Page 106 of Midnight at Pemberley

Elizabeth bathed in the small bowl provided by the cleric and donned a simple day dress. She would not shock the locals by appearing in men’s breeches. A bruise shadowed her cheek, and the dress covered more than one laceration.Yet Darcy thought her beautiful.

The colonel, too, showed wear and tear. The concussion he suffered was of most concern. Exhaustion—the natural release after such a battle— slowed his step, but he asked, “Darcy, what do we do with Wickham’s remains? Obviously, he cannot be buried anywhere around here.”

“I think I know just the place.”

Elizabeth inquired as she joined them, “Of what do we discuss?”

Darcy caught her hand to ward off any doldrums he might still carry. Elizabeth leaned over the back of the pew upon which he rested. “What to do with Wickham.”

“And?”

“There is an island less than two miles out called Lindisfarne. Have you heard of it?”

“The one from Scott’s poem?” Elizabeth asked. “I curl not Tweed alone, that breeze / For far upon Northumbrian seas / It freshly blew, and strong / Where from high Whitby’s cloistered pile / Bound to St. Cuthbert’s holy isle / It bore a barque along.” Elizabeth quoted the lines. “I never made the connection with how close we are to Berwick on Tweed.”

Sitting up to address them, Darcy reasoned, “The island is nearly deserted, and is called the Holy Isle as it was once the base of Christian evangelizing in northern England and southern Scotland. About the time that this madness with Wickham began, the parliamentarians took the castle on the island for the king during the Civil Wars. For our purposes, the monastery and the holy relics associated with Lindisfarne will serve as a deterrent for this evil to resurface. Moreover, an island serves another purpose. A vampire cannot cross running water. We can put Wickham’s remains by one of the springs or even by the lake.”

“This is absolutely amazing,” the colonel fumed as he paced across the front of the church. “You burn Wickham’s house to the ground, impale him with an ash stake, wound him repeatedly with a silver sword, attack him with a symbol of his god, throw holy water on him, and shoot him through the heart with a silver bullet. How many ways will you protect yourself from this fiend? Let us simply remove his remains to the woods and burn what is left of him!”

“Edward, you have not lived with this fear night and day for the past twelve years! I have! You will excuse me if I am overcautious!”

The two men stared at each other in a battle of wills. At length, the colonel gave way. “Then I will do it. You cannot make a journey by boat, trek across an island, and bury a corpse. Your injury will not permit it. Can you oversee the reburials? Are you strong enough to drive the stake through the heart of each of those Elizabeth and I vanquished?”

“I will assist William,” Elizabeth added innocently.

“No!” Both men ordered in unison. Darcy continued while the colonel looked away. “You will not do this, Elizabeth. It is too gruesome.”

“But, William …” she began; however, when he raised his hand, she fell silent.

“If you must do something, when the women from the village arrive with Gordy, see them to what remains of the manor. Gather the ashes and spread them indiscriminately in the woods and on the hillside. Wickham’s grave should no longer exist. I witnessed him gathering his home ashes to reseal them in his coffin. Make it impossible for any to bring back this evil.”

He knew his wife did not care for his tone, but she permitted him his pride for now. “Yes, William. May I, at least, accompany you when you address Lady Ellender?”

Darcy paused, considering her request. “If you wish.”

“Gordy has arrived, Darcy. I hear the wagons outside. I will take one of the horses into the village and make arrangements to escort Wickham’s remains to the coast. Possibly, someone in the village knows of a boat we might use. Peters shall go with me. Are you strong enough to oversee the workers?” The colonel slipped on his coat and gloves. “I shall bring back food for all of us.”

“Thank you, Edward.” Darcy stood to put on his own coat. “Elizabeth, if you will assist me.”

“I will return soon and assist with the graves until a wagon is secured to take away the remains.”

Darcy watched him go. “He does not understand how this haunts me.” He turned to his wife. “Am I being unreasonable?”

Elizabeth assisted him into the coat. His injuries made each of his movements stiff. “Likely so. Yet if such measures provide you serenity, then celebrate it. Acting upon your qualms cannot be called foolhardy in that case.”

Less than an hour later, Edward returned with the wagon and a makeshift coffin. He and Peters wrapped Wickham’s skeletal remains in two blankets and loaded them into the box. Nailing it shut, they prepared to leave. “It is an hour to the shore and more than an hour to the island. I sent a man ahead to arrange for a boat of which he knew. I am afraid it will be near dark when I return.” Edward pulled Darcy to the side, where they might speak privately. “I asked the innkeeper to provide meals for everyone throughout the day. He was happy for the extra business. That way, the men will not waste time returning to the village to eat. I will ask again if you are well enough to perform the necessary tasks?”

Darcy glanced to where the men were working diligently behind them. “Elizabeth and I decided I should stake the bodies when we send the others in to take their meals. Bringing food to the church will expedite the process. While they are inside, I will perform my duty to these souls. It is a ghastly business, Edward.”

“Could you not simply use the coins?”

“As with Wickham’s skeleton, I wish to safeguard against the possibility of this happening again. It is not of my nature to second guess if I did all I could to stop this insanity.”

Edward touched Darcy’s shoulder. “Then see it through, Cousin. Do you require my services in dispatching Lady Ellender?”

“I am not confident I have the stomach for it.” Darcy stared off into the cloudy sky. “I railed against the heavens because of her, and now I am asked to deliver her to a forgiving God. How may I mete out my forgiveness?”

“Would you not make a similar decision to save Elizabeth? I dare say she would for you. Anyone with half an eye could see that.”