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Part 39 Posted on Monday, 27 December 1999
When Kitty returned home, she was disappointed that Jesse did not wait up for her. The clock did say it was past three, but still, he might have waited. However, Miss Kimble met them at the door with the news that an express had come for Lady Cavendar, and that Jocelyn had a sore throat.
In the short note penned in her half-brother's hand, Julia learned that her mother was in desperate need of assistance in Scotland. Because of Jocelyn's sickness, it was decided that David would stay in London with her, while Julia took Jason immediately to Scotland, and David would join her as soon as possible.
All of this was decided while Kitty and Mary were preparing for bed, and neither of them knew anything of it until the next day, at the breakfast table. Kitty was sulking because Jesse did not make an appearance for breakfast, and wondered if he was sulking because he had not been invited to the ball last night. Mary was in a dreamy state, because Lord Trenton had promised to call on her that afternoon. Elizabeth had decided it was time to be up and about, and brought little Christopher down to show everybody. Darcy beamed from his place at the table at his wife and second son. Indeed, Kitty thought she must be the only one who noticed Jesse's absence.
When he did not make an appearance for luncheon, either, she went upstairs to check on him. However, she could not bring herself to knock for quite a while, and spent her time pacing outside the door. Finally, as tea time approached, Kitty could stand it no longer, and rapped her knuckles smartly upon his door. It swung open, and she stepped inside. He was not in there. Where could he be? She squeaked when a rough hand yanked her inside. She squeaked again when she turned around and came face to face with Jesse in his old clothes.
"What are you doing?" she hissed.
"I was bored," he said with a shrug. "I plan to have a little bit of fun before the day is out."
"Hurry it up, Ace," said a voice from outside his window. Kitty squeaked again when she saw a villain sitting in the tree outside. He waved at her, then said to Jesse,
"What're ye plannin' ta do with the girl?"
"She can come along," said Jesse mischievously. "How would you like to be kidnapped, Kitty?"
"I would not appreciate it in the slightest, and you may not call me Kitty."
"Well, if she ain't comin' along, we'll 'ave ta tie 'er up, so's she don't tell no tales."
"She won't tell anybody," said Jesse. "Will you?"
"I shouldn't think of it."
"Come with us," Jesse suggested again.
"Of all the ridiculous...! I cannot! Elizabeth is just recovering, and she may need me, especially since Julia has gone to Scotland."
"Julia has gone to Scotland, has she? Why?"
"Her mother needed her."
"Oh. Well, good-bye, then," he mock-saluted her, and prepared to climb out the window.
"Wait!" she cried. "I'll come."
"Not in that dress, you won't."
"I'll change."
"Into what? Another dress?" She looked distressed, so he relented. "Very well. You may borrow some of my clothes." He hoisted himself back into the room, and took some clothes out of the armoire for her.
"Do you realize you are taking advantage of my brother-in-law by doing this?"
"Of course," he grinned.
"You are incorrigible."
"So I've been told."
"Well? Turn around. You cannot look at me while I am dressing."
"I expected you to leave."
"Why should I leave?"
"Because it is my room, and you are changing your clothes."
Kitty saw the logic, but would not give in. She made Jesse and Tom cover their eyes while she dressed. When she was done, Jesse helped her out of the window, and they were off, taking one of Darcy's wagons with them.
"Look," said Kitty as they passed a tree. There was a piece of paper stuck to it, and Jesse tore it off. After reading it, he smirked.
"Inflation at its worst," he said. "The price for Jesse Matthews has risen to a thousand pounds."
"That's a lot o' blunt," said Tom, wide-eyed.
"Yes, well, I won't tell you, Tom, that it also provides a pardon for any of my friends, should they turn me in."
"But Jesse, it has your picture on it," said Kitty.
"So it does." He grinned. "What fun."
"Fun? You'll be caught for sure."
"Yes, but I can always say I'm Fitzwilliam Darcy. It's close enough to the truth, is it not?"
"But then all they would have to do is provide the true Fitzwilliam Darcy. And nobody would believe you. You look the same, but your mannerisms and characters are completely different."
"Well, they put up my picture in Liverpool, Bristol and Brighton, but they haven't caught me yet. Don't worry, Kitty. I'll be fine."
"Worried? I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about what it would do to Mary," she protested, but he would not believe her.
Kitty wondered what men such as Jesse and Tom did for "fun." She became apprehensive as they neared the edge of London, but calmed her fears by saying Jesse would never do anything so rash as to put her in danger, and thereby his relationship with his brother.
Part 40 Posted on Tuesday, 28 December 1999
I just realized that we have inadvertently named our "hero" Jesse and James. In case anybody else had noticed, I'd like to say this was completely unintentional. LOL. :) - Gabby
As they drew nearer to the edge of the city, Kitty's excitement grew. Jesse had been right: this was great fun. They had stopped by a weathered-down shack just outside Town, and collected a few more men. None of them said anything about Jesse suddenly bringing young ladies along with him, for the simple reason that Kitty was not dressed as a girl.
"There it be, Ace," one of the men pointed. Jesse and Kitty looked, and saw an extremely large barouche box coming down the road.
"Who is in it?" asked Kitty.
"I don't know," said Jesse, loading his gun. Kitty's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
"What does a highwayman do?" he grinned.
"Say, Ace, why'd ye bring 'im along, if 'e warn't gonna be no 'elp?"
"He has a boring life, and needed a little excitement."
"My life is not boring," she protested.
"Would you rather be at home? We can turn around right now."
"But, Ace..." said one of the men.
"We be needin' this bit o' income," put in another.
"I don't want to go back," said Kitty. "But I don't want to help you, either. Robbing barouches is wrong."
"Would you rather we went after a wagon or a carriage?"
"No!"
"Well, then, hold tight, for here we go."
They pulled their masks up, and rode out, beginning the attack on the enormous vehicle. After a few minutes of pistol shots and exclamations, the barouche stopped. Jesse called out for the passengers to alight.
"Don't hurt them," Kitty pleaded. "Leave them alone."
"It's a little late for that, don't you think?"
A tall man with thin, brown hair climbed out, and threw an angry glare at the bandits.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded to know.
The bandits looked at each other, and burst into laughter.
"That seems to be rather obvious," said Jesse. "Are you the only one traveling this road today?" He looked pointedly at the motionless vehicle.
"Yes," said the man with some hesitation.
"Then there is no one else in there?" The man answered in the negative, and Jesse motioned for Jack to inspect the carriage. The man did not like that idea, and stopped them.
"Only my wife," he said.
"Bring her out, then. No harm will come to her." The man stood still. "I said bring her out," said Jesse dangerously.
Kitty gulped as the man helped a trembling young woman out of the barouche. What was Jesse thinking? The poor woman was very pale, and liable to faint at any moment. But she held her head high, and tried not to show her fear as the men searched her and her husband for any valuables. Kitty felt sick with remorse. She had to stop them, but how? She looked down at her hands. Jesse had handed her a pistol during their journey. Cautiously, she crept up behind him, and thrust the barrel into his back.
Jesse did not like the feel of it. He swallowed, and Kitty saw his shoulders tense.
"Give them back their things, Mr. Matthews, or I swear, I'll kill you," she whispered.
"You wouldn't," he whispered back. "Don't be so silly."
"You are the one who advised me to be myself. I suppose I am a silly girl." She cocked the gun, and every face turned to look at her. "Make a move, and I'll shoot your captain," she warned them all.
"You would commit murder in order to stop someone from committing robbery?" asked Jesse, his back still turned to her.
"It would not be murder if I was helping someone out of danger. Give them their money and jewels back."
"You little snitch," said Jack vehemently. He took a step towards her.
"I'll shoot!" she cried, and Jesse believed her.
"Stay back!" he shouted. Jack stopped dead in his tracks. "Give them their things," he ordered. The man and woman looked at Kitty thankfully. After they had gone, Kitty dropped the gun. Jesse spun on her, and all the bandits surrounded them.
"What on earth was that all about?" he demanded.
"It's wrong," she said angrily. "You are all thieving villains, and I wish I had never met you!" She threw the gun at his feet. They all jumped back, expecting it to go off. When it did not, Jesse picked it up and examined it. He looked inside.
"It's not loaded," he said. "You threatened me with an empty gun?!"
"I didn't know it was empty," she said.
"All those jewels gone," said Tom wistfully.
"You just cost us a month's wages, boy," said Jack angrily. "See if I don't break every bone in you body..." He started towards her, but Jesse blocked his path.
"Allow me," he said. "You all go home. You may take the wagon."
After they had left, Kitty said,
"You can hurt me if you like, but Mr. Darcy will never countenance your presence in his home, if you do."
"I ask you to have a little fun, and what do you do? You nearly got me arrested! What if that gentleman had been thinking clearly, and thought to take us all in? All of us would have been hanged, including you." He grabbed the kerchief off his neck, then took hers, as well, and stuffed them both into his pocket.
"Hanged? Me?" she squeaked.
"Yes. You were with us. You were dressed as a boy. You had a kerchief over your face; you looked just like any of us. You would have been arrested, as well."
"It still isn't right," she insisted. "And you are still a villain."
"And you would have killed me." He looked at her, disbelieving.
Kitty was confused. Did he expect an apology? For what? For keeping him from making a grave mistake? She had recognized the man as Sir John and Lady Preston. Without a doubt, their children were also in the carriage.
"Jesse," she said quietly, then forgot what she was going to say. Frustrated, she turned, and started walking in the direction of London.
"Kitty, if that gun had been loaded, would you have killed me?" he asked, running after her.
"I would have had no choice."
"Where are you going?"
"Home. You are frustrating me, and I find I cannot bear to look at you at the moment. Please, leave me alone."
"Kitty," he said, turning her around. "I never thought you would be so set against this. I thought you knew what we were doing from the moment we climbed out the window."
He realized she was crying.
"I thought you were going to a tavern to have a few drinks," she said. "I am so naive! How was I to know what you meant by 'fun'? I thought ... I thought you were in love with me." She looked down at the grass, embarrassed. "I thought I was in love with you," she said more softly.
"So did I," he said, lifting her chin with one finger. "Until you pulled that gun on me."
"I would have shot, too," she murmured. "Except it was empty, so it would not have done anything."
"But you didn't know that."
She shook her head.
"Kitty, I thought you did not mind my profession. You were not angry at the ball. You did not get upset the other day when I told you I liked it. I did tell you I liked it, you know."
"It's different now, seeing how afraid they were. And you were different, too. You were terrible. Oh, how despicable you were just a few minutes ago."
"You, of all people, should realize that I am not a decent person."
"Why me?"
He did not answer, but took her by both arms and pulled her close until their lips met.
"Jesse," she said to him as she reached her arms over his shoulders. "I really do love you. But I still would have pulled the trigger."
He laughed, and kissed her again. When he pulled away, he said,
"Now, tell me, am I decent?"
"I don't care anymore."
Part 41 They were both startled out of their reverie when lightning appeared in the sky, the clouds opened up, and rain started coming down on them in torrents. Kitty looked up, and laughed for joy. Jesse laughed, too, and took her hand in his. Their eyes met, and smiling, they started walking back home.
They could hear the noise of the people inside. The rain was still beating down on their faces, but they were oblivious to it. Suddenly, Kitty exclaimed,
"Oh, no! I forgot about the party tonight!"
Jesse squeezed her hand reassuringly. They looked at each other, opened the door, and went inside. Jesse put a finger to his lips, and hand in hand, they crept up the stairs as quietly as possible.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Darcy from the bottom of the staircase. They both froze and turned around sheepishly.
"Hello, Fitz," said Jesse cautiously. "We were caught in the rain. If you'll just excuse us, we need to change our clothes."
Darcy raised his eyebrow. Elizabeth was beside him now. She looked up, and saw her disheveled sister holding hands with a confessed thief, and dressed in boy's clothes.
"Come down here, you two," she said with authority.
"But Lizzy, you have guests. We would not want to ruin your ball."
Darcy noticed the sudden use of plural first person pronouns.
"Us? We?" he said. "What is going on here?"
"Nothing," they said quickly. Too quickly. Elizabeth began to climb the stairs.
"Where have you been? This party was supposed to be for you, Kitty," she said.
"I took her ... out," said Jesse. "With some friends," he added, hoping they would not ask if they had been chaperoned.
"What friends? Where are they?"
"They left just before it started to rain."
"Where is my wagon?" asked Darcy.
"They took it home with them," said Jesse, standing taller and preparing for the coming battle.
"My wagon? They took my wagon? Of what friends are we speaking?"
"I do not see why you need to know these things."
"Are you all right, Kitty?" asked Elizabeth. "You are not hurt?"
"No," said Kitty as Jesse bristled at the implication. "I am well." Elizabeth tried to subtlety step between them, but they ignored her hints and stayed they way they were, holding hands. Jesse smirked down at Elizabeth.
"I am well, too, Elizabeth," he said. "Thank you so much for asking."
"Jesse, I don't mean to offend you," said Darcy, who had also climbed the stairs by now. "But I need to ask you something. Sir John and Lady Preston were waylaid on the way here. Did you have anything to do with that?"
Jesse cocked his head. Kitty bit her lip, and looked at the floor.
"Why do you ask?"
"You know why I ask. Did you have anything to do with it?"
"I don't know."
"How can you not know? Either you did, or you didn't."
"I don't ask the names of the people I hold up," said Jesse. He started going to his room, and was already beginning the process of getting out of his wet clothes. Darcy followed him. Elizabeth guided Kitty to her room. Jesse did not stop.
"So you did hold somebody up, but you do not know if it was the Prestons or not?"
"I am very pleased that you seem to be showing an interest in my affairs, but it is not necessary. Really, Fitz, you do not need to make such a big fuss over me."
"Do not talk to me in that manner. Answer my question."
Jesse spun on him.
"Do you want to know, Fitz? Very well, I'll tell you. Yes, I was behaving very badly tonight. Yes, I did stop a carriage. Yes, I did ask the passengers for their things. Yes, those people with me were the same people who were here the night of Kit-Miss Bennet's ball. Yes, Miss Bennet was with us. Yes, she was dressed as a man. And yes, she also carried one of these." He took the pistol out of his now-open shirt, and pointed it at Darcy.
"Put that away, Jesse. You are angry, and you don't know what you're doing."
"You haven't seen anything yet, Fitz," said Jesse in a low voice. "I am not angry yet. If I were angry, you would be dead."
"I don't believe you," said Darcy calmly. "You would not kill your main source of income."
Jesse closed his eyes, and bit his tongue. He noticed Darcy's objection to his statement was not an appeal to brotherhood, or sense of dignity, or goodness, or guilt. He had appealed to his monetary interest. Frankly, he was tired of it. But instead of shouting, he cocked his head, and said,
"You learn quickly. Good-night, Fitz." He put the gun down, and went into his bedroom.
Part 42 Posted on Wednesday, 29 December 1999
Elizabeth followed Kitty into her room. As soon as the door was closed, the questions started.
"Kitty, I know you and Jesse have been seeing a lot of each other lately..."
"Have we?"
"Yes, you have."
Kitty sighed, and fell on her bed with a goofy grin. Elizabeth's suspicion increased - she had seen that look on her sister's face before.
"Kitty, do you love him?" she asked quietly.
"I believe I do, Lizzy," Kitty sighed again.
"Kitty, do you realize who he is?"
"Yes. He is Mr. Darcy's younger brother. He is a thief. He can be anything he wants to be. And he loves me." She giggled, then quickly stopped herself.
"Kitty, I think you know how I regard Jesse, so I shall not regale you with long, self-righteous speeches. But I want you to realize what you are getting into. If you marry him, there will always be the possibility of him being arrested. You know what will follow, as there is no denying his guilt."
Kitty made no reply. Her brow furrowed as she remembered the posters she had seen. Elizabeth continued.
"While I do not blame him for his actions towards Lord Trenton, as I realize what he and Miss Matthews must have suffered, I cannot help but wonder if that was a picture of what he is like in private."
"Lizzy!" said Kitty, sitting up. "You are not suggesting he would hurt me?"
"No, no," said Lizzy reluctantly. "I suppose not. But could you honestly trust him with your children?"
Kitty blushed.
"Lizzy, we have not even discussed marriage yet, let alone children."
Elizabeth was horrified.
"But Kitty, you were alone together..."
"That is an oxymoron, Lizzy," said Kitty playfully. "Why should we get married simply because we were seen together? Granted, I would marry him in a second if he asked me, but he has not, and I don't want to force him, either."
Lizzy stood up and began to pace the room slowly.
"Kitty, you know, as much as I have a sisterly regard for Jesse, because he is Mr. Darcy's brother, I cannot approve of him as a husband for you."
"Why? Because he is not rich, as are Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy? I know you did not approve of Lydia marrying Mr. Wickham, either. Perhaps you wish she had married someone more wealthy, too?" Kitty turned her back on Lizzy, folding her arms angrily.
"That has nothing to do with it!" Elizabeth flushed with anger. "He is violent, disrespectful of everything I value, from you and Will, to laws and ... and common decency! He thinks only of himself, and today, with no regard for other people, or the future."
"But Lizzy, I love him," said Kitty. "Is that not all that matters?"
"It matters very much, but you have to think about what is best for you, as well."
"So you do want me to make an advantageous match," said Kitty, raising an eyebrow. Lizzy huffed.
"That is not what I am saying. You are twisting my words. Do you think you can live on love? Do you think Jesse will suddenly change and become good and honest, simply because you love him?"
"That is just it," said Kitty. "I don't care if he is good and honest or not. I love for who he is - or rather, despite who he is. He is sensitive, caring, generous, fun, handsome, intelligent, strong, amusing, talented..."
"Was it sensitive of him to risk your reputation in the hall? Was it caring of him to hold the entire ballroom hostage? Was it generous of him to demand people's things? Was it fun when he pointed the gun at your head? Was it particularly intelligent of him to attack Lord Trenton, for any reason at all? He may be physically strong, but does he show strength of character? Does he use his talents?"
"Lizzy, that is not fair! You have not taken the time to know him, as I have. When Mary was suffering at the opera, he was the first to take note of it. When Fitz-Mr. Darcy gave him the tickets, he was the one who thought to make it a present for Mary - before he found out what the play was about, I mean. On our way home, just this evening, we passed a little boy whose cart had gotten stuck in the mud, and Jesse helped him, gladly. And Lizzy, his kisses make me positively dizzy and I never want him to stop."
"You cannot base your future on kisses, Kitty. It is very evident that he cares for Miss Matthews..."
"Lizzy, enough. I know you do not approve, and I promise I will make no hasty decisions. But I do love him, and nothing you can say can change that."
Elizabeth looked at her with tears in her eyes.
"I only want what's best for you, Kitty. I don't want to see you ruin your life the way Lydia did."
"I know, and I am grateful for your concern. But I am not the silly girl I was before. You don't have to protect me."
Part 43 Kitty heard a loud noise coming from the parlor as she descended the stairs the next morning. Covering her ears, she went to see what it was all about. She found Alex, little Christopher, Jocelyn and Anastasia all wailing at the tops of their lungs, with David trying to quiet them.
"David!" she said. He looked up at her, and she almost laughed at his petulant expression. "Why are they crying?"
He shrugged helplessly.
"I don't know! All I did was ... I don't even remember how it started!"
"Methinks Chris is hungry!"
"What?!"
"I said, I think Chris wants to eat!"
"What?!"
"Oh, for Heaven's sake," said Jesse, coming in behind them. He stuck the apple he was carrying in Jocelyn's mouth, then lifted Chris in his arms.
"The boy's not hungry," he said. "He wanted to be held."
"Oh," said Kitty, surprised. She had never seen Jesse hold a baby before. It did not last long, for he tired quickly of the pursuit, and handed the baby to her.
"You take him. He is your nephew."
"He is yours, too," she reminded him as she took the little boy. "He even resembles you a bit."
"No, he doesn't. He looks like his father, but he has his mother's eyes."
"How can you tell? He hardly ever opens them."
"Well, because Alex has Fitz's eyes and Elizabeth's everything-else. This child looks almost nothing like Elizabeth, except I have never seen his eyes, so the odds say that he should look more like Fitz, with only a little bit of Elizabeth."
"I wonder if he knows he had a twin," Kitty said contemplatively.
"I cannot imagine having only one of Jason and Jocelyn," said David.
"Where's Dason?" asked Jocelyn, taking the apple out of her mouth for a moment to ask after her beloved brother.
"Jason is with Mama. We will join them in a few days," David told her. "But you have to get well first."
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," said Jesse, grinning.
"What did Darcy and your sister name the girl?" asked David quietly. They were always careful when speaking about the child who had died, in case Elizabeth heard them. Darcy had confided to them that Elizabeth was not at all resigned to the fact that her child had died before it had lived.
"Anna Elizabeth," said Jesse. Kitty sighed, and none of them said anything for a few moments, until Alex tried to take Jocelyn's apple.
"Papa!" she cried, running to David on pudgy legs. "Awess tole my appa!"
David put out his arms to hold her, and she threw herself into them. Almost as soon as David grabbed hold of her, however, she wiggled free and went to confront her cousin.
"Bad boy!" she said, wagging a finger at him and bending over ever so slightly to give him a proper scolding. "I tell Dason 'bout you!" she said, poking the boy in the stomach until he fell on his posterior. Alex looked at Kitty, his bottom lip twitching, then opened his mouth and let out a loud wail. Jocelyn covered her ears as Chris and Anastasia took this as their cue to start crying, too.
"You bery bad boy!" she shouted over the din. "You made Tiss tie!"
Jesse grinned at the quarreling babies, perfectly content to let them carry on. David grabbed Jocelyn up, and took her back upstairs. Elizabeth rushed in to comfort her boys. Anne followed her, with little Robin in her arms.
"James," said Kitty pointedly, "this is Lady Preston and her son, Robin. Anastasia is her daughter, too. She is your Aunt Catherine's daughter."
Anne smiled up at Jesse and freed her hand from Robin's mouth to offer it to him.
"Hello, Cousin James. I'm sorry, Robin is cutting his teeth..." She wrinkled her nose and grinned at him. Jesse forced a smile. He had not realized there were babies in the barouche.
"You were not here last night, when John and I arrived," Anne remarked, allowing Alex and Anastasia to take charge of Robin.
"No," said Jesse uncomfortably. "Uh... how old is Anastasia?"
"Almost two."
The conversation turned to such things as parenthood and babies, and Kitty escaped the room, leaving Jesse to his fate. She went upstairs. A few minutes later, Jesse was able to escape, too. He went outside for some fresh air.
Later that afternoon, after the Prestons had gone to their own townhouse, Elizabeth knocked on her husband's door. He smiled and sat back in his chair when she entered. She did not return the greeting.
"Will," she said, "I cannot find Kitty. I have looked everywhere."
His smile turned upside-down, and his back stiffened.
"Where is Jesse?"
"I cannot find him, either," she said pointedly. Darcy cursed, apologized, and held his head in his hands.
"Why did I ever allow him to simply make himself at home here? Why couldn't I send him to some country estate and kept him happy there?"
"He would not have allowed it, anyway. But this speculation is not helping us. Perhaps they have not gone off together. Perhaps, if we look together..."
He nodded, and followed her out of the room. Together, they conducted a search of the house and the property surrounding it. No sign of either Jesse or Kitty was anywhere. Finally, just as the sun was setting, Jesse walked in the back door. He had obviously been involved in a fight. His mouth and nose were bleeding, his clothes were torn, and his body was covered in scratches. He did not notice them at first, but limped towards the parlor.
"Jesse!" said Darcy, moving quickly towards him before he collapsed. Jesse jumped, and looked at Darcy. His eyes betrayed a fear Darcy had never seen in him before. All his normal cockiness was gone. "Where have you been?" Darcy demanded.
"Close the curtains," said Jesse. He leaned his back against a wall and slumped slowly to the floor.
"Why?"
Jesse rolled his eyes.
"Because I don't like the light, Fitz! Just close them! I don't want anybody to know I'm here."
Darcy did as he was told. Elizabeth came to examine Jesse's face. She exchanged a glance with Darcy when she saw the scratches on his neck.
"Jesse," said Darcy, "do you know where Kitty is?"
"Why? Should I? I haven't seen her since this morning."
"Are you quite sure?" asked Elizabeth.
"What happened to you?" asked Darcy.
"What does it look like?"
Darcy took another look at him, noting once again the shirt torn in several places and the scratches that looked suspiciously like they had been made by fingernails. Jesse stood slowly, and glared into his brother's eyes.
"What do you think happened, Fitz?" he asked lowly. Just then, Kitty and Mary entered the room, arm in arm, looking quite pleased with themselves. They halted when they saw Jesse. Mary rushed to him; Kitty looked questioningly at Darcy, then Elizabeth, then back to Darcy.
"What did you do?" she asked Darcy.
"Me?" said Darcy, taken completely by surprise. "I didn't do anything."
"Jesse, are you all right?" asked Mary. "Who did this?"
Elizabeth grabbed hold of the banister to keep from collapsing with relief. Kitty had been with Mary, not Jesse. She was safe.
"I'm fine, Mary," said Jesse quietly, slapping her hands away from his face. He looked darkly at Darcy. "It is not a pleasant thing to be accused of something you did not do, is it? Tell me, Fitz. What were you about to accuse me of?"
"Nothing," said Darcy, smiling tentatively. "Though I am curious as to what happened to you."
Jesse looked him up and down contemptuously. He knew he was lying, but he nodded, appearing to accept the fib. At least, for now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He shoved it at Darcy.
"Take it. I'm sure you'll be seeing many more like it."
Darcy unfolded it, and frowned when he saw it was a wanted poster.
"A thousand pounds," he commented. "Impressive."
"It's only a matter of time," said Jesse, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I was lucky today. Only five men and a child."
"Perhaps..." said Darcy, pondering, "...perhaps it would be best if you ... went away for a while, to wait it out."
"That would be convenient for you, wouldn't it?" He smiled mockingly, once more looking Darcy up and down.
"Why don't you two discuss this when you are alone," Elizabeth interrupted, seeing Kitty's sudden pallor and Mary's obvious difficulty keeping her emotions under control. "Where did you girls spend your afternoon?"
"W-we went to get M-Mr. Darcy's wagon back," said Kitty, not taking her eyes away from Jesse's angry, battered face. "I thought perhaps it would ... well, you weren't very happy when we came home last night without it, and Mary knew where Tom lived..."
"Why don't you come with me, and I will get you something to eat, hm?" said Elizabeth kindly, taking each girl by the arm and leading them towards the kitchen. "I think the Darcy men need to talk."
As soon as they were gone, Jesse spoke.
"You thought I had done something to Kitty, didn't you?" he demanded. Darcy had the good grace to blush. "You didn't once think that this blood was mine?" He lifted his arm to Darcy's face, displaying a deep gash midway between the wrist and the elbow.
"I realize my error, Jesse, and I am sorry for jumping to conclusions. However, you cannot blame me, considering what I know about you."
"What you know about me," Jesse repeated contemptuously. "What you wish to know about me. You didn't even once take into consideration that the girl I love as my sister has been taken advantage of by a man. Did you think, after knowing what that did to her, that I would do that to another girl? Did you think that?"
"I admitted I was wrong," said Darcy. "I can do no more. However, this is a real danger." He held up the poster. Jesse glanced at it momentarily, then glared back at Darcy.
"What about it?" he said.
"I seriously think you should leave the county for a while."
"Oh, yes, you would like that, wouldn't you? Well, I'll have you know that Jesse Matthews does not run from anybody, be they peasants or Runners." He turned and started up the stairs, two at a time. "I'm staying, Fitz. The day you are rid of me will be the day one of us dies. Let us not be in a hurry to see which of us goes first." He had reached the top of the staircase.
"Good-night, Fitz. It is good to know my brother cares so much about my well-being." He bowed exaggeratedly, and went into his room.
Part 44 After seeing Kitty and Mary safely to their rooms, Elizabeth went again to find her husband. He was safely in the parlor, pretending to listen to Mrs. Bennet's idle chatter.
"Will, dear," said Elizabeth, coming up behind him in a chair. He jumped, and turned to look at her.
"Hello, darling. Your mother was just telling me about... about..."
"Lydia's girl, Sophie," said Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth winced at her mother's choice of subject matter, and deftly changed the subject before Mrs. Bennet could say another word.
"I think Kitty would appreciate a word of thanks," she said. "She and Mary traveled all day to retrieve that wagon." She smiled. "It reminds me of a certain three-mile walk I once took."
"What has Kitty been doing?" asked Mrs. Bennet. "Has she secured that nice Lord Trenton you wrote me about?"
"No, Mama. I believe she is more inclined towards Will's brother."
"But.. but... she could have an earl!"
"I believe my brother should be considered as good a catch as an earl," Darcy remarked casually. Mrs. Bennet flushed.
"I did not mean to say, Mr. Darcy, that your family is inferior, but it would be so gratifying for me to have a countess as a daughter."
"Perhaps I could make Lizzy a widow, and she could marry Lord Trenton?"
"Don't even joke about that," said Lizzy, and she changed the subject again. "Mama, how is Papa doing? Why did he not come to see his grandsons?"
"Oh, he so wanted to, Lizzy, but he caught a cold, and could not make the trip."
"A cold!" Elizabeth was alarmed. "It is not serious, I hope?"
"Not at all, my dear!" said Mrs. Bennet dismissively. "People do not die of little trifling colds!"
Elizabeth was still worried, but she did not wish to upset her mother. As soon as they were alone again, she said to her husband,
"Will, could you be a dear and check up on Papa for me? Mama says it is nothing, but I can never tell only by her opinions."
Will agreed, and decided to take Jesse with him. It would get him out of London for a few days, and it would also give him a chance to gain the approval of Kitty's father. They left the following morning.
"You are not luring me to an abandoned part of the country to kill me, are you?" Jesse teased. Will laughed.
"No, James. If you believed that, you would not have come so easily."
Jesse raised an eyebrow.
"You called me James. I believe that is the first time that you have not called me Jesse when we were alone."
"I decided it would be wise to get used to it," said Darcy. Jesse nodded, and they were silent for a while.
"Am I your brother yet?" Jesse asked suddenly.
"You know you are. Even Blakeney admits it."
"Who?"
"Christopher Blakeney. Georgiana's husband."
"Oh! Yes, I had forgotten that was his real name. But what I meant was, do you think of me as a brother yet? Or am I still a con-man trying to sponge off the Darcy wealth?"
Will thought about this for a while. He decided it was time to let Jesse know one thing about their family.
"There is no doubt in my mind that you and I are brothers," he said. "And we Darcys are notorious for our .. family loyalty. Therefore, I would have to say, yes, we are brothers in every sense."
Jesse was glad to hear it, but took great pains not to show it. Ever since Kitty had reacted so violently to his activities yesterday, he had been pondering the sagacity and all-around profit of continuing with those same activities. But at the moment, he did not want to waste too much time pondering. Save that pastime for when he was alone.
"It took you long enough," he snorted. "So, tell me, what happened with Georgiana and Wickham?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"I am catching up on family history."
"I think she should tell you, herself. It is no longer my place. She is a married woman, and I am no longer her guardian."
"How old is she?"
"She will be twenty in a month."
"How old is her husband?"
"I believe he has just entered his twenty-fourth year."
"How old are you?"
Will glanced at him sharply.
"Older than you ever will be if you do not stop this line of questioning immediately.
Jesse laughed.
"I know how old you are, Fitz. I merely wanted to see your reaction. I did not think you would be so vain as to be embarrassed at being only thirty-two."
Will grinned.
"Vanity is a failing, indeed."
It did not take long for them to reach Longbourn. When they did, Hill showed them into the parlor, and they were informed that Mr. Bennet was not in.
"We were told he was ill," said Will, confused. "We will wait for him," he decided, and they did.
"This is where Elizabeth and Kitty grew up?" Jesse asked, fingering the many knickknacks on the mantel.
"Yes."
"I like it," he decided. "It is pleasant."
Will agreed, and they were silent until Mr. Bennet arrived a few hours later.
"Mr. Darcy!" he said, reddening somewhat at being found out. "And Mr. Darcy!" he said again on coming further into the room. He looked in astonishment at the two men, then shrugged and said, "To what do I owe this pleasure? All is well with Lizzy and Kitty, I hope."
"Yes," said Will, "although we were led to believe all was not well with you."
"I suppose it was too much to hope for that Fanny would keep her mouth shut," Mr. Bennet murmured to himself. "Ah, well. I suppose a man is entitled to a bit of privacy now and then."
"Yes, but what am I to tell Elizabeth? She was wanting to know when you would come to see our new son."
"Yes, I will come soon enough, I assure you. Let Mrs. Bennet have her fill, and as soon as Lydia or Mary or Jane gives birth, she will go to them, and I may see my Lizzy's child in peace. Tell me, what did you name him?"
"Christopher Bennet Darcy," said Will proudly. Mr. Bennet beamed. "We call him Kit."
"Why?" asked Mr. Bennet.
"Because that is what Alex calls him," said Jesse. "Childish names tend to stick. Personally, I like it."
"I think I know why," said Will. "Mr. Bennet, this is my brother, James Darcy."
Mr. Bennet nodded.
"I did not know you had a brother, Mr. Darcy."
"You would know him better as Jesse Matthews," said Will. Mr. Bennet's eyebrow shot up, and Jesse squirmed uncomfortably under the man's gaze.
"The same Jesse Matthews whose robbery caused my wife to go into hysterics and faint?"
"Uh," Jesse cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. That would be me."
Mr. Bennet grinned and shook his hand.
"I would like to thank you, sir, for the best entertainment I have had in years. It had been ages since Fanny fainted."
Surprised, Jesse looked at his brother, who shrugged.
"Y-you are very welcome. Perhaps I shall repeat the favor at one point."
Will groaned and looked at the ceiling.
"I would guess that my wife has not recognized you," said Mr. Bennet.
"No, I don't believe she has."
"That is good. And Kitty? She is not unpleasantly affected by your presence, is she?"
"I hope not."
"I do not believe she is," said Darcy, smiling at the realization that the interrogation had switched from Mr. Bennet to Jesse in the blink of an eye.
"Then she is pleasantly affected?" said Mr. Bennet, cocking his head and looking at Jesse through one eye.
"I hope so, sir," Jesse smiled crookedly. Mr. Bennet nodded. "Well, I did tell her she could have the most worthless man in London."
Jesse's brows furrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"Never mind, boy. Will you two stay for dinner? I have not had a sensible companion since Jane and Lizzy married. Kitty has been showing some sense lately, but I have reason to believe she will also be married very soon."
"Yes, sir," said Will. "And may I say, I admire your talent for keeping yourself free from any sort of company whatsoever."
Mr. Bennet grinned.
"Yes, well, it is not hard to persuade Mrs. Bennet, if you tell her to do the opposite of what you mean."
"Thank you for the advice. I believe we shall stay for dinner."
Part 45 Posted on Thursday, 30 December 1999
When Will and Jesse arrived home a couple days later, they found a messenger waiting in the foyer with an express for Lord Cavendar.
"David is still here?" said Darcy. "I hope Jocelyn is not worse." He took the message from the deliverer and paid for it. The boy seemed very glad to be getting out of that house. Darcy realized why, when Alex rushed into the room, followed by Mrs. Bell.
"Master Alex!" she called, trying to catch him. "Come here! I don't care that you are only two years old... Oh, good day, Mr. Darcy, Master James."
The two men nodded politely, and the lady ran off after the little boy once more. Soon after she left, Kitty rushed down the stairs.
"Jesse!" she said. "You're back! Did you meet my father? What did you think of him? Did you two like each other? Hello, Mr. Darcy."
"Hello, Kitty," said Darcy. He held up the missive and smiled at the pair before him. "I will deliver this to David, myself."
He left them alone.
When he reached Jocelyn's room, he happened upon a pathetic sight. David was trying to read Jocelyn a bedtime story, but Jocelyn seemed more inclined to jump on the bed. David looked up at him and grinned sheepishly.
"I stupidly agreed to read her a bedtime story. How was I to know she would choose a history in Latin?"
"This came for you," Will handed him the letter. David took it, read it, and paled.
"No," he whispered. "It can't be true."
"What is the matter?" asked Will. David's jaw clenched, and he handed him the letter. As Will began to read, David buried his head in his hands.
David,I am very sorry to have to inform you that last night, the Matlock carriage overturned on the road from London to Scotland. Julia's body was found under the wreckage.
Jason has not yet been found, but it does not seem likely that a child barely two-years-old could survive long in that wilderness.
I know that your mother and I did not approve of Julia at the first, but please believe me when I say that we did learn to love her, as we would have our own daughter. She was a wonderful woman. She will be missed by all of us.
Again, I am terribly sorry.
Your father,
Edward Fitzwilliam,
Earl of Matlock, etc. etc.
Darcy was stunned speechless. He looked at David, who was shaking his head in denial.
"It isn't true," he said. "She isn't dead. She can't be... And Jason, too. My wife and heir .. gone, in one night..."
"It is terrible," said Darcy. "I don't know what to say." He paused when he realized David was crying.
"Don't say anything," said David. "Don't say a word, Darcy. I don't care what it says. Julia is not dead, and neither is Jason."
"David," said Darcy, shaking his head. "You cannot deny it. Your father is not a liar."
"You didn't know her!" David shouted. "You only asked her for assistance because ... I don't know why, but you did not know her! She is alive... she has life in her... she is my life..."
"Papa?" said Jocelyn, tugging at his sleeve. "Papa, wead to me." She tried to lift the heavy book of Latin history, but collapsed under its weight. David took a shuddering breath, then broke down in sobs.
"I can't live without her," he said.
"Of course you can," said Darcy, alarmed. "Think of Jocelyn! You still have your daughter..."
Jocelyn perked up at the sound of her own name.
"Papa," she said, disturbed by his tears. "Papa, wook." She lifted her nightdress and pointed at her naval. She put two pudgy hands to her mouth and giggled affectedly, trying to make him laugh. David sat up and took her in his arms. After a few minutes, he stood up determinedly.
"Jocelyn needs a mother," he said. Darcy blinked.
"What..."
"She is not dead," said David stonily. "I will find her. Jocelyn will not grow up without a mother. And neither will Jason."
He stormed out of the room.
"Papa?" said Jocelyn, her bottom lip twitching. "Papa went away?" she was bewildered. She looked up at Darcy questioningly. He sat down beside her and patted her back.
"It is all right," he said softly. "He will realize there is nothing he can do to bring them back. He must. But what about you? What will you do, now that you have lost a mother and a brother, and quite possibly your father, too?"
Two tears ran down Darcy's cheeks as the child laid down on the soft mattress and went to sleep, sucking her thumb. She would not realize for a while yet, the gravity of what had just transpired.
Part 46 The rest of the house was prostrated with grief when they learned of Julia and Jason Fitzwilliam's untimely deaths. Although David continued for some days to live in the hope that the whole thing was some terrible misunderstanding, he slowly came to the realization that neither of them would be returning to him.
As Jason's body was never found, and it was believed the boy had wandered off into the woods after the traumatic accident and either drowned in one of the rivers or some such calamity, the funeral and memorial service were held the following week.
Mary also attended the ceremony, and Jesse was surprised, though not alert enough under the circumstances to be startled, to see Lord Trenton make an appearance. Mary and Julia had become close friends during their brief time of being acquainted, and it was obvious the girl was suffering greatly. However, her grief was soothed somewhat when she noticed Trenton's reassuring smile. She smiled thankfully back through her tears, and managed to regain a semblance of composure.
David had learned that Julia, though not suffering much in the accident, had not died until some hours afterwards. She had been knocked unconscious from the fall, and did not feel anything, though the weight of the carriage was what had actually killed her. David could not bear the thought that if he had been there, he might have been able to save her.
Colonel Fitzwilliam saw his brother's rapid deterioration, and alarmed, locked him in the study for a few hours that afternoon. He lectured him on the importance of living, if not for his own sake, then for the family's. Jocelyn needed a father, did she not? And of course, there were all his cousins, who though sorry for his loss and their own, were not prepared to graciously part with David, as well.
David was not a stupid man, nor one insensible to logic, and he humbly acknowledged his brother's point. Jocelyn would be properly cared for. Some might say he took too heartily to the task of bringing the girl up properly. Nevertheless, a governess was promptly hired for the toddler, by the name of Margaret Dashwood.
This lady, David had heard, was part of a respectable family and, though only eighteen, had an impeccable understanding of all the things a young lady such as Jocelyn Fitzwilliam would need to know. Little did he know that the only reason Miss Dashwood had applied to him for the position was because she had heard of Jocelyn's predicament, and felt sorry for the girl. He knew that Miss Dashwood's father had died, and the estate had gone to her elder half-brother. However, he did not know that her older sisters had both married very well, erasing the need for Margaret to work.
Margaret Dashwood and David Fitzwilliam did not, however, get off to the best of starts. They met one day, when David was walking through his father's grounds. As he passed a massive oak, a lady's slipper fell down, and hit him on the head, followed by a pencil. By now quite irritated, David demanded the trespasser come down immediately. She did, but not in the manner he desired. The young lady fell straight into his arms, bringing him to the ground but breaking her fall nicely.
She scrambled to her feet hastily, grabbed her slipper and her pencil, thrust her chin out defensively, held out her hand and said,
"Hello, sir. I am Miss Dashwood. Would you please take me to Lord Cavendar?"
"You are Miss Dashwood?" he cried. "If I had known you were such a hoyden, I assure you, madam, I would not have employed you to be the caretaker of my daughter."
"You are Lord Cavendar?" she cried. "But I thought all viscounts were supposed to be young and devastatingly handsome!"
"I am sorry I do not fit your criteria, Miss Dashwood," he said sardonically. She blushed.
"I did not mean to say you are old and ugly, my lord," she said, softening her tone somewhat.
"Hm," he grunted. "What were you doing in my tree?"
"I was trying to draw a bird's-eye-view of the grounds. They are lovely, you know."
"Yes, I believe I should know," he said. "May I see it?"
She reluctantly handed him her painting, and shyly looked at the ground as he examined it. She puzzled him with her mixture of pride, obstinance, boldness, and modesty. After a few moments, he was suitably impressed with her artwork.
"It is very good," he commented, and looked again. "Extremely good," he amended. "You are quite a gifted artist, Miss Dashwood."
"Thank you, my lord," she said stiffly, taking the painting back. "Now, I believe I should meet my charge."
"Of course." He led the way back into the house, and so was Margaret Dashwood introduction to Matlock and its future owner. She soon became used to the inhabitants' ways, occasionally challenging one of the household to a game of chess or backgammon, and often coming out the winner. However, she did not realize that Lord Cavendar was still very much afflicted by his wife's death, until one night she happened upon him in the library, staring into the fire with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.
"My lord," she said softly, approaching him carefully. She reached out a hand to take the bottle from him, and he did not resist. He looked up at her sadly and said,
"Did you know, Miss Dashwood, that Julia always insisted on singing a song before bed each night? It was her way of warding off bad dreams."
"I did not know that," she replied. He went on.
"She had a lovely voice. Not trained in the usual way, but ... lovely. Jocelyn has her voice." He looked up at her again and said in a beseeching tone, "You will not take that from her, will you? You will leave her voice alone. I do not want her to have the voice of a diva. She should have her mother's voice."
"Of course," she said kindly, not quite understanding what he was saying, but knowing he would be grateful for her cooperation.
"You are a good girl," said David, smiling at her. "I knew you would understand."
"Tell me more about Julia," she urged. It would be good for him to talk about her. Margaret was now glad she had not listened to her sisters. If she had done as they said, poor Lord Cavendar might still be drowning himself in drink and poor Jocelyn perishing in loneliness and neglect. Yes, she had done right by them when she decided to become a governess, despite the fact that she did not need to be one.
David talked about Julia nearly all night, unburdening himself of some of the guilt he still carried about not being with her when the accident had happened. When the sun rose, Margaret woke on the sofa with a stiff neck and Lord Cavendar's head in her lap. She carefully extricated herself from that position, and crept out of the room. It was a bright, new day.
Part 47 One day, Lord Trenton decided it was time to brave the consequences and try to see Mary. Mrs. Darcy welcomed him into the drawing room, and kindly went to fetch Mary for him. He waited, and after a few minutes, Jesse entered. He had Jessica by both hands, and was trying to get her to walk as she dangled from his grip. He straightened when he realized Trenton was in the room, bringing Jessie into his arms in one swift motion.
"Hello," he said neutrally. Trenton nodded nervously, wondering if he should expect an attack. Jesse approached slowly, and reached out a hand. Trenton flinched away instinctively, but then realized the man was trying to apologize, and took the offered hand. "I..." Jesse started. "I did not expect you to see you in here, or I would not..." His glance flickered away from Trenton's, and landed on Jessie.
"You don't have to apologize," said Trenton kindly. Jesse let out a breath of relief.
"Thank you. It is not one of my talents. But I will say I hope you will not hold it against my sister. She is very fond of you."
"She is?" Trenton's eyes lit up. Jesse nodded. "But she is not actually your sister, is she?"
"No, that is true. She is not my sister." Jesse frowned and blinked, not at all liking that thought. "Well, would you like to hold Jessica?" he asked. "You yourself pointed out that she is more your niece than mine."
Trenton winced.
"I know that," he said, and bit his lip. "So... Miss Matthews does not hold my associating with ... Jessica's father ... against me?"
"No, she has not given any thought to it. She has been more concerned that you hold me against her."
Trenton blinked.
"But there is so much difference."
Jesse nodded.
"I know. Will you hold Jessica?" he asked again, his dark eyes flashing. He did not want Mary to fall for a man who would not accept her daughter. To his amazement, Trenton passed the test.
"Certainly." He took the girl, and smiled at her. "She is very pretty."
"Yes, she is, thought she does not much resemble Mary."
"No," said Trenton pensively, then his face lit up. "But it is just as well, for then people will only figure she is mine, if I marry Miss Matthews." He recollected to whom he was talking, and blushed. "I mean..."
"I know what you mean," said Jesse.
Elizabeth entered with a blushing Mary. Mary seemed surprised to see her "brother" conversing somewhat pleasantly with Lord Trenton. She went to that man and graciously offered him her hand.
"Hello, Mary," he said.
"How do you do, Stephen?" she replied, blushing even more deeply. Elizabeth and Jesse exchanged glances at the couple's use of first names.
"I am well."
"Oh, you have Jessica!" she exclaimed with pleasure.
"Yes," said Trenton, looking again at the bundle in his arms. "She .. ah, Jesse, I mean, James allowed me to hold her."
"Why did you stay away so long?" she asked, after they had all been seated.
"I did not want to intrude myself upon your company too soon after your loss," he said, then more cheerfully, "and I was afraid he might fancy taking a cudgel to me." He jerked his head in Jesse's direction.
"Well, you did apologize, did you not, James?" said Elizabeth pointedly.
"He did not require it," said Jesse somewhat smugly.
"Let us not talk of that," said Mary, sitting down lightly. Jesse was delighted that her old cheerfulness had come back, to be blended nicely with the more mature woman she had become after she had had Jessie. "I have had a birthday, Lord Trenton," she informed him.
"Really?" he said, delighted - this decreased the age difference by a year, at least. "Many happy returns, Miss Matthews."
"Yes, she is seventeen now," said Jesse. "How old are you, Stephen?"
"He is twenty-five," said Mary. Jesse cocked his head.
"Is that all? I somehow assumed you would be older. How did you meet Fitz, then?"
"Who?" said Trenton, confused."
"My brother," said Jesse.
"Oh, Darcy." He looked at Jesse oddly and mouthed 'Fiz' at him before continuing. "His parents were friends of my parents, and he and John were in the same classes at Eton, so we were often together."
"Eton," said Jesse somewhat mockingly. "How impressive."
"Indeed," said Elizabeth. "I know many men who attended that school."
Jesse watched as Trenton and Mary courted each other, with little Jessie nestled between them. The sight of two such obviously happy and contented people made him feel "sick and wicked," and he left the room abruptly.
He happened upon Kitty as he made his way to his room.
"Kitty!" he said, making a complete about-face as he turned to walk with her. "Where have you been all day?"
"I was making preparations to go home," said Kitty. "My Season is nearly over. In practical terms, it is over, as I have nobody to chaperone me to any of the balls."
"Why would you need a chaperone?" he asked. "I am not there, and you are not allowed to compromise yourself with anyone else."
She looked at him saucily.
"I may be in love with you, but that does not mean I may not flirt with other men if I want to."
He huffed, halted, and put his hands on his hips.
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Well, there is nothing binding me to you," she said, turning around to look squarely at him. "We are not engaged. Most of the people we know do not even know about our relationship."
"You mean, somebody does?" he asked. Kitty laughed.
"Of course! The servants, at least, must know, for we are forever going in and out of closets and such. And I had to tell Lizzy, you know, that night we got caught in the rain."
"Oh."
"Where are you bound?" she asked, on coming to her door and stopping.
"I was going to ask if you would like to accompany me out for a while, but as we are not engaged, perhaps it would not be proper."
"We could ask Mary to come with us," she suggested. He shook his head.
"She is probably becoming engaged, herself, as we speak."
"Really? To whom?"
"Lord Trenton, of course! She has been mooning over him for at least two weeks now!"
"She has? Well, how wonderful for her! He is a very nice man. But I would not have guessed they would fall in love with each other."
"Oh, they are in love," he said. "And it is disgusting to behold, I assure you."
At that moment, Mary came up the stairs, a dreamy look on her face.
"Mary?" said Jesse, waving a hand in front of her face. "Are you awake?"
"I shall never be awake again," she murmured, then threw her arms around his neck. "Jesse, he wants to marry me!"
"Why did he not ask my permission?" he demanded. She laughed and hit his nose with one finger.
"I do not need your permission, Jesse," she said. "And besides, he said he already told you about his intentions, and you had no objections."
"I don't, but he was quite underhanded about it," he pouted.
"Did he give you a ring?" Kitty interrupted. Mary showed off her new jewelry.
"Mary," said Jesse suddenly, "would you like to accompany us for a walk?"
"Well... Stephen was planning to come back for dinner tonight," she said hesitantly. "How long do you plan to be gone, for this walk, as you call it?"
"Not long," Jesse shrugged. "What else would it be, but a walk?"
"A tryst, of course," she grinned. Kitty blushed. "Very well, I will go with you."
Part 48
Warning: this chapter contains some violence. - Gabby
Mary lagged behind somewhat as they walked, allowing Jesse and Kitty to have private conversation. She caught up to them, however, when Kitty stopped to look at a window display.
"Oh," Mary breathed. "That is the dress I want to wear to my wedding."
"I am sure it will look lovely on you," said Jesse. "When do you plan to tell Mother of your engagement?"
"Soon," she sighed. "You don't think she will be angry, do you?" she asked nervously.
"Angry? Why? You are marrying an earl. I think it is Kitty's mother who will be upset, when she hears Trenton is not marrying her, instead."
Kitty rolled her eyes.
"Yes, and it will not help that you have no fortune," she poked him in the ribs. He looked crestfallen for a few minutes, then she said, "Have you given any thought at all to what you will do with yourself? You cannot live off of Mr. Darcy forever."
"I am enjoying myself immensely," he protested, but then admitted that he would most likely soon get bored.
"You are not planning to go back to your old profession, are you?" asked Mary.
"No, he promised he wouldn't," said Kitty. "You cannot think how wonderful it feels to know that you are the reason for a man's reforming."
"I am not reforming," Jesse said indignantly. "I am merely giving up that aspect of my old life."
"Yes, that is reforming," said Kitty. "And I am the cause of it. That is a reason to rejoice."
"Meanwhile, I am bored silly," Jesse pouted, kicking at a few stones.
"But you need a profession," said Kitty. An honest one, I mean. Perhaps in the Army, or the Navy."
"Wouldn't he look wonderful in a uniform?" said Kitty.
"I believe Mary was referring to Stephen," said Jesse, his voice going up an octave on Trenton's name. Mary blushed. Jesse saw a tavern, and his eyes lit up. "Are you ladies thirsty?" he asked.
"Oh, look!" said Mary. "A monkey!" She ran across the street, where a minstrel was playing a hand organ and a monkey was dancing. When the song was over, Mary took a coin from her reticule, and placed it in the monkey's cap. He bowed, snickered, made a somersault, and ran to his master, causing Mary to clap in glee. Jesse beamed on her when she returned.
"That is the Mary I remember," he said. "I hope Trenton will continue to have this effect on you."
Mary blushed.
"I am happy now," she said softly. "Truly happy."
"Let us have a drink to toast your happiness," he suggested. She giggled, and Kitty slapped him playfully on the arm.
"You will say anything, if it gets you what you want," she scolded.
"Yes, well, I am thirsty. What do you say? Shall we get a drink, then go home?"
"You cannot quench your thirst with liquor," Kitty protested. He paid no heed, however, and the two young ladies followed him into the crowded tavern. After they were seated, Kitty continued her discussion on Jesse's profession.
"Perhaps Mr. Darcy could set you up in the clergy," she said. "I am told there is a very nice living at Kympton..."
"Can you imagine me as a clergyman?" he chortled. "What a hypocrite that would make me!"
"Well, but it is not so far-fetched," she protested. "There have been worse characters in the clergy. Compared to a certain parson I know, you are a saint."
"There is a word that has never been used to describe me before," he commented dryly.
"You could be an attorney," she suggested.
"How dreary," he stated. "Locked up in a tight office all day, poring over legal books. Besides, that is not much less hypocritical than me as a clergyman."
"A physician?"
He looked at her in horror.
"Jesse is afraid of death," Mary informed her. "Not only that, but he has one of the clumsiest hands I have ever seen."
"But he knows how to shoot a gun," said Kitty. "Certainly that requires some coordination."
Jesse shook his head.
"I am a quick draw, but my shooting does not amount to much, at least, not at a distance. Of course, I can hit anything standing within five feet of me, provided it is not smaller than a tree."
"Well, then," said Kitty, delighted, "we are left with His Majesty's service. Which do you prefer, the Army or the Navy?"
"I just said I can't shoot."
As they were talking, a group of men entered the tavern. The leader looked at a piece of paper for reference, then headed toward their table, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the tavern as they did so. This, of course, was done intentionally. The leader tapped Jesse on the shoulder and said,
"Are you Jesse Matthews?"
Kitty and Mary froze and stared at the men in horror. Jesse turned around languidly and looked them up and down.
"Why do you ask?" he said smoothly. The man threw the piece of paper on the table. Kitty recognized it as one of the posters she had seen advertising for Jesse's capture. Jesse looked at it as if seeing it for the first time, and nodded in what seemed to be approval.
"A thousand pounds is a lot o' money," the man growled.
"Yes, it is," Jesse agreed.
"James," said Kitty, thinking quickly, "we must be going home. Lizzy will be sick with worry..."
"James?" said the man who was hovering over Jesse's head.
"Yes," said Mary. "This is James Darcy."
"Then why," said another man coming over from the next table, "were you two ladies calling him Jesse a few minutes ago?"
"What makes you think we were?" Kitty challenged.
"I heard every word you were saying," he grinned toothlessly. "I hear everything. Nothing escapes my ears." He wiggled them expressively. Kitty was at a loss. She had not thought the man would admit to eavesdropping.
"Excuse me," said Jesse, rising, "But I think I shall take my leave. Come along, Mary and Kitty." However, before he could take more than two steps, the first man grabbed him by the collar and turned him around.
"That poster says dead or alive," he said. Kitty gasped. "I suggest you come along quietly, or I will have to break your head."
Jesse stared at him a moment, contemplating his situation. Around the room, people were murmuring.
"What's goin' on?"
"Ol' Finch caught Jesse Matthews."
"Of all the luck!"
Jesse looked into the man's eyes blandly.
"I don't know," he said slowly. His arm made a swift motion, and Kitty gasped in horror as a knife slipped into his palm. "I have a pretty hard head," he finished as he thrust the knife into the man. He watched as the man dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. Several men - Kitty could not count how many exactly - jumped on him from behind. More men poured into the scuffle, and Kitty completely lost sight of Jesse.
"Stop it!" she yelled. "Get off of him! Stop it!" She brought her reticule, heavy with her hardbound copy of Emma, down upon the heads of several of the would-be bounty hunters, and pushed them into the bar. She tried to dive in after Jesse, but an elbow hit her in the stomach, and she fell onto her back. Mary took her by the arm and pulled her outside.
"What are you doing?" Kitty cried. "They will kill him!"
"No, he will not let them," said Mary, shaken. She glanced into the bar to see the fight still going on. Licking her lips nervously, she turned back to Kitty.
"We must tell Mr. Darcy. He will know what to do. They will not hang him!" she said fiercely. Kitty burst into tears. "No, no," said Mary, guiding her with a hand placed firmly in her back, "there is not time for that. We must tell Mr. Darcy. We will tell Stephen; he will know what to do."
"What can they do?" said Kitty. "If he is arrested, there is nothing we can do. They will hang him. If he is not arrested, they will certainly not let him get out of there alive..."
"He will not let them kill him. If necessary, he will surrender just as they're about to ... pull the trigger, or whatever." Mary choked, sniffled, but refused to cry. Tears were useless. "He will be fine," she said firmly.