Chapter 5

August 1805

"Papa, did you receive a letter from Jane? Have they arrived?" Elizabeth bounced on the balls of her feet. She was fourteen going on fifteen, even more beautiful than ever and not looking much like a little girl anymore. As ladylike as she normally was, the prospect of news from her sister and brother about their long voyage made her forget she had matured a lot. Mr. Hill told me that the post was delivered and there was an especially thick one delivered!"

"I was about to call for you, my Lizzy. Yes, I received a letter from Uncle James and Tommy, and this one," Bennet put the missive in his daughter's eager hands, "is for you."

Elizabeth squealed with excitement as she saw Jane's handwriting. "I apologise Papa, that was childish of me." Elizabeth blushed.

"Think nothing of it Lizzy. They travelled for over two months, so I understand your desire for news; I felt the same way," Bennet soothed his daughter.

Father and daughter had spent as much time away from Longbourn for most of the last three years as possible to keep away from the constant complaints of ill use from Mrs. Bennet and her youngest daughter. Louisa was still homely and overweight, but when she was away from her mother and or younger sister, she could be pleasant, and Elizabeth had warmed to her stepsister considerably. The more time Louisa spent with Elizabeth, the more she came to realise how much wrong information her mother fed them.

Through Elizabeth, Louisa apologised for her part in the compromise ten years earlier. She was ashamed it had taken her so long to wake up to the fact and beg Mr. Bennet's pardon. After Elizabeth conveyed the sincerity of her new friend's contrition, Bennet had accepted it without reservation and through Elizabeth told Louisa that he understood she was only nine and doing what her mother told her to do. The forgiveness lifted a great weight off Louisa's shoulders.

Louisa had become friendly with Charlotte Lucas, who was Elizabeth's best friend in the neighbourhood. The three would meet without the mother or youngest Bingley being aware and enjoyed their time together. The three friends spent as much time with one another as possible, often at Lucas Lodge where Caroline Bingley was not welcome.

Bennet was aware of the burgeoning friendship between the two, but his wife and her youngest daughter were not. The younger one had moved from homely to plain ugly as she grew. At sixteen, her body had developed practically no womanly curves and she was tall for a lady with long, spindly, skinny limbs that were not in proportion to her smaller body. Her burnt orange hair colour and almost translucent skin did not help either.

When Caroline Bingley spoke, it was more of a screech than a voice and it was grating to any who heard it besides her mother. Her mother kept telling her how well she looked and how all other women would be jealous of her, especially her stepsisters. Now that her eyes were wide open, when Louisa heard her mother spout this nonsense, she had to do everything that she could not to burst out into laughter.

After three years of constantly denying her requests, Martha Bennet still importuned her husband about allowing her son to visit from time to time. Always, the answer was the same, a resounding 'no'!

Charles had graduated, barely, from Oxford. He had been more interested in gambling, cavorting with women, and running up debts than his studies. No matter what hogwash he wrote to his mother, Bennet knew they truth. He had a man keeping an eye on the Bingley heir. The man had just come into his seven thousand pounds, money that Gardiner had been only too pleased to wash his hands of and complete the charge to him by the wastrel's late father.

Bennet was sure that the money would be gone inside of a year. As it was, there had been two to three hundred pounds in debt that Bingley had to discharge as soon as he received his inheritance. It was that or debtor's gaol. Bennet could only smile as his wife waited day after day for her son to send them some money to help her purchase new gowns and fripperies for her daughters. No surprise, the expected money never arrived.

Elizabeth sat and eagerly broke the seal on her missive from Jane.

June 4 1805

Sugar Hill, Kingstown, Jamaica

"Papa, it took almost two months for the letter to arrive!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"The packet ship must have had good winds Lizzy, it can take weeks longer than that at times," Bennet replied.

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be on dry land again Lizzy! Thank goodness we will be here two months before we have to return on an interminable voyage again! It has been four days since we arrived and only today am I steady on my legs while walking on land. As the captain warned us, it felt like we were still on board ship until today. I expected the ground to rise up and meet my foot or to dip below it as I walked!

Enough complaints. What an interesting place this is. On the one hand there is so much beauty here, but on the other hand there is slavery. How can such beauty co-exist with such blatant cruelty?

Many of the landowners are unhappy with Uncle James because not only did he free those who were slaves on his estate, I mean plantation as they call it here, but he paid them back wages. Some chose to return to their countries from where they were stolen by the vile men who perpetrate this most disgusting of things, but most elected to stay and work at Sugar Hill of their own volition.

The other landowners think it will give their slaves hope. Well I for one hope that it does! How can these supposed good and upstanding men justifying treating a human being as a thing? It is so sad Lizzy, men, women, and children owned! Uncle is trying to influence some fellow landowners to follow his lead and prove to them that they will still make healthy profits. I pray that he is successful in this endeavour.

The beauty I spoke of is wonderous. The flowers and animals! Lizzy, you would not believe your eyes. You remember we saw a few parrots at the menagerie? Here they fly about wild as common as a robin back home! The colours, variety, and sizes. And Lizzy guess what! Some of them talk. I was most shocked when I heard one using extremely off colour language!

All the houses are painted white here, as I am told it helps with the heat. It is so humid here Lizzy; your hair would be impossible to style! I am told that even in the winter it never gets really cold. There are sometimes massive storms they call hurricanes. I am hopeful we will not experience one of those, as I am told they can be devastating.

Back to the beauty. Next week Uncle and Aunt are taking us to a Town, Saint Anne, on the northern coast of the island to a group of eight rivers they call Ocho Rios. You know what that means from your Spanish lessons! There is jungle that ends at the most inviting and beautiful white sand beaches that we saw already. I am told that is more the norm than the exception here.

I am hopeful that Aunt will take Cassie, Ally, and me sea bathing. We will have to find a private place as, unlike us, the natives are not modest. They, especially the children, think nothing of swimming naked! I know it will shock your sensibilities, but who are we to tell them they are wrong? Are we not the visitors and they the locals? I would not dare do such a thing in the company of any but my aunt and female cousins!

"Papa," Elizabeth laughed freely, "could you imagine our modest Jane swimming naked as when she was born in front of anyone? Even our aunt and cousins?" Bennet just shook his head.

Do not be angry with me if I do not write too much while I am here Lizzy, there is so much to do! I will keep a journal for you sister dearest, and you will have free rein to read it when I return to you.

Your loving sister,

Jane

"I wish now that I had taken Uncle's invitation and gone with them!" Elizabeth lamented.

"It is easy to look into the past and say I should have, would have, or could have. It does not help, my daughter. What have I told you?" Bennet asked.

"Only remember the past as that remembrance gives you pleasure?" Elizabeth remembered.

"Yes, Lizzy, that is the one. If Uncle has to return to Jamaica and you are yet unmarried then you will travel with him next time," Bennet assured his daughter. "Mayhap you will be lucky enough to marry a man who will show you the world."

"Like you did when you married Mama, Jane and I have pledged that we will only marry for the deepest love," Elizabeth insisted.

"That is my wish for both of my girls," Bennet said gruffly as he became emotional every time he thought about his beloved Fanny.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"Did you forget to salute me Lieutenant?" Captain Richard Fitzwilliam demanded.

"Hello to you too Richard," Wickham gave his friend a jaunty salute.

"Welcome to the Dragoons Wickham, I am impressed when you told me this is what you wanted, I thought you were just paying lip service. You have the gift of the gab, you could have been a good barrister," the Captain told his friend.

"I think I felt a calling like you did my friend. I have no doubt I would have done well in the law, but then I would not have been able to help give Boney a bloody nose.

"How was William when you saw him last?" Captain Fitzwilliam asked.

"He was well Richard, working hard to learn everything from his father. He has deferred his grand tour until he is able to go to the continent again," Lieutenant Wickham informed the Captain.

"At least we have not been sent to fight the French yet, however I believe it is but a matter of time," the Captain opined.

As the two were talking a Private ran up and saluted the two officers. He handed each a black edged letter. At first Richard feared it was his father, mother, or brother, but it was none of them. Uncle Robert was dead. He looked at his friend and saw a look of despair.

"Wickham what is it?" the Captain asked with concern.

"My father is dead!" the Lieutenant stated looking lost.

"Come Wickham, we must see Colonel Atherton, he will authorise as much leave as we needs, let us away. My parents and brother and sister are yet at Matlock House, we will travel together." Richard shook his friend out of stupor, and they made their way to the Colonel's office.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

When the lead carriage passed the gate house at Pemberley the black cloth hanging on the posts and gates was impossible to miss. An hour later the Matlock carriages pulled into the enclosed courtyard. There were black wreaths hanging on the large oak doors that led into the manor house.

Wickham wanted to go directly to his father's house, but the Earl advised that they all find William and find out what occurred that left both men dead on the same day according to the notices received. The butler, Douglas, showed the Fitzwilliams and Wickham to the study. Lady Marie asked where Lady Georgiana was and she and the Countess left the group to go see the grieving girl.

Lord William Darcy, now his Grace the Duke of Derbyshire and Earl of Lambton, was sitting behind the desk looking at nothing in particular. He looked haggard, with dark rings under his eyes as he had obviously had little or no sleep.

"William, WILLIAM!" Richard called twice, before his cousin noted their presence. As soon as he saw Wickham, he walked around the desk and threw his arms around his friend.

"They are both gone George!" the new Duke stated with a hitch in his voice.

"How William—your Grace, how did they both die on the same day?" Wickham asked with obvious anguish in his voice.

Lord William sat with his friend on a settee as the three Fitzwilliam men found seats too. "Still William my friend. It is almost five days ago now; our fathers went to inspect a problem at the Cox's. You remember they are in the northwest corner of the estate." Wickham nodded. "They took my father's curricle, just the two of them as was their wont," Lord William choked up as he relayed the story and needed a pause and a few gulps of water to be able to carry on. "They were approaching the bend, the one with the forest on the left a mile from Cox's house. We did not know why, but something spooked the horses. Later we found a fox off to the side of the drive, he was bloody and there were hoof prints. We believe that he ran under the horses feet, and they panicked. There is a ten foot drop, the curricle broke loose, turned over and went over the edge. Our fathers were trapped inside under the wreckage. It is not much of a consolation, but the doctor opined that death was instantaneous."

"They died doing what they loved, taking care of the estate," Wickham stated philosophically.

"George, if you want to withdraw from the Dragoons after this, no will think anything bad of you," Richard informed his grieving friend.

"I will be back Richard. I will mourn here for a month and then I will return. I need an occupation to keep my mind busy and nothing has changed with my desire to serve King and country," Wickham said with purpose.

"In that case, I will make sure you join my unit when you return George," Richard clapped his brother in arms on the back.

"You will need to hire a new steward William, I will pack up the house as soon as may be," Wickham offered.

"No need. The under steward, Mr. Edwin Chalmers, was trained by your father, he reported him ready a few months back. I have appointed him on a trial basis, he is happy to remain in his house, so you George take as much time as you need," Lord William assured his friend. "Now that we are here, if George agrees, we will have the interment tomorrow. Our fathers are in the ice house given the temperatures. Your father will be buried in the family plot my friend." It was the first time since receiving the news that George Wickham cried.

As they were preparing to leave the study, a well-known and unwelcome voice was heard. "Where is my daughter's betrothed! He will do his duty to her!" Lady Catherine pushed the study door open without knocking. When she saw five pairs of eyes looking at her with disdain, she was momentarily silenced.

"Why are you here Lady Catherine and did my father not warn you what would happen if you spouted your lies again?" the new Duke demanded.

"But your mother…" she started to say.

"Give it up Cathy! There is no one in this room who does not know it is a lie. Do you think Robert did not tell us what you attempted when you were here last? Only you would try and take advantage of a house of mourning to further your lie! Now unless his Grace objects, you will leave and return to Rosings Park and not leave until I say so!" the Earl thundered.

"But Anne is weak…" This time Lord William cut her off.

"Have You no decency madam? Do you think I will fall for that ploy you attempted last time you were here? If Anne needs to rest, there are perfectly good rooms at the Cock and Bull in Lambton, or at other coaching inns on the Great North Road on your way home. Leave and leave now! I am in no mind to see you or listen to you fortune-hunting lies!" Like his father had the last time she was at Pemberley, Lord William towered over and glowered at the, by now, quaking lady.

Seeing that there was no option, Lady Catherine withdrew. She could not understand what went wrong with another of her well thought out plans. The boy was supposed to be weak with grief, not surrounded my men and certainly not to have a backbone of steel like his father before him!

She would return to Rosings Park and lick her wounds, and then regroup and plan her next avenue of attack. She could no longer be a duchess, but her daughter would be, of that she was certain!

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Father and daughter were ensconced in the study, it was the first Sunday in August. They would have invited Louisa to join them if it would not have cause so much trouble with her mother and harpy of a sister.

"Do you think they have left Jamaica yet Papa?" Elizabeth asked enthusiastically.

"We cannot be sure, Lizzy, but I believe so, both by Jane's estimation and that of my cousin's in his letter to me," Bennet opined.

"I cannot wait to see Jane again Papa and read her journal. She will have so very much to tell!" Elizabeth gushed.

Half a world away, The West Indies Trader had departed Jamaica two days previously with the Bennets on board starting their two plus month voyage home to England. They were sailing between Cuba and Haiti toward the many Bahamian Islands. The passengers were asleep when a storm of epic proportions hit them, one that Jane in her letter to her younger sister had called a hurricane.