Voices in the Dark

by Jaeza Rayleigh

  Lizzy thought she had a clear path to the window, but misjudged the width of the trunk, tapping it against a table. Something fell to the floor with a loud thunk. Trying her best to keep her worry under control, Lizzy hoped the sound did not wake anyone. One of the maids usually slept in a side room connected to Anne's bedchamber to be within easy call. Lizzy stood still, listening intently for any sounds of someone moving. Was that the rustle of bed covers? Beneath the door she saw a sliver of light growing brighter. Lizzy held her breath as the door slowly opened. A slender figure stepped through with a lit candle in a holder raised high.

  "Lizzy?" came Anne's voice in a faint whisper.

  Lizzy almost collapsed in relief. "Over here," she whispered back.

  "Let me light your way." Anne stepped further into the room, pulling the door nearly closed behind her. "What did you knock over?"

  "We can check once I have the trunk settled." Lizzy carefully maneuvered the trunk to the spot under the window and set it down. She handed Anne the key.

  "I plan to pack now," Anne whispered. "I tricked Clara into taking some of my tonic. She should sleep soundly enough for me to pack what I am taking."

  "That will be easier than trying to get them out of the way during the day." Lizzy walked over to the table she had bumped. On the carpet next to it lay a carved wood statuette. Lizzy put it back in place.

  "It must have hit the wall as it fell," she whispered. "I was trying to be careful."

  "I am glad you hit it," Anne told her. "I have been waiting up, hoping I would hear you come in. Now I can pack and be ready."

  "Remember to have a cloak ready to wear as protection in the phaeton. The roads will probably be very dusty, If you have a bonnet with a veil take that as well. I am going to see about the lantern now."

  "Be careful," Anne whispered as she opened the trunk lid.

  "You too," Lizzy replied as she returned to the corridor.

  Lizzy quietly made her way to the central wing backstairs. Going down to the level of the kitchens she headed for the storeroom but pulled up short before she could reach it. The bell room was within view of the storeroom she needed. With chagrin Lizzy discovered the bells were manned all night. She could hear the messengers on duty talking quietly as they passed the time. She should have expected that, but still it was a blow.

  If the door had not been locked Lizzy might have tried to slip by the watchers. As it was, the risk of discovery was too great. She would have to use candles even if they were more likely to blow out.

  Having done what she could, Lizzy took the fastest route back to her room. She would spend the remaining hours of the night trying to think of ways to plug the many holes in the plan or at least be better prepared for them.

  Chapter 13: Freeing Mr. Darcy

  The morning dragged on for Lizzy after she returned to her room. She was glad to go down when breakfast time came, although she stayed on alert for any signs of suspicion. She hoped Lady Catherine would call her in early. The last thing they needed was for the summons to come while the parson visited. Knowing Lady Catherine's habit of interrupting her meals, Lizzy took her luncheon as early as she could. She did not want to face what was coming on an empty stomach.

  Her precaution proved wise. The summons came as Lizzy was finishing the last few bites of her meal. When she arri ed in the sitting room Lady Catherine directed her to read again. While the book might be dreadfully boring, it was better than sitting in silence or being questioned about her visits to Anne.

  She read for a very long time, almost to the point of losing her voice, and was freed just before the parson arrived. In fact, she passed him in the corridor outside the drawing room as she went to get her cloak and bonnet. Few of the servants were about, so Lizzy hoped she would be able to sneak her outer garments down to the servant's passage in the family wing and leave them in one of the empty family rooms until she returned to collect Anne.

  Her luck held, although she did have to wait inside her room for a few women to pass down the hallway. While she waited, she folded the cloak up tightly and tucked it into the bonnet to make it easier to carry. As the voices faded away Lizzy took a last look around the room. Taking a deep breath and saying a prayer for courage, she opened the door and checked to see if the hall was clear.

  While taking care to avoid a repeat of her ankle injury, Lizzy hurried down the stairs as quick as safely possible. As she reached the landing, she heard footsteps starting up from the bottom floor. Quickly she ducked into the back hall of the family wing to be out of sight from the stairs. From where she stood, heart in mouth, she heard the footsteps continue on up. She was free to make her way to the servant's passage nearest Lady Catherine's rooms.

  Feeling better in the relative safety of the passage, Lizzy found a room that opened off it in which she could hide her cloak. Then she made her way to the door she hoped led to the chambers of Lady Catherine. As expected, the door was locked, but that proved only a temporary barrier. Lizzy quickly picked the lock and entered the dressing room carrying a lit candle from one of the sconces in the passage.

  As she made her way through the rooms of the suite trying to find the staircase, Lizzy was surprised to see the shadows lay more thickly here than they had in Anne's room even when she was at her most ill. Once again Lizzy wondered about the exact relationship Lady Catherine had with the shadows. She seemed to gain something from them but was there a price? Remembering the pallor Lizzy had thought induced by arsenic, it struck her that the shadows might feed off Lady Catherine in a different way. Were the ghosts all that was left of people who had made some bargain with the shadows in the past? Lizzy's musings were interrupted by a feeling of victory as she spotted a door guarded by two statues bearing upraised swords.

  She quickly picked the lock and taking up her candle, Lizzy headed down the narrow circular stairway as quietly and calmly as she could. The shadows were even thicker here, and Lizzy had to concentrate on tamping down any fear while keeping her breathing as even as possible. Above all she hoped they had no way of alerting Lady Catherine to an intruder.

  The first flight ended in a small room that Lizzy guessed was just behind the drawing room. She could hear Mr. Herbert's voice saying something indistinct and Lady Catherine's voice in response. Still breathing as smoothly as possible, Lizzy quickly picked the lock on the door to the next flight of stairs.

  To her great joy, a lantern hung on a peg just inside the door. After lighting it with her candle, Lizzy took up the lantern and softly closed the door behind her, making her way down into the lower reaches of the house.

  On leaving the stairwell Lizzy was faced with an array of choices. Several doors opened from the circular room at the base of the stairs leading into what seemed to be a labyrinth of narrow passages. Trying to orient herself to what she knew of the house above, Lizzy chose a door that seemed to open in the right direction. She soon learned her guess was incorrect as the passage ended in a room with racks filled with wine bottles.

  Quickly retracing her steps Lizzy returned to the circular room. This time she examined each door looking for some sign it had been used recently. The second door over from her first choice showed some wear on the knob that could indicate use. It was also locked, although Lizzy dealt with that easily enough. The previous passage had been swept some time recently, which had given Lizzy hope. This one had not only been swept; it looked scrubbed clean. Hoping she had it right this time, she quickly followed where it led.

  A few doors opened off the passage, but they were just storerooms. Looking in, Lizzy noticed an undisturbed layer of dust on their floors and passed them by. Finally she reached a door at the end of the passage which was locked. After unlocking the door, she found herself in a small room with another door that opened off one side. Picking the lock on that door as well she entered another passage that terminated in a room blocked by metal bars. In the shadows behind the bars she could make out the figure of a man. Lizzy knew she had found her ghost.

&nbs
p; "Mr. Darcy?" she asked, already certain it was he.

  "Who is there?" he responded, blinking in the light as she drew closer. Lizzy saw confinement had not been kind to the man. His dark curly hair had grown shaggy. It tangled and matted with the thick growth of beard that obscured his facial features. His dark blue eyes were tinged with red and he continued to blink blearily as they adjusted to the light. All around him the shadows swirled and danced in a hungry mist.

  "I am Miss Elizabeth Bennet," she said as she set the lantern on the floor near the door and set to work on the lock.

  "I know your voice," he said in wonder. "You are my singing ghost."

  "I thought you were a ghost at first as well," Lizzy said with a chuckle as she worked. "It was only when I heard Lady Catherine speaking to you a few days ago that I realized my mistake. There are ventilation shafts leading to two stone lions placed against the outside wall. They carried our voices." With a final twist of her tools, the door unlocked.

  "The lions in that little hidden corner of the garden?" Mr. Darcy asked.

  "Just so. Come quickly and be quiet as we go. We do not know if there are other ventilation shafts or who else might be around."

  "Lead on, Miss Bennet. I am in your hands."

  They quickly retraced the way back to the stairs. Lizzy worried that his boots would give them away with their clatter. They were much heavier than the light leather half boots she wore.

  "When we reach the stairs you must step as softly as possible, Mr. Darcy," she whispered. "Lady Catherine is on the other side of the wall at the first landing."

  "Understood," he whispered back. She noticed he stepped more lightly, but his boots still sounded loud to her.

  They made it to the stairs and carefully made the ascent. Lizzy hoped it was just her imagination that magnified every sound from their footfalls, their breathing and the rustle of their clothes as they moved. At the top she handed the lantern to Mr. Darcy and eased open the door, peering around to verify no one was in the room. Lizzy listened intently and caught the sound of Mr. Herbert agreeing vehemently to something Lady Catherine said.

  Shielding the lantern light between them, Lizzy and Mr. Darcy snuck onto the next flight of stairs. Only when they stepped onto the carpeted floor of Lady Catherine's room and closed the door behind them did she begin to relax.

  "Do you know which bell pull is for Mrs. Porter?" she asked. "I need to make sure she is not in the entry or on the front stairs, so I thought ringing for her before we leave will put her on the back stairs when we go out."

  "The black pull is for the housekeeper. What is the rest of your plan?"

  Lizzy could see Mr. Darcy smiling even under the tangled beard. She was surprised to see that smile turn into a fearsome frown as she spoke.

  "I need you to make your way to the stables and hitch the ponies to Anne's phaeton while I go get her. Anne and I will carry our trunk down the main stairs and out the front door. We will load it on the phaeton..."

  "What do you mean by getting Anne? And why the phaeton?" Mr. Darcy interrupted fiercely. "Are you really working for my aunt? How could you betray me? I trusted you!"

  "Keep your voice down!" Lizzy hissed. "I have not betrayed you and I am not doing Lady Catherine's bidding."

  "I will not marry Anne. Whatever plans you have I will not cooperate."

  Lizzy responded in more anger than she intended. "Did it never occur to you that Anne might want to leave here? She is a prisoner as well. I am not asking you to marry her, just to hitch up the horses and help us escape, something I thought you of all people would understand. If you are so afraid to assist your cousin, then do what you will. We will find a way without your help." She huffed, then said, "I should have known you would not be the person I imagined from our conversations. I liked you much better as a ghost!" With another exasperated huff she strode to the wall and tugged the black bell pull firmly. Without another word she quickly made her way to the servant's passage leaving Mr. Darcy staring after her.

  Lizzy collected her bonnet and cloak then rushed to Anne's suite. She found Anne waiting in the sitting room next to the trunk. The door to the bedchamber was closed and wedged in place with a chair. Lizzy could hear Betty calling for Anne from the other side.

  She ran to the trunk and each woman grabbed a handle while also slipping Lizzy's sheet turned sling across one shoulder to help balance the weight.

  "I called Mrs. Porter to your mother's room," Lizzy told Anne. "We need to go quickly."

  With the trunk swinging between them, Lizzy and Anne hurried down the corridor to the main stairs. Lizzy saw no sign of Mr. Darcy on the way, although she thought she heard a far-off bell. Anne was breathing heavily, which worried Lizzy, but there was no time for rest.

  Thankfully the main stairs also had fairly shallow steps. They were able to descend without mishaps. As they crossed the entry to the door Lizzy wondered why she saw no footmen. Thankful for whatever blessings the day gave them, she continued on to the door, which she managed to open without having to set down her end of the trunk. Together they lugged it out onto the drive and around to the stables.

  Entering the stable they set the trunk down just inside the door. As they started to move towards the stalls they were accosted by a worried-looking groom.

  "Miss de Bourgh? What are you doing here?" he asked nervously.

  Anne and Lizzy exchanged glances. Clearly it was time to bluff their way through.

  "Hitch my ponies to the phaeton immediately," Anne said in a good imitation of her mother.

  "But, Miss de Bourgh..." he began.

  "I said immediately," she insisted, stomping her foot for emphasis.

  The groom stood stupidly for a moment, unsure how to handle the demand until another voice spoke from deeper inside the stable.

  "You heard Miss de Bourgh, Johnson. Stop dithering and prepare the phaeton. I will help you as she is in a hurry."

  "Yes, Mr. Darcy," said the groom, apparently recognizing the voice. He stopped in shock again as Mr. Darcy stepped forward leading a saddled horse.

  "Mr. Darcy?" he questioned at the sight of the shaggy, ill-kept man.

  "Hurry, man," Mr. Darcy urged, handing his reins to Lizzy. Then he practically shoved the groom ahead of him into the depths of the stables.

  Anne sank down to sit upon the trunk and properly catch her breath. Lizzy gently scratched under the chin of Darcy's horse as she waited. Whether Mr. Darcy decided to travel with them or not, at least he was helping now.

  Chapter 14: The Escape

  William followed the lovely Miss Bennet through the narrow passage in silence. He remembered her saying she was not as beautiful as her oldest and youngest sisters. They must be goddesses in that case, for he thought her quite the prettiest sight he had ever seen. He wanted to say something, but even had it been safe to talk he could not find the right words to express his gratitude and joy at being freed from his prison or his pleasure at finally meeting the singing ghost.

  His mind filled with questions as they walked. What connection led her from her family estate to Rosings? How had she found his prison? Where did she learn to pick locks and how had she come by the tools? What was her plan to get him away from Lady Catherine and Rosings? The thoughts chased themselves around his mind as he watched the shadows skitter away from the lantern's light. He was too happy to draw them close or feed them now.

  "When we reach the stairs you must step as softly as possible, Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine is on the other side of the wall at the first landing," his rescuer whispered, jolting him out of his thoughts. He had not paid attention to the noise of his boots on the stone floor of the passage.

  "Understood," he replied, trying to make his steps as light as possible.

  He had never been on Lady Catherine's private staircase, but he knew of it from stories Sir Lewis had told him during one of William's childhood visits. The stair was a remnant of an older fortress that had been enclosed in the grand palace Rosings had become.

&
nbsp; He followed Miss Bennet carefully up the narrow corkscrew stairs. In the dim lantern light he could make out a spot where an arrow slit had been bricked up when the outer tower wall was made into an inside feature.

  At the top of the flight their progress was blocked by a door. Miss Bennet handed him the lantern before peering out to see if the way was safe. She gestured to keep the lantern between them as they slipped past the door and onto the next flight of stairs. These were quickly traversed, and they stepped out into one of Lady Catherine's personal chambers, closing the door firmly behind them.

  Miss Bennet asked which pull summoned the housekeeper so the woman could be diverted from the main areas of the house. After telling her, William asked for details of the plan.

  "I need you to make your way to the stables and hitch the ponies to Anne's phaeton while I go get her. Anne and I..." There was more, but he stopped listening, suddenly fearing the worst. Why would she involve Anne in this? Was this another of Lady Catherine's attempts at public compromise? In a fury he interrupted whatever she was saying.

  "What do you mean by getting Anne? And why the phaeton? Are you really working for my aunt? How could you betray me? I trusted you!" William put all his anger, worry and fear into the questions.

  He barely listened as the woman hissed, "Keep your voice down! I have not betrayed you and I am not doing Lady Catherine's bidding."

  "I will not marry Anne. Whatever plans you have I will not cooperate." William felt the need to fight her, since he had not been able to do so with Lady Catherine. Her words were not yet getting through to him.

  "Did it never occur to you that Anne might want to leave here?" She asked angrily. "She is a prisoner as well. I am not asking you to marry her, just to hitch up the horses and help us escape, something I thought you of all people would understand. If you are so afraid to assist your cousin, then do what you will. We will find a way without your help. I should have known you would not be the person I imagined from our conversations. I liked you much better as a ghost!"