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Dear Readers: This novel does contain references to rape and abuse. I understand that these are sensitive topics, and I would not wish for any reader to suffer as a result of coming across these references without warning.
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Chapter 26
Back to Hertfordshire….
It has been just over a week had passed since William, Caroline and the Hursts had left. Not together, the latter had left just before noon, whereas William had left before the household had awakened. Elizabeth awoken and gone to his room, in the hope of seeing him before his departure… but he had already gone. Disconcertment had held Elizabeth rigid while the rapid beating of her heart was thumping in her throat and roaring through her ears. Leaving her hands trembling as she stood in the empty chamber.
Disconcertment quickly turned to agitation and she had soon wondered through to the adjoining room which had been Anne's room and eventually felt herself beginning to calm. It was as if Anne was still there comforting her.
"He will come back for me soon!" she whispered wrapping her arms around her middle. A pang of uncertainty had plucked at her heart and beat through her bloodstream. He hadn't thought to leave her a letter, only Mr Bingley had told her she was not to walk alone for the time being. She suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. What if her husband returned before William…?
"Lizzy?" asked Jane at her side, pulling her out of her thoughts and back into the small sitting room at Longbourn, where they were awaiting their mother and sister Lydia.
"Forgive my dearest?" She mumbled.
"It is no bother; I know there has been a lot of import on your mind." Sympathised Jane. She knew that her sister and Mr Darcy had formed a connection but it was Charles had intimated it was more than a passing fancy. Initially she had been outraged, but after Charles had confided in her the true nature of Darcy and Anne's marriage, she understood it was not at all like her situation. Jane could admit that she felt happy in the knowledge her sister had found someone worthy of her admiration and love. But what to do with Mr Collins… Charles was certain Mr Darcy would find a way, but how was it possible that he would be able to come between a man and husband when both King and Church would condemn any for such bold actions. A divorce although scandalous would be the best option, but Mr Collins being a man of the cloth would not likely agree to such an arrangement.
"As have you. What is it you were asking me?" replied Lizzy.
"I –"Jane began but fell silent when the rest of the party flounced in not acknowledging Elizabeth's presence with a greeting.
"Oh Lord! You all look so droll!" moaned Lydia plonking herself down with a huff.
"Yes, we have come to deliver some news." Supplied Jane with an edge to her voice, causing Mr Bingley to place his hand over hers.
Rolling her eyes rudely, "We all know Mrs Darcy croaked!"
"Lydia!" admonished Jane. Elizabeth was not surprised her sister had always cared little for anyone but herself.
"Where is Charlie?" she demanded suddenly looking about the room.
"This is not a social call, Miss Bennet." Spoke Bingley.
"Well, I won't listen to you without seeing Charlie first!' she demanded, stomping her food half-heartedly.
Mrs Bennet leaned forward waving her handkerchief a little nervously, "Oh, Jane you know by now it will not do, not to bring the boy on your visits. Honestly you were always the prettiest of my daughters, but you lack any conviction." She said, throwing another look in Lydia's direction. "Bingley, go back and bring Charlie and we shall have your conversation." She said fidgeting and cast another wary glance towards Lydia. Upon closer inspection Mrs Bennet looked as though she had not had a good nights sleep in a while - judging by the circles beneath her eyes.
"No." Jane said boldly.
Lydia put her cup and saucer down with a thud. Smirking at Jane's attempted rebellion.
"Jane, you would remember why you do not wish to upset me, don't you?" warned Lydia sweetly.
"It will not work any longer. I have seen through your lies, you have only your own reputation at stake. Not mine. I am not a Bennet anymore."
"La! My Lie's? Your husband took advantage of me, with you in the next room! You should no it to be no falsehood for you were the one to find us!" She snorted. "What a joke!"
"Enough!" thundered Bingley. "Show you sister some respect! I will not tolerate such offensive behaviour
"You have no right to dare to speak to me in such -"
Realising this could go on for a while, Jane stood and shouted above the argument "We have information about Mr Wickham we thought you should be aware of. If you wish to hear it you will desist with you immaturity and be quiet!"
Silence.
Well done, Jane! No conviction indeed? Thought Mr Bingley, looking proudly at his wife.
"Mr Wickham? Pray, why should we care to hear of that man?" said Mrs Bennet with a nervous laughter.
"Well?" spat Lydia tapping her foot in her impatience.
"I have recently had it confirmed that Mr George Wickham has married and a young lady from the colonies. Is that not wonderful news of an old friend." Revealed Bingley.
"Lies!" gasped Lydia, clutching at stomach.
"I do not lie," replied Bingley.
"What is her name then? Tell me her name!" she demanded aggressively.
"Miss Tabitha Dove. Her father has recently earned a fortune in investing the harnessing of oil. Their wedding has been reported in the times here -" he supplied, producing the newspaper clipping.
Lydia's lower lips trembled but she clenched her jaw to still it, "What do you gain from telling such lies," she questioned kicking the table.
"Oh! Jane – my nerves! Fetch my salts!" Mrs Bennet wailed loudly and flailing her arms about an excessive amount, even by her standards.
"No." said Jane unmoved. "If you want them, you shall fetch them yourself!"
Mrs Bennet calmed instantly.
"Would you care to explain to us as to why this information has caused such hysteria?" asked Bingley innocently only to be greeted with silence. "No? I shall continue then. It was later reported that Mr and Mrs Wickham left for the colonies after a large gathering of their closest family and friends. Quite a lavish affair if the reports are to be believed. Mr Wickham was the recipient of the former Miss Dove's forty-thousand pond dowry."
This produced a widening of Lydia's eyes as her mouth set into a grim line.
"Sadly, the newlyweds never completed their journey. Both contracted a sickness on board the vessel and passed away before it docked. But both Mr and Mrs Wickham left a substantial inheritance to each of their loved ones in their wills."
"LIAR! He would not come into such funds and not take care of me and his son! He would not do that Charlie!" Stomped as she began to cry. "He told me loved me! It must have been part of a plan he had. Like we did with you and Jane, George would have been plan -"
"LYDIA!" screamed Mrs Bennet standing with such surprising speed that she dropped her china onto her lap, but paid I no heed.
Paling Lydia clapped her hands across her mouth, just as Mr Bennet entered.
"What on earth is going on in here?" he demanded.
"Lydia has just admitted that Charlie was in fact sired by Mr George Wickham and not I! You have revealed your deception and betrayal before witnesses!" triumphed Mr Bingley.
"But why Lydia? Why? How?" asked Jane shaking with her rage to have such deceit, irrefutably confirmed.
Lydia did no more than smirk at her and shrug.
"Answer me!" demanded Jane grabbing Lydia by the shoulders.
"Poor, poor frigid Jane- Ah!" she gasped as Jane drew back her hand and slapped her, hard.
"Mama! She just hit me!" Lydia gasped outraged.
"Mr Bennet, do something!" said Mrs Bennet cowering away from the scene.
"We are found out now… I should say that is the least she deserves for her duplicity." He drawled.
"Her duplicity? You knew! You knew and you said nothing! Why?!" Demanded Jane looking to her father with tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Papa, if you say anything you damn yourself as well as Mama and I." Lydia warned panic stricken.
"And yet I am unmoved. It is time to be done with this mess! I would rather be hated for the truth, than any falsehoods that have been concocted." He said, pouring himself a stiff drink and sitting down.
"I cannot believe it! What had I ever done to you to deserve such a fate?" spoke Mr Bingley with a steely edge to his voice, none had heard before and were quite shocked by. "To your own daughters! I am disgusted by you all!"
"I assure you, you cannot be more disgusted than I." Declared Mr Bennet self denigratingly.
"Then why?" growled Bingley to enraged to sit.
Mr Bennet seated himself with a heavy sigh and opened his mouth to speak, when Lydia went into a fit of hysterics.
"LYDIA!" shouted Mrs Bennet. "No more. It is done. And what a relief it is to know that I will be free from all of this." Said Mrs Bennet falling back into her seat and suddenly looking as old and frail as she always pretended to be to garner sympathy.
"Well, I for one will play no part in it!" Lydia stormed to the door and slammed it shut as she left.
Taking a large gulp Mr Bennet took a moment to compose himself before he started his tale.
"It all began I suppose, when Mr Collins came to stay before the ball at Netherfield. I had been struggling with my heart and I had so many aches and pains – my dear Mrs Bennet, I do believe I am stealing your usual monologue and dramatics…" he teased. Elizabeth sadly noted that had this been before her marriage, she and her papa would most likely have found much amusement in this little joke.
"I had made an appointment with our towns doctor and he had informed me I did not have long left on this earth… seeing as such, I had made as much clear to Elizabeth, my Lizzy…" he broke off, his face crumbling as he pulled off his spectacles, his elbows falling to his knees as he sobbed into his hands. Elizabeth could hardly bear it, but neither could she forgive what he had allowed her to face. Alone. For two years.
Sniffing and shrugging off his embarrassment he replaced his spectacles to the bridge of his nose and continued his speech. "I was made to believe I had weeks, mayhap a month left. And so, when Elizabeth accepted Mr Collins' proposal, I thought it could not be all that bad. The silly man was most likely easily managed and probably favoured men more than women. We have all heard such tales of men in the church… Anyhow, I began to feel worse by the day and then Jane became engaged to Mr Bingley. But it happened the day before Elizabeth's wedding and I knew they would need to have an engagement of at least four months for the sake of propriety and my dear Mrs Bennet would not miss the opportunity to laud and boast of the match. I might have passed on before then… I also had a number of debts that needed to be paid and I had struck up a deal with Mr Collins who had used his savings as a sort of 'investment' into his future residence, effectively clearing my debt, in exchange for Elizabeth marrying him. I convinced Jane that for the sake of the family it would not do for Elizabeth not to marry Mr Collins and sweet trusting Jane did not question me. I then conspired to keep her from you Lizzy until you married, I frightened and bullied her into silence."
Elizabeth gasped and Jane bowed her head in shame. "Lizzy I must beg your forgiveness once more on this. You have been very gracious and kind towards me, but I have never before kept anything from you and when it counted, I let you down. I would understand should you not forgive me."
"Jane, do not fret, it is not you who needs to earn my forgiveness." She said coolly levelling her father with a penetrating stare.
"No, it is I who must grovel… but there is more to this retelling of our past." He said removing his glasses and wiping the lenses. "I knew nothing of Mr Wickham and Lydia and neither did your mother until after Lydia had committed the deception. For almost the duration of her pregnancy, we believed as you did that Lydia had been seduced by Mr Bingley. However, a few days before Charlie's birth Lydia grew scared of childbirth and revealed everything asking for Mr Wickham to be brought to her, she wanted to be with him and raise their child together. However, when he failed to come or respond to any of our letters, Lydia grew vicious and made threats against your two sisters who are blameless and ignorant of the darker side of this family … after failing three daughters so abominably due to my own sarcastic and indolent ways. I relied too heavily upon the assumption that I would beget an heir, and when I did not, I allowed myself to believe I could not improve our situation. I vowed I would not fail Kitty and Mary too. And being the coward that I am I allowed myself and Mrs Bennet to blackmail by our own child…" he sighed once more.
"You should have -" began Bingley.
"What? Tell me what I should have done?" cut in Mr Bennet.
"You should have fought for us!" said Elizabeth standing. "You should have come for me! And you should have most certainly not allowed the lies of a silly little girl tear apart a marriage of two individuals who truly love each other. Their lives have been stuck in tangled web of the worst things imaginable due to your inaction!"
Jane then stood beside her sister and turned to face their mother, "And you madam, what mother conducts themselves as you have! You have always been so obvious with your favouritism and cruel comparisons but even I did not see such a maliciousness in you!"
"Jane, please understand, I had never realised the impact of my failings as mother. I cannot bear to look at Lizzy for what we have put her through. When your father realised the doctor has diagnosed him wrong, we were so sure any day could be his last… and then we like you, believed Lizzy was not speaking to us… It is not that there is any excuse that can be made for our behaviour, trust that I know that. But you must understand that I feel great relief beside this pain." Sobbed Mrs Bennet and suddenly in light of everything else… both sisters realised they had all contributed in their own way to this mess. They all had their own guilt to bear, but now was not the time to dredge it all up. To heal such a breach would take years…
"I fear we have gone as far as we can today." Spoke Mr Bingley breaking the tense silence that had befell them.
"Yes," agreed Elizabeth. "I do not think it a good thing to keep such hatred alive, but know that should I decide to forgive you, it will not be an easy thing to regain my trust in you and understand that I shall never forget." Vowed Elizabeth, but after so long hating everyone and everything she took pity on her father, for the bond they had once shared. She pressed a comforting hand to his shoulder as she drew level with him and then quit the house.
Needing to clear her head she left ahead of Jane and Charles and started the walk back to Netherfield desperate for this small moment of solitude. Enjoying the feel of the ground softened from the previous days rainfall which had dissolved the last of the snow. If she had waited but quarter hour for Mr Bingley and Jane, she would have been with them when Mr Darcy arrived.
"Where is Elizabeth?" he demanded breathlessly dismounting from his horse.
"Darcy! What is the matter?" came Mr Bingley's shocked reply.
"Is she inside?" he asked striding into Longbourn without waiting for his friends reply or invitation. "Mr Bennet is Elizabeth here?"
"No, Mr Darcy, she has not long left. What is the urgency?" asked Mr Bennet standing.
"Mr Collins has come for her!" he said storming back out of the house.
"Mr Collins!" gasped Jane.
"Was she on foot?" demanded Darcy.
Jane nodded mutely.
"Oh God!" the three of them exclaimed dashing after her, leaving a shaken Mr and Mrs Bennet on the front step.
Somewhere between Netherfield and Longbourn….
"My dear Mrs Collins there you are!"
Time slowed and her surrounding blurred, making the hair on nape stand on end.
Elizabeth froze at the sickly-sweet sound of her husband's voice. Aware of the imminent danger a shudder of fear and revulsion washed through her and her stomach turned. She currently stood with Netherfield in the distance before her and Longbourne just out of sight in the distance behind her, with Mr Collins figure to her right in the corner of her eye. If she screamed neither households would hear her and if they did, would they reach her in time?
Turning to face him she saw the evil glint in his eye and knew he would snap should he get his hands on her. She must not allow him to claim her. She must escape!
Picking up her skirts she darted past him and made for Longbourn! Jane and Bingley would protect her. If she could get a little closer, she could call to them for help, she most certainly should be able to outrun her rotund husband easily enough.
Glancing backwards over her shoulder she saw him hastening for her, his snarl prominent as he cursed her under his breath with every step.
Suddenly with a sharp cry, she pitched forward, her ankle turning on a small rock jutting out of the ground. Her hands did little to break her fall, and she landed on the muddy ground, slipping as her cloak and skirts now soaked through, became heavy and tangled about her legs.
"You reap what you sew, my dear." Collins taunted not far behind her.
He was coming. His footsteps heavy upon the earth. His heavy panting and snorting like a madman, possessed.
Sobbing, her fear overtaking her, she struggled to her feet, falling back to her hands and knees. He was advancing on her! Desperately trying to get away, but her hands and knees were sinking into the mire, hot tears spilling over her cheeks just as a hand clamped around her ankle and dragged her backwards.
His actions wrenching a cry of despair from her lips. Elizabeth clawed at the ground, her curdling screams of fear filling their open surroundings.
"Stop being a victim!"
"Use his arrogance against him" she heard William's words in her head. Fight back Elizabeth!
Without further thought she pulled her right leg free and kicked back with all her might and felt she foot connect with Collins' soft stomach. With gurgled grunt she heard his body fall heavily to the ground with a loud slap. Turning on her back she crawled backwards trying to get away when he lunged for her and pulled her towards him. Her skirts bunching around her waist as he straddled her and pinned her to the ground.
"Get off me!" she screamed. "Help."
"And just who is going to hear you out here?" he snarled a callous look in his eyes and brutal curl of his lips. "You know why you are being subjected to my correction. The devil had whispered into your ear and you have listened! You have let the devil in and now he must be purged from you by my Godly, ordained hands."
"You are mad!" she cried trying to break free once more, but she was no match for his weight on top of her. His face reddened from his rage and exertion to catch her, cruelty and malice too apparent around the set of his mouth and glittering in his eyes.
"You filthy cloven beast! I see the signs of the devil branded into your flesh." He condemned spittle coating his lips. "I know it all Mrs Collins. You are an adulterous philanderer."
Then placing his muddy paw at the side of her face he turned her face, pressing one side painfully into the mud and stretching the chords of her neck awkwardly.
"Whore!" he hissed into her ear. "Did you think you would get away with making me a laughingstock?!"
She screamed and kicked. Arching her body trying to dislodge his position somehow. The mud made it impossible to anchor her feet to gain any momentum. In the back of her mind, she realised that Jane and Bingley would pass through this way home. If she could keep him talking, she had a hope they would intercept them before it was too late.
"I am sorry. I never meant to anger you. Mr Collins, you are hurting me!" She pleaded.
"Do I look like I care? You are a filthy criminal in the eyes of the Lord and the Law. You have strayed from all that is good and holy. You are a sinner!"
He pulled her face back to face him.
"You are not wrong, I have committed a sin, in committing myself to you! You are an impotent, repulsive and pathetic excuse of a man! I -"
He began to speak loudly drowning her words out in his maniacal religious ranting…
"I have prayed to God over and over for you. And where there once was his voice, the warmth of his love, there is now only cold silence. He has forsaken you; you are not a woman of God -"
"Ha! You are foul! Unhallowed! Desecrating! Violating, impious -"
"Be silent devil within!" He spat pushing her face once more into the dirt."
"Matthew 13:24, there is a parable about a group of enemies that plant bad seeds among the good ones to ruin the crops. The farmer notices weeds growing amongst the fruit. The servants asked the farmer if they should round up the weeds before the harvest and what does the farmer say?" He asked as though addressing his congregation.
"Please let me go! Please!" she begged, her fear taking over.
"No, he says; let them grow together." Continued the mad man that was her husband. "One day, God will burn the weeds and save the fruit, Elizabeth, but for now; let them grow. It is time for the weeds to be burnt. You reached beyond your sphere using your arts and allurements on the married nephew of the great and noble Lady Catherine de Bourgh. You were greedy and reached to far above you. You are not worthy and he will discard you like the filth you are once he has slaked his lust!"
"I did and do you know what else I did? I enjoyed it!" she hissed.
"You would speak so disrespectfully to your saviour!" He said, anger flashing in his eyes as he brought her back to facing him again, clasping her jaw in a painful grip.
"You've called me a criminal, a whore and a liar. This is the last time we'll be speaking. Firstly, who I am or who I am not attentions I am entertaining, what I am or am not doing, is no longer any of your concern." She spoke with more courage than she knew she possessed.
"My poor child… poor lost, fallen child. Have no fear. For I am the Lord's witness and such -"
"Secondly!" she shouted, "The Lord may bear witness to this vow; I will no longer surrender my soul or my body to your degradation. I look forward to the day he will exact his will and smite you down for using his name in such an uneducated and ungodly manner. You Mr Collins are unworthy of the uniform you wear and the crucifix about your neck!"
Her last words became choked as he flexed his fingers against her throat, and pulled her even closer, until not a breath of space existed between them and her body was half lifted from the earth. Clutching at scratching at his as she struggled to draw breath through his vice tight hold of her. His eyes were black, soulless pits of evil.
"You will burn in the fiery pits of hell. You are beyond redemption." He said tightening his grip further. Elizabeth's vision began to swim, when a hand reached around Collins' throat and yanked him backwards – releasing Elizabeth from his grip.
She fell to the floor coughing and gasping for breath, her lung burning and her chest constricting as she struggled to release the air she was gulping down.
"Lizzy!" she heard a scream and saw Jane rushing towards her.
Jane thumped her hard across the back jolting her from her panic. Her eyes swam with unshed tears and she could see Jane was speaking but could not make sense of her words. Watching her sister dumbly as she pulled and tugged her skirts back down over her knees and began brushing the hair from her brow.
"Jane! Jane!" she gasped over and over, clutching at her throat which felt as though it had collapsed on itself. Each time she tried to speak her breath caught and would not support her vocally, as it fought for regulation. After what felt like an eternity, the storm within her began to abate. Slowly the fear curling her toes and making her fingers clench tightly into fists relaxed.
"Jane!" They looked to see Bingley rushing to them, "you are well?"
"Yes, I will tend Lizzy. We will be well. You may go and help Mr. Darcy," Jane assured her husband.
Only then did Elizabeth manage to make sense of what she was seeing. Her vision cleared to see Mr. Darcy dangling her husband a feet from the ground as the pitiful weasel held his hands up in surrender. The red staining his collar revealing that he had already sustained a few well placed blows to his person.
Bingley said something and Darcy hesitated before finally throwing Mr Collins to the floor with a jarring thud. She saw Darcy stalking towards him the image of a predator stalking his prey as Mr Collins assumed the position she had been in moments before. On his back trying to crawl away but slipping and sliding until finally Darcy pressed his booted foot on his neck stilling him and choking him.
Charles once more attempted to reason with him, pointing to where Jane and Elizabeth were watching. His gaze connected with hers and seemed to break through the fog. Without a second thought he started towards Elizabeth, leaving Charles to stand guard over Mr Collins.
"If the bitch is pregnant you will never know if it is my child she bares in her womb or yours," jeered Collins getting to his feet. Gulping slightly when Darcy turned back to face him.
"I hazard a coward like you Collins to be far too impotent to father a child."
They circled each other, Mr Collins' eyes darting off in different direction, searching for an escape.
"I am surprised Mr Darcy, that you would wish to sample spoiled goods. Does it not bother you, that it was I who broke her in, and knew her intimately before you?" Collins taunted him. "She is delightful is she not?"
A muscle ticked along Darcy's jaw and anger flooded his veins, "It does bother me, but not for the reasons you seem to think. You disgust me. Only a coward and derives his pleasure from torturing and abusing those under their protection."
"But I am merely God's vessel. I am doing the work of the Lord and I will be rewarded." Collins said between hard breaths, his excitement and fear, bringing a maniacal glint into his eye. "I can take her from you now and you would be helpless to stop me."
"I will kill you if you touch her," Darcy said, his voice menacingly low.
"I am her husband. I own her. Of course, she will have be punished quite severely for her sins. The sensation of tightening my fingers about her throat and preventing her from replenishing her lungs… it can be exhilarating" Goaded Collins, licking the spittle from his lips. "With my masterly hand, ordained by – Gahh!"
Hatred burned in his eyes as Darcy lunged and shoved Collins up against the tree. His feet dangling uselessly trying to feel for the floor. Eyes screwed shut as he blindly beat his hand upon Mr Darcy's arms. For all his Godly righteousness Collins was nowhere near as strong as his opponent, his violent struggle made barely an impact and he could not break free of Darcy's hold.
"Release me, this show of aggression is beneath the nephew of her Ladyship!"
Without any indication Darcy pulled his forward and headbutted him and then shoved him back into the tree. Watching with distaste as fat parson crumpled to the floor.
"Do not push or I will exact on you, every bruise and scratch you inflicted on Elizabeth ten fold," Darcy growled through clenched teeth.
"I still own her! In the eyes of the law, you are powerless!" he sneered trying to catch his breath, as blood trickled from his broken nose and sprayed from his lips as he wheezed heavily. "Do not worry I won't kill her. I will make sure each time to stop just before that happens and then start all over again! Now I know her for the whore that she is, I might p-p-put her to work as such," he laughed. "I would give you a good price -"
An unholy rage rand in Darcy's ears, drowning out the sycophants gloating and defamatory offer. Grabbing him by his collar, Darcy delivered a swift punch to Collins' stomach with maximum force. The man cowered but Darcy was beyond comprehension as he began to relentlessly apply his fist to his face in a blind fury.
"Darcy! Darcy! Desist! He is not worth it," Bingley said, finally pulling his friend off the bloodied and broken faces parson gasping for breath throwing him a look of hatred and disgust. His Broken beyond repair and his left eye swelling closed.
"I cannot see what you are fighting for!" Spat Collins unable to resist.
"Real men have a deep-rooted need to protect women, not abuse them. It takes an absolute depravity of the soul to go against such a natural instinct!" countered Bingley. "Lowlife!"
"You would do well to mind your tongue vermin, I shall not hesitate to cut it out and serve it to you for supper! It is your lucky day I did not find you on my own, know that you would not wish to meet me down a dark alley!" He threatened, his gaze focused. Deadly.
"And trust that if the ladies were not present… I would let him rid the world of you," added Bingley.
Mr Collins' response was too lean to the side and spit into his hand, revealing two front teeth which had been knocked out. Looking up at them he coughed and spluttered popping them into his breast pocket with shaking hands. And then lifted his hand in surrender attempting to bow and muttering words seeking forgiveness.
Bingley pulled Darcy away with his back to Collins trying to calm him, when Collins produced a pistol from his pocked and took aim. Jane and Elizabeth screamed together and in a sudden tangle of limbs both Bingley and Darcy were knocked to the ground as the sound of two gunshot's rend piercingly through the air.
Only the sound of startled birds taking flight from the nearby trees could be heard, before all fell quiet.
Jane and Elizabeth sprang towards Bingley and Darcy shocked to find them sitting up and uninjured. All look to Collins to find him slumped with a bullet wound between his eyes and his hand holding the pistol lay limply at his side.
Then blood curdling screams assaulted them as Mrs Bennet ran hysterically into view, howling and crying as she pointed toward a point behind Bingley and Darcy... that was when they saw him.
Mr Bennet, pistol in hand, bleeding profusely from his abdomen as he struggled to his knees.
"Mr Bennet!" screamed Mrs Bennet. "HELP HIM!" she screamed at the others. Reaching Mr Bennet she pulled him into her arms and began fussing and crying over him. "Do not worry Mr Bennet, I am here. Oh foolish man! Foolish, foolish man!"
Darcy was the first to collect himself. Rushing to Mr Bennet's side he began to apply pressure to the wound.
"Charles, we need a surgeon and carriage, now!"
With a nod he sprinted and mounted Darcy's horse which had been grazing nearby and galloped off.
To be continued...