“I thought I heard something breaking, and was coming to make sure all was well.” He frowned at the men with Mrs Firth. “Who are these men?”
“They be lookin’ for Jenny and Ruby, though they refuse to tell me why. Have you seen the girls?” Knowing Franklin was standing near the door to the sisters’ room, and that he realized something was wrong, Mrs Firth took a steadying breath. Franklin’s voice rose in volume. “I have not seen either Jenny or Ruby for several hours. I would have thought them be in the kitchen, helpin’ as they posed to do.”
“I was giving them an evening off, as there is not as much preparation to be done tonight. The dough is rising and porridge can wait until the morn.” Both knew the sisters would not be to work until sunrise, but the discussion was enough to alert each other of the problem, not to mention waking Jenny, if she was asleep, for she was a light sleeper.
Jenny woke her sister, placing a hand gently over her mouth so Ruby would not speak. Ruby’s eyes grew large with the voices outside their door. Jenny moved to the other bed, waking Elizabeth and Lucy. Fear was overwhelming Lucy even more than usual. She could not be moved by those in the room with her, as she remained stiff as a board on the bed. Quivers of fear raced through her body, spasms against the stone into which she had turned.
It was obvious that Elizabeth was not going to be able to escape with Lucy by her side. Thoughts flowed through her mind, finally settling on hiding Lucy under one of the beds, and Elizabeth causing the men to see her and follow after her, allowing the sisters time to move Lucy to safety.
Hearing Franklin shout at the men to release Mrs Firth and leave the school, Elizabeth knew she had to do something before anyone was injured. She opened the door a crack and saw that Franklin had moved closer to the men and the cook, and was now standing between the men and her. Moving quickly, Elizabeth dashed out of the door and down the hallway, praying the men would follow her and ignore Lucy’s absence.
Shouting ensued, and screams. Elizabeth feared for the safety of those who were protecting her, and she was prepared to stop when she heard a voice which she recognized, though she believed herself to be imagining it. He could not be here. Why would I think it is his voice?
Turning about, Elizabeth heard the sound of a pistol firing, screams, and of someone being struck repeatedly. She moved towards the skirmish, prepared to surrender, wishing to protect all who were innocent. Seeing a man in a red uniform, and several others, attempting to subdue the men who had kidnapped her and Lucy, Elizabeth noticed someone on the floor.
Quickly, Elizabeth moved to the person, who was lying on his side. Rolling his body so that she could see where he was injured, she took a quick gasp. I am imagining things, this cannot be true.
The man she had rolled over was none other than Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth was sure she had lost her mind in all the confusion, and that there was no reason for Mr Darcy to be at the school. She knew her life had been stressful, but could not determine why she would imagine Mr Darcy, of all people, to be her rescuer.
Two of the men who were struggling to subdue Caspen lost their grasp on the man, who was holding a knife in his hand. He plunged it into the arm of one of the men who was fighting him, and then grabbed hold of Elizabeth’s arm, pulling her with him as he backed down the hall, his knife held at her throat.
“Put the knife down.” The man in uniform growled. “And release the young lady.”
“If I do, you will kill me, so I think not. She will be my protection as I leave here.” Caspen sneered. “You will not be leaving here of your own free will. You will be accompanying your friend to the magistrate. But if you harm the young lady, I will save you the trouble and run you through here and now.”
The man was vaguely familiar to Elizabeth, somewhat favoring Mr Darcy. What is happening to me? First I imagine Mr Darcy on the floor, now I find this soldier is similar to Mr Darcy. I must be dreaming all of this. That is the only possibility. But why would I be dreaming of Mr Darcy?
Elizabeth was brought back to reality when she felt the knife’s blade scrape her neck as Caspen started to pull her backwards with him. Suddenly, she stumbled over something on the floor, feeling something wrap around her ankle. She screamed as fingers took hold of her ankle, and she fell to the floor. The blade of the knife cut along the top of her shoulder, as her body made its way down, finally landing in a heap on the floor. Caspen’s face registered fear as he watched the soldier advance on him, his sword in hand. The tip of the sword was soon plunging in the front of Caspen’s body, near the center of his chest. Collapsing, Caspen was shouting vulgarities as he landed on the floor near Elizabeth. There were other people moving in the hallway, servants from the school who had been awakened by the commotion and who came out of their rooms to determine what was happening.
Elizabeth felt herself being lifted from the floor in the arms of someone she had never seen before. The pain in her shoulder was great, and she knew she had been bleeding, as she could feel the wetness on her gown. She noticed the man who she thought to be Mr Darcy was being picked up by the soldier, while another man was coming from the bedchambers of Jenny and Ruby, carrying a bundled up Lucy. Elizabeth’s eyes grew heavy and she felt exhausted, even though she valiantly struggled to keep awake so she could learn who her rescuers were. The last thing she remembered was being carried outside and placed on a wagon. Then everything went black.
~~ ** ~~ Having received word from the Barkows as to where ladies had been taken, Darcy and his cousin led the men to the Bluecoat school. It was evening, and most of the occupants of the school had retired early, as was common for them. The use of candles throughout the building was only done when necessary, for candles were expensive. So it was common for the children and staff to keep to their rooms in the evening, and wake earlier in the day, utilizing the sunlight to illuminate the rooms.
The men made their way inside the building by way of the front doors, being directed by the servant to the head mistress’s office at the end of the hallway. Darcy allowed his cousin to carry the conversation with the lady, as he was far too anxious to make sense. He knew the men were still searching for Elizabeth, and he could not feel comfortable until he knew she was safe.
The head mistress was surprised to learn of the situation. “My staff know they are not to bring anyone from outside the school to their rooms. The situation you are describing is potentially dangerous, and I cannot tolerate such behavior in my school.”
“Mrs Langdon, I understand your concerns, but we do not wish to cause trouble for your staff. We are grateful for their kindness to the young ladies who were in need of assistance.”
“But they have broken our rules, so they will be terminated from their employment with us. I cannot allow such circumstances here.” Mrs Langdon declared.
“Then the servants will have employ through me, Mrs Langdon.” Darcy stated. “I will see they are compensated for their efforts and are provided with anoccupation which will treat them better than you.”
“Mr Darcy, I am not trying to be difficult. I am thinking of the welfare of the students who are under my protection. I cannot have servants disobeying the rules in such a manner.”
“That is not important at the moment. What is important is finding the ladies and moving them to safety.”
Mrs Langdon was displeased with the attitudes of the men before her. “Very well, let us go downstairs.” As the group reached the bottom of the stairs, they could hear Mrs Firth and Franklin speaking. Mrs Langdon was confused by what was being said, but Richard was instantly at the ready. His years of military service made his senses keen, and he was aware the men in the hallway with the servants were the very men who had kidnapped the ladies.
Richard and Darcy moved quickly behind the men and Mrs Firth, and a fight ensued. Hearing the sound of a pistol being fired, Richard saw his cousin wince and double over. He pulled his sword and held it tightly in his grip, as one of the villains took hold of Elizabeth’s arm and raised the knife t
o her throat. From the way the man spoke, Richard was certain he was the leader of the band of misfits, and the man would not go down without a fight. What the man did not think of was the fact that they had to step over the prone figure of Darcy, who was doing a tremendous imitation of being unconscious. When Elizabeth stepped over him, stumbling slightly, Darcy’s hand reached up and took hold of her ankle, pulling her down. Darcy hoped he was pulling her to safety, allowing his cousin to advance on the crook and finish off the blackguard.
With Caspen run through, Fred quickly
surrendered and was bound with rope which had been brought forward by Franklin. Richard ordered one of the men to collect Elizabeth from the floor, and another one to collect Lucy from the room. After lifting Darcy from the floor, Richard directed everyone out of the school and up to the wagons waiting for them. Everyone was loaded on the wagons, including Jenny and Ruby. The driver was urged to return to the Rose and Crown as quickly as possible, while the men who had come on horseback rode ahead, while one went in search of a physician to bring to the inn.
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 7 Hearing the commotion in the lobby, Mr Bennet and the Gardiners saw the men coming inside the inn, carrying some people, and escorting a pair of Negro girls who appeared to be younger than Mr Bennet’s “twin” daughters.
Suddenly, Mrs Gardiner recognized Darcy being carried by his cousin. “Mr Darcy, oh, Mr Darcy. Has he been injured?” She pleaded with the colonel.
“He was shot. We have sent someone for a physician.” Richard stated, looking at the trio who had come from the dining room. “How do you know Darcy?”
“I am Mrs Gardiner. I am the aunt of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
A frail voice was heard from behind Richard. “Aunt Helen.” Richard turned to allow Elizabeth’s family to see her, being carried inside the inn by one of the men. Seeing the amount of blood on her clothing struck terror in the hearts of her family.
Mrs Gardiner moved towards the man carrying Elizabeth. “How badly was she injured?” “A cut on her shoulder. We did not take much time to inspect it, as we wished to remove everyone from the location we was at. She has lost blood and I think that be why she is weak.”
“Lizzy, we are here for you. Your uncle and your father are here. We will see you recovered soon enough. Let us take you to our rooms.” Mrs Gardiner led the way for the man to carry Elizabeth up the stairs. Richard carried Darcy to the room down the hall, which Darcy had been using since their arrival in Liverpool.
Mr Bennet and Mr Gardiner went to the Gardiner’s rooms, leaving Mrs Gardiner to assist her niece. Lucy and the sisters were taken to another guest room, and tea was requested for them. The innkeeper and his wife were kept busy over the next few hours, as requests were made of hot water, toweling, bedding, rooms, food, drinks, and more were requested for many of the guests of their establishment. Knowing the importance of the Darcy name, the innkeeper was willing to do whatever was needed to be of assistance to the guests. No request was denied, and the inn was soon filled to capacity with Darcy’s party and the Bennet/Gardiner party.
The physician arrived and was shown to Darcy’s room first. The wound Darcy received was not nearly as bad as it had first appeared, having passed clear through Darcy’s shoulder. Once cleaned up, and stitched closed, the physician gave the Master of Pemberley a dose of laudanum and insisted rest was the best treatment for the young man. If Darcy did not take a fever, he would be able to travel within a fortnight.
Entering the room which had been for Mr Bennet, the physician inspected Elizabeth’s wound. “Well, it is somewhat deep, but not too deep. You have done a good job cleaning it up. And you used some spirits on the wound itself. Good, good. It will help against infection. From what I was told, I doubt the knife was very clean. I will stitch the wound and give you some herbs to assist with keeping down a fever. When she wakes, we will need to see if there is any damage to her nerves or muscles. Otherwise, the greatest concern is for infection. She has lost much blood, so she will be weak for a while. A fever could be dangerous.”
When his patients were both tended and fast asleep, the physician left the inn, stating he would return the following day to check on them.
~~ ** ~~ Elizabeth woke late in the night. She was in pain, and very sleepy, yet she was attempting to discover where she was.
“Lizzy, my dearest girl, go back to sleep.” Elizabeth heard her father say.
“Papa, I have had the strangest nightmare. Did I cry out and disturb you?” Mr Bennet shook his head as he knelt beside the bed where his daughter lay. “No, my dearest, we are in Liverpool. You were injured tonight, and the physician has tended your wounds. We can speak more in the morning, for you need to sleep.”
“Liverpool? What are we doing in Liverpool?” Elizabeth’s eyes grew round as she looked about the room. “Are you telling me that it was not a
nightmare?”
“If you mean you were truly kidnapped and escaped the villains, you were living a nightmare rather than sleeping through one.”
“But, in my dream, Mr Darcy was there.” “He is in his room, down the hall.” Mr Bennet said as his hand brushed his daughter’s hair back from her face.
Elizabeth was wide awake. “Mr Darcy, the gentleman from Derbyshire, the one who visited with Mr Bingley at Netherfield. You are telling me Mr Darcy is, in fact, here?”
“Yes, Lizzy. Mr Darcy learned of your being kidnapped and had come after you. It is due to him and his cousin that you were rescued tonight. They discovered where you were and arrived in time to keep you from the hands of the scoundrels who were attempting to recapture you.”
“But why? Why would Mr Darcy go to so much trouble? He does not even like me. Did he feel he owed me after I assisted him in Hyde Park?”
“I do not know of what you are speaking.” Mr Bennet was frowning. “All I know is Mr Darcy came to your uncle’s home and spoke with your aunt. He then left London and arrived in Derbyshire, at his estate. When he learned from your aunt’s friend of the robbery and kidnapping from the post carriage, Mr Darcy and his cousin, who is a colonel in the regulars, set out to find you.”
“Mr Darcy has never looked upon me without showing his dislike of me. Why would he go to such trouble?”
“Your aunt does not believe he dislikes you, even after I told her of his saying you were not handsome enough to tempt him. Helen is certain that you are mistaken by his words. But we have plenty of time to discuss the matter tomorrow. You need to sleep, so you can heal.”
Elizabeth’s eyes were beginning to sag and she was having a difficult time keeping a clear thought in her mind. She fell asleep, holding her father’s hand, with a smile on her face.
~~ ** ~~ “We will need to stay here tonight, Mrs Bennet. The carriage wheel needs to be repaired and they said it would take some time before it is ready. At least this is a comfortable inn.” Mr Leland stated. He was beginning to think the trip was more than he had bargained for. The only reason he had gone to such extremes was the fact that Elizabeth Bennet was one of the prettiest young ladies he had ever met, and he wished to have her decorate his arm.
“Well, if there is nothing which can be done, I guess we will have to stay here. Are there rooms enough for all of us? Lydia and Jane can share a room if necessary.”
Mr Leland was aware that Mrs Bennet expected him to pay for their lodgings, as she had with their meals and all the other expenses which had been incurred. He continued to remind himself that the reward for having to endure the likes of Fanny Bennet was the delicious morsel her daughter was. He had gone to sleep many a night, with visions of what he would do to Elizabeth Bennet, after she was his wife.
“There are only two rooms available, Mrs Bennet. You will be required to share with your daughters.” “Well, that is not to be tolerated. An important man, such as yourself, should be treated better. You should complain.”
“I have, Mrs Bennet, and they told me there is nothing they can do about the situation. The
only alternative is if you wish to sleep in the stables, with the horses.”
“Mr Leland, how unkind of you to even jest in such a manner.” Mrs Bennet became irritated. “Well, if there is no alternative, then we will have to make due. We will require extra bedding, for Jane to sleep on the floor.”
He turned away from Mrs Bennet as he rolled his eyes. Once Elizabeth and I are married, I will insist she have nothing to do with her mother. I will not have that hag in my home. Nor will I have that youngest daughter, she is just like her mother.
~~ ** ~~
As sunlight began to pour into his room, Darcy woke with a start. “Elizabeth. Where is she?” “Wills, calm yourself. Miss Elizabeth is in her father’s room, down the hall.”
“Was she injured? Is she well?” Richard knew his cousin to be much like a dog with a bone when he put his mind to it. “She was injured, but the physician has been here to tend both of you. I spoke with her father only a few moments ago. Mr Bennet stated his daughter woke a few times during the night, though she slept most of the time. And she has taken some broth and tea this morning.” “How severe is her wound?”
“She was cut, at the top of her shoulder. The main worry is the blade was most likely filthy and could lead to infection. The other concern is if there was damage to the muscles and nerves. The physician will be here soon to see how you are both doing, and he will know more than I do.”
“If necessary, send to Town for the best surgeon for her. I insist she have the best care possible.” Darcy was still agitated.
“If there is a need, the physician will tell us. And if he does, I will do as you command. We will see that Miss Elizabeth has all the care she needs. Now, I will send for a tray to be brought up for you. Do you wish broth, or some eggs and bread?”
“Eggs and bread would be preferable. And a cup of coffee, if possible.” “It is possible, as I have already enjoyed a cup this morning.” Richard smiled. “I will send an express to Pemberley today, informing Georgiana that we have recovered Miss Elizabeth to her family, and that we will need to remain here for a short duration for her to recover. It will do no good for your sister to fret and worry over your injury, so I will leave it for you to tell her when you return to Pemberley.”
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