Chapter 25B
August – one year later.
The marriage between Lady Cassandra and David Fitzwilliam was not a discreet event in Town, despite the wishes of the betrotheds. The genuine happiness of the Colonel’s family, together with the rumors, whispers and wonderings of those who had never considered such an alliance before, made it the talk of the Ton for the entire season.
The wedding took place at the end of February at the Matlock residence; and, though both the bride and the groom expressed their request to have only the family invited, the number of guests filled the large ballroom of Matlocks.
The only comfort of the newlyweds was – as Cassandra laughingly said many times – that they shared the Ton’s curiosity with the Darcys, as that event was the first public appearance of the new Mrs. Darcy. Not few were those who had been convinced for years that young Darcy would eventually marry Lady Cassandra; hence, the unexpected turn of events was difficult to understand. Mrs. Darcy was therefore carefully scrutinized and severely judged with respect to her look, her manners, her behavior and disposition; Elizabeth was declared pleasant enough, pretty enough, with a lively disposition and – most of all – exceedingly fortunate in securing Mr. Darcy for a husband. It was generally stated that there were at least 10 young, very wealthy heiresses more beautiful than the new Mrs. Darcy; by what arts and allurements she managed to catch Mr. Darcy and his fortune remained a mystery, still unsolved by the time the summer came and the couple returned to Pemberley.
Lady Cassandra and her husband stayed in Town for the season, being almost inseparable from the Darcys and the Bingleys, and departed for Cassandra’s estate together with their friends. They spent most of the time alone, and, even when they dined with the Darcys, they always returned home afterward, as if they did not want to share each other even with their closest friends.
The Bingleys – as was their wish – found an estate only 30 miles from Pemberley, and Mr. Bingley offered it to his beloved wife as a gift, precisely by the time she announced to him another gift – more precious – the news that he would have an heir.
The only reason for distress continuously tormenting Charles Bingley was the lack of news from his sister Caroline; except for that brief note announcing her marriage to Markham, not a word arrived for the next few months. Only in May did another note arrive to mention she was fine and that her husband would arrive in Town for a few days and might visit them, bringing some news. That letter brought little palliation to Bingley’s worry; instead, he became concerned about how his friends would accept any possible meeting with Markham and how that man would affect them once more. He wisely decided not to mention anything to them for the time being, especially when the Darcys also made a more important and truly happy announcement of their own.
As happened with their engagement, the Darcys shared the blessed secret of expecting a son or daughter a month later than the Bingleys, as they preferred to enjoy the bliss of their future parenthood between themselves. Darcy’s happiness was so profound and complete that, when one evening Bingley tried to have a few words with him about Markham, Darcy decidedly interrupted him, declaring Markham unworthy to be mentioned – and so the subject remained.
Mrs. Bennet’s nerves had barely survived hearing such happy news; she expressed her desire to visit her daughters instantly, but Mr. Bennet disagreed with great determination. He insisted the weather was entirely too hot for such a long journey, and he forced his wife to delay the trip until some unfixed date in the future.
Instead, at Miss Darcy’s invitation, Kitty and Mary were allowed to spend the summer at Pemberley. Understandably, Miss Darcy, being surrounded only by newlyweds she did not want to disturb, could benefit from the company of two sisters-in-law of the same age; and, on the other hand, Kitty and Mary could certainly benefit even more from Miss Georgiana’s friendship.
In such a pleasant way passed June and July until, unexpectedly, Mrs. Bingley’s state became a source of worry for her husband. Her health seemed much worse than did Elizabeth’s, though Jane was only a month ahead.
While Elizabeth changed few of her habits, Jane was rarely able to leave her bed as constant pains shattered her body.
A doctor was fetched from London and, upon thorough examination, declared Mrs. Bingley’s pregnancy to be a reason for concern; when, despite his recommendations, Jane’s state did not improve, Bingley decided they would go to London so Jane would be under the doctor’s constant care. Even more, he hired a nurse to be with Jane day and night and the doctor to visit her twice a day.
Of course, the Darcys could not stay away, so they returned to their town house only two days after the Bingleys. A week later, Cassandra and David followed them, so that only Georgiana and the two Miss Bennets remained at Pemberley, to mutually enjoy each other’s company; nobody informed them about the real gravity of Jane’s state, as there was no reason for them to be grieved and tormented as their elder siblings.
Bingley’s despair was heart-wrenching for his friends; day by day his distress grew and was more difficult to handle. He had reached the point where he declared he cared for nothing else but his wife’s health. After many glasses of brandy, tearful with worry and helpless torment, he swore to Darcy and the doctor that his wife would never be put in a similar situation because surely he would not dare to touch her and put her ever again at such a risk.
The doctor, a very proficient physician who had treated the Darcys for more than 30 years, patted Bingley’s arm, assuring him he had seen many other ladies bearing a difficult pregnancy with the first child, only to have easy, uneventful births later. Then, while having a glass of brandy himself, the doctor concluded it would be a pity for a man who was so much in love with his wife never to touch her again. To the shock of Darcy – who was assisting silently in the conversation – the doctor suggested to Bingley that he could offer him some medical advice about how to “delay” a new pregnancy, until the moment he and his wife would wish to have another child. Bingley stared at him as though he could not understand the meaning of his words, and then turned to Darcy only to meet his friend’s impish expression. The doctor could not hide his own amusement while he left the room and returned to the patient’s chamber to check on her state once more.
***
“Darcy, be so kind as to pour me a glass of wine,” said David to his host. “This is not a time to walk along London streets! What do I say? There is never a time for Cassandra and her stubbornness to take me with her to shop for all kinds of silly nonsense.”
“Come now, David, you are being unfair. She did not buy silly nonsense but some very nice gifts for Jane and her newly born child. And you should not complain about anything; just think of what poor Bingley had to go through.”
“Damn, you are right! He had been very brave indeed – I grant him that. To have his son born a month earlier than expected, after such a long labor when everyone feared the child would not survive… I think he suffered more than his wife, as he was frightened not only for his son but for her, as well. I would never imagine both Bingleys being so strong, so brave! I say, Mrs. Bingley had gained my deepest admiration when I saw her today, only a week after those horrible days and nights, smiling so serenely as if she had the most peaceful time of her life.”
“Yes, she is remarkable indeed.”
Darcy sipped some of his wine and then continued regretfully. “I still cannot forgive myself for how grossly I misjudged Jane last year. When I think that I could have ruined her happiness forever… And Bingley’s… And mine too, as Elizabeth would have never forgiven me…”
“Now, Darcy, do not ruin my disposition. I am in such a good mood since Charles asked me to be the child’s godfather!”
“Yes, I noticed that. I think it was a very wise decision of Bingley – I cannot see a better godfather than you.”
“Thank you, Darcy. As for Mrs. Jane Bingley – she is so kind that I am sure she forgave you a long time ago, so perhaps it is about time to forgive yourself, too.”
“I truly hope so…”
He offered his guest another glass of wine and he asked for some coffee.
Desirous to change the slight gloom, the Colonel laughed. “Did you see poor Bingley’s face? He seemed lost in his own world while he looked at his son and his wife!”
“Well, he has every reason to be proud and grateful to his wife – she gave him a strong, healthy boy. What more could a man wish for?”
Suddenly, understanding the effect of his words, Darcy stopped and looked at David with regret. He tried to apologize, but David would not allow it.
“Do not worry for me, Darcy; I am perfectly happy as I am now – just Cassandra and me, and hopefully having a few godsons from both Bingley and you. Now, speaking of that Bingley boy – he will be a very spoilt child, I tell you this! Thank heaven your child will be born soon so the Bennet family attention will be split in two,” the Colonel laughed.
“Not quite so soon,” Darcy interrupted him. Elizabeth still has two months until…you know.”
“I know that – two more months. Just long enough for Mrs. Bennet to change her residence from the Bingleys where she stays now to your home, to be as close to your wife as she had been to her eldest daughter.”
“Heaven forbid, David! Mr. Bennet indicated they will leave town in a month, not a single day later.”
“Your father-in-law is a very wise man.”
“Well, he does his best, considering the circumstances. I know he has been of great support to poor Bingley all these weeks, as Bingley’s family seemed indifferent to his problems.”
“By the way, do you have any news about Bingley’s sisters?”
“Well, the Hursts are still in Brighton and they sent a note that they will return next month. As for the present Lady Markham – Caroline – not a single word.”
“Damn, that stupid woman continues to torment poor Bingley with her long silence. What is she thinking of? Where the devil is Caroline and how is it she has only written him twice in so many months?”
“Something is not right, David. Something has been very wrong since the day Markham decided to marry her. What reason could he have had to marry her? And this long, strange, mysterious silence! Bingley even visited the elder Markham and not even he is aware of Caroline’s whereabouts. He said he had not seen her since they married.”
“That is indeed very strange – especially considering we met Markham in town a month ago! Could he not allow her to contact her family? I do believe him capable of such cruelty. I am quite certain he is completely out of his mind… Do you remember what he said when we last met him in July?”
“That we finally are all a big family now, as he always wanted? Of course I remember… But it was not only his words…his voice, the look in his eyes…”
“Have you seen him since then? Or did you get any news from him? I know you have hired some men to find his location.”
“Nothing at all; apparently he did not reside in any of their houses and nobody – including his father – has seen him.”
“Do you trust the Earl to tell you the truth?”
“I do. Lord Markham did misbehave in the past, in more than one situation. He always supported his sons in everything they did, and he trusted them implicitly. However, I am more inclined to believe this was due to his affection for them and his refusal to see how he failed in raising them. But he is also known as a reasonable man, a fair landlord and an honest business partner. I am certain he understood Bingley’s worry about his sister. If he knew something, he would have at least mentioned it.”
“Yes, probably you are right. I say, Darcy – if we meet Markham again, we should force him to tell us where his wife is.”
“I would rather not meet Markham anytime soon. I promised Elizabeth I would never allow him to provoke me again, and I intend to keep my promise; however, it would be very difficult were I to face that man. Elizabeth was very distressed when I told her about our meeting, and I will do everything in my power not to upset her again during this period. Beside, I have other priorities in my life now; Markham has only become a bothersome annoyance, nothing more.”
“I understand – you must be very worried about your baby. You know, I might be selfish, but this is why I am somehow pleased that Cassandra will never… I do not think I could bear the worry, the fear that something might happen to her or to the child…
“David, are you out of your mind? Why are you telling me all this, when you know perfectly well I hardly sleep a few hours a night? Is this your way of offering me support and comfort?”
“Blast! Please forgive me, my friend, I never thought that… I did not mean that… Damn, I am such an idiot!”
Half an hour later, David still had not succeeded in directing Darcy’s attention to other subjects of conversation. Their discussion was rather dull and only served to make the time pass until the ladies’ return.
An impromptu opening of the library door and a livid Bingley entering the room animated them – more than they had wished.
***
“Bingley? What happened?” The Colonel hurried to offer the support Bingley obviously needed.
Bingley emptied a glass of wine in one swallow and then indicated for David to fill his glass again. Darcy took the glass from his hand before David could comply.
“Bingley, calm yourself and tell us what on earth is wrong with you? Did something happen to your wife or son? Elizabeth and Cassandra are there―”
Bingley interrupted him with a move of his hand and barely managed to reply. “It is about Caroline – I got a note from her.”
The other two gentlemen watched in silence as Bingley re-filled his own glass and started pacing the room while answering them.
“My steward said the note arrived very late last night, but he did not know who brought it; of course, I did not open it until you left – a couple of hours ago. How could I have known it was an important letter? It was from Caroline – I barely recognized her handwriting… She sent word they had been in town for six weeks, but she was not allowed to speak to me… She begged me to come to see her …and I went, but Markham – he is out of his mind – he refused to allow me to speak to her. He demanded that I tell him how I discovered their whereabouts… They are not living in one of the Markham’s houses, you know… What could I do? I tried to enter by force, but he would not allow me… I have to go home but I shall return later; I need to enter, even if I have to defy Markham. I will call him out if need be. He cannot keep my sister imprisoned, even if she is his wife – can he? I must see her immediately. She begged me to come to her, but Markham would not let me,” Bingley repeated, moving desperately around the room, looking from Darcy to the Colonel with a lost expression on his face.
“Bingley, come and sit down – let us speak rationally.” Darcy grabbed his arm and forced him to take a seat.
“I have no time to sit, Darcy – I have to leave immediately.”
“There is nowhere you can go for the moment, Bingley. You cannot enter by force into Markham’s house, and fighting with him would be a very foolish thing to do. We will find a more reasonable way―”
“You were not calm and reasonable when your wife was involved, Darcy,” Bingley replied sharply. “You fought Markham yourself, remember?”
Darcy ignored the offensive tone. “I did fight Markham, but I had not a wife and a newborn son at that time, Bingley. You cannot afford being hurt or imprisoned for behaving impulsively; let us discuss and consider this situation wisely.”
“I know neither of you care much about her but she is my sister,” Bingley whispered. “I have not forgotten how ill she behaved in the past, but she is in a dangerous situation – I am certain of this. And I cannot abandon her – I simply cannot.”
He handled the note to Darcy in a defeated gesture of helpless despair. Darcy cast a glance over it, looked at David and finally turned to Bingley.
“So – it appears that Miss Bingley – I mean lady Markham is in town now; you are right to be worried, Bingley – such a pleading note is hardly her style. She must be quite desperate to send it.”
“See? See? You agree with me!”
“I do…and do not worry; nobody will abandon your sister, Bingley. We will find a way to speak to her.”
Darcy rang for his servant and sent him to fetch his attorney; in the meantime, he wrote a note for Lord Markham, asking for an urgent audience. He also sent word to Mr. Gardiner, requesting his attendance, and then turned his attention back to his companions.
“We shall consider the situation very carefully. Though I understand your sister’s difficulties, we must not forget about Mrs. Bingley and Elizabeth – we cannot allow any of this to affect them. As for Cassandra – she probably will be beside herself with anger.”
“You are right Darcy – you are right, of course. I do not want Jane to discover anything –she would be devastated with worry,” Bingley said while the Colonel nodded in agreement, obviously agitated himself.
“Of course we must keep this private, but I cannot help saying it sounds more silly than dangerous to me,” the Colonel intervened. “Why would they return to town in such secrecy? Why did he rent a house when he has at least three homes in town? It sounds like he is keeping her prisoner – but that is ridiculous. I mean …no offence, Bingley, but why would a man like Markham keep your sister hidden? He has little to gain from her – except her dowry, which I doubt is so important to justify such a ruckus.”
“I do not know, Colonel! I kept wondering why he married her in the first place! But I could not speak reasonably with him; he was somehow…strange…in words and in appearance… If you could see him… I doubt he has any sense remaining in him at all… He kept saying I should bring Darcy and Fitzwilliam to beg him to see Caroline… I don’t understand that … It is like he has become obsessed with you two…”
“The first thing we have to do is to search for Markham’s companions. We could speak to them and try to probe for more answers. He is not the sort of man to stay alone all these months,” Darcy said severely. “I also believe we should talk to the Earl – I shall do that myself. If we are to speak to Markham, we should have his father with us. Perhaps he will make his son more reasonable…”
“He has never been reasonable when it came to his sons – I doubt he will have much influence on that lunatic…” The Colonel was becoming more irritated with each passing moment.
Bingley agreed. “The Earl never showed any consideration to my worries. The first time I talked to him, asking about Caroline, he said perhaps his son does not want any connections to our family. He implied that it was shame enough that his son married so low – that my sister surely did something to force his son into this marriage, as he himself could see no reason for the union.”
“Bingley, do not bother yourself with the Earl; I shall speak to him. Now let us establish the details; we need a strategy in approaching Markham.
“I cannot believe we are planning strategies for Markham,” the Colonel burst out. “This is quite stupid! Here is my strategy: break the door down, put Markham on the floor, beat him senseless and take your sister out of the house; after that, let him come and search for her if he wants. If we are lucky, he will be so drunk that he will not remember what happened…”
Darcy looked at him with reproach, but Bingley’s face lit slightly and he approved in a low voice: “Well, if there will not be many servants around, we could try this approach… Colonel, Darcy, I am sorry I gave you so much trouble. Perhaps I should go and solve it on my own…”
“Oh shut up, Bingley, this is not what I mean … It is not your fault. This stupid Markham has been an annoyance for many years now… We must do something about him…”
“Yes we must.” Darcy was serious and decided. “As I said, let us prepare our strategy…”
***
It was almost dinnertime, and Cassandra took a final look at her image in the mirror; she was pleased with her appearance, and with a smile she waited to see the approval in her husband’s glance – as usually happened. She wondered what was taking him so long to prepare himself. He had just returned home minutes before, apologized briefly and went to change, promising he would join her presently. She was puzzled and not a little worried, as his entire behavior was changed and his disposition, she had noticed, was quite low. She was determined not to hesitate a moment before asking him about the nature of his unexpected business with Darcy, which had kept both of them out in Town the entire afternoon. Something was not well – she could sense that.
A few moments later, David entered her room, took her hands and gently made her sit while he started to speak softly. Despite his caring voice, each of his words threw her deeper and deeper into her nightmare.
“Surely you are mocking me, sir! You cannot seriously be considering going to confront Markham in order to see Caroline Bingley! You have no right to do that! You gave me your word! You promised me!”
“Cassandra, please calm yourself, he whispered and tried to embrace her, but she pulled away in rage. “I promised I should never lie to you, that I should never keep anything from you. This is why I am here, talking to you,” he said gently.
“You are twisting your own words, sir!”
“No, I am not, my dear…”
“Do not dare patronize me, Colonel Fitzwilliam. You are not a man of your word; this is all I can say!”
“My love, I promise nothing bad will happen. We are only going to talk.”
“Do no dare do this…do not dare promise me anymore…” She fought so hard against her tears that her voice lost all its strength.
“I am making you this promise, as I am certain I shall keep it. I shall return before you even know it…”
She was pacing the room and he stopped her, encircling her in his arms. Cassandra struggled to escape his embrace but he would not allow it. Her emotions, her fears, her despair turned into rage, and she continued to accuse him of betraying her until she concluded she should not have married him at all. Her words were offensive and hurtful, but David did not give them any consideration; he could feel her fear and for a moment he wondered if it was fair to put others’ troubles before his wife’s tranquility.
As though she was guessing his thoughts, she burst out in anger. “I have never cared much about Caroline Bingley – and I thought neither did you – but apparently I was wrong. You clearly are more concerned about her than you are about me.”
“My dear, this statement does not even deserve a reply, as you know as well as I do how unfair it is. I am not concerned about Caroline either – why should I be? But Bingley is deeply worried for her – she is his sister, despite our opinion about her. And Bingley will go and deal with Markham. What should I do, Cassandra? Should I hide to keep myself safe? Would that truly please you? Would I then be worthy of your affection? Bingley is my friend and he had so many troubles and worries about his wife and child – should we leave him alone in this trying situation?
“No, of course not! Bingley should not expose himself either; though I am sure Markham will never harm him, as he has nothing against Bingley. What we should do is to hire 100 people to go with Bingley – perhaps from the army or the Militia? He should wait outside while they bring Caroline out – somebody must be able to do something against Markham without you all jeopardizing your lives! I will pay for all 100 men – I will pay for anything necessary to help Bingley!”
She became more animated as she realized herself how unreasonable her ideas were; David shook his head and smiled with gentle understanding while he pulled her closer and kissed her hair. She was still resisting him and struggling to push him away.
“My love, you know only too well I have to go. You are the most courageous woman I have ever met. I do understand your torment, but the past is gone – we cannot live our lives in fear of Markham. For heaven’s sake – he is an idiot! I know he is a dangerous idiot though, and I promise I will be cautious. We will be at least four men there – none of us will be in real danger, you must see that. We are not going to war, for God’s sake!”
“Then I shall come with you!” Cassandra declared and David burst out laughing so hard that he had tears in his eyes; he covered her face in kisses while she fought to escape his arms.
“That was the sweetest profession of love, my dearest, and I shall be always grateful to you for your care. Now I have to leave – the others are waiting for me. I shall return before you know it…”
“Stop patronizing me, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I intend to come, too, so do not treat me like a child!
“Then do not behave like a child, your ladyship. Surely you cannot imagine I would allow you to participate in a potentially dangerously situation. So you are worried for me and want to come – for what? If we are unable to handle him – four men – of what use could you be?”
“So you admit the danger for yourself…!”
“No I do not. I only admit how delighted I am with your stubbornness and your care for me. I will gladly continue this conversation as soon as I return – which I estimate will happen a little after midnight. Please have dinner and then try to find some sleep; you will awake in my arms tomorrow morning.”
David placed a soft kiss upon her lips and then left; she heard the door shutting behind him. She felt her hands trembling and her heart racing more and more wildly as his steps departed. For a few moments she remained as stone in the middle of the room and then she moved to the window only to see him enter the carriage. He cast a last quick glance to the window and she thought she could see a smile on his face. Her heart stopped beating, a cold shiver shattered her spine and everything became dark around her.
***
In the peaceful comfort of their rooms, Elizabeth was sitting on the sofa close to the fire; Darcy had been speaking for quite awhile but she could not – would not – accept the meaning of his words. His voice was saying something about going to talk to Markham and helping Charles to take Caroline home. Caroline? Why would she care about Caroline? Caroline always wanted to marry a title with considerable wealth; now that her dream had come true, why would she want to leave? That was preposterous, and she was certain it was only one of Caroline’s schemes… She was likely just upset with Markham for not giving her enough pin money or something…
“Surely, you cannot consider going…” she said bluntly.
“My love, you must understand why I have to go… We cannot leave this burden on Bingley alone!”
“Charles should be at home, taking care of his wife and newborn son, not chasing Markham around town for one of Caroline’s whims.”
“Elizabeth, that is not fair. Everything indicates that Caroline is in a dangerous situation – I already told you all the details. And you know only too well that one cannot abandon one’s sister, no matter how badly that sister behaves.”
Elizabeth turned pale and averted her eyes. “Lydia was silly and impulsive but she has never been as mean as Caroline. It is not a fair comparison.”
“I know it was not fair, forgive me; I did not mean to compare them, only to sympathize with Bingley’s worry for his sister. I understand why he cannot dismiss his sister’s cry for help, despite her past misbehavior. Can you imagine his torment, his distress, his fatigue after all those sleepless nights of fear…and now this? How could I leave him alone in this trying moment? My love, I am certain you understand Bingley could not succeed in this without my help.”
“You are not playing fairly, sir. You brought my sister into the discussion because you know I would do anything for her welfare. “
“No my love, I brought her into this discussion because she is part of it, as Caroline is an important part of Bingley’s life and his present state of mind and heart.”
“I still do not understand why a woman would be unable to leave and visit her family? Why would she need an entire “regiment” to take her out of her husband’s house? This is all so strange!”
“I agree with you…and that is precisely why Bingley is so out of his mind with worry and why I know I have to go with him.”
She looked straight at him as tears rolled over her cheeks.
“William, I am so afraid…”
“My love, do you trust me? Do you trust me when I am telling you nothing is more important to me than you and our child? Do you trust that I will not do anything to put myself in danger? Not for me but for you.”
“I do trust you, but…”
“No but, my love… I give you my word that we will be extra cautious; we have already planned our strategy very carefully.”
“A strategy? What strategy?”
He explained it to her in every detail, while holding her hand and caressing her fingers; she only nodded in silence. She could see the wisdom of their plan, despite the cold claw of fear that was still clenching her heart.
“And,” Darcy concluded with a smile, “as an ultimate solution, if Markham proves unreasonable, David has proposed to beat him senseless and grab Caroline from the house.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Her lips twisted and her eyes narrowed while she met her husband’s curious gaze. She was ashamed of herself for even considering such a barbaric resolution but, for perhaps the first time, Elizabeth was deeply and completely in agreement with the Colonel’s proposal.
She hesitated a moment and then finally replied. “Well, what can I say? Perhaps you should apply the Colonel’s plan immediately – after all he is an officer in her majesty’s army and knows better what a good, successful strategy requires.”
Darcy laughed, and she smiled with a heavy heart. Feeling their child kicking, she startled and took his palm to press it to her abdomen. The expression of heartfelt delight on his face melted her heart and, while she could hardly fight the tears, she did trust him implicitly. She knew he would take care of himself, if only to be able to take care of her and their child.
She could not ask him to stay idly by her side, abandoning his friend in time of need. He would not be Fitzwilliam Darcy if he accepted that, and she would not be worthy to be his wife if she continued to upset him with unreasonable pleas.
Elizabeth Darcy snuggled into her husband’s chest while his hand was still resting on her belly as if caressing their child.
“Please be careful, my husband,” she whispered while she wiped her tears and wondered why breathing had suddenly become so difficult.
***
Four men could be seen entering the small cottage in which Markham had taken residence; two of them could hardly keep their calm as worry had turned their faces darker than the night.
They had expected to be detained; however, surprisingly, a servant invited them in the moment they knocked at the front door. The Earl attempted to inform the servant who he was but the man seemed completely indifferent to his words. The only remark was that his master was waiting in the main room – and then the servant withdrew down the hallway.
Though Bingley’s story had given them some indication about the alteration of Markham’s state, the latter’s appearance took both Darcy and Fitzwilliam by surprise. He was drunk, but it was much more than that; he seemed indeed “strange” – as Bingley had said, and his cold laugh the moment he saw his visitors only confirmed that impression.
“Oh, you are finally come – Darcy and Cassandra’s new husband; what an honor for my humble abode! I expected you earlier – what took you so long? I have already started to drink alone but I may offer you something – what would you like?”
“Son, what is happening to you? Are you unwell? You look very ill – what are you doing here, in this house? I cannot believe you are in town and did not inform me,” asked the Earl as he moved toward his son. The young Markham cast a quick glance at him.
“I have been very busy, father, do not start lecturing me – I am in no mood to listen to you.”
The Earl stared at his son, his eyes wide open in disbelief, completely ignored in the middle of the room. Markham filled his glass once more and turned to his visitors with an inquiring look.
“Lord Markham, I apologize for interfering and I hope it will not be a long interruption. I would only wish to speak to my sister – if there is no inconvenience,” said Bingley with perfect politeness.
“In fact there is some inconvenience – I do not want you to speak to my wife. She is my wife, you know that? I already told you earlier, and I notice you brought help this time – I was certain you could not accomplish the job by yourself.”
“Lord Markham, I shall not enter into any argument with you; I had a simple request and you cannot deny it to me. Surely, you must see how strange is your refusal of allowing me to meet with my sister. This is not acceptable and I cannot understand how―”
“You cannot understand because you are an idiot Bingley – as is your stupid sister. I am so tired of her that I won’t speak of this subject any longer. Now – you two – may I be of some assistance to you?”
“Lord Markham!” Bingley burst out furiously but Markham ignored him completely while he continued to smile to the others.
Darcy cast a quick glance to the Earl and met his lost look; clearly he was of no help in solving that situation.
“Come Markham, stop fooling around. We are here to see Mr. Bingley’s sister and we will not leave without achieving our purpose. All we want for the moment is a few minutes with her – you cannot deny us this.” Darcy took a step toward Markham, his countenance as decided as his words; he intended to put an end to that quarrel and he was not to be stopped.
“Of course I can deny it to you – I can do whatever I please regarding my wife; however, I might be tempted to exchange benefits: I will allow you to speak to my wife if you will allow me to speak to yours. How is that? This way, every party involved will be satisfied at some degree.”
Darcy turned pale instantly and took one more step forward; a moment later, he regained his composure. “You tread on dangerous ground, Markham. Be careful what you say.”
“You are on dangerous ground, Darcy – you are in my home, at my disposal. And now you upset me. Leave my home immediately! I will call on you if I want to speak to you again!”
“Charles…please do not leave me,” sounded a weak voice, and everyone’s eyes turned to the door where a woman dressed only in a nightgown and holding a small bundle tightly to her chest stepped tentatively into the room, supporting herself by the wall.
“Please do not leave m―”
“Caroline?” cried Charles incredulously while he ran to her. Darcy and the Colonel looked at each other in disbelief – completely shocked. That woman – so thin that it was a wonder she could walk, her hair cut, in complete disorder, her face swollen, looking at them with fearful eyes – could not possibly be Caroline Bingley! Even Bingley seemed unsure of her identity but, as he moved closer to see her face, he ran to her, calling her name. A barely audible whine mixed with Bingley’s voice and Markham’s command.
“Stay away from her, Bingley – and you – go upstairs woman. How dare you leave your room?”
“Oh God, you have a child,” Bingley cried while he supported his sister in his arms. “This is a child… Is it yours, Caroline?”
“A ch…child?” The Earl, livid, stuttered, looking at his son in utter disbelief. You have a child? My grandchild? ”
“Oh, do not be too enthusiastic, father – I do not think he will live. The poor creature was born too soon and will likely die any minute; this woman was even unable to give me a worthy heir.”
“It was not my fault,” yelled Caroline and both Darcy and David could recognize the strong, determined, argumentative voice of Caroline Bingley. “You hit me all the time and that day I fell on the stairs – you know that very well. This is why James was born so early. You almost killed your son, you cruel, heartless wretch!”
“James? His name is James?” asked the Earl, still dazed by the unexpected news while Darcy and the Colonel seemed uncertain as to what to do next.
“Who the hell knows his name? And you – go upstairs this instant, woman – I will speak to you later!”
“Son, did you hit your wife? This cannot be true – I cannot believe such a thing. It surely was a mistake, was it not? Did you fetch a doctor to see the child? We must have a doctor immediately,” the Earl said tentatively, with a hopeful look; he grabbed his son’s arm but the young Markham pulled away.
“Stop talking nonsense, Father. Leave me alone – all of you. Leave my house this instant. This spectacle is over.”
It only took a moment before Darcy and the Colonel joined Bingley, who was holding Caroline close to him. The two men surrounded their friend while he walked tentatively to the door, supporting his sister and her child. Caroline seemed unable to walk, yet she struggled to move her feet while her arms held the infant tightly. With horror, Darcy could not take his eyes away from the bruises visible all over her neck, face and wrists; some darkened impressions left by a merciless hand were visible on her nape as she leaned her head to watch her child.
“Where do you think you are going with my wife, Bingley?”
“Lord Markham, I am taking my sister home; a doctor will take care of her without delay as it is obvious she did not find the care she needed in your house. You will not oppose me, or else, as God is my witness, I will kill you. Step aside.”
“You will kill me? You? That is so amusing that I will laugh for days.”
Markham moved in front of the small group but could not reach Bingley or Caroline, as Darcy and David moved before them.
“So that is your plan? Stealing my family away? We will see about that, we will see if anyone would blame me for shooting some thieves who tried to kidnap my child,” Markham said with unleashed rage. He leaned near the fireplace, and a second later, a pistol appeared in his hand. Instantly, both Darcy and David ran to him, but it was the Earl – only two feet away – who grabbed his son’s arm first.
“Son, what are you doing? What is happening to you, my boy? Please let us sit and talk, nobody is stealing your family. Son, I am begging you…”
By that time, Darcy and David had reached Markham and held him from behind but his father continued to plead with him, standing in front of him, holding his arm tightly. Markham fought violently to escape his captors and in his struggle, he hit his father; the Earl lost his balance and, searching for support, fell against his son.
The blast shattered the entire house; both the Earl and his son grew limp and eventually their strangely entwined bodies slid slowly towards the floor. Darcy and David could do little else but put Markham down; David was still holding him forcefully while Darcy moved in front of them to check what had happened. A moment of silence followed and then Darcy’s grave voice.
“The pistol went off; he is injured very badly.”
***
Midnight had come and gone, and he was still not there; he did not keep his promise. And, despite her harsh words which were still resonating in her own mind, Cassandra knew David was a man of his word. So – if he did not keep his promise, something had happened. She moved around the room, stopping in front of the window, as she had a thousand times that night. She stared outside, through the moonlight, hoping, praying, begging to see his carriage arriving. The street remained empty.
She threw herself onto the bed, crying from helpless despair; she wanted to go after him but she did not know where he was. And what if he were to return and not find her there? She should go to the Darcys – perhaps Elizabeth had received some news. But surely Elizabeth would have informed her if she knew anything more. Still she should go – she would not disturb Elizabeth, only ask the servants if Mr. Darcy had returned home. Yes, that is what she should do!
She took her coat and awakened her maid, sending her to fetch the coachman. The maid looked in shock at her mistress – dressed only in a nightgown, her hair down, barefoot – but obeyed silently. A moment later, however, Mrs. Spencer appeared in the doorway; Cassandra turned her back to her companion, but Mrs. Spencer ignored her dismissal. She took Cassandra’s arm gently but decidedly.
“I cannot allow your ladyship to go anywhere. The master specifically told me to keep you inside – he said he must find you here when he returns.”
Cassandra turned red at that daring answer; her eyes narrowed as a sharp reply almost escaped her lips. Mrs. Spencer’s countenance remained unchanged, and a loving smile lit her face while she gently directed Cassandra back to her room.
“I know he is late, but he will return, my child; I can feel it. You must learn to be confident in your husband and to trust the Lord.”
“And you should learn to trust Mrs. Spencer,” added David from the doorway; his voice made Cassandra gasp and she remained still while her husband moved slowly to her. Mrs. Spencer sighed and exited the room, hiding the tears from her eyes.
Cassandra’s eyes traveled along his body to confirm that he was unharmed, and then she looked at his face to find answers to the questions she did not dare to ask. “Darcy and Bingley are fine,” he whispered.
His arms embraced her closely, and she crushed herself against him. His gaze, the expression of his face and his tensed body told her something had happened. However, as long as he was safe and her friends were safe – she selfishly chose not to ask more for the time being. The nightmare was over and anything else mattered very little to her.
***
Darcy stood at the edge of Elizabeth’s bed and watched her carefully while he related the tragic events to her, choosing his words carefully.
“So the Earl killed his son?”
“No – no…it was an accident; the gun went off between them. The Earl is still in shock; despite the fact that his son’s character was revealed tonight, I am sure the Earl would have rather died himself to save his son. What a punishment for a father…”
Elizabeth looked deeply into her husband’s eyes and confessed with all her sincerity. “Lord forgive me – I feel no regret that a man’s life was taken. I feel no pity for either Markham or the Earl. I know it sounds cruel but this is how I feel. I am glad he is gone.”
Darcy kissed her hand. “You must not trouble yourself any longer with any of them.”
“I shall not – they will be both forgotten soon. Only poor Caroline will most likely not be able to forget him.”
Darcy shivered as he remembered Caroline state’s once more; Elizabeth looked at him closely and took his hand.
“Is Caroline so seriously altered? This is why you did not allow me to see her?”
He could not possibly tell Elizabeth the truth about Caroline’s condition, not after all the emotions she had to bear that night. “The doctor is checking her right now, and you need to rest without delay. We will talk more about that tomorrow.”
She hesitated a moment, obviously desirous to continue her insistence, but finally accepted his decision.
“Very well… William, I am pleased you decided to bring Caroline here.”
“My dearest, I confess I am not at all pleased, as my first concern is your tranquility. But in truth, I saw no other solution in the middle of that din; we thought of little else but to keep this entire story as private as possible – though I doubt there will be any secrecy left after tomorrow. Bingley’s house is not very big and was already full of guests, with your parents staying there…”
“Oh, you could not have possibly exposed poor Jane to such distress – not now, when she is still not recovered. As for mama, only imagine her reaction when she discovers that abominable story…”
“Precisely… Besides, we have an entire wing unoccupied, so Caroline can reside there without disturbing you at all. We shall offer her the best accommodations and hire some extra help to serve her and take care of her son until she…until she is strong enough to travel and return to her house.”
He stopped, averting his eyes from Elizabeth’s; he was not at all certain Caroline would recover enough to travel; even the doctor was shocked when he saw her and discreetly confessed to Darcy that he was skeptical about any improvement.
“William, can I at least see the child, please? Only a moment, then I shall return to bed – I promise.”
Darcy hesitated; the child was as weak as his mother was, and his life was in God’s hands. Could he allow Elizabeth to become attached to that poor infant? He knew he was selfish, but he could think of little else but his wife and his own child. For Caroline’s child he already arranged to hire a servant and a wet nurse – and the later was found and fetched in only a few hours time. He would do anything in his power to offer the best care to both mother and child – he felt he owed that to his friendship with Bingley and to his past acquaintance with Miss Caroline Bingley – anything, except exposing Elizabeth to more worries and pain.
“Please, William – only a moment… My love, I understand your concern. I imagine the child cannot be strong and healthy when he was born early and his mother is so ill. But I will pray for him – and I will accept God’s will, whatever that might be. May I see him, please? ”
He smiled and, though his heart was still heavy, he kissed her hand in acceptance. “You are the mistress of the house, Mrs. Darcy – you may do whatever you wish.”
***
It was daylight but the room was obscured, and Elizabeth asked the maid to open the window. A warm September day threw its light inside the chamber as if trying to comfort the patient.
Elizabeth touched Caroline’s forehead briefly then turned to Cassandra and Georgiana.
“I believe we have reason to hope – her fever has not increased since this morning. Dr. Morrison said this is a very good sign.
“Thank the Lord… She is so changed… I am looking at her and still cannot believe she is Caroline,” whispered Cassandra.
“She does look much better today, though, does she not?”
“Indeed she does” approved Georgiana. You took good care of her, Elizabeth – even Dr. Morrison admitted your help was invaluable.
“Oh, I did not do anything, dearest; it was William who hired the nurses to take care of her, all I did was to visit her from time to time,” Elizabeth replied with a smile.
She would have never believed it possible, but she did greatly worry for Caroline and had spent many hours praying for her life and health. That was quite ironical – considering her past “friendship” with the former Miss Bingley. Life has a very strange sense of humor – Elizabeth mused.
“Elizabeth, I think she is awake,” Cassandra said loudly.
Elizabeth sat at the edge of the bed while she touched Caroline’s hand. The patient moaned and moved, trying to lift her head but it fell back on the pillow.
“Caroline, how are you?” Elizabeth inquired gently. No coherent answer came, only more moans and a violent move of a body half conscious. Elizabeth cried for the servants, and two maids entered instantly, holding Caroline’s hands while she struggled. Elizabeth could not say if Caroline was able to hear her, but she continued to call her name; Georgiana stepped back, suddenly frightened.
Finally, after more than a quarter of an hour, Caroline fell asleep again but her head kept moving violently and her hands grabbed the sheets in despair, as if she was in a dark nightmare. After another long hour, she eventually calmed and her breathing became steady again – and she remained so until later that day.
An hour before dinner, Elizabeth came once again to check on Caroline. The nurses’ report was satisfactory and she almost exited the room when she heard Caroline’s weak voice calling for someone. Elizabeth hurried to the bed and called her name until Caroline finally opened her eyes and they faced each other. Elizabeth could not say if Caroline was shocked or even frightened in seeing her; she attempted to calm her distress when suddenly Caroline grabbed her arms painfully tight.
“Where is my son? What happened to him? Where is my child?” Caroline kept crying while she tried to rise from the bed pulling at Elizabeth’s hand.
Elizabeth struggled to calm her with no success. Caroline’s agitation became greater and her cries louder and louder until the servants interfered and freed Elizabeth’s arm from Caroline’s hands. Elizabeth hurried from the bed to the other side of the room.
“Caroline, he is here…do not cry, he is here…” Elizabeth repeated, almost yelling to cover Caroline’s voice while she took the infant from his bed and moved closer to Caroline.
The patient needed a couple of minutes to hear and take in the meaning of Elizabeth’s words; the child’s soft cries seemed to bring Caroline back to reality and she started sobbing with despair while she stretched her arms to take the child from Elizabeth.
“Careful, let me put him near you,” Elizabeth said, smiling reassuringly while she put the small burden on the pillow so Caroline could see him. “You are too weak to sit and we do not want to harm him, do we? He is such a beautiful baby – boy…here he is, close to his mother…”
Caroline stared at Elizabeth in disbelief and then her eyes rested upon her son and she cried again, covering her mouth with her palm while tears rolled down her cheeks.
“He looks so changed – he has grown so much…and he looks so healthy…” she cried in wonder.
“He does look healthy and sweet.” Elizabeth smiled with no little emotion. “And yes, he did grow a lot, though you have been in our home only for a fortnight…”
“A fortnight? We have been here for a fortnight? But how…? Oh dear God, what happened with…? I had a horrible dream… Was it a dream? Is he dead? Or…?”
“Caroline, please calm yourself. I will tell you everything if you promise you will stop crying. Your son is asleep – we must keep quiet not to distress him.”
“Yes, yes, I do not want to distress him… My little angel – you are so beautiful…” she whispered while her fingers brushed against the baby’s little hands. “Oh dear God, is my son really healthy? Will he live to grow up? He always said my child was unworthy of his name and was too weak to live… But now he looks so healthy – does he not look healthy?” Caroline repeated, her eyes traveling desperately from Elizabeth to the other women in the room.
“Your child is as healthy as he is beautiful, Lady Markham – the doctor confirmed that. He was indeed very weak, as he had been born before his time; he was very hungry too, as you were not strong enough to feed him as he needed. But all is well now; we hired a wet nurse and a maid to take care of him and he improved wonderfully. You should be proud of him! Dr. Morrison will come to visit you soon and will confirm it for himself. We should take good care of you now, Lady Markham…”
“Do not call me that,” Caroline interrupted her brutally and Elizabeth looked at her in surprise. “Do not call me Lady Markham, please… Call me anything you want except that…” she insisted in a more subdued voice while her eyes pleaded to reinforce her request.
Elizabeth nodded silently, and an awkward, tense silence fell upon the room.
As though he could sense it, the child started to sob in his sleep. Caroline caressed him gently but he continued to wail. A couple of minutes later, uncertain if her gesture would upset Caroline, Elizabeth hesitantly lifted the child in her arms and pulled him to her chest, whispering to his ear. Almost instantly, the baby’s cries vanished and he resumed his peaceful sleep; she sat on the bed, near Caroline, gently cradling the child.
“He is comfortable in your arms…he appears to know you very well,” Caroline noticed, with both sadness and disbelief. “Did you hold him before? By yourself?”
“Oh, of course I held him – in fact we have become quite good friends lately; he is a very handsome, nice young gentleman though a little spoiled,” Elizabeth attempted to joke. “But now that you are well, I am sure he will forget me instantly – and deservedly so, as he will be much more comfortable with his beloved mother.”
Caroline’s face was pale; she stretched her hand to touch the baby’s small head and then looked at Elizabeth in surprise. “You are expecting too… You will have your own baby soon…”
“Yes, I will…and Charles and Jane have a little boy – did he mention that to you? Charles is so happy he will have two boys around,” Elizabeth continued, smiling gently.
Caroline seemed to disregard that second bit of information, her eyes fixed upon Elizabeth.
“You are expecting and still you took the trouble of taking care of me and my child. After everything I have done to you, after my unforgivable behavior toward you and your family, after all my offences and meanness, my child found safety and comfort and peace in your arms. You brought us to your home and put your own tranquility aside for us when you could have easily chosen to stay far away from this horrid affair.”
“Lady…pardon me – errrr…Miss Bingley…I will speak openly, since you brought up this matter… I will not even attempt to say you are not correct; your past behavior to my family and me has been always unkind and ungenerous. However, my own behavior had not been gentleness all the time – so we are rather even. We could talk about this matter again sometime, if you like, but for now we should put the past aside and start talking about the present and about the future,” she said, placing a soft kiss on the child’s small hand.
“I have been wrong in so many ways… I have been at fault so many times with you…and you are so kind, so generous… I never thought that would be possible… No other woman in your place would…”
“Come, Miss Bingley, we are family now – let us not argue about the past! Any fault you may have had, any offences and arguments were instantly forgotten and forgiven the moment I saw this beautiful little face. Anyone in my position would have done the same – how could one not take care of such an angel?” Elizabeth concluded with a warm, affectionate smile.
She put the baby on the pillow again in order to allow Caroline to enjoy his presence and intended to retire. She knew mother and son needed time to rebuild their bond – and the two maids sitting discreetly in the corner of the room were sufficient to offer any help or support needed without imposing on Caroline while she was relishing the private company of her child.
;A moment later, she felt her hand imprisoned by Caroline and, before she could understand what was happening, Caroline placed a grateful, humble kiss upon it. Elizabeth startled and fought to pull her hand while Caroline whispered, tearfully, “Thank you, Mrs. Darcy. Thank you. Thank you…”
A moment of strange silence occurred, a brief hesitation and then Elizabeth smiled, brushing Caroline’s forehead with gentle fingers.
“You are very welcome, Caroline…very welcome indeed…”