Dis: the storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux Glorioux

A Wedding

The Aftermath

Changing his mind, Richard tried to stop Fanny Bennet, but she had already reached Lizzie. Though Richard disarmed Fanny, Lizzie was down like her father. At first, Richard thought she had fainted, believing the madwoman hadn't stabbed Lizzie.

Unfortunately, in the confusion, Fanny ran away. Richard thanked the ghosts as he picked Lizzie up, while Bartlett and the Darcy cousins lifted Lizzie's father.

The ghosts vanished to go and check on Jane, thinking she was beautiful. Those in the chapel started to follow Richard. Jane was telling her other beautiful sisters about Charles's bigamy and his current lover. The listening ghosts shook their heads; for all their faults, the Darcy ghosts had been loyal because Darcy men didn't break their vows. And what kind of fool would be unfaithful to the beautiful lady? Both wished to help her, "I wish we could scare the worm.'' One said.

"She doesn't deserve this, and nobody is helping her. I wish we could." The other agreed. This was the first time they said they wanted to help someone and were smiling. Saying that, they vanished.

Richard and others helped to carry Lizzie and her father to the closest room. Once in the room Lady Catherine asked for an herbal salve and sat by Thomas Bennet's bed. Richard asked to take Bennet's jacket and shirt off, revealing a large cut below his left shoulder, bleeding profusely. Richard called one of the Hurst cousins, outside the room, to come in. Lord Michael Hurst had studied medicine in the continent. He applied pressure on the wound using the shirt while clean bandages were brought, that Mrs. Reynolds brought with several salves and tinctures.

Lady Catherine kept touching his forehead, hoping he didn't have a fever, knowing an infection could kill him. She thought she would be happy just to be his friend. Lady Catherine couldn't stop crying; how cruel to be with him, and now he would die. She thought that she could have looked Thomas up and been his friend. Collins, now dead, had told her Thomas Bennet more than once, and she had suspected it was her Thomas. She had doubted it was him, thinking someone whose father was a viscount and his mother was a Duke's granddaughter couldn't have married someone like Fanny Bennet.

Moreover, she probably knew about Thomas but denied the truth. When Anne died, she should have gone to Thomas because she needed to tell him what she never had said. Though she wished she knew more, she was sure he could have helped her. Her proud and hateful father had done both Thomas and her much wrong, so she hoped he had been punished.

Anger and Regret and the Unseen

There was no way to tell what had happened, but Lizzie started bleeding, and her dress was soaked in blood. Richard had noticed bringing her to the room and was sad; he believed Lizzie had lost a baby.

William was furious, "My child, that awful woman killed it." He also thought the blood was from losing a baby.

"No, son, there was no life there; if there was one, it was already gone. Poor Lizzie, such a hard life. She had too many undeserving upsets for a long while." His father said, well knowing his son had made his wife sad.

When they heard a loud, angry harumph, almost a growl, George Darcy cringed.

William exclaimed, "Wait, who is that? It sounds familiar. Can you recognize it?"

"No, not really." When his father answered casually, they both heard someone clicking their teeth reproachingly. Richard also recognized the voice and knew who it was and hoped William wouldn't figure out whose voice it was.

Miss Erika had noticed the blood on Lizzie's gown, "No, we are wrong. This is not a loss because she is bleeding too much. Wait, do you see here? Look, the dress is torn." She pointed at the gown.

Hearing this, the doctor asked everyone to leave, but Richard refused. When the doctor moved her dress up, helped by Miss Erika who covered part of Lizzie with a sheet, they saw a cut on Lizzie's abdomen; luckily not on an artery, otherwise, Lizzie would be dead. Richard started crying; he had seen much death during the wars and was afraid Lizzie was dying. He worried because Lizzie had lost a lot of blood, and she hadn't been eating well since William died.

"It is superficial; I think she will be fine, but I must bandage her." Though, the doctor didn't look or sound so sure. Miss Erika and Mrs. Reynold dippped the clean cloths in brews of medicinal herbs.

William was frantic, thinking she could die, "Ricky will be an orphan. What can we do?"

"Not much," his father answered.

William went to Richard, who saw William in front of him, more solid, looking upset, "You should have stopped the mad woman; Ricky will be an orphan, and I trusted you."

"I did; if not for me, she would be dead, and thanks to his, I mean your warning. I will watch over your son, the son of my best friend and brother. I won't marry again, there will be no stepmother for Ricky, Lizzie was and is my only love." Richard wiped tears with the back of his hand.

William was realizing what arse he had been. But he hadn't warned his cousin, as Richard had implied, so he checked around but didn't see another ghost, but he was certain there was another ghost. He looked at his cousin, acknowledging that Richard was caring and good with him, undoubtedly a better man than he had been. He couldn't have wished for anyone better to care for his two loves. Yes, he loved Lizzie more than he had realized before.

"Thanks; I hope she stays alive, and you must ensure to keep her safe," William said and sat by Lizzie, caressing her face with his semitransparent hand. Feelings of love for Lizzie surged through him. Hence, remorse was creeping in slowly, trying to reach the arrogant man's awareness. An idea that he had been awful was forming. He bent and kissed her lips, trying not to feel regret, but it wasn't possible.

Behind Darcy, another dear departed also watched Lizzie with loving eyes. He would have been a good man for her, he was certain. He remembered her young sister climbing onto his bed, saying to love her. He had drunk too much, she had kept getting him punch, and when he asked, "Lizzie, my love, you are here." And she had said yes, sounding like Lizzie. He tried to escape the next day, but she made a big scene, so he took the easy way out. His poor Lizzie, his dear love. He cried many tears, seeing how his proud relative mistreated her. Both had treated her badly, but he had done so much wrong that now, he had to make sure William stayed out of trouble; maybe it was a fitting punishment.

Jane started to cry when she saw her father and Lizzie. She sat on her father's other side because she could swear Mr. Darcy sat on the by Lizzie, along with Richard. She blinked, thinking she had seen someone else; no, she must be imagining, but she blinked, looked again, and, yes, it was George Wickham, terribly sad, looking at Lizzie. Lizzie was loved by three men, two dead and one alive, and she might die.

"Lady Catherine, I must go and see my mother. I think she is ill. Please don't be so sad; my father will be well." Jane looked at the proud woman, crying for her father, making Jane realize the woman loved her father. Maybe that was why her father was always so sad. It would seem the Bennets were unlucky in love; now, she was certain that happiness was not for them. Though she hoped to find a man like Richard, so perhaps Lizzie would be lucky and then her.

Madness or Sickness?

Lydia and Jane visited their mother. Lydia felt anxious, fearing her mother would bring up her past behavior, as she had been acting strangely. Her mother had, imprudently, revealed to Lydia that she had persuaded her husband to marry her by getting him drunk and into bed, noting that it had been successful. When Lydia returned after marrying George, her mother slyly inquired if she had taken her advice. Lydia grinned and confirmed that she had. From that point on, Lydia made the mistake of confiding many secrets and sorrows to her mother.

Her mother was proud of Lydia, but her advice was unfortunate because George repeatedly told her he had to marry her, reminding her what she had done. Lydia had seen his sadness and tears whenever he saw Lizzie, often reminding her she had trapped him. Maybe this tragedy was my fault, she thought. Moreover, nobody knew George didn't share her bed after a month. He read the Bible and cried.

When their mother saw them, she looked like a mad woman, full of rage, scaring them. "Why are you here, or are you defending that strumpet? I see, perhaps, because you do it. After all, you are like the shameful hussy." Then she looked at Lydia and smiled maliciously; Lydia felt sick. "Of course, I understand; I know what you did; you might be like her; you trapped him, didn't you? Not a gain since he still loved Lizzie; anyone could see it."

Lydia was afraid of her words and wished her mother was quiet. She would die of shame if Jane found out what she had done. What if her mother told everyone? Lydia started crying, scared, and begging with her eyes to be quiet.

That was when they noticed her mother's eyes looking unfocused and odd. Her mother started to pace around the room, talking in a strange tongue, or it sounded foreign to them. She started calling them names as well, making them cry. She repeated, "Nobody is going to stop me. I will go back and kill that girl. She should have never been born, the daughter I never wanted."

"And why is that mother? Don't say such terrible things. Please stop." Jane begged.

"Because your father told me that he loved somebody else, and I was a mistake, adding I had tricked him into marrying me, getting on his bed when he drunk too much. Lydia can tell you how it is done; she trapped George, getting him drunk, as I did with your father, then climbed on his bed, telling him she was Lizzie."

Lydia cried, "Mother, be quiet, I beg you." Lydia implored.

"No, I heard him saying he loved Lizzie. He told me once it was my fault. Not mine. It's your fault he is dead. I didn't want to marry your father, but what could I do? I was already pregnant with you, Jane, the love child." She pointed at Jane,

Jane opened her eyes wide, startled, feeling ill, "What did you say, Mother?"

Her mother shrugged, "What you heard."

"So, who's my father?" Jane wanted to know.

"I don't know. One day, I was very tipsy and don't know where I went or what I did. I was beautiful, you know?" She rambled.

Jane knew her mother was lying, but that was all they could get from her.

"Are you saying you married my father because you were increasing?" Jane asked again.

"Who knows what I'm saying? I don't feel very well. I am very angry and still want to finish what I started. That horrible woman that your father loved was there. I recognized her because one day I saw her miniature. Your father keeps it with him and cries for her. I hate her!" She screamed.

Jane was horrified, but she believed her mother was lying. After all, Jane knew when her parents married, and she didn't come until a year or so later. And was what she told Lydia the truth? Maybe it was, Jane had just noticed George's sadness when he looked at Lizzie.

After this, their mother started screaming and fainted. Jane ran to ask Mr. Hill to go and get the doctor. When their doctor came, he asked them what happened.

He looked concerned when he started touching Mrs. Bennett's head, "Mrs. Bingley, your mother has a bump on the head. Has she fallen? The bump is rather large."

"I don't think so," Jane answered.

But Mr. Hill interjected, "She fell about three weeks ago and hit her head very hard. But I remember, since a few months ago she has been saying she has a lump."

The doctor told them, "I don't think there is much I can do. I don't know what happened. Maybe she broke her head considering she does have a big bump. But three weeks is too long to have such a big bump still. Besides, the skin wasn't broken. I can try to drill on her head if she has trapped blood, though it is a dangerous procedure. I don't think we can do much, only hope she awakes. Though, I believe the fall might have aggravated something already growing in her head, like a tumor." He left soon after, saying to call him if anything changed.

After staying with their mother for several hours she never came back. Lydia begged Jane not to repeat what her mother had said. "Jane, she was telling the truth. I am so ashamed that I did it. Moreover, I am sure the tragedy was all my fault. George cried whenever he saw Lizzie, and he did not love me, or like me."

Jane disagreed, "No, I won't say a word about it. You were 15 years old, and our mother filled up your head with nonsense. Your secret is safe with me. don't worry. I am so sorry. I truly am. I believe the Bennet are not destined to be happy."

"Maybe, but George didn't love me. He told me that daily and said that it was my fault we had to marry. My mother told the truth. I believe this whole tragedy is my fault. Did you know he never touched me again after we got married? He blamed me daily, making me wish I had never married him. I was a silly girl." Lydia was still crying.

They held hands, trying to comfort each other in their sorrow. They were afraid that their mother stabbing their father and Lizzie would ruin them. However, the only ones at the wedding were family and the Hurst, who would hopefully keep a secret.

They wanted to go and see what was going on with their father while Mr. Hill and Mrs. Hill stayed with their mother. They would come back as soon as they could. Meanwhile, Mary and Kitty could come and stay with their mother. They could take turns. It seemed as if death circled above their heads like a bird of prey, looking for the next victim.

Scary Visitors with Good Intentions

Charles was in bed with the widow when he felt a cold hand on each shoulder. He looked to the side and saw two men standing, quite solid. They looked a lot like his friend William Darcy, but they were dressed in 16 and 1700-period clothes, and they looked very angry.

One of them told him, "You are a dirty worm." They were solid, but rather pale, dead.

The other said "You deserve to be castrated. I wish my wife had been like yours, but she was uncaring, and your wife is beautiful and caring. Look at you, instead of being by her side, you're here tupping this cheap harlot, disgusting. You are eating at the trough instead of enjoying a delicacy. Just like the swine, you are."

The woman in question was screaming her head off. "You don't deserve her, and you're married to somebody else." One of the dead men said.

Charles was shaking; if this got out, he would be disgraced. What could do? Nothing, because he was frozen in terror.

"Be a man, or we will be visiting you often; how strange we were allowed to come here, wherever here is; so I believe we can haunt you." The ghosts snickered, scaring Charles more.

The other ghost added, "Go to your real wife. Make up a lie, get a solicitor, and said that you thought she was dead, disappear and leave for the Americas."

Charles nodded but said, "My sisters will be ruined."

"They will be because we will tell everyone. Disappear, be lost at sea." One suggested.

"Please don't tell anyone. I will disappear today if possible." Charles begged.

The ghosts didn't answer and went out of the room, floating in the air while laughing. "This was rewarding, helping someone, and scaring a fiend." One said, and both laughed more. They liked doing what they deemed to be a 'good deed.'

"Did you see their hair going white? It was lovely and well deserved. Now I wish we could come back and have the chance to marry one of beautiful sisters's children. But how did we get here?" One said, and the other agreed about coming back, saying he had no idea. A second later they were back at Pemberley, still laughing; it was the first time they had such fun since they died.

Facing your Wrongdoings

William was suddenly in Lydia's rooms, not by choice. He saw a nurse, one of Ricky's nurses with the twins. He saw the toddlers; the girl looked like Georgiana when she was that age. Looking at their faces he could see they were Darcy babies. But they looked so thin and sickly. Who brought him there? He didn't want to see them because they were upsetting him. What had he done? He had never been so thoughtless, so wicked.

He was staring at them when they saw him, the little girl said, "Hi!" And waved her little hand, smiling, and sent him a kiss. He waved his hand and smiled. She looked like Georgiana, so pretty.

The nurse told the little girl, "There is no one here, no more nonsense, stop it! You're scaring me, bad girl," and slapped the little girl's hand quite hard.

"You never touch a Darcy, nasty woman, don't you dare!" William screamed angrily, but the nurse didn't hear him.

The woman slapped her harder because she was crying.

"Don't cry, darling; I will be right back." Darcy said and left to tell Richard. He needed help right away.

A/N It seems other ghost is George. And there is hope for Mr. Darcy, I know so. Again remember it is a love story. Would love to hear from you. Be well