“Aunt, pray do not berate my fiancée. She is the victim here, not the initiator of any trouble. Mother always said that I should choose a wife who loved me for myself, not for my position or wealth. Miss Elizabeth is charming, witty and intelligent. It has been many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest woman of my acquaintance. And I know for a certainty that she loves me for myself, not for what the Darcy name can bring.”

“Ha! How can you be so sure? She may have used arts and allurements during Easter time to blind you.”

“I know for a certainty because she declined my proposal when we were in Kent.”

“She refused you!” Georgiana gasped.

“What nonsense are you talking about? You proposed during your stay in Rosings?” Lady Catherine asked, looking as shocked by the locale as by the event.

“Yes. I have been in love with Miss Elizabeth since last November.” Darcy could see that his declaration surprised all of the people still in the room. “But she would not have me, for all my fortune and wealth. She found me arrogant in my treatment of people in Hertfordshire, and interfering regarding the romance of Mr. Bingley and her sister Miss Bennet. It has taken me many months to prove my worth and win her heart. I will not be swayed. Miss Elizabeth and I will be married next week. If you continue to criticise her, I must ask you to leave Pemberley at once. I will not tolerate her being abused in any way, now or in the future.”

“Then you are a fool! You do not know what you are getting into. Now bring me more tea and a full breakfast. I will leave for Matlock after that. Your uncle will know how to talk some sense into you.”

“As you wish, Aunt. I will leave you to break your fast.”

Mr. Gardiner could not help his smile. He followed Mr. and Miss Darcy out of the room, leaving the elderly lady to enjoy his tea.

The two men, accompanied by Georgiana, retreated to Mr. Darcy’s study.

“Darcy, why was I not told about someone trying to hurt Elizabeth?” Mr. Gardiner immediately asked.

“Yes, Fitzwilliam. Is she truly well now?” Georgiana added.

“Yes, she is well now, Georgiana, but I would take it kindly if you would check on Miss Bennet for me and send Mrs. Reynolds down to us.”

“Of course.”

After his sister had left, Mr. Darcy continued, “I did not know about it, either, until the early hours of this morning. I believe Miss Bingley to have performed some form of witchcraft on Miss Bennet. She has recovered now and Mrs. Gardiner is with her.”

“Witchcraft! What an evil woman! Do you really intend to allow Miss Bingley to leave, just like that?”

“I have asked Mrs. Reynolds to question all of their servants and to search her room, if required. Let us wait for her report.”

When the housekeeper entered, Darcy looked to her immediately. “Mrs. Reynolds, did Miss Bingley’s servants say anything?”

“Under the threat of being arrested for witchcraft, Miss Bingley’s maid was quite forthcoming. She said her mistress went to consult a witch in an obscure village on River Orwell. She did not know what Miss Bingley obtained there, but she helped me search the room. In the drawer of the table, we found this doll, with pins stuck in it, as well as some pieces of paper with strange writing. We could not make it out, as it was almost burned to ashes, but what is left appears to be instructions on how to perform the black magic.”

“Is that the only witchcraft she possessed?”

“The maid did not know, but that was the only thing we found among her possessions that looked like witchcraft. Still, the maid did tell me something about the witch. She said the woman was called Ipswich the Good Witch, famous for her good deeds and strict rules. She claimed that her curse would not work if the person did not deserve it, and that it normally had a beneficial effect on good people. And it was rumoured that evil people who asked for her spells would only get the worse end of the bargain, and would be unable to harm others ever again.”

“Is that so!” Mr. Darcy was relieved by that final piece of information. “Have you asked the maid for directions to find this witch? I would like to visit her, after my wedding. I want to make sure Miss Bennet will not suffer any permanent effects from this witchcraft.”

“Yes, the maid gave me some vague directions. She said that it was all she had heard about where the witch resided. The popular belief seems to be that only people who were meant to find her could succeed in doing so. But I have instructed the maid to inform Mr. Bingley if Miss Bingley should exhibit any strange behaviour.”

“Good. I will send an express to Bingley about all of this.”

“It seems we cannot do much more, for now,” Mr. Gardiner opined. “I think I will go and check on Elizabeth.”

Mr. Darcy put the doll in the safe box in the study, and then went out to see the Hursts and his aunt to their carriages. Miss Bingley, he observed, was not her usual haughty and collected self. She bumped into Lady Catherine in her rush to the carriage, and the contents of her reticule dropped out and onto the hem of the old lady’s dress.

Lady Catherine brushed them aside contemptuously. “No manners at all! Your friend should teach his sister to walk properly before allowing her out in society.”

Miss Bingley hurriedly collected the black candle and mirror from the ground, and dropped them back into her reticule, then favored the elderly lady with an angry glare and climbed up into the carriage.

Mr. Darcy breathed a heart-felt sigh of relief when the carriages containing his uninvited guests finally faded from view.

* * *

That night, dinner was a pleasant affair, all the more so because Elizabeth had sufficiently recovered her strength to join the others. With their newfound intimacy, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth could not help constantly gazing at and whispering to each other. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner smiled to see such lovestruck behaviour.

When everyone had retired for the night, Mr. Darcy slipped into Elizabeth’s room and joined her on the bed for a tight embrace.

“Are you feeling better, my love?”

She blushed and nodded. “I am fine, except for being a little bit sore.”

“Where? Perhaps I can massage your sore flesh.” His hands smoothed over her back.

“Fitzwilliam!”

He lowered his head and gave her a tender kiss. “I am only teasing, dearest. I know you are still too sore. And we will be leaving for Longbourn in a few days, so I do not want to completely wear you out. I simply want the pleasure of holding you, to assure myself that no lasting harm has come to you.”

“I still shudder to think of Miss Bingley’s witchcraft.”

“Remember what the maid said about the witch. We do not deserve an evil curse, and so it had a rather different effect on us. I spent the most amazing night with you, and I loved it that you were wild for me. I was hoping to teach you how to be wanton, after we marry. This just makes my task easier.”

“It is not wrong to be wanton?”

“I want you always to express your feelings freely with me, my dear. We are now of one flesh. I want you to make love to me as much as I want to love you in return.”

They shared another deep kiss before drifting off together into a deep sleep.

* * *

In the meantime, inside the Inn of Lambton, Miss Bingley took out the black candle and mirror and spread them on the desk. She had a second package in her reticule, one which, luckily, she had left with Louisa in the morning.

She was still furious with Mr. Darcy. How dare you send someone to go through my room! I will make your dear Miss Eliza suffer!

She no longer had any fallen hair from that impudent upstart because of the reticule incident, but she would conduct the witchcraft anyway. She pictured Miss Eliza in her mind and chanted, according to the instruction.

“Black magic flame, dance and call upon the Devil of Hell. With your fire, make her eyes criss-crossed. With your flame, distort her nose. Devil of Hell, pray let the world see the reality of her ugly form.”

After she finished the ritual, she reclined on the bed with a contented smile. If Miss Eliza had distorted eyes and nose, Mr. Darcy would soon tire of her, even if he did marry the chit.

When morning came, loud screams were heard in the Inn of Lambton. Miss Bingley woke up to find her nose twisted, like she had been punched and her eyes permanently crisscrossed. How could this have happened? It seemed without the hair of the intended victim, the witchcraft worked on the last one who touched the candle.

Chapter Eight

An ordinary carriage drove slowly down the winding road along the river. The curtains were firmly closed, concealing the identity of the vehicle’s occupants – and small wonder, for the carriage was occupied by two young gentlemen who were ardently engaged in kissing one another.

“Willie, your moustache itches!” complained the younger man wearing a hat.

“You are the one who insisted I wear a fake moustache, Elizabeth. Now you must bear with the consequences.”

“Shh! Remember to call me Eli, not Elizabeth, or you shall give me away! I am much better than you in this deception. At least I remembered to call you Willie, instead of Fitzwilliam.”

“I protest! Willie is a most indecent name. Call me Will or William.”

Small wonder. Indeed, for the two ‘gentlemen’ in question were Mr. Darcy and his new wife, the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet, in disguise.