My intellectual property is the storyline, all new characters, new character development, and new developments. Glorioux
Chapter 7 -Time of Reckoning
Darcy saw Elizabeth in a fetal position, naked and uncovered. He had not bothered cleaning her. Blood and semen ran down her thighs. Her body was marked and bruised from the rough handling. The lack of cleaning was the only thing that bothered him. He was a brute for leaving her dirty.
The way he saw it, he was overwhelmed by her beauty, and he was a big man who was very passionate. He vaguely remembered that some of his mistresses had complained about his being too rough or how often he left his handprints on their bodies, and so on; he replaced those women quickly. Except, he thought and decided, today, he had been just too passionate, and that wasn't the same.
He'd called her terms of endearment, as one would call one's wife. He had never used such words with his mistresses. Never, and strangely, he had meant them this time.
He didn't have to be kind to his mistresses since he paid them well. Although his wife was also there to please him, he caressed her, wanting her pleasure. Besides, he was newly married just yesterday, so everything was reasonable to him.
He couldn't find any fault other than he hadn't seen to her needs, and he hadn't put a blanket over her.
Lizzie was out, not wanting this world; her mind had retreated to a safe place within herself. "L'behj darling, love, I'm here. You are safe!" The tall being sat by Elizabeth, holding her limp hand.
"I should kill you. As for that woman, she will answer. She knew one of us was coming to get L'behj, my child you call Elizabeth. They knew we could be here this exact night. We warned the woman, but she ignored the warnings, stealing from our sweet girl and mistreating her. We told her that we couldn't return until this time. However, we would know all that she did." The being's anger made the air thick and oppressive. Darcy listened, thinking that the Bennet woman needed punishment. He had heard well; the woman was his responsibility; he would take care of that.
"Finally, the nasty woman saw a way to get rid of my child and helped you to take her away. As for you, well, you only care about yourself, you must, because nobody treats his new bride with such hands. You only care about your needs and no one else's. How could you have behaved so, knowing it was her first time? Moreover, she didn't even understand what was happening."
The stranger held his] hands tightly, trying to control himself. "Her promised wanted to come and end your life, but since we are not allowed to take a life in anger, we had to restrain him back. We watched you, only the three of us, and he wanted to kill you for treating her so carelessly. Maybe I should kill you anyway."
Darcy stood straight, and he wasn't intimidated. She was his wife. He had behaved correctly but for not tending to her needs. Wait, which promised, who was he?
"You keep saying we, you mean the three of us. You mean whoever, you and your wife?" Darcy asked.
Her father didn't answer and looked at Darcy like he didn't deserve his response. The next angry words confirmed it.
"Our world turned grey, and many felt her sadness. It is our way; there is much that you don't know. Why did you violate her? You did because you should have stopped when she said no. You are a beast; how could you? I tried to be impartial, but there is only one truth." His eyes were hard when he looked at Darcy. "Her promised siblings are waiting outside; they want to tear you to pieces, but they will obey me. They want to rip your sex with their bare hands; maybe I should let them. You don't know the privilege you received, only to abuse it. Your old-primitive ways are despicable. Males don't own their spouses." The father told Darcy while he conjured a wrap and covered her. The nakedness didn't seem to offend him.
He picked up Elizabeth with great care and tenderness, touching her forehead. "My princess, my gift, my sweet love, a gift of sleep and forgetfulness. My love, all will be well." He held her to his chest.
"W]here are you taking my wife?" Darcy confronted the being; nobody took away what belonged to him. He wasn't afraid.
"I] don't remember approving a union," the alleged father laughed bitterly.
"We married in the church, and she is mine. She signed agreeing." Stubbornly, Darcy insisted.
The being answered nastily, "Your priests mean nothing to me. They blessed an unholy union. Moreover, she didn't want you, and you forced the words out of her mouth. Unfortunately, I could do nothing since the portals were closed. We saw how you forced her to accept you and to sign. You have no idea what you are against, so be afraid because you abused her body, injuring her bright, gentle soul. You should be glad you are still alive."
"She stays," Darcy answered stubbornly.
He ignored Darcy, trying to interject.
"I have waited for a daughter since ever. You don't deserve her, and her groom awaits her. He will welcome a child; everyone will. But even if I had 100 daughters, I would feel and do the same, " the being told Darcy.
"Give her back, you demon; she already has a groom. Nobody takes what is mine."Darcy moved and pointed a hidden loaded pistol, challenging the father.
"Demon? Have you seen one?" the father laughed. "I fight them; my brethren do. A demon, ha, a demon?" He looked at the pistol and turned it into dust, shaking his head in disbelief.
Several beings wearing cloaks appeared; Darcy looked, but nobody was flying outside.
"See them if you get any ideas; I am not alone." He looked at them, and they lowered their hoods.
Their faces looked angry; they were like the being. Each of them held weapons unknown to Darcy; nevertheless, he knew they were lethal. He noticed their heads, deciding they might not be wearing hats.
"You will do nothing," he kissed Elizabeth's forehead, "The horrible woman took it all from her, no education, only grief, and we could do nothing. My child lived a lifetime of neglect and rejection; thanks to her, she will pay. I promise you. Our child is too good to be yours or anyone in this world. Although I don't kill you because I don't kill out of anger, you are not for her. Her promised awaits for her. Trust me when I say that you could never fight him. He is one of our best and a king."
With this, he flew out the window with the others behind. They had one more stop.
Aftermath Past Sins- Longbourn
Fanny Bennet was still screaming. She nearly had a heart attack, a result of the recent visit of the demon who had come to see her; the demon was Mr. Bennet's brother-in-law. This time, she saw his real face.
He told her that she had a bill to settle. She also had a new servant but didn't know who; only the servant was there to ensure she didn't escape. She couldn't leave Longbourn, or that was her understanding.
Right before it was her time, she would be taken away to pay for her sins, in body and soul, the devil had told her. He'd asked for her precious jewels, but Fanny said they were hers. He'd laughed, telling her she stole them and they weren't hers.
No, not my precious jewelry, Mrs. Bennet thought. She would hide it.
She also refused to look at Elizabeth; she closed her eyes tightly. "It wasn't my fault, I won't look."
"We heard you telling her that marriage relations were like a horse mating. What is wrong with you?" the demon asked her.
Before he was gone, he pointed a long nail finger at her wrist. She screamed in agony, and the demons were gone.
The next day, she was called to Mr. Bennet's study. She dressed with care, but without her jewels, she hid them well. Many considered Fanny Bennet a handsome woman, and she knew it; this time, it mattered not. She tried to act seductive, but he didn't grant her a second glance. Just days before, he would have eagerly welcomed such advances; she should know she did it whenever she wanted something. He was a man; besides, he was more than pleasant in the marriage bed, just not an officer.
He wasn't leaving her for that ugly lady, but he was hers, her husband. She had heard other ladies comment about her husband; even her female relatives praised his looks. Now, that hussy had stolen the man she had never really wanted, but now, he looked more than appealing. She realized that other ladies were right; for a man of seven and forty, he looked very well, much younger than his years. Maybe she would have noticed before if he wore a uniform, she told herself. That had always been the problem. He was too scholarly and too boring.
Three daughters were stuck with the ear to the study's door. They had seen their father's angry face. They had heard their mother's screams the night before, as well as their father's heart-wrenching sobs.
Lydia was outside flirting with a soldier, a young sergeant—not an officer, but the best-looking. Flirting was putting it mildly. Lydia had learned long ago that her mother was too self-absorbed, and she could do as she wished.
"Mrs. Bennet, we need to talk. You know that I have never been happy. I married you because your brother, a good friend, asked me to do it. I have liked him since I met him; he's a good man, so I didn't care if he was in commerce. So, we are clear I don't care if you're not of gentle birth." He looked hard and angry.
Fanny Bennet didn't like where this was going.
What Comes Next
"I don't know what you're talking about. Your brother didn't make you marry me; you asked me. Since we are here, you should know I am angry. Your niece brought that thing here, and he marked me." She pointed at the strange symbol on her wrist.
"That was your fault. I warned you, and you knew it. Be as angry as you wish. It's true, I asked you to marry me, but why did I do it? Because your brother asked me to do it, considering you were five months with child, and nobody has a fourth-month baby. I married you because I no longer cared who I married. Not after I had lost the woman that I loved; and that woman wasn't you." Mr. Bennet's voice was hard.
"You are lying, I wasn't with child." Mrs. Bennet argued.
"Yes, you were. Jane came within four months after we'd married, and that doesn't happen; moreover, I never met you till the day we married." Mr. Bennet looked straight at her.
Jane moved away from the door, she was shaking. Mary held her hand, "Shh, shh, my dear." The three sisters held hands, they were survivors of a shipwreck initiated by their mother.
"But that wasn't all, the child that you lost when we adopted Lizzy wasn't mine either. You and your sister were fond of going to soldiers balls. I'm not naive." He shook his head.
"Are you listening? Look at me. I just decided to look the other way because I didn't care. I loved my girls, each one of them. How could I leave them alone with you?" He warned her.
What? Lizzie wasn't their sister, what else had their mother done? The sisters were horrified.
"Mary is mine for sure, and I think Kitty might be, she has my mother's eyes; but who knows about Lydia." Mr. Bennet wasn't holding the truth back.
He looked at her, "It matters none, as I said, I love them all as if they were mine because they are. Tell the judge otherwise; I dare you, when I get the marriage dissolved, I will have a witness to your infidelity. You, my lady, ran wild, frittering away the king's ransom meant for Lizzie's education; threw it away in fripperies, jewels, and things that nobody needed. You and Phillips broke in the safe and stole thousands. Yes, you did, don't pretend. I had 70,000 pounds in gold. He took his share, and you must have some hidden. I will find out. You would go to prison if this were found."
"You cannot prove that!" Fanny was panicking, her face no longer defiant.
"Silly woman, so how did you pay for your precious jewels? For your information, the proud man mistreated my Lizzie. I saw her; he hurt her badly, very. She is not well." He dried angry tears.
"My sweet good Lizzie. You told her that the marriage bed was like a horse mating; you scared her to death. What is wrong with you? She was bitten and bruised, handled much too roughly, and mistreated; she is not doing well. She was violated, she was. My poor Lizzie," he broke out in sobs.
The girls were horrified for Lizzie, what how? All were crying softly. Jane whispered her sister's name full of regret. "Lizzie, my dearest, what have I done; all for a silly man?" She was quiet after that, they needed to listen.
"All that is happening is your fault. Making such noise at the assembly, helping that nasty man. I cannot do it anymore, I am leaving. You can stay here, but my daughters go with me. Including Jane. I love my girls." Their father sounded firm, not his usual self.
"My daughters are mine. Lydia is not yours. And, Jane like you said, isn't yours, so she is also staying. That's fine with me, They are the only pretty ones of the lot. You're right, I took the gold because I deserved it. I was made to wear jewels and fine clothes. And the hidden gold is for my protection." She sounded unrepentant.
Her daughters were crying, thinking they were ruined. Their mother was a thief, one who gave herself to men, to do things you only did when you married, with your husband.
Mary whispered, "No, we aren't ruined, we are leaving." She grinned, "We are leaving, think."
Jane heard, yes, leaving for a better life. "Maybe Lizzie can come with us. But where is she?"
They listened again, "The law says that Jane is mine. Lydia is lost if she were to stay, you are ruining them."
"You and that two bit dried up prune. Leaving me for a stick of old wood. I have you know many gentlemen and officers still find me attractive. Pish, abandoning me for an ugly courtesan, and don't deny the ugly chit is yours."
He raised his voice, the first ever, "Treat her with respect, she is a lady, only three years older than you. You are wrong, she is beautiful. Cathy, come in."
Lady Catherine came from the side room.
"You heard it all, now you know. The solicitor, her brother-in-law Phillips and she stole a fortune. We need to recuperate as much as possible. The jewels we can sell. They are the girls' dowry." Mr. Bennet said.
"Not my jewels." Mrs. Bennet raised her voice.
"Not yours, pass them to me, or you will regret it. Cathy, I have a clue where she hides the gold, we will find it tonight. Call Collins and your footman to stay with her." Bennet warned Mrs. Bennet.
"Silly woman, you had Tommy and didn't know what you had. I do. Did you even know that he is titled and chose to ignore it?" The lady smiled evilly, "You had a titled husband, a title that he never claimed. You would be surprised at how high it is. You find out, or better, I'll tell you, he is an Earl, amongst other titles. His mother's father was a Duke, foolish, foolish woman. As for Tommy's girls, it is time they take their place where they belong, and that place isn't here." Lady Catherine sneered in contempt.
Darcy
Back at his townhouse Darcy was fuming. Now what? I cannot marry again. Damn it. And selfish that he was, he thought, bloody hell, I want her. He didn't want a mistress, only his wife. He was hard just remembering his wife.
He bent to smell the pillow where she had laid her head. He realized that it wasn't perfume, not the room smelled like her father, like her; and the otherworldly scent was like hers, perfect.
Meanwhile, while called Miss Reynolds who took away the stained bed linens. "Save it, you know what do."
Miss Reynolds shook her head behind his back. She could sense that something was off. The young mistress was gone. The master had behaved wrong, they were disappointed, every one of them. Fergus, her cousin, who stood guard, heard her cry, but he could not very well break into their room. Fergus told them that he had nearly forced his way in. Later on, he heard voices, but he couldn't get close to the room. The area was blocked, it had an invisible wall.
Miss Reynolds remembered the young master, a happy lad before the tragedy; yes, the twins were a beautiful happy pair, until that day when the twins went missing, a tragic day. He was found catatonic, injured in more ways that one, he had been violated. Her mother said that he'd never remembered, a blessing; George said the same. Hours later, they finally found his sister murdered and also violated. Since that time someone always stood guard, he never felt safe afterward. She was sad for him.
A/N Yes, Darcy no longer has Lizzie. It is clear something awful happened to him. But it doesn't justify the way he treated her. Happy Reading,