Chapter 25

Collins had awakened early that same morning determined to make his move. It was already Wednesday and he would be leaving in a few days. He knew he could not do so without first securing Elizabeth for himself. While he was relieved to see that Mr. Darcy had paid little attention to her during his call the day before, the young Mr. Lucas obviously had set his sights on his target and Collins was not about to back away from his prize. In fact, all the Lucases seemed to view the match between Mr. Lucas and Elizabeth as a foregone conclusion and had casually made references to a considerable dowry during his time at Lucas Lodge. After acquiring Elizabeth, he would have to sit down with Bennet to make sure none of the estate funds were used towards the endowments.

But first, he had to get Elizabeth well away from the servants' and family's attentions. Being a fine day, he knew that she would try to escape from the house and he was determined that she would not escape him. From the bottom of his trunk, he pulled out a small knife. He vaguely had a notion that if she didn't cooperate, he could at least cut off her luxurious locks so that the society could plainly see that she was a fallen woman.

Without further thought, he slipped the knife inside his boot and opened the door. He acknowledged the servant manning the watchman's seat with pompous dignity before solemnly making his way downstairs. He continued through the house and was about to exit the front door when he heard Mr. Bennet call out, "Is that you Lizzy?"

With a mumbled expletive, he turned back and with a curt knock, opened the door and stepped onto the threshold. "Cousin Bennet, I did not realize you would be ensconced in your library so early in the morning."

Bennet quirked his brow and asked mildly, "hoping to make a quick getaway, were you? And pray, where are you off to on his fine day?"

Collins put on his best ingratiating smile before answering, "my dear cousin, surely you must be aware that this day marks the death of His Eminence, the Right Honourable Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal to the Church and Almoner to King Henry VIII?"

"I confess that I did not," Bennet replied in amusement and confusion.

"He is a personal hero of mine and I planned on going to Meryton's church to pray in his name. Also, Sir William was kind enough to bid me to return to Lucas Lodge at my earliest convenience so I thought I would go directly to the Lucases afterwards to break my fast." He paused than looked speculatively at his host. "But now that I have your ear, I wonder if I could have the use of a horse?"

Bennet stared intently at his guest. He wondered if he should assign a man to follow him. This was a break from the parson's routine so it was a bit worrisome, especially since he seemed to be sneaking out of the house, but then his destinations and the reasons for them were entirely plausible. Normally skilled at detecting lies and fabrications, he could not tell if Collins was dissembling or not. Collins certainly was babbling, but he was always verbose, preferring to use five words when one would suffice. Try as he would, Bennet couldn't tell if the sheen on his face he was sweat or oil. He certainly looked nervous with his tongue darting out but again that seemed normal for him. And other than his hair, which looked a few shades darker from the accumulation of dirt and oil, he looked much the same and as bad hygiene was not an indicator of falsehood, Bennet decided to take him at his word and let him go in peace. "I am afraid not. Lizzy has already claimed Nelly for her use and I am in need of my stallion to ride out with my steward later this morning, but I hope you have a pleasant day out."

Collins did his best to hide his annoyance at being denied the convenience of a ride but hastily made his exit. Knowing that Bennet was watching from his window, he proceeded down the drive until he was hidden from view, and then with a swiftness that belied his size, made a wide circle to the back of the property until he found a break in the hedges where he had a hidden but an unobstructed view of the house. He did not have long to wait before he spied Elizabeth strolling out the front door and into the barn. He was about to make his way closer when he saw Daniels exit from a side door and also head toward the barn. He silently screamed in frustration as he violently pulled at his hair. That drudge had been the most effective barrier to gaining private time with his intended during his whole visit and he wasn't going to let the domestic prevent him this morning. He felt for his knife and gained confidence.

It wasn't long before both of them reappeared atop horses and headed in his direction. He quickly ran behind the hedge and crouched to better prevent detection. From his awkward position on the ground, his frustration turned to anger as he realized that Bennet had again humiliated him by denying him a horse when the stupid servant was allowed one.

They passed by him at a smooth gait and as they entered the woods, he faintly heard the words "Mr. Darcy" and "Oakham Mount." Was the harlot on her way to a secret rendezvous with the Mr. Darcy? He had only to recall the images from the waltz to confirm the likelihood of his assertion. They were going to consummate or continue their illicit affair in the open air of a summit! He looked up at the dominant landmark before hurrying to follow their trail. Even if he had to fight through the guard, he was going to stop this travesty before it went any further.

As he made his way through the wooded trail, he cursed again the indignity of having to make his way on foot while the others had the benefit of a horse. The riders were long gone and it seemed like he was walking for miles. At one point, he had to double back because he had taken the wrong path when the trail had split. He had long lost his original speed as the trail continued to wind back and forth while it slowly rose higher up the hillside. He took comfort in knowing that before the day was through, those who had a hand in his abasement would pay dearly. He knew he was strong enough to beat the lame-legged server especially with a knife in hand. He certainly was man enough to overpower the seductress. All thoughts of mercy flew out of his mind as he trudged up the noticeably steeper incline. He would make sure she felt the full impact of his command and judgment. Then after he dragged her fallen state in front of her father, Bennet would finally feel the consequences of his shameful and grievous acts against him.

Collins stopped in his tracks when he thought of Mr. Darcy. Hopefully, he could reach them in time to appeal to the righteous man's sense of fairness and he would hand her to him with his blessings. Otherwise, he could only hope that their assignation was short-lived in duration and that he was well away when Collins caught up with her. Either way, he could easily absolve the eminent man of blame for not being able to resist such a practiced seductress.

These were all the thoughts screaming within his ears when he saw Elizabeth, alone and on horseback, making her way down the winding trail. He hid amongst the underbrush until she was almost beside him then he leapt up, reaching for the reins to bring the horse to a halt. He then grabbed the rider by her left upper-arm and waist, and jerked her off her mount and onto the ground. He stared down at her in triumph as she raised her tearstained face to his. Finally, he had her!

Elizabeth was stunned to find herself on the ground and looking up into the face of the parson. She was just registering his malevolent look when he pulled the arm that he had just tugged downward, violently upwards. She cried out in pain as she heard a knuckle popping sound and felt her shoulder dislocate. She tried to call out to Mr. Collins to find out why he had accosted her but she could only yell out the first half of his name before he clamped a large clammy palm over her mouth. She froze as a pungent musk permeated from his hand and assailed her senses until the greasy appendage slipped on her tear-moistened face to cover her nose too. She struggled to breathe and finally managed to tilt her head back far enough to find air.

Collins used her immobility to firmly plant himself behind her by wrapping his other arm around her waist with her back to his front. He used the force of his body to push her through the scrub and trees, and off the trail. It was all she could do to stay on her feet while she was propelled onward. Her left shoulder throbbed in pain so she used her right hand to hold up her limp arm and to lessen the jolting to her shoulder. Luckily, Collins removed his hand from her mouth to shield both their faces from the branches that assaulted them as they pushed through.

Elizabeth took this opportunity to reason with him. "Mr. Collins, please. Let us go back to the horse and together return to Longbourn and discuss whatever it is that is on your mind." She received no answer so she continued. "I think I dislocated my shoulders and I need help. I know you did not intend to cause me injury. Can we not get it seen to?" She sustained this course of appeal trying to keep her voice as calm and soothing as possible. She didn't know why he had accosted her or what he wanted but he had clearly become unhinged in the mind and she tried to talk him back to his senses.

Elizabeth couldn't know just how much Collins was teetering between reality and fantasy. He was aware enough to realize that Daniels was somewhere close and that he had to get them both away by losing themselves in the woods. But the longer he remained behind her with the feel of her firm and full backside rubbing against his thighs, his arm against her taut midsection, and her intoxicating scent filling his nose, the more he was lost to his fantasies as past images of her allure further encouraged him. He didn't even hear her words, only reveled in the sound of her pleading voice. All five of his senses were registering an invitation from Elizabeth to finally take his pleasure from her.

When they reached a small grassy clearing, Collins eagerly determined that it was the ideal place to carry out his judgment. He came to a stop at the center of his newfound sanctum and started speaking.

"Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life. But the more I came to observe you, the more I became an unwitting witness to your manifold violations against God and Man. First, you have used your wicked arts and charms to bewitch the men around you to fall into your power and blind them to your multiple sins. Second, you strove to divert the venerated Mr. Darcy from his destiny of joining with the House of de Bourgh in Holy Matrimony. Third, you defied the norms of society by appearing in deviant and inappropriately revealing articles of clothing and by choosing to ride about like a man."

At first, Elizabeth was relieved that Collins was finally talking. His nonresponse to all her pleas had unnerved her. But when she registered his first statement, she grew alarmed that he intended her to be his wife. She could not fathom anything else more repulsive. An when he started listing her 'violations,' she felt only confusion as his words made no sense to her, until he got to the third charge where she felt pangs of guilt.

Collins wanted to present his charges and pronounce his verdict in an unemotional, judicious manner but his excitement made his voice higher-pitched and rushed. By the time he got to his last sentence, the images of her wanton ways were so stimulating that his voice broke and he grew impatient to carry out her penance. Rather than calmly pronouncing them and eliciting an admission of guilt as he had in the past, he allowed his hands the liberty to explore her body before propelling her to the ground.

Elizabeth could also feel his excitement and impatience. When she felt his hands on her, she tried to yell no but her legs gave out when Mr. Collins push his knees to the back of hers. She landed hard on the ground and her torso fell forward. She tried to protect her injured shoulder and break her fall by bracing out her right elbow but the force snapped her head against a rock jutting out of the earth. Elizabeth laid in a daze as tears streamed out of her eyes and pin lights appeared under her lids. She became aware of Collins towering down unto her back and with his scratchy chapped lips against the side of her face, she heard him rasp, "get used to this prostrate position, temptress, for this is how you will often receive your due from your master and savior.

Before she could register his words, she heard a different shout of warning and felt his weight lift off her. She scurried backwards and sat up in time to see Daniels and Collins grappling on the ground. She quickly got up and backed away until she felt a tree at her back. Both combatants were landing heavy blows and emitting occasional grunts of pain. She wasn't about to run away in case Daniels needed her but she didn't know what she could do to help. She had her sling but it was still wound around her wrist and without the use of her left arm, she wouldn't be able to remove it or load the stone in. She felt for her stone pouch even as she thought to look for a stick or some other weapon. Elizabeth watched in horror as Collins kicked hard at Daniels' damaged leg incapacitating him. It turned to terror as the pastor used the few seconds of advantage to take out a knife and slash out. The short blade sliced through Daniels' forearm and when the madman raised his knifed hand up over the other's chest, she instinctively pulled out her pouch by its closure and hurled it towards Collins with all her might. The hard weighted bag struck Collins in the head knocking him out as he fell backwards from the force. Daniels grabbed the dropped knife and made sure the maniac wasn't going to wake anytime soon before he slowly rose and limped over to Elizabeth.

"You are hurt!" he cried as he noticed the blood seeping down her face.

"Yes, I seemed to have dislocated my shoulder," she admitted.

"But your head?"

Elizabeth remembered the pain in her head and gingerly raising her hand to the tender spot. She felt the slipperiness of blood and grew dizzy. "I must have hit something when he threw me down."

Daniels felt the urge to return to Collins' inert body and make his unconsciousness permanent but he forced himself to calm enough to provide gentle support to her swaying frame and said instead, "please Miss, we must get you back so we can see to your injuries. I have a feeling that Mr. Darcy is aware that something is amiss. I left our two horses right where I thought you had broken off the trail."

Indeed, if Daniels had felt no small amount of panic when he spied the riderless horse standing placidly in the middle of the path, he did not know how his employer would react when he came across two such horses. It had taken Daniels awhile to double back and find the clues to where Elizabeth had disappeared. But when he saw a large set of bootprints intermingled with her smaller ones by the broken twigs, he hastened his steps while searching out the other clues of their direction.

And then when he entered the clearing to see the detestable parson crouched over the slender form of his young miss, Daniels went into battle mode. As a surge of adrenaline shot through him, he bodily lifted and threw the big man away from his victim only to have the assailant spring up and charge him. He was surprised at the dirty but skilled fighting tactics of his opponent. But Daniels was a seasoned soldier and he fought valiantly back when Collins landed an impressive kick right at the center of his old leg wound. He felt momentarily crippled and was glad his arm was there to defend against the first knife strike but when he saw the knife poised above him, he knew that the second would be more deadly. It took him a little longer to realize that instead of a knife to the heart, he witnessed the murderous man fall back as a large object struck him square in the face. Seeing the familiar pattern of her stone pouch, he fleetingly thought that she was making a habit of saving lives.

They weren't long on the return trail when she presented all the symptoms of fainting. Daniels knew that with a head injury, it was better to stay awake so he did his best to revive her. He was gently calling out her name and doing his best to support her on his shoulders while patting her back, when Mr. Darcy discovered them.

Darcy took in the sight of her bloodied head and her prone form and instantly recalling another treasured female in a similar state, he froze in terror. This was the image from his nightmares only her blond hair was transformed to a deep amber brown. He was lost to a feeling of helplessness and despair. It was not until Sanders shook him by his arms that he came back to awareness.

"What happened?" he asked immediately.

Not knowing if Darcy was referring to his trance or the Miss, Daniels stepped up to explain, "Miss Elizabeth was taken off her horse and kidnapped by Mr. Collins. I was not able to catch up with them until after he had brought her to a clearing just a few minutes behind us. She received a wound to the head and a dislocated shoulder from her time with him. It's best sir if we get help as soon as possible."

"And what about Collins?"

"We left him unconscious in that same clearing."

Not able to even look at Elizabeth in her weakened state, he ordered, "you and Sanders get her back to the horses and I will deal with the parson." With that, Darcy pushed forward as rage built with every step.

Daniels quickly indicated that he was good to carry the unconscious lady back but that Sanders should follow Darcy. He didn't miss the rage in his master's eyes.

Darcy found Collins sitting on a patch of grass with an almost blank look on his face. If it wasn't for his bloodied broken nose and scuffed clothing, he could've been waking from a placid nap in the woods. At the sight of Mr. Darcy, Collins scrambled up to his feet and with a deep bow uttered, "Oh Mr. Darcy, you do me a great honour sir."

Darcy was confused at his greeting; he could only stare at the parson as he smiled at him in the same sycophantic manner as he had always had. After a minute, Darcy coldly asked, "why did you take Miss Elizabeth? What did you do to her?"

Collins answered his queries enthusiastically with his own, "have you seen my intended? Is she not lovely? I wonder where she has got to? She should be by my side to properly greet you but I seemed to have misplaced her?"

His tranquil manner, along with his words, was so eerie that Darcy stepped back before he answered, "I believe she is with Daniels, the footman."

At the mention of the servant, the benign mien instantly changed to one of anger and frustration. Collins started pulling at his hair while pacing about the small enclosure. "Who is he to keep her from me? She is mine..." but it quickly led to a fast spoken tirade that was almost verbatim of his thoughts from the hours after the ball. Darcy listened in horror at the repulsive words that spewed out of his mouth: Jezebel, copulation, punishment, subjugate, Delilah, were just some of the words that hit him and not willing to listen to another syllable, Darcy slapped Collins across the mouth as he yelled at him to shut it.

Collins looked at Darcy in surprise but dared not strike him back. As he rubbed at his jaw, he attempted to placate the older man. "I meant no offense, sir. I am willing to lend her to you once she is properly repentant and docile and maybe impregnated by me, not that there is anything wrong with your seed, of course." The words coming out of his mouth were of such a disjointed and offensive nature that Darcy threw a punch that sent Collins to the ground.

"I know not if you are truly insane or just attempting to escape a hanging by acting like it but I do not want to hear another word out of you Mr. Collins."

"Insane? Collins uttered from his place on the ground. "How can you say such a thing, Mr. Darcy? I acted only at the Will of God. Not only will I save you but Elizabeth as well. She will require much penance of course, but with my firm hand, her continued suffering will eventually bring about her salvation."

Darcy couldn't listen to any more. It seemed futile trying to get accurate answers from him. Instead he turned to Sanders who was quietly standing guard behind him. "I need to see to Elizabeth. Will you be alright bringing him back to Netherfield on your own?"

Sanders nodded as he pulled open a pouch of emergency items he always carried with him, and extracted a coil of twine. "I believe there's enough here that I can secure his hands. He's taken quite a beating already so it should not be a problem to keep him docile, Sir."

"Good, I will be going to Longbourn but I will send word to the other men to look out for you coming from this direction. Be careful with him." With that, he walked briskly along the way he had come and had gone only a few steps when he heard scuffling sounds from back at the clearing. When he returned to see if he was needed, he saw that Sanders had his captive face first on the ground and was securing his hands from behind. Relieved, he turned and ran towards Elizabeth's direction.

Witnessing the parson's insanity brought home his need to get control of his own mind. Right now Elizabeth required his care. She was hurt and unconscious. He needed to revive her and get her fit enough to return to Longbourn. He regretted not taking Sanders' emergency pouch; he knew there were rolls of cloth that would come in handy but he didn't want to return for it. Darcy unconsciously rubbed his hands against his pants where his flesh had made contact with Collins. After hearing all the terrifying and disgusting things that the beast had said of her and proposed for her future, Darcy wanted nothing more than to make sure she made a full recovery and to ensure that no other such person could come near her again.

Darcy reached the horses just as Daniels was attempting to lower Elizabeth beside a boulder a little ways up the trail. He quickly divested himself of his outer coat as he called out an order to wait and ran up the meet them. After first laying his coat on the ground and against the rock, he helped Daniels do the same with Elizabeth. He made sure his coat was folded up around her before examining the source of the blood that had dried down the right side of her face. The gash was not deep and the blood flow had mostly stopped but he could feel the lump underneath. He removed his neck cloth and gently wrapped it around her head, centered on the gash. Darcy then stood and asked Daniels to help him remove his tight riding jacket and waistcoat before pulling his lawn shirt off his head, then quickly returned into his vest and jacket.

The whole time he was performing his acts of care and first aid, Darcy kept up a steady dialogue, addressing Miss Elizabeth by name often, asking if she could hear him, then proceeding to tell her what he was doing and why. It was not until he was buttoning up his jacket when he heard her small voice respond with, "I'm not sure whether or not to be glad that I have only two injuries, Mr. Darcy. Any more and you would not have a piece a clothing into which to return."