The Price of Family
A sequel to "A Bit of Advice" and "The Question of Consent"
By DJ Clawson
Author's Note - You know what? I don't like cliffhangers any more than you do. Here you go, guys.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 18 – The Would-Be Priest
"If you will excuse the question," Giovanni said, "I was not told who you were, though I can only imagine why you are here."
"I am Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy," Elizabeth broke in. "And this is my husband, Mr. Darcy. My maiden name is Bennet."
"Ah," he said. "Mary's sister."
"So you know why we sought you," Mr. Darcy said in a much deeper and more obviously threatening tone. "Or have some imagination on that subject. And this is Brother Grégoire, who is Mary's brother-in-law."
Grégoire bowed again.
"Then please allow me to get you some refreshments – "
But he would not have his escape. Darcy grabbed him by his collar as he tried to make his very un-dashing exit. "While I would very much enjoy refreshments, we have not come this far to idly chat over tea, Mr. Ferretti. Or is it, Father Ferretti now?"
"Darcy!" Elizabeth said, and would not give up her cold stare until Darcy released the boy, who gasped free. "We will be civil. Though, if you would, please, answer the question, sir."
"It is Mr. Ferretti. I have not been ordained, though it is only a matter of time." But surprisingly, there was confidence in his voice. Not only was he terrified, he had that humble sort of tone. "I was simply told Englishmen like to be very ... what is word, quiet and proper? Beat around the bush?"
"We are not in England," Darcy replied. "And so we must be Italians and get right to the point, I suppose. You know the only proper course of action in this situation, however delayed it would now be."
Giovanni swallowed. Elizabeth almost pitied him. "I – I am aware of your country's standards, but you must also be equally aware that I cannot. I have been promised to the church since the day I was born – "
"And that would make you quite the model of celibacy, wouldn't it?" Darcy said. "That would be expected of you."
"My family expects many things of me. Every time I have tried to disobey them, it has ended in failure. Please, Signore, try to understand my position – "
Darcy was unrelenting. "Your position is apparently quite comfortable."
"You are surely aware," Elizabeth said, a little gentler than Darcy, "that my sister's position is untenable, and that while I know not your local customs, her reputation is thoroughly ruined, and she may well bring down my younger sister Catherine as well."
"'The fallen woman.' Yes, I have been told."
"Apparently not enough to impact your course of action except to have you running in the opposite direction," Darcy said.
"What was I to do? I – I cannot be an Englishmen! My family would cut me off! And though I loved Mary, I could not betray all of them – " he caught their expressions. "Yes, I did love her. And still do. It is not a lie and I will not deny it for a moment. That I should have restrained my baser instincts, yes, you are in the right. That I should have insisted that she accept my offer of compensation – "
"Compensation!" Elizabeth said, finally raising her voice. "My sister is not a whore, to be paid!"
"It was the only thing I could think of. Forgive me, but do you not – I am not fully comprehending – do you not occasionally marry for the exchange of monies in England? Something about dowries? The exchange of money to signify a spiritual connection?"
"Your church would certainly know all about that," Darcy said. "No offense meant, brother."
"None taken," Grégoire said, wisely deciding to stay out of the conversation entirely.
"But I am not false? This is true, that she must be provided for? That the child must be provided for?" Giovanni insisted. "And it is my child, so I must do it. But she refused. She was so pious. A martyr. Like Saint Mary."
"The virgin or the whore?" Darcy said. "I would be very interested to know which biblical Mary you were considering to apply to ours."
Giovanni bit his lip. He was caught. He paced the room like a caged animal, only harmless instead of being ferocious, the way Darcy usually was when he paced. "I do not – what do you want me to say? Within reason, Signore, please."
Elizabeth touched Darcy on the arm and whispered. "Let me have a moment with him."
"With his reputation?"
"On the balcony. I insist."
He sighed and allowed his wife to step out onto the plaster balcony, and pointed for Giovanni to follow. They stepped out of earshot, facing out and leaning on the railing, but in perfect view of the ever-watchful Darcy.
"Some things in this life need a woman's touch," Darcy said to his brother. "Perhaps some day you will discover that."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My apologies – "
"It is too hot and I am too tired, Mr. Ferretti," Elizabeth said. "Do you love my sister?"
"Yes. Very much so."
"But marriage is out of the question."
"Sì. As much as – as I would want it to be. I tried to escape the church, you know."
"I heard. Something about the Noble Guard?"
"Sì. But because of my fits – they would not take me."
Elizabeth paused. "Do you find the church so terrible?"
"I did at the time. I was struggling with my studies, and then I met Mary, and she made – it all come alive. I could understand things when she said them. Still, I did not feel very pious."
"Obviously," she could not help but remark.
"But – I did love her. Or, came to love her. It came over me like, how do you call, a lightening bolt. And I could not control myself. Things are different here, Signora Darcy. In Italia, it would not have been so terrible."
"But, though we are in Italy, Mary is not. And cannot be expected to abandon her own family for you, especially since you will shortly be supposedly celibate."
"So you do see, how terrible it is. But I am to do what?" He shook his head. "Every woman I had ever met was jeweled and dolled up to be perfect. Mary was perfect as she was, without adornments. Humble, pious, thinking little of herself, intelligent, studious ... the very ideal of the church. The Virgin Mary." He put his head down. "A terrible comparison, I know, Signora. But I cannot help it. And I ruined her. Tell me at least, she is not cast out."
"No." Her voice was wavering, and she was having trouble hiding it. "Papa was upset, yes, but she is family, and we love her. But her position in society – that is very terrible, beyond repair. And there is little hope for the Bennet name when this becomes known, if it has not happened already."
He sighed again. He was obviously in anguish, maybe in tears. It was hard to tell when he looked away, which was good for her as well, because she could hide her own. "If I go inside and offer your husband to deliver everything in my power to give, beyond my person as a husband, he will not kill me? Because he does – appear that way."
"No, he will most assuredly not. He is just very intimidating."
He bowed. "Thank you, Signora Darcy."
"Do right by my sister and I will be one doing the thanking, Mr. Ferretti."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside, it was quickly agreed, now that Elizabeth was there to make Darcy comply. Not that she expected otherwise, but he took one look at her reddened eyes and softened.
"Tomorrow," Giovanni said. "I can have a proposal for you tomorrow."
"And I have your word of honor as – whatever you are, a clergyman, an Italian, a Roman – that you will not flee again?"
"No, Signor."
So, it was agreed. It was too awkward to attempt further conversation, and so, they took their leave.
"He loves her," Elizabeth said, both sad and relieved at the same time. "But they are too far apart in too many ways."
"We will see, tomorrow, how much he loves her."
Their next meeting was very formal and arranged. They sat at the dining table in Giovanni's apartment, with an older man who spoke little and was obviously a banker. The Darcys sat across from them, and a paper was passed. Darcy glanced at the number, kept his look of concern and impatience, and passed it back without a word.
"Oh, and for the child." Giovanni passed another paper, and Darcy took a look at it, and passed it back again.
Without hesitation, he replied in an even voice, betraying neither disgust or delight at whatever he had seen, "Mr. Bennet will, by law, receive any monies you wish to grant Miss Bennet, which he may do as he pleases, though I have no doubt that he will give Mary access to it in the fullest possible way. The trust fund for the child you may have set up so that he cannot touch it, but as I must deliver the check and set up the account, I will probably do so only with Mr. Bennet's approval, as I am only his son-in-law and here by proxy."
"I put my full faith in you, Signor."
"I will write to him by special courier and we will wait to see if the terms are agreeable to him. If they are, I will take the checks immediately and return to England."
"Of course." Giovanni swallowed. "I ask only – a small favor. That you deliver a letter I have written to Mary." He removed it from his robes and passed the envelope over. It was sealed, and Elizabeth took it. "Thank you. She should know I only wish her the best, but there shall be no further correspondence, for both of our sakes."
"So it must be."
They bowed and left. Darcy was too eager to leave and Elizabeth to eager to know what figures he had seen. As they stepped outside and turned the corner, Darcy going first with his wife and brother practically chasing after him, he turned to them, and was smiling.
"It went well?"
"Better than my own expectations. Though I did not get my chance to properly throttle him, but I suppose I'll have to let it pass."
"That terribly much?"
"If your father accepts – and Mr. Bennet will have to have lost all reason not to do so immediately – then your sister will be one of the wealthiest women in England." He whispered the sum, and Elizabeth gaped. "But first, most pressing, I must find that damned Maddox. I am in need of a speedy courier who thinks he owes me his life."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, you're not going to tell me the sum?"
"Absolutely not."
"What kind of man do you take me for?"
Darcy's blunt stare was enough to get the point across. Brian Maddox took another long swig from his mug. "You're thinking I might run off with Miss Bennet to get the money. Well, I'll let you know I have only the highest respect for the institution of marriage. Hence why a person of my low moral character never entered into it. Left two girls at the altar, too. Not at the same time, of course. Though the Turks do have some strange customs."
"I don't think I even want the explanation," Darcy said, "and will willingly rob my wife of it. Now, the letter." It sat, composed and sealed by Darcy, on the inn table before them. "How fast?"
"If I'm lucky, two weeks there, however long it takes him to decide, and then two weeks back. Could be a month."
"A month!" Elizabeth said. "It took us two to get here!"
"And you're not a professional courier who is very good at riding and even running with a limp," Brian Maddox replied. "But – there is the business of me going to England. A risky venture."
"Outstanding debts, of course." Darcy did not even pretend to be surprised.
"Some have defaulted, since I haven't been spotted on British shores for over five years. But some guys don't listen to rules very much, if you know what I mean. And I would very much like to see my brother and the lovely Mrs. Maddox, if only in passing, but there in Town. Where some – well, a majority – of my enemies are. But considering I'm otherwise offering to pay my own expenses for travel and do this actual job as a service to a family member, however distant, I'd say, you'll be getting off easy by only insuring my safety while in England."
"Or I could use a proper courier," Darcy pointed out.
"Who'll pass France's embargo in that little time? He'd need a bribe for that, probably as much or more than I'm asking. Which is two hundred pounds, by the way."
Darcy replied, "All things considered, I do find that reasonable. But if you don't return within two months – "
" – then I'm dead on a roadside and you should have hired someone proper after all. Not that a proper courier would go to England and upset Napoleon. But no, believe it or not, I don't gamble. Not while I'm on duty, anyway. Or my brother's involved."
"I have to admit, you and the doctor could not be further opposites."
"Hey, look who's talking here."
Darcy gave a glance to Grégoire, and then back at Brian. "And not a word of this."
"Of course. None of my business. Well, about as much my business as the matter of Miss Bennet, but that's none of my business anyway. I'm just delivering a letter." He smiled at them. "By the way, I have an address for you, of a villa just outside Rome. You might find it more comfortable than the city itself, if you've had enough of the bugs and the heat and those awful smells."
"I might have," Darcy said, and they shook on it, and Brian was gone, taking the letter with him in his rucksack.
"A pleasant man," said Grégoire innocently.
"Certainly an enigma," said Elizabeth. Darcy had no comment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If there was one thing Brian Maddox was right about, it was Rome. It was a most unpleasant place on the summer, if one had no particular religious interest beyond sightseeing. The Darcys took their leave and did rent the villa at an extremely reasonable price. It was on a hill, and on a clear day, one could even see the ocean, and feel a cool breeze. It was also not far from Rome, enough that Grégoire could walk there as often as he pleased, which was very often, and they saw little of him, except when they joined him, and Elizabeth saw the Sistine Chapel and The Last Supper in all their glory, though she was surprised to find the latter was merely a painting over an ordinary square doorway. When Grégoire had explored it enough and spoken to enough people, he even got them entrance to the Vatican Observatory, where they saw the exact place where priest-scientists had created the Gregorian calendar they used to the very day. He also took them on an abbreviated tour of the catacombs, until Darcy declared that he had seen enough bones of saints to last him a lifetime, mainly because Elizabeth was looking pale at the grim site.
There was certainly things to occupy their time. Now at ease while awaiting Mr. Bennet's response, they toured in the days when it was not too hot and relaxed otherwise after a long trip. They were secretly glad when Grégoire spent some of his time elsewhere, probably holed up in some confessional booth, because there were some things that demanded privacy. Even though the road had not totally separated the Darcys – the very opposite, in fact, as they were often thrown together on a bed two small for both of them – but they were never fully at leisure, and some things were better enjoyed when fully at leisure, and with an excellent bottle of French wine, and a book that until this point in their journey had been carried but had gone unused. It was not to say they were free from concerns, as they both admitted to a growing impatience to see their son and their family, who they had not heard from since Paris. The post was intolerably slow, and they could not expect to hear from them at all until Mr. Maddox returned, so they contented themselves to make up stories about all of the possible Geoffrey had gotten himself into, which brought laughter that would temporarily ease the pain of separation. But other than that, and other things they couldn't change, their life was ideal. They often sat or stood on the balcony and watched the sun fade in the west.
Two weeks since they had sent Maddox, Grégoire said it was some saint's day and he intended to spend the night in a vigil, or something stupidly Papist of that nature, and they knew they were going to be alone. Maybe he realized the gift he was granting them and maybe he didn't, but neither inquired. Instead, Darcy merely uncorked a new wine to celebrate the date, and put his arms around his wife from behind. She was watching the sunset, now turning the sky a brilliant shade of orange.
"Darcy," Elizabeth said, her voice amused but still carrying a certain gravity. "I'm late."
...Next Chapter – Brian Maddox Rides Again