“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darcy,” Jane cooed, attempting to ingratiate herself with the wealthy gentleman she had just handed a glass containing a potentially lethal dose of poison.
“Would you care to dance, Miss Bennet?” he asked, handing the drink to his brother as he bowed to the lady. At her nod, he reached and took her hand to escort her to the dance floor. Jane smiled beatifically at being asked to dance by the Master of Pemberley, knowing that he was wealthier than Elizabeth’s husband and believing this meant he favoured her.
As they glided across the dance floor, Jane and George Darcy engaged in light conversation.
“Miss Bennet,” George began, “you appear to be in splendid spirits this evening.”
Jane’s simpering smile broadened, and her eyes sparkled with delight as she responded, “Indeed, Mr. Darcy, I am. It is an honour to dance with a gentleman of your extraordinary stature. Your dancing skills are unparalleled, and your presence here tonight has brought immense joy to the entire assembly.”
George Darcy acknowledged her flattery with a gracious smile. “Thank you, Miss Bennet. I must admit that dancing with you has been the highlight of my evening.”
As the dance continued, Jane maintained her simpering demeanour, basking in the belief that the Master of Pemberley held her in the highest regard, much like all gentlemen of worth in her eyes. While gracefully moving to the music, she cast several discreet glances towards her sister and the members of the local society who had previously snubbed her following her conflict with her sister.
While George danced with Miss Bennet, Fitzwilliam went to his cousin, hidden in the shadows, and handed off the glass. “George did not drink enough to do anything more than to make him a little sleepy,” Richard whispered.
“I noticed that,” Fitzwilliam replied, frowning as he considered what had happened. “Elizabeth said she suddenly felt ill from some smell just as Miss Bennet handed her the glass, and George used that as an excuse to take the drink. What will happen next?”
“My men already have Wickham in custody, having observed him pouring the contents of this vial into George’s drink. Wealso saw him nod at your sister-in-law to approve the alteration of the recipient, and it was clear that Miss Bennet was unsure. She was unsettled about the switch since her intended target was your wife, and he had assured her no one else would be harmed. It would not benefit Miss Bennet if the poison were to kill George, and she appears unaware of how much it would take to cause injury. Your wife would have been affected by less, but George, well, George can tolerate a much larger dose.”
Fitzwilliam grimaced at the thought. “George barely wet his lips with what was in the glass. We are certain Wickham had it all in his possession?”
Richard nodded. “He did, and we now have it in our custody. We used a dose on him to ensure he sleeps for some time.”
“When will George put on his performance for Miss Bennet?” Fitzwilliam asked but was interrupted when a noise caused them to turn to look toward the dancing couples. George had begun to stumble, and Fitzwilliam and Richard watched as other dancers got out of his way. Jane, in particular, was staring at him aghast while Elizabeth and Lady Anne played their parts.
“George,” Lady Anne cried as she rushed to her son. “What is wrong?”
“I do not know,” he replied, his words stumbling forth. “I suddenly felt ill. Is there, do you still have that wine Miss Bennet gave me?”
“I did not give you wine,” Miss Bennet hastily claimed. “That was my sister’s glass.”
“Regardless, you were the one who brought it,” Fitzwilliam stated. “Come with us as we get my brother settled. Perhaps you can tell us something about where you obtained the wine.”
Elizabeth and Lady Anne were on either side of Jane and assisted her as they moved her from the room with George. Several people turned to look, and while they were surprised to see the sisters together, they thought little of it.
Once they found themselves in a small room adjacent to the assembly hall, Elizabeth turned to face her sister squarely. Her voice was composed but tinged with anger as she inquired, “Tell me, sister, what exactly did you put into the wine you attempted to offer me? What consequences do you anticipate for my brother George, who consumed it instead of me? And what, pray tell, did you intend to occur to me?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Jane asked innocently.
“Miss Bennet, at the moment, George Wickham is in custody for attempted murder. Would you prefer to rely solely on his capacity to tell the truth, which, I must caution you, is not particularly reliable, or would you like to present your own account?” Richard asked.
“Who … who are you?” Jane asked uncertainly.
“Major Richard Fitzwilliam, cousin to the Darcys, at your service,” he replied with a bow.
“Why do you have Mr. Wickham in custody?” Jane asked, attempting to change the topic.
“Because I witnessed him pouring a tincture of belladonna into a drink intended for Mrs. Darcy, and I overheard the two of you plotting to ensure she consumed it,” Richard replied with unwavering certainty. “If my recollection serves me right, once your sister had met her demise, you planned to insinuate yourself into my cousin’s life under the delusion that you could supplant his dearly beloved wife. Let me assure you, you wouldhave found yourself sorely disappointed. My cousin would go to the ends of the earth to exact retribution upon anyone who dared to harm his wife.”
Jane seemed to finally recognize the trouble she was in, and she blanched. Her knees weakened, and she did not fall only because George, standing behind her, caught her by the shoulders. Mrs. Bennet came in just in time to see him grab her daughter by the shoulders, and she attempted to proclaim a compromise.
“There will be no compromise, madam,” George Darcy declared before a word could leave her mouth. “Your daughter is accused of plotting to murder my sister and of attempting to murder me, the nephew of an earl, by giving me a glass of wine laced with poison. A considerable amount of poison, as had I drunk the beverage, I would likely be deathly ill. Fortunately, both she and her accomplice are fools who are oblivious to others around them and their words were overheard.”
Mrs. Bennet followed her daughter’s example and paled as her knees weakened. She and Jane were aided to sit as their options were shared.
“I will arrive at Longbourn tomorrow to speak to your husband about the events of this evening,” Richard said. “For the time being, we would prefer to avoid involving the magistrate as we seek to avoid the publicity of a public trial. However, should you choose not to cooperate, rest assured we possess the means to ensure that you and your entire family face utter ruin due to your actions. I want to remind your husband that, by law, he is accountable for the conduct of the females within his household. This could result in all three of you being incarcerated in Newgate due to your actions.
“Madam,” he addressed Mrs. Bennet, “I consider you an accomplice. Your injudicious words convinced your daughter she was entitled to any gentleman she fancied. You instilled in your eldest daughter the belief that she was extraordinary without providing her with any meaningful accomplishments or qualities that might render her appealing to a man. Your words led her to believe she was superior to her sister, who diligently cultivated her talents and blossomed into a beautiful, vivacious, and witty woman. Elizabeth is the daughter you should be proud of, not one whose only purpose is to be an ornament on some man’s arm. She possesses no qualities to captivate a gentleman and has only demonstrated herself to be a vengeful shrew willing to plot her sister’s demise in pursuit of her own selfish aims.”
