Chapter 45: Forgiven
Elizabeth woke up the next day and was confused. She then remembered her request to her husband to join her in bed the previous night. Darcy touched her cheek adoringly.
"How do you feel, my dear?"
He had been awake for a while, not wanting to disturb her sleep. She had held on to his nightshirt tightly the whole night.
"Are you in pain? " He asked her again.
" No. Not very much." She said, trying to move her leg and winced.
She felt exposed to him in her nightgown, in the rays of the morning sun. She blushed, unable to look at him. Darcy sensed her feelings. He quickly pulled the shawl over her shoulders and got up.
"I will join you for breakfast." He said and kissed her gently on her forehead.
Elizabeth admired how he sensed her feelings and made her comfortable.
When she was ready, Darcy came in and carried her to the parlor.
During breakfast, they tried to keep the conversation away from the events of the previous day.
"Fitzwilliam, I want to see the maid."
'That can wait. You need rest."
"I am feeling fine. Please, I need to see her."
Darcy adhered to her request and summoned Dorothy.
Elizabeth could sense Dorothy's nervousness. Dorothy stood in silence, unable to speak. She wanted to apologize, but seeing Elizabeth's wounded feet made her more guilty.
"How is Mrs Rawlings?" Elizabeth asked.
Dorothy could not bear it any longer.
She kneeled beside Elizabeth and sobbed.
"I am so sorry, Mrs Darcy. Had I come to you the day I saw you at the park, you would not have had to undergo this agony. "
Elizabeth felt sorry for the young woman.
"Please do not cry. You helped save me, and that matters the most."
"How could you say that? How could you forgive me?"
"I can. You gathered the courage to risk everything to come this far. I forgive you. " She said with warmth.
"You are truly very kind. I have not seen anyone like you. I was touched by your kindness to my poor mother."
Darcy watched both of them in silence. He admired Elizabeth more and more. She had the kindness to forgive Dorothy for her mistakes. He reminded himself that it was the same kindness that made her look past his faults and love him.
He cleared his throat, and Dorothy stood.
"Mrs Darcy needs rest. I will meet you in my study momentarily. " Dorothy left them in silence.
"Fitzwilliam, please do not be harsh with her."
"I do not plan to punish her. But I need her assistance to trap the real culprit."
"What are you doing to do?"
"I need to discuss with Richard. Do not trouble yourself regarding this. You need rest." He carried her back to her room.
"I want to know. I know you are angry at Miss Bingley. But she is the sister of your best friend. We are related now. Please do not be hasty."
"Sister, my foot. I cannot spare her. You must know what I feel." Darcy said, unable I control his anger. "She wanted you dead, Elizabeth. In all sanity, I do not know how I am standing here without riding to London to get her arrested."
"Fitzwilliam, please. An action like that could destroy our relationship with Jane forever."
"I cannot help it. Charles has always overlooked her faults. I did not want to lose his friendship. That is the only reason I was cordial with her. And I was a fool not to see how venomous she could be. At Netherfield, I did not have the sense to doubt her but blamed you."
"You seem to be angry at yourself than at Miss Bingley." Elizabeth said with irritation.
"I am. I cannot bear to look at you this way." He said with pain.
"I will be fine in a few weeks."
"It could have been worse. I could have lost you forever. Miss Bingley has to pay for what she has done."
"It need not have to end this way, Fitzwilliam."
"So, you want me to let it go? Let her roam happily with all that she has done."
Elizabeth was silent.
"Will you feel the same way if she had tried to harm me?"
"Of course not." Elizabeth said with emotion.
"I am glad we are on the same page. I do not care if I lose my friendship with Charles. I will not spare her."
Before she could argue, Georgiana and Emma joined them.
Darcy left for his study.
Richard was waiting for him. "How is Mrs Darcy?"
"She is in pain. Although she tries to hide it from me."
"She will be better. You need to relax."
"Relax? Have you lost your mind? This is an attack on my wife. How do you think I can relax? She needs to be punished. She has made a fool of us for the past months. I met her just before I came here, you cannot believe her acting capability, Richard. I did not imagine in my dreams she was capable of this, that too teaming with Wickham."
"Well, one is gone. How do you think the other one must be punished?"
"She wanted Elizabeth dead. What punishment can equal that? I cannot control my rage." He said in anger
"Well, that maid is a witness and accomplice to everything."
"Not everything. The abduction was planned by Wickham and Miss Bingley. Dorothy had no part in it. What if Miss Bingley denies knowing Wickham."
"But that maid has seen them together. "
"I do not want to leave anything to chance this time. She must pay for all her deeds. Did you find anything in Wickham belongings that states a connection with Miss Bingley?"
"No there were none, except money."
They called for Dorothy.
"You said you saw Miss Bingley and Wickham at the park, did you notice anybody else there?" Richard asked her.
"No sir. There was nobody else."
"If you are produced as a witness, are you sure you will not hesitate to say the truth?"
"I won't betray you. I will say the truth, everything I know and my involvement in Netherfield as well."
"Considering Wickham's bitterness with me, Miss Bingley might deny everything and put the blame on him. We need to catch her red-handed."
"What do you suggest?"
"I have a plan."
Darcy quickly narrated his plan to Dorothy and Richard. Dorothy agreed to help them. Despite everything she had done, she was grateful that the Darcy's had forgiven her.
Darcy immediately sat down to write a letter to his friend.
He hoped that his plan would work.
It is time for you to know who your sister really is, Charles. He thought as he sealed the envelope.