Darcy's Temptation (17 page)

Lady Pennington gasped,“This cannot be, Fitzwilliam!”

“I hope you are correct, Lady Margaret. Yet, I must find out what others know of the captain. If he simply opposes Mr. Harrison's views, I want to know. If the captain has more aggressive ideas, I must be aware of those also.”

“How is Mr. Harrison a factor in Georgiana's future?” Lady Margaret asked.

“Harrison spent nearly a month at Pemberley learning how to run Hines Park. He expressed an interest in Georgiana, but Mrs. Darcy insisted the man wait until after Georgiana's next birthday to openly express his intentions. Elizabeth feared we knew too little of him.”

“Your wife is very astute,” Lord Pennington remarked, and Darcy nodded in agreement.

Darcy returned to his retelling. “Mr. Harrison has very strong beliefs about the slave trade; he sold off his father's holdings in the Americas because of his beliefs. Although I am not so politically inclined, I admire Mr. Harrison for his fortitude and his integrity. Yet, I do not wish to place my sister in danger.”

“Then you believe Georgiana returns Mr. Harrison's interest?” Lady Pennington inquired.

“Elizabeth believes as such, and she has Georgiana's confidences. They are quite close.”

“Then we, too, will make ourselves more aware of Captain Rutherford's associates,” Lord Pennington stated.

Darcy asked,“Then you know little of him?”

“An acquaintance from Leeds recommended the captain,
with the understanding he was also familiar to Edward,” Lady Margaret shared. “We know his father, although not well. He has a reputation for being quite ruthless; we were pleasantly surprised to find the son to be so amiable.”

“The apple does not fall far from the tree,” Darcy said with a degree of irony.“Could the captain's appearance be a façade?”

Lord Pennington answered,“Anything is possible.”

“May I ask your Lordship if you think of anything of which I should be aware, you will send word to me at Pemberley?”

“Then you will not return here after you leave Hull?” Lady Margaret asked.

“Under the circumstances, I believe it best if I go to Leeds to ascertain what I can of the captain and his father the Earl,” Darcy mused.

Lord Pennington agreed thoroughly,“You are correct, my boy.”

The evening finished with the three of them sharing every conversation they had with Captain Rutherford. Darcy departed early the next morning for Hull, concerned more than ever with his sister's safety and the mystery surrounding the “amiable” Captain Rutherford.

 

North of Hemswell, Darcy's coach came to an abrupt halt along an isolated stretch of road. At first, he knew not what happened, but as Darcy opened the coach door, a long gun greeted him, and he immediately knew the precarious position in which he found himself. His coachman and a postilion stood with their hands raised as three armed men moved them gingerly away from the coach.

“There be no killin' if ye do what we say,” one of the men called out. Another of the men began to rummage for valuables and weapons found upon the coach, tossing trunks along side of the road.

“Take what you want, but leave my men alone,” Darcy ordered the man holding the gun on them.

“Ye stand back,” the man ordered and leveled a gun at Darcy's face.

Darcy stepped back, allowing the man access to the coach. The belongings could be replaced; a man's life could not. Once the robbers took what they wanted from the coach, they motioned for Darcy to move off toward the woods.

Darcy demanded,“You have what you want. Leave us alone.”

“We think ye oughter be askin' for mercy,” the man laughed.

Darcy realized quickly the robbery might not be the whole purpose of this detainment. He edged back; in the past he might take a chance, but with Elizabeth and the baby in his life, he took a more cautious approach. “What else do you need from me?” he asked softly.

The man asserted,“Ye be askin' too many questions.”

“Questions about what?” Darcy began to look around, trying to determine what should be his next course of action.

The third man warned,“Aye'm not done w'ye.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Darcy saw the coachman take a step to the side; he tried to warn the man with a nod of his head, but it was too late.The coachman lunged at the shortest of the attackers, and the melee began. The postilion died instantly, a bullet to his head. Darcy saw it, although he had no time to focus on the act, for he struggled with two of the men. The blows came hard and fast; Darcy fought valiantly, but the men's combined strength proved too much for him.

As if in slow motion, Darcy felt the robber's fist strike him under the chin. His jaw jammed shut, and the blood spurted from Darcy's mouth as he bit his own tongue.The blow spun his head around, forcing him to turn awkwardly in place; losing his balance, he found himself falling backwards. When his head hit the rock, the pain immediately came, and the blood gushed from the gash. He tried desperately to raise his body from where it lay, but try as he may, all Darcy could do was to roll to his side.

He saw the men shoot the coachman and climb onto their horses to retreat, but he could make no sense of what else happened.A fourth well-dressed man bent over him.“You will not need these items.” The man hissed as he took Darcy's walking stick and diamond stickpin. “Nor this.” The man ripped the ring bearing the family crest from Darcy's finger.

“No,” Darcy moaned loudly, trying to resist the man's thievery.

Then the filcher strode to the horse awaiting him. Mounting, he looked back at Darcy lying on the ground and tipped his hat to him.The man's blond, tight curls glistening in the late afternoon was all Darcy could decipher; riding tall in the saddle, the man took the lead. The rest became a haze, and Darcy lay without moving. “Elizabeth,” he whispered as his eyes closed—“my dearest Elizabeth.”

 

When the Donnelly coach came upon what was left of Darcy's chaise and four, Darcy had lain along the road for nearly twenty hours. He moved very little, the blow to his head keeping him from being mobile. He expected to die there along this deserted path on more than one occasion during those first few hours, but somehow he maintained his hold on life.

“Miss Donnelly,” the steward said, coming to the window of the stopped coach, knocking on the window with a gloved hand.

“Yes, Mr. Lansing.”The lady turned to her faithful aide.

“Madam, evidently there was a robbery.”

The lady gasped,“Is anyone hurt?” She could see the clothing strewn on the ground.

“Two people are dead, Madam, but Walton reports they found a gentleman. He is injured, obviously losing a substantial amount of blood.”

“Should I attempt to go to him?” The woman looked uneasy at this possibility.

“Madam,” Lansing began again, “the scene is too much—far too much for a lady of your delicate nature—a lady such as yourself should not be exposed to such sights.”

“What must we do, Mr. Lansing? I must perform my charitable duty; we cannot leave the gentleman to die. Should we not bring the man to safety?”

The man seemed relieved his mistress made the suggestion first. “Walton and a footman could wrap the gentleman in a blanket, but that would mean placing him on the floor of the coach. Would that be acceptable, Madam? We could leave the window of the coach open. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but otherwise the gentleman could pay with his life.” Mr. Lansing knew his mistress's preoccupation with cleanliness.

“Of course, Mr. Lansing.” She took a handkerchief from the sleeve of her dress.“I will be able to endure what is necessary to save the man's life.” Her hand shook and her lip quivered with the thought of the man's dirty body lying within the coach.

Mr. Lansing handed her a bottle of smelling salts. “In case you are feeling poorly, Madam.”

“Bring the gentleman to the coach. Also, retrieve as many of his belongings as seem appropriate,” she ordered at last.

“Yes, Madam.” Lansing bowed as he left.

A footman and the lady's coachman carried the man's body between them, supporting his long limbs under his knees and shoulders. It took them several attempts to wrestle Darcy's body onto the floor of the Donnelly coach, where he lay like a freshly caught fish. Before they wrapped his body in the blanket spread on the floor of the coach, Miss Donnelly ascertained the injured man to be a man of consequence, but dried blood and dirt covered his face, obscuring his identity.

“We return to the estate, Walton,” she told the coachman. “We will get the gentleman a proper doctor; the local villages have no one to attend him.”

“Yes, Madam.” The coachman replaced his gloves. “The
new doctor arrived two weeks ago; I am sure he will be pleased to be of service to you.”

“Remind Mr. Lansing to speak to the doctor before he enters Darling Hall,” she instructed the coachman.

“I will do so, Madam. We will begin immediately.” The coachman closed the door. Once they loaded the gentleman's luggage onto her coach, Miss Donnelly covered her mouth with the handkerchief to block the man's repugnant smell and pulled her feet closer to her body; then she rapped on the roof of the coach to start for home.

The movement of the coach roused the man somewhat. “Elizabeth,” he moaned from his parched lips. For a moment, Miss Donnelly thought the stranger called her name, but he did not open his eyes nor did he move on his own. Instead, the man's body rocked back and forth with the movement of the carriage. It took Miss Donnelly nearly an hour and a half to reach her estate. The journey with the invasion of her private space by the man's body seemed interminable for the lady. She fought back the unladylike involuntary spasms her stomach demanded; she shielded her eyes from the sight of his badly beaten body, and she silenced her ears to his moans of pain. As much as possible, Miss Donnelly treated the man as if he did not exist.

 

Reaching Brigg, the Donnelly coach turned for Darling Hall, the family estate. Since the demise of her parents, the estate belonged to Elizabeth Donnelly. No male cousins existed for several generations, and Miss Donnelly's parents had the foresight to provide her with an additional legal binding—a sort of codicil.The estate belonged to her until the time of her death. However, if Miss Donnelly chose to marry before her eight and twenty birthday, she would inherit an additional fifty thousand pounds. Of course, the second option would be society's preferable choice, as well as hers. Although not grand in
scale, the estate could provide an adequate living if handled properly. Unfortunately, of late, it experienced several monetary losses, and Miss Donnelly secretly sold off artwork, furnishings, and tapestries to pay the taxes and to meet her extravagant expenses.

In appearance, Miss Donnelly's beauty seemed an asset in attracting men, and the estate served as a second means of securing an appropriate mate.The woman possessed excellent manners and correct opinions; yet, she did not stir interest with social circles and the
ton.
She had peculiar habits, which many men could not tolerate even in a woman with wealth and beauty as her “selling” points.

 

Arriving finally at Darling Hall, the footman and coachman unloaded Darcy's body. “Mr. Lansing, place the gentleman in the blue suite and have Mr. Logan fetch the new physician.Tell the stable staff to clean the coach thoroughly. If necessary, remove and replace the upholstery within the coach. The fulsome smell of the gentleman's body must be obliterated; I will not tolerate the man's presence and his blood and his body fluids soiling my coach. I want all his clothing washed properly; if the items are stained beyond repair, burn them. Once the physician tends to him, please have the gentleman cleaned properly. Of course, you know what to do with his bedclothes.”

“Yes, Madam,” the steward bowed.

“Although the man is injured, I will not tolerate his bringing his dirt into my house,” she demanded.“Tell Julian to clean these steps once again.”

“I will speak to him, Madam.”

“Finally, tell Mildred I wish a bath immediately.”

The man smirked when his mistress looked the other way. “I am sure she prepares one as we speak.”

Irritated, she said,“You are dismissed, Mr. Lansing.”

“Yes, Madam.”The steward made his final bow.

Miss Donnelly entered the drawing room of Darling Hall. Before she took a seat, the lady walked about the room, touching the various items, inspecting them and looking carefully at her glove after each touch. When she came to the figurines along the mantelpiece, Miss Donnelly frowned and reached for the bell cord. “Did you ring?” The housemaid curtsied when she entered the room.

Miss Donnelly did not answer; she simply stood with her gloved index finger extended. “I will address it immediately, Miss Donnelly, and I will speak to the new maid regarding her duties,” the servant stammered.

“Do so or both of you will be seeking new positions,” the mistress threatened.

The older woman dropped her eyes. “Yes, Madam.”

“I expect this to be cleaned thoroughly by the time I return,” the lady demanded before exiting to her chambers.

 

Nearly three hours later, the steward found Miss Donnelly at her embroidery in the newly cleaned drawing room. “Miss Donnelly.” He tapped lightly at the door before entering.

“Yes, Mr. Lansing,” she spoke as the man entered the room. “Has the physician seen the gentleman? What news does he give about the man's health?”

“The physician came and went, Miss Donnelly.The gentleman, as we suspected, lost a good deal of blood.The doctor says with the blood loss and his head injury, the man is likely to sleep several days. Mr. Addison fears some mental functions may be affected. I placed Conrad in the man's room to observe his progress and meet his needs.The staff is cleaning the gentleman and his room. Mrs. Lewis cleaned his clothing as you specified.”