The Question of Consent

By DJ Clawson

A sequel to "A Bit of Advice"

Author's Note: Is anyone reading the series at this point beyond like a handful of people?

Chapter 14 – Motherly Instinct

Brian Maddox proved himself a most pleasant fellow, considerably less shy than his brother, and that of course made Darcy all the more suspicious of him. "I trust very few pleasant people," he admitted to his wife."

"You trust very few people," she responded.

Mr. Maddox regaled them all with his tails of the wilds of Eastern Europe, and the only comfort Darcy took in his being a threat to Georgiana's marital status was that he was fifteen years her senior, which violated no rules of society but certainly would be a bit odd, and as far as Darcy could tell with his very scrupulous eye, his sister was inclined to look at their new guest more as someone out of her age range and therefore merely an interesting enough man. Doctor Maddox seemed pleased enough at his presence, and if he had any serious suspicions, he would not voice them, even when Darcy and Elizabeth both took turns cornering him privately about it.

At long last, the weather cleared and the roads opened up. "And so I am finally to meet the beauty who has captured my brother's heart?" This, of course, made his brother blush. "Well, he's too modest. Someone else will praise her, surely, as you are all family."

There was a very awkward silence. Later, in private, Darcy lamented, "Why is it I am constantly being called to praise Miss Bingley?"

"You must admit she has improved since her betrothal," Elizabeth said. "Something about being less haughty and insufferable when in love. I have no idea where I am getting this notion, but it suddenly popped into my head that it might happen to people."

"Dearest Elizabeth – remind me again why I put up with you?"

"It must be my excellent conversational abilities."

The Bingleys arrived in time for dinner. "Jane sends her regards," Bingley said as he entered with his sister. "But Eliza has a sniffle and she would not leave her."

"I will visit, now that the roads are clear," Elizabeth said.

"Well, they're not all that clear. We're barely here, I assure you."

Dinner was a most pleasant affair, as Mr. Maddox got to tell some tales anew, and some he had apparently saved. Bingley seemed to be enjoying himself, but whether Doctor Maddox or Caroline were paying any attention was anybody's guess. Elizabeth was only glad that it took the attention away from her husband, who was quieter than usual, and had been at every dinner since the older Maddox had arrived. Anyone else who took note of this kept it to themselves.

In fact, the first time Darcy spoke at all was in reaction to a servant whispering to him, "Good heavens!"

"Darcy, what is it?"

He grumbled, "It's snowing again."

There were no windows in the dining room. They had to abscond to the parlor to see that it was, in fact, beginning to snow.

"Well?"

It took the good doctor a moment to realize the question was directed at him. "What? I'm a doctor, not a scholar of weather. If you want to know how snow is made, I would be happy to tell you. If you want me to tell you when it's going to happen, I must disappoint you."

"Mrs. Reynolds," Darcy said to the house manager. "Please see to the arrangements for Bingley and Miss Bingley for the night."

It was but a night. Darcy made a quiet joke to Bingley about standing outside Caroline's room with a shotgun, to which Bingley blushed and gave no response. What could happen in one night?

Elizabeth woke up with a start. Her heart was racing, and the very sound of it was audible only because of the complete silence of their bedchamber, aside from Darcy's breathing. She put a hand on her forehead and tried to chide herself out of it, but she could not. Finally, she tugged on her husband, and he half-mumbled a questioning response.

"I have had a terrible nightmare."

He flipped over, an act that a month ago would have given him some discomfort. "What was it about?"

"I ... don't properly remember. Something about Geoffrey." Now that she had said it, her mind was set. "I must see him." She slid off the bed and was putting back on her bedclothes, which were on a pile on the floor, while her husband sat up in a muddled state of half-wake. "Now."

"I am not one to test a mother's instincts," he said at last, and also found his bedclothes (they were hanging on one of the bedposts), and was putting on his robe when he heard his wife shake the door.

"It's locked."

He frowned. "I didn't lock it."

"But it is locked. So one could logically conclude that you did lock it."

Now coming to his senses, he put on his slippers and opened grabbed the set of master keys from the bed stand, shuffling over to a very impatient Elizabeth. "Very well." He put the key in, and it turned, but the door still would not open. "Huh."

"Is it locked from the outside?"

"The bedchamber of the Mistress of Pemberley does not lock from the outside," he said. "Very few don't. This is one of them."

"Well, try another key."

"This is the correct key. The door is unlocked." Instead of giggling the handle, he gave it a push. "I think – I think it's bolted."

"Why would it be bolted? Could there be something blocking it?" She thought about it. Their door was at the end of a long hallway, giving them the appropriate privacy. There was no reason why there would be something in front of the door unless someone had gone out of the way to put it there. "Darcy – "

"I know." His voice, now, was rising to her level of alarm. He gave it a good shove, the best he could manage without putting a shoulder into it, which he was not eager to do. "It is bolted." He tugged at the door handle. "I'm sure of it." He ran to the pull cord and rang the bell for the servant. "Someone should come."

"Perhaps if we make a noise -," Elizabeth said, unwilling to be idle. "Hello? Is anyone out there? Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are unattended!"

There was no answer. There was only silence. "Damn these thick walls!" he said, and turned to his dogs. "Well, don't just lie there! Bark or something! Make yourselves useful!" In response to their master's pleas, one of them got up, climbed up on his chest with her claws, and licked his chin. "Useless mutt! That's not what I meant when I said 'useful!'"

"They cannot understand you, Darcy!" Elizabeth said, in no mood for humor, and neither was he.

Three weeks, Daniel Maddox thought as he lay awake in his bed. At most. Two, maybe, if this damned snow would stop. My rotten luck. He looked at his watch again. Half past midnight, and he doubted he would get any sleep at all. Maybe I should read up on the circulatory system again. That always makes me fall asleep. Such a boring system. He relit the candle and shuffled through the stack of books on his bed stand, but none piqued his interest, or non-interest as it were. Tristan and Isolde, Troilus and Criseyde – I need something that's not romantic! Or at least, ends well! He had his hands on a copy of The Merchant of Venice, which he had not read in several years, when the door to his room opened, and his brother burst in. "Uhm, hello?"

"Danny," Brian said. He was fully-clothed, and for once, looked serious. "Get up. Please."

"What is it? Who's ill?"

"Just – do it, all right?"

A little too started to comprehend, he threw on his clothing as quickly as possible, which as a doctor, he was quite competent of doing. "Now what is it – " he said as he stepped out in to the better-lit hallway. And that was when he felt the point of sword on the back of his neck. "Brian?"

Brian looked at him sheepishly, which would normally be endearing, but this time failed to be so.

"Drop your things," said a very familiar voice, and Dr. Maddox dropped his black bag and raised his hands. "Turn around."

He did not need to see who it was to know, but it was nonetheless best to face his enemy. Lord Kincaid looked considerably worse off than he had been when he had last seen him in passing at the Bingley townhouse. He was unshaven, his clothing a mess, but the most relevant issue was that he was holding a rapier to Maddox's throat, just barely scraping the flesh.

"You're making a mistake," the doctor said, somewhat afraid to swallow. "Pemberley is filled with people. All I have to do is – "

"Not only is Pemberley on a skeleton staff, but that staff, upon hearing a noise from you, will find their chambers locked, and so will everyone else. So we have all the privacy we wish."

Maddox inched away only slightly, and though Kincaid kept his blade up, he did not press him. "Brian – what's going on?"

"Unfortunately," his brother said, "his lordship is the master of ceremonies."

"But you're part of this." He shook his head. "I should have known. How would word reach you in Bulgaria that my situation had changed?"

"Your brother did not spend all of his years on the lam in Europe," Kincaid said. "He spent some time in Australia recently, where he and I came into some financial dealings that did not end well for him."

"Look," Dr. Maddox interrupted, "If you're a creditor and you wish to paid off, we can arrange something. But not here or now. Please."

"Your brother paid off his debt to me by giving me the master keys to Pemberley." Kincaid mock-bowed to Brian Maddox. "Thank you, Mr. Maddox."

"I can't believe - ," but this was not the time for accusations. Or maybe it was, he didn't know. He was not accustomed to blades pointed at him. "So what can I offer you? Whatever my conniving brother has told you, I am a man of very small fortune, and will remain so for some time."

"There are a couple ways this can go," Kincaid said, reaching into his pocket and producing a rolled-up document. "As someone of your intelligence can conjecture, my object is Caroline's fortune, which you will have legal access to on your wedding day. Your first option, of course, is to sign papers agreeing, on that date, to transfer it to an account in France."

"And I suppose my second option is to get run through," Maddox said.

"If you want to be stupidly noble about it, then you may do as you wish, but it will not help at all. For you see, I have, of course, a backup plan. I had much time to think this out properly while I was waiting for your brother to bribe the guard to my cell. Apparently, twenty pounds was sufficient."

Maddox steamed, but he could not be mad at Brian now. There would be time for that later, if he survived. "...And?"

"Well, I could run you through or leave you unharmed; I really have no preference. But your refusal to sign brings our dear Caroline into the picture."

Maddox stepped forward with indignation, and Kincaid raised the blade so the doctor had to raise his chin to avoid his throat being cut. "Easy now. I've not done anything to her yet. But, that option lies open, as you are no match for me, and she is a woman. In fact, with all of the English propriety and social strictures, if I had my way with her tonight, I may well end up married to her tomorrow. Thus obtaining my intended goal without even involving you. Unless," and he dragged the blade so it drew blood, "you want to watch."

Maddox's reaction was interrupted by what was quite obviously the doorbell, ringing in the middle of the night. Apparently not part of Kincaid's elaborate plan, he was distracted, and Maddox reached for anything that could be a weapon, despite his lack of abilities, and found only the candlestick on mounted on the wall. Before he had time to dislodge it, Kincaid collected himself and struck at the doctor.

Fortunately for Daniel Maddox, he had a certain agility and ducked out of the way. Unfortunately for Brian Maddox, he had not same agility and was still standing behind him. He gave a small gasp as the rapier went through his chest.

Next Chapter – Scotland the Brave