Page 69 of Her Affections and Wishes

Henry had a strong posture and a determined look. The boy had surprised him. And as much as he hated it, he was not well enough to go himself, and agreed. “I will send my carriage after you to bring back anyone who wants to tend to Miss Bennet. If the family debates on who to send, Miss Bennet would prefer her sister Jane.”

“I will mention that if they need direction.”

“When you speak with Mrs Bennet…” How could he say this? “She will fly into a panic that will make it impossible to accomplish anything. I fear you must bring senses and nerves that could be useful to a mind such as hers⁠—”

“I can do it,” he insisted. “Write a letter whilst I change and pack. I will leave in quarter of an hour.”

Henry gestured to the stairs, and Darcy trudged back up. He lumbered to his room and wrote as brief an explanation as he could to Mr Bennet and offered to come himself when he was able. He could scarcely imagine their horror. They expected their newly engaged daughter on Monday and were about to be told about all the violence done to her because she had said yes.

Henry came in, now stylishly dressed in riding clothes. Thankfully, there was something of substance beneath the fashion after all. Handing over the letter, Darcy asked, his voice shaking, “Has the surgeon seen Elizabeth?”

He nodded. “I asked my mother what he said so I could tell her family. Mr Hunter does not think it a hopeless case, but she has suffered a severe contusion. She is awake, but not yet lucid—but he is confident it will pass. He insists on seeing you.”

Hearing Elizabeth’s condition did little to console him, and he wanted to ask more questions. But Warren then came in with Mr Hunter behind him. The energy that had been coursing through him when Elizabeth was in danger had receded. It was his turn to be examined, bled, prodded, and confined to his bed.

He had no strength left to argue and would submit to whatever was done to him.

On Sunday, Darcy woke early to the same sore throat and abdominal pain he had gone to bed with the night before. Now that he had nothing urgent to focus on, he could only think on how much his chest hurt and how irregular his heartbeat was. He was lucky to be alive. The surgeon suspected arsenic, and was certain that had he drunk the entire cup, his valet would have found his corpse on the floor.

He ought to write to his sister, and his other friends too, but the idea of explaining the entire escapade was daunting. He had not even written to say he was engaged yet. He had been waiting until he had Mr Bennet’s approval, and that was the news he wanted to share. Avoiding a necessary task was unlike him, but informing them of his poor health could wait another day. More important was to learn how Elizabeth was and if Henry sent a rider from Longbourn with news of how the family coped. He rang for Warren, but when his valet came in, he refused to set out his clothes.

“Sir, the surgeon said you are to rest for a week.”

“Surely, he meant not to travel for a week, and I would not do that anyway, so long as Miss Bennet is here. We might soon be able to go to Longbourn.”

“Mr Hunter specifically said ‘in bed,’” said Warren, giving him a new nightshirt and banyan rather than the morning clothes he asked for. “You cannot handle any exertion, and we must reintroduce foods carefully.”

“I need to know how Miss Bennet is!” He angrily yanked the clothes from Warren’s hands, who let them go with start. He instantly regretted his rudeness. It was not his valet’s fault for following the surgeon’s orders and for trying to keep him alive. Darcy muttered an apology and dressed for staying in his chamber.

Warren accepted his concession with a nod. “I will send in Mrs Tessier to report on how Miss Bennet is. I know Mr Henry sent a messenger late last night. He will bring Miss Bennet’s elder sister later today in your carriage.”

His valet fussed over him for a little longer and offered him some dreadful gruel that Darcy thought the surgeon mad for thinking anyone would find nourishing or appetising. Mrs Tessier soon saved him from it, and he impatiently endured her long-winded well wishes until she finally mentioned Elizabeth.

“Miss Bennet is much the same as she was last night. Headache, confused, nauseous. She does not remember much of yesterday. Her thoughts are rather all in a jumble. But no symptoms worse than before have appeared,” she added. Something of his crestfallen feelings must have shown on his face. “The surgeon is confident in her eventually being more coherent, I assure you. But Mr Hunter insists she is to be kept easy. No visitors, no noise, no commotion.”

Disappointment hit him in the chest. He was not sure what he expected. Of course, she had a concussion and was dangerously ill. Elizabeth might not even be able to sit up without pain. There was no way that he could talk with her, and they were not leaving anytime soon.

Who knew when she could endure a carriage ride? His stay at Woodcote was far from over. “It will be distressing to her friends to be involving you in such trouble, madam. But I am afraid Miss Bennet’s condition is serious and she cannot be moved for⁠—”

“Miss Bennet must remain where she is,” Mrs Tessier insisted. “Her removal is impossible, as is yours.” She smiled. “The reason is terrible, of course, but I love to have people about, especially since my husband died. Anyone who wants to tend to either of you must come.” Her expression fell. “I would care for Miss Bennet myself, but Julia—well, Julia needs tending to in her own way.”

“Henry is returning with Miss Bennet’s eldest sister, freeing you to tend to Miss Metcalfe’s sensibilities,” he said flatly. “Jane Bennet must be free from any mention or sight of that woman. It could only remind her of her sister’s near death.”

He could not hide his dislike. He pitied Julia and did not blame her for her mother’s actions, but he could never respect her.

Mrs Tessier stopped fidgeting with her rings and gave a relieved smile. “I will be glad to have Miss Bennet here, and of course I will help tend to Miss Elizabeth, too. It will distract my mind from thinking about dear Lady—” She looked away under his glare and coughed. “Did you hear that Lewis’s wife has had the baby? A little girl; very happy news. I will visit once Miss Bennet is recovered enough to go home. And once it is settled who will come for Julia, poor thing.”

He could not hold back an exasperated sigh.

“Julia will not stay a moment longer than necessary!” Mrs Tessier was far too cheerful for his liking. “A week, I suspect, for her family to decide it all.”

His patience was splintering. “She may not have tried to kill anyone, but Miss Metcalfe saw nothing wrong with locking up Elizabeth to more easily seduce me. Do you think she is less dangerous knowing her mother is an attempted murderer?”

“I promise to keep Julia in her own rooms. She will be no bother to anyone. She is melancholy, as you can⁠—”

“She leaves tomorrow,” Darcy snapped. If there was ever a time to order a hostess to throw out one of her guests, was it not now? “I do not care where Miss Metcalfe goes, but she must not stay within one stage of Woodcote Park.”

“I wrote to Lady Metcalfe’s son’s guardian. Hopefully, someone will retrieve Julia and find a lawyer for Lady Metcalfe and…” A growl rumbled in his chest, and she stopped rambling. “You do not need to hear about that. I will take care of it. Julia will be gone tomorrow.”