Murders in London Page 5

  Mr. Bingley was able to join them only on Friday this week due to his previously committed engagements, and Georgiana had given several excuses to Mrs. Younge to avoid her company, explaining that her brother would be attending her instead.

  Mr. Darcy was stiff and impassive, speaking very little in public and frowning whenever his acquaintances approached him to request his attentions or to make introductions of young ladies to the very eligible bachelor. His eyes did soften when he spoke with his sister and her friend, and Elizabeth wondered if that gentleman would be capable of courting a woman with such a dreadful personality outside of Darcy House. She had seen flashes of amiability within his home but he appeared unsociable and contemptuous at best to everyone else.

  “How do you do, Mr. Gardiner, Mrs. Gardiner,” Darcy bowed respectfully.

  “Welcome! Come in, Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy.” Mr. Gardiner invited them into his home.

  Elizabeth was curious to Mr. Darcy’s demeanour, as he appeared more amenable this evening compared to the brief calls he had made before to Cheapside, and she was pleased to see him converse easier with her uncle as they sat in the drawing room.

  Georgiana leaned and whispered, “You know how shy my brother is; but he told me he likes your uncle and aunt very much and is looking forward to relaxing here tonight. He usually dislikes public outings but it has been wonderful to have him accompany me these two weeks and finally enjoying himself for a change. He is really the best of brothers. That is a beautiful flower arrangement, Lizzy. I must ask Mrs. Gardiner about the names of the flowers!” She turned to the elder lady and began to speak softly.

  Elizabeth was surprised to hear Georgiana describe Mr. Darcy as shy and she was certain it must be of arrogance, that a man of sense and education could not employ his time to recommend himself better to strangers. She caught herself staring at the handsome man once again and her heart jumped when his eyes met hers for a brief moment.

  Unexpectedly, though, Mrs. Gardiner nearly dropped her wineglass when her son ran into the room in his nightdress in tears.

  “George! What are you doing here? You should be sleeping in your bed!” Mrs. Gardiner exclaimed, flushed red with embarrassment to be disturbed while having guests in the home.

  “A monster under the bed, mama!” The young boy wailed, “I heard noises and it must be a monster!”

  Mrs. Gardiner hugged her son and rubbed his back. “It was just a dream. There are no monsters, my dear. Let us get you back to sleep, my love. All will be well.”

  George shook his head frantically, “I do not want to go back! Not until the monster is gone!” He looked around the room and saw that there was company. He looked at Mr. Darcy who was younger and much taller than his own father. “Can you catch the monster? You look scary and you can chase it away.”

  Elizabeth was mortified that her cousin could speak so to her friend’s brother, who had been expressionless the entire time of the interruption. She gasped when Mr. Darcy stood up suddenly, wondering if he had been offended and might storm out of the room.

  She then heard his reply, “Master Gardiner, it would be a great honour to capture your monster. Let us go now.” He bent down to lift up the young child and easily carried him while Mrs. Gardiner arose and walked with them. Elizabeth found herself smiling as he continued to speak, “I find that monsters are rather more scared of little boys and that is why they hide. If they were not afraid, they would roam freely, do you not agree?” He continued to comfort the boy as they walked up the stairs.

  Georgiana turned and giggled, “I used to have nightmares and had to run to my brother often when I was a child. He was home from Eton one summer and I had so many bad dreams that he actually stayed in the room with me for a full week. He slept on the floor next to my bed and promised that he would either offer himself to be bait or would catch the monster if it should dare to peek out from beneath.” She sighed, “He is so good with children.”

  Elizabeth was stunned to hear such an account and did not know what to think. He showed great kindness to her young cousin and had not appeared haughty at all, but once Mr. Darcy returned after safely tucking the young boy into bed, his eyes turned sharp again and he continued to glare at her direction with an intensity as if to look for faults. She knew he found her to have little beauty with a wilful independence and was frustrated that his nature seemed to be constantly changing.

  ~*~

  After observing him closely for a fortnight, Elizabeth felt confident that she had accurately sketched Mr. Darcy’s character; that he was intelligent and a good brother but an arrogant man who felt himself above everyone else and saw little good in others. There was a kindness in him that presented itself when he felt generous enough to allow it, but overall, she thought him too proud and distant, no matter how handsome his countenance, and could not imagine him being an affectionate husband to any woman.

  She enjoyed Georgiana’s company very much and thought of her like a sister, though. Elizabeth explained the situation to Mrs. Annesley that although closer in age to her youngest sister Lydia, Miss Darcy was a shy girl who needed to build more confidence in social situations. After arriving in Mayfair in the Gardiner carriage, she made the introductions of her companion of many years to the Darcys.

  “Welcome, Mrs. Annesley. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Miss Darcy smiled at the elder lady. “My companion, Mrs. Younge.” She introduced the two ladies then left to observe them from behind.

  Georgiana observed that Mrs. Younge was a younger woman of thirty years with a snobbish look about her, while Mrs. Annesley was about fifty years in age and very well-mannered. She was genteel with wisdom in her eyes as she assessed her surroundings.

  “And how long have you been with Miss Bennet? She must have been such a handful during her upbringing. She has a shrewish obstinacy about her and I cannot fathom attempting to rein in a girl such as she. Even if she is only twenty years old now, I would not be surprised if she becomes a spinster.” Mrs. Younge huffed. She was standing at a distance from Miss Darcy where she could not see her charge behind her, but Georgiana was able to hear all and she stood in shock that her companion could belittle her bosom friend to a virtual stranger.

  Mrs. Annesley calmly replied, “I have been with my dear Miss Elizabeth since she was six years old. It is true that she has a determined personality but I find it charming and I adore her. She has an older sister who is two and twenty and still unmarried and Miss Elizabeth has not been interested in the marriage market, but her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, had insisted on showing her off this season to meet more new people in town. And how long have you been with the Darcys? Miss Darcy appears a very elegant young lady.”

  Mrs. Younge looked down her nose at the Gardiners, who were speaking with Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet. “I have been her companion for nearly five months now. She is a quiet girl and very accomplished and I know her brother is eager to have her out and married off. I am hoping to stay here until the little princess gets hitched quickly then perhaps I can pursue other opportunities within the household.” She peered at Mr. Darcy who appeared to be almost smiling as he spoke with Miss Bennet.

  “I understand, Mrs. Younge.” Mrs. Annesley replied and looked behind to see Georgiana Darcy standing within earshot. She smiled tenderly at the young woman and subtly nodded. “I see Miss Darcy approaching. Let us join the others now.”

  Mrs. Younge quickly straightened and smiled broadly. “Miss Darcy! I had wondered where you were. Come, come now, you must make good conversation with our guests and perform your mistress duties well. Stand up straight. Do not forget to smile.”

  Georgiana discreetly rolled her eyes and giggled when the older companion winked at her.

  Mrs. Annesley walked to Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet and nodded. “I will accept your offer. I made a very quick assessment and I am in concurrence with Miss Bennet’s first impression. I can start next week if you wish.”

  Mr. Darcy grinned broadly for the first time in their acqu
aintance and Elizabeth stood in shock at seeing his smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Annesley. I plan on making the announcement tonight after the guests have departed and she will be gone tomorrow. Thank you again!” His face turned expressionless once again as he turned to Elizabeth. “Are you well, Miss Bennet? Is something wrong?”

  Elizabeth quickly shook her head. “No, sir. Nothing is wrong but I had not...” she blushed in embarrassment for staring. “I am quite surprised to find you so cheerful and I had not thought it possible.” She spoke quietly while the other guests were speaking with each other.

  Darcy softly chuckled, “I do know how to smile, Miss Bennet. Bingley is not the only one who can appear happy. I take pleasure in many things, not just reading or scowling.” He sighed quietly. “I am sorry Bingley could not attend tonight. You must wish for his company.”

  “I had not...” Elizabeth suppressed her laughter, “To be honest, I had not thought of that gentleman since seeing him at Kew Gardens. Although he is very kind, I am not so... motivated to speak with him. I find that we do not have much in common.”

  Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy stiffen at her confession and wondered if he disapproved of her lack of enthusiasm for his friend, or even worse, if he thought she might have perhaps set her sights on himself. “Good lord,” she groaned, “I hope you do not think I am after you! You are far too serious for my taste!”

  Mr. Darcy covered his amusement with a cough. “You certainly do not mince words, Miss Bennet. I have learned my lesson and I will not make any assumptions of you. I would request that you not sketch my character based on my performance in public, though. It would reflect no credit on either of us and I would hate for Georgiana to be disappointed.”

  “And yet you have been most difficult to sketch. I see such different accounts of you at every interaction; as soon as I decide on one likeness, it changes the next moment. You puzzle me exceedingly.” Elizabeth replied.

  Mr. Darcy turned to face her fully, “Then I hope to present myself to you more honestly, Miss Bennet. I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours,” he stated, with what Elizabeth thought sounded like affection, then he quickly left to Mr. Gardiner’s side.

  Once again, Elizabeth was severely confused on what to think of the man. He seemed so arrogant and aloof, and yet he was a caring brother to Georgiana. He had appeared to look down on her relatives at first but this week, he was all friendliness and generosity. She recalled what Mr. Wickham had shared with her about the living, and since Georgiana had little knowledge of Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy’s friendship, she hoped to ask Mr. Darcy of it sometime.

  She thought of Mr. Bingley and that although the gentleman had shown interest in knowing her better, she wondered how soon she could decline his attentions and get Jane to London to introduce her to him. Jane’s latest letter had been morose and Elizabeth had written to her father to press Jane to visit Cheapside soon.

  Returning her focus to the current company, she sat with Georgiana and spoke merrily and enjoyed their time together at dinner. Mrs. Annesley appeared to approve of the young woman and Elizabeth was immensely pleased that she could be of service to her young friend.

  Chapter 5

  “Thank you for the enjoyable time, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth curtseyed, “Thank you, Georgie. It was a wonderful dinner. My aunt loved your table decoration and is planning on replicating it for herself. She fully intends to steal your idea for her own credit!” She laughed as she embraced the younger woman and kissed her cheek.

  Georgiana laughed, “She is welcome to it. I am very happy to have met Mrs. Annesley as well and I look forward to seeing her again next week,” she winked. “I will see you on Monday, Lizzy. I wish to hear all about of your dinner party tomorrow night.”

  Elizabeth was once again astonished when Mr. Darcy reached for her hand and placed it on his arm to escort her to the carriage. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner entered the carriage after Mrs. Annesley and Mr. Darcy slowly lifted Elizabeth’s hand to kiss it.

  “I hope,” Mr. Darcy looked directly into her eyes while he rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, “I hope to speak with Bingley soon about my... my decision for my future. I do not wish to wound him but if you are not intere....”

  Suddenly, there was a loud crack in the air and Mr. Darcy gasped as Elizabeth began to fall backwards. He saw blood pooling on her shoulder and shouted to his footmen to get help while he covered her with his body to protect her in case there might be more gunfire. Mrs. Annesley and Mrs. Gardiner screamed while the driver of the coach pulled the carriage back to provide coverage for his master from further attacks.

  The butler quickly ushered the guests back into the house after Darcy lifted Elizabeth from the ground and carried her inside. Not carrying for propriety, Darcy rushed into his own rooms and laid Elizabeth onto his bed.

  He could see blood still pooling on the top of her left shoulder and pressed it hard to cease the bleeding. Mrs. Mason handed him several towels and he continued to push down as he burned in anger that someone would attack his guest outside of his home. He yelled for Mr. Mason to ask if the assailant had been captured yet, while Mrs. Gardiner ran to the other side of the bed to attempt to awaken her niece to no avail and began to weep.

  “Mrs. Gardiner, her wound does not appear to be a fatal one but two inches to the right and the bullet would have pierced her neck. I cannot tell if the bullet is lodged inside her but I believe she is unconscious from the shock. She will be well. She has to be well. I promise you I will find out who has done this, madam. I am so sorry that... I am sorry, Mrs. Gardiner.”

  Mrs. Gardiner calmed with Mr. Darcy’s assessment. “You take too much upon yourself. It is not your fault that Lizzy is wounded and I am grateful for your care of my niece.”

  “But the attack might have been meant for me. If she had not been standing next to me or if... if I had not delayed Elizabeth from entering the carriage...” Darcy could not go on.

  Mrs. Gardiner, as sharp as ever, quickly realised that this young man might be in love with Lizzy. “Mr. Darcy,” she patted his shoulder gently, “my dear Lizzy is a strong woman and she would not tolerate your taking responsibility for something out of your control.” Mrs. Gardiner looked down and saw her niece stir. “See? She is awaking.” She smiled.

  Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and grimaced. She saw Mr. Darcy over her closer than expected and began to sit up but was stopped by his strong hands on her.

  “You must not move, Miss Bennet. You are injured and I must keep pressing your shoulder. I know it hurts. I am sorry to cause you pain but you must remain still.” Darcy implored.

  “Oh, it hurts so much. What happened?” Elizabeth squeezed her aunt’s hand who was sitting on the bed next to her. “It feels as if my arm will fall off my body.” Elizabeth looked up and saw the concern in Mr. Darcy’s eyes. There was tenderness in them and she smiled softly at him. “Thank you for helping me, Mr. Darcy. It seems I am constantly falling in front of you.”

  Darcy smiled in return, “It is my honour, Miss Bennet.”

  There was a knock on the door and the doctor, who fortunately lived only down the street, entered. “I shall see her now. Are you her relative?” he asked Mrs. Gardiner and continued after she nodded. “Please stay here with us, madam. Darcy, good to see you again, although not under the circumstance.” The old man in his sixties nodded. “I am glad you have been pressing on her wound. It will most likely need mending.” He turned to Elizabeth, “Miss...”

  “Bennet.” Elizabeth replied.

  The elderly man smiled, “Miss Bennet, I will need to give you a tonic to help you sleep. You will likely be in a deep sleep for the next several hours and will have pain and feel groggy when you awaken. I will have your aunt stay with you the entire time I work on you and will leave some laudanum for the pain. You will be up and running again in no time but you will have to keep your arm very still for at least a full week. Can you do that?” He chuckled seeing the young lady’s face in shock. “You are just
like my daughter, I believe. She could not sit still for more than a few moments all of her life. We will take good care of you, young lady.” He helped her drink the tonic.

  Elizabeth looked at Darcy again who appeared very concerned for her. She attempted to smile at him but her eyelids grew heavier and soon, she was deeply asleep.

  “Mr. Hastings, she was shot on her shoulder and a few more inches toward her neck, she would have been lost to us forever. I hope I did not do anything wrong to press her wound like this but the bleeding seems to have slowed.” Darcy spoke while the doctor prepared his tools. “What else do you require? Everything will be at your disposal.”

  “Mason told me that they were unable to find anyone responsible for this. Your sister will need your comfort, William. She was crying copiously and there is an older woman attending her but I believe she needs to hear from you that Miss Bennet will be well. Your young lady here will need a change of clothing and a maid to attend her if she should awake during the night. She is a small lady and I gave her half of the usual dose so she may wake up earlier than expected. Preventing an infection will be key and she will need to stay here without jolting her arm about for the next several days, William.” The doctor replied. “Go to Georgiana. Everything will be well.”

  Darcy stood after one long look at the sleeping woman and bowed to Mrs. Gardiner to take his leave. He wiped his bloody hands and went into his dressing room to change out of his blood-stained clothes before seeing his sister.

  “I am guessing you already know, Mrs. Gardiner,” Mr. Hastings chuckled at the woman who was brushing away her niece’s hair. “I have known both Darcys since their birth and it is glaringly obvious to me that he is in love with Miss Bennet. She must be very special.”

  Mrs. Gardiner also laughed, “I had not seen it before tonight but the past half hour had opened my eyes to it. I do not know how she feels about him, although I have seen her soften towards him. It would be an incredible match, sir.”