“And she is beautiful, did you not say?” Mr Collins was beginning to drool at the thought of having a delightfully beautiful young lady to grace his bed. “Oh, she is nothing in comparison to my dear Jane, but she is considered to be very pretty by all the young men in the neighborhood. My girls are favorites at all the dances. Lizzy is prettier than Mary and Kitty, but my dear Lydia is far more adored for her liveliness and spirit. Jane is the most beautiful of all my girls, but we expect an announcement any day that Mr Bingley has asked for her hand. He is so very taken with our dear girl, and he is the wealthiest man in the neighborhood.”
“I cannot wait to meet my future bride. And you said, yesterday, that she is quite intelligent and well read. Does she enjoy reading sermons? It would be of great comfort to many of our elderly in the parish if my wife could attend them and, perhaps, read to them.”
“Well, sermons are not her favorites, but I am sure that we can instill the necessity of doing so. She will do as she is told, for if she does not, you are within your rights to discipline her. As your wife, Lizzy must obey your directions.”
“I look forward to keeping a strict household and, when necessary, disciplining her with my compassion, Mrs Bennet.” Mr Collins said as his thoughts were more aligned with ways of correcting his wife while in private.
~~ ** ~~ The next few days found Elizabeth hard at work, as the number of patients continued to grow. Darcy assisted with whatever duties he could, haul water or firewood, sitting beside one of the sick to offer comfort or to place cooling clothes on their forehead. Bingley kept everything organized, from deliveries of supplies to the arrival of new patients. Though scared of contracting the disease themselves, the staff at Netherfield performed the duties as they were asked.
Unfortunately, scarlet fever had no cure and all that could be done for those who were ill was to keep them comfortable. Mrs Long’s niece, a kind young girl who was only seventeen, died the day after she was brought to Netherfield. Later that day, one of the maids from the Long house also died. By the morning, two more people had perished.
Elizabeth was frightened for her father, as he was quite weak. Every spare moment she had was spent at her father’s side. She did not sleep, and barely ate enough to keep a bird alive. Darcy grew concerned.
As she was placing wet pieces of cloth on her father’s forehead to aid in cooling him down, Darcy came to her side. Her father appeared to be sleeping, perspiration on his face from the high fever. Darcy took hold of her hand, taking the cloth from her.
“Elizabeth, I will tend to your father. You need to rest and have something to eat. Mrs Gentry just sent up some meat and bread, and I believe there were some potatoes and fruit. You have not eaten for quite a few hours and I have not seen you sleep for nearly three full days and nights. If you do not take care, you will take ill yourself. What good would that do your father?”
“There is so much to do, William. I cannot rest while there is so much to do and so many people needing to be tended.” Darcy wrapped his arm around the young lady who held his heart. “Dearest, I cannot stand the thought of your taking ill. The thought of losing you tears at my heart. Please, Elizabeth, for my sanity, would you go to the sitting room across the hall. I overheard Mr Bingley stating food has been set out for everyone to partake. I want you to eat, and then sit down and rest for at least two hours.”
Elizabeth looked into the eyes of the gentleman before her. “If anything happens, anything at all, please send someone for me immediately.” Seeing the concern written in her beautiful eyes, Darcy nodded. “I promise you that I will.” Mr Bennet had not been sleeping, only resting his eyes and listening to his daughter and the mysterious Mr Darcy. As soon as he heard Elizabeth’s footsteps leaving the room, Mr Bennet opened his eyes. “Mr Darcy,” He whispered. “I believe we should have a discussion.”
Darcy felt guilty as he looked upon the father of the young lady he loved. “Forgive me Mr Bennet. I meant no disrespect to you in speaking so informally with your daughter. We had spoken the other day and Miss Elizabeth agreed to allow me to court her. She wished to keep the news quiet while we were getting to know each other better.”
“That explains a great deal.” Mr Bennet began to cough, his throat was scratchy and painful. Darcy quickly poured a glass of cool water and held it to Mr Bennet’s lips as his other hand aided the elder gentleman to lift his head from the pillow. After several sips of water, Mr Bennet continued. “I do not wish to be so forward, Mr Darcy, but I do not feel I have time to lose. I need to know what your intentions are with regards to my beloved daughter, Elizabeth.”
Darcy was amazed at the man’s speech. “I can honestly tell you that I find Miss Elizabeth to be the most charming, intelligent, beautiful young lady of my acquaintance. My intentions are to beg her to marry me. If I am so blessed, I will spend the rest of my life making her as happy as she makes me.”
A smile grew on Mr Bennet’s lips. “Good, good, I had hoped to hear this from you. I am certain that Mr Bingley cares for my Jane, but he is in no position to assist me. Mr Darcy, I need to ask you for the most important favor I have ever requested of anyone.”
Confusion was apparent in the way Darcy’s eyebrow arched. “You may ask me whatever you wish, Mr Bennet. If it is within my power to do so, I will.” Mr Bennet motioned for another drink before he spoke. “Mr Darcy, my health is failing, and the chances of my dying are great. No, no arguments, I am facing the facts. The problem is that my dearest daughter will be in danger from her mother if I were to die before my wife. Fanny has never liked Elizabeth, she resents that Lizzy is my favorite. When I am gone, Fanny will force Elizabeth to marry anyone she can find, no matter how foolish or cruel the man, simply to remove Elizabeth from her care. Also, she will do so to the highest bidder, for she will wish for money to support her and the other children. With my cousin here, visiting, and he is my heir, I fear Fanny will attempt to force a marriage between Mr Collins and Lizzy. The man is more foolish than his father. I have not set much back for the care of my family after I am gone. My dearest girl could be forced into an unfortunate marriage or worse, forced into some sort of work. If Lizzy is married before I die, it will protect her from my wife.”
“Sir, I would gladly marry Elizabeth this moment, but I do not believe you will need to worry about dying. I am sure that you will survive this illness.” “No, I need to make sure that Lizzy is protected. I will speak with her, make her understand. I will need you to send for my brother Phillips, in Meryton. He is a solicitor and will handle the paperwork. And we will need to send for the parson, Mr Littleton is near enough and would be able to perform the marriage quickly for us.”
“I will agree, but only if Miss Elizabeth agrees. I will not force her into a marriage. No matter if we are married or not, I will do all that I can to protect her if you should die.”
“But you will not have legal right to do so, Mr Darcy and it is nearly nine months until Lizzy turns one and twenty. We need to make it legal, for Lizzy’s sake.” Mr Bennet said, his voice scratchy and barely a whisper.
Darcy nodded his head and went to return Elizabeth to her father’s side. Elizabeth ran to the bed, afraid that her father was dying. “Papa, what is wrong? What can I do to help you? Please do not leave me.”
Mr Bennet brought his hand up and gently patted his most cherished daughter on the cheek. “Lizzy, I must ask you to listen to what I have to tell you and do as you are told. It is vital that you do as I tell you.”
“Papa, I will do whatever you wish, just stay with me.” “If I could, my dear girl, I would. But you and I both know my chances of surviving this illness are slim. Shhh, do not argue. I know the truth and if it is my time, the only regret I have is not being a better father to you and your sisters. Now, when I am gone, your mother will turn vicious. And it is you and your happiness that she will sacrifice. I have asked Mr Darcy his feelings for you, as I have overheard the way you talk to each other. It is obvious that you both have feelings for each
other. To protect you and keep you from your mother’s cruelty, I beg you to marry Mr Darcy, today, while I can still give consent. Mr Littleton can come to perform a small service, and your uncle could do the settlement paperwork. Mr Littleton would be kind enough, under the circumstances, to forgo the reading of banns and make the marriage legal. Without a marriage, you will be in danger when I am gone.”
“You will not be dying, Papa. There is no need to think like this.” Elizabeth said, wiping at the tears that were flowing freely down her cheek.” “Lizzy, you have seen for yourself the young, healthy people who have died in this room already. What do you think are my chances of recovering, with my weak heart?”
Elizabeth could not think of life without her father. She knew that he was correct, that his chances were very slight for recovery. And she knew that her mother would be far crueler than she had ever been. Mrs Bennet had told her second daughter of her dislike for Elizabeth, her desire to rid herself of the child she disliked was great. “Papa, Mr Darcy should not be forced to marry me to protect me. I could not force him into such a burden.”
“Elizabeth, I have told your father, and I will tell you the same. I care deeply for you, and am more than willing to marry you immediately. But I will only do so if you are willing, for I will not force you against your will. You will be protected all of your life by marrying me, I will allow no harm to come to you. And I will be of assistance to any of your sisters that need us to shelter them.”
“It is happening so fast. William, you would be forced to take care of me. Surely you would wish more time to think this through.” Elizabeth said, her eyes searching his.
“I knew, even before I asked to court you, you are the woman I will love for the rest of my life. There will be no other in my life. If you do not marry me, I will live the rest of my years alone, my heart broken into pieces. I love you, Elizabeth. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Elizabeth turned from her father to the man who had just proposed to her, and then back to her father. Was this a dream? Did Mr Darcy truly just ask me to marry him? Is Papa insisting that I marry Mr Darcy immediately?
Mr Bennet decided to break his daughter’s confusion. “Lizzy, I give your marriage my blessing. But it must be done immediately.”
Finally, Elizabeth turned her gaze back to Darcy. She took a deep breath and said “Yes, William, I will marry you.”
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Chapter 5 Darcy began sending out messages to request those needed to arrange the wedding. Mrs Bennet and the other Bennet sisters would not be able to attend the wedding, not even Jane could come down from her isolation in her rooms. Mr Bennet would see that it was done, with Mr Phillips overseeing the legalities. Bingley would stand as a witness, and Mr Phillips would be the other.
Mr Littleton made his way to Netherfield as quickly as his horse would carry him. He had baptized Elizabeth when she was a babe, and had always been fond of the young girl. Seeing the young lady that she had grown into always brought him joy. Once he learned that Mr Bennet’s health was poor, and the situation was dire for Elizabeth’s safety from her mother, Mr Littleton was more than happy to be of assistance. He issued a marriage license for the couple, and Mr Phillips drew up a temporary settlement. Mr Darcy promised to have a better settlement prepared as soon as he was able to speak with his solicitor in Town, and Mr Phillips would be able to sign those papers, if Mr Bennet was unable. In less than two hours from the time of his proposal, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy were joined as husband and wife.
Mr Bennet smiled as he kissed his daughter’s hand. “Now I may rest peacefully knowing, that if I do not wake, that your care is in safe hands. Mr Darcy, I welcome you as my son. I charge you with the task of always loving this most precious of gifts that I give you.”
“You have my word on that, Mr Bennet. You rest for a while and I will bring you some more broth when you wake. Which would you prefer, beef or chicken?”
“Mrs Gentry makes an excellent chicken broth. And I believe you have earned the right to call me Bennet.”
“And you may call me William, as your daughter and my family does. I will make sure that the chicken broth is ready for you when you wake.” ~~ ** ~~ The newlyweds had no time to celebrate their wedding; no wedding breakfast or wedding night could be had that day. Darcy took his bride to the sitting room for a few moments, where they shared a glass of wine. Placing a chaste kiss on his wife’s lips, Darcy spoke to her of the future.
“When this crisis is over, and your father is safe and sound at Longbourn, we will take a wedding trip anywhere you would like. Though this all happened so quickly, I do love you dearly.”
Elizabeth smiled at her husband. “I know you must be disappointed, it has not been the wedding of anyone’s dreams.” “You would be wrong on one issue. I married the lady of my dreams.” Darcy kissed her again. “Now, remain here and rest for a little while. I will tend to your father and the others. When you return, I will refresh myself.”
She nodded her head, realizing how tired she truly was. “I will not be long. Tell Papa that I will be back shortly.”
“Yes, Mrs Darcy. And do not forget to eat before you return to the ballroom.”
Darcy returned to his father in law’s bedside, thanking the man for his kindness.
“William, I am grateful for your loving my dear Lizzy. Treasure her always. And make sure that she knows how much I love her.” “You will be able to remind her yourself, as you will be recovering from this illness. Now, you need to take some broth and then rest. Mr Hale has just arrived and will be around to check on you shortly. Allow me to assist you with the broth.”
Darcy propped Mr Bennet up, fluffing the pillows behind the man. He held on to the invalid feeder, filled with chicken broth. Mr Bennet was able to take the majority of the broth, as well as some of the herbal tea that had been brewed.
As Darcy was aiding the elder man to lie back down on the bed, Mr Hale approached. “Ah, Bennet, I hear congratulations are in order for your family. You have finally gained a son. Where is our Lizzy?”
“Her husband insisted she rest and take some nourishment. He does not wish to see her become ill herself.” “He insisted and she did as she was told?” Mr Hale was impressed. “Mr Darcy, are you sure that you are not a magician? Miss Lizzy has never been cooperative when told to do anything. However did you manage?”
“I told her that I love her and that my heart would break if she were to take ill and leave me.”
Mr Hale laughed. “Good for you, my boy. I am pleased for you both. Now, let me see how you are faring, my old friend.”
After giving Mr Bennet a quick examination, Mr Hale turned to Darcy. “Has his fever been high?” “Yes, he had perspiration on his face earlier from the fever being so high. I have been able to persuade him to take broth and some of the tea that Mrs Gentry brewed up. He seems to be breathing easier as well.”
“Bennet, I believe your fever has broken. If I am not mistaken, you will begin the road to recovery now. I insist that you continue to listen to your son in law; you will need to take nourishment and drink fluids as much as possible. You will need all the strength you can get to continue to recover.”
“Are you sure?” Mr Bennet asked. He was shocked. “Bennet, you began to recover the moment Mr Littleton declared Elizabeth my wife. I do believe that the joy of knowing your daughter will be cherished and protected, the rest of her life, has given you the strength to fight the fever.”
It had not dawned on Mr Bennet that he was feeling slightly better. With the fever broken, his throat and the rash were the worst of his complaints. “You have aided in creating a miracle, William. You gave an old man the promise for the future.”
Darcy was torn between allowing his wife to sleep and waking her with kisses to tell her the wonderful news. He decided that she needed her sleep, they could celebrate the news later.
~~ ** ~~ A commotion was heard in the hall as two footmen carried a stretche
r towards the ballroom, with a furious Caroline Bingley shouting orders to them. “I will not be taken to that room. Those people are beneath me, and I cannot be placed in the same room with them. Take me to one of the upstairs bedchambers and have a nurse come to tend to me.”
Bingley came quickly from his study. “Caroline, I just received word that you had taken ill. I am afraid we will have to put you in the ballroom, with the others. There is no one to tend to you in private, you will have to accept what we have available at the moment.”
“Charles, how could you treat me in such a manner? I am to marry your best friend, what would he think of our family if he were to learn you forced me to be tended in a room full of sick servants and low born people?”
“Keep your voice down, Sister. You are not to marry Mr Darcy, and, even if you were, Mr Darcy is assisting in caring for those who are ill.” “Fitzwilliam is in the ballroom? Take me to him. I am sure I will recover more quickly with him seeing to my needs.” Caroline motioned her hand towards the footmen to take her to the ballroom.
Fortunately, Darcy was down the hall, resting, when Caroline was brought to a cot in the ballroom. Seeing Elizabeth Bennet nursing one of the sick, Caroline was seething. “That chit is not taking care of me. She tried to break up my engagement with Fitzwilliam, and I know she will not take proper care of me.”
“Have no fear, Sister, I will see to your care myself.” Bingley stated, knowing that it was useless to argue with his sister in this state.
~~ ** ~~ Mr Jeffers came to the door of the ballroom, searching for Darcy or Elizabeth. A missive had just arrived from Longbourn, and the stable boy who had brought it was awaiting a return message.
Finally spying Darcy, Mr Jeffers stepped towards him. “Sir, a young boy brought this message from the Bennet household, and is waiting in case there is a message to take back to his mistress.”
Netherfield Park Quarantined Page 4