Pride and Prejudice FF

Unbreakable Bonds

A Death in this chapter

Previously:

"Get them out of here; we need to go after Tyler."

"Will do." The magistrate and his men took charge of the criminals, and one of the lawmen went with Colonel Fitzwilliam and other men back into the house. They would leave at the crack of dawn in the hope they would find Mr. Bennet and his family in time to save both families.

Final Fight

Ch. 30

Once Tyler's +henchmen were taken care of by the law, Colonel Fitzwilliam and the male servants of Longbourn hurried away from the house. They fled into the forest. Their minds were on getting to the house where they thought the Bennets would be. However, when they got there, no one was there.

"We are too late," Mr. Hill bemoaned until someone pointed out there were only enough footprints for three men. "That means Mr. Bennet's group did not come this way."

"Maybe…" Another servant had a thought smack him without warning, and he spoke the thought. "There is another place Mr. Bennet could have gone." Upon being asked where, the man took charge and began leading the way.

It was a place that Mr. Bennet had indeed taken the group to. And he had acted on nothing but sheer inspiration when he had taken his wife and the others to a single-level home, nestled within a clearing surrounded by majestic-looking oaks and soft-spoken pines, with very few windows, off the beaten path. The forest around them was a colorful tapestry of greens and browns that would have been even more vibrant in brighter daylight. The sky's canopy above served as a protective cloak against the prying eyes of the world. Mr. Rhy and Mr. Preston wasted no time in securing the home to prevent any intruder from gaining entrance while Mr. Bennet put his wife to bed. Andrea was still carrying the same gun she had left Longbourn with, and Mrs. Rhy struggled to keep herself from breaking down.

"I am sorry, Mr. Rhy," tears began falling down her cheeks. "This is all my fault. I should have seen through Mr. Tyler's act, but all I could see was Rosie's need for human interaction. I focused so much on it; I missed everything else."

Mr. Rhy was about to respond when the rustling of leaves outside the home drew all the men's attention. He simply pointed towards the bedroom door, and Patricia needed no further indication to know her husband wanted her in with the rest of the women.

"It is just a stray cat," Mr. Bennet breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a small body emerge from the bushes and then vanish into the night. "I suggest we take turns keeping watch. I will go first. I will watch Mr. Rhy when my turn is up, and then he can wake you, Mr. Preston."

"Fine by me," the butler went and laid down.

The men may have been setting up watch, but a lone figure was lurking in the shadows, drawing closer by the minute. Her silhouette was barely distinguishable against the dense thicket of the forest. It was Rosie.

The lady knew Mr. Tyler was after not only her friend Mrs. Rhy but also Miss Rhy who her friend had talked so fondly to her about. Now, if anyone had told her the lady was now Mrs. Bennet, poor Rosie would not have believed them unless Mrs. Rhy had told her that bit of information herself. However, that mattered not at all at this point in time. No, all she knew was that the Rhys were at the Bennets and had to be warned of danger. And this time she was going to succeed. There was no way any nurse was going to stop her from warning her friend of Mr. Tyler's intent to ruin the Rhy family and now, apparently, the Bennet's also.

Yes, due to a horrible sickness that had ravaged her body years ago, there were times her mind did not seem to work right. She had difficulty remembering people's faces and names and such. However, there were moments of lucidity. That was why, when Rosie had overheard her uncle planning his vengeful pursuit and his own plans towards her, the lady understood there was no time to waste, and she had to break free of her nurse.

Praise be, it had occurred. Yes, there had been close calls. Yes, she had run out of food. Thank heavens, Miss Rhy's friend had tossed out the chunk of cheese to her, at least it had to have been her; who else would have been so generous and heading to Longbourn at the same time as she. It had kept Rosie going. And she continued walking as the night wore on.

As the night deepened, Mr. Tyler and his remaining men crept through the forest, their eyes set on the secluded cottage. They moved with the stealth of predators, but Rosie was able to remain unspotted as she also moved through the woods, a ghostly presence, her feet silent upon the fallen leaves.

An unexpected scream filled the night's air and a struggle in the wood became a chaotic dance of desperation and survival. It had been Rosie's banshee-like scream which had led a violent attack upon Mr. Tyler. His men, who were not all that faithful to him anyway, were also too stunned to move, watched as the two collided with a force that sent shockwaves throughout the forest.

Rosie's uncle, driven by malice, had not expected such ferocity from his niece. He had deduced a fight wth her would result in an easy conquest. The woman had a weakened spirit did she not? However, to his shock, this Rosie was a tempest, her blows rained down with a strength that belied her young age, and the traits Mr. Tyler had labeled her with. Rosie's fingers, small though they may have been, were like iron nails as they clawed at his coat, each grasp fueled by a primevial instinct to not only survive, but to protect those she loved.

The fight was a powerful storm, and in the confusion, Mr. Tyler's own weapon—a gun he had brought to secure his place of power—became an afterthought. His focus was on subduing the whirlwind before him, not on the cold metal that had fallen, without the man's awareness, onto the ground. It now lay just beyond his reach.

Rosie, despite her shockingly strong defense, was not unscathed. Mr. Tyler's larger frame and brute strength meant that each of his strikes landed with a punishing force. Her body bore the evidence of his rage; bruises blossomed like dark flowers on her skin, eyes and lips, and her breath came in ragged gasps from the blows she had endured.

Yet, it was Rosie who emerged with the gun in hand. Mr. Tyler's hesitation, his disbelief at the strength of his opponent, had cost him one very crucial moment. Rosie's fingers, though trembling from exertion and pain, found their way to the trigger. The gunshot that followed was not just the sound of a weapon firing; it was the declaration of a young woman who refused to be a victim any longer, and one that shouted, 'You will not kill my family even if they are not my blood!"

Mr. Tyler fell, and the forest fell silent, save for the labored breathing of the victor. Rosie followed Mr. Tyler in falling to the ground herself no longer having the strength to stand herself.

Crying out like a madwoman was not on Patricia's mind as her voice filled the air. Yet, it did resonate with a name.

"Rosie!" Mrs. Rhy screamed as she rushed out the door once the gunfire had ceased. She knelt by her friend's side. Mrs. Rhy could tell the younger lady, severely injured from the fight, lay breathing heavily. She had saved the Bennets and the Rhys, her act a testament to her loyalty to Lady Rhy, Miss Andrea, but mostly to Mrs. Rhy.

Rosie's eyes opened slightly. "I... helped... you?" Her words were clear, a stark contrast to the confusion that often clouded her mind. "Is... Miss Rhy alive? ...Miss Andrea safe?"

"You helped, and my daughter is alive, as is her friend," Mrs. Rhy assured her.

As dawn approached, Rosie's eyes closed, and she slipped into unconsciousness. Her fate was uncertain, but even if only for a moment, she was recognized by others, not just by Mrs. Rhy, as the woman she truly was.

"Let us get her inside," Mr. Preston said. "Mr. Bennet has gone to check on his own wife." He then turned to Mr. Rhy. "Once we have Miss Tyler settled, I will hurry back to Longbourn and fetch a wagon. Everyone is better off receiving treatment at Longbourn than here. Please stay with Mr. Bennet and the women."

"I am more than happy to oblige," Mr. Rhy replied.

Within the hour, Miss Rosie was being attended to by Dr. McBride's associate, and Dr. McBride was pulling Mr. Bennet aside privately.

"Is there a place we can talk privately?"

"My library," Mr. Bennet responded.

Once they were alone, Dr. McBride sat down and spoke as gently but firmly as he knew how. "Mrs. Bennet must not be allowed out of bed at all. She is to be on complete bed rest." He couldn't help but chuckle. "We had quite the discussion over that one."

"I bet." Mr. Bennet smiled, but his mouth then went flat. "I will make sure she stays put." He asked what else was needed and the whys behind it.

"I have given Mrs. Hill a list of foods your wife should eat and those that are to be avoided," Dr. McBride explained. He had researched beyond England and discovered information that greatly increased the chances of women giving birth to healthy babies when they followed the dietary recommendations on the list. "As for the reasons she should stay in bed," he continued, running his hand through his hair, "until now, I was not overly concerned about her. She managed the cane extremely well and was often willing to use two. She did not resist having servants with her, and so forth. But this trip into the forest…"

"Yes?" Mr. Bennet urged when the doctor paused.

"It put too much strain on her. We need her in a calm and stable environment. We can monitor her health and progress more closely. It would be easier to do that if she is confined to bed, or at least to one room. It would also lessen the risk of her going into labor prematurely. As it stands…" Dr. McBride took a deep breath. "I am hoping that by doing this, she will have enough strength to endure labor. I dread the thought that I may have to use forceps to deliver the child, or worse yet have to resort to a chainsaw. If she manages on her own and survives, please, for your wife's sake, do not attempt to have another child. Although she will be displeased with me for saying so, it was not her wish for me to tell you this. Especially if this child is another girl." He hoped someday the forceps would be safer for the mothers and babies who needed them. And Dr. McBride certainly prayed for the day the chainsaw could be thrown out and a way be found where not only the baby's life could be saved, but the mother's as well.

"I assure you, there will be no more children in this household from me. My wife will adhere to the diet on that list, and she will remain in bed."

Dr. McBride, when Thomas went to stand, spoke once more. "Sir…" His change of tone and mannerisms struck a familiar chord with Mr. Bennet, and he sat back instantly, knowing the gentleman was going to ask him a non-medical question.

"Yes?" Thomas did not resist; he drew the word out.

"I was hoping you would give your consent for me to wed your daughter, Miss Mary Bennet. My practice is on solid ground, I can well provide for her, and she loves Scotland as well as I." He spoke a little longer and then fell quiet.

"If she is agreeable, I see no reason to hinder such a union."

WARNING deathS next (shown in epilogue)

A/N I am considering writing an alternative epilogue.