The storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux
a/n Sorry, I have not been feeling great. The therapy is a bit rough. be well.
The Travelers
The two carriages rode one behind the other. In their minds, they had left a couple days before the Darcy. They had been compelled neither to talk about it, not to think about it. Albert and George, somewhat in the confidence of Darcy, understood they had all left within hours before the Darcy, but not to say anything.
They were both aware that birds seemed to follow them. Within a few hours, they were approaching the Fitzwilliams' estate.
A rider was coming towards them. Both men took their pistols out. "George, I thought that was you."
It was Bartlett, George was immediately on the defensive. He knew what happened.
"Hello there," George answered, but Albert noticed that George was tense.
"Albert Hurst, what are you doing around here? George, are you on your way to Pemberley?"
Tony stopped her carriage and descended as well. "Steven, go to stay with the Bennet," Tony ordered. Steven grumbled but obeyed.
"A sight to behold, my Lady Hurst," Bartlett bowed lightly, but Tony ignored him. Jak noticed she was holding a knife. He could bet a mountain of gold that the Hurst had other blood, not sure what. Three of them had nearly white hair. All were warriors, he wanted to know what else they were.
"Why the interest?" George asked, his posture defensive. Mr. Bennet was aware because he knew Bartlett, and Darcy had told him his suspicions.
"I am riding that way, I thought of joining you."
Mr. Bennet asked the coachman to stop, he descended, "You aren't welcome. I think that you need to stay away from my daughter."
Bartlett laughed, "My, my, and you think that you can stop me?"
The watchers had communicated the news to Dax. They were close enough to Dax, Jak, and Elizabeth's brothers; thus, the group had galloped fast and reached the carriages.
"You are wrong, we can stop you. You will stay away from Elizabeth Darcy, or you will regret it." Dax answered.
"Who are you?" Bartlett smiled nastily.
"We are William and Elizabeth's relatives; the young gentlemen are her brothers. And I guess you know the rest." Jak had told Elizabeth's brothers about her abduction, and of the suspicion that Bartlett killed Richard.
Jane and Mary hung out the carriage. This was exciting, all the handsome men ready to battle to protect Lizzie. Looking at Lady Antonia holding a knife, made them wish they could do the same. Jane whispered, "He killed Richard, it is almost certain."
" I hope they kill him," Mary, the righteous, whispered.
Jane answered, "Amen."
Otto and Albert were incensed; they might have resented Lizzie before, but she was their sister. Hence Bartlett was the enemy. Neither was aware of one fact; by being Penelope's children, they were more than human. Penelope's had changed when she exchanged blood with Dax and had carried Elizabeth. Hence her sons were partly like Dax and Jak.
Bartlett had no idea who he was dealing with. He knew the Hursts were fierce, but they had nothing against him. The others were probably foreigners, inferior.
The brothers were both prepared to deal with Bartlett; they wanted to make their mother proud and were ready to dispense justice. Besides, both reasoned, this man was a threat both to their sister and to their nephew and assumed godson.
"We are here to make sure you leave Lizzie alone." Bert, not afraid of him, bared his teeth. George noticed the young men looked somewhat bigger, their hair was moving although the wind was mild. He could say they looked different, no longer polished, a bit feral.
Otto was incensed, "You better listen, I am young, but I never miss a target with a pistol or with an arrow. You stay away from Elizabeth if you value your life." He was already holding the bow.
Bartlett appraised the young men and blinked for a second, he thought he had seen lights around the newcomers. Around the two Bartlett didn't know, which he dismissed as foolish. He guffawed, "Ah, two young pups are going to stop me?" He looked at Otto, "You are welcome to try, but if you get hurt, you were warned."
Otto nodded and pulled an arrow out his quiver, Bert did the same.
Dina, inside Otto's pocket, screeched angrily, and Nina joined the battle cry. Both birds came out their hiding places and flew straight for Bartlett's face. Everyone stared at the surreal scene.
Bartlett tried to swat them away, but one cut across his cheek, and he screamed in pain. Then, they were gone. The dogs were both barking angrily, scaring the horse. Warrior decided to deal with the one his master disliked, so he jumped, amazingly high, and bit him his leg.
Jane would later say that Warrior flew. Jane and Mary also saw the small falcons and grinned. This was exciting. Like a fairy tale, there were attacking birds, flying dogs, well almost flying. There were also knights.
"You'll pay, I will be back. Lizzie will be mine as Richard wanted," Bartlett screamed.
"Liar, Richard was afraid of you, he told me. I am sorry I wasn't there to help him." George yelled back, "You killed your brother, murderer."
"I didn't I'll him it was the runaway husband." Bartlett answered.
Dax was by Bartlett's horse, wanting to touch him. Before Dax did so, Nina landed on his head, transmitting Bartlett's memories to Dax.
Dax the memory of the murder. Bartlett stood by Richard, looking at him dying. He still had the pistol in his hand. Bartlett wore a jacket too big and a hat. afterwards, he went into an alley and came out dressed in his clothes. He made a big show calling for help; later a couple people described the man sand his attire. He had paid them off.
Otto and Bert said the same, "Stay away, we will be with here. Don't come near her." They looked feral, Jak grinned; they were brave. They would fit in when it was time. Dax was thinking the same.
George asked, "Where did the small birds come from? Whose are they? I would like one. They are brilliant. 'Bartlett fancies his looks, so I wonder how bad is it?"
Dax had an idea, "Not bad, a small circle, to find him. Wait you need to ride fast," Dax said when two birds landed on him.
Dax called Bennet, George, Albert, and Jak. "George ride ahead quickly, go with the Hurst to warn the ones in the house, Bartlett is not alone. He killed Richard, but how to prove it? We cannot take lives, so we cannot punish him. Jak you go as well, you know how to find a short cut, I will look around. I hope the Lady Sil is not around. Bartlett is a perfect person to do their bad deeds," Dax remarked. "Bert, Otto, come with me."
Intruders
Jak used a 'short cut.' Jak, the Hurst, and George just arrived, when they heard shots. From the house roof, someone was firing arrows.
Darcy was dressed in seconds after he heard the shots. He went out in the hallway, his gun out. The hawk, no longer one, stood by Lizzie's bed, ready to protect her. Lizzie pulled the pistol she kept by her bed. This time she would be prepared.
Darcy met with Frederick, also armed. Frederick put a finger to his lips and pointed to the steps. Darcy heard the footsteps, coming fast, more than one, he worried for his uncle, aunt, and her sister.
Both readied. Three thugs were upon them, Frederick disarmed one of them when he shot his arm. Darcy hit another in the leg. But the third fired and hit Darcy on the upper chest. He seemed to know where he was going, Frederick also knew, to Lizzie's room.
"Go stop him, I will follow. It is only a scratch," Darcy grimaced, standing up, pointing the gun to the downed men.
Frederick ran after the thug, "Stop, or you will die." He warned the thug, trying to go into the room. He could hear someone on the down floor calling.
George and the Hurst rushed into the house. In the drawing-room, they found two nasty looking men holding the Fitzwilliams and several of the footmen as hostages. He noticed that the Earl's arm was bleeding, just a scratch. They heard others arriving, more of Bartlett's thugs.
Jak just appeared inside Lizzie's room. Lizzie stood to the side, only a chemise on. She carried a pistol, ready to fire. Zia, the hawk, one of their commanders, stood with the bow and arrow ready. Jak went to Lizzie and held her, "Go inside a wardrobe."
Elizabeth shook her head, "I am done with being scared, no more." She was indeed done. Richard was dead, and she was not going to let anything happen to her baby. Maybe William was already dead. If so, she was going to punish whoever did it. This had to be Bartlett. Her baby was uneasy, kicking. "Shh, my baby, I will protect you."
Jak knew that look, Dax had seen it often. It meant nothing would change her mind. But, "What if a bullet hits the baby, don't take any chances." He saw her wavering. "Zia, help her."
Downstairs, Albert was next to George one second, the next, he was behind the men. George blinked; this wasn't possible, yet the Hurst had a reputation of doing strange feats.
Meanwhile, Dax found traces of at least ten others besides Bartlett. "We need to go back. Just follow me, don't hesitate." He ordered the dogs to follow and ran towards a big tree.
Bert and Otto shrugged their shoulders and followed him, instead of hitting the tree, they were outside the house. Bartlett was no yet there with the ones riding with him, but four nasty looking men were going towards the door. At the same time, Lady Antonia was coming out of the house carrying a hunting gun. Dax knew at once, Tony would be going back with Jak. Dax knew much about them, he had just seen it.
One of the men laughed, "A fancy lady no bigger than me cock's gone to stop me. What you need is a good tupping ."
Dax didn't understand what he had said, but judging by the brothers, it wasn't nice. No matter, Lady Antonia fired her gun, and the man's hat was destroyed. "You were saying? Next comment, your cock is gone."
"We are four, and you are alone', move aside, and we won't hurt you."
Bert had his bow ready and aimed for another's hat, same results.
Tony smiled, "Make that four, right behind you. Drop your weapons."
"No, anyone moves, and I will blow the little lady's head."
Otto's arrow hit the man's arm with his arrow.
Three more arrows hit the others. Some from Dax, some from Bert.
Dax told them, "Last warning, go." He whispered something, and a swarm of crows came all around them. Now, they were afraid, they went to their horses with the dogs chasing them. The servants who saw were sure, the ones who just arrived were forest folk, fairies, or something like it.
Barlett was arriving with two more, Dax nodded to the brothers who aimed their arrows, "Son, go only for the guns, no injuries."
Bartlett
Frederick could hear all the commotion but concentrated on the man firing a gun to destroy the lock. He didn't hesitate; Frederick was also a crack shot, so he aimed for the thug's weapon.
Jak came out, and between the two of them, they subdued the man. "I will just kick him out. Jak touched him and compelled him to never be back. He did the same with the others from earlier.
Downstairs, the caught intruders sat on a corner, so the same was done to them, they were compelled to stay away and be afraid. When Barlett saw his men coming out scared and running, he took off, "I will be back," he screamed on his way out.
Dax told him before Bartlett ran, "I know what you did. You wore the husband's clothes and paid a couple to lie. If I were you, I would hide."
Bartlett was scared, "You are witches."
Elizabeth was dressed when she came out of the room. Darcy has managed to sit.
When she saw Darcy bleeding, she ran to him. She touched his wound, cried, and hugged him. "Be well, I love you. I cannot live without you. Now, let me see." She opened his shirt and touched the bleeding area. The wound shrank, and a bullet fell on the ground.
Frederick had witnessed the craziness. When he heard his sons' tales, he shook his head, realizing how fragile Elizabeth was. Getting closer to delivery. She had gone thru a lot, he reasoned and couldn't go on with the fight. He would tell her that they would continue their venture and for her to stay with her husband.
He saw how his sons ran to Elizabeth. Both hugged her and kissed her cheeks. His sad, reserved sons were talking very fast, a mix of German and English, Frederick had not seen them this well since three years ago. Maybe they needed to stay with their sister.
Otto was saying how he disarmed one of the nasty men. Then he said, "I couldn't let anything happen to you or to my godson."
Bert was quick to argue, "You mean my godson."
Frederick's eyebrows went up, they started arguing, and Bert pushed Otto; it wasn't going well. He looked at Darcy, grinning.
"No fighting, we will decide later, maybe the baby can have two godfathers, it is possible," Darcy suggested, smiling to himself. Lizzie's idea of making someone else the godfather was a moot point.
Frederick had dreamed of going abroad to do research, and if he could leave the sons with their sister, it would be great. He wondered if that would be possible.
Meanwhile, Frederick and his sons helped Darcy to his bed. The wound was gone, but Darcy had lost a lot of blood. Lizzie had closed the wound, Frederick was sure. Of course, Frederick thought, she is her father's child, whatever he might be. Looking at Lizzie, made him miss Penelope. How he wished she was back.
Downstairs, the Earl had decided to disown Bartlett after considering that he had sent criminals into his home; it was too much. Now, he was sure that Bartlett had killed his brother. The Earl blamed himself for his blindness or for wanting to believe that Bartlett was innocent, even after seeing Bartlett coveting his brother's bride. Tears came once again, but before he could wallow in his misery, he heard the young men talking and laughing.
They were repeating their tale to his wife and her sister, who listened, smiling. The Earl had to laugh at Warrior's leap to bite Bartlett. "My dear boy," the Earl patted Warrior, "you deserve a filet today, you have done a fine deed."
The Earl told Otto and Bert, "I hope you can spend time with your sister. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish."
"Thanks, we would like that," Otto answered.
Frederick, who listened to the conversation, jumped in, "I agree, it would be a great opportunity to learn about England."
After hearing that, Bert stood up, went to his father, and hugged him. Frederick noticed this was the first time his son had hugged him since Penelope left. They blamed their father. Frederick closed his arms around his son. "Thank you, father," Bert told him.
"Does this mean you will abandon the idea of Elizabeth going with you?" The Earl asked.
"Yes, maybe Penny will see this and might want to come back," Frederick answered. He realized that maybe he had been a bad husband, but had no idea how to make amends.
Dax, who had just stepped in, harrumphed. Penelope wasn't for Frederick, she was his. There were poly-families amongst his people, but Fredrick had been a terrible husband.
Otto and Bert rushed out to share the news with Elizabeth. When they left, Dax asked, "What are you planning to do about your son. I don't want to upset you, but I believe..."
The Earl completed the sentence, "That he killed his brother. I have prayed to be wrong, but I doubt it. I don't know, but he must be stopped. He will be back."
Not much more was said, the Bennet had arrived.
The Enemies meet.
A few days later, lady Sil and her husband pretending to be wealthy travelers arrived in the Devonshire. Caroline wasn't far behind. As fate would have it, they all chose the pub in a nearby town to have lunch. The place where Bartlett was staying.
A/n Some good and some bad news. The baddies found each other, as it usually happens.