Beginning, Previous Section, Section VI
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A Dog to the Rescue
George's plan was simple. He had convinced Lydia that he was madly in love with her and wanted to get married. He told her that since her parents didn't approve of him that they would have to elope, and he suggested they go someplace romantic like New Jersey. (Not that New Jersey is all that romantic a place to most people, but Lydia had never left the state of New York and so leaving intrigued her.)
Lydia was a bit reluctant to get married without Kitty around to be her maid of honor, but George had convinced her that his sister Caroline would do just as well. Lydia's reluctance was of short duration, and she was soon as eager to be on the road as George and Caroline.
Before leaving the city, George would mail the package to Liam's post office box. The note was simple. It read, Remember Gina? Another lovely young lady about her age may very well suffer a worse fate unless you come up with $3 million fast. Her name is Lydia Bennet. Caroline had worried because the note made it quite clear who had taken off with Lydia, but George reminded her that they would've been the top suspects anyway--or at least, he would've been. Elizabeth Bennet was likely to remember Caroline's vow of vengeance and believe her to be involved, but since Caroline was to remain in sight of everyone, she would have to be exonerated.
Certain that Liam would risk anything for the woman he loved, they knew that he would come up with the money and that he did everything they asked him to do. No police, or Lydia dies, the second note they planned to send would read. The third note would simply tell him where to leave the money--in a window display at Hirsch and Company, in a black bag purchased there the day before. Caroline would then collect the money and head for their meeting place, where they would split the money, go their separate ways, and leave Lydia behind. After all, the only thing she could do was tell them who did it, and it would be clear who that was anyway. There was no reason, Caroline pointed out, to kill her. And George agreed, so the last note they devised would tell Liam where he could find Lydia.
That was the plan.
Things didn't quite work out that way.
Elizabeth and Liam had originally planned to go to Bleeker's Cafe, and did in fact go there. But when Elizabeth spied Mr. Bennet, looking at her and frowning, she knew something was wrong.
That's when Elizabeth remembered that she'd covered for Lydia. She was supposed to be with her sister, not with some handsome stranger.
"Hi, Dad," Elizabeth said reluctantly. "What are you doing here?"
"Elizabeth, where is Lydia?"
"I wish I could tell you," Elizabeth said. "She only asked me to cover for her."
"She's with that George person again, isn't she?"
"I think she said she was going to be with him."
Mr. Bennet swore under his breath and said, "I knew it."
"I don't know what you have against him. I mean, I know how she met him, which is why Mom's so set against it, but maybe he's not as bad as you seemed to think he was. I mean, just because you meet someone through the personal ads doesn't mean the person is a creep." Elizabeth turned and with loving eyes looked at Liam. "And since we're on that subject, I want you to meet someone. This is Fitzwilliam Darcy."
"Yes, I know. He's the man you met through some sort of ad."
"How did you know?" Elizabeth gasped.
"Honestly, Lisa, letting Charlie in on any type of secret guarantees it won't be kept, unless it's from your mother. How else did I know where I could find you?"
"Why did you want to know where I was?"
"Because Kitty let it slip that Lydia was meeting that George tonight, and that they were thinking of eloping. Your mother became hysterical, as usual, and insisted that I go looking for her. Since it is that George she's with, I agreed that I should look."
"Forgive me, sir, but why would you object to this man?" Liam asked. "Do you have an aversion to the personal ads as well?"
Mr. Bennet had to look up at Liam, but somehow it seemed to Elizabeth that he managed to make Liam seem the shorter of the two. "Hardly. But you did not meet George Wickham, and--"
Liam went cold and Elizabeth gasped. "George Wickham?" she whispered.
"Yes."
"Oh, my God," Liam breathed. "Did she say that Lydia was eloping?"
"Yes." Mr. Bennet was confused. "Do you know the man?"
"Quite well, unfortunately, but it's a tale for another time," Elizabeth answered for Liam. "Dad, Lydia could very well be in terrible danger."
"She is," Liam said. "Caroline Wickham is George's sister."
"I know. She told me," Elizabeth replied.
"No, Elizabeth, don't you remember? Caroline swore she'd get revenge on you for firing her. Her brother wants revenge on me...only God knows his reasons. More likely, he wants money. Caroline probably figured out that we were together and decided that if they took your sister, they could get money that way."
"But you refused your parents' offer. That scenario doesn't make sense."
"I would swallow my pride and go to them to help your sister. George knew that about me as well."
The impact of his words would come later. Right at that moment, Elizabeth knew that they had to find Lydia.
"Lisa, please, do you have any idea where they might be?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I wish I did. Lydia never told me where she met him, or where they might be going. Did Kitty know?"
"Dragging information out of her was impossible. She was in such hysterics because she'd betrayed Lydia's trust that I couldn't take it. I just left to try and find her."
"Wait...Lydia met him at my apartment once," Elizabeth said. "And although she swore she didn't, I think she was meeting him there the other times as well. How she got in, I have no idea."
"I don't think they'd be there now," Liam said. "It's likely that he's taken off with her."
"Perhaps. But it's a start," Mr. Bennet said. "Come. I have my car."
George had wanted to leave right away, but Lydia had been in an amorous mood and had wanted to stay. George had tried to reason with her that it was her sister's apartment. He didn't seem to realize that that was Lydia's whole point. So George decided that half an hour wouldn't make a difference, and besides, he thought it would be sort of a kick as well. After all, this was the apartment of the witch who had fired his sister.
Downstairs, Elizabeth, Mr. Bennet, and Liam had just finished grilling Elizabeth's landlady, Mrs. Younge, about who she let in and out of Elizabeth's apartment. Mrs. Younge finally, after ten minutes, caved in and said that she figured it would be okay since she knew Lydia was Elizabeth's sister, and meant no harm.
"It's not Lydia we're worried about," Elizabeth grumbled, making a vow to herself that once this mess was over, she was looking for another apartment.
They hurried upstairs to the apartment. The door was unlocked, and although Elizabeth had wanted to go in first, both her father and Liam pushed her behind them to protect her.
She wouldn't want to admit it, but she was relieved they had. She wasn't sure she wanted to face a murderer.
George and Lydia had just gotten dressed when they heard the door open.
"I thought you said your sister was out for the evening," he hissed.
"She said she was," Lydia snapped back in a low voice.
George grabbed the gun he'd kept hidden earlier. Lydia screamed when he wrapped an arm around her waist and put the gun to her head. That immediately brought Mr. Bennet and Liam to Elizabeth's bedroom door.
"Stay back!" George shouted. "I'll kill her! I swear to God I will!"
"George, what are you doing?" Lydia screamed.
"Shut up!" he yelled.
"George, put the gun down. We'll let you go if you just release my daughter and put the gun down," Mr. Bennet said.
"I don't believe that for a minute," George said coldly. "Now get away from that door!"
"George, please," Lydia whispered in a whining voice. "Let me go."
"Not just yet, my sweetness. You're worth quite a bit of money to me."
"You'll rot in hell before I pay you a penny," Liam said.
"Not even to save the life of your dearest, loveliest Elizabeth?" a new voice said snidely. Caroline walked in, holding Elizabeth's arm in a none-too-gentle grip, a gun pointed at her.
"Elizabeth," Liam whispered.
"Typical men, aren't they, Elizabeth? Leaving you behind to protect you. In the future, gentlemen, remember that there's always somebody at your back."
Elizabeth easily could've broken the hold, but she was afraid of what would happen if she did.
Liam and Mr. Bennet were caught in the middle. Any sudden moves on their part could leave both Lydia and Elizabeth dead.
"Good timing on your part, Caroline dear," George said.
"The same can't be said for you, brother. What on earth kept you here so long?"
"I would think that much is obvious," Elizabeth snapped. "The two of them were in my bed. Lydia, how could you!"
"Lisa, I'm sorry--"
"Shut up," Caroline said, raising the gun a bit so Elizabeth would remember she was a captive here. "Now, I would suggest that the two of you slowly come out into this room and let my brother and Lydia pass. As soon as they're out this door and we have our car ready, I'll let Elizabeth go."
"Nonsense," George said. "She comes with us. She's far more valuable to Liam than Lydia would be."
"If you try to take either of them, I'll kill you," Liam said. "That's not a threat, George. It's a promise."
"And it would carry much more weight with me were it not for the fact that I'm the one holding a gun. Try not to worry, Liam. I'll try to have your darling Elizabeth back in at least the same shape as Gina was."
Liam knew he was being goaded. But he knew something else. "Try to upset me all you like, George, but kindly remember that my family isn't likely to care about either Elizabeth or Lydia if I'm dead."
"No...but I think Gina would."
"If you knew where she was."
That got George angry, because he'd been unable to figure out where Gina was, and Liam was right. "Get away from the door," Caroline said, realizing that the situation was rapidly spinning out of control.
Liam and Mr. Bennet backed away from the door, which George forced Lydia out of, making sure not to have his back turned to either man. Lydia struggled but failed. Elizabeth kept staring at Liam, afraid that it might be for the last time.
Caroline dragged Elizabeth out of her apartment door, hurrying her down the stairs but careful to make sure the gun was pointed where it would do the most good. George followed, making sure to keep his sights set on Liam and Mr. Bennet.
The stairs were poorly lit, and Caroline couldn't see what was waiting for her when she reached the bottom. When her foot touched down, it accidentally stepped on a dog's tail. The dog yelped, Caroline screeched, and Elizabeth took her opportunity. Caroline's grip was loosened by the dog's howl, and Elizabeth broke free and ran down the street. Caroline would've run after her, but the dog, enraged that Caroline had stepped on its tail, decided that her leg looked like something tasty.
Caroline screamed when doggy teeth sank into her leg. "Shoot it, George! Shoot this stupid mutt!" she shouted.
"Sandy!" A little girl's voice cried out. "Don't hurt Sandy!"
George tried to get his sister to stand still long enough so he could aim the gun, and that's when he made his mistake. He turned his back on the two men who had been waiting for such an opportunity, and they struck him from behind. Lydia fell to the floor, managing to grab the gun that had dropped. Caroline was in too much agony to do much of anything, and George was unconscious.
The dog finally let go of Caroline's leg and returned to the redheaded little girl with a smug look. "Sandy," the little girl sobbed, throwing her arms around the dog as her mother, who had walked out of her apartment to see what was going on, tried to shoo her into the house and away from this dangerous situation.
Liam looked at the little girl with a grin. "I'm going to buy that dog enough treats to last a lifetime," he said. "What a good dog."
"I don't think Annie will give him up. She's quite attached to him."
Liam looked up to see Elizabeth standing there with a policeman by her side. He smiled and knew that he'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. He let the policeman put handcuffs on George and Caroline, moving to take Elizabeth in his arms.
"I love you, Elizabeth," he said. "But I was so scared when--"
"I know, Liam. I thought the same thing...and I love you, too." She raised her mouth to his for a long, satisfying kiss...broken off when her father cleared his throat.
"I think perhaps you should come and meet my family before deciding that you want to marry into it," Mr. Bennet said.
"Dad!" Elizabeth groaned, but she was laughing and it seemed to empty the tension of the evening.
The Way It Was
Well, this is the conclusion of the story. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! The ending is dedicated to my parents, because today is their wedding anniversary. Twenty-four years and going strong--Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!
George Wickham was convicted of the attempted murder of Georgiana Darcy but the police, having closed Christie Carrington's death as a suicide, did not pursue murder charges. When added to the attempted kidnapping charges both he and his sister Caroline were convicted of, he was destined to spend the rest of his life in prison.
And a rather short life it was, too. He was killed three years following his sentencing, after it was discovered that he'd stolen some money from a man connected to the mob.
Caroline pleaded for mercy, swearing that George had coerced her into the kidnapping scheme and blackmailed her by threatening to reveal her affair with Alfred de Bourgh. Although the affair had already been revealed, Caroline's pleas worked--she received ten years. When she was released, she fled to Florida, vowing to find a wealthy and preferably old husband.
She was never heard from again.
Lydia Bennet was humiliated by the incident. Her father swore he would lock her up for the rest of her life for what she'd done. Lydia, however, tried to point out that she'd done nothing. It was then that Elizabeth very coldly asked what she'd been doing in her bedroom, and Lydia reddened.
It was decided by everyone involved that Lydia would greatly benefit from a year at a Swiss finishing school. A strict finishing school. Liam arranged everything, and Lydia went to Switzerland.
Six months into her stay, Lydia met a handsome but worthless young man quite by accident. He was the brother of one of her classmates, and within days she was madly in love. Fortunately for her, he was just as mad for her and they were married two months later.
Lydia and her husband spent most of their life together living with various relatives, enjoying the hospitality of others without ever giving in return. It suited them well.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet continued to live in the apartment where they'd spent most of their married life. Mrs. Bennet continued on as she was, aggravated because her husband continued on as he was. Life, as far as Mr. Bennet was concerned, was good.
As for the people at the shop...
Charlotte Lucas married Billy Collins in September of the following year and quit her job at De Bourghs'. The news that their breadwinner was marrying infuriated her parents, who steadfastly refused to attend the wedding. The fact that Charlotte was defying her parents to marry Billy anyway sort of made Elizabeth shake her head, but it was her life.
Billy turned out to be a considerate husband, if a bit foolish. But Charlotte had married him knowing his faults and accepting them. She tried her best to make him look better, not only to his friends and co-workers when she saw them but also, later in life, to his children.
Susan Price stayed with De Bourghs' for several more years before she was offered a chance to attend college. Susan went happily, her younger sister Rebecca taking her place in her Aunt's life and affections. While at college, Susan met an idealistic young man named Sam Beckett and the two married a year later.
Richard Fitzwilliam worked his way very quickly from delivery boy to clerk, and eventually (to the chagrin of Billy Collins) to top salesman. In time, he became the manager of the store, which by then had changed its name and what it sold, and married a nice young lady named Rachel.
Danielle Gardiner spent a contented life with her husband and the Gardiners. To her surprise, very few people ever remembered that she was Georgiana Darcy. That didn't bother her. As far as she was concerned, Georgiana Darcy had actually died that day at the river and she, Danielle Gardiner, hadn't looked back.
Although she did maintain a relationship with her parents, her anger at them for disowning Liam instead of believing him after her supposed death prevented that bond from ever becoming close.
If Danielle chose not to stay close to her parents, she became closer than ever to her brother. Liam and Danielle managed to talk a great deal about the six years they spent apart. When Danielle's first child was born, the baby boy was named Fitzwilliam for her brother. She called him Fitz.
Catherine de Bourgh divorced Alfred just a few months after being released from the hospital. Alfred tried valiantly to prove that ownership of De Bourghs' was his. When this failed, he tried to sue Catherine to pay him a stipend each month.
He was laughed out of court, and was forced to live on whatever his daughter, Hannah, would give him. Hannah received a generous allowance from her mother until she married four years later, to a nice, bland young man of good family and fortune.
Catherine remained in semi-retirement for another seven years, guiding Elizabeth as she learned the ropes of ownership. When she decided to officially retire, she sold the shop to Elizabeth. Catherine never married again, although she did, toward the end of her life, have the good fortune to find a man who loved her. He was able to accept the fact that she did not want to remarry, and they lived together in peace until she died of a stroke in 1961.
Elizabeth Bennet married Liam Darcy on Valentine's Day in a simple ceremony. The ceremony, for all its simplicity, was considered extremely romantic. They spent a week on their honeymoon and then returned to the shop. They were not long in working together, for Liam accepted his father's job offer, and was promoted often due to his intelligence and skill. Eventually, however, he and his father had a parting of ways, although a far more congenial one than before.
Soon after Liam's split from his father's company, Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, a beautiful little girl, soon followed by two rambunctious little boys. It was around this time that Catherine asked Elizabeth if she would like to buy the store, and after considering it and talking with her husband, she accepted the offer. Although Catherine's offer was for Elizabeth only, both Elizabeth and Liam put their money into the shop. It was only right, since they were equals in everything.
After they bought the store from Catherine, Elizabeth and Liam decided to stay on the executive end of the business and promoted Richard Fitzwilliam to manager. They also decided to expand. They bought the tiny bookstore next door and turned the entire shop into a bookstore. After getting Catherine's permission, they renamed the store to something they thought would catch on quite well, and naturally enough, it did.
They called their store The Shop Around the Corner. It's still there today.
The End.