to speak. Lizzy, please remember my invitation.”

  “I will, Charles, and thank you. May I ask you not to speak of my relationship with William to anyone? I will tell Jane when the time is right. but she is so happy now and I do not wish to say anything that would affect her joy.”

  “Of course, Lizzy, I will do as you ask.”

  Chapter 14

  Several weeks later, the Bennet family was quietly seated at the breakfast table. Mr. Bennet was reading the post while drinking his morning tea. He put down the letter he was reading and addressed his family.
“It seems we are to have a houseguest, Mrs. Bennet.”

  “Who could be coming to visit us?” Mrs. Bennet asked.

  “My distant cousin, a Mr. Collins, is coming to stay with us at Longbourn. The intention of his visit is to heal the breech between our two families. He writes that he has another reason for coming, as well.”

  “What is the other reason, Papa?” Jane asked.

  “It seems his patroness,” Mr. Bennet picked up the letter to remind himself of the details, “a Lady Catherine deBourgh, has instructed Mr. Collins to find a wife among his Bennet cousins.”

  Elizabeth immediately looked up when she heard the name of Darcy’s aunt being mentioned. Since everyone else was busy looking at Mr. Bennet, no one noticed her reaction to hearing the name of the woman who imagined a betrothal between her daughter and the love of Elizabeth’s life.

  “What a wonderful idea! Mr. Collins can marry one of you girls and when Mr. Bennet is gone, we will not be turned out into the hedgerows. When can we expect to meet our cousin?” Mrs. Bennet asked excitedly.

  “I believe he will be arriving in two days’ time. Mr. Collins is the parson in Hunsford and he said his parish and Lady Catherine cannot be without him for more than two weeks.”

  “I will have the guest room made ready and I expect all my daughters, except you, dear Jane, to be on your best behavior.” Kitty and Lydia giggled at the thought of Mr. Collins coming to Longbourn to choose a wife. Elizabeth and Mary just looked at each other in disbelief.

  As promised, in two days’ time, Mr. Collins arrived at Longbourn. The family waited outside for him to descend from his carriage. The younger girls burst into laughter when they saw a heavyset young man who was perspiring profusely step out of the carriage. His body odor was noticed by everyone standing in front of Longbourn. “William Collins, at your service, sir.” Mr. Collins bowed so low to Mr. Bennet that Elizabeth and Jane feared he might topple over. Mr. Bennet returned the bow and introduced his wife and five daughters to their cousin.