Netherfield Park Quarantined (22 page)

 

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As the carriages came to a stop in front of Longbourn, Mr Bennet, Jane
and Mr Bingley stepped from the house to welcome their guests. Seeing
Elizabeth, Jane came forward to embrace her sister. As she only had the use of
one arm, while her other was still splinted, Elizabeth wrapped her right arm
around her sister and held tightly to her.

After several moments, Mr Bennet insisted on his turn to hold his
daughter tightly. “My dear girl, are you well? I have been so worried for you.”
He stated as he felt tears beginning to well in his eyes. He held her dearly as
he continued to speak. “Your mother and the younger girls are with your Aunt
Gardiner. Your Aunt Phillips is here, in the parlor, waiting to see you.”

Tears were streaming down Elizabeth’s cheeks. “I feel so terrible, my
poor aunt. When I heard of Uncle’s murder, it made me ill. I wish I were not
responsible for his death.”

“Just speak with your aunt. She does not blame you for what happened.”
Mr Bennet placed a kiss on his favorite daughter’s cheek. “How long will you
all be here? Shall I assume you will be traveling to Kent in the near future?”

Elizabeth nodded her head. “We will leave here in the morning for Kent.
Lord and Lady Matlock will be remaining there for a fortnight, assisting Miss
de Bourgh in taking over her birthright. William and I will return here as soon
as we are finished confronting Lady Catherine and seeing that she is stopped
from her destruction.” Seeing the other members of their party approach,
Elizabeth wiped her tears and smiled. “Papa, Jane, Mr Bingley, I wish to
introduce to you my new sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, and William’s aunt and
uncle, Lord and Lady Matlock. Uncle Henry, Aunt Rebecca, and Georgie, this is
my father, Mr Thomas Bennet, my eldest sister, Miss Jane Bennet, and, of
course, Mr Charles Bingley, you all know. Papa, Lord and Lady Matlock’s
second son, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, will be coming here in the morning.
He diverted to London for their family physician, who will travel with
Richard.”

Mr Bennet welcomed his daughter’s new family to his home, and the
group entered the front door. Elizabeth hurried into the parlor, wishing to see
her aunt. Mrs Phillips stood as the party entered the room, and moments
later, she was engulfed in her niece’s embrace.

“There, there, calm yourself.” Mrs Phillips said as Elizabeth sobbed.
Patting her niece on the back, she continued. “Your uncle loved you so very
much. He was so proud of you, and pleased to see you married to such a
wonderful man.”

“It is my fault Uncle was killed.” Elizabeth said between sobs.

“No, my dear girl, it was not your fault. It was the fault of the evil ones
who meant to cause you and your husband harm. The men who killed your
uncle have been taken into custody, and the people behind them, the ones
who hired them, will be dealt with soon enough.”

“I was heartbroken to learn of the murder. Uncle was so dear to me.”

Mrs Phillips smiled. “As your godfather, your uncle was very pleased to
be a part of your life. He was thrilled to see you married to Mr Darcy, and that
your marriage is a love match. And I know he is in heaven, watching over us,
and is grateful for your recovery.”

Elizabeth pulled back from her aunt and wiped her eyes with a
handkerchief. “Aunt, you have met my husband, William, but you have not
had the opportunity to meet my new sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, and
William’s aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Matlock. Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Henry,
Georgiana, this is my Aunt Phillips. She is my mother’s sister.”

Darcy stepped closer to Mrs Phillips. “I cannot begin to tell you how
saddened I was to learn of the death of your husband. He was a good man,
and I respected him greatly. Please know that if you need anything, Elizabeth
and I will be more than pleased to be at your service.”

“Thank you, Mr Darcy. And please, you must call me Aunt Phillips as
well.”

 

Smiling, Darcy nodded. “And you must refer to me as William.”

Lord Matlock stepped forward, holding out his hand to Mrs Phillips.
“Madame, it is an honor to meet you. William and Elizabeth have spoken
highly of you and your husband. Please accept my deepest condolences for
your loss.”

“Lord Matlock, I am grateful for your words. My husband was a fine
man, and he thought highly of your nephew, especially his choice of a wife.”
Mrs Phillips smiled and patted her niece’s shoulder.”

“Mrs Phillips, I know my sister is responsible for the men coming to
your husband’s business, and I know they were the ones who killed Mr
Phillips. I promise you this, my sister will pay for what she has done.”

Mrs Phillips nodded her head. “All I wish is to see the people
responsible never be able to cause harm to anyone else. I do not wish for
anyone else to endure such suffering as I have from losing my dear husband.”
“I completely understand.” Lady Matlock stated as she stepped forward

to meet Mrs Phillips. “Now, our niece has told me your great love of flowers. I
must ask your opinion on several varieties which I had thought of having
planted in my flowerbeds.”

Elizabeth smiled as she realized Lady Matlock’s manner of changing the
subject to lighten the mood. It did not take much to convince Mrs Phillips to
speak of her flowers, and the two ladies were soon lost in conversation. Mr
Bennet invited the men to his study, while Jane and Elizabeth went outside to
the garden to visit.

Sitting beside her sister, Jane took Elizabeth’s hand in hers. “Tell me the
truth, Lizzy, are you well? I can see your arm is bandaged, but are there any
other injuries or are you still ill?”

“My splint comes off in another two weeks, and then I will be completely
recovered. The fever is completely gone, the infection is cured, and the wound
is healed. So, I can honestly say, I am very well, indeed.”

“When we learned the truth, of how that man had abducted not only
Miss Darcy, but you as well, I was so frightened. And then, when Papa read
the letter telling what had happened, I thought I would swoon. Charles was so
attentive, and kept me from sinking into a melancholy.”

Elizabeth gave her sister’s hand a squeeze. “My poor Jane, you have
been forced to endure so much. Not only were you fearful for my safety, but
you were here when Uncle was killed, and then the attack against the house.
William told me it was you and Lydia who were taken hostage by the two men.
I am shaking, just thinking of what could have happened. And Mr Bingley, he
was so brave in rescuing you.”

Jane blushed. “Charles was so daring, though I was frightened for him
when it happened. And when I heard the pistol fire, I thought my heart would
stop. I was so grateful when I was finally able to come in the hall and see for
myself he was alive and unharmed. But Lizzy, there was so much damage
done. Lucas Lodge was horribly burned, as well as the barns at Netherfield.
And the Adams’ tenant house was destroyed. Fortunately, there were only
minor injuries, and the men who were missing were found and tended. Papa
and Charles were so angry at the men who caused all the problems. And,
when we learned they were the ones who killed Uncle Phillips, well, let me tell
you, it was the first time in my life I wished to cause harm to someone else. I
wished to wrap my hands around their throats and throttle both of them.”

“William stated one of the guards was injured. Was it bad?”

Jane shook her head. “No, Mr Denny is well. He was only grazed by the
bullet, fortunately. Mr Denny has been a great help to Papa and Charles. Mr
Darcy was wise to send such a man to assist us.”

“How are Mamma and our sisters? Lydia was not harmed, was she?”
Elizabeth asked.

“Frightened, but unharmed. I was pleased to see them journey to Town
to stay with Aunt Gardiner. And now, Lydia is being taught ways of doing
things for herself, even though she is blind. The teacher from the blind school
has been working with Lydia every day, and she is pleased with our sister’s
improvements.”

“Jane, this is wonderful news. I am so very pleased to hear this, for I
hated seeing Lydia wasting away, frightened of everything in the world.”
“Aunt Gardiner says it is joyous to watch Lydia learning how to do
things. Our little sister is regaining some of her courage.”

Elizabeth sighed in relief. “I have worried for Lydia, as I know she will
have a rough road without her courage. Now, I wish to hear about you. How
are you adapting to being betrothed?”

A look of delight flowed over Jane’s expression. “Oh, Lizzy, can one die
from being too happy? Charles is so charming and kind, he has been so
protective and attentive through all of the troubles. And the way my heart
seems to wish to beat so quickly that it almost leaps from my chest. When I
am with him, I cannot stop smiling, and when we are apart, all I do is think of
him.”

“My dear Jane, you are madly, deeply, head over heels in love with your
fiancé.” Elizabeth smiled. “I am so pleased to hear such news. You deserve to
be happy, and loved. Charles Bingley could not have chosen a more perfect
lady to love. You must promise to visit Pemberley often, for I insist on
teaching your children to play the pianoforte very poorly.”

“And you will have to visit our home often, as I will need to teach your
daughters how to stitch without sewing themselves into their project.” Both of
the sisters broke out laughing.

Hearing someone walking towards them, the sisters turned to see their
men coming to meet them. Darcy smiled as he spoke. “And what is so
humorous out here?”

“Jane was reminding me of when I was young and learning to stitch. I
ended up sewing my dress to the cloth I was stitching, as well as tangling my
fingers in the threads on the back. I had literally sewed myself to the fabric.”
Elizabeth had tears in her eyes as she laughed. “Thankfully, I have improved
over the years.”

“You should have seen Mamma’s face when she saw what Lizzy had
done. She tried to scold Lizzy, but she had a difficult time biting her lip to
keep from bursting out in laughter.”

Darcy chuckled. “That would be a sight to behold.” Assisting his wife to
stand, he wrapped his arms around her. “Dearest, shall we go upstairs to rest?
Your father has offered us a room here, and my aunt and uncle will be staying
in the dowager house. Georgiana will stay in the room which belongs to your
sister, Kitty.”

“I am fatigued.” Elizabeth said. “I would enjoy a nap and then enjoy a
delicious meal. Jane, Mr Bingley, we will visit more with you later.”

Jane and Bingley stood, hand in hand, watching their loved ones return
to the house. It was clear how deeply the Darcys loved each other. After all
that they had been through, it was a pleasure to see the young couple so
perfectly content.

The engaged couple took a stroll in the gardens before returning to the
house themselves. They entered the parlor to find Lady Matlock and Mrs
Phillips enjoying their chat.

“Ah, Jane, I was just telling Lady Matlock of your upcoming wedding. I
was pleased to see you choose the fabric you did for your wedding gown, as
the pale blue silk is so flattering for you.”

“I was so grateful for your opinions when we went to the dressmaker.
The gown Mamma wished for was nice, but the style you suggested was much
more to my tastes.”

“It was my pleasure to assist, my dear girl. You should show Lady
Matlock the sketch of the decorations which Kitty drew for you. Kitty has such
a talent for drawing.”

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Chapter 18

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was exhausted when he arrived at
Longbourn in the morning, having left quite early from London in the carriage
with Mr Williamson, the family physician from Town. Knowing his parents
and the Darcys would be wishing to be on their way as early as possible to
arrive at Rosings early in the day. When the carriage pulled to a stop in front
of Longbourn’s house, he was met by Darcy and Lord Matlock.

“Welcome, Richard, how was the trip from Town?” Lord Matlock
inquired.

 

“Dusty and bumpy. It does not matter how well sprung your carriage is,
some roads are horrible.” Richard nearly growled from his weariness.
“Mr Williamson, thank you for coming. I take it my son has informed you
of the situation.”

“Matlock, it is a joy to see you, though I wish it were under different
circumstances. I must admit, I am not shocked to hear what has been
happening with Catherine. I have believed for years that she was not well.
When she refused to allow me or my partner to examine Anne, to see if she
can improve her own daughter’s well-being, there is something wrong with
her.”

“Are you saying, my sister actually refused to allow you to examine my
niece?” Lord Matlock was shocked.

“Indeed. When Catherine and Anne were in London, not long ago, I
asked her to bring Anne to see me. From what you had spoken of, I felt I might
be able to offer some treatments to aid Anne.”

“Why in the world would Lady Catherine refuse to allow such for her
daughter?” Darcy asked as he joined the other men.

“She is afraid of Anne’s health improving and being able to take charge
of her inheritance.” Lord Matlock stated as he shook his head. “Of all the
selfish behaviors, that is the worst. To keep her daughter frail and fragile so
you can control their home, staff and funds, shows my sister is ill in her mind.”

“Come in and have something to eat, before we head off to Rosings.”
Darcy motioned towards the house. “The ladies will be ready momentarily,
which will give you time to enjoy some of the delicious pastries the cook has
prepared for us.”

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Once everyone was fed and ready to travel, the two carriages were
loaded. Lord and Lady Matlock and Mr Williamson climbed into the first
carriage, with Darcy, Elizabeth and Richard loaded into the second one. The
coming confrontation was making everyone tense. Darcy and Richard were
furious with their aunt, and wished to throttle her rather than speak with her.
Darcy was also concerned with Elizabeth’s participation, as he wished to
protect her.