Chapter 19: Damsel in Distress
"Charles and Caroline!" William blurted out, after they had been driving for about fifteen minutes, Richard had just finished explaining how the security details were going to work. "We forgot about Charles and Caroline; they should also get protection. If Wickham is as blatant as to steal Charles identified, he might not hesitate to do worse, especially now that he is desperate."
"You could use this as an opportunity to get rid of the red head?" Richard smirked "Just saying"
"Really Richard, you can be so inappropriate!" William smiled despite his words, "Although Caroline has almost been avoiding me of late, or just not as clingy. The last time she contacted me was when Charles was arrested, she enlisted Elizabeth's help to let me know about mother's ring. Normally she would grasp at any reason to be in contact and/or see me"
"Finally, the woman see sense, most woman give up with you in the first week, for Caroline it has been years. "Richard was still teasing his cousin, but he found himself wondering what could have changed Caroline's mind.
"Actually, she seems to have totally changed, Georgiana said Caroline came over, and she was different, more caring, in fact Georgiana's exact words were 'more human than I have ever seen her', she actually helped lift Georgiana's spirits that day. Mrs Reynolds also remarked on it. She thinks Caroline has fallen in love with someone else." William was more than happy if Caroline had moved on, he was never going to feel romantically incline towards her, but he still wished her well.
They were approaching Anne's apartment building and Richard glanced up at the windows of the apartment.
"There is Anne" he said, spotting his cousin with her head out the window, "Isn't that the bathroom?"
"Yes, her en suite I believe." William glanced up, but not wanting to take his eyes off the road until they had parked.
"She looks distressed…." Richard suddenly realised "Do you think Wickham is there?"
"I would not put it past him, he might try and ransom her to her mother." William was very worried about Anne.
"He obviously does not know Aunt Catherine as well as he thinks, she would refuse." Richard said, they both knew their aunt had said many times, if you were stupid enough to get kidnapped you deserved it. They doubted she had a maternal bone in her body.
"How are we going to find out? And what are we going to do if he is up there?" William had parked, illegally, and was scanning the windows but Anne was no longer at the window, he feared for her safety.
"Well at least we don't need to worry about the Bingley's just yet..." Richard said but his heart was not in the comment. "Remember when we were kids and we used to play Hide and Seek up there, we could climb across the patios…we can still do that, if one of the neighbours would let us onto their patio." He was scanning the building, looking for alternatives.
"Yes, but we aren't kids anymore, and I don't think any of the neighbours, if any of them still lives there, would remember us from back then, so the chances of getting into one of the apartments to get on the patio is going to be difficult." William was not keen on that idea, he did not even like it as a child but would never admit that to his cousins, who would climb just about anything for any reason.
They stood next to the car scanning the building, not too sure what to do.
"Lets walk around the back and see if there is a fire escape or drainpipe" Richard said as he started to walk away from the car.
"William? William Darcy? Is that really you?" A little old lady was bearing down on them, beaming from ear to ear. Literally a little old lady, if it weren't for her wrinkles and walking stick, she could be mistaken for a small child.
"Mrs…Mrs Dawkins! Good morning! How unexpected seeing you today" William knew that he was terrible at small talk, but this was one of Anne's neighbours, he was pretty sure she was born in her apartment and grown old in the self-same apartment!
"You were always such a good polite boy! She twittered, turning to look at Richard, "Young Ricky I presume, you have sprung up like Jacks beanstalk!"
Good morning, Mrs Dawkins, how are you? We have not plagued your passageways for many years now." Richard responded, now that William had identified the woman, he remembered exactly who she was.
"You boys have grown up into fine young men! Your aunt must be very proud." At that she stopped, "I doubt it, that woman could make milk curdle just walking past it in the store she is so sour."
Richard and William stared at the old woman in amazement, it was not often they hear people speak so bluntly about their aunt, at least not in their presence.
"Oh, come now boys, admit it, I am speaking the truth!" she chuckled at their faces. "I have watched that poor Anne dealt with that awful woman for years; it has been wonderful to watch her come into her own these days without that old battle-ax to break her down!"
William and Richard nodded in agreement.
"We are actually here to see Anne" Richard said, "we are a bit concerned about her." He was wondering what to tell the old lady without scaring her or giving her the wrong idea.
"If you are referring to that young man she is seeing, you don't have to tell me twice. You don't get to be my age and not see right through people's fake personae's. She can do so much better than that fancy man!" Mrs Dawkins might be old, but she was definitely as sharp as a tack.
"Would you mind giving us access to your patio, we want to climb over and see if she is okay, we suspect that her boyfriend is in a bit of trouble and going to use Anne to get out of it, and not in a good way?" Richard decided to just play open cards.
"I will do one better" Mrs Dawkins said, "I will go and knock on the door, asking for Anne's mother; I have done that more than once since he started hanging around, just so he knows someone is looking out for that girl."
"You must not put yourself in danger Mrs Dawkins" Richard started to protest, but the little old lady raised her hand to silence him.
"I do as I like young Ricky so best you get used to it."
William couldn't help but be impressed, and a distraction was a good idea. "I think it's a great idea, just do not go into the apartment, otherwise we will have to rescue you and Anne."
"Don't tempt me" Mrs Dawkins teased "being rescued by good looking young men is in short supply these days!" She turned towards the apartment building and gestured for them to follow her.
Once in her apartment she showed them to the patio and instructed them to wait for her to ring Anne's doorbell before trying to get in. She also gave them her patio door key, "They are all the same, so unless your aunt changed the locks this should work."
With that and a twinkle in her eye, she left the apartment, William, and Richard crouch on her patio, the side closest to Anne's patio, waited for the doorbell and climbed over onto adjoining patio. William became religious for fifteen seconds, praying that he was not about to plummet to the ground.
Richard tried the patio door, it was locked, he tried the key Mrs Dawkins had given them, it did not work. He grimaced in frustration. Then he noticed that one of the windows was open, it was not exactly accessible from the balcony, but he reckoned he could make it.
William wanted to yell at him as he watched his cousin climb from the patio, onto the window ledge and into the window. He could hear Mrs Dawkins twittering away to Wickham, he guessed it was Wickham because he was sure if it was Anne, they would have already been in the lounge to reassure the two men that everything was alright.
Richard unlocked the patio door; the key was inside the lock and let William in. Closing the door but leaving it unlocked just in case they needed a quick escape.
"As I said, Anne is not well so I am leaving her to sleep, her mother is still out of town. I will let Anne know that you came around." Wickham sounded exasperated with the old woman who was chatting up a storm.
"That would be very kind of you, Anne always helps me when my arthritis plays up." Mrs Dawkins made her exit.
"Bloody old bat" Wickham muttered as he closed the door. They hear him walk down the passage past the lounge. "What is wrong with that nosey old woman next door, she just would not go away, insisting on speaking to Catherine, or you!" Wickham was irritated.
Thwack! They heard someone getting slapped and a short struggle.
"Oh no you don't my precious Anne" Wickham sounded out of breath "I have plans for you, once your mother returns and agrees to us getting married, I will get all of that inheritance you do not even know you have!"
'Pig, you are a pig, worse than a pig!" Anne replied.
Wickham just laughed, a door closed, and a key turned.
They were relieved to hear she was okay and fighting back, it was as they suspected, he did have her hostage, but he was obviously delusional, if Anne was not marrying William, she was not getting married, her mother had made that abundantly clear all their lives.
They both ducked out of sight as they realised Wickham was heading to the lounge. Richard regretted closing the patio doors, Wickham would have gone out there to investigate and they could have just tipped him over the rail, problem solved.
He headed straight for the bottle of whiskey on the table, one of Aunt Catherine's very expensive bottles of whiskey!
Richard gestured for William to go check on Anne, he would take care of Wickham. William nodded. They moved at the same time, Richard caught Wickham unawares, and William hesitated for second just in case Richard needed back up. But Wickham was no match for Richard, even if he had been prepared, and he was subdued in no time.
William headed to Anne's bedroom, the key was in the door and wiggling around. Anne was trying to escape.
He unlocked the door and opened it, only to be slapped hard across the face.
"Oh William, I am so sorry!" Anne gasped. "I thought you were George!"
"S' okay, I understand" William said rubbing his cheek, thinking of the slap they hear earlier, he hoped she had hit George with equal force.
"How are you here? How did you know?" Anne asked as they made their way to the lounge.
"We saw you in your bathroom window, or rather sticking your head out. You did not see us in the road?" William realised she must have been so panicked at that stage.
"No, I was only trying to find a way out, I hoped someone would at least see me and realise something was wrong, but I was not banking on it." She replied, "I am so sorry I slapped you."
"How did you get in here?" She asked, "I cant imagine George just let you in?"
"No, we came over Mrs Dawkins patio whilst she distracted him at the door" William smiled
"Is that what that was about, George was so irritated. She keeps coming over when he is here, borrowing sugar or milk or looking for mother." Anne realised that Mrs Dawkins checking on her. After all her irritation at the old woman she was just looking out for her, Anne felt quite bad that she had not been nicer to Mrs Dawkins.
"We ran into her in the road, no clue how but she recognised us and when we said we thought you were in trouble, she was more than happy to give us access to her patio, it was her idea to distract George at the door." William told his cousin.
There was a loud crash from the lounge, Anne and William ran through, they had been so busy talking they forgot about Richard with George captive in the lounge.
George was leaping over onto Mrs Dawkins patio, he tried the door, but it did not open, so he leapt over to the next patio, and tried that door, it opened, and he disappeared inside that apartment.
Richard was heading towards Mrs Dawkins patio to follow him but was obviously injured as he was limping.
"Stop Richard, you are in no state to chase him. Anne is safe." William stopped his cousin. Richard sat down on one of the patio chairs, rolled up his pant leg, his ankle was starting to swell.
"That bastard stomped down on my ankle, totally turning it out, I was so busy trying get his arms restrained I did not even think he knew a move like that. " Richard was in pain. 'Guess we'd better get security for Charles and Caroline, and fast! Wickham is insane"
"I totally forgot about that!" William grabbed his phone, and called William Lucas,
He updated him on what had just happened, requesting additional security for Anne, Charles, and Caroline.
He then phoned Charles, hoping he was at home with Caroline so that he could kill two birds with one stone.
Charles answered and confirmed that he was home, with his sister. He seemed to think William was being over dramatic with the security detail until he heard what had just happened with Anne, at which point he suggested that Anne come and stay with them, and the security detail come as soon as possible.
Five minutes later Anne's phone rang, it was Caroline, insisting that Anne come to their house and stay with them for a week or so, at least until that man was arrested. Anne agreed to this arrangement and ended the call.
Richard and William waited for Anne to pack a bag for her stay, both very aware that Wickham was once again lose and dangerous.
Anne walked into the lounge, her bag on wheels behind her. She held out her hand to William, she was giving him something. He held his hand out, she placed his mothers ring into his palm.
"I am so sorry; I had no idea, it looked familiar, but I could not place it, so I just thought perhaps it was a popular design. When he showed up here last night and told me I was his prisoner until my mother got back, he told me that that ring was your mothers. I have no idea how he got it, but he seemed to enjoy the idea that I, Anne was wearing your mother, Anne's ring. He is quite mentally insane, isn't he?" The last part was said softly and sadly. Anne realised that this man did not love her, he never did, he was just using her.
"I think we can safely say he is a few sandwiches short of a picnic; and dangerous" Richard said as he started herding everyone to the door. He checked out in the passage to make sure that it was clear and then headed over to Mrs Dawkins door. He did not even knock, and she opened.
"So that vagabond escaped?" she said, "Too bad, I have left a Whatsapp broadcast on our group for the apartments, so everyone knows to look out for him. I saw him trying to open my door, but I had already bolted it because I had given you my key." She held out her hand expectantly.
Richard dropped the key into her hand. "She changed the locks but thank you anyways. Whose apartment did he go into, should we check if they are okay?"
"That would be the Purvis's, but they are in Europe, they don't lock their patio because they do not believe anyone can get up there. The caretaker has their keys if you want to check?" Mrs Dawkins knew her building.
"William, you take Anne to Charles's house, wait for the security detail, I will uber to Charles when I am done." Richard really hoped that Wickham was in that apartment, his ankle was aching something bad and he really wanted to return that favour.
"Maybe I should stay for backup?" William asked, knowing his cousin was out for blood.
"No, get Anne to safety, she is still at risk, at least at Charles's there is a security system and there will be three or more security personal soon. I promised I won't kill him if I find him." Richard reassured his cousin,
"I will be his back up!" Mrs Dawkins announce brandishing her walking stick like a sword.
Richard really did not have a response to that, and he seriously doubted he could talk her out of it, and with her the caretaker would most likely open the apartment for them. So he shrugged and accepted his new found partner in crime.
As the unlikely duo set off to find the caretaker, William bundled Anne and her luggage into the car, snatched the parking ticket off his windscreen and headed to Charles house.