Chapter 6
Rosings Park, April 1809
Elizabeth: 14, William: 22, Anne: 16
It was Easter time and William were visiting his aunt at Rosings to help her with estate management that his father used to do when he was alive and now was passed on to him. While he was going to the study after breaking his fast, Anne called to him to show something that excited her at the window. When he walked over to her, she slyly saw that her sister was coming that way and took an unsuspecting William's hand in hers and slightly bent to him, looking as though she was kissing him.
Elizabeth walking that way on her way to the library, saw Anne and William standing close to each other as though in an intimate position, and a sob escaped her, and she fled from the scene. William heard the sob and his heart told him what he needed to know. He turned to Anne, pushed her away as he clearly could see what Elizabeth had thought she had seen. He said sternly, "How dare you, Anne?! I am betrothed to Elizabeth, and that is a fact which is not going to change, ever! My future is with Elizabeth! How dare you try and accost me? You will refrain from anything of that sort, and stop hurting Elizabeth! Do I make myself clear?"
Anne screeched and said, "You are engaged to me! And not to that little brat! She is not a proper lady fit to manage Pemberley and will never leave Rosings, while I will prove to be the proper mistress!"
William got, and said, "I will never marry you, Anne! You think you can get everything you want, but I am not a thing, and if I ever want to see you at Pemberley, I will make my wife invite you!" Then he left the room and hurried off to find Elizabeth.
He got outside and scanned the garden for her, but did not find her anywhere. He suddenly knew where she would go – she would go to her father. He walked quickly to the cemetery, and found Elizabeth lying over her father's grave, crying.
He went closer and put his hand on her shaking shoulders and asked, "Are you all right, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth stiffened when she felt the touch and said, "Do not touch me! Why would you kiss her?! Are you that much of a player, or do I know you that little? If that is the kind of man you are, then I do not like it! Please... do not touch me!" the last was said as almost as a plea.
William's face reflected the anguish he was feeling as he removed his hand from her shoulder. He said in a panicked voice, "I did not kiss Anne! I know how it looked, Elizabeth, but it was she who was trying to kiss me! I pushed her away immediately, and told her to stop hurting you and stop accosting me! I told her that my future is with you. Then I hurried after you, I have always cared deeply for you, Elizabeth. I still do and more every time I see you."
William carefully embraced Elizabeth gently, and said quietly, "It will always be you I want, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth leaned into his embrace, and whispered for his ears alone, "I... I love you"
Meanwhile Anne ran into the drawing room, calling, "Mama, Mama, I have something to tell you!"
Lady Catherine replied, "What is it, Anne? Speak up, what is the matter?!"
"Our plan has failed, Mama. William will not have me; he insists that he is in love with Elizabeth." Anne explained, even if she knew it was hopeless as William and Elizabeth were betrothed and engaged to be married.
Lady Catherine arrogantly replied, "That is just stupidity speaking. He will marry you! I shall make sure that she knows that you are Darcy's wife-to-be." and thought, 'How to get that little brat away from William long enough for Anne to make an impression?'
Anne said hysterically, "I am not, Mama. The betrothal is between Elizabeth and William, and not William and I. I remember how happy Father was about it, like it was yesterday."
Lady Catherine said quietly, "Calm yourself!" Anne calmed down at her mother's composure, and Lady Catherine continued, "Well, that is just something we will have to change! You will marry Darcy and move to Pemberley! And join Rosings and Pemberley. I will see to it"
Anne quieted quite a bit and wondered out loud, "Mama, what if I do not want to marry William? Maxwell would be a better match surely, since he will be the next Earl."
Lady Catherine was startled. Deep down, she knew her brother would never entertain any such arrangements for his own children. He married for love and he would encourage his sons to do the same, to thwart any such notions, she simply said out loud, "What are you talking about?! Of course, you will marry Darcy, it was the dearest wish of your aunt Anne and myself, I will make sure it will happen!"
Anne asked almost begging as she looked at her mother, "What can we do, Mama? He does not want me."
Lady Catherine said in a sweet but laced with malice voice, "I will make sure that you have Darcy's full attention tomorrow. Elizabeth will stay inside, and of that I will make sure."
Anne replied wickedly, "Another beating, Mama?"
Lady Catherine joined her daughter in her laughter as she said, "The little brat has to learn that you are to marry Darcy, one way or the other."
Anne's face lit up and said, "Thank you Mama; you are such a good mother!"
Lady Catherine rose from her chair to go and get the whip before she made her way to Elizabeth's room.
As Lady Catherine came into Elizabeth's room, Elizabeth paled visibly and moved away from her. She knew very well why her mother came into her room, there had always only been one reason; another beating. A whimper escaped her and soon the routine of Lady Catherine's whipping, and Elizabeth's begging started only to get more whipping.
Elizabeth begged, "I promise I will be good! I will not get in Anne's way! Please, oh please, argh oh it hurts! Please stop, I beg you! I beg you?! Please!"
Elizabeth cried and screamed out in anguish and pain as the whip hit her back time and again.
Elizabeth lay still while she cried silently at the pain. She could not scream or cry out, if she wanted to be alive at the end of the day. This beating was worse than any she had ever gotten before. Elizabeth bit into her pillow to stop the scream which was forcing its way up her throat. She tried desperately to hold her scream within her and she was slowly losing conscience, her last thought before she welcomed the black of unconsciousness was "help me somebody."
Just after lunch, Madeline came into Elizabeth's room and saw Elizabeth on the bed. She froze as she saw the state of her young charge. Her back covered in lashes clearly from a whip, and fresh with blood. "Oh, who have done this to you, sweetheart?" Madeline whispered quietly as she hurried to fetch water, cloth, bark of willow and antiseptic remedies.
She had managed to clean Elizabeth's back before Elizabeth woke with a start, and almost jumped when she saw Madeline. She burst into tears as she knew that Maddie had seen her back and now knew her secret.
"Lizziebeth, tell me what has happened to you?" Madeline asked and looked at Elizabeth and saw fear and apprehension in her eyes.
Elizabeth replied in quiet voice, "Lady Ca..."
"Your mother? What did she do?"
"She... whipped..." Elizabeth took a deep breath and tried again, "She whipped me."
Horrified, Madeline asked, "When did this start to happen?" she feared the answer, since from what she had seen, the scars were years old. It also meant that she had not seen the signs, and she did not take good care of her charge as a governess, "Nearly since Papa..."
Madeline's heart broke that she had not detected the signs of abuse before, the person Elizabeth needed in her life to rely upon and care for her. "Since your father died. Why did you not tell me?"
"I was afraid... I am afraid..."
"Why could you not tell me? I am not a monster." Madeline asked, she herself was upset but kept her calm as not to scare Elizabeth.
"I know... but she said that if I told...she would..." Elizabeth replied as tears continue to fall.
"She would beat you again." Madeline finished and cursed Lady Catherine for ever laying a hand on her charge, the young girl she had come to think of as her own.
"Yes, and more."
"Can I look at your front?" Madeline asked.
"Yes, but please do not touch!"
Madeline's heart broke again at the tone of Elizabeth's voice as she replied, "Of course, I would not." Madeline was thankful that Elizabeth's front was nearly free of scars, but a few around her stomach. Madeline said as she looked at the scars, "I am writing your Uncle Matlock, about this!"
Elizabeth exclaimed, "No! No, Maddie, you cannot! Do you not see if Lady Catherine gets an angry letter from Uncle about this, then she will know that I have spoken about it and I will be beaten again?"
Madeline sighed and said, "Unfortunately yes, you are right, dearest. But then again, your uncle and cousins are due for another visit soon, and then I will tell them."
Elizabeth agreed, "We cannot talk about this! Nobody can know, Maddie! She will beat me ever so harshly if ever word got out in the house."
Maddie nodded her accept, and said, "All right, you must let me know when you need help, with anything."
Elizabeth nodded.
Madeline left Elizabeth's room to get some lavender oil, which was good on scars. She dared not think about what young Mr. Darcy would say to this! Elizabeth was his betrothed.
Rosings Park, July 1809
(Three months later)
It was two years after Mr. Darcy's death, and now the Matlock's were to visit. Elizabeth knew that William would accompany them, as had become his habit since his father's death. Georgiana was at Pemberley with her governess.
Lady Catherine had just that morning asked a maid to tighten her corset yet again. Her wounds from the earlier beatings had not yet healed and the tight corset was cutting into them. Breathing was becoming quite an ordeal and although Elizabeth was furiously using her fan to keep cool, the wait for the Matlock's was becoming unbearable.
Finally, they arrived; Elizabeth was surprised that they had brought Maxwell, along with William. Elizabeth tried to make her fanning seem relaxed and normal; nobody could know how ill she felt. When it was her turn, she greeted the guests with as much composure as possible even though her body was complaining.
William and Maxwell noted how Elizabeth had to keep fanning herself, and her irregular breathing, which she nearly hid from everybody.
The guests were shown to their rooms and they all retired until it was time for dinner. Dinner was a silent affair, besides Anne animatedly talking of her horses, her dogs, her sewing, her painting and other things, which William had blocked out. Elizabeth had been quiet during the meal, not eating much but picking at it and only replied when she was directly spoken to. Both the Countess and the Earl had noted how pale and quiet Elizabeth had become, and it confused them as she always had been loquacious and bright when she was in Matlock. William and Maxwell exchanged looks, they were both worried about Elizabeth, something was wrong. They also noted that she was fanning herself quite frequently.
William, who was seated next to her could not hold down his curiosity anymore and asked quietly, "Elizabeth, are you feeling ill?"
Elizabeth looked up, and he immediately noted the pain, fear and tiredness in them.
She replied in close to whisper, "Just slightly" and returned to picking at her meal until it was time to leave.
When dinner was completed, no separation of sexes occurred, and everyone moved to the drawing room to enjoy some coffee and tea. Elizabeth was on her way to a chair in the corner with a book when she felt faint and before she could grab a chair to hold, everything went black.
William who was very attuned to where Elizabeth was, heard more than saw Elizabeth collapse and rushed to catch her.
Maxwell who was also nearby came rushing and helped one cousin help the other to a sofa and said, "What is wrong with her? This is not normal!"
"Looks like she is burning up! This explains why she was fanning herself even during dinner."
Lord Matlock immediately asked Maxwell to send a servant to fetch a doctor and instructed William to take her to her room. William did as he was told and walked up the stairs with her in his arms to take her to her room with his Aunt Constance right on his heels.
He got Elizabeth into her room and laid her on her bed. His aunt took over to cover her with a counterpane. Elizabeth woke up whimpering, and William was again immediately by her said calming her with, "Shh, Elizabeth, you are safe."
Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and asked, "What happened?"
Her aunt sitting close to her on the other side replied "You fainted, my dear! Your Uncle asked William to carry you here and sent for the doctor. I am sure you are in need of a doctor; you are burning up with fever. How long have you been feeling ill?"
"I have been feeling dizzy and hot for days. I thought it was nothing to worry about. I took some bark of willow last night and I thought it would go away."
Her aunt asked William to wait outside so she could get Elizabeth more comfortable. After he left the room, she brought a nightgown from her closet. When Elizabeth got up from her bed to change, she realized that she needed help with the corset and her aunt would know everything!
As she was hesitating what to do, her aunt asked what was wrong and Elizabeth whispered, "I need help aunt; with the corset".
As she helped her niece with the corset, her aunt saw it all. She saw how badly her niece was bruised and has fresh wounds all over her torso. She gasped horrified and asked, "Elizabeth... what ... what is this?! What happened, my child?"
Elizabeth swallowed and knew it was time to reveal all. She slowly started by saying, "My childhood."
"Elizabeth, who has done this to you?!"
Her aunt was both getting angry at her sister and had tears for her niece seeing such abuse.
Elizabeth swallowed again as she was choking on the words she had been told never to say, "Lady Catherine."
Madeline was returning to Elizabeth's room and saw William outside and asked what was going on. He indicated that Elizabeth was inside and needed help with her dress. She opened the door and rushed over and said, "Lizziebeth! Are you all right, dearest?"
"I fainted in the library, Maddie. William brought me here and aunt is helping me change."
With her aunt and Maddie's support, she changed into her night clothes and got back into bed as Maddie covered her again in the counterpane. Her aunt opened the door and saw William and now speaking quietly with her husband. She went to them and explained everything that she saw and what little Elizabeth told her, which they always suspected.
William was furious. "Uncle, you have to do something! One: Elizabeth has a fever, and two: she has been whipped, and from what my aunt tells me, it has been going on for months, perhaps, years. If you do not take her away from here, I will and to hell with the consequences! I am not leaving her here on her own again!"
The Earl shook his head and said calmly "William, it is not proper for her to go with you. Your aunt and I will take care of her. We will take Elizabeth away from here."
He went over to Madeline and inquired, "Have Elizabeth, been abused in this environment?"
Madeline replied, "Yes, my Lord. She has scars on her back to prove that the abuse has been going on for years. Miss Elizabeth also told me that she was put into a tight corset since she was nine years old."
"My god! Be kind enough to pack her things. We are taking her with us to Matlock as soon as she gets well. But for now, I have a doctor called. She is running a fever and that needs taken care of before she is moved."
William was back at her side, holding her hands as he said, "Elizabeth, I promise she will never hurt you again! I will not allow her to come anywhere near you again! You are leaving Rosings for good this time!"
Elizabeth looked into his eyes and saw only dedication and truth as she whispered, "Thank you, William." and squeezed his hand gently.
For the first time he could see the woman Elizabeth was becoming and said, "Elizabeth, I want to apologize truly for how I behaved when my father died, it was unforgivable of me to besmirch your father's memory like that. Can we start over?"
"You need not apologize, William. Your father was dying; you were under strain by that alone. But yes, let us start over again."
William smiled and said, "Thank you." and gently kissed her hand and saw her blush.