Pirates and Prejudice (22 page)

Darcy leaned
back in the seat and looked out the window, his arms tightly crossed. Foster
had done it again, and he was just as angry with him now as he had been a few
days back. Darcy’s jaw tightened as he recollected Foster informing him that
there was just one more thing he wanted him to do. He had agreed, however, when
Foster told him his crew would receive the highest commendation and even
greater prize money for their efforts on behalf of the Crown if they were
successful in apprehending the culprits.

Darcy propped
his elbow up at the window and rubbed his forehead between his brows. He
mumbled, “I hope you know what you are doing.”

Foster glanced
over at him. “There is nothing for you to worry about, Darcy. The driver and I
are both armed, but we plan to readily release you into the hands of anyone
attempting to set you free, to lessen the chance of bloodshed.” Foster looked
at Darcy pointedly. “You, of course, have no reason to fear, as they believe
you are Lockerly. Rest easy.”

“I assure you,
Foster, I will
not
rest easy until I am safely back in London.”

Darcy rubbed his
chin and let out a groan when his fingers tangled in his beard. He was tired of
the disguise and wanted nothing more than to return to London. He looked
forward to a good shave and bath before he did anything else. He had already
written his valet requesting him to return to his house in London. He had also
sent a quick letter off to Georgiana, asking that she come to London at her
earliest convenience. He was anxious to see her.

They were about
an hour outside of Brighton when the driver of the carriage called out. “I
think this is it! On the left! Get ready!”

Darcy and Foster
looked out the window, seeing a young lady waving a handkerchief. She was lying
on the ground holding her ankle, as if she were injured.

“Ahh,” said
Foster. “Very cunning. A young lady in distress.” Turning to Darcy, he said,
“This may be nothing, but we shall put the handcuffs on you just in case.”

Darcy
reluctantly agreed, placing his wrists together in front of him so Foster could
snap them on.

“You shall
likely be on your own for a short time in the carriage. Could be others hiding
up ahead. We shall follow close enough so we will not lose you, but far enough
back that we won’t be seen.”

The carriage
came to a stop, and Foster and the driver hopped down.

They walked over
to the young lady. Darcy watched as they bent over to talk to her.

From out of the
bushes came the sound of gunshots, and Foster and the driver put their hands up
quickly in mock surrender. A man rushed out, grabbing the girl by the hand and
pulling her up. They both rushed to the carriage.

Darcy’s heart
pounded as he watched the scene unfold outside the window. He tightened his
fists, hoping they would not realize he was
not
Lockerly. But he hoped
to a greater degree that the men on horseback would arrive in time to make an
arrest before these two evaded them!

He turned his
head to the door as it opened.

“Get in,
quickly!” a voice ordered. The man shot the gun wildly into the air. Foster and
the driver stood unmoving with their hands in the air.

Once the girl
was in, the man looked up and smiled. Darcy’s eyes widened as he looked into
the face of George Wickham!

“You’re safe
now, Lockerly!” Wickham’s eyes were wide and his voice shook. “Your friends are
waiting for you just up the road!”

Darcy was
grateful Wickham had not recognized him, but he was sickened at the thought
that his onetime childhood friend had stooped to such depravity. Yet he was fairly
certain the man was not acting brazenly. He was terrified. Wickham jumped up to
the driver’s seat, taking the reins and setting off.

Darcy turned
back to the young lady who now sat across from him. She was looking down at her
hands, and the brim of her bonnet covered her face. He stared at her, wondering
what sort of young lady would agree to do such a thing!

“This was so
much fun, but I hated having to get down in the dirt!” she said laughingly as
she wiped her hands. She let out a huff as she fluffed her dress about, looking
for smudges.

When the young
lady looked up, Darcy had a second shock in as many minutes. He had to restrain
himself from calling out her name. It was Elizabeth’s sister, Lydia! His jaw
tightened as he considered what this meant. She met his glance with a raised
brow.

“Pray, excuse my
dirty dress,” she said as she began to wipe away some dirt. “George told me I
had to make it appear as if I were really in distress. I do believe I did a
splendid job!” She bounced on the seat and gave a nod of her head.

Darcy had to
loosen his jaw to speak. “Do you know who I am?”

Lydia lowered
her brows and tilted her head. “No, but I should like to find out!” She let out
a flirtatious laugh and looked down demurely at her hands, which she quickly folded.

“So… George… did
not tell you anything about me?”

Lydia shook her
head. “I don’t think he knew anything about you. He only told me he was doing a
favour for some friends… well, I don’t think they were real friends… I think he
owed them money. He just said he desperately needed my help to get someone out
of the hands of some ruthless people.”

Darcy raised his
brows. “Ruthless people? So that is what he told you?”

Lydia nodded. “I
think George was so brave to do this! There are a lot of wicked people in this
world. Why would someone hold you like they did?” She leaned towards him, her
eyes wide, and she whispered, “Were you kidnapped? Did they want a ransom?”

Darcy shook his
head at this naïve and foolish young girl. “Do you see my hands?” Darcy asked,
lifting up his arms to show her his cuffed wrists.

“La!” she
exclaimed. “These men certainly did not mean for you to get away! I don’t think
George has a key to open them, but maybe your friends do.”

Darcy knew that
Lydia could face a severe punishment for her participation in this crime.
Perhaps even death. He hoped he could find out more about this scheme before
the authorities stopped Wickham. He let out an incensed huff. He would leave
Wickham to fend for himself.

“Do you know who
these men are that Wick… that George owes money to?”

She shook her
head. “No, but I think they were kind to forgive his debts, don’t you? And I
think they are going to give him a reward, as well.”

Darcy debated
what to tell Lydia. He did not want her to know who he was, but he desperately
wished to teach the foolish girl a lesson. “Did you ever consider,” he said
leaning towards her with a piercing gaze, “that I might be wearing these
handcuffs because
I
am the ruthless one, and I was being transported to
gaol by the police?”

Lydia’s face
drained of all colour. She tried to smile, but it appeared she could not.
“George would not do something like that!”

The sound of
horses’ hooves pummelling towards them prompted Darcy to nod at the window.
“The authorities will not look kindly on what you and your friend have done. I
suggest you tell them everything you know and perhaps they will go easy on
you.”

The carriage
came to a halt, and several men on horseback surrounded it. Foster ordered
Wickham to drop his pistol, put his hands up in the air, and step down. “If you
try anything stupid, we’ll shoot you without a second thought!”

Another carriage
pulled up and stopped alongside theirs. Darcy and Lydia watched as Wickham was
handcuffed. She turned back to Darcy, her eyes filled with fear. “This cannot
be happening!”

The door to
Darcy’s carriage was thrown open, and Lydia drew back with a cry, recoiling
from the two men reaching in for her.

“Come, ye little
pest!” One of the men grabbed her by the wrists to pull her out, as she tried
to wrestle from his grip. She was not strong enough, however, and the two men
were easily able to extricate her. Darcy watched as they took her to the
waiting carriage. At least she was helped into it a little more politely than
Wickham had been.

Darcy’s insides
writhed as he considered Lydia’s plight and what this would mean for the Bennet
family. He slowly climbed out of the carriage and called Foster over.

“We got them!”
Foster said. “Thanks, Darcy. I owe you a great deal.”

Darcy shook his
head. “You did not catch the ones truly responsible. These two were merely
doing the bidding of the real culprits. They were going to take me to them. You
need to find out where those men are.”

Foster narrowed
his eyes. “Are you certain?”

Darcy nodded. “I
am. And Foster, I have a favour to ask of you since you
do
owe me a
great deal.”

“Certainly. What
is it?”

Darcy blew out a
frustrated puff of air. “I shall tell you, but first, would you kindly remove
these handcuffs?”

Chapter 22

There were innumerable emotions two days later as
Elizabeth, her father, and cousin set off for the docks at St. Mary’s to make
the return voyage to the mainland of England. It had not been easy to say
goodbye to their loved ones a second time. Staying with the Clowers had been a
well-needed respite, and yet while being asked again and again about their
adventure, their only thought now was to return home. David had visited the
local doctor, who felt that his arm had not been broken, but still needed to be
kept wrapped up for another day or two, to insure its complete healing.

While there was
much anticipation to finally reach London, the dread of another sea voyage
loomed over them, particularly Mr. Bennet. They were all grateful for the
shorter journey.

They were
thankful for the beautiful sunny day as they boarded the sailing vessel. If the
winds remained favourable, they would reach their destination at the port of
Plymouth by day’s end.

As they sailed across
the shimmering blue waters, Elizabeth remained on deck, enjoying the warmth of
the sun. Her thoughts were somewhere else, however, as a myriad of emotions
were a constant reminder to her of how she had begun to feel about Mr. Darcy,
from the small tingles that rippled through her to the deepest warmth that made
her feel as though she might melt.

She kept watch
for that first sign of land, and by late afternoon she was rewarded with the
sight. She, her father, and David breathed a sigh of relief as the ship finally
pulled into the dock just before twilight. As they made arrangements to spend
the night at a nearby inn, a beautiful sunset welcomed them home.

*~*~*

Another day and
a half of travel brought them to Brighton. Travelling by carriage was certainly
not as quick, nor as pleasant for the body, as one was confined in a small
space for hours on end. It was more reliable, however, and while there was
always the possibility of being waylaid by accident, a break down, or even
highwaymen, they were pleased that their journey to Brighton was tediously
uneventful.

As they made
their way through the town to the Forsters’ address, they began to see more and
more redcoats walking about. Elizabeth kept her eyes to the window, wondering
if she would recognize any of the soldiers who had been in Meryton. She let out
a sigh as she concluded Lydia would have certainly had her share of dances,
balls, and parties these past few weeks.

The carriage
pulled up and stopped in front of a modest home. As they waited for the door to
be opened, Mr. Bennet looked at Elizabeth and David, a single brow raised.
“What say you that we do not tell Lydia, her sisters, and especially Mrs.
Bennet about Lizzy being held captive by pirates? I suppose there is no way we
can avoid telling them about the pirates attacking the ship, but let us not
allow Mrs. Bennet the delight of imagining that we were in the gravest danger.”
He sat up as the driver came to the door. “She need only know that we were
safely locked up in the bowels of the ship as our crew victoriously fought off
the pirate’s crew.” They all agreed, and the door was opened so they could step
out.

“I hope Lydia
will be ready to leave with us and not squabble about it,” Elizabeth said. “You
know how stubborn she can be!”

“Is Lydia
stubborn?” Mr. Bennet asked with a laugh. “I cannot imagine why you would say
that, Lizzy!”

David looked at
Elizabeth quizzically. “I have not heard much about this sister. Is there
anything I need to know?”

Elizabeth’s
curls bounced about her face as she gave a quick shake of her head. “I beg you,
David, please do not take her behaviour to be an example of that of the rest of
our family.”

“Come, come now,
Lizzy. Is she that bad?” Mr. Bennet turned to David. “She is young and a bit
immature, but she shall outgrow it.”

David nodded his
head at Mr. Bennet, but gave Elizabeth a sympathetic smile. 

They came up to
the door and knocked. It was opened, and they were brought into a small
parlour, where Colonel Forster greeted them. “Welcome! Come in, we have been
expecting you.”

Mrs. Forster was
there as well. After she greeted her guests, she walked to the back of the room
wringing her hands, a worried expression on her pale face.

Mr. Bennet
introduced David to the Forsters. When Mr. Forster did not seem inclined to say
anything, he said, “I hope my daughter was not too much trouble during her
stay!”

The look between
Mr. and Mrs. Forster did not go unnoticed. “Please, sit down.”

They sat down,
and when the Forsters said nothing more, Elizabeth asked, “Is something amiss?
Where is Lydia?”

Mr. Forster, who
was still standing, came up to them, his hands tightly clasped together.
“Something of a most unexpected and rather… dreadful nature has occurred.”

Mr. Bennet shot
out of his chair, his face as white as his shirt. “What has happened?” he
demanded. “Where is my daughter?”

Mr. Forster
raised his hands. “She is all right. She is upstairs.” He looked to his wife.
“Would you please bring her down?”

Mr. Bennet was
visibly shaken as he slowly sat down. “Please tell me what has happened!”

“Your daughter
was involved in a rather unfortunate incident with one of my officers which
resulted in criminal activity and arrest.”

Mr. Bennet
bolted out of his chair again. “What? I cannot believe this of Lydia!”

Elizabeth widened
her eyes and brought her hand up to cover her mouth. She could not bring
herself to look at David, who, she was certain, was just as shocked and
appalled as she and her father were.

“Apparently she
was asked to participate in a scheme to rescue someone they believed to be in
the wrong hands. As it turned out, it was a prisoner being transported to
London to face criminal charges.”

“No!” Elizabeth
cried out, burying her face in her hands. “How could she do such a thing?”

Mr. Bennet was
unable to move or formulate one thought. Finally, he asked, “Was my daughter
caught and arrested?”

Mr. Forster
nodded. “Yes, she was.”

“Yet, she is
free?” Mr. Bennet asked.

“Yes. It was
determined she was acting out of ignorance and a foolish desire to please Mr.
Wickham.”

“Mr. Wickham!”
Elizabeth exclaimed. “Oh, poor, stupid Lydia!”

“She was
released yesterday. No charges will be brought against her. I am convinced she
has had her share of punishment, as she had to spend several days in gaol while
it was sorted out.”

Elizabeth could
sit still no longer. She stood up and walked to the window and looked out. She
could not trust herself to say anything, as angry as she was. Yet it was anger
directed at herself, as she had chosen not to divulge Wickham’s true character
to her family several months ago when she had come to know of it.

The sounds of
footsteps drew everyone’s attention. Lydia walked in, rather sheepishly, at
first, but when she saw her father, she ran to him and threw her arms about
him.

“Oh, Papa, it
has been most upsetting! I can’t wait to get home and away from here. Such a
misunderstanding!”

“We shall talk
about this later, Lydia. Are your things packed?”

Lydia nodded.
“Yes, I’m ready. Oh, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you… to see you
all!” She suddenly looked at David. “La! Who is this?”

“Lydia, this is
my cousin’s son, David Adams.” Mr. Bennet turned to David with a look of
resignation. “David, may I introduce you to my youngest daughter, Lydia!”

Elizabeth raised
an eyebrow and smiled at David as he cordially and most civilly greeted Lydia.
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I have enjoyed getting to know your
father and sister.”

Lydia’s
belongings were brought down, and Mr. Bennet turned to the couple. “We shall
trespass on your hospitality no longer. I regret that my daughter caused you
such consternation, and I hope that Wickham will receive the punishment he
deserves!”

“I am certain he
will,” Mr. Forster said. “If not from the court system, then from me!” He shook
his head in disgust. “I will not tolerate such lawless conduct!” Mr. Forster’s
chest heaved. “Please know how grieved we are that this happened while your
daughter was our guest.”

Mr. Bennet only
nodded. His brows were tightly knit together and a frown etched his face.
“Come, we must take our leave.”

They walked out
quickly and silently, each feeling the mortification of Lydia’s actions.
Elizabeth could not imagine a more dire circumstance than what they had just
discovered. She could only imagine what David now thought of her family.

They boarded the
carriage, and Lydia’s belongings were secured with the others. As they drove
away, there was a deafening silence in the carriage. Lydia played with a strand
of her hair, repeatedly twisting it around her finger. Mr. Bennet stared out
the window, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose. David read a book, but
he did not seem to be making any progress, as Elizabeth had not seen him
turning a single page.

Elizabeth leaned
back against the seat and stared out the window, glancing only occasionally at
the others. She was pained that her father seemed unwilling to confront Lydia,
although it might have been because of David’s presence. She was humiliated
that David had to witness this and was fairly certain he would think long and
hard about what his relationship to the Bennets would be in the future. If news
of this circulated, it would bring disgrace to their whole family.

When Lydia began
humming a merry tune, Elizabeth could keep her frustration to herself no
longer.

“Lydia, have you
no shame? Do you not realize that what you did was terribly wrong?”

Lydia looked up
in surprise. “Did Colonel Forster not tell you?” She pounded her hands into her
lap. “We thought we were helping someone! How was I to know that the person was
in trouble with the law?” She shook her head. “It’s the fault of those men that
put George up to it!”

“George!”
Elizabeth said in disgust. “Are you on such intimate terms with him that you
call him by his first name?”

Lydia shrugged her
shoulders. “And why not? I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Elizabeth let
out a huff and turned her face away.

“You have
greatly disappointed me, Lydia,” Mr. Bennet said. “You should have known
better. You could have been killed! It was very foolish and very dangerous!”

Lydia cocked her
head back and forth. “Well, it wasn’t really all that dangerous.” She let out a
chuckle. “It turns out the man in the carriage was not the man we were supposed
to free. It’s a good thing, too, because we later found out the man we were
after was a pirate! Can you imagine that?”

“A pirate!”
Elizabeth said, her face turning white. “Whatever do you mean?”

Lydia’s eyes
grew wide. “Calm down, Lizzy! I told you we didn’t know he was a pirate. But we
found out that it wasn’t really him…in the carriage… I think his name was
Lockerby… but it was someone else dressed up to look like him!”

Elizabeth felt
the world about her begin to swim. Her cheeks grew hot, and her heart pounded
wildly. A very real pain grew in her stomach as she comprehended what Lydia was
saying.

“Mr. Darcy!” her
father and David exclaimed at the same time.

Lydia responded
with a look of astonishment. She shook her head, “No, I said Lockerby. He was…”

“It’s Lockerly,”
Mr. Bennet said tersely. “And you can count yourself lucky, indeed, that it was
not him you encountered.”

Lydia twisted
her head. “How do you know who he is, and what does this have to do with Mr.
Darcy?”

Elizabeth slowly
shook her head and felt her eyes well with tears. She knew what this meant. Now
Mr. Darcy was acquainted with her sister’s injudicious actions. She felt as
though she might get physically sick.

Mr. Bennet’s jaw
tightened, and he pointed his finger at Lydia. “Young lady! You have no idea
what we suffered at the hands of Lockerly, and to think that you would have
helped him escape has me…” Mr. Bennet’s whole being shook. “I am so upset I can
barely think straight!”

Lydia drew back
into her seat. It was not often that Mr. Bennet got angry, but when he did, one
could readily see it in the redness of his face, the way his body shook, and
the raised tone of his voice. This was one of those times.

She waited a few
moments before asking her question again. “What does this have to do with Mr.
Darcy?”

Elizabeth
listened as David very calmly and patiently told her that it was likely Mr.
Darcy in the carriage; that they had encountered him at sea when he had been
impersonating Lockerly.

Lydia’s eyes
widened. “Mr. Darcy was in the carriage?” She looked at David with incredulity.
She then turned to her father. “The Mr. Darcy who was Mr. Bingley’s friend?
That
Mr. Darcy?”

“Yes, Lydia!”
Elizabeth replied harshly. “
That
Mr. Darcy!”