Duels of Every Sort

by Sarah Brown

  Mr. Gray was silent for a moment, seeming to assimilate this new information into what he already knew. He spoke thoughtfully, “The location could be a coincidence, but Billings may just be involved. If he was disgraced at the duel, he may harbor enough of a grudge to participate in Wickham’s scheme. And if he is involved, it might explain why we cannot find Wickham. I shall post a man at the Billings townhouse immediately and begin inquiries into the whereabouts of Andrew Billings.

  “In the mean time, Mr. Darcy, I suggest you visit your banker to arrange the ransom in case it comes to that.”

  I nodded, “Yes, I shall see to it in the morning.”

  Mr. Bennet rose and paced about a bit. “Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth may be your fiancé, but she and Jane are my daughters. I believe the ransom should be my responsibility.”

  Before I could answer, Bingley added, “I should like to help too. I may not be engaged to Jane yet, but I love her, and I—“

  I cut him off before he could expound and said, “I appreciate both of your offers, but this whole mess is due to me and my connection to Wickham. And, no offence to either of you, but I am the one in the best financial position to meet Wickham’s demand.” Mr. Bennet and Bingley both began to protest, but I continued, “I assure you both that argument in this matter is futile. The fault is mine and so must the remedy be.”

  Fitzwilliam said, “I advise you both to let it go. He will not change his mind.” Bingley and Mr. Bennet were obviously unhappy about this. Fitzwilliam forcefully redirected the conversation, and we continued making plans.

  While we had been talking with Mr. Gray, Mrs. Bennet and Miss Lydia had arrived. We had heard the wailings and flutterings of Mrs. Bennet as they passed by on their way to the stairs. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the library door. I called for the person to enter, and a timid and frightened looking Lydia appeared. I felt for the first time how young and ignorant of the ways of the world she really was. Her forward and silly behavior usually projected an insipid confidence that sometimes belied her years. But, now, standing in the doorway looking very small with red eyes and tear stained cheeks, I felt sorry for her.

  “Papa?” she asked, quietly—the only time I had ever heard her speak so. “Do you know where Jane and Lizzy are yet?”

  Mr. Bennet crossed to his daughter and hugged her close. “No, Lydia. We have not found them yet. It will take a little time, but your sisters will be returned before long.”

  “I’m so sorry, Papa! I’m sorry!” Lydia sobbed. “I didn’t know!”

  Mr. Bennet looked down at his daughter in confusion. “What are you sorry for, Lydia?”

  “I know you told me not to speak to Mr. Wickham, but I did not think he was so very bad!” she choked out.

  Mr. Bennet looked at me in alarm. I asked, as gently as my rekindling anger would allow, “Miss Lydia, when did you speak to Mr. Wickham?”

  Lydia looked up at me, and I could see fear in her eyes. She was hiccoughing and crying still as she spoke to her shoes, “Yesterday. I—I took the carriage to see Maria Lucas because it was too cold to walk, and on the way back I saw Mr. Wickham and his friend riding their horses in the opposite direction. I told the driver to stop so that I could greet them.” She looked up at her father with pleading eyes. “Mr. Wickham was always nice to me, and I thought he was good.”

  Mr. Bennet held his daughter by the shoulders to force her to look at him and asked, “Lydia, what did Mr. Wickham say to you?”

  “He—he asked about my family, and I told him what everyone was doing. I did not see the harm in it. It is always polite to inquire after one’s family, isn’t it?” Tears were still streaming down her face, and she looked so small, that I could not remain angry with her. Instead, my anger redirected to Wickham again. He had played this silly little girl, Elizabeth’s own sister, so that he would know where Elizabeth was. I wondered if he had intended to take Jane, too, or if she had just happened to be there when he went for Elizabeth.

  “Lydia, did you tell him that Lizzy and Jane would be traveling between Netherfield and Longbourn today?” Mr. Bennet asked.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Why?”

  “He said—he said that he wanted to call at Longbourn to see all our family today, but I knew that everyone would not be there. So—So, I told him that Jane and Lizzy would be spending the day at Netherfield.” She buried her face in her hands and sobbed again. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know!”

  Mr. Bennet hugged her to him again and looked at me helplessly over the top of Lydia’s head. Two of his daughters were missing and his third had provided the information that had led to their disappearance. He looked overwhelmed and tired—and older than he normally appeared. The lines around his eyes, usually crinkled with laughter, were deep and haggard, and his mouth was twisted into a painful frown. Silence hung in the room except for Lydia’s quiet sobbing into her father’s shoulder.

  As Lydia quieted, I asked her, “Do you know who his friend was, Miss Lydia?”

  She peeked from her father’s embrace at me, before shaking her head. “No, I had never seen him before, and Mr. Wickham didn’t introduce him to me.”

  Mr. Gray asked, “Can you describe him for us, Miss? What did he look like? How old was he? Did he appear to be wealthy?”

  Lydia eyed Mr. Gray warily, “He had ginger hair and grayish eyes. I guess he was a little younger than Mr. Bingley. He was dressed very well so he must have some money but he was not in regimentals.”

  John, Bingley, and I exchanged glances. “Billings,” John said. Bingley and I nodded.

  “Are you sure?” Mr. Gray asked.

  “It sounds like him,” Bingley said.

  “Very well, then. I shall start searching for him immediately. If you will excuse me?” He bowed to the room in general, threw a friendly salute to Fitzwilliam and quit the room.

  Lydia was looking around the room quizzically. “Did—did that help?” she whispered.

  “Yes, it may have, Lydia,” John told her.

  She looked at her brother sadly. “I’m sorry, John,” she said.

  I watched as John hugged her as her father had done. Lydia looked broken and afraid and so very sad. I knew that despite her antics, she loved her family very much and was blaming herself for her sisters’ predicament. I could not be angry anymore. She was still a child, and a silly, overindulged one at that.

  In an attempt to offer her some relief, I said, “This is not your fault, Miss Lydia. Had you not told Wickham where Elizabeth and Jane would be today, he would have found some other way to take them.” I shifted my gaze to Mr. Bennet, and it became a struggle to keep the tears in my eyes from spilling over. “I’m afraid that I put them in danger simply with my presence and attention to Elizabeth. Wickham is determined to hurt me in any way he can by using those I love, and now he appears to have found an accomplice in Billings. I should never have fought him.”

  Mr. Bennet shook his head, his own eyes suspiciously bright. “No, Darcy. This is not your fault. You’ve done everything you could to protect my family from Wickham. And none of us ever thought he would go so far.” He turned to Lydia and added, “Nor is this your fault, my child. I have not done what I should by you. Had I paid more attention to you or even taken the time to explain properly about Wickham, this could not have happened.” He hugged her again. “I am sorry, Lydia.”

  After a few minutes of tense silence, Fitzwilliam spoke. “Well, I think everyone should retire for the evening. There is little that you can do tonight. Try to get what rest you can. With this knew information regarding Billings I am sure we shall find them before the deadline.”

  He turned and began to leave, when John called, “Where are you going, Fitz?”

  “To speak to some of my other connections and see what I can learn. I shall return tomorrow in time to hear what Bingley’s servants have to report.”

  “Cannot any of us go with you to help?” Bingley asked.

  “No, thank you. I appreci
ate that you want to help, but my network is such that it requires me to be alone. Most of my connections are former military, but not all,” was his cryptic response. He bowed and left.

  I turned to the others. “If you will excuse me, I shall have Mrs. Glenn show you to your rooms. Please ask for anything you may require. I shall see to it that a light supper is sent up to each of you, as none of us have eaten.” I rang the bell, and Mrs. Glenn appeared. After giving her my instructions, I said, “Forgive me, but I must see to my sister. Mrs. Glenn, when you have finished, please wait for me in my study.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  --- --- ---

  I followed my ears to the music room and found Georgiana practicing at the pianoforte as Mrs. Annesley looked on. Georgiana was completely lost in the music. She was not even paying attention to the notes on the page in front of her but played from her heart, the music seeming to flow around her.

  It had been just three months since I had last seen her, but it seemed much longer. She was nearly sixteen now and becoming a graceful and beautiful woman. Her golden hair and dark blue eyes—so different from my own brown hair and eyes—were so much like my mother’s that it was almost painful at times. There was a new air of maturity around her as she played.

  It saddened me that Wickham had stolen the last of her childhood, but I hoped—and her most recent letters seemed to indicate—that she had healed from her ordeal. I did not want to tell her that Wickham had intruded, most painfully, into our lives again. I did not know how to broach the subject or how she would react.

  As the music came to an end, Georgiana seemed to return to awareness of her surroundings, as if from very far away. I clapped lightly and both she and Mrs. Annesley snapped around to see me. “Will!” Georgiana cried. She jumped from her seat and ran into my arms. “Mrs. Glenn said you were back. Oh! It is so good to see you. Is Miss Elizabeth with—”

  Her words drifted off, as she took in my tired and haggard countenance. I held her tightly to me and rested my cheek atop her head. I had not cried since the night my father died, but it took all of my control to keep the tears from spilling over at that moment. I had so wanted to introduce Georgiana to Elizabeth the next time I saw her. She was supposed to be traveling to Netherfield in just a few days to spend Christmas with us. But, now I stood there with Georgiana in my arms and no idea as to where Elizabeth could be or how she might be faring.

  Georgiana managed to push me away enough to look into my eyes. “Will,” she whispered. “What is wrong? What has happened?”

  I looked up to find that Mrs. Annesley had quietly left the room to give us privacy, and sighed. I would have to tell her later when I explained to Mrs. Glenn. Perhaps it was better if I told Georgiana alone. I led her over to a settee and sat down next her, holding her small hands in my own. I struggled for a few moments, wondering how to begin, then decided that there was nothing for it but to just say it. “Georgie, Elizabeth and her sister Jane were kidnapped this afternoon.”

  Georgiana’s grip on my hands became fierce. “What?! Who would do such a—” She broke off again as she studied my face. To my great surprise, she said, “It was Wickham, wasn’t it? He took them.”

  “Yes,” I whispered. “Wickham took them.”

  “Oh, Will!” She threw her arms around my neck. “I’m so sorry this has happened. Will he never leave you alone?”

  I heard her words with amazement. She was not disturbed by Wickham’s reappearance for her own sake, but only for mine. She truly was growing up, and it appeared that she truly had recovered from the summer—so much that she was able to offer me comfort. She held me close as though I were the child and she the guardian.

  With her gentle strength surrounding me, I could not keep the tears at bay any longer. They spilled over and dampened the shoulder of Georgianna’s gown. “I love her so much, Georgie. I have to get her back. I can’t even bring myself to think of what Wickham might do to her.”

  “Shhh, you will find her. It will be all right.” Georgiana just let me cry for a few minutes, whispering comfort in my ear. It was strange to receive comfort the little girl I had had to protect for so long. She had once looked up to me almost as a father, but our relationship had shifted somehow.

  But my emotions had run the gamut from being blissfully happy with Elizabeth that morning at Netherfield to feeling utter despair at the thought that I might never see her again. She had become such a part of my life that a future without her was impossible.

  At that moment, I understood what had happened to my father when my mother died. Her sudden death had brought a sadness that was so overwhelming to him that he had not really lived after that. He had seen to his responsibilities with Pemberley and Eldersdale mechanically, allowing the stewards to deal with much of it. His only true joy had been Georgiana, for she looked so like our mother that he would play with her or simply stare at her for hours. Even so, he seemed to waste away slowly, year after year, until his death. It was as though my mother had taken his reason for living with her, and he no longer knew how to be happy. If Elizabeth was taken from me permanently, I did not think I could ever truly be happy either.

  When I began to regain my composure, Georgiana said, “Now tell me everything that has happened and what is being done to find them.”

  I briefly recounted the events of the evening, feeling slightly better as I did. In telling Georgiana, I reviewed the evening for myself and understood that we had been thorough in our actions. That Fitzwilliam was with me and his men were working on the case gave me some confidence, and that we had a lead in Billings made me more certain that we could find them soon.

  I finished with, “I intend to visit my banker first thing tomorrow morning to arrange for the ransom as a last resort, should we be unable to find them before then.” The twenty-second was but two days away. I would make sure I had the ransom on hand, though I had serious doubts that Wickham would take it and just give Elizabeth and Jane back. No, we needed to find them before that.

  Georgiana seemed to read my thoughts. “I am sure you will find them before then. It seems that you have done everything you could and with Richard on the job, I am sure this will be resolved soon. I shall simply look forward to meeting Miss Elizabeth and Miss Bennet when you bring them back.”

  I managed a smile for her. “When did you get to be so smart?”

  She grinned back and winked at me. My smile grew. “Well, since you are such a wonderful young lady, do you think you could do me a favor?” She nodded, and I continued, “Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth’s younger sister, Miss Lydia, have come with us from Hertfordshire. They have been sent to bed for the evening, but do you think you could see to them tomorrow? Make sure they are as comfortable as possible and perhaps try to distract Miss Lydia? I am afraid she thinks this is her fault as Wickham learned of Elizabeth and Jane’s location from her.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Why would she tell him that?”

  I sighed. “Miss Lydia is quite headstrong. As the youngest child, she has been her mother’s favorite and very overindulged. She did not heed Mr. Bennet’s warning to keep away from Wickham because she found him nice and charming.”

  “That I can understand,” she nodded. “After all, I found him charming once, too.” After a moment, she looked up at me. “I promise I will do all I can for Miss Lydia, while you find her sisters.”

  “Thank you, my Georgie. Perhaps you can be a positive influence for her. She is the same age as you.”

  Georgiana nodded. After a few more minutes, I bid her goodnight, and headed to my study. I asked Mrs. Glenn to call for Mrs. Annesley and poured myself a glass of brandy from the decanter on the sideboard. When both women were present, I began, “My fiancé, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and her sister Miss Jane Bennet were kidnapped this afternoon by Wickham.”

  Both women gasped—each of them were acquainted with Wickham’s lack of morality and his past behavior toward my family. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, is conducting the search for them. We have a few
solid leads and hope to recover them soon. Until that time, Mr. Bennet and the rest of his family along with Charles Bingley will be remaining here.”

  I turned to Mrs. Annesley and continued, “Mrs. Bennet is prone to hysterics and can be quite a handful, Mrs. Annesley. I would appreciate anything you may be able to do to sooth her nerves. Also, Miss Lydia is very distraught, and I have asked Georgiana to befriend her. Please do what you can to make this easier for them. And, if you could please speak with Georgiana, that would be helpful. She seemed to take Wickham’s involvement well, but I would like you make sure she is all right.”

  “Of course, Mr. Darcy,” she replied, as she rose from her chair. “I shall go and speak with Miss Darcy now.” She curtsied and left the room.

  I turned to my housekeeper and the woman who, along with Mrs. Reynolds at Pemberley, had been like a substitute mother to me since my own had died. “Mrs. Glenn, this is likely to be a strange several days with various people coming and going as we search for Elizabeth and Jane. If you could please see to it that the staff is made aware that there are extenuating circumstances and that the utmost discretion with anything they overhear is necessary, I would appreciate it. I know that you do well in keeping the staff from gossiping, but a reminder would be welcome. And, please do not disclose the exact nature of the business to anyone that does not truly need the information. Also, please contact Dr. Smythe and have him stand by to attend both the Misses Bennet when we find them.”

  “Of course, sir. Not to worry. I shall take care of everything. You just focus on bringing your fiancé and her sister back.” A faint smile touched my lips. “The staff was very pleased when we heard the news of your engagement. It is about time you settled down and were happy. Miss Georgiana could hardly contain her glee at the prospect of having a sister.”

  She rose from her chair and gently. “I am sure Wickham will not hurt either of them, Sir. They are too valuable to him for that.”