Page 77 of Shields and Roses

"I feel I must," Bennet insisted. "This is not an errand I will delegate. Sir William, Mr. Darcy and I are all leaving to join Colonel Fitzwilliam at the camp when your visit is concluded."

The apothecary nodded. "Very well, but I suggest you take that relaxing draught I prepared for you before you go and be sure to wear your brace."

"I will," Bennet agreed.

"Then I should be on my way, so you can be on yours. I plan to stop by both your houses tomorrow just to check up on the patients, but feel free to call me sooner if I am needed."

Bennet struggled to his feet, while Darcy and Sir William rose with more ease. They all shook hands with Mr. Jones and wished him a good afternoon. The apothecary left the room after insisting he could see himself out.

"I suppose I should take his concoction," Bennet said as they prepared to leave, "although I think I shall wait until the last possible moment, because it does make me somewhat woozy. Sir William, you know where the brace is. Would you get it out and help me adjust it?"

"Of course, my friend," Sir William said, heading to a cabinet under one of the windows.

From a drawer of his desk, Bennet took out a large bottle made of dark glass that swished with the sound of liquid inside, followed by a small vial, a funnel sized to fit it and a measuring spoon. Bennet considered the implements he had placed on the desktop for a moment before turning to Darcy.

"Mr. Darcy, your hands are surely more steady than mine. Would you be so kind as to measure two spoonfuls of this draught into that vial along with four spoonfuls of that brandy there?" He pointed to a half-filled cut-glass decanter displayed on one of the bookshelves behind the desk "Oh, and be sure to give that bottle with the draught a good shake before you open it."

"Of course, sir," said Darcy. He set about his appointed task as Sir William assisted Bennet in donning a contraption made of straps and padding that was apparently intended to immobilize Bennet's left arm while holding it close to his body.

"If the brace helps reduce the pain, why do you not wear it all the time? Darcy asked after he had filled and stoppered the vial and returned the brandy decanter to its usual place.

"It is a helpful device," Bennet explained, "but when I wear it, I have no use of my left hand, and it tends to grow uncomfortable over time. Several years ago, I had a version that was much easier for me to get in and out of on my own, while still giving me some movement with the hand, but the straps tended to dig into my right shoulder and leave bruises on my ribs. It is a tradeoff of symptoms at best either way."

Darcy nodded. He thought the brace was still an ingenious contraption, even if it did not completely solve Bennet's problem.

When all the adjustments were complete, Bennet accepted the vial, slipping it into his waistcoat pocket. He replaced the glass bottle and other implements in the drawer, saying, "Shall we go, gentlemen? I would like to leave before my wife returns."

"I think we left it just a few minutes too late," Sir William remarked as the sound of excited women's voices drifted down the hall to them.

Bennet grimaced. "Well, at least I can warn her not to bother Lizzy. Come along, Mr. Darcy. It is time to meet your hostess and the one member of this family who most resembles what Lady Catherine may have told you about us. Just take into account that my wife loves her daughters fiercely, even if she is not always sensible or decorous in how she expresses that love."

"My Aunt Catherine's comments are forgotten, Mr. Bennet. I will accept your wife on her own merits, not what I have been told about her." Darcy said.

"I hope we can convince my wife to do the same for you," Bennet said with a chuckle as he led them from the study.

The noise increased as they came closer to the front parlor, and it all seemed to be coming from a single person. Bennet stopped at the open door to the room and was greeted with what was almost a screech.

"My dear Mr. Bennet! Are you going out?"

Darcy saw the young woman he knew to be Miss Jane Bennet sitting next to an older woman who had to be her mother. It was clear that, even though Mrs. Bennet's looks had faded somewhat with age and childbirth, she had once been as much of a beauty as her eldest daughter. Three other women were also in the room, one as fair as the oldest Bennet girl, although she was clearly much younger and was also a bit more stout. The other was also young and had more of a brownish tint to her hair than the others. The last woman was older than Miss Bennet, although not so old as her mother, and bore no family resemblance whatsoever to any of the Bennets.

"I am, indeed going out, my dear," Mr. Bennet said cheerfully. "I have some very important business to complete in the village along with Sir William and this gentleman."

Mrs. Bennet peered curiously at Darcy. "I do not believe I know your companion," she said, in a voice that Darcy thought was far too loud for the room. "And what business could be so important that you must go to Meryton yourself?"

"I will answer your question in a moment but first allow me to introduce you to our house guest for a few days. This is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. He has accompanied his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, here on important business and has also been of great service to us."

"Mr. Darcy!" she screeched, and Darcy did his best not to visibly wince. "Not the same man who tried to prevent Sir Barnaby from marrying my dear Jane! How can you even allow him into this house, much less invite him to stay?"

Darcy took a step forward and bowed with extreme courtesy. "I must beg your forgiveness, madam, and that of all your daughters," he said. "It is true I spoke with Sir Barnaby; however, I intended no actual harm to Miss Bennet or her sisters. I was acting on inaccurate information from my aunt, and I exceeded the bounds of courtesy in so doing. I am most humbly sorry."

"As well you ought to be," Mrs. Bennet snapped. "It was a most wicked thing to do, trying to break up a happy couple."

"If you will listen for a moment, my dear," Mr. Bennet broke in before she could continue her complaints, "I may be able to convince you that he has redeemed himself."

"I doubt that," she huffed, but then she quieted to let her husband speak.

"Do try to be charitable," he said. "This very day, Lieutenant Brickham of the militia attempted to drag our Lizzy away at gunpoint. Charlotte Lucas was injured as she tried to stop him. Mr. Darcy freed Lizzy and stopped Brickham while Colonel Fitzwilliam aided Miss Lucas. Then Mr. Darcy and the Colonel dumped the miscreant into the middle of that old wild rosebush by the stone bridge over the river."