A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (9 page)

The
Colonel knew better than to argue with his cousin.  “It will be as you wish.”

“Richard,
his family, the Wickhams, are caring for an estate in Ireland. My steward at
Pemberley has the directions to contact them. Please, see that they are
notified. They are good people who did not deserve a son like George.”

His
cousin, Darcy, was a much better man than he, as he, himself, would not have
hesitated to dump him in an unmarked grave. “The constable will be stopping by
along with the magistrate either later this afternoon or on the morrow. I shall
send a letter to his commanding officer, Colonel Forster, with the details of
this incident along with a letter to my parents requesting their presence. I
shall leave it up to you both whether you want Aunt Catherine informed at this
time.” After noting the displeasure on the faces of both his cousins, he decided
to wait to contact their aunt. “One other thing you should be aware of,” he
hesitated as if he was going to reveal a sordid detail that would be worse than
having their bossy, intimidating aunt on the premises, “I happened by Darcy
House early this morning only to come face to face with your surgeon. The good
doctor was calling to take his leave to attend his daughter during her
confinement. He will not be returning to London for at least a month and wished
you both well.”

To
Elizabeth, this was distressing news. She had been hoping to send for someone
more knowledgeable to help Mr. Darcy. It appeared the news was distressing to
Mr. Darcy as well for he bellowed, “Richard! You were in my cellars again were
you not?”

Apparently
humbled, Colonel Fitzwilliam would not meet Mr. Darcy’s eyes. Then he looked up
and Elizabeth spotted the merriment on his face. “Now, Darce, you would not
begrudge me a bottle of your fine brandy, would you? After all, it worked to
our advantage. You see, I shared that bottle this morning with Colonel Forster,
the commanding officer of the militia stationed in Meryton. It was he that
informed me that Wickham was here, close to you and Georgie. I immediately
asked for a furlough and left, riding as fast as possible. It appears that I
came just in time. I cannot imagine you truly regret sacrificing that one
bottle, Darce. Truly?”

Mr.
Darcy let out a huff and let his impertinent cousin off the hook.  During the
discussion, Elizabeth had John Coachman hold a fresh towel over the wound while
she threaded the needle. She then caught the attention of Mrs. Nicholls,
requesting that rooms be prepared for the Darcy relatives. Mrs. Nicholls left
to see to the task. Who knew, at this point, what Miss Bingley would say and do
over these arrangements being made without her direction, however, Elizabeth
felt that Miss Bingley was the least of her concerns at this moment.

“Miss
Darcy, would you please put the cloth in your brother’s mouth?” She heard Mr.
Darcy’s faint whisper of “I love you, Georgie” just before he bit down on the
rolled towel. Georgiana pulled her hand back and stroked his hair, whispering
back that she loved him as well. Holding the threaded needle up to the light to
make sure there were no knots or twists, she looked up to Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“I know that we have not been properly introduced. Colonel Fitzwilliam, I
believe?” At his nod she continued, “Please, do inform our host of the
arrangements being made that will impact him and his household.” Turning to Mr.
Darcy’s valet, she directed, “Mr. Parker,” at which he interrupted with “just
Parker, miss”. “Parker,” she acquiesced, “Please, see that all bedding in Mr.
Darcy’s room is spotlessly clean and that the maid has cleaned all surfaces.
Also, please ask that a basin and washstand similar to the one Mr. Burton has
outside this door is put outside Mr. Darcy’s door. I assume that I can entrust
you with seeing that no person enters that room without washing first?”

He
immediately agreed. Her commands were given in a soft, but firm tone and were
not in any way unkind. He had heard the malicious speculation and whispers
coming from the Bingley sisters about Miss Elizabeth Bennet, but he,
personally, could see no evidence of it. He left to see to his duties.

“Are
you ready, Mr. Darcy?” she patted his elbow one last time as she awaited his
nod. He took a deep breath. At his nod, she inserted the needle at the back of
his arm for the first stitch. Georgiana gulped and Mr. Darcy’s body jerked. The
footman and coachman held on tight. It would take many such sutures to close
the wounds.

Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

The
minutes seemed to crawl by as Elizabeth placed one stitch after another. She
counted each suture aloud as she reassured those gathered that they were closer
and closer to the finish. Mr. Darcy had to be praised for holding himself still
and not fighting against the servants who held him. Georgiana, too, deserved
praise for her fortitude and Elizabeth whispered to her continually how proud
she was of the young girl. She felt that she was seeing Georgiana’s true
personality, her true self.

Finally,
she proclaimed it the last stitch and she tied it off quickly. Giving the wound
at the front and back of his arm a quick wipe of soap and water and a dab more
of the whisky, she wrapped Mr. Darcy’s arm with a clean bandage. Not knowing if
he had lost consciousness, she whispered to Georgiana that she hoped Mr. Darcy
was pleased with the initial’s “GAD”, for Georgiana Anne Darcy, stitched on the
front of his arm and “EAB”, for Elizabeth Anne Bennet, on the back. She got a
faint grin from Miss Darcy, but Mr. Darcy chuckled and told them both that he
would be proud to wear such a scar for a lifetime. He was conscious. Mr. Darcy
started to rise on his own and Elizabeth put a strong hand on his shoulder at
the same time that John Coachman’s large hand bore down. “You will require
help, sir, to reach your room.” It was a statement, not a request for agreement
from him. He complied and allowed the footmen to assist him to his room.

Parker
had done as requested and the bed chamber was spotless. He stood at the doorway
and directed Mr. Darcy be placed in a chair next to the bed. There, with the
help of Gideon, he removed his master’s boots, pants, and shirt. He had taken
it upon himself to remove the left sleeve of Mr. Darcy’s nightshirt so that his
dressing could be changed with the least amount of disturbance.

Down
in the dining room, Elizabeth cleaned her tools and repacked her case. She
observed the maids removing the used towels, cloths, and bowls and other
servants wiping down the table and returning the chairs to their places. Mr.
Burton stepped into the room, having replaced the sword back above the mantel
in the library. “Miss, Colonel Fitzwilliam requests the presence of yourself
and Miss Darcy in the master’s study, if you please.” Elizabeth nodded and
after following Georgiana to the wash basin to clean up, she put her arm
through her young nursing assistant’s and they left the room. They were almost
across the hallway when Miss Bingley called to them while descending the
stairs.

“What
is the meaning of this!” she demanded. Georgiana could not stop the chuckle as
she realized how much Miss Bingley sounded like her aunt, Lady Catherine. While
Elizabeth did not understand the reason for the chuckle, she certainly was not
surprised by Miss Bingley’s displeasure in seeing her on the premises. Mr.
Bingley must have heard his sister’s voice as he came out of his study to
intercept his sister.

“Caroline,
Mr. Darcy was seriously injured, so the Darcys and their cousin, Colonel
Fitzwilliam will be staying here. Miss Elizabeth will be seeing to his care as
Darcy’s surgeon is away. Mrs. Nicholls has already seen to their rooms, as well
as to the rooms for Lord and Lady Matlock, should they arrive tomorrow. You
need not bother yourself.” He turned from his irate sister and, extending his
arm towards the study door, indicated that the two ladies should precede him.
Miss Bingley was not invited to attend.

“Ladies,
please have a seat.”After closing the door, Mr. Bingley sat behind the desk
while Colonel Fitzwilliam stood next to it. Mr. Bingley looked to both Miss
Darcy and Miss Elizabeth and regretted what he was about to say. “Colonel
Fitzwilliam expects to be meeting soon with the magistrate and would like to
hear your accounts of what happened. We both are deeply sorry that you need to
recall something so upsetting; however, it might make things go more smoothly.
Colonel, please proceed.”

The
Colonel cleared a throat that was suddenly choked with emotion. “Georgie,
first, I must start by telling you how proud I am of you. When I rode up and
saw you lying on the ground, I swear that my heart almost stopped.” He
unknowingly put his hand to his chest and approached his cousin, kneeling at
her feet and grasping her hands in both of his. They were strong hands that
showed the evidence of battle and hardship; large, capable hands that made
Georgiana’s look so small. “My dear girl, I need to know how you are. What you
witnessed… well… you know that I never liked George and I will not pretend
tender feelings for him now that he is gone. However, I know that at one time
he truly seemed to care for you.”

Mr.
Bingley, realizing that these were extremely personal family matters, chose to
quietly remove himself from the room.

“Richard,”
Georgiana spoke up even as she continued with her eyes downcast. “Elizabeth has
proven to be a trusted friend. In the short time we have known each other, I
have been able to share with her the events at Ramsgate. She showed only
kindness to me and I consider her a friend. You need not have any caution in
speaking in front of her about George.”

“Miss
Elizabeth, excuse me, but do you mind if I call you Miss Elizabeth as the
others do?” She readily agreed. “There are not words… or, at least I do not
have the words to express the thanks of the whole Fitzwilliam family for the
deeds you have performed on this day. For too many years, men and women of our
circle, old and young, have sought the attention of my family by trying to
perform favors in hopes that greater favors would be returned to them. My
cousin Darcy and I, as Georgiana’s guardians, have had to learn caution as some
have even tried to go through her to get to Darcy; in particular the fair
gender. To have someone, with no ulterior motives, treat my cousins with the
kindness and skill you have shown with no hope of personal or material gain is
restoring to my tired, jaded soul. So, thank you. From my whole family, we
thank you.”

“I
deeply appreciate your kind words, Colonel Fitzwilliam.” With a mischievous
glint in her eyes and a raised brow she added, “However, upon the acquaintance
of only a few moments, how certain are you that I am, indeed, not a fortune
hunter?”  The Colonel was looking uncomfortable until he saw the twinkle in her
hazel eyes. “You may be assured that I am not a hunter of fortune nor am I
inclined to try to take advantage of my friends. I am content with my
circumstances, which I willingly give Georgiana permission to share with you.
If you both would excuse me, please, I need to check on our patient.”

Colonel
Fitzwilliam jumped to his feet, though he retained his hold on Georgiana’s
right hand. “Certainly, Miss Elizabeth, though, assuage my curiosity about one
point.” She inclined her head for him to go on. “Your skills in the art of
healing and surgery are as good as the best I have seen on the battlefield.
Where did you learn this?”

“For
five years, I traveled with my uncle and aunt to places as far away as India,
Spain, Greece, and Egypt. Due to an earlier family tragedy, where I lost four
of my siblings to smallpox, I resolved to study healing. While in India, my
aunt and I were in a large open market when we heard the scream of a lad, not
much younger than I. The boy had been badly injured by a runaway merchant’s
cart and was bleeding quite profusely. The weather in India is hot and humid
and disease and poisons of the blood are particularly deadly. One of the
doctors that helped teach me these skills shunned the use of leeches or
bleeding a patient to rid the body of poison. He explained that it seemed to
leave the body too weak to fight the infection. The market was close to where
we were staying, so I quickly went to the boy and tried to stop the bleeding
with pressure, as I had seen was effective before. My aunt sent someone for the
doctor, who was not able to arrive quickly. We took him to our home and, since
I had assisted the surgeon once before in repairing a wound, I cleaned and
stitched the boy’s wounds in a similar manner to Mr. Darcy. The servants that
accompanied the boy brought his mother to the house. I did not meet the boy’s
father, as my time was taken up with his son. The boy was the heir. In fact, he
was their only child. It took one week for the fevers and infection to leave
the lad. In time, he was able to return to the vigorous, active life that all young
gentlemen should enjoy at that age. I am hoping that with the same type of care,
Mr. Darcy will do the same. He is just as important to his family as that boy
was to his. I will try to do my best. Now, if you will excuse me please?”

Elizabeth
was stopped on her way out of the study by a very worried Mr. Bingley. He was
deeply concerned for his good friend and upset that this had befallen both Mr.
and Miss Darcy. His agitation was reflected in his continuous pacing up and
down the hallway. He stopped when he saw her and inquired if there was anything
additional needed for the injured gentleman upstairs. “Miss Elizabeth, you
cannot know all that man has done for me. He was a friend to me at Cambridge
when his peers shunned me because of my background in trade. He has given me
fine counsel in matters of both a personal and business nature. I will never be
able to repay the debt I owe him, so the least I can do is whatever I can to
help him and his family right now. How I wish it were me laying upstairs and
not him.”

“Mr.
Bingley,” Elizabeth gently put her hand on his arm, “I am certain that both Mr.
and Miss Darcy are grateful for the assistance you have already provided. Your
staff has been remarkable in following through with every request and there is
no reason to believe that will change. Tomorrow, we believe that Colonel
Fitzwilliam’s family will arrive and this will create more work for your
servants. It might do well for you to have Miss Bingley speak with your
housekeeper to arrange matters, though I do believe Mrs. Nicholls already has
things well in hand. Mr. Darcy’s bandages will need changed at least every two
hours and his valet and I will administer medicines as they are needed. For
now, I believe that the most Mr. Darcy should have is as much tea and cool
water as he can drink and some broth to eat. I would expect that Georgiana will
be taking her meals on a tray with me in his room; as will Parker. You would
need to speak with Colonel Fitzwilliam about his preferences. Mr. Bingley,
please know that I am truly grateful for your kind hospitality.”

“Miss
Elizabeth, there may be something I can do for you. If you think it would help
you, I would be happy to go to Longbourn to reassure your sister that you are
well after this afternoon’s events.” His hopeful look made it easy for
Elizabeth to suggest that it would be a kindness if he would do that. She
wondered how her sister could possibly know of today’s events, yet she realized
that it might be best for Mr. Bingley to receive comfort, himself, by speaking
of it to someone else. The day was growing late, the sun was already setting;
so she knew he would not be gone long. He directed Mr. Burton to gather his
coat and hat and hurried out the front door.

Parker
was not completely taken by surprise that George Wickham was behind the
violence that caused his master’s injury. However, he had yet to learn the
details. He was certain that Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Elizabeth would care
for matters in a way that would protect both Mr. Darcy and his sister. He had
assigned Gideon and Gabriel to guard the doorway into Mr. Darcy’s room from
anyone not required or unwashed. Therefore, when he heard a disturbance outside
the door, he knew he would confront one or the other as he opened the door. Ah,
Miss Bingley, after Mr. Darcy again. He went back inside the room, closing the
door.

Elizabeth
also witnessed the confrontation between the footman and the lady. Spying
Parker in the doorway, she nodded her head at him to let him know that she
would take care of it.

“I
do not know who gave you the authority to refuse me admittance to a room on my
own estate, but I will make sure that Mr. Darcy knows you have been impertinent
and rude to me.” Miss Bingley was in high spirits, her red face in sharp
contrast with her burnt orange gown. It was not an attractive combination. Poor
Gideon, not used to being exposed to a woman of her class displaying such ill
manners, was guarding Mr. Darcy’s door with his body, as if being confronted by
Napoleon himself. “I just learned of Mr. Darcy’s injuries and I am certain that
he needs me to comfort him.” Gideon was unmoved. Elizabeth deeply appreciated
his loyalty and obedience. Elizabeth caught his eye as she approached behind
Miss Bingley.

“May
I help you, Miss Bingley?” The carpet on the hallway had silenced Elizabeth’s
footsteps so her proximity was quite close when she asked. Miss Bingley yelped
and her color rose even higher as she turned and saw who was there. “This
servant
will not allow me to ascertain if Mr. Darcy is in need of anything for his
comfort.” Her disdain fairly oozed from her.