I don't own Pride and Prejudice.
I'm going to put a trigger warning here, as this chapter will deal with rape. It won't be explicit, but I want everyone warned.
It was finally the moment Elizabeth had been most anticipating, they were finally heading for Pemberley. Jane and Mary had just enough new dresses to last them till they returned to town. She and Kitty had just slightly more, as she had told Mme Bellamy to halt the work on their wardrobes so that Jane and Mary would not have to go without.
She had never thought about how hard closing up a house would be, and this was just a partial closing as they would be back in just over a month. She was so thankful for Mrs Wilkes gentle guidance during the process, as well as her promise to distribute the servants' gifts on Christmas Day. She was actually thankful for the long carriage ride they were facing as it would give the ladies time to finish their project for the tenants' and servants' children. As it was, they had just barely been able to finish the ones for the London house and Longbourn before they had to leave.
"They're here Lizzy!" Georgiana came busting into the kitchens where Elizabeth was giving the final orders before they left.
"Well then, I guess we shouldn't keep them waiting." She said with a smile, linking arms with her younger sister, and going to meet their guests. "Aunt Evelyn, I was so excited to hear that you would be joining us for the holidays." She smiled at the older woman, accepting the warm embrace.
"When we heard your aunt and uncle Gardiner would be joining you, and bringing their young children, we couldn't help but accept. Especially since that fact was enticing enough to draw Martin and his family from their home."
Martin Darcy was the second son of the couple, and a physician by trade. He had established himself in one of the larger cities north of London, having married the younger daughter of a gentleman an the area. He and his wife had two small children, the age of her two youngest cousins.
Andrew Darcy was the oldest and heir to his father's estate. Much like her own husband, Andrew was said to be of a taciturn nature, which was really just severe shyness. He was also well educated, as were his brother and sister, and therefore didn't have the patience for most of the women of the Ton. He was not as well sought after as her husband, as he was still just an heir, rather than a master of his estate, but it was still enough to make the man leery of going out into public.
Olivia Darcy was the youngest of the couple's children, and around the same age as Mary. Unlike her sister, Olivia was outgoing, and loved to chatter on about anything and everything. She had instantly taken a liking to Mary and declared them to be the best of friends. When she found out Mary was reading a book Elizabeth had recommended to broaden her mind, she had gone out and bought it too, eager to discuss it with Mary and Elizabeth. She loved listening to Mary and Georgiana play the piano forte, explaining that she truly had no talent for the instrument, and had started teaching Mary the harp when she expressed interest in it.
Mary had started with Georgiana's master, and the man had complemented her technique, and had started working with her on how to feel the emotion of what she was playing. More than once Elizabeth had caught the colonel standing outside the door watching Mary play. She almost felt sorry for the man, knowing he would have his work cut out for him, courting her sister. Mary was truly oblivious to his interest in her, something Elizabeth was glad for, as she was not quite ready to part with her sister, nor did she think Mary was ready to leave.
Her sisters had horribly affected by their parents' neglect, something Elizabeth was starting to think she would never be able to forgive them for, but Mary was the worse. Jane got attention from both parents, Lizzy from their father, while Kitty got attention from their mother through Lydia. Poor Mary had been completely forgotten by all of them, something Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam were working hard to make up for.
"Madam, there is someone at the door claiming to be a friend of yours, we would have told them your were out for the day, but they were most distressed, and we thought you would prefer to know." Mrs Wilkes came bustling in, and Elizabeth excused herself, Fitzwilliam following her from the room.
"Charlotte? What are you both doing here?" If she was not mistaken her friend was to be married in a few days.
"Oh Lizzy," Charlotte looked like she wanted to rush over to Elizabeth, but Maria clung to her so tightly she couldn't move.
"Please Miss Lucas, why don't we take this to my office?" Fitzwilliam spoke gently, as if he were afraid to scare the girls. He spoke to Mrs Wilkes in hushed tones, and the woman nodded, a saddened look in her eyes. He led the way to his office, making sure to stay as far from the sisters as possible.
He moved to sit behind the desk the moment he entered, "Please ladies, sit where you will be most comfortable." As he said it, he motioned to a small sofa on the far end of the room that looked very out of place, but comfortable.
She watched the housekeeper give Charlotte and her sister a small glass if amber liquid, and encourage both to drink it, before leaving them. However the door was left open, but she heard the servants all ushered away. "Oh Lizzy, I'm so glad we were able to catch you before you left. Surly I don't know what we would have done had we not." Charlotte was as close to tears as she had ever seen her, a look of sheer desperation on her face she had never seen before.
"Tell me Charlotte, what has happened?" She asked, her concern growing.
"I don't know if you've heard of my engagement to Mr. Col..." she cut herself off at Maria's sob, and Elizabeth couldn't have been more confused, "to your cousin."
"Mary has spoken of it, is everything alright?" It was Fitzwilliam who spoke up, but had done so quietly so as not to spook the two women.
"It would appear that he was not as content with me as I was with him." Charlotte said, a sad glance at her sister. "He decided he preferred a prettier wife."
"Did he force himself on her?" She felt the bile in her stomach rise up at her husband's question.
"I'm afraid so." Charlotte couldn't contain the tears. "I've come to beg that the two of you help me find a position that can support the two of us. My parents are set that she marry him since she is now ruined, but I will not let that happen." Maria was sobbing now, and Charlotte held her tighter. "All my mother cares about is one upping your mother, by installing one of her daughters as the future mistress of Longbourn, and my father won't go against her."
"Do your parents know you have taken her?" Fitzwilliam asked, and she was glad he was able to take care of things, as she was currently too horrified to think of anything else.
"I'm afraid we left in the middle of the night and didn't leave a note. I am of age, so there is little consequence for me..."
"But your sister is not so lucky." Fitzwilliam spoke for her, before turning to his wife, "Are your sisters the same size as either of the Miss Lucas's?"
"Mary and I are close enough in size to Charlotte, and I believe Georgiana and Kitty should be around Maria's size." He smiled a bit when she included Georgiana in the list of her sisters.
"Between the four of you I'm sure we could cloth the Lucas sisters while we all reside at Pemberley. If necessary I will send someone to retrieve any completed dresses if need be." He spoke to her, before turning to Charlotte, "Miss Lucas, allow be to extend an invitation to you and your sister to join us at Pemberley. It is far enough from Hertfordshire that it will buy us some time to come up with a plan before your parents think to look for you both there."
"Mr Darcy, while we appreciate the offer, we could never impose on you like that." Charlotte tried to turn them down.
"I assure you it is no imposition, but rather, an honor to be able to assist you in this way. If it can offer your sister a sense of security, all the better. I would be honored if you would allow my wife and I to take you into our protection until something more permanent can be found."
"Please Charlotte..." One look at her sister had Charlotte caving in an instant.