A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. This is the next to last (or 'penultimate' as Mr. Darcy may prefer) chapter of the story. I would appreciate your overall impressions at the end of the story. I plan to post the last chapter tomorrow and the epilogue next Friday. In between I will be away on a business trip. A week after the posting of the epilogue, on June 15, this story will be taken down to comply with the publication rules of KU. So don't dally!
I want to answer two reviewers' previous comments before it is too late:
DSLeo: The Darcy family originated from their matriarch, Miss Joan Darcy, because all the male Darcys had lost their heads during the confusing Wars of the Roses. The gentleman she married changed his name to Darcy in order to inherit. Please see Chapter 5 for all this. Changing one's name to inherit properties was common. The real-life Earl Fitzwilliam in this story added 'Wentworth' to his name when he inherited the properties of Charles Wentworth, the Marquess of Rockingham. He sometimes used just 'Wentworth' as his family name. You will see later in this story that somebody changes his name to inherit. Can you guess who? This contest is open to all! The prize for the first correct anser is an ebook of this story. Those who have won one, like DSLeo, are welcome to try again.
The Guest who suggested that I could add notes, etc. to respond to critical reviews on Kindle that need clarification: I have done that already but it is not the same as real-time feedback like I am doing here! For example, one reviewer wrote a novel-length scathing review on how the Lizzy in 'Pride Under Good Regulation' was impossibly smart and perfect. I added a chapter note in the story on Elizabeth Carter, the bluestocking extraordinaire. There were in fact many extremely talented women during the Georgian-Regency period. For example, Lady Caroline Lamb, Byron's lover, could write so much like Byron that his publisher could not tell the difference. Another reviewer of 'Such Novel Notions' said the accidents encountered by Wickham were unbelievably childish. Those turned out to be accidents that happened to me, except that I was driving a Honda, not a phaeton. The windshield had protected me in both cases. Wickham was not so fortunate. I explained that when I was posting the story here, but the readers on Kindle do not have this advantage.
That is why I really appreciate your comments and feedback, complimentary and critical ones, so that I know how to minimize those misunderstandings or improve on my inadequate descriptions for the readers who do not have this instant feedback.
Well, our Lizzy finally gets the motivation she needs to approach the Queen. A little foretaste of marital bliss is all it takes. This chapter reads a little like a mystery/thriller. Do you think I have a future in writing a story in this genre?
Chapter 34
Two days after the Queen's household returned to Windsor Castle, Elizabeth asked to speak to Her Majesty. Elizabeth knew there was nothing urgent on the agenda in the foreseeable future, as the Prince Regent was indisposed with gout again. No official functions would be planned when that happened, which was becoming more frequent of late.
"Madam, I wish to ask for permission to marry," Elizabeth respectfully asked.
The Queen did not look surprised. She stated matter-of-factly, "You wish to marry Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley."
Elizabeth was also not surprised. The Queen had ears and eyes everywhere, some on her own daughters, who were effectively enslaved to their royal mother.
"Yes, madam. Mr. Darcy and I became betrothed immediately before I joined Your Majesty's staff. We believed it prudent to make no announcement until after obtaining Your Majesty's approval."
The Queen turned to Mrs. Waldheim, who was always with the Queen whenever Elizabeth was present.
"Wo ist der Oberst?"
"Er ist weg, madam," answered the main Keeper of the Robes.
Elizabeth could understand the exchange but did not understand the meaning of the inquiry. The Queen asked where the colonel was, and Mrs. Waldheim said he was away. There were many colonels around since equerries were usually high-ranking military personnel.
"Miss Bennet, please let me think about the matter. I shall give you an answer. You are dismissed."
The Queen, however, asked Mrs. Waldheim to stay.
It was done. The request had been made, and the Queen had not become angry. She chided herself for thinking so highly of herself that the Queen of England would be devastated about losing her to marriage.
However, two days after making her request, the Queen still had communicated no decision to her, and she was meeting the Darcys that day.
After their intimate encounter at Darcy House, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy felt essentially as close as man and wife. There was no embarrassment when they saw each other again so soon after having seen and touched just about every inch of each other.
"What do you think, Fitzwilliam?" asked Elizabeth, unable to disguise her worries.
"You said the Queen asked about 'the colonel' immediately after your request?" he inquired with a frown, also puzzled by this strange question.
Elizabeth nodded in answer.
"Knowing just one colonel, my cousin Richard, at the palace, I immediately associated the Queen's inquiry to reference him, but it could be any other colonel serving at Court. Have you noticed a particular colonel who is close to the Queen?"
Elizabeth thought for a moment and said, "No, but there is a General Spencer. He is one of the King's equerries. He comes regularly to report to the Queen about the condition of the King. Within the Court, he is widely believed to be 'married' to Princess Augusta. Oh, forgive me, dearest. I do not mean to gossip."
"Well, my love, as Richard would say, good gossip based on facts is intelligence. If the Queen remains uncommunicative on this matter for much longer, I shall seek help from my Uncle William—Lord Fitzwilliam. Richard should be back on duty in three days. He and I will discuss this. All will be well, dearest."
By then, Princess Elizabeth's farm was in view, and they thought it wise to turn back.
Two further days passed and, just when the Keepers of the Robes were leaving the Queen's chambers, General Spencer asked for an interview with the Queen. Mrs. Waldheim told Elizabeth to return to their quarters, but she herself re-entered the Queen's room. Elizabeth, out of curiosity, stayed where she was, and heard the Queen exclaim, "Also! Heute Abend!"
Elizabeth quickly left the Queen's ante-room before Mrs. Waldheim caught her eavesdropping. Even though she again understood the literal meaning of the simple German which meant 'So, this evening!' she could not fathom what distressed the Queen.
The day was otherwise rather dull. She went to Princess Elizabeth's farm to help with planting summer flowers. The princess chided her for keeping Mr. Keynes to herself, but Elizabeth could tell the scolding was in jest. They worked congenially until almost dinnertime.
The King's equerries worked in shifts; only those not on duty could come to dinner. The two who were present were about to discuss the King's condition, but they were shushed by Mrs. Waldheim, who never allowed discussions about the monarch in her dining room. Despite the silence, Elizabeth could sense something important had happened.
In the evening, the Queen sent a page to ask her Keepers of the Robes to come, as she wished to retire early. As usual, Elizabeth stood a few steps away while Mrs. Waldheim busied herself helping the Queen change out of her dress.
Elizabeth was extremely shocked when the Queen suddenly addressed her, "Miss Bennet, could you go to the library to fetch me a book? It should be on the table in the center of the room. That book always helps me sleep. I shall be obliged."
Elizabeth was confused. Why did the Queen not send a page? And where was the library? She had never been shown the way to that part of the castle.
It was, however, never an option to refuse the Queen, more so when she asked politely. To make sure she carried out the errand without fault, she asked, "Madam, could you tell me the name of the book in case there is more than one book present?"
The Queen seemed surprised by this question. After a pause, she said, "It is a German Bible printed in the sixteenth century. Ask a page to show you the way. Now, go!" commanded the Queen. This was the first time the Queen had spoken to Elizabeth with agitation.
"Yes, madam." Elizabeth curtsied and left with the page, John. On the way there, John, being a gossiping type, said, "I heard the King has been lucid more and more. He loves the library when he knows what's what. I hope we do not run into him. I have seen him mad only once, and that was not a pretty sight."
Elizabeth was apprehensive hearing the King's state of health discussed openly for the first time since joining the Royal staff. She asked hesitantly, "If the King feels poorly, does he go into the library?"
John promptly answered, "No. The equerries on duty ensure His Majesty does not leave his rooms. Only his physician, Dr. Willis, may enter his chambers when the King is wild."
Elizabeth stopped and exclaimed, "Wild? I thought the King just talked nonsense when he was in his insane state."
John said thoughtfully, "It depends on what you mean by wild. He is unpredictable when he is not himself. That is what everybody says. The one time I saw him, it was at a distance. I heard the King talking, as you said, nonsense, but loudly. His two equerries had to restrain him. His Majesty is quite frail now, but he is still unpredictable. Oh, we are here."
Elizabeth looked at the imposing doors of the Royal library, famed for its immensely grand collection. She turned to the page, as if asking why he did not open the doors for her.
"Oh, I beg your pardon. I am under strict orders to remain outside, but I shall open the door for you."
Elizabeth was truly worried now. Why so much intrigue just to fetch a book?
She cautiously entered the library, which was well lit with a fire burning bright in the hearth, just as Princess Elizabeth had described. Under other circumstances, she would stand in awe and marvel at the enormous number of books in royal bindings on all four walls stretching for as far as the eyes could see. Now, she ignored the splendor surrounding her and scanned the room for the table where the requested book lay.
She gasped loudly when she saw a table standing in the center of the room at which a man sat hunched over a book. Before she could decide what to do, the man turned around. It was His Majesty, because no one else could be so casually dressed and be allowed in a public room at the palace.
Elizabeth had been trained to back away from Their Majesties at a chance encounter. She immediately backed away with her head bowed.
The King's eyesight was poor. He stood up and walked toward Elizabeth for a closer look, but she did not stop. She kept backing until she reached the doors. She turned the handles, but neither of the doors would open!
Elizabeth kept her head bowed, and hoped the King would turn away. The fact that he was in the library meant he was not mad at the moment, and he should have been the kind, solicitous monarch everybody claimed he was.
When the King was about ten paces away, he suddenly rushed forward, exclaiming, "Emily, my heart! You are back from Hanover to visit your old papa? Why has no one told me about it? How are my grandbabies? You have as many babies as your mamma and papa, don't you? Oh, Emily, you have come back to save me!"
Elizabeth was trembling like a leaf. She was stunned speechless. She tried not to wince when the King embraced her tightly.
After a moment, the King released her suddenly. His eyes trailed down to her breasts.
The King said slowly, "Ah, you have been indulging in torte! You now have a womanly figure. Your husband must be pleased."
He lifted Elizabeth's head to look intently at her face. He said quizzically, "Your face has changed as well. What has happened to your eyes? Why are they so dark? My dearest girl's eyes are light, not dark, and she is thin. Your breasts are full."
Before she could react, the King took hold of her shoulders and leaned forward to get within a few inches of her face. His foul breath enshrouded her face.
Not knowing the King's intention, Elizabeth screamed and instinctively turned her head while putting up her hand between her face and the King's head.
Is he trying to kiss me?
Abruptly, the King grabbed the hand that was directly in front of his eyes and slipped the ring off her finger. She had forgotten to take off her betrothal ring when she had answered the Queen's unexpected call.
How could I be so careless!
He examined the ring with a deep frown. Elizabeth considered fighting her way out from between her captor and the door while he was distracted, but hesitated. For the first time in her life, her wits left her, and so did her courage. If the King wanted someone for any purpose, what could they do? Her father had forbidden his daughters from working as governesses, worried about lecherous employers preying on them. But if the employer was the King, could one resist? Would it be considered treason?
But he thinks I am his dead daughter!
Her mind went round and round thinking of all kinds of scenarios, one more desperate than the other.
The King muttered, "This looks like the ring my dearest girl gave me, except that mine has a white rose with diamonds, and a lock of her hair. This one has a red rose and no hair. You look like Emily, but also not. She had given me the ring to mourn her before she died... she died!"
He stared at Elizabeth with a wild expression and asked urgently, "Are you my Emily, or are you not? Are you dead, or alive..."
And then the King started spewing nonsense non-stop while shaking Elizabeth, which shook the doors. But as soon as he began, the doors behind her opened. Two men came in to restrain the King, and John, the page, supported her from behind to prevent her from falling. Another man directed the two equerries to take the King, who continued his nonsensical babbling without taking a breath, back to his chambers.
The man who spoke with authority turned out to be the King's physician, Dr. Willis. Before rushing off to attend the King, he ordered the page to take the lady back to her lodgings, and he would examine her later. But Elizabeth refused to go. She said breathlessly, "His Majesty took my ring. I must get it back. It is my betrothal ring. I cannot lose it. Oh, someone please find the book Her Majesty asked for. It is a German Bible on the table."
John volunteered to look for the ring, but it was nowhere to be found. He also went over to the table to look for the German Bible but did not see it. The King had pulled out many volumes from the shelves, but none of them was a bible in German.
By then, Elizabeth had calmed down substantially. She thanked him profusely. "John, your timely arrival saved me. I truly did not know what to do when the King started shaking me."
John looked sheepish when he answered, "Forgive me for waiting so long to act. General Spencer locked the door once you entered the library. He said to fetch him and the doctor if I heard anything was amiss. When you screamed, I ran over to the doctor and they came right away."
"I see," Elizabeth answered with a frown. Why did the King's equerry lock the door behind her? Even though she was not badly hurt, the trauma of encountering the mad King made her weak in the knees. Losing her precious ring, one that had been in the Darcy family for hundreds of years, saddened her. She had no doubt Fitzwilliam would forgive her, but she did not want to lose it. In the morning, she would request permission to return to the library and search for the ring.
When she arrived at her own rooms, she realized she must tell the Queen why the book could not be delivered, but Mrs. Waldheim's assistant stopped her and told her to retire for the night. The Queen had heard about what happened and was extremely distraught. Her Majesty was not to be disturbed.
Elizabeth did not need to be told twice to go to bed. The King had not violated her, but she somehow felt dirty. She knew in her heart she would have fought the King to preserve her purity if that had been his intent. Thank God that it did not go that far. She washed herself as best she could and quickly fell asleep from complete exhaustion.
The next morning, she was told again that the Queen did not need her services, and she should remain in her quarters to await Dr. Willis's visit. She was wondering when she could go search for her ring when Colonel Fitzwilliam entered her sitting room. Apart from her betrothed, not even Jane could have lifted her spirits more than the presence of the Colonel.
The Colonel hurried over and brought up Elizabeth's hand for a kiss, something he had never done before but was exactly the comforting gesture she needed right then.
"How do you fare, Miss Bennet? Or may I be presumptuous and call you Elizabeth or Lizzy?" asked the Colonel anxiously.
"Colonel, please call me Lizzy, like my family. Right now, I need family."
"Right, Lizzy, I returned from my off-time this morning and heard of the uproar caused by the King. An equerry on duty last night, Colonel Weston, told me what happened. Apparently, the King was relapsing yesterday morning, and had long periods of insanity throughout the day. Before that, and even during my last shift here two weeks ago, he had been doing well, having only brief lapses. Dr. Willis was hopeful His Majesty would have a respite from his madness. And then it happened again, but Dr. Willis was still hopeful it would pass soon. Spencer, the other equerry, allowed the King to be in the library by himself. Spencer said he was obeying the Queen's order, and the Queen herself corroborated his claim. She said she believed the books there calmed her husband. And then you came into the library, and the King mistook you for his dead daughter, Princess Amelia, whom he called 'Emily.' That appeared to trigger the madness to return fully. Dr. Willis had to put the King in a straitjacket to calm him down. As soon as I heard that the King had mistaken one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting for Princess Amelia, I knew it had to be you. Dr. Willis also gave me this ring to return to you. He said it was in the tight grip of the King. The good doctor had to pry His Majesty's hand open to get it."
Elizabeth's face broke into such a beatific smile that there was no doubt in the Colonel's mind who had given her the ring.
Now that the big worry had resolved itself, Elizabeth could calmly and logically relate what had happened the night before.
At the end of her account, Elizabeth looked around to make sure the assistant was not present and whispered, "At the risk of being called treasonous and sent to the Tower, I believe the Queen conspired with Mrs. Waldheim and General Spencer to set me up as bait to trick the King. Whether her intent was to drive the King fully mad or to bring him back from madness is to be debated."
The Colonel was impressed by Elizabeth's rational elucidation after such a traumatic event. He said, "Miss… Lizzy, brava! That is precisely my thinking as well. I shall go further to assert that the Queen's intention was to shock the King back to sanity. It was the Princess's death that pushed the King over the edge to relapse into madness. She probably believed the process in reverse would give the opposite and desired result. It obviously did not, and I understand she is distraught, blaming herself for causing great harm, which may or may not be remediable."
Elizabeth was dismayed. Would the Queen give the approval she needed to marry? Did Her Majesty place on Elizabeth part of the blame for failing the mission?
When she voiced her worries, the Colonel replied, "We may have to appeal to the Prince Regent instead because the Queen is refusing all requests for an interview. My father holds some of Prinny's debts, and he owes father a favor. I shall write to Darcy and my father today. Lizzy, you were very brave. Other young ladies in your situation would have been hysterical. You seem to have recovered quickly."
"I do not know, Colonel. Having this ring back has steadied me. What happened in the library was sudden and fast. I did not have time to think or react. Perhaps in a day or two, when everything has sunk in, I shall start screaming and crying."
"You are strong. Admit it! Much like another lady I know," said the Colonel with a smile.
"You might be correct. I have had to be strong since my father's illness and death. Perhaps it has become a habit. I pity the King, but I do not hate him. What the Queen did was despicable from my point of view. I might have become a willing accomplice had she shared her plan with me, but even if I was unwilling, I would not feel so betrayed as I now do. Speaking of the other lady, have you just returned from Wales?"
"Yes, I have. I went to see Mrs. Trumbull at her estate, and escorted her and her household, including your sister, Miss Mary, back to London. It was a lot of traveling to do in the span of two weeks, but it was worth it to me. I had never been to Wales before, and think it very fine country—untamed, and yet, not wild. I jokingly suggested to Mrs. Trumbull that, if she moved to Wales for good, perhaps I should resign my position with the army and become her personal guard. She said she would think about it!"
Elizabeth switched the topic back to herself. "All I ask is the Queen releases me before you leave the King's service."
"I am optimistic on that front. It appeared the Queen hired you strictly for this harebrained scheme. Your requesting to leave her service to marry might have made her determine to carry out the scheme sooner rather than later.
"Now that the scheme has proven both unworkable and harmful, I doubt she will want you around, or more accurately, anywhere close to where the King might run into you inadvertently."
The two friends parted. Elizabeth rinsed the ring thoroughly before putting it on her finger. She no longer cared who saw it, or whether it snared all the Queen's fine dresses.
