Returning to Mr. Darcy

by Sheena Austin

  Collins got up and bowed. “It was a pleasure visiting. I shall bid you farewell, and please do not waste any time in attending to Elizabeth’s health.”

  She smiled. “We will send her right away. Thank Lady Catherine again; we shall be forever in her debt.”

  He nodded and made his way to Mr. Bennet’s study.

  ****

  Mr. Bennet looked up from his desk as he heard the door shut. He sighed. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Mr. Collins?”

  Collins narrowed his beady eyes at him. “My employer wishes me to relay a message of dire importance. They warn you that you are to keep Darcy away from Elizabeth, and to send her away to Lady Catherine’s immediately.”

  Mr. Bennet asked incredulously, “Why is your employer interested in the health of Elizabeth, and how do you know she is even here?”

  Collins grinned. “Wickham mentioned that she is here, and I passed this along.”

  “What shall happen if I refuse to hand over Elizabeth?” Mr. Bennet asked.

  “Trust me, the consequences are not pleasant.”

  “Mr. Collins, of all people, I did not think you had the backbone to threaten me. You are a godly man.”

  “Even a godly man is not perfect, and you do not want to cross me, or death will be at your doorstep.”

  Mr. Bennet stood up from his desk. Fury rattled throughout his body, and his face turned violet. “Be gone now, and never step foot here again.”

  “You are making a dangerous mistake. You will hand over Elizabeth, or I shall take her myself.”

  Collins turned on his heel and walked out the front door, slamming it on his way out. The force shook the house.

  Mrs. Bennet ran out of the parlor and yelled at her husband. “What have you done to upset our cousin? You have just ruined the opportunity for Elizabeth to leave to go to Lady Catherine’s. Why did I ever marry such a pathetic man?”

  “Woman, if I am such a pathetic man, leave at once or know your place!” he yelled.

  She sniveled. “Well, I never.” She spun on her heel and stomped upstairs.

  ****

  Lydia pounced on Jane and Bingley as soon as they were out of sight of their mother and interrogated them. “Where have you both been?”

  Jane and Bingley looked at one another, both unsure if they should let her know. “Do tell, or I shall throw a fit.”

  Jane whispered, “We went to call upon Mr. Darcy. We surely thought after two weeks he would have returned. He has not been replying to the letters I have sent in regard to Elizabeth’s condition. Bingley said it was out of character for him, and I agreed. He loves Elizabeth fiercely. However, he is not at home. He left on urgent business, or so I have been told.”

  Lydia rolled her eyes. “The dramatics in this family. I doubt he will be gone long. Where is Anise?”

  Bingley stepped in. “She is gone as well. I hate to fear the worst, that he indeed abandoned Elizabeth.”

  Lydia frowned. “Well, do not let her know yet, and it is all the more reason to throw her a party. She needs cheering up; she is dreadfully boring, and dull since she had the accident. She seems to be pining over Darcy.”

  Jane and Bingley were hesitant. Jane crossed her arms and shook her head. “Darcy would be furious if we threw her a party. He was quite insistent that she would not have unnecessary stress thrown upon her by having visitors. He was quite clear she was to rest.”

  Lydia narrowed her eyes and cajoled them. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. You did promise me, Bingley, to throw a party whenever I wanted. We shall dance and sing and play cards with our neighbors and invite some infantry soldiers for Kitty.”

  Bingley did not like confrontation and folded like a deck of cards, placing his hand on Jane’s shoulder. “Darling, I really do not see any harm in throwing a small gathering of our closest friends and family to celebrate Elizabeth’s birthday.”

  Lydia squealed. “The master has spoken!”

  Jane sighed and relented. “Fine; only if it is a small gathering. I would hate for Darcy to be vexed and never trust us again.”

  ****

  Being gone for two weeks, Darcy grew miserable without Elizabeth; he did not want to leave Elizabeth on her birthday. When he returned home, his valet handed him an invitation to Elizabeth’s party at Netherfield. He had arrived a day before her birthday but did not let anyone know. He wanted to surprise Elizabeth. He feared she thought he had abandoned her. He was going to remedy his earlier indiscretions toward Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s party, with the contents of the velvet box he had procured from a jeweler on his travels to London. When evening approached, he readied himself with the box in his pocket and rode off to Netherfield Hall.

  His heart hung heavy at leaving Anise at a boarding school instead with Georgiana. He needed to assure her safety and send her where his mysterious assailants would not think to look. Alone in the carriage, he mulled over their future. He was no closer to finding the assailants that had attacked him, nor could he find any threat toward Elizabeth. Even though he was no closer to finding his attackers, that didn’t mean he wanted to jeopardize Elizabeth’s safety. He was furious they were throwing a party after he specifically told Mr. Bennet no one was to know where she was. He planned on storming into Netherfield and dragging her out and locking her away, so no one could find her. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down. Relax, old boy. The last thing Elizabeth needs is you acting like an ogre and dragging her away. She will surely resent you if she does not already.

  He drank a glass of sherry before heading to her party. He needed to relax, and the sherry did the trick. It calmed down the savage ogre that was ready to break free. Even though he despised parties, he began to look forward to surprising Elizabeth. He was ready to call his valet when it dawned on him he couldn’t go empty-handed. He went to his desk and grabbed the small velvet box and placed it in his pocket.

  ****

  Elizabeth was hesitant to go to the party. However, she had hoped Darcy would show up. It had been a fortnight since she had last seen him. He had not attempted to visit her or to contact her. She was upset; however, she tried to convince herself it did not matter. She hardly knew the man, and she planned on leaving and finding her way back home. She tried to make peace with never seeing him. Anyway, she had a life to get back to and needed to gather up the pieces of her broken heart. Men, after all, had only let her down in the past. What would make it so different if Darcy were the same? He was not real, and all of this was a hallucination. It was very realistic, to say the least; she only wanted to be left alone. However, Lydia was very insistent on having a birthday party. Elizabeth tried not to act surprised, yet she could not conceal the dumbfounded look on her face.

  Lydia laughed when she approached Elizabeth. “Silly girl, it is your birthday. You must have really bumped your head to forget such an occasion.” Elizabeth could only smile and apologize for being so daft. She quickly played along.

  Netherfield Hall was a place of dreams. The outside of the manor reminded Elizabeth of a castle. She felt intimidated as if she did not deserve to enter the opulent house. Jane noticed her discomfort as they pulled up to the manor. Jane had to coax Elizabeth out of the carriage. Mr. Bingley approached the carriage to escort them both inside. Elizabeth liked him; he was a very kind man, and attentive. She could see why Jane loved him. They were a perfect match.

  Elizabeth smoothed her skirt. She felt awkward in her violet gown. She had never worn anything so delicate and gorgeous in her life. The sleeves were trimmed in gold, and there was gold trim around her waist. She showed enough cleavage to be seen from the moon. The gloves were white, soft, and silky. They made her feel like a princess. Kitty had gone shopping for her dress earlier in the morning since Elizabeth feigned another headache. Kitty did have good taste in clothing. Kitty also insisted on doing Elizabeth’s hair herself and had bought hair jewels to weave into Elizabeth’s dull black hair as Lydia scrutinized. Elizabeth had begun to protest that her h
air was not dull; but then again, under Lydia’s scrutiny, it was, since she was not able to wash it properly.

  Behind her, Lydia, Kitty, and Mary pushed out of the carriage, almost toppling over Elizabeth. Mr. Bingley came to her rescue and quickly moved her out of the way. Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet followed behind them. Mrs. Bennet admonished Elizabeth because she was fidgeting, smoothing her hair, and pulling at her gloves. “Elizabeth, put your hands down and stand properly. We must make our grand entrance, and I do not want to be embarrassed by your fits.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Insufferable woman,” she mumbled.

  Mrs. Bennet moved closer to Elizabeth like a hawk ready to pounce on her prey. “What was that, child?” Her face grew a shade of red. “I will not allow you to vex me tonight, Lizzie. I am in a jovial mood for once, despite the shame you have brought upon our family since Darcy disposed of you.”

  Shit, she has good ears. “Nothing, Mother,” she said through clenched teeth. Insufferable indeed! What a wicked and abusive woman.

  Bingley quickly interrupted to stop a fight. “Let us all go in and celebrate Elizabeth’s momentous occasion.”

  As they walked toward the manor, her heart was beating faster, and anxiety gripped her. She was holding her breath, secretly wishing Darcy would be waiting for her inside. Jane took her hand to calm her down. “Dear sister take a deep breath; it will all be fine.” As they passed through the doors, her breath was taken away. It was just as gorgeous as it was outside. The main hall was lined with paintings and suits of armor. Netherfield Hall was fit for a king and queen; in this case, definitely for Bingley and Jane. Jane especially, since Longbourn was a far cry from upscale.

  It felt like she was walking through a fairy tale. The hall was well lit, allowing her to see every intricate detail in the woodwork and structure of the manor. Her eyes lit up when the ballroom came into view. The chandeliers sparkled with candles. It was romantic and breathtaking. Music and laughter filled the air; she was floating across the floor, and she entered the ballroom. Jane was behind her. “Lizzie, slow down. Do not overexert yourself.”

  Elizabeth blushed; she did not realize she had left them behind. She was enthralled with the beauty and romance of it all. Then she saw him. She saw, in the corner, a man with jet-black hair and a towering, confident figure talking to another man. She was sure it was Darcy; there was electricity in the air, just as he always exuded. As if he felt her eyes piercing into his back, he turned around in slow motion. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she started to run toward him. He fully turned around, and she wanted to cry. It was not him; she stopped before she ran them over.

  She could hear Mrs. Bennet over the pounding of her heart. She was apologizing for Elizabeth’s behavior, saying that she still had effects from the accident. All eyes were on her, and his were as well. He was pleased, and he flashed a dazzling smile as he made his way toward her. He was sauntering over with a very confident swagger. She wanted to run away in embarrassment, and she began to turn away. The man stopped her by placing his hand gently on her shoulder. “Please do not go; I have not had a fervent and beautiful admirer in such a long time.”

  She turned twenty shades of red, and this made him laugh. “I apologize, I thought you were my husband.”

  “What a pity, Aphrodite is married.” He placed his hand over his heart. “My heart is shattered into a million pieces that you are married.”

  She rolled her eyes at his dramatics, but it was adorable. She started to feel less embarrassed. Nevertheless, she would have wished someone would save her because she still felt a bit awkward. Reading her mind, Mr. Bingley came to her rescue. “Elizabeth, I see you have met the Duke of Oxfordshire, Charles Worthington III.”

  Elizabeth immediately curtseyed, and he pulled her back up, and this made him laugh again. He grabbed her hand gently and gazed into her eyes. “Dear goddess Aphrodite, please, there is no need to curtsey; I should be the one honoring your presence.”

  Bingley shifted uncomfortably. “Charles, this is my sister Elizabeth.”

  The Duke grinned. “The infamous Elizabeth Bennet, the goddess of the ball, and the one whom we are here to worship and honor.” He bowed as if he were in the presence of a real goddess or queen.

  “You’re Grace, please . . .” She was interrupted by the dinner bell. Thank God, saved by the bell.

  The duke took her by the arm. “It would be my honor to escort you to dinner, my dear, in the absence of your husband. He was a fool to leave you unescorted for the night.” Before she could hesitate and turn him down, he led her to the banquet hall.

  The table was half the size of a football field, and a row of candles cascaded down the center. China and crystal glasses were pristinely aligned, and the silverware arranged perfectly. Bingley, her savior, stepped in again. “Dearest, let me escort you to your seat.” He led her to the two seats near the head of the table, to the right from Bingley and Jane. Unfortunately, the duke was sitting across diagonally from her. As he sat down, he stared her down like a hawk, hungry for the prey. She thought, What is wrong with men these days, lust in their eyes, and ready to pounce on anything with two legs?

  She noticed that Lydia sat to the right of the duke. By the look on Lydia’s face, she was smitten, and without any second thoughts, dug her claws into him. Elizabeth was taken aback; she could not help but bore into Lydia to admonish her for her behavior. Lydia returned the stink eye and proceeded to talk to the duke. Elizabeth wondered how Wickham would react to Lydia’s behavior. Where exactly was Wickham, anyway? Not that she looked forward to seeing him. She was quite relieved he was not around.

  She began to relax and took a deep breath. However, her peace and quiet did not last long. There was a disturbance in the Force, as she would say when something unfortunate was going to happen. Her hair stood at the back of her neck. Reflex made her look up, and she locked eyes with Wickham. She moaned softly; thank God, nobody heard her. He seemed to take pleasure in her discomfort. He grinned as he made his way to sit down next to Lydia.

  Lydia frowned as he sat down next to her. “Killjoy,” Elizabeth heard her whisper. Wickham failed to notice because he was intent on staring at Elizabeth. No doubt he was undressing her. Elizabeth thought Lydia seemed too caught up in the duke; however, she was wrong. Lydia glared daggers at Wickham and Elizabeth, despite the fact that Lydia was furious with Wickham. She still wanted control over him, and this meant no woman stood a chance against her, even Elizabeth. Lydia looked pissed, and she was about to pounce and cause a scene. Wickham leaned over and whispered in Lydia’s ear. Blood drained from her face and she dropped her gaze back to her plate. Wickham grabbed his glass and drank, and Lydia sat there quietly eating.

  As if nothing had passed between the three of them, Lydia turned her attention back to the duke, but he was also too busy staring Elizabeth down. Lydia’s nostrils flared, and she raised her voice. “Please excuse me, I am not feeling well. I need to step away for a moment for fresh air.”

  Wickham grabbed her arm and smiled venomously. “Darling wife let me join you.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. “Fear not, Mr. Wickham, I shall accompany her.”

  Elizabeth started to get up from her chair to assist Lydia. Now Elizabeth was pissed at Wickham for grabbing Lydia like that. Before she rose from her chair, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was a comforting and gentle hand; she turned around to see her father, standing behind her.

  Wickham turned purple, the vein in his neck pulsing. “Elizabeth do not fall for Lydia’s ploy; she surely is feeling well. You know how she is dramatic.”

  Elizabeth clenched her hands. “Calm down, Elizabeth,” Mr. Bennet whispered loud enough for her to hear.

  “Mr. Wickham, she is my sister, and it would seem I care more about her well-being than you do.”

  Elizabeth gracefully went over to Lydia, holding her ground. Wickham gripped Lydia’s arm tighter. “Tell her, dear wife, that you are being dramatic.”

 
Elizabeth’s eyes slit, and her nostrils flared, and she spoke in a low, menacing voice. “Let her go at once.” She forcefully removed his hand from Lydia’s arm. Lydia stood, pale, and once free, she took Elizabeth’s hand and they both speed-walked out of the dining area.

  “We must hide, Elizabeth,” Lydia whispered.

  “Why, Lydia? Did Wickham threaten you?”

  She nodded. Elizabeth shivered to her core. She knew Lydia was a badass and thought she had nerves of steel but seeing her like this scared her.

  Elizabeth’s gaze darted for a safe space; however, before they could run to safety, she felt a hand pull her back. She spun around, ready to strike her assailant.

  She stood to face Bingley. “Where are you running off to? I was about to make a toast.”

  Her heart calmed down. “You scared me to death. We are running away from Wickham.”

  Bingley laughed. “Sister, he is harmless, and if he starts anything there shall be a duel.”

  “That is very kind of you to say, but Lydia must go. Can we hide her somewhere?”

  “She can go to the library and lock herself in there. There is a secret passage to the dungeons.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. “You have a dungeon?”

  Bingley laughed. “No, I am only jesting. There are other rooms down there she can go to.”

  Lydia grew frantic. “I must hurry. Please come up with an excuse, Lizzie.”

  Elizabeth heard footsteps and pushed Lydia. “Go, I shall come back for you later.”

  Without hesitation, Lydia ran off, and Elizabeth took Bingley’s arm as he led her back to the dining room.

  Elizabeth was escorted back to her chair. Wickham snarled. “Where is my wife?”

  “She is relieving herself.” She grinned.

  Before there was a duel, the clinking of a glass filled the room. “Ahem, if I could please have your attention, a toast is in order. Thank you all for attending this momentous occasion to celebrate our dear Elizabeth’s birthday.” Bingley shone a brilliant smile her way. “Please raise your glasses to Elizabeth.” Everyone raised their glasses. “Dearest Elizabeth, you are the kindest, most gentle soul, and I wish you many more years of happiness and love. Let us all raise our glasses to wish the happiest birthday to our dearest Elizabeth.”