Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation (70 page)

“Are all Longbourn’s dogs named for Shakespearean characters?”

“Caliban is the only dog that is a pet. Jane and Kitty each have a cat. Jane’s cat is named Kitty, and Kitty named her cat Jane, in retaliation. Sometimes, it can be very confusing whether it is the human or the feline being called.”

Georgiana shook her head in mirth and hugged Elizabeth. “You are so dear to my heart. Here you are in this house of horror… believe me, I can see the apprehension in your eyes as you look about… and what do you do? You make me laugh. Despite your fear, you are the bravest woman of my acquaintance, and I thank you for what you said to Will about Jamie.”

They had arrived at the door of her bedchamber. Georgiana led the way into a cheerful pink room that definitely looked more appropriate for Bethany. Elizabeth stared in awe at the array of dolls. Georgiana smiled at her friend as she got ready to deliver the second act of kindness her brother had recommended. “Let us clean the dust of the road off, and I will have refreshments served in the solarium. Will told me how much you loved that room.”

Very shortly after their arrival, Richard left to reconnoitre with the troops needed for his battle plan. His first stop was his parents’ house to be followed by a visit with Mr Bingley and Sir Gareth Hughes.

He arrived at Elderton House before two in the afternoon. His mother was indeed home. The footman directed him to the small downstairs sitting room she favoured. He was told Lady Wolfbridge was upstairs in her private chambers, and his father and brother were out. This information pleased him, because even if the Earl returned home, he would never venture into that sitting room. It was agreed upon between his parents that this was
her
sanctuary. Richard asked the footman to ensure he and his mother were not disturbed. The Colonel needed to be certain only his mother knew the reasons behind his request.

The Countess greeted her son warmly. “You do not look any worse the wear after being in your aunt’s presence. How are Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, and those precious little ones?”

“Fitzwilliam is in need of your help, Mother.”

“You know how I love that boy. Tell me how I am able to be of assistance.”

“I understand you are having Lord and Lady Hastings, and their niece and her friend to tea tomorrow.”

“That is correct, but how do you know that piece of information? Have you been given the assignment of spying on the populace? Do you think we are secret Luddites, who are plotting to blow up Parliament?”

“Oh, Mother, your sense of current events is abysmal. The Luddites are rebelling in Yorkshire and Lancashire, and their targets are machines—looms to be precise. The last threat against Parliament was by Guy Fawkes more than two hundred years ago. No, the young woman, Miss Bennet, who is coming with Lord and Lady Hastings and their niece, is the sister of Lady Catherine’s parson’s new wife.”

His mother shuddered at the mention of her sister-in-law’s parson. She tried to look haughty, but instead a grimace was the best she could accomplish. “Oh, you mean that obsequious young man who so often intervened in the conversation to praise Catherine?”

Richard grinned. He found it humorous how much his mother disliked his father’s sister. “He is much changed since he married. Now he has someone truly worthy of his admiration to praise. While in Kent, I attended a picnic organized by Mr Collins for his wife’s birthday. It was as pleasant as the ones Uncle George and Aunt Anne organized when I was a child.”

“So what do these sisters have to do with Fitzwilliam?”

“They have another sister with whom Darcy is smitten. She is a bit of a tragic figure, and she is concerned for the sister coming to visit. Your nephew is trying to persuade her to forgive him for some transgressions by coming to the aid of the oldest Miss Bennet.”

“Why is the one he is enamoured with a tragic figure?”

“Something very sad happened to her when she was but fifteen. She has never completely rallied, and because of the event has refused to marry… specifically she recently rejected Darcy. Actually you have met her.”

“You say their name is Bennet?” Lady Elderton seemed to be searching her memory, and her son watched as she struggled to sort through long forgotten images. She gave her son a very wary look as she said, “I remember a very pretty, witty, young woman, a girl really, with beautiful hair and sparkling eyes. For some time now, the memory of her has been elusively flitting around the corners of my mind.”

The Countess gasped as awareness suddenly dawned. “Every time I look at Bethany, I have tried to place a memory of someone… I now realize it is that young woman. I am very confused. The resemblance to my grandniece is great… are you hinting she is Bethany’s mother?”

Richard started to answer, but his mother continued her questions without waiting for his response. She seemed quite agitated. “What does this all mean? Did Fitzwilliam compromise her and then force her to give him the child? Please, son, tell me what happened.” Questions and comments continued to pour from her, as she tried to make sense of what Richard had implied. “Was he afraid Anne would never give him an heir? Did he persuade her to go along with raising his natural child? I have always thought Fitzwilliam to be too honourable to stoop to this kind of perfidy.”

“Mother, it is much worse than you have imagined, and it reflects very badly on the Fitzwilliam name, not that of the Darcys. Your scenario would be so very easy to remedy. The
ton
forgives all sorts of indiscretions.”

The Colonel’s eyes strayed to the ceiling. He was remembering one who was upstairs in her rooms and praying his statement was true, if and when… no time to think of that now. “Darcy’s love for Miss Elizabeth is almost without parallel and has endured for six years despite his Fitzwilliam arrogance working relentlessly to convince him she was a fortune hunter. She also seems to have some affection for him, despite her treatment at the hands of one in our family. They both adore Bethany, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet loves Lewis and Georgiana. Oh, if it was only a youthful indiscretion they had to overcome.”

“Richard, I demand you tell me what you mean. What reflects badly on the Fitzwilliam name? Was she after our fortune?”

“Did Eleanor ever tell you about Edmund admitting during an argument about a gentleman’s daughter he seduced who threatened to expose him to Mr Harding before they married?”

The look of trepidation on his mother’s face was great as she answered. “She did.”

“Miss Elizabeth is that gentleman’s daughter, but it was not a seduction. Edmund persuaded Anne to lure and trap her at Darcy House. Your son raped her. He enjoyed hurting and humiliating her.” Richard paused and watched as revulsion spread across his mother’s face. He took her hand and finished relating the rest of the story. “She became with child. This is when your nephew became involved in her tragedy. Despite being barely fifteen, she demanded money from Edmund, Anne and Darcy. Her threat was that she would expose Edmund to Mr Harding as well as to you and father. Darcy was appalled by her avarice… but of course he did not know the particulars of her violation. He now believes Anne feared he would find out about her role and came up with a scheme to divert suspicion. Her excuse to him for proposing they offer Miss Elizabeth twenty thousand pounds to relinquish the baby was that she feared childbirth and they needed an heir. I think Anne also saw the payment as a way to expiate her guilt. Over time, Darce gave Miss Elizabeth an additional six thousand… three thousand Edmund was supposed to pay and never did… and three thousand from himself, just because… even though she never asked for it. I believe he might have been expiating some of his own guilt.”

Richard observed the look of anguish on his mother’s face. With trembling voice, she said, “Edmund raped that beautiful little girl? Oh, my, I remember, she was hardly more than a child. I think that is why seeing Bethany always makes me try to recall her. Meeting Miss Bennet did not trigger my memory—they look nothing alike. However, I do remember Miss Elizabeth telling me that her oldest sister was the great beauty of the family.” The Countess closed her eyes tight with the hope she could eliminate the repugnant images that were plaguing her. She was not successful. “Oh, Richard, I have raised a monster. Where did I go wrong?”

“I am not sure why Edmund enjoys observing fear and inflicting pain on very young women, but I do not think you are to blame. I have no such compulsion.”

“Bethany is my granddaughter?”

Richard squeezed his mother’s hand to bring her attention back to him. He could feel her body trembling. “She is indeed, but you must keep your knowledge to yourself. I received permission from neither Darcy, nor Miss Elizabeth, to confide in you, but I need to know you realize all that is at stake with regards my request. Miss Elizabeth has lived in fear these past six years. She is convinced that knowledge of all that happened will reflect badly on her family and ruin her sisters’ chance at happiness.”

“What exactly is your request?”

“I want you to send notes around, inviting a Mr Bingley and Sir Gareth Hughes to visit tomorrow.”

“Sir Gareth has already been invited. Do you have an address for this Mr Bingley?”

“I do. Darcy wrote it out for me to give you.” Richard pulled out the note and handed it to his mother. “Georgiana, Miss Elizabeth and I will also attend. What are your plans for tonight?”

“We are going to the theatre. The four of us will be joining Sir Gareth in his box. I am quite certain Lord and Lady Hastings will be attending with the two young women. Your father, who rarely wants to attend the theatre, was responsible for garnering the invitation from Sir Gareth. I believe he heard Lord Hastings talking about taking the two young women, and is anticipating the fair Miss Bennet attending.” A cynical tone punctuated the rest of her words. “Once he had that intelligence, he was soon trying to cajole Sir Gareth to allow us use of his box this evening. I must admit, I have very little sympathy for the young woman you are trying to protect. She seemed to be overly friendly with both your brother and father, and there was an air of impetuous abandon that was decidedly unattractive. Are you certain they are not a family of fortune hunters?”

“I am, mother.”

The Countess wrinkled her nose as though she smelled something foul. “She is just the sort of tall, cool drink with which the Earl enjoys slaking his thirst.”

Richard felt his mother was in need of some levity along with his explanation. “Mama, you are probably just reacting to Miss Bennet’s newfound cynicism, and you know from my experience that a cynic is just a romantic with a broken heart. Darcy persuaded Mr Bingley to abandon her for reasons that are much too complicated to go into now, and according to her sisters, she is acting uncharacteristically reckless. Your nephew’s hope is that Mr Bingley will rescue her from the evil earl and the vicious viscount, and she will forgive him for his lack of constancy. Then maybe her sister will reconsider her rejection of Darcy.”

Richard could tell from the softening of her expression that she was willing to help her brother’s son find happiness. “Miss Elizabeth, Georgiana, hopefully Mr Bingley, and I will see you this evening at the theatre. We will be in Darcy’s box. What is the play?”

Lady Elderton broke into harsh laughter. When she had calmed, she said, “The comic aspects of this evening are just too delightful. Tonight we watch the most fitting of all productions while playing out our own intrigue for saving the reputation of a young miss from the country. In addition, we will make a valiant attempt at keeping some particularly dirty linen from the gossip mongers. Mr Sheridan’s
The School for Scandal
is the bill of fare. You know, the late Duchess and Duke of Devonshire were supposedly the inspiration for the play. Perhaps, I should have been as fashionable as she and allowed your father to bring his mistresses into the house to live. It would have been much cheaper. Scandal is such a relative thing.”

Richard told his mother he needed to make some other stops. Before he departed, he nodded his head toward the ceiling and asked his mother, “How is she doing?”

“We think she is in her fourth month, and so far she seems to be faring a little better than before. Maybe the distractions of town will help her to forget her sadness.”

“Darcy told me he wants to put joy back in Miss Elizabeth’s heart, and I wish I could do the same for Eleanor. Tell her I am in town and will see her tonight. Please, tell her nothing more of our plot.

49 WE WILL BE GLAD WHEN YOU’RE DEAD, YOU RASCALS YOU

The only thing Elizabeth had that was appropriate for the theatre was the infamous green moiré. Of course, Mr Darcy would not be in attendance, and he was the one who had objected to the gown. She was not even sure he would continue to be affronted by it. Elizabeth felt queasy at the thought of seeing Lord Wolfbridge. She reminded herself that saving Jane was what was important, and the Colonel and Mr Bingley would not allow anything untoward to happen. She had been heartened to hear from Colonel Fitzwilliam that Mr Bingley was enthusiastically embracing the task Mr Darcy had set for him.