by Anne Louise
Darcy put the letter down and caught his breath. He was certain that the older man wished to kill him, but now he understood why the same man wanted to kill Wickham. Just as important, he now understood why Wickham felt he had to kill the man before the man killed him.
What a disgusting mess this has all been. Now things are falling into place. After her father died, the young woman whom Wickham raped went to live with her aunt and uncle. She had lost her mother a year earlier. The girl was pregnant and before she could deliver, Mrs. Stone took sick and died, leaving Mr. Stone alone to help her and he alone dealt with all this tragedy and could not save his niece nor her baby. Mr. Stone was now on a mission to take his revenge out on George Wickham and me.
Mr. Blackman wrote that he had also sent a letter to Mr. Adams and Mr. Jennings indicating that a coroner’s inquest would be held the next day and the results would be sent to Mr. Adams in preparation for the trial for kidnapping. So far, the magistrates had been quiet about the kidnapping and most papers had adopted a policy of not reporting on kidnappings of the rich, but soon things would likely change. The papers would not print such stories for fear that others might choose to commit the same crime, but Darcy’s kidnapping was without precedent. Because the two men who kidnapped him were now dead, this meant that any trial would be held without the kidnappers present, thus diminishing the spectacle of a trial.
Darcy next left to visit the Gardiners to deliver to the family the late Christmas presents that Mr. Bennet had given him. It was no surprise to learn that their cousin was also visiting. Mr. Gardiner was at work as Darcy and his sister entered and Mrs. Gardiner invited them for tea. They accepted but Georgiana did not stay long, preferring to visit the children whilst her brother visited with Mrs. Gardiner.
“How was your visit with the Bennets, Mr. Darcy?”
“Thank you for asking, but the visit went quite well. Mr. Bennet asked me to bring some things back that he intended to give to you at Christmas, and here is a letter he has written to Mr. Gardiner.”
“Thank you, I will put this away until he returns.”
“Everyone was well and it was a good break after the business of the kidnapping. Georgiana especially enjoyed meeting the other sisters. She was eager to see the children and learn if our cousin and Miss Jane Bennet are seeing each other.”
“He is upstairs now and they are playing with the children. Your cousin visits Jane often and they take the children on brief outings later in the day when it warms up. They just returned before you arrived. It looks as if things are getting serious.”
“I hope this is not too interrupting to your daily routine?”
“It is not. The children often ask about him and your sister. For myself, watching Jane and your cousin brings back memories of Edward and I when we first met. It was a magical time in our lives.”
“Lizzy said you might ask her father if he would agree to you and her entering a courtship?”
“I did ask him and he approved. It was odd, I think he anticipated that I would ask him to approve of an engagement.”
“That will come, but you are following script. As for Jane and your cousin, they are very much in love. She no longer has to ask for her father’s approval but has written to her mother and has told her of her feelings for Colonel Fitzwilliam. She is not worried about marrying a soldier and will go anywhere he goes.”
Darcy was not surprised and was certain his cousin had decided to marry. His learning that Jane would marry his cousin even though he could be sent in harm’s way told him that his cousin had chosen wisely. At least he would be in town for a few months. They would become engaged and later, after his brother died, he would leave the army. Darcy wondered if his cousin had told his parents and his brother. They would be happy to see their second son married.
He visited briefly with the others before returning to Darcy House. Two days later Mr. Adams, joined by Mr. Jennings arrived at Darcy House and the three men went directly to the study.
“Darcy, we have made much progress. We found where Wickham and Mr. Stone were before they left to kidnap you.”
CHAPTER 7
Mrs. Pierce pulled the curtains to let in the little sunlight that had been seen over the last few days. It had been an ugly time in town with a cold rain and drizzle accompanied by fog, though inside Darcy’s room the heat of the fire made the room comfortable.
Doctor Williams was attending to Darcy and greeted the young woman when she arrived after taking the early morning coach.
“Doctor, what has happened to Mr. Darcy? Can I see him?”
“Miss Bennet, I am glad to see you. Did Georgiana write to you about her brother?”
“No, but I received an express from my sister, Jane, late last night and she told me that Mr. Darcy was in a coma. I hurried to get here as soon as I could.”
He walked with her into Darcy’s room. Darcy was a large man, well proportioned, and was physically in excellent shape. He was lean and strong and stood over six feet and possessed strong arms and shoulders, but in such a large room, with large manly furniture, he seemed small. Elizabeth watched him closely to see his chest move under a labored breath.
“He has not regained full consciousness since he arrived home after visiting with his friend, Mr. Bingley.”
Other than Darcy, they were the only two in the room that moment, so the doctor explained.
“Georgiana said that he had been feeling weak ever since he returned from Longbourn and that he was trying to contain a head cold. Yesterday he joined his friend for lunch at White's Club when he suddenly passed out after sipping a little soup and he collapsed onto the floor. He was next brought to Darcy House and I was summoned.”
“It sounds like he has pneumonia, is that what you believe?”
“Yes, Miss Bennet, he does have it, but there is more. I believe he may have been poisoned.”
The look on Elizabeth’s face was one of terror and she searched for what she could say. “Then he must have been given poison at some other place if he barely had anything to eat whilst with his friend? Did Mr. Bingley also become ill?”
“No, they ordered the same food, but Mr. Darcy also had ordered soup and his friend did not and he had but a sip of soup.”
“But can poison act so quickly as to kill a person with but a minuscule amount taken?”
“Yes, apparently there are such poisons, but we do not know if that is the case. Other than the sip of soup, which his friend said Darcy burnt his tongue on, neither man ate anything before he collapsed. Mr. Darcy had only eaten at Darcy House and he and Georgiana had eaten the same food.”
“Then one must believe the poison was put into the soup and it likely was added just before it was served. At least he has not died. You know, his coming down with pneumonia probably saved him? He likely did not swallow but a little bit before passing out and collapsing. In this case, it was also fortunate that the soup was so hot.”
“Miss Bennet, I am inclined to agree with you. Often times it is the little things that are so important. He has remained in the state you see him in since we put him in his bed.”
“It is hard to believe the man is so weak. He must be very exhausted and has recently been through a lot, and there is still more to come.”
“Yes, Mrs. Pierce told me of the kidnapping. I am certain this all weighs heavily on his mind.”
“Has Mr. Bingley visited since then?”
“Mrs. Pierce told me that he mostly visits every day.”
“What can I do, sir?”
“Stay near to him and watch him. He may be in a coma temporarily, but still may be able to discern that you are near him. Grasp his hand and gently talk to him.”
“Will the poison gradually kill him?”
“I do not think so, for he would have died nearly immediately, but there is a lot going on in his body with having to fight pneumonia and the poison. At least he is getting some rest and we are trying to keep his lips moist and try and prevent dehydration. You have s
een the kettles we are using to provide moisture to the room?”
“Yes, I did notice them.”
“I will leave now, Miss Bennet, but will return this evening. If you need me, Mrs. Pierce knows how to reach me.”
“As he left, Georgiana came inside and greeted Elizabeth.”
“Thank you for coming, Elizabeth. I thought my brother would die. Will he live?”
“Only God knows what will happen, but I believe he will get better soon.”
“Jane must have written to you. Our cousin arrived just after my brother was brought in and left after Doctor Williams arrived to go and tell Jane. Thank you so much for coming right away. I was afraid to send for you so soon. You have already done so much.”
“But you must never hesitate to contact me in an emergency. Like yourself, I also feel that my place at these times is with both of you. I feel as if I am your sister. Have you had much sleep?”
“No, Elizabeth, I got little sleep last night.”
“Then let me watch him alone and you must rest? I will come and get you if needed, but you will feel better after some rest.”
“Thank you, Elizabeth, I will go and lay down. Mrs. Pierce or other servants will be nearby.”
She was now alone with Darcy but a maid set just outside the door in case she was needed. Suddenly it was eerily quiet as she pulled up a chair to the bed on the side Darcy slept on. Though he was the strong and handsome man she knew him to be, she now saw the boy in him. If he lived, they would marry, perhaps in a double ceremony with Jane and his cousin. They would have a large family and the first born would be a boy and he would look like her husband. He would grow up at Pemberley and her present family would love to visit them both in Derbyshire as well as in town. Her father would enjoy the library and teaching her children just as he had done with her.
Elizabeth had often regretted not having a brother, but with sons of her own and a daughters as well, she could watch what her life might have been like if she had a brother.
She thought of her trip to town earlier and how the trip seemed slow, but the coach made good time and there had been only two people who travelled with her, and both got off before the coach arrived in town. The weather in Hertfordshire was not much different from town and she was in an awful mood and had to fight the thoughts of doom and gloom. Now, sitting next to Darcy and whispering his name and talking as though he could hear her every word, she had a growing optimism that he would awaken soon. At times she would gently squeeze his lands and tickle his fingers and ask him to squeeze her hand if he could hear her.
Jane and Mrs. Gardiner arrived a couple of hours later and visited with her. It was at this time that Jane said that Colonel Fitzwilliam had proposed to her and she had accepted. Jane also said her mother had informed her in an earlier letter that Mr. Bennet would likely accept both marriages but wished time to tell others that the two sisters had been courting the gentleman. Mrs. Bennet wrote back to Jane and told her she would tell Mrs. Phillips about the courtships and suggested that Elizabeth and Jane might later travel back to Longbourn with Darcy and his cousin. After they had visited a couple of days at Longbourn and Meryton, her father would announce their engagements.
Things were all happening too quickly for Elizabeth to digest. Darcy lay near death and might not survive, but Jane was more optimistic than her sister. Jane next asked if she was tired after receiving the letter late the night before and Elizabeth told her she was awake most of the night and only caught brief naps during the trip.
Jane could see her sister was exhausted and said she would stay with Mr. Darcy while Elizabeth got some rest. Jane stayed and Mrs. Gardiner said she would send a carriage for her at four that afternoon as Elizabeth fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Two hours later Georgiana awoke to find Jane watching Darcy and learning that Elizabeth was taking a nap.
“Jane, I will take this next watch. Has my brother stirred even a little?”
“No, Georgiana, but I think it will not be too long before he wakens.”
“Jane, I wish to check with Mrs. Pierce about a lunch for all of us. Would you give me a few minutes to get it started? I am hungry and you and Elizabeth are probably the same.”
“Yes, and Lizzy only had a piece of toast and a small glass of water before she left this morning and the coach did not stop for food for some reason.”
“Then I am so ashamed of myself. I did not even think to ask her about these things. She must hate me?”
“She understands these things and I know she loves you as a sister, and so do I.”
Jane watched as Georgiana carefully wiped away her tears as she left to arrange for her guests to be fed. Elizabeth awoke later to find a servant watching over Darcy and was told the others were in the smallish dining room having lunch.
“Come in, Elizabeth,” replied Georgiana. “We have saved you some food, and let me see, we have fresh rolls and ham and cheese and olives and cut up fruit and hot chocolate.”
Georgiana went to the sidebar and fixed a plate for her friend and the three visited as Elizabeth ate.
“Thank you, this all looks very good and I cannot remember the last time I had hot chocolate.”
“There is more when you want it.”
“No, this will do nicely.”
“Lizzy, can this just be that Mr. Darcy has pneumonia?”
After hearing those words, Elizabeth told the others of her earlier conversation with Doctor Williams.
Georgiana’s response was immediate. “Poisoned! How can that be? My brother has eaten all his meals at home and fell onto his food and Mr. Bingley said that neither of them had started to eat.”
“It was likely the soup, Georgiana, but your brother sipped the soup and it is likely to have contained poison. He collapsed onto his plate by passing out due to a combination of pneumonia and the small amount of poison. Had he not had the pneumonia, he would have died.”
“Then if that is the case, we have a murderer still out there.”
“Yes, Jane, I do not believe it is anyone at Darcy House, so the person must work at White’s.”
“I will send a missive to Mr. Jennings to come today. Please excuse me.”
“Lizzy, this is all so surreal. When will it all stop?”
“I must conclude that the person who poisoned him is connected with the others. That is something we will speak of when the man arrives, but now I will return to Mr. Darcy. Please join me if you wish. I need to keep his lips moist and use a clean sponge to get him some water, even if it is only a few drops at a time.”
The more Jane watched her sister with her friend, the more she could understood the love her sister had for this man, but with such thoughts, she now considered it was a real possibility that he might die. She now dried her tears and tried not to show them when she saw Elizabeth but her sister was preoccupied with wiping his face. He had been sweating and was wet when she arrived and she had to loosened his night shirt to wipe his chest. Her fingers sometimes touched his chest hair, sending a tingling feeling radiating up her arm, and if Jane was not watching, she would have kissed his cheek.
Colonel Fitzwilliam returned along with a ladies maid. They and Jane would soon leave so as to arrive at the Gardiner's home before five. The colonel and Elizabeth exchanged greetings just as Georgiana entered the room.
“How is Darcy today?”
“There is still no change, cousin.” Georgiana walked over and stood beside her cousin to study her brother's face.
“There is no need to panic, just yet. These comas have a way of working themselves out. It has been a little over a day, so my advice is to not let this get you down.”
Mr. Jennings next arrived and soon was brought upstairs to meet Georgiana.
“Mr. Jennings, I am glad you have arrived and thank you for coming. You know everyone, I believe, but Miss Jane Bennet, Elizabeth’s sister?”
“Yes,” he bowed as Jane dropped him a curtsey. “Georgiana, pray tell, what has
happened to your brother?”
Georgiana took the lead and told him all she knew.
“So Doctor Williams also believes that Darcy was poisoned?”
“Yes, so does this expand the investigation?” Elizabeth finally had a chance to speak.
“Yes, Mr. Jennings said, this is important news, but I have news of my own to report. Earlier today, Mr. Woods had a visitor who brought him some soup. She gave it to him just before she left and not long after she departed, the guard heard Mr. Woods fall to the floor. The same woman has poisoned Darcy and Mr. Woods.”
“And what do you make of this news, Miss Elizabeth?”
“I believe the woman hated Mr. Darcy and also Mr. Woods. She must have been friendly with Mr. Wickham and not Mr. Stone. It is likely she learnt from someone that Mr. Wickham was dead.”
“Miss Darcy, did you write that your brother got sick at White's Club whilst he was eating?”
“Yes, sir, but Mr. Bingley said that my brother only took a sip of soup and even that was spit out because the soup had burnt his tongue.”
“Excuse me, but I will leave you to go to White’s. The woman likely worked there. I will return soon.”
The man next left to go to White's, but it was not open. Still, he could hear people inside and continued to bang until the door was opened.
“My name is Mr. Jennings and I am here to investigate the poisoning of Mr. Darcy yesterday.”
A short middle age man with graying hair opened the door and asked the man to come inside. “Mr. Darcy collapsed at his table yesterday before he could start his meal.”