Page 21 of Brighton Rescue (Pride and Prejudice Variation #23)
When the vehicle was out of sight, Elizabeth turned toward the door with a soft sigh of relief; Lydia was away from Brighton, bruised but undefiled, and Elizabeth felt herself entirely relaxed for the first time since she read Lydia’s letter back at Longbourn.
“Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy said, looking down at her with his usual intensity.
“Yes?” she responded, smiling up at him in the pink light of dawn.
“Mr. Hartford and I were talking late last night, and we wondered if you and Miss Bennet might enjoy accompanying us, along with Lady Amelia, to Mr. Hartford’s estate of Beehaven this morning.
He wishes to ensure that all is running smoothly at the estate, and it is a pleasant drive of only fifteen miles.
We could stay for a day or two, perhaps? ”
Elizabeth looked at Jane. “What think you, Jane? ”
“I would be delighted to see Beehaven,” Jane responded with pleasure. “The beekeeping sounds fascinating.”
“Excellent,” Gabriel responded. “Let us plan to leave around noon, then.”
/
“Well, what was the verdict?” Fitzwilliam demanded, rising from his seat in Forster’s office in the militia barracks.
“Wickham was found guilty and will be executed this afternoon at four,” Forster said grimly.
He walked quickly to his desk and opened a drawer, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and poured a large dollop into a convenient glass.
He downed the liquor quickly before asking, “Would you like some whiskey, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
“No, sir, but thank you,” Fitzwilliam answered, leaning back into his chair with satisfaction.
“It is a bad business,” Forster said, pouring himself another drink. “A bad business indeed. Did you hear that Wickham stole money from the rooms of some of his fellow officers before attempting to flee with Miss Lydia Bennet?”
“I did not hear that, but it does not surprise me in the least. Wickham is a thoroughly selfish man and looks upon both men and women solely as sources of money and pleasure. He seems incapable of true compassion and generosity. It is a great tragedy, but it is Wickham who sowed the wind and will now reap the whirlwind.”
Forster nodded dismally. “You are entirely right. I mourn the loss of such promise and am also indulging in painful self-reflection over my own affection for the man; I found Wickham to be charming.”
“He is charming, Colonel, which has always made him dangerous. I never cared for him much myself, but my uncle, Mr. George Darcy, always held Wickham in the greatest of good will and esteem. He was never able to see the darkness underneath the engaging facade.”
Forster blew out a slow breath and, more slowly, poured himself another drink. “I plan to be slightly drunk at four this afternoon. I suppose I am rather soft, but to watch the life of an acquaintance end by firing squad is a grim thing.”
“It is,” the other man concurred. “I am convinced it must be done, but it is a tragedy. ”
Forster rubbed his forehead and asked, “Do you believe Mr. Bennet would wish to be present at the execution? If so, it could be arranged.”
“No, sir,” Fitzwilliam assured him, “Mr. Bennet and Miss Lydia left for Longbourn this morning, and her sisters, who will be staying in Sussex for a while longer, are journeying to Mr. Gabriel Hartford’s estate for a few days.
I believe it is better that way, given that Wickham’s execution will no doubt be a topic of conversation across town today.
Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth would find such a discussion painful in the extreme, even though their sister’s name has been kept out of the affair. ”
“I quite agree,” Forster said, relieved.
/
The sun shone in the deep blue sky, and puffy clouds frolicked high above like so many exuberant sheep.
The summer air was warm, but the breezes which swept through the carriage made the journey toward Beehaven a comfortable one.
Not, Darcy knew, that comfort was of any concern to him.
Miss Elizabeth sat across from him in the carriage, flanked on one side by Miss Bennet and the other by Lady Amelia.
She was always beautiful in his eyes, but today she looked relaxed and happy.
He rejoiced that after many days of worry, Miss Lydia was secure and unspoiled, and safely on her way back home.
“Lady Amelia, Mr. Hartford, will you not tell us about Beehaven?” Jane requested. “Has it long been a haven for bees?”
Lady Amelia chuckled at this. “That was not the original vision for the estate, certainly. My husband, Mr. Hartford, purchased the estate of Gray Cliffs with the intention of bestowing it on Gabriel, since our elder son, Michael, is heir to the Hartford ancestral estate in Kent. It was not, at the time of its purchase, in any way extraordinary; in fact, it had been rather neglected by the previous owners. Mr. Hartford repaired the house and worked with the tenants, but the demesne, which had been allowed to grow wild, proved to be a marvelous place for me to search for butterflies. My dear husband gave into my pleading, and allowed the acres behind the house to remain a wilderness.”
“When I returned from the Continent,” Gabriel continued, taking up the story, “I spent many months recovering from my wounds. I would often sit on the small mowed lawn behind the house and watch the bees and butterflies and birds buzzing and flitting and flying. To my delight and astonishment, the beauty of the wilderness brought not only peace to my mind, but also lessened my pain. Once I was well enough, I found myself fascinated by the bees in particular. One of my servants knew of the location of several hives, and once we had retrieved some of the honey, I came to wonder how bees chose where to build their hives, and what kinds of flowers they particularly enjoyed. I bought books and pamphlets and spoke to other beekeepers, and now I can say, immodestly perhaps, that the estate is on the very forefront of beekeeping in all of England. Given that, and given that the estate has no cliffs at all, gray or otherwise, I changed the name to Beehaven.”
“It is a charming name,” Jane declared with approval. Not for the first time, Gabriel felt his stomach flip oddly. She was beautiful, yes, but serene as well, and was quick to both smile and bring smiles to those around her. She was a delightful woman, Miss Bennet of Longbourn.