Page 37 of Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man

Villa Tuscany

A bedroom that evening

Elizabeth sat in the large overstuffed chair in front of the hearth. With her head leaned back against the soft cushion, she closed her eyes in concentration. Only her bound hands and feet indicated her new status—she was a prisoner again. After making Stefano furious with her threats, he had decided to bind her as a sign that he was in complete charge and she was entirely at his mercy. She could do nothing he did not allow—except defy him. Just before quitting the room, he had stopped abruptly at the door to declare that they would leave at daybreak. She had not cowered at his decree as he expected, instead she lifted her chin, her dark eyes blazing in defiance. Her courage seemed to make him even angrier, though he continued out the door, slamming it in response and bolting it from the other side.

Now that the day was over, she relived the events in her mind, clearly proud of how she had responded. Today’s horror had been ghastly, but the man who was killed was not a dear friend—only someone who meant to do her harm. Moreover, she was not despondent, though the manner of his death had evoked memories of that bleak segment in her life—a period that Fitzwilliam had helped her to confront and conquer. As she opened her eyes at last to fix on the embers of a dying fire, she considered how the man at the centre of her serenity had brought her though this utter chaos.

For just a moment, after Stefano’s laugh, she had found herself paralysed—reduced to the frightened young woman who had watched Addie die. And though somewhere in all of this madness Cecile was screaming frantically, Elizabeth could not speak a word. Moreover, just at the moment when she feared she might faint, Stefano bounded up the stairs and grabbed Cecile roughly, causing her to shriek even louder. He slapped the hysterical widow then, but only his threats quieted her cries.

“One more sound out of you and you shall join your friend.” Cecile immediately hushed, though she continued to whimper. “My sources say that you are Cecile Preston, the widow who has been helping Wickham steal jewels.”

Cecile nodded, shaking so violently that it was obvious even from the foyer where Elizabeth stood, that the woman was frightened out of her wits.

“Now, Mrs. Preston, you may choose. Do you wish to die as Mr. Wickham did, or do you wish to sail to Spain with Elizabeth in the morning as her personal maid? I am sure she will appreciate having another woman along on such a long voyage.”

Elizabeth looked at Stefano as though he were mad, but his gaze was fixed on Mrs. Preston.

Cecile’s eyes flicked between Elizabeth and the count before replying in barely a whisper, “I shall be glad to accompany her.”

“Excellent!” he crowed, smiling widely. “Most of my servants do not speak English, and I am sure my wife will enjoy having someone to converse with besides me.” His air was very buoyant, and neither woman could fathom such joviality from a man who had just brutally killed the man who lay only a few feet away.”

Noticing that Cecile’s eyes kept returning to Wickham’s body, the count declared to one of the huge men in the doorway, “Portalo via fuori da qui! Gettatelo in mare!” (Get him out of here! Dump him in the sea!)

Immediately, other men came forward to help the first, and they lifted the body and carried Wickham from the house. A maid immediately appeared with a bucket and began to scour the floor. Elizabeth had felt faint at the sight of so much blood, but forced herself not to succumb to the threatening darkness.

The count continued to address Cecile, as he motioned to a maid who immediately came down the stairs behind her. “Go with Maria. She will show you to your room. Do not unpack more than necessary, as we shall leave early in the morning. You both shall eat in your rooms tonight.”

As Cecile meekly followed the maid up the stairs, Stefano focused his attention on Elizabeth. His mouth curled into a pretentious smile, the sight of which brought bile into Elizabeth’s throat.

“Welcome back, my dear.”

Slowly he descended to the foyer, his eyes never leaving hers as he steadily advanced until they stood face-to-face. She lifted her chin in a show of boldness, the glint in her brown eyes reminiscent of the Elizabeth he had met in Meryton—the one who had treated him with such contempt.

Irritated that after all this time she was still not subservient, he grabbed her arm and began to pull her down a long hallway. Finally, he came to a door and pushed it open to reveal a library stocked with numerous volumes, though the room hardly seemed used. He flung Elizabeth inside, followed and turned to slam the door closed. Then grasping her arm again, Stefano dragged her to a chair and pushed her into it, leaning over her menacingly.

“I am delighted that you could join me as I return to Italy forever. I am sure my family will be pleased to meet you at last, Elizabeth, especially my mother. She has often mentioned that she would like me to settle in Italy with my wife. Can you imagine how surprised she will be?”

Elizabeth stiffened, but refused to show any fear, instead gathering her strength for the confrontation ahead. “Surprised? I imagine she will be shocked! You forget that you already have a wife in Italy, and she will expect you to return to her!”

“How do you know of Livia?” His face darkened as he considered her barb. Then he remembered and smiled slightly, his brows rising in disdain. “Yes, of course! You must have found the letter from the countess when you discovered the marriage certificates.”

“Yes. I read the letter from your wife, Countess Livia Canossa Ridolfi. She even mentioned your son, Eduardo.”

Stefano’s hands clenched into fists. “Do not say that! You were my ONLY wife—the only one I truly loved. All the others were just whores—a means to an end!”

“You lie! I was never your wife! We were never married and besides you were never ... capable!”

His breath was laboured as he slapped her across the face. “It has never been that way with any other woman. I have a son! It was merely the circumstances—the stress! Once we are away from this turmoil, everything will be as it should. You shall see! We soon will determine my capability .”

Elizabeth rubbed her smarting cheek. “And what of your son? Do you deny him as well?”

Stefano’s face softened, and he looked almost pensive. “My son is almost of age. He no longer has need of me, and his mother and I have been estranged for years. He will understand.”

“Regardless of the circumstances, whoever you have married is nothing to me. I despise you, and I am not leaving with you.”

The count’s voice was low and full of fury. “Of course, you are going, Elizabeth. Do you not remember what happened the last time you defied me?”

“There is one important difference! There is no one here that I care for, thus there is no one you can murder to compel me to go with you!” Elizabeth laughed mirthlessly. “And let me warn you! You had best be on your way before those who do care for me realise where I am!”

The smile faded from Stefano’s face. “I imagine you speak of that love-sick fool, Darcy. I doubt he will find out you are missing before we are well under way on our voyage. In fact, he is probably still in London, unaware that you are no longer at Pemberley.”

“Fitzwilliam Darcy is no fool! You have no idea of the calibre of man you have pitted yourself against. He has a brilliant intellect, as well as being honourable and decent.”

He began to pace in front of her. “While in Meryton, there were rumours that you despised him. What good did his honour and decency do him then in winning your favour?”

Elizabeth voice rose in anger and regret. “I admit to being foolish when I was young! But now I know his true worth as a man without equal.”

He pulled her from the chair, clasping her forearms as he brought her to his chest. “If you cared anything about that man, you would never have come with Mrs. Preston.”

“That is where you are wrong,” she said through clenched teeth. “You know absolutely nothing of caring—of love. He is the only man I have ever loved! If I cannot be with him, then I do not care to live. You may force me to go with you, but you cannot force me to live.”

“Oh, you shall live, Elizabeth. I shall see to that, even if I must have you watched day and night! You are mine, and I shall never again give you up!” He kissed her then, trying to hold her as her head wrenched back and forth. Finally, she succeeded in breaking the kiss, and he shoved her back down into the chair.

“I was never yours, and I shall never be yours!” she proclaimed vehemently. “My heart was his before I ever met you, and after falling in love with a real man, I could never have cared for the likes of you,” she retorted.

Though still furious, Stefano looked truly confused as he shouted, “Then why did you leave the protection of Pemberley? I hear that no one could have torn you from there had you not wanted to leave!”

“To spare the man I love! I was convinced I could be rid of you forever by departing for Americas, and Fitzwilliam would be set free from the burden and responsibility he has assumed on my account. But, know this—he is not afraid of you!”

“If he dares to come after you, he will die!” Furious, Stefano turned over a table sending china figurines flying. “ENOUGH! We sail in the morning! And you will find that your paramour is nowhere to be found when we do!”

~~~*~~~

Now that she was away from her tormentor, Elizabeth wished with all her heart that she had never spoken to him of William. So incensed that he would think she would meekly accept her fate, she had lashed out with all the anger accumulated from years of abuse. In doing so, she had boasted of William’s constancy, hoping the threat might persuade Stefano to abandon her.

There was only one thing in which she could glory—as this horror had unfolded, she had not slipped back into the abyss of despair that had swallowed her before. In the midst of all the turmoil, a sweet peace had surrounded her heart, and innately she knew that William’s love had given her the strength to endure! It was now in her power to face whatever came without being overwhelmed. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of her true love.

Oh, my dearest! How could I have been deceived by Cecile’s lies? And now, instead of protecting you, I have endangered your life.

The last thing she remembered before falling into a fitful sleep, still sitting bound to the chair, were their words of devotion they shared before William left for London.

“ You have not left and already I am dreading it. Please come back to me as soon as possible. I am only alive when I am in your arms.”

“ As I am only alive in yours. I promise to return as fast as humanly possible.”

Liverpool

Barnwell’s Boarding House

Late that evening

The men were exhausted. William and Mr. Williamson were just settling into their rooms when Richard entered the sitting room situated between their bedchambers. He had taken a smaller room directly across the hall, allowing the older man and his cousin to have the larger suite. No sooner had he closed the door than there was a knock.

“I will see to it,” Richard called out, assuming it was someone from the staff.

“Evan!” Richard exclaimed, shocked to find his cousin standing in the hallway. He opened the door wider to allow him access. “Come in, come in!”

The loud greeting caused William to walk back into the shared sitting room and Mr. Williamson to move to the doorway to see who had arrived. William was equally as surprised to find his brother standing there, dressed rather unkemptly and smiling widely as though he had just discovered gold while ploughing a field.

“Richard! Darcy! I could not believe it when I saw the Darcy crest on the coach in the stable,” Evan declared, shaking first one then the other’s hand. “I was counting on Darcy to analyse the situation and come here from London, but to find both of you here is excellent news indeed! I have been in Liverpool since early morning with three of my men.” He nodded at William. “And two of yours from Pemberley—Mr. Judson, the farrier, and Mr. Allgood, a groom, I believe.”

Richard looked perplexed, glancing over to William who was still digesting what Evan had said. “How is it you are in Liverpool? And at this very inn? You could not have received our express from London and journeyed here that quickly. And why are you dressed like a tenant?”

“One question at a time!” Evan chuckled. “You are correct in your assumption that I never got your express. After I learned what Cecile had perpetrated—taking Elizabeth from Pemberley—I simply decided that I would find them and bring her back. I had my men scout the roads around Derbyshire and learned that a fine coach had left Lambton on the road to Liverpool. As for being at this inn, it was strictly a coincidence. We had elected to stay on the outskirts of town, hoping to remain unnoticed. I trust you agree with me that Cecile probably did not act alone. I was unsure what we were facing.”

William broke in, “Our express would have explained that some woman was working with George Wickham and Stefano to take Elizabeth from Pemberley, but we had no idea it was your sister! I swear I would like to—”

“She crossed my mind,” Richard declared, interrupting William’s search for some punishment harsh enough to exact upon her. “I have never trusted that spider.” He glanced uncomfortably at Evan. “My apologies. She is your sister.”

“Not as far as I am concerned!” Evan exclaimed. “I guessed Stefano was involved, but Wickham! It never occurred to me that that ne’er-do-well would have the nerve to do such a thing. But, on second thought, I do not know why I am surprised. He was always trying to wring more money out of you, Brother, and trouble always seemed to follow him.”

William was bewildered. “What could have possibly possessed her to help Wickham – or Stefano, for that matter? Jealousy? Money? And why would Elizabeth agree to go with her?”

“Of course, she was jealous of Elizabeth, Darce, but my guess is that if she is in league with Wickham, it involves gambling. Word about London is that many influential women are indebted to him because they love to bet on the horses. As for getting Elizabeth to agree, all it would take is for Cecile to tell her that Stefano would harm you if she stayed.”

“She may be your sister, Evan, but if Elizabeth is hurt, so help me God, I will see Cecile Preston hang!” William barked, hitting the wall with his fist.

Evan sympathized. “I would feel the same if it were Ana.” Quickly he changed the subject, hoping to calm his brother. “I reserved a small dining room downstairs where we can discuss what we learned with all the men. The minute I saw your coach, I knew you would want to be included. How soon can you be ready?”

“If we can dress like you, we have no need to get ready,” Richard smirked.

“Oh yes, my appearance.” Evan spread his arms and turned in a complete circle. “You would be surprised how much I have learned dressed in this manner. It seems no one is afraid to speak to a poor farm hand,” he chuckled, “or order him about. Already today I made a shilling for loading a large box onto one gentleman’s coach.”

Mr. Williamson walked into the room. “At least you have managed to earn honest wages, and you would certainly fit in any pub in that outfit.”

William turned to face him. “I am sorry, Vicar. I completely forgot about you.”

“Understandable, given the circumstances,” Williamson replied, laying one hand on William’s shoulder as he passed him on the way to shake Evan’s outstretched hand. Meanwhile, Evan assessed the tall, lanky fellow with the kind eyes, while William recovered his manners.

“Evan Ingram, my sister’s husband,” William declared, waving towards his brother. “And this is a new friend of mine and an old friend of Elizabeth’s from Meryton—Mr. Williamson. He was the vicar there for many years and knows Elizabeth well. In fact, he christened her.”

Evan shook the hand even more vigorously. “It is a pleasure to meet any friend of Elizabeth’s. She seems to have had so few people in her life who have truly cared for her well-being.”

Williamson’s chin came up, though he smiled. “I have done nothing to earn such praise, but this dear boy,” his gaze softened as he regarded William, “has restored my faith in humanity. Not only was he willing to take Lizzybet into his home, he was willing to lay down whatever future he might have envisioned for himself in order to give her freedom and a life of her own choosing. Now, he is here to rescue her once again.”

William coloured as he added, “We are all here to rescue Elizabeth.”

Seeing William’s unease, Evan declared, “Then let us get started! I shall meet you in a quarter-hour in the dining room.”

A small dining room

As Evan closed the door, everyone was reaching for one of the plates of food the inn had provided—everyone except William. The table was laden with hearty fare, and Richard sat a plate of food in front of his cousin.

“I cannot eat anything, Richard!”

“Come, Darce! You like beef stew, and there is plenty of fresh baked bread! Eat! You will need your strength for tomorrow.”

“I do not understand why we are waiting!” William exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table and rattling the dishes. The room got quiet as everyone stopped to look in his direction.

“Blame me, Cousin. I did not tell you that Lieutenant Marbury and several of his men left London a few hours behind us. I was not sure he would be able to arrive in time, given the bad weather. Nevertheless, this was waiting at the desk when we came down.” Richard held up a post. “Marbury and four of his men will be here tonight. Not being sure of how many men Stefano has, I feared that we might have need of them. A good officer always makes sure he has enough men to do the job. And when this fight starts, I wanted to know we could finish it!”

William nodded glumly so Evan spoke up, commanding everyone’s attention. “Let me begin then by explaining what has transpired since we arrived. I assumed that if Cecile brought Elizabeth to this seaport, it must be with the intention of taking her out of England. Thus, I started with the ships—their scheduled arrivals and departures. I learned much, including the fact that one sailed for Italy this morning and another is to leave port for Spain tomorrow. There are—”

William interrupted. “Are you aware that a man and a woman were last minute additions to the passengers on the ship bound for Italy?” If not for the look of anguish in his eyes, one would think William was unruffled.

Evan had been gathering his thoughts, hoping to tell his brother and cousin everything slowly ... deliberately ... without raising false hopes, should his assumptions prove incorrect. However, he now recognised that the longer he delayed sharing all his news, the more Darcy suffered. “Forgive me. I thought to wait to the last to tell you—to caution you—not to get your hopes up. But it seems I should just come out with it.”

William grew more worried. “Out with what?”

“We may have located Cecile. If we are correct, she is staying at a villa just outside town.”

William’s jaw tightened, and his hands formed fists as he began to rise. Evan watched Richard place a calming hand on his back. After they exchanged glances, William sat back down.

“Patience, Darcy! Mr. Watson here,” Evan nodded to the man on his right that William knew well, “was not entirely convinced that the woman he saw entering a carriage was Cecile, but he was concerned enough to bring it to my attention. He also learned that two women had arrived in town recently and were in the company of a man who is staying at this villa. By this afternoon, two of my men and two from Pemberley were already in the woods surrounding the place, trying to get an idea of the number of people who populate it. Two of them are still there on watch.”

Evan then addressed Mr. Watson, “Did you learn anything more about the owner of the villa?”

Mr. Watson swallowed a large bite of stew, before answering, “Yes, sir.” He cleared his throat. “A maid at the Landmark told me that it belongs to a Lord Stanton. She says he has owned it for nigh onto thirty years or more, and she told me the name—Tuscany.”

As Watson began to answer Evan’s question, William’s eyes found Richard’s, and he took a big gulp of air, remembering his promise to regulate his feelings. They were on the right trail!

Richard jumped into the fray, peppering questions at those who had been at Tuscany that day, asking about the number of guards, the lay of the land and the design of the manor. William listened intently, too affected to speak. The fact that their men were successful at getting onto the property and near the house, spoke volumes. Perhaps Stefano did not have as many men with him as they had feared.

Mr. Judson, the farrier for Pemberley, spoke up. “Other than about eight men who looked like guards, I saw plenty of servants, old and young men, and an equal number of women. The servants were easy to discern by their lack of weaponry.”

William finally found his voice. “Thank you, Mr. Judson, for joining us. I have always been able to count on you.”

Just then, Mr. Watson declared. “Tell Mr. Ingram what you saw, Avery.”

A younger, red-haired fellow turned as crimson as his hair when every eye fell on him. Evan encouraged him, “Speak up. I need everyone to tell me what they observed. No matter how insignificant it may seem to you, it may help us. “

Avery swallowed. “Well, sir, I managed to get next to the house—at a window, precisely. When I looked inside, I saw this young lady sitting in a chair right in my view. I could hear some man shouting as though he was mad or arguing, though I could not see him. About the time his voice got real loud, as if he was near the window, someone came around the side of the house. Naturally, I had to move back to safety.”

William leaned forward, his hands now resting on either side of his plate. “What did the woman look like?”

The look on Mr. Darcy’s face made Avery a bit nervous. “She—she was right pretty, for all I could tell, only seeing her from the side. She had dark brown hair, and she was tiny.” William’s quizzical brow made him continue nervously, “I—I mean that she looked mighty small in that big chair—or short, you might say, not tall like Mrs. Ingram.”

A sudden knock on the door caused everyone to jump. Being at the head of the table, Evan pushed back his chair, stood, and opened the door. There, looking very worn, stood Lord Stanton. Evan opened the door wider, and he stepped into the room.

“Do not look so surprised. I left London before you. Because my servants packed only my necessary items in haste, I missed most of the storm and have hidden at a friend’s home, awaiting your arrival.” Every eye studied him as he looked around the room.

“I have friends in all the seaports and shipping houses. Just after we parted in London, I learned that Stephen had booked passages for several people on the ship that left this morning for Italy.” His eyes locked on William. “But he did not board that ship.” William exhaled audibly as his eyes briefly closed. “He cancelled those bookings and bought passages on a schooner leaving for Spain in the morning. I believe he is taking Miss Elizabeth with him. He knows he can go to Spain and then over land to Italy, which might throw a lesser man off his trail.”

William’s face was as flint. “Why would you help me? You know I will stop him even if—”

“Even if you have to kill him,” the earl finished solemnly. “I am aware of the possibility. However, I intend to go to my villa and convince him to let Miss Elizabeth leave with me. If he does, I want your promise that he will be allowed to sail from England unharmed.”

William met Richard and Evan’s eyes before answering. “No! There will be no more reprieves for your evil son.”

Lord Stanton sighed. “But I had hoped to get him to release her without a fight. He may kill Elizabeth if you try to take her.”

“And you cannot possibly believe he would release her to you! He is mad. More likely, he will kill you!” William barked angrily.

Lord Stanton smiled wanly. “I am not afraid to die, Mr. Darcy. However, I can no longer look myself in the mirror knowing I did nothing to stop my son from hurting Elizabeth again. I would like to do this for her and for Thomas Bennet. He was a good man.”

“Your son will refuse!”

“If he refuses, then you must do whatever it takes to stop him. Make no mistake, I love my son. Nevertheless, I cannot—WILL NOT—let him ruin Elizabeth’s life again.” His voice grew quiet. “She has a future with a man who truly loves her. Mrs. Bennet and my son have stolen enough from Elizabeth. She deserves better.”

William stated resolutely, “Your plan is unacceptable. Do not interfere, or we shall assume you are on his side and act accordingly.”

The earl seemed resigned as he opened his coat and pulled a letter out of his pocket. “This is a letter to the captain of the schooner, Fernando Diaz. He is an old friend of mine, and he will help you in your plans to recover Elizabeth, should Stephen manage to get her as far as the ship. I suggest you station men aboard the schooner, in the event that should occur. Now, if you will excuse me, I shall return to my friend’s home and await the outcome.”

Nothing was said as the earl turned to leave. When he almost had the door shut, he stopped, looking back to William. “Love her, Darcy. She deserves some happiness in her life.”

“You may rely on it,” William replied, his voice rough with emotion. Stefano’s father nodded and shut the door.

Richard jerked his head towards Mr. Judson. “Follow Lord Stanton. We would not want him trying to be a hero. If he starts towards the villa, let us know. Otherwise, meet us back at the drive to Tuscany at first light.” Mr. Judson grabbed several rolls from the table and his coat and hat from the rack on the wall and slipped out of the room.

The vicar, noting the gloom on William’s face, leaned in to whisper, “We shall recover her, son. Just remember that.”

Abruptly William choked out, “I—I need just a bit of fresh air.” With those words, he was out the side door leading to a porch that wrapped completely around the house. Evan started to rise, but Richard held up a hand.

“Please, let me.”

The air outside was beginning to cool, and Richard shivered just a bit when he stepped into the night. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but they soon did, and he walked around the side of the house. William stood at the end of the porch where a dim light glowed; he clutched a column as if his life depended upon it. Richard walked slowly towards him, trying to decide what to say.

“Darce?” William did not stir. “I—what can I say to ease your mind?”

After a few seconds of silence, William whispered, “I love her so much, Richard. What if Stanton is right and Stefano should harm her before we can set her free?”

Though William did not face him, Richard could see the evidence of tears reflected by the light. “You know, every time I have led my men into battle, I have felt somewhat like you do now—knowing what I must do but fearing the consequences. Oh, I realise it is not exactly the same thing, but I do fear for their safety just as you fear for your Elizabeth’s. Nevertheless, I have no choice and neither do you.”

He moved to stand beside his cousin, threading an arm about his shoulder. “God does not always give us the easy way out. Sometimes we have to be willing to fight and die for what we know is right. All we can do is trust Him to be on the side of justice. He is, you know. We enter the fray with that knowledge.”

William turned to embrace his cousin, holding him for a little longer than most would deem proper, but he did not care. This man had always been beside him—closer than a brother—supporting him and saying just what he needed to hear. “Thank God, I have you, Richard.”

Richard tried to be stoic. After all, soldiers were not supposed to cry. “I thank Him for you too, Darce.”

Several minutes later, the cousins made their way back into the dining room, where everyone was busy preparing food to take with them in the morning. Mr. Watson and Avery were getting ready to depart in order to relieve the two who were still at Tuscany.

If anyone noticed that both men had red eyes, no one was unkind enough to mention it.

~~~*~~~