Mr Darcy- My Hero

by Zoë Burton

  Darcy kissed her softly. “You are welcome. You are my wife in my heart, and will officially be very soon. It is my duty and my pleasure to defend you against all attacks.”

  Elizabeth smiled gently, running her hand over his cheek, before looking down and speaking again. “I am sorry for my mother and her unchecked words. I am sorry you had to sit in that room and hear her go on.” Elizabeth sighed. “Would that my father had done something with her long ago.”

  “You are not to blame, my love. Your mother has the power of choice just as you and I do. She has had proper examples all around her, both in her family and in her neighbors and friends, and yet she has still chosen to behave as she wished instead of properly.”

  “True.” Elizabeth paused. “Still, I would rather you had not been exposed to her ridiculousness. I love her, I do, but I do not always like her. Does that make me a bad person?”

  “Not at all. We must love our family, and usually do, but everyone has characteristics that cause us to turn away from them on occasion. We love our family, but we do not always have to like them.”

  Nodding, Elizabeth smiled at him. “How did you become so wise?”

  Darcy chuckled, heartened to see her smiling and her good humor returning. “I do not know. Let us call it experience with my own ridiculous family members and leave it at that. Now, not to change the subject, but I can see the exhaustion in your face, my love. You need to let your sisters help you into a nightgown and rest. I will be on my settee in the hallway in case you need me.”

  “Very well. I will see you later. I see Mrs. Hill hovering, and you know how she frowns upon bad behavior. I love you.”

  Bestowing one last kiss to her upturned lips, Darcy rose. Bowing to each of the girls and the housekeeper, he exited the room.

  “Mrs. Hill,” Jane giggled, “You seem to have frightened Mr. Darcy.”

  “Well, one must keep these young men behaving properly, you know. If you give them an inch…”

  The girls laughed at the wink that accompanied the housekeeper’s words. They set about undressing Elizabeth and soon had her tucked into bed and fast asleep.

  In the hallway, Bennet approached Darcy, who rose and bowed before inviting him to sit.

  “How is Elizabeth?”

  “She was upset and crying, but we discussed it and I believe we both feel better.” He looked Bennet in the eye. “She tried to take the blame for her mother’s behavior. I assured her that Mrs. Bennet’s actions were a result of her own choices, regardless of your neglectfulness of the situation.”

  Bennet looked to his hands in embarrassment. “Yes, well, I admit to taking amusement in her antics. I have not worried over my daughters’ responses to them, or to my failure to stop them. I am ashamed to see that my failure has so affected them. I fear, though, that it is far too late to attempt to amend my wife’s behavior.”

  Darcy eyed him for a moment before speaking. “That is between you and your other daughters. My concern is with Elizabeth. She is a gem, and you know it. How your wife could miss it is beyond my understanding, but I suspect Elizabeth has the right of it when she says that Mrs. Bennet used her beauty and liveliness to gain a husband and has no understanding of using her mind for such a thing. Regardless, she does not show care for her daughter, and I am of a mind to marry quickly to remove Elizabeth from her mother’s censure.”

  Bennet sighed. “I had suspected you might. I know that everything is in place for you to wed. I will support you in this, and I have already told my wife so. Do you have a firm date?”

  “I have not spoken to Elizabeth of it, but I should like to have the ceremony in three days’ time. She should be recovered enough at that point to tolerate the half day's ride to town. We shall remain there for a few days and then go home to Pemberley.”

  “Very well, then. I will speak to the rector this afternoon.” He stood. “Thank you for your care for Elizabeth. She has chosen well, and I know she will be happy with you.”

  Darcy also rose. “Thank you, sir. She is my life, and I would do anything for her.”

  ~~~***~~~

  Three days later, Elizabeth and Darcy were wed in Longbourn’s church in a joint ceremony with Jane and Bingley. Their joy at finally being united was clear to their audience, which included Darcy’s sister and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, along with the Bennets, their relations, and most of Meryton.

  At the wedding breakfast, as the newly married couples made their way around to greet each guest, the neighbors remarked on how quiet Longbourn’s mistress was. Not one could recall a time when she had not crowed about her accomplishments, and surely having two daughters so well married was a great accomplishment. What they were not aware of was the confrontation between Darcy and his mother-in-law that had effectively silenced her while he remained in her home. Mr. Bennet had sworn the family to secrecy about it, and no one was brave enough to risk his unprecedented wrath.

  As soon as they had a moment, Elizabeth and Darcy joined Jane and Bingley as they stood in front of the fireplace.

  “Darcy, I owe you my thanks for encouraging me to purchase that special license. It means a great deal to Jane for us to be able to marry alongside you and Elizabeth.”

  “You are welcome. It was wise of you to begin the settlements while you were still in town. It only made sense to be prepared for anything.”

  “I imagine, Fitzwilliam,” said Jane, “that you suspected you would require a quicker wedding than originally planned.”

  “Indeed, I did. It did not take me long to realize so, and when Elizabeth went missing, I swore that if she lived, I would marry her as soon as possible.” He lifted his wife’s hand from his arm and bestowed a tender kiss upon it as he stared deep into her eyes.

  “What are your plans?” Bingley knew that if someone did not break their concentration, his friend and Elizabeth would stare at each other all day.

  “We are to spend a week in London, are we not, my love?”

  “Yes, Elizabeth is correct. A week in London and then off to Pemberley. I am eager to show it off to its mistress, and show the mistress off to Pemberley.” He smiled at her blush. Looking to his friend, he asked about their plans.

  “We are spending tonight in town, as well, at the Clarendon. The Hursts will stay here in Hertfordshire for a while, and keep the house open for us. We plan a brief tour of the kingdom, and I wish to show her the town where I grew up and my father’s mills.”

  “I am eager to meet the rest of Charles’ family.”

  “You mean you wish to see if they are like me or like Caroline,” Bingley laughed. He had told Jane the story of his younger sister and how she was found in Darcy’s bed one night by a servant, who informed Mrs. Hurst, who took her husband, brother, and Darcy with her to confront her sister, exposing her and her machinations to the entire household.

  Jane smiled without replying, but Darcy and Elizabeth chuckled at the thought, for Darcy had also told Elizabeth the story, leaving it to her to share the whole embarrassing incident with Georgiana.

  They were interrupted in their laughter by Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had Darcy’s sister with him. “Congratulations, Darcy, Mrs. Darcy. I wish you every happiness.”

  “Thank you, Fitzwilliam. Are you leaving?”

  “Yes, I must return to my regiment tomorrow, so I thought to deliver Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley to their establishment and spend the night at my father’s house. He will want a report of the day, you know.”

  “That he will. Make sure he understands that if he wishes to retain a relationship with me, he must accept Elizabeth openly and publicly.”

  “I will.”

  “That other matter…”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam looked his cousin in the eye. “Has been taken care of. There was a robbery late at night in Seven Dials. Apparently, the victim tried to fight off the thief and was killed for his efforts. It is a mystery that will likely remain unsolved.”

  Darcy raised his brow. “I see.” Nothing more of the ma
tter was said by either gentleman.

  By the time they finished speaking, Georgiana had completed her goodbyes to her new sisters and Mr. Bingley. She hugged her brother, whispering to him that she loved him and thanking him for giving her sisters, then turned to the door where Mary waited for her turn at leave-taking.

  Less than an hour later, the Darcys also farewelled the gathering. They entered the coach, ready to begin their new life.

  ~~~***~~~

  The man ran as fast as he could, ducking down dark alleys and deserted mews, trying to evade the man who chased him. This part of London was known for its crime, and one never knew what one might find. Most people, even those who lived in this neighborhood, refused to venture out at night.

  He had thought for weeks that he was being followed, but had never been certain. There had been no more than a shadow that was there and then gone. He had not recognized faces, and after his actions in Hertfordshire, he knew it was imperative that he pay attention to such things. Tonight, though…tonight there was a face he did know. And so he ran.

  Suddenly, out of the murky London fog, as he came to the end of a building, a man in a red uniform stepped into his path. The running man slid to a halt, his heart in his throat.

  “Wickham.”

  “F-fitzwilliam.”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam took a step forward, grabbing Wickham’s cravat with one hand and pulling him closer. Snarling into his face, he spoke. “You abducted a gentlewoman and left her to die. What does that make you, hmm?”

  “Uhh..”

  “That makes you an attempted murderer. What do they do to attempted murderers?” When Wickham did not answer, the colonel shook him. “Answer me!”

  “They, they hang them.”

  “They do, and when you hang you die. You have committed your last crime. Goodbye, George.” With a swift motion, he thrust a stiletto under Wickham’s ribcage, twisting as he had been taught to do by the Frenchman who trained him to use the ancient weapon, before pulling it back out. He let go of Wickham’s cravat and watched as he slumped to the ground. Rifling through the dying man’s pockets, he tossed the contents on the ground before wiping the knife on Wickham’s coat. Retracting the blade and then sliding the weapon back into the specially-made sheath in his boot, Fitzwilliam surveyed the scene one more time before slipping once more into the dark shadows.

  The End

  Mr. Darcy’s Love

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Acknowledgments

  First, I thank Jesus Christ, my Savior and Guide, without whom this story would not have been told. I love you!

  I also wish to thank my beta for this story, J. Dawn King, who did a fabulous job, and my writing buddies, Rose and Leenie, who continue to stretch me and keep me on the straight and narrow, writing-wise. You rock!

  Chapter 1

  Elizabeth Bennet was offended. Her new neighbor at Netherfield, Mr. Bingley, had brought his family and houseguest to the Meryton Assembly this evening, and the guest, a Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire, had just now insulted her. Not handsome enough to tempt him, she thought. Just who does he think he is? Rather stuck on himself, isn’t he? He should look in a mirror to see how high in the air he puts his nose. How could he possibly see past the end of that appendage? If he is not careful, he might fall and trip and break it! Seeing her good friend, Charlotte Lucas, standing a short distance away from Mr. Darcy, on the other side, she rose from her seat to share both his words and her thoughts with her oldest companion. Laughing to herself at her own wit, she brushed past the object of her derision. She took no more than two steps beyond him when disaster struck in the form of Miss Amanda Jennings.

  Miss Jennings was thirty and quite firmly on the shelf. She was the youngest of her parents’ seven children. Her birth had been a surprise to them. Her next oldest sibling, a brother currently serving in the Navy, was twelve years older. Her only sister had married long ago and had children of her own.

  Miss Jennings’ parents tried to do their best by her. She had a come out ball and was presented to the monarch at seventeen. She danced and flirted and truly enjoyed every outing for several seasons. Many men caught her eye during that time, but for some reason, she did not catch theirs. As reality began to set in that she was likely to remain single forever, she began to fall into despair. To deal with it, she began to sip sherry every night. And, when there was an event to attend, Miss Jennings more than sipped. She often awoke the morning following a ball or other gathering with an aching head and heaving stomach.

  On this particular night, she had been at the punch rather heavily. Since it had been several years since she had been invited by a gentleman to dance a reel, she tended to wander the edges of the dance lines, leaving her open to being bumped about. As she wandered past the tall man who was visiting the new occupant of Netherfield Park, she staggered too close to the dancers. One of the enthusiastic participants stepped back into her, sending her careening to the side. She fell, landing on something soft, before bouncing off to hit the floor with a thump. Dizzy at the suddenness of the motion, she closed her eyes and gave into the darkness at the edge of her vision.

  ~~~***~~~

  Elizabeth did not know what hit her. She was walking past Mr. Darcy, smirking at her own joke when she was suddenly pushed from behind, landing in an awkward heap on the floor. Her head bounced off the hard wood, as her left arm twisted and slid painfully. Her body landed on top of it, pinning her damaged limb beneath her. She lay there, stunned, not even able to recognize the voice urgently calling her name and asking about her health.

  Events seemed to happen in slow motion. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy had watched in disbelief as the drunken woman had hurtled into Miss Elizabeth Bennet, knocking the young lady to the floor. His shock prevented him from moving at first, but when he realized Miss Elizabeth was herself unmoving, he rushed to her side. It was a stillness borne of injury. As he called her name, rolling her over so he could assess her condition, others began to gather; some to help Miss Elizabeth, others to take care of the cause of the accident. Darcy could see a lump forming on Elizabeth’s forehead, so he deduced she had struck it when she fell. Her eyes were open but unfocused.

  “Miss Elizabeth?” No response. “Miss Elizabeth? Can you hear me?” He watched her eyes blink slowly before she first moaned, then attempted to lift her head. “No, no. Do not move. Your family will be here soon to care for you. Rest.” He looked up, trying to see who amongst those gathered might be related to her, when Bingley and the eldest Miss Bennet made their way through the crowd. He heard the blonde beauty exclaim her sister’s name then watched her drop unceremoniously to the floor to chafe Miss Elizabeth’s hands.

  “Bingley,” Darcy called to gain his friend’s attention. “Perhaps you might find Miss Elizabeth’s parents.”

  “Capital idea, Darcy! I shall do so now.” Mr. Bingley was as good as his words. He rushed away immediately to locate Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.

  Turning to Jane, Darcy asked, “Is there somewhere we might take your sister for some privacy?”

  Worriedly, Jane responded, “Thank you, Mr. Darcy, for your consideration. There is a small room across the hall and down a bit that contains a settee she could recline on. Lizzy will be terribly embarrassed to be exposed like this.”

  Nodding, Darcy replied, “Do you think she would mind being carried? She is not lucid enough to walk on her own yet, nor is she answering our queries. I would be happy to transport her to the room you mentioned.”

  “Oh, Mr. Darcy, that is very kind of you,” Jane responded. She was worried about appearances, but her sister’s health was far more important at the moment. With her as chaperone and her parents soon to be joining them, she could see that his suggestion was the best option. “On Liz
zy’s behalf, I give you permission to do so.”

  Immediately, Darcy carefully lifted Miss Elizabeth off the floor and rose with her in his arms. He carried her easily, as her form was light and pleasant. Darcy followed Miss Bennet down the hallway, pausing at the threshold of the room to look down at his burden. He was struck by her eyes and how much dimmer they were at this moment than they had been just a few minutes ago. He began to regret his impulsive words to Bingley, words that rejected her as a dance partner. Such behavior was beneath him, and if his mother were alive and in attendance, she would be beyond disappointed with him.

  Moving inside the sitting room, Darcy gently laid Miss Elizabeth on the settee, stepping back to allow her sister space to tend her. He looked around, and seeing a chair nearby, dragged it over for Miss Bennet to sit on. It was at this point that Mr. Bennet entered the room.

  Walking quickly to Jane’s side, her father demanded, “What has happened?”

  “I do not know, Papa. There was a commotion behind the dancers, and everyone began to congregate there. When I heard Lizzy’s name, I rushed into the crowd and found her lying on the floor, with Mr. Darcy kneeling beside her.”

  Mr. Bennet had noticed that gentleman in the room when he entered, and now stood straight and turned to him. “Mr. Darcy,” he greeted, bowing. “Can you tell me what happened to my daughter?”

  “Yes, sir, I can. Miss Elizabeth had just walked past me when she was crashed into by another lady. I have not been introduced to this other woman, so I do not know her name, but she is just a little taller than Miss Elizabeth and wore a cap.”

  “A cap, you say?” At Darcy’s nod, Mr. Bennet continued. “So she was married or a spinster. That narrows it down very little, I’m afraid. Unless you happened to notice her age?”

  “No, sir, but she was wearing a drab color…a shade of green. Olive green, I would say.”