Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley (23 page)

‘As do I; it is becoming cold in here, I am uncertain whether I should
put on my cloak or wait until we go outside again.’ She heard the clatter of
the bucket being placed down and then he was beside her, standing uncomfortably
close. He had somehow managed to discard his driving cape in those few seconds.
She attempted to step away but he grabbed her arms.

‘Come, my dear, I have a far better way of keeping warm. What harm is a
kiss between friends?’

 
* * * *

Charles slept little the night before he was to act as second at Mr
Darcy’s duel. He had inspected the box of duelling pistols to ascertain they
were in perfect working order far more times than was necessary. Long before
dawn he was downstairs enveloped in a dark cloak, his hat pulled low over his
eyes and the wooden box under his arm. His head groom had been taken into his
confidence and was to drive the closed carriage to collect Darcy and the
physician.

Outside it was still pitch dark, but the weather had improved and the
snow long gone. There were few people about at this time of the morning and he
was at his destination in good time.

Two similarly cloaked figures waited outside the house.

He unlocked the door himself and kicked down the steps to allow the
doctor and Darcy to enter the carriage. They did no more than nod a greeting to
each other; no one had any desire to converse this morning. The impending
challenge weighed heavy on all their shoulders. All three of them could be
arrested if discovered and Darcy had the added burden of considering he could
be killed.

The coach trundled through London, each gentleman resting in silence in
their own corner of the vehicle. An hour after leaving town the carriage slowed
and Charles knew the moment had come. He leant across the carriage and gripped
his friend’s hand firmly.

‘Good luck, Darcy. This is a wretched business.’

‘I think you should both remain in the carriage whilst I go and talk to
Rivenhall. There is no need for either of you to be seen until later.’

‘Very well, Bingley. I have only to remove my outer garments, that will
be the work of minutes. I am ready whenever you call me.’

The third figure in the carriage said nothing. No doubt he was praying
that his skills would not be required that morning. Charles wondered how much
Darcy had had to pay the man to get him to accompany them.

The first glimmer of light was coming over the horizon, sufficient for
him to see that Darcy’s opponent was already there. Across the clearing he
could see a similar closed carriage. With the pistols under his arm he marched
towards it; he was no more than halfway there and when a dark shape emerged
from the gloom and almost ran towards him.

‘Is that you, Rivenhall?’

‘Of course it is, Bingley. Thank God you have come promptly.’

‘I have to ask, is Lord Winterton prepared to apologize?’

‘No, let’s get this wretched business over.’

Charles opened the box of firearms. ‘Do you select for your man, or must
he do it himself?’

Rivenhall barely glanced at the weapons. ‘I shall take one to him. We
know that Darcy is an honourable man, he would not have tampered with either of
them.’

With the remaining pistol Charles hurried back to the carriage. Darcy
stepped out as he approached dressed only in his shirt and britches. He must be
half frozen, but had insisted he could not aim true in his jacket.

‘I have loaded and primed this for you, Lord Winterton will not retract
so you must proceed. Do you intend to delope?’

‘I shall not kill him, that is all you need to worry about.’

He saw a similarly garbed figure emerge from the other carriage. His
hands were shaking, he hoped that Darcy’s were steadier. He studied his friend,
he appeared almost relaxed, no tension in his jaw, the hand holding a pistol
resting casually at his side. One would think Darcy fought a duel every day of
his life.

He watched him stride into the centre of the clearing where he halted.
Not a word was spoken. Their breath clouded around their heads as the sun crept
over the horizon. Darcy stood back to back with Winterton. Charles was to count
the paces out loud, when he reached twenty the men would turn and fire.

‘One, two, three…’ His voice was loud in the early morning silence.
‘Eighteen, nineteen, twenty.’

Darcy turned slowly and raised his weapon. Winterton fired and Charles
saw his friend sway slightly to the right and the bullet whistled harmlessly
past his head. Good God! Winterton had aimed to kill, what would Darcy do in
return?

A second explosion and this bullet found its target. A patch of scarlet
stained Winterton’s shirt and he staggered back. Darcy dropped his weapon and
shouted for the doctor.

‘Andrews, your services are required. Lord Winterton has a bullet
through his shoulder.’

The doctor scampered past, his medical bag in one hand, his black cloak
flying around him. Charles felt his pulse return to normal. ‘My God, Darcy, that
was the finest piece of shooting I’ve ever seen. You were magnificent. I was
quaking in my boots but you were as cool as if you were taking a morning
stroll.’

‘I think we must leave Andrews to return with Lord Winterton. We are
finished here, shall we find somewhere to breakfast?’

Charles slapped his friend on the back. ‘I doubt we’ll find anywhere
satisfactory in this benighted place. However, The Red Lion is not too distant
and they do a magnificent spread.’ He was about to retrieve the pistol when he
heard the sound of galloping horses. Good grief! The constables! Word of
the
 
duel had somehow reached the
authorities; if they were apprehended all would be up for them.

‘Run for it, Darcy, we are discovered.’

His friend was no more than three strides from the vehicle but he had
further to go. He covered the last few yards in seconds, shouting to his driver
to whip the horses up. The carriage was already in motion as he dived for the
open door. Two strong hands gripped the collar of his cape and he was tumbled
head over heels inside. The door slammed shut behind him. The chase was on.

Jane struggled but his fingers tightened, biting into her arms. ‘Release
me, sir, you forget yourself. I demand that you take me home at once. I have no
wish to remain here with someone who is not a gentleman.’

‘The road is impassable, my horses not fit to go out. You have no
choice, so why not enjoy yourself?’

Her left foot connected sharply with his ankle and then with her right
she stamped on his toes. Swearing volubly he staggered back and she was free,
but for how long could she fend him off? If he was really determined to ruin
her there was no one to hear her cries for help.

‘You’re mighty high in the instep for a provincial miss. Do not look so
scared, I shall not touch you again. I’ll not have you say I compromised you, I
have no wish to be leg shackled to a penniless young woman, I have grander
plans.’

Retrieving her discarded cloak she hastily slung it over her shoulders.
She would not stay a moment longer with this monster, she would walk all the
way back to London if he would not drive her. ‘I insist that we return at once.
I am sure that your horses are fit enough to resume their journey.’

‘The road is impassable, you stupid girl. Why do you think we are
marooned here in the first place? Go ahead, see for yourself.’

Jane inched the door open and to her delight the snow had passed, and
she could see they had not been nearly as much fallen on the roads as she had
thought. Triumphantly she turned to her attacker.

‘The blizzard has gone, there is barely an inch on the road. It will be
perfectly safe to return.’ She glared at him, more angry than she had ever been
in her life before. ‘You are a perfidious gentleman, I have been much deceived
by you. I pity the young lady who finds herself your wife.’

Not waiting for his assistance she pushed the doors wide open then
stalked back to where the horses were standing and grabbed the bit of the
nearest animal. If he would not harness his team, then she would do it for him.

‘Very well, have it your own way. I can assure you I shall be as
relieved as you to be back in town. Do not think I shall call on you again,
Miss Bennet, our association is at an end.’

She bit back her pithy response; it would not to anger him further, not
when he was doing as she wished. She had no desire to be abandoned on the side
of the road, she might freeze to death before another vehicle came along to
rescue her.

The carriage was soon ready to depart and she scrambled up on to the box
seat, leaving him to lead the animals outside. He joined her and in stony
silence they returned to town. It was getting late, her aunt and uncle must be
so worried about her nonappearance.

How she wished it was Mr Bingley sitting beside her, then today would
have been an enjoyable adventure not a hideous nightmare. The road was
treacherous, the horses not able to travel at more than a walk, and the journey
that had taken barely three quarters of an hour in the other direction took one
hour and a half to complete this time.

Mr Fox reined in outside the Gardiner house but he did not offer to
assist her, and she certainly did not invite him in. Her aunt and uncle must
have been watching through the window and the front door opened immediately.

‘Stay where you are, Jane my dear, I shall come down myself to assist
you.’

Her uncle reached up and she was lifted down. Now she was back safely
her bravado evaporated, she felt wretched, ill used and frozen to the marrow.
‘Thank you, Uncle, I must apologize for being so tardy. I shall explain
everything once I can inside.’ Without a backward glance she moved away from
the carriage, and if her uncle was surprised by her incivility to Mr Fox, he
did not comment.

‘Come in, come in, you poor thing, you are in a dreadful state. Let me
take you upstairs, I already have hot bricks warming your bed, and a tray of
something nourishing will be brought to you immediately.’

‘You are too kind, Aunt Gardiner. I am ashamed of putting you through so
much anguish on my behalf. I hardly know where to begin to tell you what has
transpired. Mr Fox is not a gentleman, I do not wish him to be welcomed in this
house again.’ She ought not be issuing instructions in this way, she was a
guest in their house, but she felt too dispirited to explain in detail what she
had suffered at his hands.

An hour later she was feeling much more the thing, and ready to give the
whole sorry story to her aunt.

‘I cannot believe that we were so misled by that young man. You can be
very sure he will no longer be received by any friends of
ours
. I blame
myself for encouraging you to accept his invitations.’

‘Please do not, I am a woman grown and can make my own decisions.
However, from this point on, I shall not go out in society, I shall spend my
time with you and the children.’

 
* * * *

As Charles struggled to regain his feet the carriage rocked wildly, he
could not believe their bad luck. The
 
duel had been successful, it would be ill fortune indeed if they were
apprehended by the constables. Again Darcy assisted him; his cloak was the
problem, he was kneeling on the folds and this kept him trapped on the floor.

‘Here, allow me to help you, Bingley.’ His friend’s strength was more than
adequate to heave him on to the squabs. The carriage lurched violently to one
side and he almost ended on the floor again. He hauled himself upright and
hooked his hand into the strap.

‘If we are stopped, Bingley, let me do the talking. What did you do with
my pistols?’

‘I am sorry, in the excitement I did not have time to retrieve them.’

‘Excellent!’

To his astonishment his friend reached up and hammered on the roof;
immediately the driver responded and the horses dropped to a less dangerous,
collected canter. ‘Darcy, we shall never outrun the constables now. What are
you thinking of?’

‘If there are no pistols in the carriage, and we have disposed of the
doctor, there can be no proof we were doing anything illegal. The constables
might suspect our purpose, but without evidence they can prove nothing. I shall
tell them we have been visiting with friends but became lost in the dark. They
will know that is fustian, but will be unable to prove it.’ His teeth showed
white in the gloom and Charles knew his friend was enjoying the experience.

He attempted to relax, but could not help himself from stiffening as two
riders overtook the carriage and demanded it pull over. He was glad that Darcy
intended to do the talking, he doubted he would make much sense, his nerves
were all over the place this morning.

His friend lowered the window and stared out imperiously. ‘What is the
meaning of this? Can a man not go about his business without being waylaid in
this outrageous manner?’

The coach door opened and two armed men waved them out. ‘Out here, if
you please, gentlemen, we wish to examine the interior of your vehicle. We have
reason to believe you have been illegally duelling.’