by Wendi Sotis
When he saw Elizabeth begin to collapse, William jumped up with the intention of rushing toward her, but he held his ground after noticing an older lady, who suddenly appeared more solid than she had before, moving into position behind her. The lady caught Elizabeth and lowered her to the ground, leaning her back against a tree stump. She helped Elizabeth to drink from the cup that he had seen resting on the stump when he arrived. It was odd to see the lady’s hand that held the cup remain solid while the remainder of her body became opaque once again.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth stood and embraced the lady, crying, “Grandmama! How I have missed you!”
Moving slowly, William returned to sit on the fallen tree in stunned silence as the two ladies conversed. A little while later, other people began to approach the pair. Each person bowed to Elizabeth and to her grandmother, and then waited to be addressed before speaking. Their behaviour reminded him of those in the presence of royalty when he realized that neither Elizabeth nor her grandmother had curtsied in return. Other than this, there was no difference in Elizabeth’s behaviour from the usual friendly, vivacious manner that he had become accustomed to observing.
Intermittently, lights began to return from their far destinations. Transforming once again into the forms of people, they would converse with Elizabeth and her grandmother or with one another.
Two of the lights in particular caught William’s attention. They seemed to be exactly the same as all the others, but to him in some way they stood out as different. When they transformed, he was shocked—there, just a few feet away from him, stood his parents bowing to Miss Elizabeth Bennet!
William strained to listen to their conversation.
~%~
Elizabeth greeted the couple with a brilliant smile. “Good evening, Lady Anne, Mr. George! It is such a pleasure to see you both again! Have you visited your children already?”
Lady Anne answered, “We have just come from visiting our daughter and will see our son soon, High Priestess.”
Elizabeth blushed prettily. “Please, I do believe, as the parents of my Soul Mate, you have the right to call me Elizabeth.”
William’s breath caught in his chest. Elizabeth is my Soul Mate?
Mr. Darcy bowed, “Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. After speaking to your grandmother prior to this evening, we have decided it is imperative that you learn our identities at this time. You have recently met our son, madam, and your relationship is not progressing as it should.”
Elizabeth’s eyes opened wide and lifted her eyebrows high upon her forehead. “Have I? I cannot imagine who it could possibly be!”
“Our son is Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
Elizabeth blinked a few times in surprise. “Surely you jest!” she answered with a chuckle in her voice. When she noticed that they continued to look quite serious, Elizabeth attempted to school her features, but she could not hide her embarrassment. “Well then, I feel it is my responsibility to inform you that what you suspect is not possible!”
William flinched.
At a look from the former High Priestess, his parents begged to be excused to visit their son.
As they began to move away, Elizabeth called after them, “Your son is quite close this year. He is staying at Netherfield Park.”
“Oh, we know exactly where our son is, Miss Elizabeth!” William heard his father assure her, his voice louder than was necessary. Knowing his father was speaking to him as well as answering Elizabeth, William closed his eyes for a moment.
Grandmama Bennet watched as the Darcys transformed into lights and departed the meadow, then turned to her granddaughter and said, “It certainly is possible that their son is your Soul Mate, Elizabeth. In fact, there is no doubt.”
“But, Grandmama, it simply cannot be possible that we are Soul Mates. Mr. Darcy dislikes me as much as, if not more than I dislike him! It would have been unfair if I had not put them to rights on the matter; their mistaken hopes must come to an end. From the first moment of my acquaintance with him, Mr. Darcy’s manners have impressed me with the fullest belief of his arrogance, his conceit, and his selfish disdain of the feelings of others!”
“On his side, with my own ears, I have heard him say that he found me not handsome enough to tempt him to dance. In fact he made it sound as if I were so low that I was not worthy enough for him to take notice of at all! If that is the case, I cannot believe that he would ever consider me acceptable as a wife. Whenever we meet, he stares at me with a disapproving gleam in his eye. I can only think he stands nearby listening while I am engaged in conversation to amuse himself by noting my style of conversing, which, judging by his reaction, I am sure he finds ridiculous. No! I am sorry, Grandmama, but you are indeed mistaken in thinking he and I could be Soul Mates.”
The ache in William’s heart became too much for him to bear, and he no longer wished to listen. He began to back away from his seat slowly, hoping not to draw any attention to himself. When he was out of Elizabeth’s line of sight, he walked off in the direction of his temporary home, Netherfield Park.
~%~
Grandmama Bennet allowed her granddaughter to finish speaking before she began, “Now, Elizabeth, I must speak to you of important matters. You are aware of the mask of serenity that your sister Jane wears in public. I am sure that you realize that those who do not know her well often mistaken her for being cold and unfeeling and that many people think her heart is not easily touched. Her quiet demeanor is sometimes thought of as indifference or arrogance, especially since she is touted as being so beautiful wherever she goes. Think, my dear, how many women who are as lovely as our dear Jane would you expect not to be self-absorbed and conceited?”
A little surprised at her choice of topics after what had just been discussed, it took Elizabeth a moment to gather her thoughts before answering, “But Jane is shy, Grandmama! She finds speaking to people she does not know almost painful. Jane does not share her feelings with others easily, but she does feel deeply, and she is the best person I know. Surely you know as well as I that it actually embarrasses Jane to be spoken of as so beautiful; it is one of her gifts that she sees the beauty in everyone she meets and feels that others should be recognized as well.
“In the past she has trusted people too easily and has been hurt by them. Men have used her beauty, her good manners, and her excellent nature. Knowing that she does not have a dowry, they would never offer for her—but still they are so vain they wish to ‘be seen’ with her on their arms. Being treated in this manner makes her feel as if the veneer is all that matters to most people, not the person she is inside, and so she has learned to protect herself.”
“Yes, my dear, I know it, and you know it, but those who do not know her as well as we do—and you must admit she does not allow many people very close to her—they do not know it, and they see her very differently than we do.”
Elizabeth had to concede that it was likely.
“Now, what would you say about a man who is just as shy as our Jane, who is as rich as he is handsome, and who has been actively pursued by almost every single lady of marriageable age with whom he has come into contact? How do you think that man would present himself to a room full of strangers?”
Understanding dawned upon Elizabeth, and she blushed deeply. “He would likely wear a mask, like Jane does, and others would misinterpret his actions.” She hesitated several moments before continuing, “I have never given him a chance.”
Her grandmother shook her head. “You have not, my dear.”
“Grandmama, I will begin again with Mr. Darcy, but I will promise you nothing beyond that. I mean no disrespect, but I will not marry him only because others tell me we are well matched. I am resolved to marry only for the deepest love.”
“I expect nothing less from you, Elizabeth,” her grandmother replied. “Now that it is settled, as time grows short, I must hurry off to visit other members of our family. I will return before sunrise so that we may have time to say goodbye before I must leave you f
or another year.”
~%~
As he walked through the woods, William heard his mother’s voice calling his name, and he stopped short, turning towards his parents. His mother’s form became less transparent a moment before she embraced him. William was surprised that she felt warm and soft, and her scent was just as he remembered.
“Mother!” he breathed, “I am so happy to see you!”
William and his father moved toward each other. The younger Darcy hesitated, but his father grabbed hold of him and embraced his son for the first time. When they parted, there was not a dry eye among the three of them.
“All these years, they were not dreams, were they?”
“No, William, they were not,” his mother answered. “We allowed you to believe whatever would make you feel most comfortable.”
A pained expression fell over William’s features, and he was no longer able to meet their eyes. “I have made a mess of things since I have seen you last year.”
“William, we do know what has been occurring in your life. We are often with you, son, but there is only one night of the year on which we can take a form that can be seen by you and speak to you, with the help of the High Priestess of Sanun, of course. Sometimes we are able to influence you to make choices, but it takes a great deal of effort to do so. Whenever you feel an intuition, it is usually one of us.” His mother smiled.
“So it was you who made me feel the need to go to Ramsgate when Georgiana needed me in August?”
Lady Anne placed her hand on his arm. “Yes, dearest. I know you feel that you failed her, but you did a wonderful job of rescuing your sister and protecting her reputation. If you had not listened to us, she would have been in a dire situation by now.”
“And all that has happened with Elizabeth? Do not tell me I have done anything right there!” His anger at himself was evident.
“You did hear what was said then?” Mr. Darcy asked.
“Yes, I heard it—in fact, more than you did.” William chuckled without mirth. “I have made quite the impression, have I not? I have often cursed my inability to perform to strangers, but this is beyond anything I have experienced in the past. I have been drawn to Elizabeth from the first time I saw her; never have I felt this way about any woman. While I hesitated and planned so that I could make a good impression, she has grown to despise me! How is it that I can manage estates, be master to more than a hundred servants, oversee countless tenants, outwit masters in their fields of expertise, and yet I can barely put together an intelligible sentence whenever I am near her?”
“You cannot use logic to plan love the same way you would design planting the estate, son!” his mother chided. She waited until he looked at her before saying, “You have little experience with matters of the heart.”
Mr. Darcy cleared his throat. “William, we are usually not permitted to reveal one’s Soul Mate, but in this instance, it was essential that we do so. In any other circumstances, we would have allowed your relationship to take its course naturally, but the High Priestess will need your protection soon.”
William’s entire stature changed as he visibly tensed. “Are you saying that Elizabeth is in danger?”
His father responded, “There are some who are what we refer to as Olc—the innately evil souls. They will hurt her by harming those she loves—offering to spare their lives to encourage her to cooperate with them. We do not know how, but George Wickham will be able to recognize Miss Elizabeth for who she is.”
“Wickham!” William growled. “How is he involved?”
“We only know that he is not the leader, and it is imperative that you find out who is.”
An icy shiver ran down William’s spine. “Is Elizabeth aware of any of this?”
“No, and we cannot tell her tonight,” his father responded. “She must perform the second half of the ritual to close the portal after the souls return to the Otherworld. You saw how involved the first part was; the second part is no less complex. After speaking to her grandmother this evening, she is distressed enough already. We cannot risk upsetting her any further by telling her this news. This is the only night that we can communicate with her directly. You will have to be the one to tell her, William.”
“But, sir, Elizabeth despises me! Why would she listen to me of all people?”
Lady Anne looked off in the direction of the bonfire. A few moments later, she nodded and turned back to her son. “Her grandmother has spoken to her, William. She is willing to begin again. If you can just be yourself with her, you are guaranteed success; she cannot help but fall in love with you. You must be aware of what it means to be Soul Mates, son. You are two halves of the same soul, like your father and I. When you are together in harmony it will make you both much stronger than you could ever be when apart. It is important that the two of you join together as soon as possible to combat the evil that Wickham is bringing to harm Miss Elizabeth.”
William closed his eyes before saying, “I cannot even find my tongue when I am near her.”
“You must, William!” Mr. Darcy replied forcefully.
William let out a sigh. “When will Wickham arrive in Meryton?”
“He will join the militia in a little more than a fortnight.”
William stood up to his full height. “All right, then. I have a fortnight to improve Elizabeth’s opinion of me. I will put myself in her way as often as possible and speak to her as honestly and openly as is permissible within polite society.” He hesitated for a moment as a wistful expression overtook his features. “I will enjoy every minute I am with her and hope I will be successful.”
“You will be, son. Of that we have no doubt,” his mother responded sweetly.
“Father, how do I defend her from these wicked ones? What methods of defence will work best against them?”
“Do not expect that they will follow the rules of society, or even the law, as would be your wont. You may need to work outside the rules of combat to defeat them.” Mr. Darcy offered. “You must send word to Pemberley immediately and have someone trustworthy bring the Sword that you have always admired. Do you remember when you were a little boy, I had explained that we were holding it for another? Throughout the ages, that Sword has been passed down to the Soul Mate of each High Priestess. Whenever a Soul Mate of the High Priestess dies, the head of our family acts as the Keeper of the Sword until the next Soul Mate is discovered. Before your mother and I passed on, we had no idea that the successor was to be you!
“The High Priestess is well-trained in the art of the legionary, currently known as swordsmanship. Call on your cousins Reginald and Richard for assistance. Tribal legionnaires work best in groups of five; your friend Bingley will be contacted tonight as well.
“You all can learn much from Mr. Bennet. When I taught you and your cousins, it was as an Immun—a weapons instructor for the Tribes—but in his role as the Lead Immun, Mr. Bennet will train you in the ancient ways much better than I ever could. He will fight by your side when the time comes.”
William had been surprised to hear Mr. Bennet was an expert weapons instructor, let alone that Elizabeth was well-trained in what he had always thought was a gentleman’s sport, but then he realized not much around him was as it had always seemed to be! “Why had you not told me about this while I was growing up? I had no idea…” he trailed off.
“I must apologize, son,” Mr. Darcy answered. “Those who are Destined Ones must be told earlier so they may be trained, but since the time of Great Evil several generations past, it has been common practice to wait until a child is of age to explain. We had taught you some of the ancient ways, such as longsword fighting, but as you know, by the time you neared the age, your mother was gone, and I had already had an apoplexy and was unable to speak clearly enough to explain it to you. Believe me when I say as I lay there ill in bed, not a day went by that I did not censure myself for not having told you when you were younger!
“As we are the end of the Darcy line, the task of explain
ing it all to you should have fallen to your Uncle Fitzwilliam, but he did not wish to follow the ancient teachings. When he came of age, he chose a different path, abandoning the old ways. As many others have done before him, he felt they had no place in the modern world. Your Aunt Catherine did not wish you to know for very different reasons.” His father paused and exchanged a knowing glance with his mother before continuing, “Since crossing over into the Otherworld, we have considered having others contact you. But you had so many other responsibilities thrust upon you at such a young age, we did not think you needed to know just then. Since we then knew you to be the Soul Mate of the High Priestess, we also understood that you would find out through Miss Elizabeth eventually. There was no way of our predicting that this would come.”
William nodded, looked thoughtful for a minute, and then his brow furrowed. “Mother, you say there is a second part of the ritual. I saw Elizabeth collapse after the first part and her grandmother caught her. Will that happen again?”
The Darcys looked to each other. His father shrugged his shoulders slightly and shook his head. Lady Anne replied, “We honestly do not know, William, but I imagine so. The Imol was an exhausting ritual to perform, and it is not nearly as complex as the Sanun. “
“The Imol? Of what do you speak, Mother?”
“When I was alive, I was the Priestess of Imol, William. Every year, I performed the ritual that provided protection for the people of the Tribes.”
“And Georgiana?”
“Georgiana is the Destined One, but she was too young to train when I passed. My mother said that Catherine and I, being identical twins, were both Heiresses, but I was the stronger of the two, and so I became Priestess. When I passed into the Otherworld, Catherine was the only one alive who could perform the ritual. My sister had always been jealous of my being chosen over her, especially since she was several minutes older than I, and she refused to train Georgiana. I am afraid she has not fulfilled her responsibilities well, dear, or you would not be called upon now to protect the High Priestess.”