“I do not know,” she admitted. “I do not know what to tell you.”
“I know.” Richard’s face was grim. “I had my suspicions by your response when Darcy and Elizabeth went missing. You were so sure he was with Anne without even checking her room to discover if she was there. And you seemed more shocked by the number of men who had taken part rather than it happening at all. You were so set on Darcy proposing to Anne on this visit. Admit it, Aunt Catherine. You arranged something, did you not? You wished to force Anne and Darcy into a compromising situation so he would have to propose to her. But it did not work. Instead, Elizabeth and Darcy were forced together, and now they are the ones who must marry. I knew it was too much of a coincidence that so many people were here to witness it when you were so determined on a proposal.”
Darcy stared at his aunt in horror as she shrunk back against the chair.
“What have you done, Aunt?” he demanded. “Is this true? Did you arrange with this criminal to force myself and Anne to marry? No, surely you would not even stoop this low.”
“He wasn’t supposed to have a gun,” Lady Catherine cried. “I did not expect that. I thought it would only be one man and he would take a few trinkets and lock you and Anne up for the night. Then, you could finally marry and stop all this dragging your feet. I tried to take the decision out of your hands so you could finally be together. It was the best thing to do.”
“And you did not think of the consequences? Of how terrifying the ordeal would have been to Anne as it was to Elizabeth?”
Lady Catherine looked scornful. “That lady is afraid of nothing. She does not have the delicacy.”
Darcy glared at her. “Well, I suppose I must thank you for one thing. Your meddling forced me to make a step I had long wanted to make. I was on my way to propose to Elizabeth when your friend interrupted us. You forced me to do what I had already determined on doing. Anne and I were never going to marry except in your delusions.”
“In fact,” said Richard. “I will marry Anne. So you see, Aunt, you will still gain a nephew as a son-in-law after all. Unfortunately, it is the one without an estate.” He smiled sardonically.
Lady Catherine half rose from her chair. There was a curious look on her face.
“You are to marry Anne? My Anne is to marry?”
“Yes, she is. To a man she loves and who loves her. I do not have Darcy’s fortune, but Anne and I will have a true match as husband and wife should.”
Lady Catherine sat down again. She swallowed and her eyes filled with tears though she did not cry.
“My Anne…” she began.
“Is thriving now she is out from under your influence,” said Richard getting into stride. “She is well. Her headaches no longer plague her, and she is growing stronger and more beautiful day by day. You tried to keep her weak so she could not leave you. So you could have someone to dominate and control to make yourself feel powerful. And now the price you pay is you have lost her.”
“Easy, Richard,” Darcy murmured, laying a restraining hand on his arm. He agreed with all he said, but something about the shrunken sight of Lady Catherine made him loathe to attack her too severely. Richard relented, but his chest still heaved with all he wished to say.
“I am not sure why we should help you,” he added. “This mess is your doing. You have dragged both of us away from our brides to save you from the consequences of your selfishness.”
Darcy could not argue with Richard there. When he recalled Elizabeth waking up in terror that the men his aunt paid might come back again, combined with his inability to speak with her before he left for Kent to clean up Lady Catherine’s mess, he was of a mind to leave his aunt to her own devices. She might learn her lesson.
But as he looked at Lady Catherine’s pale, lined, and fear filled face, he suspected she had learned her lesson already. She looked utterly defeated. Darcy sighed.
“Richard and I will help you. But after this, you will interfere in our lives no more. You will respect our marriages, and you will never again try to dominate Anne. Have we made ourselves clear?”
Respect his marriage? Would he even have a marriage after all this was over?
Darcy recalled the letter he found among his other mail. His heart had lifted when he realised it was from Elizabeth, only to crash again when he read her words.
Did she really not want him near her? He could not deny the fairness of her accusations, no matter how much they hurt to read. He had made a terrible mistake in separating Jane and Bingley, but to know she dreaded the thought of spending her life with him was agonising. He had a sinking feeling that something had gone amiss in Bingley’s proposal to Jane. Why else would Elizabeth have written to him in such anger? Perhaps Bingley had changed his mind about marrying Jane after all? Darcy could not believe that, but he could not understand why Elizabeth would have written such a letter otherwise. He could only pray she would allow him to explain everything and hope she would forgive him.
He could not think about it now. He tore his attention back to his aunt.
“Do we make ourselves clear, Aunt Catherine?” he repeated.
“Yes,” said his aunt in a voice so quiet, her nephews could hardly hear her. Darcy nodded. He glanced at Richard.
“I suppose we should prepare for our night then.”
Richard checked his pistol, then nodded to Darcy.
“I suppose we must.”
Chapter 34
As Elizabeth hurried towards Hunsford Lodge, the sky darkened. Evening was drawing in, and clouds gathered overhead. She looked up at the sky in dismay and flinched as the first drops pelted her face. Early summer rain could be torrential. She would be soaked through by the time she arrived at Charlotte’s door, and there was every chance the rain would chase Mr Collins into the house where there would be some awkward questions.
There was one other place for her to take shelter, and though the thought of being there alone filled her with dread, Elizabeth did not see how she had any other choice.
The door of the cottage was still open, and she hurried inside. She pulled the cap from her head before the damp could soak through to her hair. She rummaged in her pocket and drew something she had hidden there on her journey.
The little gold ring that had once belonged to Darcy’s mother. Elizabeth pressed it to her lips then placed it on her finger. She sighed as she looked at it. She missed Darcy so much it was almost a physical ache. She never thought it would be this difficult to be away from him, but she felt like she’d lost a limb. And being in this cottage did not make her longing for him any easier.
That was where she and Darcy slept in that corner over there. Where he held her while she was afraid. How could she not know then what sort of man he was? It should have been plain to her. A man who was cold and unfeeling towards others would not have treated her the way he did with such kindness and gentleness. He loved her then, and she had no idea. She must have pained him when she told him how much she disliked him, never suspecting he did not return those feelings. How he had kept silent for all that time, patiently hoping to win her heart while she nursed all the lies Wickham had told her about him to herself, thinking him the worst man she had ever known.
Clouds grew heavier overhead. Those early summer storms could be long-lasting. Elizabeth had nowhere else to go. There was no place for her to take shelter except in here. She sat on the floor with her back against the wall, wrapping her arms around her legs and waiting for the rain to stop.
The rain made the sky darken early. She shivered and not just with cold. If the rain did not stop, would she spend another night here? This time alone and wondering if she could win Darcy back, or even if she would ever see him again? It was not a pleasant prospect.
Elizabeth tensed as she heard a noise outside. Because the rain was so loud, it was almost on her before she realised it and she rose to her feet, her heart pounding.
But even as she anticipated seeing Darcy, her excitement melted away. Why would Darcy c
ome here during a storm? He would have no reason for setting out in such weather. No-one would.
Before she could do anything or find a place to hide - which there wasn’t - the door opened, and a man rushed inside, shaking his head and cursing as he shook the drops from his hair. Elizabeth moved back sharply, and he looked up when he heard the sound. He froze when he saw her, taking in her men’s clothing. His eyes travelled up. Free from its cap, her dark curls fell loose around her shoulders. He took a step towards her then stopped. Elizabeth eyed him warily, noticing his short but powerful build and those cold brown eyes…
Recognition hit them at the same time.
“What is going on?” the man snarled. He pulled a pistol from his belt. Elizabeth tensed and pressed herself harder to the wall. “Why are you here? Why did they send you instead?”
“Excuse me?” Elizabeth stared at him, terror falling over her as she struggled to think straight. “No-one sent me. I was taking shelter from the rain. Leave, and you can be far away. No-one will find you.”
The man laughed. “I am not leaving. I came here to wait for my money, and I am not leaving without it. I suppose they think you will distract me, eh? Very ungallant for them to send a woman instead.”
“I don’t understand what you are talking about.” Elizabeth gritted her teeth. She struggled to take a deep breath, easier to do without her confining corset. It helped her calm down. “Whatever purpose you have here is nothing to do with me, and as you see, I have no more on me to give you. You had best be on your way.”
The man continued to stare at Elizabeth in a way that left her feeling cold. He scratched his chin as he looked her up and down appraisingly.
“I suppose it worked, did it? You are engaged to his lordship now?”
Elizabeth looked at him in confusion. “I am engaged but what do you mean it worked? What are you talking about?” Perhaps if she kept him talking long enough, someone would pass by. Some crofter or hunter or tenant of Rosings Park. Someone who could help her. But her heart sank as he moved and the pistol caught her eye. No, if anyone came to her aid, he would shoot them in a moment. She could not expect someone to risk themselves. If she were to get out of this situation, she would need to think of a way to do it herself.
“The old woman up at the hall.” He waved his pistol vaguely in the direction. “She wanted her daughter engaged to that man, her nephew.” He grinned at her. “Well, this works out better again. I was generous in the little I asked of her. Now I have her daughter and the betrothed of that proud lord, I can ask for much more.” He pointed the pistol towards her. “You will come with me.”
“I will not.” Elizabeth fixed him with a stare, determined to discover how serious he was before obeying him. He clicked the pistol and pointed it right between her eyes. Alright, she was willing to concede he was serious. She swallowed and walked towards him. Something caught his eye, and he grinned. He grasped her hand before Elizabeth could stop him and held it up where Darcy’s gold ring glinted in the light.
“This will convince his lordship I have you,” he said. “Hand it over, if you please.”
Elizabeth hesitated. The man heaved an exaggerated sigh.
“You can hand it over, or I can remove it myself. And I don’t think you’d like that too much.”
Elizabeth glared at him even as her stomach dropped at his implied threat. She pulled the ring from her finger and pushed it towards him. He nodded as he pocketed it, grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the sodden woods.
“We could not have waited until this has passed?” Elizabeth yelled as they were both soaked through at once.
“We could, but I want you elsewhere before my money arrives. Then, I can ask for more.”
He pushed Elizabeth ahead of him, making sure she knew he had the pistol on her at all times as if she was likely to forget. She walked on through the soaking woods, her teeth chattering with cold. She was willing to own this was not the best idea she had ever had.
“Where are you taking me?” she shouted over the rain as the storm crashed overhead.
“Never you mind. Walk on.”
Elizabeth stumbled on the muddy paths but she admired how much easier it was in her clothes. No wonder men ruled everything when they could move about freely, not hampered by long skirts and confining cages around their torsos, making it difficult for them to breathe.
The man paused at a few points and seemed confused about where he was. Elizabeth had explored these woods extensively throughout her time here and knew them like the back of her hand. A surge of hope went through her as she recognised his confusion. He did not know where he was, but she did. If she could escape him, she could find a hidden path to Rosings for help while the man wheeled about in confusion. If only she could escape his pistol…
There was a small lake nearby, and the man stumbled in that direction, cursing as the rain blinded him. Elizabeth’s mind worked fast. He was stronger than her, but his footing was unsure. He was not as accustomed to exploring as she. As soon as they walked along the edge of the lake, along a low cliff, she made as if to stumble. The man reached for her, and as he did, she twisted out of his grasp and shoved him as hard as she could into the water.
Without waiting to see what happened to him, she raced back into the woods as fast as she could, keeping beneath the trees where the way was drier. Now, if she could get to Rosings before he could get very far, Darcy would take him to the magistrate. The clothes freed her to run faster than she was accustomed to and despite her fear, she relished the sensation. The man had led her some distance in the opposite direction of Rosings, and if she were to reach there and bring Darcy back before the man escaped, she would have to be fast.
Chapter 35
The rain had died down to a steady drizzle. Elizabeth heard a voice and paused for a moment, her heart hammering. Was that the thief pursuing her? If only she had taken the time to see if she could grab his pistol when he fell. The voice came again, joined by another. The wind still lashed through the trees, but she would know that voice anywhere.
Darcy.
Her heart swelled, and she started towards him when a shot rang out. Elizabeth froze then picked up speed to run in their direction.
The thief emerged through the trees, his pistol trained on them.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
“Where is who?” Darcy asked.
“The girl. She pushed me and ran. Where is she?”
“I do not understand what you are talking about.”
Darcy sounded so confused, the man evidently believed him. Elizabeth emerged above them and sank down among the trees out of view where she could see everything. The man had the pistol pointed at Darcy and Fitzwilliam. He walked towards them, forcing them to back away.
“I have her,” he lied. “I found her in that cottage, and I have her locked away. I will expect more money if you are to see her again.”
“Who are you talking about?” Darcy snapped.
“Lady Catherine’s girl. The one you were with that night.”
Darcy stared at him, his face incredulous. He laughed.
“Don’t be ridiculous. She is far away from here, nowhere near Kent.”
“Is she?” The man held up something small that glinted in the weak light. The ring Darcy gave her in London. The one his mother had owned. “Then how did I come by this?”
Darcy stared at it and with a cry, he lunged towards the man. Richard pulled him back as the man raised his pistol.
“I do not know what she was about, but she was in that cottage. I took her with me because I saw an opportunity for more money. Did you bring me what I asked for already?”
“It is impossible. You found the ring some other way. She could not be here.”
“Oh, she’s not here now. But she was, and dressed most peculiarly for the future wife of such a distinguished gentleman. But are you prepared to take the chance I am lying while I have your lady love locked away? Come on, you know deep down there is no
other way I could have this ring. I’ll ask you again; where is my money?”
Darcy gritted his teeth. “It is in the cottage. I suggest you go there for it at once.”
“You will come with me,” said the man. “I will lock you there and send word so someone can let you out once I am away. And I will send instructions for more money if you ever want to see your pretty miss again.” He chuckled. “My, my. Locked up with you and then kept away with me. She is all but ruined now, isn’t she? Perhaps there is no need to preserve her virtue at this rate. Perhaps she is not worth any amount of money I can ask for her. Surely you will not want to buy her back? No-one will see her as anything other than what she is. She might make me a fine companion — for a while, at least.”
Richard had to struggle to hold Darcy back although he looked as if he would cheerfully strangle him himself.
“You won’t touch her,” he snarled.
The man shrugged. “That is up to you. If you value her, you will get the money as soon as possible. If not…” he shrugged. “A man has his needs after all, and this kind of life can get lonely. Now, you will throw your weapon away, sir. Come, I see the outline. Throw it away, or I will get my shot in first and then where will poor Miss de Bourgh be? Utterly at my mercy and I am not known for my chivalry. Throw it.”
Elizabeth sank to the ground on her belly and watched as Richard removed the pistol from his jacket. He flung it into the undergrowth. The man hesitated and looked as if he were debating retrieving it but decided they were unarmed enough to satisfy him. He nodded.
“Now, turn around if you please and walk on.”
The two men turned and walked. Even at that distance, Elizabeth could see the rage and hopelessness in their faces.
When they were gone, she climbed down, slipping and sliding as she went. She rushed to the undergrowth and found Richard’s pistol. It was loaded. Elizabeth knew a little about guns. Her father sometimes shot on their lands, and he had taught Elizabeth how to handle one. Elizabeth did not enjoy them, but she knew how to use one. She held it low and slipped among the trees as she followed the three men back to the cottage.
Trapped at Rosings Page 23