As their wait outside the church grew longer, Darcy began to worry that the Bennets would not come that day. Beside him, Bingley kept nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot, wincing and then trying to stand still before forgetting and starting the whole process over again. Only Richard seemed unconcerned.
"Calm down, you two," he finally said. "Mrs. Bennet clearly knows her strategy. She will come at the last moment without actually being late. That will minimize her contact with others and reduce the chance of an unpleasant scene."
"How do you know?" Bingley asked.
"Because it is what I would do in her place. We know she is sneaky. We know she has been avoiding both of you. We know people around here have been very critical of her and now they have something to be critical about. Why would you knowingly walk into a situation where people can have a go at you outside the church?"
"I suppose that makes sense. Most of the people out here have headed inside now, though, just like my sisters and Hurst did the moment we got here."
"And there, is the Bennet carriage," Darcy said as he saw the familiar vehicle turn into the drive that passed the church.
"Right on time," said Richard smugly.
"You hand down Mrs. Bennet," Darcy instructed. "Neither Bingley nor I can stand to touch the woman at this point, and she seems equally wary of us."
"So long as I can also hand down Miss Bennet, I accept the charge." Richard agreed. "Do you still plan to sit with the Bennets for support, Bingley?"
"Yes, that will be best."
"Mrs. Bennet will probably want to leave the minute the service is over. See if you can get her to wait for a little while. Miss Mary is likely to be jostled by the crowd and possibly hurt again if you go too soon. Darcy and I will come join you while you wait. We can help shelter you and your betrothed a bit on the way back out."
"Good idea. Thank you," Bingley replied as the Bennet carriage stopped right in front of them.
Richard opened the door, since it was likely Mrs. Bennet would get out first. She did. Darcy saw her hesitate briefly when she noticed the three men waiting instead of a footman, but she had to get out and the man offering his hand was not Bingley or Darcy, so she took it.
Miss Bennet seemed to know she was meant to accept Richard's help from the carriage. She stepped out and offered Richard one of the most genuine, non-placid smiles Darcy had seen from her. It looked like the attraction went both ways.
With Miss Bennet out, it was Darcy's turn. He assisted Miss Elizabeth, Miss Catherine and, a little reluctantly on his part, Miss Lydia. Once Bingley had helped Miss Mary descend, offering her his arm for continued support once she was out, the carriage was able to move along.
While Bingley assisted his betrothed, Darcy quickly introduced Richard to the three Bennet women who had not yet met him. Almost before the introduction was complete the hoyden, as Darcy thought of her, was trying to flirt with the red-coated officer. Darcy waited to see how Richard would respond, but his cousin never got the chance. Mrs. Bennet pulled the girl away and practically dragged her into the church.
The rest of them followed at a little slower pace in deference to the injured state of both Bingley and Miss Mary. A few people trailed in after them, but not many. Mrs. Bennet had timed it well if she had been following the strategy Richard outlined.
Leaving Bingley at the Bennet pew to support Miss Mary, Darcy and Richard reluctantly went to the Netherfield pew to sit with Miss Bingley and the Hursts. Fortunately, it was a church service and not an event where the two men were required to speak to or entertain their companions. In fact, he and Richard did their best to ignore them and the desire was apparently mutual.
When the vicar announced the marriage of Miss Lucas after the upcoming one for Bingley, Darcy was a little surprised. It seemed odd they would go to St. Albans instead of marrying in their home church if they had gotten a common license from the bishop there. The reaction of Lady Lucas was more surprising, yet at the same time it explained why the marriage had not been in the Meryton church. It had obviously not been known about or sanctioned by Sir William or his wife.
As the congregation began to file out of the church, Darcy kept an eye on the Bennets. As Richard had predicted, Mrs. Bennet appeared ready to rush outside. Darcy and Richard headed that way to assist, although by the time they got there, Bingley had carried his point.
While they waited, Darcy could hear Lady Lucas shout at her daughter. The new Mrs. Carlson seemed unimpressed by her mother's temper. Something in the way Miss Elizabeth watched the scene suggested she had not been surprised by the news.
He moved closer to her and quietly asked, "Did you know about the marriage of Miss Lucas earlier?"
She jumped ever so slightly at his words and then replied, "She sent me a note on Thursday. I am very glad for her."
"I take it her parents disapproved of the match?"
"Nearly three years ago, Sir William denied Mr. Carlson permission to either court Charlotte or ask for her hand on the excuse that he was protecting his daughter from an unequal match. That was not the first or last time he did so, but it was the one that affected my friend the most."
Darcy could hear disgust for Sir William's behavior in her tone. He asked, "I am not acquainted with the man. Is it an unequal match?"
"No. While not particularly wealthy, Mr. Carlson is a gentleman. He can provide for her and has no obvious vices to detract from his ability to be a good husband. He and Charlotte are equally blessed in respect and affection for one another."
That sounded like a good basis for a match. Taking a chance, he dropped his voice even lower as he said, "I have noticed your obvious unwillingness to spend time in my company. Is that to avoid conflict with Mrs. Bennet? Or is it personal to me?"
"The former," she replied, just loudly enough to be heard by him.
Darcy could not help smiling at the confirmation that she had no real problem with him. He was glad his suspicion had been correct. Now he just had to figure out how to work around her stepmother so he could spend some time with Miss Elizabeth without creating trouble for her. To keep from appearing to have singled her out, he turned to Miss Catherine and engaged her in some general conversation, giving the impression to any observer that he had no more interest in speech with her older sister.
It was not much longer before the church had emptied enough that it was likely to be safe for the invalids to make their way out. Darcy noticed Mrs. Bennet kept her youngest close by her and still wanted to get out quickly. Miss Elizabeth seemed intent on her friend and they had a brief, silent interaction near the door that Darcy only saw by chance. Miss Bennet and Miss Catherine appeared pleased with Richard's company on their short walk out. While Bingley and Miss Mary were moving a little better than they had on Friday, both still looked like they wished they had been able to just stay home to rest.
The handing in of the Bennet women was accomplished in much the same way and speed as the handing out had been. The three men offered a polite farewell. Then, Richard closed and fastened the door, and the carriage headed off.
"That went well, I think," Bingley said as they walked to where his carriage and family waited.
"A combination of strategy and good luck," Richard agreed. "The announcement of the other woman's wedding proved an excellent distraction. Did I hear you asking the lovely Miss Elizabeth about it, Darcy? Is the woman one of her friends?"
"From what I have gathered, the former Miss Lucas is one of her closest friends. I have told you how Sir William has bullied the Bennet women. Apparently, he also did his best to control his daughters by driving away his older daughter's suitors – all in the name of protecting her interests, of course."
"Of course." Richard said, rolling his eyes slightly, "And as people's eyes have been opened to him, the daughter's eyes were as well. She took her life into her own hands and rebelled?"
"That sums up what Miss Elizabeth implied. Our conversation was necessarily brief to avoid her falling too far under Mrs. Bennet's scrutiny."
Richard laughed. "It is a good thing you were turned away from Mrs. Bennet when you offered Miss Elizabeth that beaming smile earlier. Only a fool could have missed realizing how besotted you are with the young woman. I will say you show good taste, though, especially since you left the older sister to my company."
"Go carefully for the moment, Richard. Mrs. Bennet may cause trouble for Miss Bennet as well if you appear to be taking too much interest in her."
"Oh, I already figured that out, Darcy. We shall have to convince Mrs. Bingley to invite her two older sisters for a little house party some time after the wedding. Then we can do our courting under Bingley's chaperonage."
"That sounds like fun, actually," Bingley said. "I expect Mary will be a little nervous about her role and may appreciate the advice of her older sisters. As long as you promise to behave as gentlemen with my new sisters, I like the plan."
"For the moment, we must behave as gentlemen to the old sisters," Richard said with a sour look. "Here is the carriage."
Bingley rolled his eyes. They were all three chuckling as they entered the vehicle.
"Honestly, Charles! I cannot think what you can find amusing in this backwards place," Miss Bingley complained as they settled into their seats, pointedly ignoring Darcy and Richard as she spoke to her brother. "Louisa and I are determined we will return to London first thing tomorrow. I must do what I can to find a match of my own before the Ton learns of your forced marriage to a penniless country nobody."
Looking over, Darcy could see there was no point asking what Hurst thought of the plan. He was already asleep and snoring in the corner. Darcy wondered how Bingley would respond and tried not to laugh at the comical faces Richard was making just outside of Miss Bingley's line of sight.
Bingley responded firmly. "No, Caroline. You and Louisa may leave on Tuesday after the wedding. I will not permit you to dishonor me or Mary by leaving before. And, you will behave like a lady to the best of your ability. If you want continued access to my townhouse, you will refrain from spreading or confirming any negative gossip, complaining about or otherwise disparaging my new family. I have no idea where you got the idea Mary is penniless. I would estimate the value of her dowry is roughly equivalent to your own."
"Charles! Either you are jesting with me, or someone has seriously misrepresented matters to you. Everyone around here knows Mr. Bennet has set aside nothing for any of his daughters."
"What people think they know is not always the truth. I have already received her dowry and I know there was no misrepresentation of the value. It was also independently confirmed for me by someone I trust."
Darcy laughed inside at his friend's wording but kept his face impassive. Bingley was handling the whole thing very well. Richard could not keep his silence, though.
"I also know that the other sisters have very reasonable dowries as well. Perhaps the stories of their poverty were just a way to keep fortune-hunters away. I expect you have experienced what it is like to have money-hungry baronets and viscounts chasing after you for your dowry alone. I am sure it would be a relief not to have to sort the wheat from the chaff in your offers."
Darcy could not look at Bingley or the snickers he was holding in would let loose. He knew if he had looked, his friend would be having just as hard a time keeping a straight face as well. Miss Bingley would kill to have an offer from a baronet or viscount whether he was after her money or not, and Richard knew it.
Miss Bingley did her best to continue to ignore Richard and his comments, but the sour look she gave him said everything. She turned back to her brother with a sickly smile.
"Well, at least you have been spared being trapped by a fortune-hunter. What I do not understand is why, if their dowries are so good, Mrs. Bennet felt the need to entrap you at all."
"Everyone has their own sets of fears and needs, Caroline. I am certain Mrs. Bennet felt she had a very good reason, even if we do not agree. Be that as it may, my own status will be raised by the marriage and I am fortunate to be acquiring a wife who understands the responsibilities of the mistress of an estate, even beyond the benefits of her pleasant personality and modest behavior. Personally, I believe you would do well to make a friend of her, but that is your choice. What I will not allow is for you to cause trouble for her. Remember, I still have control of your dowry and allowance for another three years. If you harm Mary, your allowance will be cut. I am firm on this point."
Miss Bingley looked like she was ready to protest, but Mrs. Hurst patted her sister's arm. With a shake of her head, the older sister warned the younger to hold her tongue. To Darcy's surprise, Miss Bingley accepted the silent advice, and the rest of the ride back to Netherfield was all the more pleasant for it.
The groom Darcy had sent to find a carter had been a local man and had recommended a man who was known to him and who had a solid reputation for trustworthiness and diligent care of his loads. Darcy felt the carter and his assistants were perfectly capable of loading the many boxes of books onto the carts without him hanging over them like a mother hen watching her brood. That is not to say that he did not want to, but he knew better than to indulge himself and appear as if he did not trust the man he had hired.
Instead, he had stayed at Netherfield to respond to some letters that had arrived on Saturday. There were matters to deal with for Pemberley and Oakbrook, the small estate near Pemberley his father had purchased long ago when he had hopes of a second son who might need it. Darcy was hoping to one day convince Richard to accept the estate in return for his agreement to retire from the military. After completing his estate work, Darcy wrote a letter to his sister telling her about Miss Mary and the other Bennet sisters, while avoiding all mention of the behavior of Mrs. Bennet or Miss Lydia. Georgiana could handle the information, but it was never wise to put something that could be turned into negative gossip into a letter, even one carried by his personal messenger.
He was just signing the letter to his sister when the Netherfield housekeeper knocked at the door of the library. He motioned her in.
"Mr. Darcy, a messenger has come from Longbourn. He says Anthony Jamison has arrived and has been trying to either open or remove some of the boxes in your shipment."
"Thank you, Mrs. Nichols," Darcy said. He quickly sealed the letter putting it with with the others he had finished. While capping the ink bottle and setting aside the pen, he asked the housekeeper, "Is my cousin in the house?"
"Colonel Fitzwilliam went out shooting with Mr. Bingley earlier today. They did not say when they would be back."
"I am amazed Bingley felt well enough for an expedition like that. Well, when they get back, tell them what you just told me and let them know I am on my way to Longbourn now."
"Very good, sir. Would you like me to call for your horse or your carriage?"
"The horse, please. I will be out for it shortly."
He quickly headed to his room to change into riding clothes, carrying his letters with him. His valet would pass them on to the messenger for him. He got to the stable just as the groom was leading out his horse. It was the work of a moment to mount up and set the horse on the quickest path to Longbourn at a gallop.
The carter and his assistants were just fastening down the load as Darcy arrived. He pulled his horse to a stop and quickly dismounted.
"Did Jamison succeed in giving you any problems?" he asked.
"No, sir. He tried, but Miss Elizabeth gave him what for. She told him you would have him taken up for theft and he would be lucky if hanging was the worst that happened to him. He seemed to recognize your name, sir. He was out of here like a shot once he believed you really were the purchaser."
"Do you have any idea where he went?'
"Not me, sir. Perhaps the men in the stable do."
Darcy thanked the man, glad to see how well they had arranged and secured the loads. Leading his horse, he made his way to the stable. One of the grooms said he overheard Jamison grumbling about finding someone at an inn called the Green Sow, which the groom knew to be in Larchton, the next large village south on the main road.
Wondering if Jamison might be meeting with Wickham, Darcy remounted his horse. He was soon on his way to find the Green Sow.
~o~
"Oh, aye, sir. I know Jamison. He stays here on occasion when he has cash enough to pay for his room and ale in advance. He brought a friend this time. I figured if the man was with Jamison, I should keep him to the same terms. This fellow, Wickham, argued but eventually he paid up for tonight." The innkeeper replied to Darcy's questions.
"Wise of you Mr. Samson," Darcy said. "I have known George Wickham all his life. He never pays any bill he can find a way to slide out of. Are he and Jamison here?"
"You just missed them, sir. The two had a good long conference with one of the militia officers from the camp over in Meryton. Then they all rode off in that direction."
"Let me guess, the officer was one Lieutenant Denny?"
"I did not catch his rank, sir, but they did call him Denny."
Darcy nodded. This was not sounding good.
"Do you have a constable in the village?" he asked.
"Me oldest son is the constable hereabouts. Comes in handy sometimes, with the business I am in." The innkeeper grinned.
"I need to see that Jamison and Wickham are detained if either or both should return here. I hold several substantial notes of hand from each and am willing to pay a bonus if your son will put them securely under lock and key. I am staying at the Netherfield estate near Meryton. Can I count on you to pass the word to your son?"
The innkeeper bobbed his head. "Yes, sir. If they come anywhere near here, my son or I will see about getting them locked up."
Darcy offered the man a few coins in thanks for the information and the promise to deal with Wickham and Jamison if they returned. As he mounted for the ride back to Meryton, Darcy hoped his horse demonstrated his usual level of endurance that day. He had a feeling he might be chasing around after the two men for a while.
A quick stop at the militia encampment revealed Lieutenant Denny was still absent, but as he was not required to be on duty that day, Colonel Forster was not at all concerned. Nor did it seem to bother him to hear the officer had been seen with two known scoundrels.
"So long as he reports back when he is supposed to and does nothing illegal while he is gone, it is no concern of mine who his associates are," Colonel Forster told Darcy.
The answer and attitude annoyed Darcy. He had no recourse, however, so he took his leave of the Colonel and headed back to Longbourn, vowing to himself to have the Colonel held responsible should Denny harm any of the Bennet women.
He returned to Longbourn but learned in the stable that Jamison had not yet returned so far as anyone knew. Darcy asked to speak with Miss Elizabeth, hoping to learn more about her confrontation with the man that morning. Much to his dismay, when he was shown into the sitting room, he learned that Miss Elizabeth was not there. Miss Bennet was extremely concerned because she had expected her sister back straight away.
"She had to go out and retrieve something," she explained. "It was best to do while Tony was not around."
"Did she go into the woods? The place by the spruce trees?" Darcy asked.
"Yes," Miss Bennet confirmed. He could see she was mystified by his guess. "How did you know?"
He prevaricated slightly, more a lie of omission than anything else. "I saw her leaving the area once. Since she chose to go off the path there, it seemed a likely spot for her to visit again."
Miss Bennet nodded. He could not tell if she suspected there was more behind his guess or not. Miss Mary appeared to have no clue about the hut in the tree and was rather confused by the conversation.
"Lizzy often takes solitary walks," she said. "I have no idea what she could possibly be retrieving, but it seemed safe enough with Tony gone."
"It probably is," Darcy said, "but I have learned that George Wickham is in the area as well, and Lieutenant Denny of the militia is known to them both. I will go out and make certain your sister is safe. There is no point taking chances."
The women thanked him. After suggesting they stay together as much as possible, he headed back out to the stables to collect his horse again.
He practically flew along the path to the wooded area, feeling certain something was wrong. He knew it when he saw a horse tied in among the undergrowth just before the point where the trees switched to the spruces. His horse whipped around the corner and Darcy saw what he had feared.
Miss Elizabeth was under attack, being held against a tree while a man tried to subdue her. She was struggling with great energy, but could not quite escape him. The man said something vile and Darcy recognized the voice as Wickham's. As Darcy jumped off his horse and rushed that way, he could see Wickham was trying to use his arm to cut off her breathing. Once within reach, Darcy grabbed the back of Wickham's coat, using all his strength to jerk the attacker away from Miss Elizabeth. Shoving aside distress over the movement having also thrown her off her feet because of the grip the villain had on her wrists, he concentrated on the man who was now wiggling in his own grasp as the two of them stumbled backwards.
Wickham dropped to his knees and then rolled, tearing away from Darcy's grip. He tried to kick out at Darcy's legs as he did, but missed.
"Why is it always you?" Wickham shouted as he identified Darcy.
Darcy ignored the words, throwing himself at his childhood playmate with years of pent-up anger to power his fists. Wickham rolled again and managed to scramble to his feet. They pounded at each other, with Wickham trying to knock Darcy down or off balance. Finally, Darcy landed a sweet punch right into Wickham's face. The scoundrel fell, but with a skill that was probably learned from many brawls, he rolled again, moving away from Darcy as quickly as he could, half-crawling, half-running. He managed to get completely to his feet and ran away around the curve back towards where his horse waited.
It was only the sound of Miss Elizabeth speaking his name in confusion that prevented Darcy from haring off after Wickham. Instead, he quickly made his way over to help her stand, almost tripping over the metal box lying on the ground nearby as he did.
"Miss Elizabeth! Are you harmed?" he asked as he helped her to her feet and then stepped back so as not to appear threatening. He had dealt with women who had been attacked before and knew that even friendly men could be frightening after such an experience. Although he had stopped Wickham's attack on Georgiana at about the same point as with Miss Elizabeth, even months later she still started if he or Richard approached her too closely when she was not expecting it. Anne had been so traumatized by Jamison's aborted attack on her that she refused to be in the company of men anymore at all, not even that of her cousins.
Although Miss Elizabeth rubbed at her throat, she said, "I...I think not. I will probably have a few bruises but he did not manage the harm he intended. How did you get here?"
"I have been tracking Wickham and Jamison for a few hours now, ever since I got word Jamison had tried to disrupt the carter and steal some of the books. I hear you put him in his place."
She did not quite smile as she nodded acknowledgment of the compliment, but it was close. Both turned at the sound of hoof beats. Wickham galloped around the corner and off across the countryside.
Darcy was torn. He wanted to catch the man, but he wanted equally to help and protect Miss Elizabeth. She must have realized his dilemma.
"You need to stop him from hurting anyone else, Mr. Darcy. I will be fine. Go."
"I need to ensure you get back to Longbourn without further harm," he insisted.
"It is not far and lies in the opposite direction from the way he just went. Please, I can make it."
"Lieutenant Denny of the militia is also working with Jamison and Wickham," Darcy explained. "He met with them at the Green Sow in Larchton and left with them as well. He had not returned to the encampment when I checked a short while ago, and he might have come around here looking for trouble just like Wickham. Allow me to at least escort you to a point where we have a clear view of the path to the house. Then if anyone causes you problems you will be close enough to get help by shouting for it."
She nodded, plainly disturbed by the news he gave. Wickham on his own was bad enough. Wickham plus another man and her stepbrother was just too much. Turning to see how far his horse had gone, Darcy noticed the box on the ground again. He picked it up and offered it to Miss Elizabeth.
"You will not want to forget this after having taken the trouble to come out here for it," he said.
Nodding, she accepted it from him. Despite the awkward size of the box, she tucked it under her arm in a smooth motion, as if she had done so many times before.
His horse had wandered a good way off the path to a low, grassy hill where it seemed perfectly happy to graze as well as it could with the bit still in its mouth. As he went to collect the animal, Miss Elizabeth began walking towards Longbourn. Darcy quickly caught the trailing reins and turned to lead the horse along the path. He was glad to see that she had paused just before the point where the curve in the path would have taken her out of his line of sight.
Darcy walked quickly to catch up, but she walked quickly as well, remaining far enough ahead to prohibit conversation while still remaining close enough he could protect her if there was trouble. Once he realized her intent, Darcy stopped trying to close the gap between them. He had no wish to force himself into her company after the likely trauma of Wickham's attack. His goal was to keep her safe, not frighten her more.
When she reached the point where the entirety of the path to Longbourn's stables could be clearly seen, she stopped and waited for him. Her expression was calmer than it had been before. He was glad of that. She absently rubbed at her neck again as he approached, a gesture he had noticed several times since their walk began. The area was reddened, but he was not certain if that was from a forming bruise or just because she had been rubbing at it.
"I will be safe from here, Mr. Darcy," she said as soon as he was close enough. "I hope you will be able to catch up with Mr. Wickham quickly."
"I will do my best. I know your father has not been the most active or reliable of guardians, but I beg you to let him know what has happened as soon as you have assured your sisters of your safety. He may not be able to confront Jamison himself, but he can give orders for your protection. I think he will if he knows Wickham was involved. Please stay close to your sisters and be safe. Bingley and my cousin may have already arrived here or could soon. They will also help protect you all from Jamison, Wickham and Denny."
She nodded, and then for the first time since the attack, she looked him in the eyes. "I am very grateful for your help, Mr. Darcy. I should not have been so foolish as to be caught out there alone and I almost paid the price. I will ask that you also be safe. Just because he did not bring out a weapon then does not mean Mr. Wickham might not have one at your next encounter." She started to turn away and then added. "Women are not supposed to approve of violence, but I will say it did me a great deal of good to see you punch Mr. Wickham in the face.'
Without waiting for an answer, she quickly strode away, obviously wanting to reach the house as quickly as possible. Darcy hoped the experience would not scar her so much that his own presence would make her uncomfortable in the future.
After watching her for a moment, he realized there was no more time for delay. Wickham had probably headed back to either Meryton or the Green Sow. He swung himself up into the saddle headed off on the most direct route to the drive leading away from Longbourn and out to the road.
