Chapter Four

"Oh, my dearest, sweetest, most loving and loyal sister," cried Bingley tearfully, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for forgiving me so readily."

Once she had regained her composure, Caroline extricated herself from her brother and walked slowly towards Darcy who was still being cradled by Elizabeth.

"Excuse me," she said icily, "I wish to sit with my husband."

Elizabeth did not move. Darcy stared up at Caroline in mute horror and flinched as she leant forward to stroke his cheek.

"Get away from him. He does not want you near," hissed Elizabeth.

Caroline spun round to her brother, "You see? You see what I have to endure? The coldness! I, his wife, am not even allowed near him to comfort him in his hour of need! Do you blame me for resorting to love potions?" she pulled a small green glass bottle from her dressing gown pocket and waved it angrily at her brother. "But now all is well, now that I know it is not a love potion but a deadly poison then I shall drink my fill and have done with this cruel world!"

Caroline uncorked the bottle and was about to drink from it when Jane and Bingley pounced upon her.

"Dearest sister, no! You must not think of doing such a wicked thing," cried Bingley.

"You are distraught and exhausted by the night's events," said Jane. "Come to bed. I shall get Higginsbottom to make you a draught and I will sit with you until you sleep."

"But what of my dear Darcy?" said Caroline nervously. "I must look after my precious husband. What if he should recover the power of speech and be awake half the night talking paranoid and delusional nonsense? I'm sure I heard Miss Medici say that one of the unfortunate side effects of this drug is talking absolute rot for a good few days afterwards. It should be me who is forced to listen to all that. Nobody else should be so inconvenienced."

"Dearest Caroline, always thinking of the comfort of others. Try to calm yourself," soothed Jane. "Of course you want to look after your husband, as any loving wife would but you are not well. You have had a great shock. Let Elizabeth look after Darcy tonight. She will be very caring and attentive and I am sure will not mind one jot if he keeps her awake half the night."

"But..." began Caroline.

But Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right. Elizabeth allowed herself a bitter smile as a protesting Caroline was escorted from the library.

Darcy awoke from a troubled sleep on the sofa in the library to find Elizabeth tenderly dabbing a cool flannel to his forehead. Upon sight of Elizabeth he immediately relaxed and a single tear of gratitude rolled slowly down his cheek. He slowly mouthed the words "love you" and then it was the turn of Elizabeth to cry.

There was a knock at the door and a concerned Bingley poked his head round.

"How's he doing?"

Elizabeth smiled through her tears. "He's improving."

"Oh good, because Caroline is frantic to see him," and with that the door burst open and Caroline marched in.

"Good morning, my dearest husband. You grow stronger I trust."

Darcy stiffened and refused to look his wife in the eye. Instead he looked at Elizabeth and mouthed the word "Bingley".

"He wants to talk to you," said Elizabeth.

Bingley rushed over to his friend and knelt beside him, "What is it dear fellow?"

Darcy mouthed, "Annulment. I want an annulment."

"Unguent? You want an unguent? Well, of course old boy, you shall have one. Now what sort do you want? I believe Higginsbottom makes three types: goose fat and vinegar (good for clearing up the pox, not that I'd know)," Bingley winked, "beeswax and honey, not sure what that's good for apart from attracting bee. I got stung somewhere very private last time I was trying to rid of my piles with that one. Or last but not least there's beef dripping and mashed potato, again, I'm not what that's good for but I can vouch for it tasting very nice."

"He said 'annulment'," said Elizabeth.

"Oh annulment," said Bingley and then his eyes widened in shock, "Annulment?"

"No, I'm very sure it was 'unguent'," said Caroline.

"It was annulment and you know it," snapped Elizabeth.

"But there must be some mistake. Darcy, my dear friend, you cannot know what you say. Your mind is in a state of unbalance from the poison..."

Darcy shook his head vehemently and with the last vestiges of his energy weakly croaked, "I've. Never. Touched. Her."

"Well, I should hope not!" cried Caroline, "And why should you want to touch such a horrid little poor country thing such as Elizabeth Bennet when you have me?"

"He's talking about you!" cried Elizabeth. "He wants an annulment from you and well you know it!"

"I say!" said Bingley and then when he had recovered sufficiently he turned to his sister, "Is it true that Darcy never...lay with you?"

Caroline breathed in deeply, stood perfectly erect and pointed her nose in the air, "I should say not!"

"Liar!" cried Elizabeth.

"I am not lying. And I can prove it."

"How?" asked Elizabeth.

Caroline smiled sweetly, "Why, I am with child, of course."