Page 22 of The Bennet Heir

Chapter Twenty-One

A s soon as Elizabeth entered Charlotte’s sitting room, she recounted everything she had learned, both from Grandmama Bennet and from her conversations with Sir William and Colonel Forster. Once there was nothing more to discuss, a heavy silence settled between them, each absorbed in her own thoughts while they waited anxiously for Mrs. Hill to confirm that the master had arrived safely at the dower cottage. Though both longed to see him that night, if only to ease their own worries, they knew it would be unwise. The hours slipped by until Mrs. Hill received word, and it was nearly midnight before they finally retired. Despite their exhaustion, sleep proved elusive, their minds too restless to grant them any real rest.

Elizabeth woke at dawn, dressed swiftly, and made her way downstairs without delay. Rather than waiting for someone to attend to her, she went directly to the kitchens and requested a pot of tea. As she waited, her thoughts turned to Charlotte, hoping she had managed to rest through the night and would sleep for as long as she needed. In recent months, Charlotte had taken to napping in the afternoons, and even before her announcement, Elizabeth had noticed her lingering in bed later than usual. Now, with the added worry over her husband, Elizabeth could only hope that the strain would not take a toll on her sister or the child she carried.

Mrs. Hill found Elizabeth there a few minutes later. “Miss Lizzy, you are not thinking of leaving the house, are you?”

“No, Mrs. Hill,” Elizabeth said with a slight chuckle. “I have been warned far too many times just in the last day or two to even consider doing it. Mr. Darcy will be here this morning, and of course, I expect our neighbours and tenants will come by to check on us, at least those who are not directly involved in the search.” She gave the housekeeper a knowing look, which was given back to her.

“Yes, miss,” came the reply. “Do you want to have refreshments available for any of the searchers? Did the colonel or Sir William say where the search would be centred?”

Elizabeth sighed heavily. “I cannot recall what, if anything, was said about that. I suppose we will learn in the next few hours when people begin to show up.”

Mrs. Hill nodded and bustled around, preparing Elizabeth a cup of tea and setting a warm muffin on a plate in front of her. “Thank you, Mrs. Hill,” she said, then took a sip of the warm drink, allowing it to refresh her a little. “Oh, I need to speak to Mr. Hill when he has a moment,” she said when a thought occurred to her.

The man must have been nearby, for he appeared almost an instant later. “Yes, Miss Lizzy?”

“Mr. Collins is absolutely not to be admitted to Longbourn, no matter what he may say. Please ensure all the male servants know to keep watch out for him, and, other than Colonel Forster, I do not want any militia members to be admitted either,” she said, then went on to indicate who should be admitted, and mentioned a few others that she would not be at home to if they visited. “When Mr. Darcy arrives, please let me know as soon as possible,” she concluded.

Mr. Hill nodded his agreement and went to speak to the footmen and grooms. Most had not encountered the pompous man on his previous visit, so they were encouraged to be wary of all strangers. Since most knew what had happened to the master the previous day, they were very willing to keep a look out for anyone who did not appear like he belonged.

Shortly after nine in the morning, Mr. Darcy arrived at Longbourn. With him was his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, and two Bow Street Runners who were there to help with the search. Although the footman who had answered the door had been reluctant to admit the strangers, Mr. Hill had come along and informed the man that anyone with Mr. Darcy was safe enough.

Upstairs, Charlotte had only recently woken and remained still in her room, leaving Elizabeth alone in the drawing room when the visitors were announced. At the sound of Darcy’s name, she sprang to her feet. The moment he entered, all thoughts of propriety vanished. She rushed forward, heedless of the others in the room, and flung herself into his arms.

Darcy caught her without hesitation, his arms closing securely around her. For several moments, they simply stood there, holding each other, neither speaking. The fear, worry, and uncertainty of the last day dissolved in the warmth of his embrace, and Elizabeth allowed herself to take comfort in his steady presence. Behind them, Colonel Fitzwilliam cleared his throat and glanced away, while the Bow Street Runners respectfully averted their eyes.

“My darling Elizabeth, all will be well,” Darcy murmured against her hair, his voice low and reassuring. He shifted slightly, as though preparing to step back, but she only tightened her grip. A tremor ran through her, and he understood—she needed this moment, this reassurance that he was truly there. With a quiet sigh, he surrendered and wrapped his arms more securely around her, holding her as closely as he dared.

“Elizabeth,” he whispered again after a moment. “Have you learned anything else? Is there something else troubling you?”

“Jon is well,” she said quietly. “But I have so much to tell you, and I do not even know it all yet. My Uncle Philips should be here soon to tell me more, and I have not told him yet what I learned from Grandmama.”

“He has been found?” Darcy asked, causing the others to look at them. Darcy pulled away and took a moment to introduce Elizabeth to the men who had come with him before they all took their seats.

“Colonel, could you please check to make sure that no one is in the hall and then close the door fully?” Elizabeth asked. “Only a few know what I have to tell you, and as far as most people know, my brother is still missing.”

All four men regarded her with varying degrees of confusion. She gestured for the colonel to comply, but he hesitated, first seeking his cousin’s eyes for confirmation. Darcy, just as perplexed as the others, could offer no explanation. With a slight shrug, he nodded towards his cousin, silently urging him to follow Elizabeth’s request.

“Jonathan was kidnapped yesterday. We learned of it when a neighbour found two of our servants on another road. They had managed to loosen the ties on their feet, but not their hands, and so they were attempting to make their way to Meryton or somewhere so they could alert others about what happened,” Elizabeth began. “After we learned what happened, I went to inform Grandmama, but she was not surprised by any of it. Apparently, when the conspirators met to discuss how to get rid of my brother so they could force me into a marriage with Mr. Collins, they did not bother to consider that the servants would overhear them or that they would share that information with anyone else. My stepmother and Miss Bingley spoke while Mr. Collins wrote a letter to his patroness—your aunt, Mr. Darcy—about our engagement, believing that she would force you to break it off. If that did not work, Mr. Collins was to…” she paused, not really wanting to say these next words aloud, but knowing there was little choice, “…force me into a marriage, regardless of whether I was willing or not.”

Elizabeth found she could no longer continue, for she was once again in Darcy’s arms, her face against his shoulder. “They wished to ruin you, my love?” Darcy asked, pulling away slightly so he could look her in the eyes. At her nod, he pressed her close again and murmured into her hair. “It would not have mattered—I would have married you regardless, my dear.”

“I cannot say what they would have done, or if Mr. Collins would have gone through with it,” Elizabeth said after several moments. She pulled away from Darcy’s embrace, yet their hands remained tightly clasped, grounding her with the strength he offered through their connection.

“Where does kidnapping your brother fit into all of this?” Colonel Fitzwilliam asked.

“It seems they wanted him out of the way, thinking Mr. Collins would be able to force his way into the house if Jonathan were not here,” Elizabeth explained. “There is also the matter of the rumours circulating in town, claiming that Longbourn rightfully belongs to the Collins family, and that the Bennets somehow stole it from them. This is why Jonathan had planned to go to St. Albans—to review the entail documents and obtain confirmation that Longbourn is rightfully in our family’s hands. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Collins also believed that, by marrying me, he could strengthen his claim to Longbourn and eventually take it from Jonathan.”

Elizabeth paused, her voice faltering slightly as she continued, “Grandmama insists that nothing was said about….” She swallowed hard, her throat tightening at the thought. “Grandmama insists nothing was said about eliminating Jonathan entirely, but it is possible Mr. Collins thought he would inherit Longbourn if my brother were to die. He would not know that Charlotte is with child, and that the child, not I, would inherit the estate.”

“What would Mrs. Bennet stand to benefit from this?” the colonel asked.

“My supposition is that Mrs. Bennet thought that, with her stepdaughter at Longbourn, she would be able to return. If she was working with Mr. Collins, she has likely convinced him that she will be a far better mistress of the estate or something along those lines,” Elizabeth said. “She would also be pleased to see me married to a man I would despise, especially after it was announced that I was engaged to Mr. Darcy. My stepmother would not have been happy about my engagement to a wealthy man, especially while her daughter remains unattached. She has always believed that Jane was more deserving than me.”

“And Miss Bingley?” Darcy asked. “What would be her motivation to act in this matter?”

“You would be free,” Fitzwilliam replied with a tight grin. “She would not take kindly to hearing that you proposed marriage to another, especially after what you said to her when you left Netherfield. I am certain she would have tried to ‘comfort you’ once you learned that your intended was not who you believed her to be. Once Miss Bennet’s ruin was confirmed, Miss Bingley would have rushed to London to share the news with you. They foolishly did not realise that you would come here to help with the search.”

Darcy released a harsh chuckle. “She would not have been admitted,” he scoffed, then he turned back towards Elizabeth, gently squeezing her fingers. “Where is your brother now?”

“In the dower cottage with Grandmama,” Elizabeth answered. “Jane overheard her mother and Mr. Collins discussing the kidnapping, including the name of the militia officer they somehow recruited to help them. Sir William and Colonel Forster are aware that he has been located, but they are acting as though he has not been found. Sir William is the magistrate, and when I asked him last night what would be needed to arrest the conspirators, he did not answer. Do any of you know?” she asked, turning to encompass all four men in the room with her question.

One of the Bow Street runners answered the question. “At this point, it sounds like there should be enough evidence to arrest them. If they actually made an attempt to ransom your brother, it would be a little easier to convict them, but at this point, several have heard them speak of their plans. What is this colonel doing about his officer who assisted with the kidnapping attempt?”

“He did not say last night, so you will need to speak to him. All I know is that this Lieutenant Wickham is—” Elizabeth stopped when she felt Darcy drop her hand, and both he and Fitzwilliam jumped to their feet, their faces alight with anger.

“Wickham!” Colonel Fitzwilliam nearly roared, his voice echoing through the room. “What is that blackguard doing here? In the militia, of all places?” His expression darkened, fury flashing in his eyes.

For a moment, his unrestrained anger was obvious to all in the room—but then, just as quickly, it shifted. His lips curled into something that was not quite a smile, but was the expression of a hunter who had cornered his prey. Elizabeth almost shuddered upon seeing it.

“I always knew he was a fool,” Fitzwilliam said, his voice quieter now, laced with something far more dangerous. “At last, he cannot escape and will finally get what he deserves.”

“Richard,” Darcy warned. “We will need to speak to Colonel Forster before you do anything about Wickham. No matter how you feel, you cannot kill him.”

“Oh, I will not kill him, Darcy,” Fitzwilliam said with an almost feral smile on his face. “But one way or another, he will not survive this encounter. He has disgraced the uniform—if nothing else, that is an offense punishable by death. Military justice is swift.”

Darcy closed his eyes and attempted to calm his own anger. He had not encountered Wickham since this past summer, and had it not been for his sister and the fact that so many at Pemberley relied on him, he would have killed the man then. At least he had not touched Georgiana since Darcy had arrived before anything transpired between them.

“Elizabeth, I hate to leave you here, but I have a feeling that it is best if I accompany Richard to see the colonel. Do you know where we can find him?” Darcy asked.

“I am uncertain,” she replied, standing to boldly take his hands in her own. “The militia are quartered in Meryton, but I do not know where, as I have never had cause to visit. My uncle Philips would know, as would Sir William, and hopefully, all three will be together.

“I will not leave the house, and the butler has orders not to admit Mr. Collins or anyone connected with him, including my stepmother or any members of the militia aside from Colonel Forster. Your footman returned with you, did he not?”

At Darcy’s nod, she continued, “Then I will have both footmen here, and I have sworn to my brother, my sister, my uncle, Sir William, and now to you that under no circumstances will I leave this house. Now go—find Colonel Forster, stop your cousin from killing Lieutenant Wickham, and hurry back to me.”

Once again, as the men rose to leave the room, Elizabeth chose to disregard propriety, knowing all too well how quickly circumstances could change. Rising onto her tiptoes, she placed a soft kiss on Mr. Darcy’s cheek. He stiffened at first, startled by her boldness, but as their eyes met, understanding passed between them. With a quick glance at his cousin and the others in the room, ensuring their backs were turned, he bent down and brushed his lips lightly over hers.

The moment was fleeting—until the faint sound of the door opening and closing reached his ears. Seizing the opportunity, Darcy deepened the kiss, his hand sliding to the small of her back to hold her closer. Elizabeth melted into him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his coat, savouring the warmth and reassurance of his embrace.

When they finally parted, breathless and unwilling to move away entirely, Darcy pressed his forehead to hers. “I believe, my darling Elizabeth, that you are well and truly compromised now,” he murmured, his voice thick with affection. “You will have little choice but to marry me. How I wish your brother were standing outside that door at this very moment, ready to catch us in the act. Once we have settled these troubles, I fully intend to purchase a common license and make you my wife as soon as possible. I have missed you, my dear.”

Elizabeth let out a soft laugh, her cheeks warm with happiness. With shy determination, she rose once more on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “I have missed you as well,” she whispered. “While I would have wished for far more pleasant circumstances to bring you back to me, I am grateful you are here. I will marry you as soon as might be arranged, my darling Fitzwilliam.”

Hearing his given name on her lips sent a rush of emotion through him, and he captured her mouth in another searing kiss. They broke apart only when a sudden rattle at the door startled them both, reminding them of the world beyond their embrace.

Elizabeth sighed, reluctantly stepping back. “Perhaps you ought to detour to the church sooner rather than later,” she said with a touch of wry amusement though her voice held a note of frustration. “Although I suppose you cannot until Jonathan is ‘found’ and grants his permission.”

Darcy exhaled, brushing a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Soon, my darling,” he promised. With one last lingering look, he turned and reluctantly departed the room, leaving Elizabeth standing there with her fingers pressed to her lips, already longing for his return.