A Royal Bennet (23 page)
Authors: Melanie Schertz
“Sir, it is best you tell us where you took Lady
Elizabeth’s dog, and where Lady Elizabeth can be
found.” Hurst stated. “If she has been harmed in any
way, you will face charges. But if you assist us in
locating her, it will go easier on you with the court.”
me. I do not know what to do.” Raymond said.
“You have lied to my brothers, I do not know why
you think I can assist you. I barely know who you are,
yet you make it seem as if we are intimate.” Caroline
yelled at the young man, pretending to sob on her
sister’s shoulder. “How can you ruin my good name in
such a manner? I have never done anything to harm
you, yet you treat me in such an infamous manner.”
“Miss Bingley, please. I love you, and I know you
love me in return. You promised me a future with
you, if I would assist you. But I cannot be with you if I
am arrested. Please, I beg of you. Tell your brothers
the truth. You gave me the vial of medicine to put on
the dog’s food, the liquid that would make the dog
sleep. You said you always bring some of the
medicine with you for your nerves. Please, please, tell
them the truth so they will not be angry with me.
Then we can be together. I am sure you will have
need of a footman in your home in London. There is
no need for you to be married to Mr Darcy.”
“You fool.” Caroline screamed. “Are you too stupid
to know the truth? Can you not see that you are
nothing to me? Can you not see that you were only a
means to aid me in remaining here, so I can secure Mr
Darcy’s hand in marriage? Why would I want the
likes of you, when I can have a real man like Mr
Darcy? You are scrapes to feed the hogs in
comparison to Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
Too late, Caroline realized her foolishness.
Bingley and Hurst were furious, and both realized
Louisa was also involved in the plot. “Louisa, you will
go to your rooms and remain there. Mrs Reynolds,
would you see that a maid and a footman are placed
in my wife’s rooms to keep her there?” Hurst decided
to take the upper hand. “Caroline, I will have one of
the young men sent to Lambton for the constable to
come. You will be placed under arrest and removed
from here immediately, in chains, if you do not tell us
where Lady Elizabeth can be found. Do you hear me?
Tell us this moment, or you will be dragged from here
in chains.”
Caroline refused to tell the truth, defiant to the
last. “You would not dare. The humiliation which
would be heaped on our family if you were to allow
me to be treated in such a manner would be great.
You would not wish for our reputations to be ruined.”
“My reputation is already set, Caroline.” Hurst
stated. “I am the first born son and heir to my father’s
estate. I do not fear what would be talked about if you
were arrested. My own wife might be joining you in
chains.”
“And I am going to be married, and start a family
of my own.” Bingley added. “I am finished with you,
Caroline. If I have to return our family to trade, then
so be it. And my betrothed will be much happier
without having to fear what you will do to her family.”
“You are trying to rid yourself of me, so you will be
able to marry a woman who is beneath us. She is not
worthy of being a part of our lives, yet you would
throw your sisters away for the likes of her. The
Bennet family is beneath us, Charles. Mr Bennet had
an affair, then dressed his love child up as respectable.
Mrs Bennet is a whore. Oh, yes, I overheard Mr
Gardiner telling Mr Bennet. Mrs Bennet is living and
working in a house of ill repute.”
Jane gasped, turning to her aunt for comfort.
Hearing her soft sob broke Bingley’s heart. He walked
towards his sister, standing before her, and reached
out his hand, quickly bringing it down to strike his
sister’s cheek. “I am finished with you, Caroline. No
more. Raymond, I suggest you tell us the truth of
where Lady Elizabeth can be found. If you do, I will
see that you are represented in court. If you do not, if
any harm has come to Lady Elizabeth, you will face
the noose.”
Finally, Raymond realized his best plan was to tell
the truth. He told Bingley and Hurst of Caroline’s plan
to be rid of Lady Elizabeth, how she enticed Raymond
to do her bidding with promises of a future with
Caroline. He told of taking Sadie to the area where it
was unsafe, purposely injuring the dog to encourage
Lady Elizabeth to go to the dog. And he told of
moving the safety markers which had been placed to
keep people from the danger zone.
Mr Bennet sent riders out immediately to inform
Darcy and the other men where Elizabeth could be
found. A wagon was prepared with ropes and
blankets, a stretcher and bandaging, and Mr Bennet
joined Mr Abernathy in taking the wagon to the area
where the rescue would be done.
While the men were rescuing Elizabeth, Caroline
was awaiting her future. Hurst and Bingley had
decided they would do nothing to protect her. If there
was a scandal, they would live through it. Hurst was
not fond of society in Town, and he had no difficulty
returning to his family’s estate to wait out the worst
of it. Jane and Bingley discussed the ramifications to
them, and it was decided that they could live with Mr
Bennet at Longbourn. With Mrs Bennet and Lydia
away, Jane was certain her father would appreciate
having Jane and Bingley live with him after their
marriage.
The constable was sent for and arrived while the
men were out recovering Elizabeth. He remained
there, with Caroline Bingley being defiant, waiting for
news to arrive of Lady Elizabeth, so he would know
what charges the criminals faced. Raymond had been
locked in a room, under guard, after he confessed the
truth and told where to find his victim. Louisa Hurst
was still being guarded in her rooms, as Hurst
determined what he would do with his wife. And
Bingley remained in the drawing room, keeping watch
over his sister.
Hurst decided that his wife would live out the
remainder of her days in a small estate his family
owned in northern Scotland. It was a barren
wasteland, frozen most of the year, and the estate had
not been worked for many years. Hurst’s father had
tried to sell the property, but no one desired it. So it
sat vacant and unwanted. That would be the perfect
prison for Louisa Hurst, and, potentially, her sister.
The men could see that there was no means of
transportation, so the sisters would be forced to
remain at the property. Food and other necessities
could be taken to them on regular deliveries. And
only a handful of servants could be employed to keep
Caroline and Louisa in their place. They would be fed,
sheltered, and otherwise, imprisoned in a land which
would give them no comfort.
The thought of being forced to live in such a
manner was appalling to Caroline. She refused to
acknowledge any wrong doing on her part, declaring
over and over that it was all Elizabeth Bennet’s fault
for the situation. The young lady should never have
been at Pemberley, according to Caroline. To her way
of thinking, if Elizabeth had not come to Pemberley,
Caroline would have had no need to be rid of her.
Jane finally excused herself, along with Mrs
Gardiner and Georgiana, as they went down the hall
to the music room. None of the ladies could tolerate
hearing Caroline’s foolishness any longer.
Georgiana attempted to play on the pianoforte, but
her heart was not in it. She fumbled through the
sheets of music, over and over, while Jane paced
about the room. Mrs Gardiner wandered to the
window in the room, watching for the searchers’
return, then she would return to the sofa, picking up a
cushion and running her fingers over the stitching.
After what seemed to be an eternity, they heard
the sounds of the search party returning to the house.
And the ladies were rewarded to see Elizabeth on the
bed of the wagon, holding her father’s hand, and Sadie
lying beside her.
Darcy and Richard had gone different directions
around the lake. Darcy headed in the direction he
usually found Elizabeth on her morning walks. He
searched for some time, finally going in a different
direction.
Hearing what sounded like a dog crying, Darcy
began searching for Sadie as well. Calling out to
Elizabeth and Sadie, time and again, he was certain he
heard the dog, far away from where he was.
Suddenly, he heard a fast approaching rider.
“Master Darcy, we learned that Lady Elizabeth has
fallen down into one sink holes in at the base of
Craggy Rock. The postilion took her dog there,
injured it, to lure her there. The beast watched as she
fell.”
“I thought I heard a dog crying. If we find the dog,
we will find Lady Elizabeth. My cousin has a group of
men on the other side of the lake. Find him and send
him to us.” Darcy called out as he turned his mount in
the direction of Craggy Rock. The closer he got to the
location, the louder Sadie’s cries came. Then, Darcy
saw Sadie carefully approached him. It was clear to
see she was favoring a paw, and there was blood
matted in her fur.
When Sadie recognized Darcy, she let out a pitiful
cry. Then she turned and limped back in the direction
from which she had come. Darcy knew she was
leading him to Elizabeth.
Coming to the area, which was normally marked
to keep people out, Darcy could see the gaping hole in
the ground. Sadie had stopped a few feet from the
edge, so Darcy was certain that it was not safe to go
nearer. He dropped down on the ground beside
Sadie, giving her a scratch behind the ear.
“Good girl, Sadie. It would have taken us longer to
find her if you had not led me here. Thank you, Girl.”
Darcy turned his attention towards the men coming
behind him. “Someone send to the stables for some
ropes, and have the wagon brought out here. And one
of you take care of Sadie. She will most likely refuse
to leave the area until Lady Elizabeth is brought up,
but the dog deserves to have her wounds tended.”
“Lady Elizabeth, can you hear me?”
here.”
difficult to move or take a deep breath.”
you. It will not be long now.”
Darcy smiled. Of course Elizabeth would be
worried for the dog. “Do not fret. She is here, and
waiting for you to join her. I have one of the men
tending her.”
“I was so worried for her.”
“And she is worried for you. She even came to
lead us to you. You have a devoted friend, Lady
Elizabeth. And she will always have a place of honor
with me for her devotion to you.”
Relief was obvious in her voice. “Thank you, Mr
Darcy. Did my father come with you? His health is
not good for riding horses.”
Mr Gardiner chuckled. “Lizzy, dearest girl, have
no fear. Your father is safely back at the house, with
Jane and your aunt. Miss Darcy is watching over all of
them. Let us worry about getting you out of the hole
and back to the house.”
Clearly hearing the fatigue in Elizabeth’s voice,
both of the men were concerned. Mr Gardiner
attempted to ease his fears. “Lizzy, you are weary. Do
not feel you need to speak. Conserve your energy for
now.”
reading me a story.”
“Soon, my dear girl. Very soon. Mr Darcy sent for
a wagon and ropes. We will have you out of the hole
and snugly tucked in your bed, with your father
sitting beside you and reading your favorite book to
you.”
has a copy of it in his vast library.”
borrow. As are all my books.”
Hearing what sounded like a wagon approaching,
Darcy stood up and looked around. Though it was
becoming dark outside, there was a full moon that
night. Darcy could see the wagon approaching, with
Mr Bennet and the physician.
down there soon to assist you. Have no fear.”
“Yes, Papa. And I promise to be a good girl and go
to sleep after you read me a story.” The voice from the
hole was sounding exhausted and it was obvious she
was becoming confused as to whom she was speaking.
“Stay with us, Lady Elizabeth. Your father has
brought the physician and supplies. I will be down to
you shortly.”
And then, there was silence. “Over here.” Darcy
shouted to the driver of the wagon, as he stood up,
waving his arms about. “Over here, quickly.”
The wagon arrived near where the horses were
tied, not wishing to move forward and risk falling
through the ground. Rope was thrown to Darcy and
Mr Gardiner. Darcy began to tie the rope to a tree
which was near the wagon and horses. Mr Gardiner
prepared the other end of the rope for Darcy to tie
around himself.
Once tied, Darcy was lowered into the hole. He
continued descending lower and lower, and as he did,
he feared as to how far Elizabeth had fallen. Perhaps
her soft voice was not from fatigue, but from distance.
And if she had fallen so far, the stone on top of her had
fallen the same distance. How much damage had it
done to her? These thoughts played over and over, as
Darcy traveled down the seemingly endless descent.
In reality, the distance was not as far as it seemed.
Ten feet was not a tremendous drop, but for Darcy, it
seemed more like one hundred feet.
When he reached the bottom of the hole, Darcy
had the men send down a lantern. He needed to be
able to see, and though the full moon was shining
brightly, in the hole, it was still quite dark.
