Chapter 12: Of Second Chances and Serious Threats

The Bingley carriage arrived at Pemberley after dark. Louisa and Caroline had demanded to go shopping in Lambton. Caroline wanted to show off her wealth and her superior fashion sense. When they got to the house, no one was outside waiting for them. Caroline was shocked. The Darcy family were very polite and proper hosts. Charles helped them out of the carriage. A footman came out in a rush.

"Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy sends his apologies. A guest was injured and has been unconscious for days. He just started showing signs of regaining consciousness. We had to send for the doctor, and the house is still in uproar. However, if you are so kind as to follow me, I will show you to your rooms."

Caroline frowned. Who could this injured guest be, and who would justify this? Maybe the Earl of Matlock… Maybe the Viscount was here as well. It was always good to keep one's options open. As they reached their rooms, they heard muffled screaming. Charles frowned.

"Stay in your rooms. I will go find Darcy and offer him my assistance. I have no clue what is happening here."

Caroline rolled her eyes and closed her bedroom door. Hurst was already undressing, and Luisa rushed to close the door so she could change. She hated getting all dusty on the road.

Mr. Bennet was in pain. He was being poked and prodded, and he could not do anything but groan and growl. He tried to open his eyes, but his lids weighed as if they were made of lead. Four hands were pressing him against the bed.

"Mr. Bennet. Stop struggling. You could injure yourself further!"

"You are safe, father. Please!"

He groaned louder. Finally, he managed to open his eyes slightly.

"Thomas, please! Stop!" Mrs. Bennet begged.

"Mr. Bennet, I am Doctor Allen. You suffered a severe head injury. We do not know if your spine is compromised. You need to stay still."

Mr. Bennet stopped struggling but kept groaning.

"Good, thank you. You understand what we are saying. I was concerned about that."

A groan.

"You are in Mr. Darcy's estate, Pemberley, up North."

A groan in a questioning tone.

"You had an accident involving a horse. You were thrown off and hit your head on a rock."

"Mr. Darcy and his staff immobilized your neck to try and minimize potential further injuries. We have been using ice to reduce the swelling and a wound salve over the stitches… We have been feeding you broth and tea. Are you hungry? Groan once for yes and twice for no."

One groan.

"I will check your jaw and neck to see if we can give you something more substantial than broth. Mr. Darcy, please support the weight of his head."

"In any case, Darcy had already put in an order for more ice for the coming days, Miss Bennet. Do not worry too much," the colonel said in what he hoped was a calming tone as he walked her to her aunt's bedroom. He took the stairs slowly and patted her hand, which was on the crook of his elbow. After her two vigorous rides, she had to be sore.

"I am ever so grateful. Now that he is conscious again, I am scared he has further injuries that cannot-"

"Miss Bennet!"

Jane froze midstep. The colonel took a deep breath. The overly effusive Charles Bingley had arrived. Richard rolled his eyes and then turned them both to face the man.

"Bingley," Richard nodded unenthusiastically.

"Colonel," Charles smiled brightly, but it did not reach his eyes.

Richard saw a semi-murderous glint there. Unfortunately for Bingley, very little scared the colonel anymore. He had no right to even frown at them.

"Mr. Bingley," Jane curtseyed and winced slightly. Her muscles were unhappy with one ride two days in a row.

"How are you, Miss Bennet?"

"She is sore and busy, Bingley. It has been a most tiring day. Perhaps you can talk to her another day," Richard said curtly, walking away with her before Bingley could reply.

When they reached her room, she let go of him. "That was abominably rude, sir."

He blushed, "P-Pardon me, I thought-"

"Thank you so much for removing me from that situation so efficiently," Jane smiled sweetly.

"Oh! Well. I am glad to be of service."

"Could I ask you for a favor, sir?"

"Of course."

"Can you do something like this again if needed?"

"Well, I am at your disposal, but you must devise a signal. That way, I know you need help."

"Very strategic of you, sir. How about this?" Jane took the cross hanging from her necklace and twirled it twice.

Richard stared, enthralled by the movement. He did not want to stare at her decolletage so openly, but he had to. The necklace was on the longer side.

"O-Of course. I think that will work."

She let go of the necklace and cleared her throat. He looked away.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help."

"It is my duty and my privilege," he smiled and left to hear her whisper, "Good night, Colonel."

Charles sat by the fireplace with his head in his hands. It took him half an hour to control his anger. How dare the colonel whisk Jane away after he had been waiting months to see her again? Was he interested in courting her? He could not afford it as a second son. At least, that's what Charles hoped.

"Bingley, I am so sorry. I was only now able to come downstairs."

"Darcy! What is going on?"

"A lot. Brandy?"

"Yes, please."

"Mr. Bennet was thrown off a horse. He got a serious head injury. We still do not know if his spine was compromised."

"Dear God. When you said I should postpone my trip, I thought it was because of Miss Bennet."

"It was."

"Oh?"

"Listen, Charles. I have been getting to know her better and-"

Charles jumped up, and almost spilled his drink, "Darcy! You cannot be serious!"

Mr. Darcy frowned, "Excuse me?"

"I was just dismissed by your cousin right as I saw Miss Bennet again."

"Uh… And what does that have to do with me?"

"Are the two of you interested in Miss Bennet? Are we to be rivals?"

Mr. Darcy looked at his friend with such anger and disbelief that he sat back down. "Bingley, do not be ridiculous!"

"Why is that ridiculous? She is a beautiful young woman in your home!"

"Miss Bennet is here to chaperone Miss Elizabeth and help care for her aunt, who was discovered to be with child while she and her husband were touring Pemberley. The doctor determined Mrs. Gardiner could not be moved because her risk of miscarriage is high. She will be staying here until well into the quickening. She is on bed rest. Mr. Gardiner requested that Miss Bennet, Miss Mary, and Mrs. Bennet come to chaperone and help Mrs. Gardiner. Mr. Bennet insisted on coming when I went to Longbourne to pick them up. The day after they arrived here, Mr. Bennet took off on a horse and had an accident. Things have been very hectic around here."

"Wait, Miss Bennet is here to chaperone? To chaperone whom?"

"Bingley, you ought to pay more attention to what you read and hear. In my letter, I told you that Miss Elizabeth agreed to enter a courtship with me."

Charles gasped, "You want to marry Miss Elizabeth?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I love her."

Bingley was stunned. Darcy had never admitted to any emotion regarding any young lady since they were friends. He had only expressed annoyance and exasperation with his sister and other ladies.

"You wrote me this?"

"I did."

"I admit I did not read past the point of Miss Bennet possibly not wanting to see me again."

"Charles… I know this is frustrating. However, circumstances have changed a lot. Had we gone to Longbourne to apologize, Miss Bennet would have felt comfortable, protected, and safe in her home. I have already apologized, and these days she has been here, I have been given a chance to know her better. I care for her. I want her to be happy. Whether that happiness lies with you or anyone else does not matter to me."

"Darcy! How can you say that? You know me. I am your friend. I have no intention of hurting her. I would propose to her right now."

"Do not do that! A lot needs to be done before you do something so drastic."

"Drastic? Would it not be romantic?"

Mr. Darcy looked at him like he said something really stupid, "Charles, she thinks you abandoned her without a word. Do you really think you could hope for a positive answer to a proposal? Without first apologizing, explaining yourself, and making amends?"

"Well… No. I thought I would apologize and then propose."

Darcy rubbed his hands over his face. "Please do not. Miss Bennet has been through a lot. Now that she is here, she is under my protection… Her father is injured and cannot speak or move. Her mother is suffering from her nerves. I will not allow you to hurt her. I will not allow you to trifle with her. You can apologize and try to make amends moving forward."

"But not propose?" Charles frowned.

"Take it from me, Charles. No lady wants a proposal like that. She will refuse you."

"What would you know about being refused? No woman would ever say no to you."

Darcy tried not to laugh but could not stop himself, "Funny you should say that… I have been refused. That is why I am telling you this."

"I do not understand… Who would say no to you?"

"I proposed to Miss Elizabeth months ago. She said no. Quite vehemently."

"No way!"

"Believe it. But I deserved to be refused, and while it was excruciatingly painful… it taught me a lot and helped me improve."

"But you are formally courting."

"That is a miracle, now?"

"Please tell me. I will not tell a soul, Darcy. I just… I want to learn from your mistakes. I really love her. I want to fix this rift."

Darcy sighed, "Fine. I will tell you about it."

Lizzie fell asleep on the sofa in their sitting room. She knew William was talking to Charles. She did not know it would take so long. Her intended was certain she would have already gone to bed. He checked either way and found the slightly darkened room with just the fireplace going. His future wife was resting comfortably. Her hair was down, and her feet were bare. The warm light of the fire bathed her whole body. She looked ethereal. He knelt next to her and caressed her cheek.

"Mmm…" she frowned a bit and pouted adorably.

"Dearest," he whispered. "I am sorry I could not come any earlier. My talk with Bingley went longer than I thought it would."

"Oh… William… I wanted to thank you for helping the doctor with my father."

"Lizzie… You do not have to thank me."

"But he was so rude," she sighed.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it, "Love… He is scared. Can you blame him?"

"Scared?"

"Your father may be a lot of things that I cannot say I relate to… But I know that a critical truth in his life is that he loves his family.

"He does… In his own way, I suppose…" Lizzie sighed. She had been thinking a lot about her father's shortcomings lately. She could not help but compare his estate management, parenting, and treatment of his wife to how William behaved; frankly, it was such a stark difference that she could not overlook it. People under his care seemed so calm and relaxed. They knew he could handle anything that was needed. He did not abuse his power or his authority. He did not mock anyone. He was kind, patient, and loving.

"Lizzie… Imagine being a father with five daughters. Imagine you suffer a horrible accident that leaves you unable to move and communicate. Imagine being in a lot of pain. Imagine feeling lost in someone else's home. Imagine fearing what will happen to your family in case you cannot heal completely or pass on… It is terrifying."

"When you put it like that, I can see why he is so agitated."

"I hope that the laudanum is helping him rest."

"Yes, it is a good thing that he managed to eat a little."

"Yes. A very good thing. There is a lot of inflammation. The doctor ordered some more ice."

"I really hope he does not lose his ability to walk. He does not have the character nor the patience to depend on others for everything."

"I hope so, too. At the very least, I hope he can regain his ability to speak. That way, he could have a say on his treatment."

"Mama was so tense today…"

"I asked Mrs. Reynolds to bring her up my mother's calming tea," he kissed the top of her head.

"Oh?"

"It's a combination of chamomile, valerian root, and linden. I hope it helps her sleep."

"Thank you, William. You are so thoughtful," she caressed his jaw.

"Come, you should be comfortable on your bed."

She sighed, "I cannot wait until it is our bed."

"Neither can I, dearest," he kissed her brow and walked her over to her bed. He lifted the covers and tucked her in.

"Good night, Lizzie."

"Good night, love."

Mr. Bennet was furious. Not being able to move or talk was a nightmare. He wanted to curse at Mr. Darcy for his accident. After all, he had chosen a tired horse for a reason. Thomas was not much of a rider, but he wanted to see the state of Mr. Darcy's estate… To find fault in him, granted, but still. And now, he was injured. He hated not being able to move. He hated even more to be minded as if he was a baby. To be spoon-fed was so humiliating. He wanted to walk, bathe, have a cigar… to eat meat! He was tired of the broth and the teas. He was loathe to admit that Mr. Darcy was going above and beyond. He had purchased ice and balms, and someone was always minding him. The fire in his room was kept well stoked. The room was clearly ornate and elegant. Now that his eyes were open, he could see all the natural light that made the room look happy. He was unhappy, but he had to admit it was a nice room.

Mrs. Gardiner was tired of being in her room. It was a beautiful, comfortable room, but she was used to being active, and being bedbound was torture. She wanted out no matter how many books, threads, or wool they brought her. A knock startled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in."

"Good morning, Mrs. Gardiner," Miss Darcy poked her head inside.

"Miss Darcy," she smiled. "Good morning. Do come in."

Miss Darcy walked in with a basket. "I am so sorry I did not come back yesterday… with Mr. Bennet regaining consciousness and Mr. Bingley arriving, I was a bit busy."

"That is quite alright, dear. You need not apologize."

"I thought you could help me mend some clothes, as a way to pass the time."

Mrs. Gardiner, "Yes, of course."

"Is something wrong? Have I offended you?"

"No, dear, not at all. I am just restless."

"Oh, I am so sorry. I believe my brother has a surprise for you that may cheer you up, but it is not here yet."

"Oh, he should not. Miss Darcy, I already feel like such a burden. You two are being so kind to all of us," Madeline smiled.

"You are actually helping me… I… Do you know Miss Bingley?"

"No, I have not had the pleasure."

Georgiana chuckled, "I am sorry. I do not mean to be unkind. It is just… She is so… So…"

"Mean?"

"Mean, judgmental… She insinuates we are the best of friends, but I know she only talks to me to try and get information on William. She wants to marry him."

"I see… So, I am an excuse to get out of socializing with her."

Miss Darcy blushed, "Yes? Oh, I am so sorry. I-"

Mrs. Gardiner reached out her hand and patted Miss Darcy's one, "I jest, dear. Use me as an excuse anytime."

"Thank you! As a hostess, I know I am supposed to care for all guests equally, but honestly… There are some guests I'd rather spend time with, like you and your nieces."

"Well, I love to spend time with you, so use me anytime," Mrs. Gardiner smiled. "But have you ever tried to establish limits with Miss Bingley?"

"Limits? Oh, I do not think that would work… I would not even know how to begin. She is so haughty."

"Miss Darcy… Like you said… You are the hostess here. This is your home. The staff answers to you. I am positive you have Mr. Darcy's full support. You are a well-mannered, intelligent, kind young woman. You do not have to put up with disrespect. As a guest, she needs to know your words are the rule of the land. She should not question your calls or force your hand to make you change your decisions. If she does not like it, she can leave."

Miss Darcy sighed, "You and Lizzie are always so brave. Do you think bravery can be taught?"

"I think it can be practiced until it becomes second nature. You strike me as the kind of person who is willing to put up with a lot of discomfort and annoyance, even openly rude behavior if it only affects you, but you will go to war for your loved ones. True?"

Georgiana blushed but nodded, "Yes, I think that is true."

"Well, then… One day, sooner or later, the opportunity will present itself for you to practice. From what I have heard about the lady, she will ruin things for herself. When that happens, seize the moment and establish your limits and hard boundaries. Tall fences make good neighbors, my dear. I am sure that Mr. Darcy will back you up, no matter what. So will I, if that counts."

"It really does. Thank you," Miss Darcy's eyes clouded with tears, and she hugged Mrs. Gardiner. She imagined this was the sort of talk she could have had with her mother.

Lizzie took a deep breath once she left her father's room. He was angry. No matter how much she reassured or explained what had happened, he seemed more upset than calmer. She went downstairs to break her fast. She was not looking forward to dealing with Caroline. Mr. Darcy was already out. She was sure Caroline's presence had a lot to do with that. She found her in the dining room wearing a bright orange gown. She had a strange arrangement of flowers and feathers in her elaborate updo.

"Good morning, Miss Bingley," she tried to smile.

"Eliza! What are you doing here?"

"I am a guest here, Miss Bingley."

"A guest? Whatever for?"

Lizzie frowned; her tone was telling. "I was touring the Peak District with my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. Mr. Darcy invited us to spend the day, but there was some bad weather, so we were invited to stay the night. Unfortunately, the following day, my aunt started feeling poorly. Mr. Darcy called a doctor. My aunt is expecting a child. Sadly, the doctor said the pregnancy is high risk, and she cannot be moved until well into the quickening. I would have thought Mr. Bingley would have told you…"

"Told me what?" Miss Bingley frowned.

"Why he was coming here…"

"This visit was scheduled for months... We were due to arrive earlier. Is your aunt's condition the reason why we were told to delay our trip?"

"I would not presume to know Mr. Darcy's reasoning for his request," Lizzie smiled with cold eyes and piled food on her plate. She would not be staying with this… eyesore.

"You and your family presume too much regardless… Burdening Mr. Darcy with your aunt's problems. For shame."

Lizzie scoffed, and in a very low volume, she added, "Oh, you do not know the half of it."

"What?!"

"Miss Elizabeth," Mrs. Hurst exclaimed. "You are here."

"I am here. I have been here for a while now. Miss Bingley can catch you up."

Mrs. Hurst looked confused at this, but she moved to sit down next to Caroline.

Mrs. Reynolds came in, "Miss Elizabeth?"

"Yes, Mrs. Reynolds?"

"Miss Darcy wanted me to ask you to help her with today's menu."

"Oh?"

"Dear Georgiana wants Eliza's help? She would not know how to start planning a menu for an estate such as this one! Mrs. Reynolds, tell Georgiana I will come find her as soon as I am done eating."

Mrs. Reynolds looked at Miss Bingley as if she was insane, "Miss Bingley, my apologies, but I will do no such thing. Miss Darcy knows you are here. She still wants Miss Elizabeth's help, not yours."

"I am sure she simply did not want to burden me after such a tiring trip, but I am always there to help her."

"Miss Bingley, respectfully, you do not know the taste or food needs of even half the guests. Miss Elizabeth does. As a gentleman's daughter and Mr. Darcy's dear friend, it is not the first time she has done something like this. She has even cooked delicious dishes that were very acclaimed by Mr. Darcy, the colonel, and Miss Darcy. She does not need any guidance. Unless you mean to say that all of them were being dishonest to spare her feelings."

Caroline paled but could offer no reply.

Lizzie bit the inside of her cheek not to laugh. She intervened before Caroline said something terrible: "Mrs. Reynolds, I will get to her immediately. We would not want to have delays in our meals. Thank you for coming to find me. I appreciate that," she squeezed the woman's arm gratefully. Have a good day, Miss Bingley. I have a patient to mind and a menu to write." She raised a brow at her and left.

"Mrs. Reynolds," Caroline sneered. "I need to talk to you."

The housekeeper looked up, confused. Guests had never come to find her in her area. "Yes, Miss Bingley?"

"You can be at no loss as to why I am here."

"You are mistaken, Miss Bingley. I cannot account for your visit to my study."

"I want you to know how deeply displeased I am by how you treated me earlier in front of that chit Eliza."

"Beg your pardon?"

"I do not know how to put it to you more plainly. I think being nice to me is in your best interest."

Mrs. Reynolds tried to control herself. She did. But she found the whole conversation ridiculous. She laughed and laughed. As she laughed, Miss Bingley's complexion started to mirror her fiery red hair.

"How dare you laugh at me?! You are nothing but a servant, you hag! Mr. Darcy will hear about this. You will be the first among the staff to be dismissed once I am the only hostess at Pemberley!"

Mrs. Reynolds sobered up at that. Her concern was significant. This woman was delusional. "Mr. Darcy will, of course, hear about this. I consider your comment a threat of compromise. As I consider Mr. Darcy a part of my family, I will not allow you to insinuate yourself into his life in such a reprehensible, morally corrupt manner."

"I forbid you from telling him! I will do so when I consider it necessary."

"Oh, no, Miss Bingley. You do not get to order me around. You are not Mistress of Pemberley with a capital 'm,' and you will never be a mistress at Pemberley with a small 'm' either. I will not allow it."

"You will not allow it? You?! Please. You are nothing to him. You are a low-life servant. Fortunately for you and your complexion, you are not a slave. But do not think for one second that you will thwart my plans! I WILL be Mrs. Darcy before the end of the year, and the first thing I will do is sack you!"

"Oh, really?" Miss Darcy stood at the open door with a furious scowl on her usually serene face. She was bringing a menu to Mrs. Reynolds. "You will be Mrs. Darcy? So, it is a given? Have you concocted a nefarious plan to achieve that?"

Mrs. Reynolds had never seen the young girl so angry.

"Gigi!"

"I AM MISS DARCY TO YOU!" Georgiana stomped her foot. "I have told you to stop calling me Gigi for years! Only my brother and Lizzie get to call me that! Not even my cousin Richard is allowed to call me Gigi!"

"But Miss Darcy… We are friends-"

Miss Darcy rolled her eyes hard, "I do not know what sort of spirits you have been abusing, Miss Bingley, but I strongly advise you to stop drinking! My brother will never marry you! He barely tolerates you for the sake of his friendship with your brother. Their friendship is quite fragile now. Be assured that if I ever tell William that I, Lizzie, or Mrs. Reynolds do not want you here, you will be removed from the estate post haste!"

"He would never do that for Eliza or the help! Only for you! And it would be most unfair of you to intervene in our relationship!"

"You are delusional! What relationship?! There is no relationship between you and my brother! Nor between you and me! We are not friends. You could not tell me ten things about me that you have learned getting to know me because any question you have ever asked me was for the benefit of getting information on my brother!"

"That is not-"

"True? Oh, it is. Do you want to know what is NOT true?"

"What?"

"No answer I ever gave you about my brother was true! Do you think I am stupid enough not to recognize you as yet another social climbing upstart who only approached me to insinuate her presence into my brother's life?! Did you even pay enough attention to notice that any time you tried to use the information I gave you to get closer to him, all it did was pull you further apart?!"

"You manipulated me! You made me lose terrain! How could you?!"

"How could I?! HOW COULD YOU! All I did was test you, and you failed miserably in every way."

"That is most unfair! You rigged the game!"

"My brother's future is NOT a game! His heart is not a toy! His honor is not a joke!" Georgiana's face was red from how angry she was.

Mrs. Reynolds did not know what to do. Mr. Darcy would not like his sister to have such an awful encounter, but he would be mighty proud to see how she turned into a lioness to defend him and herself.

"It was just a manner of speaking; I did not mean to offend-"

"Save your words! You have never cared about me! You have never cared about my brother! All you care about is how this marriage would benefit you. You have no interest in us as people… All you see is our wealth and status. That status we have today was forged by generations of hard-working Darcy family members who learned very early on that there are always people like you who only ever cared about becoming a Darcy for the advantages and never considered the duties and responsibilities we also have!"

"I do know about the duties of Mrs. Darcy-"

"No. You do not. You could not even begin to comprehend the pressure on Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Hundreds of people's livelihoods, health, and financial state depend on my brother's daily decisions. People could get ill, die, and lose their crops or their animals if he makes a bad decision. He cannot afford to be selfish or arrogantly assume that his 'lesser men,' as you see them, are unimportant or that their circumstances do not affect Pemberley at large because they do! Mrs. Darcy will have to help educate the children of the families that live on this estate. She will have to visit the ill and bring baskets to those who did not have good yields on their farms. She will have to choose presents for everyone for Christmas. She must be charitable and empathetic with those less fortunate, so Mr. Darcy knows how to allocate our resources to help them better."

"And I can do all that!"

Miss Darcy threw her hands up in annoyance, "Please! We have two ill guests. Have you even asked how they are, Miss Bingley? Did you even wonder or care?"

Miss Bingley opened and closed her mouth several times.

"See? That is exactly what you do not understand. Mr. Darcy has been working non-stop to try to help them get better. We have all taken turns nursing the patients… You arrive here and are dreadfully rude to guests and staff. You ordered Mrs. Reynolds around and disrespected her horribly, and you have no right to even raise your voice at her! EVER! She is like a mother to us! Especially to me! She helped raise me, and I will not allow you to mistreat her!"

"I… I did not know. But Miss Darcy, we are friends. We write back and forth. You would not want to embarrass me like that in front of Mr. Darcy."

"My brother is my whole world. You threatened his future and the respectability of our good name! You also threatened Mrs. Reynolds! Unfortunately for you, I will not shut up."

"Wanting to be Mrs. Darcy is not a sin! You would not dare humiliate me like that!"

"Oh, really? Well, that only proves how little you know me! I would not dare? Watch me!" Miss Darcy lifted her skirts, shocking Miss Bingley, and ran as fast as she could to find her brother. Miss Bingley ran after her as fast as her pompous gown allowed. She had to salvage the situation. She had to stop the stupid child from poisoning Mr. Darcy against her.

A/N: Thank you for reading. I wanted to post this on Monday, but I was called to get ready to get a spinal tap done. I had it done yesterday. Zero stars out of five. Do not recommend it at all. But the worst part was that I was already planning to move today, and it still had to get done because I had to pay a couple of movers to come and deal with all the heavy stuff. Long-time readers of other stories know my back is messed up, but now, apparently, so is my brain. So… Yay? *Insert eyeroll* Anyone else won the genetic lottery? It sucks. The only silver lining is that because I am always in pain (chronic back problems) it was just a bit more pain, like the worsened backache when I am with my period. I thought it was going to be the most painful thing… Needles and I have never been friends. But it was a lot better and quicker than I expected. Anyhow… Any positive thoughts, healing vibes, and prayers are greatly appreciated. I hope you are all doing better than me and that you are safe and healthy wherever you are. -Lux-