Page 21 of Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man

Thus, it was with renewed hope for Elizabeth’s recovery that the trip to London began.

On the road to London

Mid-morning found William, Elizabeth and Mrs. Drury in Darcy’s coach, slowly making their way to London through a thick fog that cloaked the countryside and slowed their journey. Elizabeth had been given a draught to calm her before they left Netherfield, and almost immediately upon entering the coach she had removed her pelisse and laid her head back against the seat, closing her eyes. William worried that she should have kept the pelisse on, as she was likely to become cold the further they travelled.

With every sway of the coach, her head moved from side to side, and by the time they were several miles out of Meryton, Elizabeth leaned heavily against Mrs. Drury. Seeing that she was asleep, William motioned for Mrs. Drury to help him, and he picked up Elizabeth’s feet, laying them on the seat, causing her head to slide down into the woman’s lap. He then removed her pelisse to his side of the coach and reached under the seat to secure two warm blankets. One he used to cover Elizabeth, and the other he handed to Mrs. Drury. The companion smiled, nodding her appreciation, and closing her eyes, rested her head against the side of the coach.

With both ladies asleep or resting, William availed himself of the opportunity to study Elizabeth. As much as was possible, Jane had taken good care of her. She was fashionably dressed in a very becoming green gown and half boots of dark blue kid. Her hair looked beautiful, arranged with small butterfly pins scattered throughout. The pelisse, which she had immediately discarded, was dark-blue twilled cotton with a light blue silk lining, trimmed in fur. Examining her face, William noticed that she looked almost peaceful as she slept.

As the long ride progressed with his companions napping, William’s thoughts turned to the meeting he had had with the Bingleys that very morning. All of them had Elizabeth’s best interests at heart, and each was painfully aware of the importance and consequences of the actions they were taking.

Netherfield

The Drawing room

Earlier That Morning

“You realise that for Elizabeth to be sheltered at Pemberley, I will have to close the estate to almost everyone else? And until her condition improves, I think it best for no one—not even you—to visit.”

Jane nodded thoughtfully. “We could correspond regarding her, keeping abreast of her progress, could we not?”

Charles interjected, “What if one of our letters fell into the wrong hands?”

“We can establish a name to refer to Elizabeth in our letters,” William responded.

“When we were small, we pretended to be grand ladies, and we would make up names to go with our new identities. Lizzy used to call herself Elise Lawrence.”

“Then if we speak of her in correspondence, we shall refer to her as Elise. However, it would probably be less confusing to Elizabeth if she is addressed by her Christian name in conversation at Darcy House and Pemberley. She shall from this time forward be called Elizabeth Elise Lawrence while she is under my protection. Now, we must decide on her background.”

“Can she not be a distant cousin of yours? You remarked of having cousins in Sussex—a few of which you had met only once,” Charles offered. “I could feign having met her at Pemberley in years past, thus the enquiries into her health in my letters.”

William considered the suggestion. “That is probably as good a story as any. Are we in agreement?” Jane and Charles nodded.

“I have other concerns. I met Mrs. Drury this morning in the hallway, and she seems very refined, more so than the average servant. Is she the one primarily responsible for caring for Elizabeth?”

“Yes. She is Lizzy’s nurse. Until circumstances forced her into service, Mrs. Drury was a gentlewoman. She was our nurse at Longbourn when Lizzy was born, and as we got older, she did not agree with Mama’s treatment of Lizzy.” Jane looked away.

“She left Longbourn and found work elsewhere. When Charles and I married, I learned she was available and convinced her to come here. Naturally, when Lizzy was recovered, we needed someone we could trust, and she has been a godsend. She loves Lizzy. I assure you she will think nothing of accompanying her to Pemberley.”

“I believe familiarity will be helpful. Mrs. Drury does not have to assume another name, but at Darcy House and Pemberley, she will take on the role of Elizabeth Lawrence’s aunt and chaperone, which she seems capable of doing. If you will, Elizabeth will be a proper young lady being chaperoned by her aunt, in case others learn of her presence.”

William frowned as he addressed other concerns. “Of course, in order to truly keep her safe, some of my trusted servants must know her true identity and why she is with me, and I will not lie to my cousin Richard, my sister or her husband.”

“We understand completely. Do what you must.”

“Now, tell me everything from the first time she met this blackguard. I want to understand how this could have happened.”

“I believe Charles has already told you how Count Stefano came to be in Meryton.” Jane ventured, and seeing William nod, she continued. “Lizzy was not impressed at all by the count’s smooth conversation and charm. Used to having his choice of female companions, he could not comprehend why every woman was taken with him—except Lizzy. He became obsessed with her.”

She shivered. “If only I had listened when Lizzy said there was something evil about him! Finally, she persuaded Papa to tell him to leave her alone.” She added softly, “Lizzy was Papa’s favourite.”

Taking a deep breath to strengthen herself, Jane continued. “Then Papa died unexpectedly, we had to move into a small cottage behind Aunt Phillips’ house, as Mr. Collins demanded that he take possession of Longbourn at once. Mama went mad with grief and worry. She began inviting the count to our small house every night. Elizabeth begged her not to encourage him, but to no avail. One day when I came home, Lizzy was gone, and no explanation was offered.”

Jane stood and began pacing as she relived the horror. “I tried to find her myself. I had Mr. Hill drive Mary and me throughout Meryton and half the county, asking if anyone had seen her. I enquired at posting inns, I talked to the constable,” she struggled, “but it was hopeless.” Silence filled the room.

Whirling around, her eyes blazed in anger. “Then Mama purchased a bigger house, began hiring servants, buying clothes, as though she had gained a fortune. I suspected then that she had profited by my sister’s absence. It was only by chance that I heard her bragging to my Aunt Phillips that she had given her consent for Lizzy to marry Count Stefano!”

She dropped her head in her hands and began to cry, then lifted it to vent her rage. “LIZZY WOULD NEVER CONSENT TO MARRY THAT MAN!”