Chapter 37
Elizabeth opened her eyes and felt she was in a world of sweets.
Inside the elaborate palace of gold, trimmings of white, silver, blue, pink, red, green, purple, which represented royalty, an orange color which symbolized listening, she hear the stirrings of the orchestra and a deep, masculine voice next her say,
"I've brought you here to share in my kingdom as my token of thanks for breaking the spell and being with me throughout all that has occurred between us, my love,"
When she peered up, she beheld the face of a handsome soldier, who seemed to possess the one of her husband, and he leaned forward and when she saw what he was wearing, she gasped when he was wearing a soldier's outfit, one which was used after the success of a battle and victory had conquered. She could smell the fragrance of the aroma of what seemed to feel like sugar plums and treats of the most delicious kind and she smiled when he leaned in and whispered.
"Elizabeth?"
Fredrick hulled in the crate and placed it on the couch gently.
He knew exactly what the other servants were thinking as he wiped his brow as a voice spoke.
"It arrived and here it is! Just as Father had said he would send it!"
Shaking his head, Fredrick placed his hands on his hips as he answered.
"And we'd best make sure that it's hidden because if I know anything, papa would have instructed me to do something with it right away and it's the answer to what's been happening since the two were married!"
"To think that they've struggled with their relationship because of what his papa wished for him to know but he wasn't able when…"
Fredrick noticed that she pressed her lips together so he made his way over to her.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, the maid was of much older age than himself with grey hair, Fredrick soothed,
"He wasn't able to alert my father when he met his fate."
He swallowed when he remembered how Oliver had done the heinous act of murdering Mariah and his throat twisted in anger when he remembered what else his papa had told him about and how he was to play a part in what was to come. He knew that the two weren't at all prepared for the attack but he knew that if he didn't inform her about it, she never would figure out exactly why the arranged marriage had happened, why no questions were to be asked, how the two had been merely strangers to each other and married anyway!
Just when he thought he was able to hide the crate, suddenly a voice cried from the top of the stairs,
"Someone help! It's Fitzwilliam!"
The door slammed against the wood with a bang.
Fitzwilliam heard voices around him and he couldn't seem to figure out what was happening. He felt someone shake him and then a voice cry out.
"Fredrick?! Whatever happened earlier?"
"Elizabeth?!"
"Yes, what?!"
"Do as I instruct you and don't speak a word to anyone; not even to the servants."
Fitzwilliam wished they would keep their mouths shut. Something was making him lose his mind. Or was it their voices? He knew two of them: were his wife and brother in law, Fredrick.
"I don't believe that's possible to hide it anymore, Fredrick," another voice spoke.
What?
Fitzwilliam was tormented and he shook his head back and forth.
"I'm afraid that we can't keep it concealed anymore and he's become desperate."
"Not to mention impatient."
"And you've known about it since you announced that you were her brother."
"And don't give me a headache because of the commotion."
"The two leaders will come together and there's going to be a battle and I'm afraid, Elizabeth? You've been left in the dark for the longest time as well as your husband."
"But that doesn't explain why…"
There was a muted silence and for a moment, Fitzwilliam heard nothing. Something wasn't allowing him to open his eyes and he struggled to lift his eye lids. What was happening, he wondered.
"Elizabeth?"
"Yes?"
"It's time you learned the truth behind your marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy."
Elizabeth fell into her uncle's arms and she wept.
She could feel his soothing comfort as his arms rubbed her back, touching her with such love she never could have imagined how she could live without him but when she heard his voice, and it was deep and masculine.
"Be at peace, my dearest Elizabeth; everything's going to be fine and you've learned the truth behind all of this."
She blinked and her throat twisted when the doctor was allowed to walk upstairs where her husband lay. She then started to pray as her uncle continued.
"Now you know why the two of you were meant to marry with no questions asked."
Her heart was beating and she swallowed before she gathered herself together and rolling her shoulders back, she asked,
"And papa and mama are still alive?"
"Yes and I've seen the two of them, though your mother wishes she could be here but it was because of the plot which bothered her and it was Oliver who had frightened the two out of here,"
"Leaving the two of you alone to figure out how to find your concealed inheritance."
Fredrick's voice spoke.
Elizabeth turned and met her brother's eyes. His tall, masculine figure was standing in the doorway of the living room and he nodded when his uncle met his eyes. She knew that the doctor was upstairs with the patient and she prayed harder, hoping that Fitzwilliam would plow through it because she longed to have him be present with her when the concealed inheritance was revealed. Then a question entered her mind.
"Fredrick?"
Her brother raised his brows as he asked.
"Huh?"
"Why is it that you aren't inheriting?"
"Because he wasn't the first born, Elizabeth," her uncle answered.
"He was born after you were and your parents were surprised and thankful for their blessing but when Christophe's papa heard about it, he was happy for your father, but it didn't follow through with the plan to have the two of you arranged to get married and inherit this,"
Her uncle gestured over towards the crate which was still on the couch and Fredrick let out a little chuckle. Elizabeth glanced over and spotted the crate and her heart beat again; it was the painting of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which was found in the piano the month before when she and Fitzwilliam had discovered inside. And Fitzwilliam was the one who figured it out with her help!
But after what her uncle and brother had explained to her, she was piecing together the why, how, and when questions because they were joining together, like a finished puzzle with all the pieces with it. She was still in her uncle's arms when she asked.
"So… he'll be coming tonight, no doubt?"
"You guessed it correctly, Elizabeth," her uncle answered and his hands touched her back again but softly and gently. She felt him rub her as he finished,
"And you'd best keep your prayers soaring to the sky because if I know how he operates, this little red flag was another one of his distractions to lure the two of you into having the painting arrive so that he can have it set in place and then the room will be revealed."
"This sounds more frightening than it does enthralling to know about the concealed inheritance, uncle."
"Yes, I know, but eventually, the truth had to be brought to the light, sweetie."
"Will Fitzwilliam be able to accept this after the doctor examines him? And what about?"
She swallowed and a cold chill ran down her spine. She couldn't believe that her family's butler, Oliver, had betrayed their family, the man she'd grown up beside and even looked up to as a second father, had turned his back on them for the sake of the knowledge of her inheritance and the only other person who knew about it were her brother and uncle. Elizabeth knew that she had to be strong when the time arrived and she also knew that being frightened was the last thing that she needed but in this moment, she started to shake a little, but her uncle's arm reassured her that she would fine.
Then they heard footsteps on the stairs and voices speaking.
Elizabeth swallowed when all three glanced up and watched as the figure of the doctor stepped off from the second floor, made his way towards the living room, and when he met their eyes, he turned from one person to another. The last one he stared at was Elizabeth and she felt her throat dry up.
After a moment, his face turned into a smile as he announced.
"He's fine."
Elizabeth's heart gave a cry of relief of happiness and gratitude!
"The painting's there and everything's ready, Henry," Oliver's voice spoke.
"And the fortune will be mine before anyone else knows it!" Henry's voice exclaimed in response. He felt his heart leap and race a thousand times faster than it ever had before and he was pleased with his two comrades, who were waiting outside, and he knew that their reward would be worth it from what they had accomplished the other night. He smirked to himself as he said,
"Oliver? Don't you suppose that those two deserve their treasure as much as I do?"
"I wouldn't object that they wouldn't oppose," Oliver replied as he continued to place his jacket on. It was a thick one and the density was hard for someone like him because he was as thin as a stick. But Henry didn't say a thing as he finished what he was doing. He could hear the other men outside and the horses hitting the ground in impatience. He couldn't blame them; he knew where they wished to go but he had to finish gathering his tools which would be used for that night's attack. He smiled as he finished.
"Well… what are we standing around here for?"
"Took the words out of my mouth, Henry," Oliver's voice answered and the two men exited and soon were mounted on their horses and with the others behind them, they all galloped out of town and in the direction of Hawkswood Manor.