Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation (9 page)

Elizabeth was horrified at his suggestion. Suddenly she realized there was an avenue of escape in this room that had not been explored. She ran to the hall door and turned the handle…it too was locked. Her breathing became erratic and her knees felt weak. She feared she was about to collapse.

A horrifying thought streaked through her foggy mind. For the first time, she became aware of what would happen if he ripped her gown. Now that she was convinced there was no escape, she quickly changed her tactics. Her new priority became making sure no one learned of her violation. Her goal was to leave this place without the Darcys’ staff noticing anything untoward. In addition, she also wanted to keep from having to explain a ruined frock to her aunt, and that meant keeping him from forcibly removing it.

Before acquiescing, she tried one last ploy. “Please sir, I do not want to remove my clothes. My body is not pleasing. My mother complains that I have not become womanly yet, and she fears no man will want me.”

“What do mothers know? Oh no, little one, I like you this way. You are most pleasing to me. I think I might enjoy disrobing you myself.” With that he walked over to her.

Elizabeth wished he would stop smiling and showing those teeth. Instead of thinking it the most beautiful smile she had ever seen… all that came to mind was the picture of the big bad wolf in the storybook. She pushed the image from her mind and said, “I will help with the buttons.” She quickly unbuttoned her gown, stepped out of it and carefully placed it on a chair. Standing before him shivering in her chemise, she prayed.

He had gone back to his chair, port and pipe. With a leer, he said, “Do you want me to help you with the rest?”

She shook her head in refusal and with bowed head proceeded to remove the rest of her clothing. Raising her head, she observed the look he gave her and heard the words he spoke to describe her when she was naked. Nothing she had ever read prepared her for this humiliation. She closed her eyes and turned from prayer to thinking about anything but her here and now. She thought of dawn on Oakham Mount. She thought of Jane… oh, how she wished she were at Longbourn with Jane.

“The time has come, Elizabeth, “Lord Wolfbridge said, “to move on to other things.”

The impropriety of his using her first name registered and she choked back an hysterical laugh. What a ridiculous thing to think of at a time like this. She would allow him to call her anything… or say anything about her if she could just stop him from doing what he was about to do.

The minute he put his hand around her arm again and started dragging her, Elizabeth receded once more into memories of her life in Hertfordshire. She thought of her childhood…Tom, Jane, Charlotte and Becky…walking the fields …making flower wreaths…Tom teaching her to climb trees while Jane, Charlotte and Becky looked on in horror because they were sure she would fall. She remembered their teasing because she was afraid of horses.

When he was finished with her, she was unaware of exactly what he had done. Her eyes had remained closed throughout her ordeal and she had desperately tried to stay focused on pleasant images. She had felt pain occasionally and let out involuntary cries and moans. Somehow she had been conscious the sounds she made were pleasing to him.

After it was over, she lay perfectly still for quite some time. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening and closing, she realized he was gone. Finally she screwed up her courage and walked to the door to the hall and tried the handle. It was unlocked. With disgust, she realized she smelled of him. There were blood stains on the bed linens, and she could also see blood and something sticky on her thighs. Her desire to search for water to wash was overridden by the fear he or Anne would return. Instead she quickly dressed and tried as best she could to tidy her hair.

Downstairs, she asked for her cloak and was also given the basket in which she had brought Anne’s gifts. She was struck by the complicity of Mrs Darcy. What kind of people were they? They were as depraved as the French aristocracy. Neither cared whether they ruined her life or her sisters’ lives… and probably assumed when they were thrown out of their home and couldn’t afford to buy bread, they could always eat cake.

She managed to leave the house with no one seeing her except the footman. She would walk home and never tell another living soul what had happened to her—and if she was lucky—never see anyone from this most despicable family again. Her most fervent wish at the moment was that when the Viscount read the end of Laclos’ story, he would feel fear. Elizabeth knew there was no young man who would ever avenge her, but maybe some other young woman would have a loved one who would kill him.

5 CAN I SEE ANOTHER’S WOE, AND NOT BE IN SORROW TOO?

Mr Darcy was just arriving home when he saw a diminutive figure in a red cloak coming down the steps of his townhouse. There was mist in the air, and the tiny woman pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. It was the young woman from the theatre, but he could not remember her name. As she passed him, she seemed to be quite agitated. She kept mumbling to herself what sounded like, “beware the Ides of March". She did not acknowledge him, even though he was standing beside his carriage. She began walking away from the house, and he noticed her shoulders would slump and then straighten as though a war was going on in her body between despair and determination. He ran to catch up with her… he could not remember her surname but finally remembered her first name. “Miss Elizabeth, where are you going?”

She did not look at him, but in a voice that was barely audible said, “Home”.

“Is not a carriage coming to pick you up?”

“No.”

“Where is home?”

“Cheapside.”

“You plan to walk from here all the way to Cheapside?”

“Yes.”

“The wind is very blustery and it is beginning to rain.”

“I have a cloak.”

“But you are not wearing boots, only slippers.”

“I am an excellent walker. I will be fine.”

“Do you know the way?”

“I have made the trip numerous times, and I remember most of the directions.”

“Miss Elizabeth, it is dangerous for you to walk by yourself. Where are your aunt and uncle?”

“My uncle is at his warehouse working, and my aunt had to stay home with baby Susan. Mr Darcy, please leave me alone. I do not want to talk… I just want to go home.”

“Let me take you home in my carriage.”

For the first time she looked at him and glared, “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I do not want to…Why will you not leave me alone?”

“You are too young to be out unaccompanied in London.”

The young woman slumped once again and said in a profoundly defeated voice, “You are right, sir. I am too young and too silly. I should never have left Longbourn. But please, I want to be alone.”

Mr Darcy followed behind the young woman who looked very much like Little Red Riding Hood. She was even carrying a basket. For a tiny thing, she could walk very fast. He caught up to her and asked once again, “Please let me take you in the carriage. I am very worried about you. At least let me walk with you.” He attempted to take her arm.

Her response was loud and fearful, “Mr Darcy, do not touch me!” She paused and looked around to see whether she had drawn attention to them. She seemed to realize she must offer some explanation. “I am very dirty, and I fear I must reek.” She turned and looked at him. Her face seemed haunted and consumed with sadness… and perhaps a touch of madness. He could see tears pooling in her eyes, but there was some inner fortitude that stopped them from rolling down her cheeks. When he met her, she had seemed to have a joyful inner light that gleamed out through her eyes. It was gone.

What did she mean she was dirty? She looked clean enough, but there was, indeed, a peculiar odour about her. He remembered when he had met her at the theatre, she had smelled of lavender. He could not quite place what she smelled of today. He thought he smelled tobacco smoke. Had she been smoking? That would be very improper… a young woman of fifteen. He dropped back and decided to walk behind her and motioned his driver to follow him.

For the next hour, they made a strange procession…A demented Little Red Riding Hood, trailed by a very tall, elegant man in black, holding on to his hat to keep it from blowing away, followed by a fancy carriage with the Darcy crest. For most of the time she appeared to be having a conversation with herself. Her arms would periodically gesture erratically or she would smack her head. Oftentimes she hugged herself as if she was cold. He was very concerned that something terrible had happened to her. However, he had little to go on as to her character. He had only spent a small amount of time with her that night at the theatre.

He knew Anne had developed a friendship with her, but she had not told him much about the young woman. He had determined his interest in her that night had been improper and had tried to erase her from his memory. Maybe she was unstable, and Anne had not been in her company long enough to perceive her true nature. She definitely was entirely too forward for her own good. What kind of family allows a young girl to travel about London without a chaperon? He would never allow his sister such liberties.

Miss Elizabeth looked back several times to determine whether he was still following her. Finally as they were getting quite close to Cheapside, she whirled around.

When he caught up to her, she spoke, “I have changed my mind. I will take a ride for the rest of the way. It is only about five blocks. I left Gracechurch Street in one of the Darcy carriages… I should arrive back in one so as not to arouse suspicion.”

He had no idea what she was talking about, but decided to accommodate her. He motioned to the driver and opened the door to the carriage.

Darcy attempted to take her hand to help, but she quickly pulled it away from him. “I am perfectly able to get in without your help.” She scrambled into the carriage, holding on to the door and pulling herself up and through the opening. The manoeuvre was decidedly unladylike, but she seemed determined to have no contact with him.

“Mr Darcy, please stay here. I do not want my aunt to think I was alone with you in the carriage. It is only a few blocks. Your driver will be back very soon to pick you up and take you home. It is very kind of you to allow me to ride in your carriage for this last short distance.”

Once again he thought her behaviour odd. She had walked from Grosvenor Square to Cheapside without any qualms… well not quite without qualms as she had seemed agitated the entire way. Now, after walking miles, she was concerned about raising suspicion by being alone in a carriage with him. Did she not think her aunt and uncle would wonder at the condition of her slippers? She had been limping for some time now, and he was sure she had worn blisters. Maybe Anne could shed some light on why she seemed so erratic today. More and more he was convinced she was an unstable young woman, and it was probably the result of inheriting bad characteristics combined with improper supervision. She admitted she read forbidden books with subject matter not appropriate for an unmarried lady of any age. He would be horrified if Georgiana did such a thing. If Miss Elizabeth behaved like this in the future, something dire was certain to befall her.

He struggled to remember why he had been so intrigued when they first met. His occasional musings on their interaction at the theatre had been met with an effort to banish such thoughts during the previous month. This incident should hopefully wipe out his unsuitable fascination with her.

6 SECRETS AND LIES

Arriving at her aunt and uncle’s house, Elizabeth steeled herself to be helped down by the footman. Though his touch was disgusting, she must not arouse suspicion—her disgrace required her to act as before. Standing erect, with her head held high, she entered the house and was gratified to learn her aunt was upstairs with Baby Susan.

Elizabeth asked Mrs Jones, the housekeeper, if she could have a bath arranged for her. Once undressed, she put her gown and underclothes aside to be laundered, knowing she would never wear any of them again. Still, discarding them would draw attention. Would the blood on her underclothes raise questions? Helplessness was threatening to overpower her… if only she could talk with someone. Elizabeth desperately wanted her sister. No, even Jane should be spared the knowledge of her humiliation. The most prudent plan was to hide the incident from everyone. Lord Wolfbridge’s despicable actions had forced the realization she was not mature enough to understand the motives of men… and maybe never would be

As the biblical verse Mary was so fond of quoting to her sisters,
‘Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall’
stole into her mind, a stab of guilt lodged in her heart. Elizabeth finally allowed tears to fall. The memory of how filled with conceit she had been when evaluating her success in charming a viscount. Surely, she was the silliest of all her father’s daughters.

Elizabeth braced herself—it was time to go downstairs and face her aunt and uncle. She was relieved that fears for Susan’s welfare were their main concern today. It would make the task of diverting attention from herself easier. Schooling her face with the appropriate look of worry, she listened to the account of the baby’s prognosis. It was difficult to concentrate. Would her inattentiveness be noticed?

Dinner was uneventful, but afterwards, her aunt asked about her visit with Mrs Darcy. Elizabeth had prepared a response before coming down. “I am sorry, Aunt, but I had a quarrel with Mrs Darcy, and she will likely not invite us to Darcy House again. I sent a note to apologize for my behaviour, but I doubt she will forgive me.” Lizzy searched her Aunt Margaret’s eyes and decided to add, “She found me too familiar in criticizing her mother. Though we have gossiped about our mothers in the past, it was clear she thought I overstepped the bounds of propriety and was entirely too disrespectful with my remarks about someone so much above me.”

Mrs Gardiner thought Elizabeth’s explanation rang false. The animosity Mrs Darcy felt for her mother had barely been suppressed during her conversations with the young woman. Something else had happened if there was a rupture between the two.