Thanks to everyone for the reviews and alerts etc, I think there is a glitch and I haven't been able to respond but I appreciate them all the same and I hope to be responding to them soon!
Chapter 3:
That night was the worst that Lizzy had ever endured. She did not think that she would ever be able to forget the sounds of wailing, crying, and screaming by the men on the make-shift beds near them. They had thankfully gotten a corner bed, and Miss Murphy, out of what Lizzy presumed was mostly pity, had even brought her a chair.
Lizzy wanted nothing more than to succumb to sleep on that chair but she knew Mr. Darcy needed her. He was still unconscious—the strong Mr. Darcy everyone feared, and most likely secretly admired, was completely and utterly defenseless. There was no time for Lizzy to sleep nor think, something ignited inside her, where she felt that the way out of this mess was by keeping him alive. Somehow, his living, justified her struggle and therefore she threw herself into tending for him like the devoted wife that everyone thought she was.
Every time Miss Murphy came by, she saw Lizzy wetting his lips with a cloth, cleaning his head wound, and wrapping him in blankets. Lizzy would not call them blankets, per se, they were made from rough wool and had no pattern nor basic symmetry but she knew they were lucky. Considering their predicament earlier today, they were indeed very lucky. For now, they were admitted without payment and she did not know how long it would for Mr. Darcy to wake up, for the men to find them, or for them to go home. But she could not dwell on any of that. Her only task at the moment, was making sure Mr. Darcy survived.
"The fever still holds" said Miss Murphy, touching his forehead and shaking her head. "I am afraid we are going to have to remove his clothes, they are far too wet" she said, "Between the sweating and the dreadful weather outside, these clothes will only make him more sick. I shall see what I can do with finding you something for him" she said, before leaving the room once again.
Lizzy felt a mixture of relief and terror when Miss Murphy appeared a few minutes later with a simple but clean and dry shirt and breachers for Mr. Darcy.
"I shall leave you to it" she said, handing Lizzy the clothes.
"You shall what?" asked Lizzie, taking the clothes but looking confused.
"You would of course like to change your husband, Mrs. Taylor" said Miss Murphy, now being the one that was looking confused. "I can help you if you need assistance, but as you know the staff is shorthanded here."
"No, no, it is quite alright, I am more than capable" said Lizzy, forcing a smile. She took the clothes, looked at the back of Miss Murphy, as she had swiftly left the room, and she looked at Mr. Darcy. She wanted her to undress him? Oh goodness.
Lizzy took a deep breath and thanked the heavens that Mr. Darcy was fast asleep and would certainly not remember this and began to undo his shirt. Her fingers fumbled as she undid his cravat, and opened his shirt, and removed it slowly from one arm and then another. She had never seen a man undressed but she did not think that most men looked like him. She did not know if to keep looking or look away and so instead she blushed, smiled, let out a small laughter and then continued.
She threw his wet shirt on a pile by side table, which already had his wet jacket that they had removed when they had first arrived. Her hand instinctively reached for his trousers but she stopped short, blushing once again, and being thankful that at least the doctor and his assistant were not here, for if they were, they would surely know they were most certainly not married. Or would women to be this uncomfortable around their husbands? Alas, Lizzy did not know.
Instead of proceeding, she put on him the dry shirt, struggling with one arm, as she needed to put one of her own arms under him to lift him slightly. Her breath got caught in her throat when she realized the proximity and the impropriety of being found in such a position, but she swallowed and continued.
Lizzy opened his trousers, fumbling with the buttons, pretending this was one of her younger cousins that she was changing their trousers, and hoping no one saw her, she closed her eyes as she slipped the trousers off, quickly covering him with a sheet.
"Phew" said Lizzy, letting out a breath she did not realize she was holding, and then put on the clean trousers, keeping the blanket on to cover his most private areas, while bringing the trousers up and then taking the flap covering his most private area quickly and then once again, fumbling with the buttons. Removing and changing his socks was the easiest. Miss Murphy had not brought her dry socks, but she took off his wet ones, added them to pile of wet clothes, and once again covered him, now fully dried and warm.
Any other maiden would have taking a moment to recompose herself but Lizzy could not and would not rest. She did not want to think of his chest or the feel of his arms, albeit weightless, around her. She needed to keep moving. And so, she once again wet his lips with the cloth, hoping some liquid went in him, and it was only when two hours later, that his fever broke and his sleep seemed restful, that Lizzy fell asleep on the chair beside him, her hand holding on to his.
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The doctor walked in the next morning, the room now lit with the morning's sun.
"Mrs. Taylor" said the doctor, feeling sorrow for the young wife. He had caught her asleep, holding on to her beloved's hand, and seeing the dedication with which she had tended for him, he knew that she was in love.
"Mmm?" said Lizzy, opening her eyes and taking a few seconds to remember when she was. She first saw her hand inside Mr. Darcy's and quickly removed it, blushing for being caught in such a position and unaware of how she came to hold on to it in the first place! "Oh doctor" said Lizzy, now looking up and seeing him for the first time. She stood up quickly, curtsying and he smiled at her, waving with his hand that she should sit back down.
"He looks much better" said the doctor, examining Mr. Darcy closely, "All due to your care, I am sure" he added, smiling at her.
"I thank you" said Lizzy nervously.
The doctor wet a cloth with some unknown substance and brought it to Mr. Darcy's nose, which made him stir and slowly open his eyes. Lizzy opened her mouth in surprise—he was waking up! He looked confused and unfocused.
"Who are you?" said Mr. Darcy, looking at the faces gathered around him. He squinted, the darkness of the room and the light from the candles confounding him. "Where am I?"
"Oh, Mr...I mean, darling, we are in a hospital, you fell and got hurt" she said cryptically, she looked at Mr. Darcy meaningfully, hoping he would catch her ruse and play along with her. Oh, please, Mr. Darcy, see through me.
"Who are you?" asked Mr. Darcy again, looking at Lizzy directly.
"I beg your pardon?" said Elizabeth her bottom lip quivering.
"That is your wife" said the doctor pursing his lips and shaking his head, while scribbling on his book. "His condition is serious, I am afraid, Mrs. Taylor."
"What do you mean?" asked Lizzy, looking up to the doctor, as she had been staring at Mr. Darcy in disbelief.
"I surmise his head injury caused him to forget his memory, temporary amnesia" he said, "Do not fret, he shall recover, most patients do, it might take some time, but eventually the memories come back."
"Oh" said Lizzy, "Oh" she said again, tears threatening to leave her eyes. She had put all her hopes in him waking up, playing along, and then together finding a way back to England. But now, it seemed, she was stranded in Scotland, wanted by some god forsaken men, and with a gentleman who did not remember her, and she was pretending to be his wife!
"Mrs. Taylor, I will prescribe rest, plenty of liquids, a change of bandages every couple of hours and I am afraid that is all we can do for him. I think you shall be ready to depart tomorrow morning" said the doctor, not noting Lizzie's wide eyes and leaving the room.
Miss Murphy patted her head kindly, feeling sorry for the young bride.
"I am so sorry" said Miss Murphy. "Do you have where to go when you leave in the morrow?"
"No" said Lizzy, wanting to be brave and strong, but feeling very odd seeing Mr. Darcy stare at her, as if he were in a dream and he would soon wake up. He did not react to the doctor's words and Lizzy thought he was simply too tired.
"No, we were traveling" said Lizzy, she was about to say that they came from England and though she knew her accent gave them away, she was still worried about being found, and so quickly continued the rouse, hoping it made sense, "And we were uh, robbed, we have no money, our family does not know we are here and I have no where to go and he does not even remember me!" said Lizzie, now letting her tears flow out.
"Oh my" said Miss Murphy, reading in between in the lines and surmising that they had run away to get married at Gretna Green. "My mama rents rooms, I can see that you a fine lady and he a fine gentleman, I can speak with her and she can give you a room on the condition you pay her when you are able to and perhaps you can help her as well."
"Oh!" said Lizzy, holding her hands and thanking her, "That would be wonderful! It would only be until he is well enough for us to travel" said Lizzy, smiling so wide, not caring that tears were still falling, "Thank you!"
"I shall speak with her tonight and let you know in the morning" said Miss Murphy, leaving the room with a warm smile on her face.
"Come, Mr. Taylor" said Lizzy, "Let us give you some sustenance." She fed him the weak soup that Miss Murphy had brought, made sure he drank, and then watched him fall back asleep, confused as he was when he first woke up.
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It had been a full day since Lizzy was missing. Charlotte was pacing her drawing room never feeling so incapable as a woman. She had called for the Colonel the previous day, hours after Lizzy had not come home, as she had said she would. She was surprised to hear that Mr. Darcy was likewise missing and even more surprised to hear him say that he thought foul play was involved.
"What ever do you mean?" Charlotte had asked the Colonel, who had paced in the same spot she was pacing in now.
"Mrs. Collins, I do not know if you met a Mr. Wickham while in Meryton, my cousin informed me of his being there" said the Colonel, knowing he was loosing time, but needing her to understanding for they needed to protect their reputations for as long as they could.
"Yes, of course" said Charlotte, confused.
"Mr. Wickham is not who he claims to me, I believe that he has taken my cousin and very possibly your friend, they were both last seen walking to a similar location by the servants, searching the trail I found some footsteps that were covered up by amateurs and I believe he has taken them to Scotland" said the Colonel. He was waiting for gasp, crying, or anything, but Mrs. Collins was a sensible as her husband was not. She kept herself collected and waited for him to continue, for that, he was grateful.
"Colonel, I do not wish to delay you, but how do you know they have gone to Scotland?" asked Charlotte. England was a very large country-they could have gone anywhere!
"Mr. Wickham has too many debts in England, he would not risk being found with Mr. Darcy, who is very powerful and well known. Anyone could turn against him and give up his ruse. You must understand something Mrs. Collins, Mr. Wickham has the gift of the tongue, he can spin tales like no other but they often run out of steam with time. He knows England is a ticking bomb and any lie would soon be uncovered. Scotland is different. I do not wish to speak ill of the Scottish, but they have less scruples, not to mention Mr. Darcy is not known there. I believe he will have an easier time keeping them hidden, buying his time to collect money in exchange for their return. I have known him my whole life and though I think very little of him, I will be the first to admit he has a very good criminal mind" explained the Colonel, watching Mrs. Collins following him closely.
"I shall go after them. I believe we shall spread the lie that my cousin went back to Pemberley and that your friend, Miss Bennet, has gone to stay with a friend. Is there anyone who lives far enough away that it would be believable and that her family would trust your judgment in giving her permission?" he asked her, knowing time was of the essence.
"Yes, however, I believe I must inform Mr. Bennet of the truth, he is too wise for his own good and would surely see through it, specially if he does not receive a letter from Lizzy, which I fear, could not reproduce" said Charlotte.
"I see" said the Colonel. "Pray tell him I am on it and will have them back soon but it is of utmost important that their disappearance is kept quiet. Is there a friend that she could have gone to?"
"Well there was a friend who moved to in Warwickshire" said Charlotte, thinking quickly, "Her name is now Mrs. Rose Morling."
"Well then, we have our tale. Now I must ask for your discretion with your husband, I am afraid he will divulge the truth to my aunt" said the Colonel.
"I understand" said Charlotte, giving him a weak smile. She did not want to be undutiful wife, but she trusted the Colonel. She knew he was right.
"I must be off" said the Colonel, placing his hands in the rim of his hat and nodding in farewell.
"Colonel!" said Charlotte, as he was almost out the door, "I thank you and good luck!"
"Do not thank me yet" said the Colonel, and with a forced smile, closed the door.
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What did you think? It's such a change posting a story thats already written. I am editing as I go and potentially changing a few things along the way. There is another new story I'm working on, I'm not sure if to start posting at the same time or I should wait till this one is fully posted...what do you think?
I edited this to include why the Colonel thought thats where they were going, thanks for the question! The truth is I never thought that something that was a question since it was so obvious in my head/story lol but thanks for asking, I hope I gave you a satisfactory answer...and if not...well its fiction lol :)
