The Conservatory of Hope

by Melanie Schertz

  Due to a storm coming towards the estate, Darcy did not wish to risk her safety by going outdoors. So he took her to the next best thing, to the conservatory attached to the main house. He marveled at the look on her face when she stepped inside the lush room filled with plants.

  “Oh, Cousin William, it is perfect. What a wonderful room. You are quite fortunate to have such a piece of the countryside here in your house.” “I am pleased that you like it, Cousin Julia. When you spoke of your desire to be outdoors, I knew that I had to bring you here. In the winter, it was my mother’s favorite place to read and to attend to her correspondence. She would be pleased to know that you have found pleasure in here.”

  “Your mother had excellent taste. Where is Georgiana?”

  “She is studying in her rooms. I gave her an assignment to keep her busy until we have masters arrive.”

  “She is such a dear girl, Cousin, you should be very proud of her.” Darcy blushed. “I did not have a lot to do with it, but I will thank you on behalf of those who did.” Mrs Reynolds could be heard clearing her throat behind them. “Master William, your rider has returned with a letter from Netherfield.” She was holding a rather thick letter on a tray for him.

  Darcy took the letter and asked his housekeeper to close the doors behind her as she left. He then opened the letter, noticing that Elizabeth was quite nervous to learn of any news of her family.

  Inside the letter from Bingley were two other letters, both addressed to Miss Julia Moreland. The first one was written in a feminine handwriting and the other, written in Bingley’s handwriting.

  He handed the letters to Elizabeth, who ran her finger lightly over the familiar script of her elder sister. “Jane.” Was all she said. She decided to save her sister’s letter, as a delicious dessert after reading the letter from Mr Bingley. As she read, surprise was obvious in her expression.

  Miss Julia Moreland, I have asked my friend to write this letter for me, as my eyesight has grown progressively weaker these past years. My dearest Sweetling, how I have missed you. When I woke from my illness and discovered that your mother had sent you to your uncle, I was very sad. The news that you had been married and sent away, never to be heard from again, nearly broke my heart. How I wish it had been different, had I not taken ill!

  After hearing the words from Mr Darcy and yourself, my heart broke again. What sort of father cannot protect his beloved Sweetling from the dangers of the world? You have lived a most unspeakable life, and for that, I must beg your apology. Please, dearest one, know that I would have come to you if I could.

  Jane will be writing a letter to you as well, but, upon hearing your misbelief that I was deceased, I felt I needed to correct that information immediately. Forgive me for frightening you, though I could tease you by saying it was sweet revenge for the time you fell from the apple tree and hit your head. It was almost a fortnight before your sweet brown eyes opened and I could breathe again. But this has been far too great a price for you to pay for that.

  Life here is as you might remember, as your sisters are as silly as ever….

  The letter continued on, describing the news of the neighborhood, of the Bennet household, and the new books he had read.

  Please know that we wait here for word that you can be returned to us safely, but until then, I beg you to remain close to your new cousin and follow his instructions towards keeping you protected. And may I say, God Bless you both.

  With love,

  Your father, TB Elizabeth wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her father was alive and she knew that he loved her still. He was the only one to ever refer to her by the pet name, she was his Sweetling. This confirmed to her that her beloved father was alive. She then handed the letter to Darcy as she picked up the one from Jane.

  Miss Julia, Oh, you are alive. My prayers have been answered. To finally learn what happened to you and to know that you are alive, the world seems somewhat brighter. Oh, my dearest sister, how I have missed you. And how pleased I am that, if I had to break down in tears before someone, it was in front of Mr Bingley. Though I do not wish to place you in any further danger, I wish it were possible for me to hold you in my arms. We have taken the precautions that you asked, for we do not wish for anyone to learn of your location. Only Papa and I know, in our family. Mr Bingley has been quite wonderful in his assistance and the way he has seen to protecting us from this horrible man.

  It breaks my heart to learn of what you were forced to endure. Why would Uncle have made such an arrangement? He must not have known this man’s reputation or he would never have allowed the marriage. But we have decided that we will not trust him any further. Which is not difficult, as our uncle and aunt cut nearly all communications with us shortly after your wedding.

  Now, I will fill you in on our family. Mamma is the same as she always has been. Lately she has been feeling under the weather though and keeps to her rooms. Mary has made a great difference in her behavior. She is reading more than just sermons and is even beginning to take care in how she dresses. It is amazing what a simple bit of colored ribbon can make.

  Kitty has begun to pull away from Lydia, spending more time with Mary and in the study with Papa. It is a pleasure to see the change. And then Lydia, well, some things do not ever change. Lydia is the same wild, loud, brash girl that she has always been. Mary, Kitty and I spend as little time as possible with our youngest sister, for we tire of her spoiled behavior. ………..

  Elizabeth continued reading all the news from her home and the neighborhood. The heir to Longbourn, her father’s distant cousin, was due to arrive in January. He made it clear to her family that he wished to choose from his cousins a bride, though none of them held much hope for the man. Their father claimed his was an idiot, and what he knew of the son, he was a chip off the block.

  Jane told of their best friend, Charlotte Lucas, her family, and many others from the neighborhood.

  She finally closed her letter. I pray you remain safe, and know that we all love you very much. We will do whatever we can to assist you. As you read these words, imagine my arms wrapped around you, squeezing you in my embrace. Remember when we were children, and I went to Town to visit our relations? I told you that if you looked up to the stairs each night at midnight, I would be doing the same, and it would be as if we were together. Do that now, dear sister, look to the stairs each night and hear my whispered prayers for your safety.

  With love, always and forever,

  Your sister, Jane She handed the final page of the letter to Darcy, taking a handkerchief from her dress pocket. “Cousin William, if I were to die tomorrow, I could do so happily after reading such joyful news. My father is alive and my family is still in our home. They were untouched by all of this… this mess that Uncle set before me. That is worth it, worth all I have had to endure, that they be safe and unharmed.”

  These words made Darcy frown. “I do not plan to allow you to die tomorrow, or any day soon. You will be united with your family again, one day, and you will be able to be happy.”

  “Forgive me, Cousin, I do not wish to die. You must understand, after these past few years, I begged God to take me, I prayed for death to release me from the pain. It is still difficult for me to adjust to the truth that I am able to wander around your fine home, eat delicious food, or even to use the water closet when I need. Those simple things were denied me and my husband told me time and again that I deserved everything I was given by him. He told me that I had no value, I was nothing. After a time of being told that you are worthless, you begin to believe the words.”

  “My dear, you must never believe such falsehoods. You are beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, and kind. And those are just a very few of your wonderful qualities. I wish that I had met you before, if only I had found you and claimed the right to marry you. You could have been my wife, and could have known what an outstanding young lady you really are.”

  Darcy’s hand rose to caress the softness of her cheek with the back of his fi
ngers. “You should never flinch from a simple touch or be unable to accept a simple compliment. How I wish I could take all those painful memories away from you. I would do so if I could.”

  Elizabeth could see the tenderness in the eyes of the man before her. She could feel the kindness and compassion, and there was something more, something she could not decide what it was. But she knew that this was too dangerous for both of them. “Cousin William, you must remember the truth. I am married. For better or worse, I belong to him. And if you continue to be kind to me, I am afraid that it will be disastrous for both of us. I cannot allow you to have feelings for me. And thinking of what could have happened will do neither of us any good. We have the hands that God dealt to us; we have to make the best of it. That is why I wish to resume my journey to Scotland. This burden is mine, not yours. I should not involve you or anyone else in it. I need to be strong and take my troubles far from you and your family. You must return to your own life, a life that does not include me. I cannot be yours.”

  “I do not care about your husband, I care only for you. You have touched my heart and soul, and all I wish is to make you happy and keep you safe. Please, I beg of you, allow me to show you that life can be enjoyed and that you deserve happiness.” Darcy said as he attempted to bring her eyes back to look into his. “Please, allow me inside your heart.”

  Elizabeth looked into his eyes as tears were flowing. “Can you not see the reason I cannot allow you to be so close? You will forget to be careful and protect yourself and your family. I cannot have you or anyone else harmed because of me. If you were injured, I could never forgive myself. It would be better if I was to die than you or Georgiana or Colonel Fitzwilliam were harmed.”

  “Do not speak such to me, Elizabeth. You have touched my soul and I cannot begin to think of you not being with me. The thought of your dying turns me to ice.”

  “You have proved my point. In your desire to have me, you forgot yourself. You just called me by my true name. Such behavior could have deadly consequences for you. Please, Mr Darcy, it is best that I leave soon.”

  Darcy stood and began to pace before her. “If you must travel to Scotland, then we will take you there. I have an estate in Scotland, and we can hide you there. My sister has never been to the estate, I know that she would love to travel there.”

  “It is not safe for you to do so. I appreciate all the kindness you have shown me, but it is time that I stop this. You are showing me a life I can never have, a life so foreign from my own. For me to even think that I might be able to someday have such a life, will only cause me to let my guard down.”

  “Please, do not leave. My cousin and I will make sure that you are safe. If need be, I will keep some distance from you. But please, do not leave the protection we offer you.”

  “If I were to stay here, you and I both know that it would lead to a dangerous end. You will be put in jeopardy. Your sister and cousin will be in danger as well. And your staff, all of these people who have been so devoted and kind to me, how can I bring such danger into their lives.”

  “Cousin Julia, I beg you to reconsider.” Darcy said, taking a finger and turning her face towards his own. “William, please, I beg of you. As much as I wish I could remain here, safe and secure, it would not be right to do so. And I am ashamed of my behavior, for my heart does not act as it should when I am near you.”

  “Then you do have feelings for me, more than just being grateful for my kindness.” Darcy said, his eyes beginning to sparkle. When Elizabeth looked at his expression, she was dazzled by the pair of dimples that were visible when Darcy smiled.

  She reached out her hand and touched one of the dimples lightly. “You have the most remarkable smile, William.” Darcy could feel the shivers run through his body from the touch of her fingers on his cheek. He finally reached his hand up, taking hold of hers and brought it to his lips. After placing a gentle kiss on her hand, he pulled her into his embrace. “Do not leave me, no matter what else happens, please; promise me that you will stay with me.”

  “I do not know that I can make you such a promise. You have already taken a piece of my heart, but I will never be able to give it all to you, not as long as he is alive. He can force me to return with him if he finds me. I am his property.”

  “No man holds his wife as property. And I will not allow him to take you away from me. You do not deserve his cruelty, and I will not tolerate it.” He placed a kiss upon her soft, dark curls which threatened to escape their pins. “And if I can only have a piece of your heart, then I will gladly accept that much. I beg you, please do not leave me.”

  The warmth and comfort that she found enfolded in his strong arms was unlike anything she had ever known before. His soft words, the caring that they conveyed, melted the ice from the rest of her frozen heart. “I promise, William. I will not leave you. Please, do not make me regret this decision. Do not make me witness the carnage that could come from …him…finding me.”

  “Thank you, Elizabeth. I will, from this moment on, refer to you as Julia, and I will use caution. Everything that can be done to protect you will be done. And I will see that everything you need be provided for you. Mrs Reynolds has the dressmaker from Lambton coming tomorrow to take your measurements and look at styles. She will make a dozen new gowns and morning dresses for you. I have also asked Mrs Reynolds and Hannah to purchase other items you might need, hair combs, pins, brushes, and such.”

  “Cousin, that is not necessary. I will make do with what I have.” “Cousin Julia, I know, for a fact, that you had two morning dresses and one night gown, and a handful of hair pins in that satchel from the carriage. My mother would have my hide tanned if it were to allow such dismal belongings for a young lady who is my guest.”

  “I am sure that you are exaggerating, Cousin William. But a dozen dresses are more than I have ever owned at one time. It is far too extravagant.”

  “Never the less, it is what will be ordered for you. And you are welcome to ask Richard with regards to my mother. She made sure that he towed the line when he visited. Now, shall we inform Georgiana and Richard of the news of your father and family? I am sure they will be thrilled to share our celebration.”

  ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 8 Caroline Bingley was displeased with her brother for leasing an estate in an area of the country that was far from being important. She had high hopes that Charles would find an estate in Derbyshire or even Nottinghamshire. These would be close enough to the estate she dreamed would be her future. Pemberley. Ever since she heard of Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, England’s most handsome, wealthiest, and most eligible bachelor, she had set her cap to ensnare him. When her brother became friends with Darcy, Caroline could taste victory before her.

  When she learned that Charles had invited Darcy to travel to the estate in the middle of nowhere important, Caroline thought it would be the perfect place to set her trap. Frustrated, Caroline was forced to cancel all of her plans when she learned that Darcy would not be joining her brother. And now, her sister was in her confinement, which ruined every chance Caroline would have to socialize.

  Deciding to take tea at a local shop, Caroline was soon approached by one of her school friends, Miss Allison Lamb. “Caroline, it has been an age since I last saw you. I thought you were planning to be at an estate your brother was leasing. Where was that?”

  “Hertfordshire, near some little village called Meryton. Nowhere of any importance, and I cannot think as to why he would choose to stay there.” “My father’s estate is in Kent, thank heavens. There is always something going on in Kent. So you will be remaining in Town rather than join your brother?”

  Caroline smiled sweetly in reply. “For the time being, though I may need to go to his aid. He has fancied himself to be in love yet again. This time to some country nobody by the name Bennet. Who ever heard the name Bennet in high society?”

  Miss Lamb shook her head. “They are not familiar to me, and I know of every family of importance in society
. Well, I had best be off. I must meet my mother at the modiste.”

  “We must do tea sometime soon, Allison. Do give your mother my best.” Miss Lamb left the shop and Caroline went back to enjoying her tea. She was pleased with the view that she was blessed with. Sitting at a nearby table was a young man, tall and muscular, with sandy brown hair which was long in the back. He was dressed impeccably, showing that he was a man of quality. But it was when he turned his head that the true blessing was found. Caroline nearly had to hold her jaw in place, as he turned his head to show an extremely attractive man with chiseled features and the most appealing green eyes she had ever seen.

  Realizing that she was staring at him, Caroline turned her attention back to her tea cup, peering over the rim as she sipped her tea. When it was time to leave, Caroline paid for her items and began to walk towards the door. As she turned from the clerk, she found a tall, dark obstacle in her way.

  “Forgive me, Madame, I was not watching where I was going.” Caroline smiled. “No harm done, though I do apologize for your tea spilling. You did not scald yourself?” “Fortunately the tea was cooled, though it would have been worth a slight burn to meet a fine young lady of the ton such as you. Would you allow for the break in propriety for me to ask for an introduction?”

  “Well, seeing as I nearly caused you harm, it would only be proper to introduce myself. I am Miss Caroline Bingley. And you are?”

  “I am Mr Albert Bentley. Bingley, that name is familiar. Where have I heard the name before?” Bentley pretended to act innocently.

  “Perhaps you are familiar with my brother, Mr Charles Bingley. He is dear friends with Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy.” “Ah, yes, I do remember them now. I believe I have heard that Bingley has recently taken up an estate. I cannot remember the name of it.” It was simple to convince Miss Bingley that the conversation was coincidental as well as innocent. He had overheard her conversing with her friend and when he heard the name Bennet, he thought that this might give him the perfect spy to watch for his wayward wife.