Chapter 20

Pushing his horse faster along the lane, he felt his body come alive the closer he got to his home and wife. He had not seen her in almost a month being away on business with the militia. Giving the horse his head when they reached the fork in the road, he saw the house come into view and gave a war whoop. He was so close to seeing her face. Pulling the horse to a sudden stop in front of the door, he jumped out of the saddle and raced up the path. Grabbing the knob, it turned efforteslly under his hand. "I am home Mary!" he announced as he searched the house. She was not in the parlor nor the sunroom. Becoming frantic in his searching when he did not find her in the library, kitchen, or their bedchambers; he stopped in front of the last door on the second level. Where did this door come from? He did not remember it being there when he had went away. Pressing his ear against the hardwood, he faintly picked up the sound of a woman humming a tune.

Opening the door slowly, he gasped when he found his wife sitting in a rocking chair holding a baby. "Mary?"

"Oh Michael! I am so glad you are home. Come and meet your son?" she said as she motioned him closer.

Lifting up his foot to move, he glanced down in panic when he could not move. Why can I not walk? I just ran all the way in here! His mind screamed as he tried to lift his leg again. "Do you not want to see your son?" his wife asked again as she continued to stare at him.

"I can not move. I can not move my legs," he yelled in a blind panic. He glanced up and noticed she was waving him over again.

"Come to me Michael. Come to me," she whispered softer and softer.

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"When do you think he will awake doctor? It has been a week," Colonel Fitzwilliam asked the doctor on call as he glanced back down to look at his fellow comrade and future brother in law.

Slowly closing his medical bag, Doctor Jacobs regarded his patient. "Head wounds are a nasty business. Every case that I have seen is always different. The patient could wake a couple hours after the knock on the head or it could be a couple of days or even a couple of weeks. His body went through a great trauma and it needs time to heal itself." Shifting his attention down the length of the mans body, his gaze came to rest of the mangled leg. They had managed to put a splint on it, but with the way it was broken he would always walk with a limp. Lieutenant Lucas would have to give up his commission to the army. "Keep an eye on his leg for any signs of infection Colonel. I will be back in a few days time."

"I will walk you out," Richard said as both men heading towards the door to the little cottage they were staying in. Watching the doctor ride off on his horse, he leaned against the door frame and sighed. There was no way to get word home of Michael's condition; they were just too far from their home country.

Standing their taking in the setting sun, his thoughts often drifted to that day. They had decided on the best strategy to surprise their opponents and everything was going well. The front lines had quickly knocked down their opponents numbers but then suddenly hundreds more men with guns came over the hill and started cutting down his men. He had yelled at the men on horseback to race ahead and try and cut some of them down, but he had stared in astonishment as the horses went down with his men.

Jumping into the saddle, Richard raced out to help, but not much could be done. After about an hour of battle, he yelled for his men to fall back so he could see how much damage was done. About half of the men came back when he realized that Michael was missing. Asking a couple of men who he had noticed earlier where near Michael and his horse, Richard raced back out to the open battle field to find him. No one would ever forgive him if he did not bring Michael back home. A few minutes of searching and Richard soon found him crushed under his horse. Checking for a pulse he breathed a sigh of relief when he felt one. It was weak but it was there.

They spent the next hour getting the horse off his body and transported him back to the tents. A doctor was soon called, words exchanged, and he was all patched up.

Shaking his head to clear the disturbing memories, Richard pushed off the doorframe and headed towards the stables. He needed a ride on a fast horse to clear his head and figure out what to do.

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Mary stared at the closed parlor door and wondered what kind of discussion could be happening between her father and their cousin Mr. Collins who had just arrived that morning. Mr. Bennet had failed to mention to any of daughters or his wife that they were to receive a visitor that morning to Loughborn. Mr. Collins had arrived in a very fine couch and demanded an audience with her father right away. Mary and her sisters had been in the parlor when the commotion had brought them all running out into the hall to see what the fuss was about. Once they saw the gentleman who their father was talking to, Elizabeth had quickly whispered to her sisters that they should head out to the garden to pick some flowers for the dining table.

Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to head up to her bedroom when the door swung open and a short, pudgy gentleman walked out in a huff. He scowled in her direction before quickly walking out the front door. Turning her attention away from the man who had not even been in their home for more than an hour, she found her father sagging against the doorframe. Rushing to him she touched his arm. "Are you alright Papa? Do you need me to get you a drink?"

Patting her daughters arm, he gave her a little half smile. "I will be fine in a few minutes Mary. That was your cousin Mr. William Collins. When I pass away, he will inherit the estate since you and your sisters do not have any brothers. He also was told that he could marry any of my daughters that he chose."

Mary gasped at his last sentence. "He wanted to marry one of us without a courtship? What did you tell him Papa?"

Walking to his study, Mr. Bennet glanced over his shoulder at his middle daughter. "I told Mr. Collins that the only way he would be allowed to marry one of my daughters was when I was cold in my grave," his voiced turned to ice with each word. Opening the study door he walked in and softly closed it as he left Mary standing their gaping at him.

"Mary, are you okay?" A soft voice asked behind her.

Turning around, she found Kitty standing at the bottom of the stairs. She had not heard her come down while talking to her father. Giving Kitty a small smile, she reassured her that she was fine just had a mindful of thoughts. "Would you like to take a turn about the garden with me? I could use some fresh air again."

"Yes I would," Kitty said and soon both girls were giggling as they ran out the kitchen door. Linking arms with her sister, Kitty asked, "Do you miss Mr. Lucas?"

Staring straight ahead, a wistful gaze overtook Mary's face. "He has been gone almost four months and I am starting to wonder when he will come home. Letters take a long time to travel across the ocean and they are very sporadic when they show up. I pray every night that he and Colonel Fitzwilliam are safe and will make it home together. How is your painting coming along?" she asked hoping to change the subject.

Grinning Kitty started to tell her sister all of the paintings that she was currently working on and the ones that she hoped to complete soon so she could show her sisters. They spent the next couple of hours talking of subjects to paint and if Kitty would gift one to each sister when she married.