Page 33 of Elizabeth’s Refuge (Mr. Underwood’s Elizabeth & Darcy Stories #16)

Three days later in Devon

“Lord! I am so scared. Please, please, please, sir. Just let us go. Let us go. Let us go. My son-in-law, Mr. Darcy — Mr. Darcy loves us dearly. He is rich. Heavens! Very rich. He’ll pay any ransom for my daughter… and for me. Just let me and Kitty go.”

Mrs. Bennet had not ceased speech from the moment the gag was taken off.

Mr. Blight comfortably ignored her. Perversely he liked the voice, mainly because he hoped that she would continue to chatter in such a way when she met Lord Lachglass.

Her captor was not disappointed by Mrs. Bennet’s performance upon meeting her true captor.

When Lord Lachglass arrived to observe “the goods” acquired by his man of business, his headache precluded any possibility of him ignoring the chattering of Mrs. Bennet.

“You know my daughter did not mean to hurt you. She is the kindest woman in the world! All a mistake, a misunderstanding. And she married Mr. Darcy. Everyone respects Mr. Darcy — they say at Pemberley there is not a better landlord in the country. And I know that is true, why he’s as good as a Lord.

Like you… a Lord. Just please… You have scared me so!

Lizzy will apologize to you. I’m sure she will…

all a confusion. Just a simple confusion. ”

“By jove! The deuce! No more words!” Lachglass spoke in annoyed tones similar to how Mr. Bennet used to speak to her. Then he slapped the side of Mrs. Bennet’s head so hard it jarred her bones.

That was entirely unlike how Mr. Bennet used to treat his wife. “You hear me? Shut your fucking lips, you ugly old hag.”

“Please, sir, please. Please. Please. You must realize it is all a misunderstanding. Why are you hurting us? You are a gentleman, an earl, you must surely realize in such a position that…”

“Shut up!” Lachglass screeched.

As Mr. Blight watched grinning inside, Lord Lachglass grabbed the pistol he had on his belt.

“Lord! Lord save us! Not a gun. Not a gun — oh I am so nervous, on normal occasions. So very nervous. I never complain, of course, but I am—”

“Fuck, fuck. Fucking shut your mouth!”

Lachglass clenched his jaws. His face was red, and Mrs. Bennet was quite sure that he was not a healthy man.

She was finally silent.

With sudden jerky movements Lachglass brandished the gun at her angrily.

“Told you! Shut your fucking mouth. Told you. But you wouldn’t.

You wouldn’t shut it. Oh, no you wouldn’t.

” He gestured towards Kitty whose hands were tied behind her against a chair.

“Only need one of you. Your daughter will care more than enough for her , since she is pretty, while you should have been drowned like a cat the day you were no longer worth tupping. You worthless, worthless, useless, useless, fucking woman. And you are full of worms. And this is all your fault. Because she is your daughter.”

The barrel of the gun danced wildly.

Suddenly, pointed right between Mrs. Bennet’s eyes from just two feet away. “Only need one of you. Only need one.”

Mrs. Bennet stared into her fate with big wide eyes.

He cocked the gun and pulled the trigger in a single fast motion.

Bang .

Frances Bennet honestly for a half dozen seconds believed that she was already dead.

But the screaming was not from her, it was from Lord Lachglass.

The expensive and fancy pistol had misfired and exploded in his hand, and he threw the remains of the piece aside, as he held his scorched hand and howled in pain.

He blubbered as he left the room, leaving Mrs. Bennet to what remained of her life, and he shouted for his servants to call a physician for him immediately, in between the howls of pain.

Mrs. Bennet looked at Kitty, and Kitty looked back at her.

Both of their eyes were very wide, and very scared. They both knew that they were still in grave danger.

Mrs. Bennet shivered violently in the chair, as she whispered praises to God for her, possibly temporary, salvation.

Neither of them knew if the mad earl would return to shoot her through the eyes properly as soon as a physician wrapped up and bandaged his hand.