Pride and Prejudice

Fan Fiction

NOTE: For those who need Reminders: If you cannot remember how the Duke and Mr. Bennet are brothers.. you need to go reread at least Ch. 3

Thank-you Jan for your review...I knew something was missing in CH.10, just did not know what (it should have been obvious to me LOL)

Previously:

The priest put his hand on his shoulder. "Sir, may I offer you some advice? Do not give up hope. God works in mysterious ways. Have you considered there may be events your relative needs to happen that can not occur where he was living?"

Mr. Gardiner looked at the priest. "You may be right at that, though it would have been great if having him going missing could have been take out of that equation."

The priest managed not to chuckle at the gentleman's tone of voice.

Duke Finds the Diamond- sort of

Ch. 11

The duke traveled swiftly up the northern road stopping every traveler, be it farmer, merchant or group that he saw. He stopped at every inn. Each, and every single, time he would hand out Mr. Bennet's description. Happily, he had more luck than Mr. Gardiner, more than one traveler had seen a gentleman fitting the description his Grace was handing out. Strangely, they were not connecting the name of Bennet to it. No, not even when he had an artist draw a picture and began showing anywhere he stopped.

"That is Mr. Caddick for sure." One innkeeper smiled wide. "He was traveling with Lord Lewis and his sister, Lady Arwen. Kind fellow, quiet, but kind. Gentleman stopped my misses from hitting a pile of bricks when she started falling."

There was farmer who talked to the Duke as he was standing next to a wood fence. He shook his head, but still smiled. "Odd fellow, did not say much, but was polite enough. Opened the door for me when my hands were full when I was in town."

"Do you know wher they went?"

"They were staying in the only inn we have, Royal Tavern, no creativity in that name. However, Lord Lewis called in Dr. Jones, Their poor friend had his head bandaged. Guess there had been some sort of wreck, but they had no idea where cause Mr. Caddick was sitting along side the roads the Castells were traveling on but they saw no cart ,wagon, or carriage of any kind. Lady Arwen was the one who had cleaned and wrapped the wound." The farmer than told Duke Sanders where the doctor could be found.

"Thank-you very much." Paul had been around enough to realize, this had to be Thomas people were talking about, but he would not ask where the Castell's lived before talking to Doctor Jones. And, as to Mr. Darcy, he would get an update, but only that he was following leads that held a good possibilties. Ones that he would tell him more about...if they came to fruitation.

Dr. Jones' office doubled as the vet's office. It was a white stone house with small window. The door was not large,was quite short in fact. Therefore, Duke counted a blessing that while he had to duck while entering the door upon the doctor's housekeeper opening the door, the ceiling was high enough as to allow his head not to hit it.

"I am glad to see you home."

"You are most fortunate, most days I am not." Dr. Jones waved the Duke over to chair and proceeded to sit down on a nearby couch.

The doctor's parlor was small holding a couch, two chairs, a table, a couple of bookshelves. A few pictures hang on the wall but that was it. His wife had passed away and children were grown, so there was no one to disturb their talk as Dr. Jones' housekeeper would not have dreamed of interrupting her boss while he had company.

"How may I help you?" When told, and shown the picture, the man shook his head.

"Your Grace, you are not going to like what I am going to say, but first let me ask you a few questions."

"And those are?"

"How close are you to this...Mr. Bennet? Is his middle name Caleb? Is he married? Does he have young children and how much do they care about their father? And would they desire to worsen his state of mind?"

"Mr. Bennet and I are brothers and I owe him my life and my sanity. Yes, his middle name is Caleb. No, he is not married; he was widowed three years ago." Thank heavens for them meeting up in London and that talk of theirs. "He has five daughters, four are married, the youngest is eighteen and still at home. They care very much about their father and, of course there is no way any of them would harm their father's mind. Why what has happened?

"It is is like this." Dr. Jones explained about the injory to the head, no signs of any lasting physical damage, any cuts and bumps to the head appear to be healing just fine thanks to Lady Arwen's intervention. However; his mind was a different matter. "He talks well enough, knows full he is in England, the year, and date. Can carry on quit an intelligent conversation on secular matters. But when it comes to personal matters?" The medical doctor shook his head. "When the Castell's found him, and while traveling up here, nothing came but his middle name. He took on the last name of Caddick, a name given to him by Lady Arwen."

"Will his memories come back? What can I do, should we do? Do you know where the Castell's live? I...we... would like to talk to them as soon as possible." He explained about Mr. Darcy wanting updates and wishing to join him as soon as he found out where Mr. Bennet was.

"First, harsh as this may sound, turn around and go back to Meryton. Send a post to Mr. Darcy askig him to wait for you there." Dr. Jones held up his hand when the Duke went to open his mouth with his eyes wide in disbelief. "Hear me out, fair enough?"

"Fair enough."

"First, we know so little about head injuries. Your brother's memories may return shortly on their own, they may not. The Castell's are good people...most of them anyway...even Roger's wife is not too horribly bad. Worst thing about any of them some might say is the majority regret buying any land as far north as Kendal." The doctor chuckled and continued on." If you go rushing in there with an aggressive attitude which..." He pointed a finger at the duke. "You cannot tell me at least one member of Mr. Bennet's family does not have such a personality. I have been around people enough to know it would happen." Dr. Jones relaxed and lowered his hand. "In turn, I fear, his memories would only retreat further back into whatever corner they are hiding in." The doctor continued to explain things, his conversation with the Castells and Mr. Caddick; and even what people knew about the Castell and their situation.

"Could any of us come back up?" Paul finally spoke once the doctor finished speaking. He was sick to his stomach at the idea of being told no and it showed on his face as his mouth turned down and shoulders fell. "We cannot just walk away from him."

"Yes, I would in fact encourage it..." Dr. Jones leaned forward. "I am simply begging you as a man, and a medical doctor, to do it with a very small group. With people that will not be get aggressive, or even go overboard the other way too...reserved. Find someone who you can feel be sort of...the ... laid back go-fishing-with-me type; if it is a man. And if it is a woman? Someone with a similiar tempermant."

"So basically, do not have a group more than three show up?"

"Preferably, four of it is involves married couples." Dr. Jones pressed on. "If you two are really that close, do as I say."

"If I promise to turn around right now, will you please let me know how to get to the Castell's? That way if you are not home when I pass through on my way back, I will not have to get instructions from anyone else."

"I can live with that."

And so, the duke turned around after dispatching a messenger to race like the wind with a post that read:

My Dear Mr. Darcy, I have urgent news concerning Elizabeth's father, Mr. Bennet. He is alive, but his memory is impaired. I beg you to remain at Longbourn with your wife and her family until I arrive as the doctor I spoke to has requested it to be so. I will explain everything in person.