Work Text:
Tumbled Hearts
Peak District
Derbyshire
“Beautiful,” Lizzy sighed as she scanned the scenery ahead of her.
Masses of rolling hills covered in verdant grass, trees hemmed the edges like her lacy petticoats that decorated her ankles. The verdant green splashed against the sapphire skies rays of golden sun highlighted some little lakes twinkling like silver slivers of diamonds in the emerald fabric of nature.
She stepped forward on the surface of a rock, gripping her hand on a standing stone to steady her as swept an admiring gaze to take in more of the scene before her. Her bonnet hanging from her other hand by the light green ribbons. A breeze flew by flapping the skirts around her legs, tousling her hair, and the ribbons fluttering by her hips. She heard her aunt shout something about being careful to not to fall and injure herself, but Lizzy was confident in her abilities to skip down the hill.
Once she had taken in her surroundings with enough reverence and awe, she sighed wondering how she could live in this beautiful, wild, rugged county. As she turned on her heel she looked down the steep hill and smiled. Her aunt looked up at her, though she was too far to see the expression on her aunt’s face., Lizzy could feel the worry pour off her in waves.
“I am coming down!” Lizzy shouted.
“Be careful, Lizzy, your uncle and I would hate to tell your father if you take a fall!”
There was no need to worry, Lizzy thought, the ground was dry and no obstacles were in the way. She climbed up it without difficulty. She began to walk down, cautiously for her aunt’s sake, and when her aunt was satisfied her niece was behaving, Mrs Gardiner turned her back and made her own way to their carriage. Now she was under no supervision and buoyed by the effect of the sun, the long grasses dancing in the breeze, Lizzy felt energised. She started skipping down the hill.
***
Martha Gardiner was almost near her open topped carriage when she heard a scream that curdled her blood. Immediately she saw her husband run to the direction of the screams with the driver. She forced herself to run in the same direction.
“Martha, do not look!” her husband shouted as he moved her into his arms.
“LIZZY!” she screamed as she saw her niece prone, her leg bent at an awkward angle, and blood pooling out of her head.
The driver bent at the young lady’s supine body and put his ear to the heart. “The young Miss still be alive sir,” he said to Mr Gardiner.
It was hardly a comfort, Martha fought against her Edwards firm embrace. “What are we going to do?” asked a trembling Martha. Tears collected in her eyes threatening to fall. “We’re miles from anywhere!”
Just then a carriage with two pairs of horses drawing a superb carriage. The driver saw the tableau before him and halted to a quiet stop. Just then an outrider opened the door and rushed out.
“The poor young lady!” he exclaimed. “Is she still alive?”
“According to our driver, she is,” Mr Gardiner replied.
Mrs Gardiner was shocked by who else had rushed out of the carriage. “My Lady!” she curtsied. Even grief would not stop her from Martha behaving well. ‘
***
“How many times, Martha, call me Cassandra,” the lady replied then glanced down at the hurt young woman.
“Cyril,” Cassandra commanded.
“Yes, mama,” he said as he ripped off his cravat.
“No need to ruin fine silk, sir!” Mr Gardiner offered as he took his own cravat off, he handed it to their driver who began to wrap the material around the young lady’s head.
“Is she one of your nieces?” Cassandra asked as she wrapped her arms around her friend’s shoulders.
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” Martha responded with a catch in her voice, tears welling in her eyes, “This is my husband, Mr Edward Gardiner,” she gave way to her emotions, clutching a handkerchief to her mouth. “Forgive me,” she turned away. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, suddenly Lady Cassandra struggled to hold Martha’s limp form. .
Two footmen appeared silently and, with some awkwardness Lady Cassandra transferred Martha to her servants and watched worriedly as they took Martha to her carriage. Once Martha was being tended to, she turned her attention to the injured young lady.
“Be careful but please place Miss Elizabeth Bennet in our carriage, we will convey her to Chesterfield Hall!” she then turned to Mr Gardiner, “you will want to follow off course.”
Carefully, they lifted the supine form of the young woman and slowly, cautiously, with one footman supporting her head, another her feet and her uncle held her at the middle to keep her straight and supported.
“We shall see you at Chesterfield Hall,” the Countess said as she was handed into her luxurious carriage. Mr Gardiner tended to his wife whilst their driver took to his seat. Both carriages turned around and, which was not easy on the narrow road.
“You know,” Cyril said as he turned to look at the young woman that was carefully arranged on the opposite bench. “I am sure Darcy mentioned this young woman to me one evening when we had a few snifters of brandy.”
“Yes, Georgiana mentioned her through letters Darcy sent her.”
“Shame Darcy met her first, she is a comely creature.”
Lady Cassandra smiled, and patted her son’s hand, “There is someone for you, if not - well, Tristan can marry and his eldest son can carry on the Earldom.”
Cyril squeezed his mother’s hand. “I am sure it will not come to that, mother.”
She stared across at their unexpected guest, “Besides, who is to say Darcy is for her - he may like her, that is certain - but she may not like him and prefer you.”
Just then the carriage jolted over some loose stones and conversation ceased as they each contemplated their own concerns whilst making sure Miss Elizabeth was kept stable.
***
In the Gardiner’s coach Mr and Mrs Gardiner were holding tightly to each other, “What shall we tell her father?” Martha asked her husband anxiously, wringing her hands into her handkerchief.
“Do not concern yourself with that, my dear,” he said. “You fainted. You can take all sorts of situations in your stride. Yet at the sight of Lizzy you fainted. Martha, you do not normally faint except….”
Then Martha turned to him, “Oh Edward I had hoped to keep it secret but yes, I am with child. Oh how can we rejoice over that when Lizzy is likely suffering.”
Edward hugged his wife closer to his side, gently tilted her chin with his elegant fingers to place a kiss to her lips. “All we can do is pray. Lizzy is a strong woman, she will recover. Besides, it would be better to inform Jane rather than her father.”
“It would do no good to inform either of them,” Martha sighed. “It is nearly a week’s journey.”
“No we will inform Jane, if I know them as well as I do, then Jane would not forgive herself if she is not there by her sister’s side.”
“You are right of course, yet I can hear Lizzy telling Jane that she need not come all the way here to tend to her!”
They had jolted over the stones and were kept silent as they each thought about the revelations of the day.
***
It was a further two days before Jane received a letter in her aunt’s handwriting, it was not as elegant as it usually was. Not as neat. That alone was worrying. Her aunt was normally composed and calm. Her mother was trying to keep their cousins quiet, too busy to look at any missives that were not hers.
“Oh no!” she gasped as she read the contents.
“Jane what is it?” her mother demanded.
“I must go to papa!”
With that, leaving her mother gaping like a fish in her wake, she rushed to her father’s study and knocked on the door without waiting for his invitation to enter his domain, she opened the door.
Her father, shocked that his normally placid daughter was breathing heavily, looking flushed and worried he did something he rarely did, He put his book down and sat up straight. “Papa, I must go to Derbyshire immediately, no do not debate me on this!”
“Jane, Jane, calm down,” he said. “Please do not sound like your mother!”
Once the rush of emotion had blown over Jane slumped in a chair resembling Lydia more than his normally composed Jane. “It is too terrible!” she said as she proffered the letter.
Immediately, her father took and just as instantly stood up so roughly his chair clattered to the floor. “We must go immediately.”
“Thank you papa!” Jane sighed, “I shall go up to pack.”
An hour later they were packed, “I am sure Lizzy does not deserve this level of attention - it is her wild way! how am I supposed to cope on my own - Jane I need you…”
“Lizzy needs me more!” Jane said firmly. “You raised five children, the Gardiners are well-behaved,” she kissed her mother on the cheek. “We will write as soon as we get to Chesterfield Hall.”
Then Jane hugged and kissed her cousins in turn as they all clamoured for attention. Little Enid took her thumb out of her mouth. “Is Wizzy be all right?”]
“Hopefully, Enid,” Jane said as she was handed in by her papa before he climbed in himself. “Bye everyone, behave!”
The carriage rolled off to the waves of the sisters, mother and cousins.
***
Three days later the Bennet carriage rolled through the grand entrance of Chesterfield Hall, Jane rather exhausted from anxiety and little sleep stepped out of the carriage as her papa handed her out. They glanced at the imposing edifice and wondered at it.
The doors opened and they glanced at each other, girding their loins they stepped through what could only be described as a medieval palace. It was well-looked after, decorated comfortably and not at all ostentatious.
They were shown into a drawing room where there was only one person they recognised, “Mr Darcy?” Jane gasped, before their names could be announced.
“Miss Bennet, Mr Bennet!” Darcy bowed.
“Please introduce us,” said a handsome woman dressed fashionably.
“Of course, aunt Cassandra, this is Mr Bennet and her sister Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth’s father and eldest sister,”
Immediately Cyril got up and stammered, “Ch-charmed to meet you,”
The lady rang a bell and a maid stepped forward. “Please take Mr and Miss Bennet to their family.”
The maid curtseyed and walked out of the door, there was little option but to follow the meek looking servant.
As soon as Jane caught sight of her distraught Aunt she rushed to her arms whilst Mr Bennet shook a grim faced Edward. “She is still not awake?” Mr Bennet asked.
“No, she is not,” Martha said. “The Doctor they have got has examined her and his prognosis says she is stable.”
“The damage?”
“A broken right leg, and arm. Her head struck a rock and bled profusely. She has been feverish and calling for Jane.”
“Take me to her!” Jane exclaimed.
“Head injuries are uncertain and though we were as careful as we could be, the Dr admonished us for moving her at all. Both the Countess and Martha were adamant that they could hardly leave her to the elements alone.”
Mr Bennet nodded, “Lizzy is stubborn. Tell me, why is Mr Darcy here?”
“This is his aunt and uncle's residence!”
“That does not explain his presence.”
“His cousin, the Viscount, wrote to him. He had to drop plans, including having the Bingleys stay with him. They had to journey to Scarborough instead.”
“But why?”
Edward and Martha exchanged glances, “Because he cares for her. He wants to see her well. It is he that has offered to pay for her care.”
“That will not be necessary!” said Mr Bennet brusquely, “I can well afford my daughter's care.”
***
In the bedchamber Jane saw the pitiful state Lizzy was in and steeled herself, She calmly walked to the bed and took hold of her sister’s left hand. After some deep breaths she began to talk: “Lizzy, it’s Jane,” she sighed. “Oh dearest what happened? No one seems to know. One minute you were walking down the hill then you fell down it. Such damage over a minor fall,” her weak attempt at a joke left Jane morose.
Lizzy would know what to say. She would be conciliatory but entertaining. What would Lizzy do, Jane asked herself. She would say something from the heart, what was in Jane’s heart?
“Jane,” Lizzy murmured, her hand still limp in Jane’s. Jane leant over and brushed Lizzy’s forehead, she was burning up. She looked up at a strong featured nurse sitting in the room, “She be callin your name,” the nurse said. “Now I see why. You two close?”
“Best of sisters,” Jane replied, “a cool cloth, please?” she ordered.
Immediately the Nurse leapt to her feet and went to a silver ewer and bowl and poured some cool liquid in the bowl being careful not to touch the edge of a cloth draped over the other side. Tenderly she drew the damp cloth over her sister's perspiring forehead.
“Jane - Bingley - Darcy - Cares!” Lizzy was mumbling. “Jane!”
“Sshhh, I am here, dearest,” Jane held onto Lizzy’s hand with one of her own as she squeezed cool water on her sister’s brow. “I am well, Lizzy, Bingley and I would not suit. I see that now.”
“No, CARES!”
“Lizzy, it is well. Papa and I talked it over. Bingley and I are too similar. I need someone to, well, to be in charge. To be mature and responsible.”
“Jane - Wickham - Bad!”
At the name of Wickham the Nurse stilled her movements. “How do you know that lyin’ little toerag?”
“He joined a militia group and came to our village in Hertfordshire, do not worry, dearest. Wickham is no longer a problem… do not be anxious. You get well!”
“This is going to be a long battle. Miss, we may need to get the Doctor back.” the Nurse said, “iffn she move more she will rebreak her bones.”
“What can we do?” Jane asked, distressed by her sister’s thrashing.
“Keep young Miss cool, we may need to do something shocking if the fever remains.”
Jane hurried to the door of her sister’s room leading to the sitting room where her papa and aunt and uncle were sitting in the room drinking tea, a biscuit hovered between her papa’s fingers and open mouth. “We need the Doctor!”
Martha was about to get up but Edward beat her to it. Jane was too harried to wonder at the frown on her aunt’s face. Or define the aggravated ‘honestly’ that slipped her aunt’s lips.
The Doctor soon came into the room, looking a little crumpled but alert, “The patient is feverish I understand?”
“The Nurse and I …” everyone’s blood ran cold at the sound of a scream.
Jane hurried back into the room, the Doctor on her heels.
Lizzy was thrashing around in earnest. Nurse Matilda holding her down as much as she could without harming Lizzy more. The Doctor turned to Jane. “You had best leave this to us,” he said, patting Jane’s hand.
“No!” Jane said firmly. “If the situation was reversed Lizzy would stay with me no matter how uncomfortable the situation,” she looked at her sister, “I am staying, someone she knows must be with her.”
With that Jane sat down at the chair on the left side of the bed and took her sister’s hand, holding onto it with dear life. “Come back to us Lizzy. We… I … cannot do well without you. You must come back to us.”
Her entreaties were earnestly repeated throughout the night, no one - not the Countess, her son, her nephew or any of Miss Elizabeth’s family could eat whilst the entire mansion held its breath whilst the fever seemed to spike to dangerous levels.
“Is there not something we can do?” Jane asked tears now falling down her cheeks, “surely now something drastic is called for?”
The Doctor and Nurse gazed at one another, “There is something we can try,” he said, “it depends on how much ice Chesterfield has.”
“I will go to the Countess and ask as much as she is willing to spare.”
Jane took a candlestick and tilted it towards a lit candle, When that one caught fire she walked out of the door to the hallway and found the same maid sitting outside. “Ma’am?” she curtsied.
“Take me to the Countess, we need to ask her a favour!”
“Ma’am,” the maid acquiesced.
They walked to the family wing of the mansion. The maid knocked on a grand looking door, another maid answered the door. “Miss Bennet be seeking the Countess,”
“Open the door Mildred,” the Countess said from within.
Jane was led into an opulent room twice the size of the front parlour at Longbourn, she curtsied to the elder lady: “My sister’s fever is getting worse by the minute, might we ask for some ice if you have any?”
“I shall see to it personally,” the Countess said, “you look exhausted, it is no use there being two ill Miss Bennets - why do you not sit, have you at least had a cup of tea?”
“I have not had time,” Jane said, feeling weary to her bones.
“You must sit, I shall make sure your sister has all the ice she needs and I shall send for a cup of tea for you. Lavender I think, you need to rest.”
Jane thanked her and propped her head on her elbow, “Lizzy normally recovers from these things but now I am not sure!”
“Do not worry, your aunt assures me she is a strong woman. Darcy told me how she walked three miles for you - she seems sturdy, I am sure she will recover.”
“If you ordered her too she might not out of defiance,” Jane smiled though it did not quite reach her eyes.
Lady Cassandra laughed, “She sounds like Tristan in that respect.”
“Tristan?”
“He is a Colonel in the Regulars - not purchased either; he earned his rank through bitter fighting.”
“You almost sound proud.”
“I am proud of both my sons, I only wish there could be two Earls in the family, but that is not likely to happen. I do hate to hear of my son fighting in Spain and Portugal. There was a time he was suffering from influenza in Portugal, oh how I wished I could have been there. So I know a little of your anxieties,” Lady Cassandra sat down on the chair opposite Jane and took her hand, “your sister is in the best hands, Do not forget to take care of yourself as well,” she cautioned. “Go back to your sister after you have partaken of your tea and - ah, here it is,” a maid entered with a pot of steaming tea and two fine china cups on their matching saucers, “thank you, you may go.”
After the Countess poured the tea Jane took a sip and had not realised how much she needed it until now. “Now,” the Countess said when they had finished, “go back to your sister. I am sure everything will be fine in the morning.”
“Thank you, your Ladyship.”
“None of that now, call me Lady Cassandra.”
“Thank you, Lady Cassandra,” Jane curtsied.
“I will be praying for your sister,”
“Thank you, Lady Cassandra,” Jane curtsied again and elegantly walked out of the room.
***
Martha woke up with her stomach churning. Leaning over the bed she reached for the chamber pot and vomited, waking Edward up in the process.
“This would have told me you were pregnant if the fainting spell did not,” he mumbled. Martha coughed and got up to the ewer and basin and poured some water in it and began washing her mouth around with cold water, she spit into a bucket and got her tooth powder and brush ready to clean her teeth. “Edward, Jane did not wake me, she should have done so.”
“Perhaps that is a good sign,” Edward said hopefully.
Just then there was a knock on the door, “Aunt, we need you, please come!”
Immediately Martha wrapped her body in a robe and walked out of the door, “Jane, what is wrong?”
“Nothing seems to be working, perhaps hearing your voice…if she listened to anyone it was you!”
“She listens to me, we do not want to go into the past when at the present she is still with us.”
“Yes Aunt, we are wasting precious time.” Jane hugged her shawl closer around her shoulders, her blue eyes pleading, “Please, Aunt!”
Together they walked fast through the sitting room and entered Lizzy’s chamber, “The servants have just finished bringing ice to put in a tub - her fever is so bad now,” the catch in Jane’s voice took over all other emotions, “Lizzy, please do not die!”
The Doctor glanced at her aunt. “Hold her head, the Nurse will hold her legs straight, and Miss Bennet can you please hold her back. We need to keep her level. We must act quickly but precisely.”
When they had reached the tub they carefully placed her in the icy waters. The doctor held her arm away from the frigid liquid, whilst the nurse held her broken leg up. They immersed her, almost like a baptism, up to her neck. Then they lifted her up and dipped her back in. Another maid entered with a towel and a change of night things. Jane braved the freezing temperature and splashed water on her sister’s face to make sure all of her was feeling the benefit of the treatment.
Once Lizzy was dried and redressed she was carried back to her bed which had clean linens. Her sister was shivering, but with cold, instead of fever.
“Now we wait,” the doctor sighed.
Wait they did, Jane checking her sister’s temperature, Martha pacing the floor. The nurse sitting back in her chair waiting to be needed, The doctor looking grim,
There was a knock at the door and Jane answered it, standing outside was the Viscount and Mr Darcy, “We are here to see how everyone is coping,” the Viscount said. “If there is anything we can do?”
Jane took in Darcy’s appearance, he looked in a state of deshabille, his expression tormented. He loves her, she thought. That is why he is here!
“Please, give us something to do…”
“Jane!” Lizzy murmured, it did not sound like a feverish mumble. Jane turned around and instantly saw her sister’s eyes wide open as she was taking things in, “where m I?” she mumbled.
“Lizzy!” Jane exclaimed warmly as she rushed to her sister and took her hand. “You are Chesterfield Hall. You remember meeting Colonel Fitzwilliam, this is where he grew up. Just twenty miles from Pemberley.”
Lizzy groaned, “My head, my entire body hurts, What happened?”
“We were hoping you were going to tell us,” Aunt Gardiner said.
“I do not know, one minute I was on top of the world then the next minute I know, I am in a bedchamber in a stranger's home wanting water!”
“Thank goodness nothing is wrong with your impertinence!” aunt Gardiner said fondly.
Immediately Jane went to get her sister a glass of water, she lifted her sister’s head and tipped the glass to Lizzy’s lips, after a few gulps, Lizzy said she had had enough. “I am tired now!”
Jane turned to the doctor who had checked her forehead and heartrate, “She is out of danger for now. She just needs to heal!”
Jane and Martha rushed into each other’s arms then walked into the sitting room where Jane’s father and Martha’s husband were waiting. Once the news was conveyed, Jane was in her relieved father’s arms, and Martha was being hugged by her husband.
***
“What was that?” Darcy turned to his cousin.
Cyril blinked, “What did you say?”
“I said,” Darcy huffed, “what was that noise you made?”
“I do not recall…”
“You sighed!” Darcy exclaimed, “a real, heavy sigh like the world was on your shoulders.”
“Oh all right if you must now I was thinking of Miss Bennet, her sister is quite pretty but Miss Bennet, well she is elegance and grace in one kind hearted soul!”
Darcy bristled, “Her sister happens to be the most handsomest woman of my acquaintance,” he snapped.
Cyril smiled indulgently, “I will say if I had met Miss Elizabeth first I would have been just as captivated, her hair alone but Miss Bennet - she is everything,”
“Bingley has his eye on her.”
“Bingley? That green thing, you are not jesting?” Cyril stood open-mouthed, “well, will wonders…”
Darcy rubbed his forehead, Jane Bennet had given him enough headaches this year without adding his cousin to the mixture. He was about to reply when they had a soft gasp. Both men turned around only to find Miss Bennet staring at them, her face flushed and her eyes wide in alarm.
She rubbed down the front of her skirts and coughed to clear her throat, “I must dissuade you, Mr Darcy, yes I could have married Mr Bingley once. I felt him the most amiable man of my acquaintance and he still is but I have come to realise - well - if he cared strongly enough for me, he would have returned to Netherfield despite who said what to whom.”
With that she turned on her heel and then said to Mr Darcy, “You had best follow, Lizzy has been asking for you.”
Like a sheep being led to a shearing shed he followed the troublesome Miss Bennet. They reached Miss Elizabeth’s room in due course and entered without ceremony.
Darcy had never seen a more beautiful but frail sight of Miss Elizabeth in bed, covered up to her chin, to preserve her modesty, pale as moonlight but well, she looked serious.
“Mr Darcy,” she said, with her good hand she gestured to a chair, suggesting that he take a seat, which he did after bowing to all those in the room. Her father and Uncle bowed back whilst Mrs Gardiner and Jane curtsied, there was no sign of the nurse or doctor. “I wanted to apologise for the things I said to you in April. They were harsh words. I have since found out that I erred twice in my accusations against you.”
“Think no more of it, Miss Elizabeth, please what can not be undone is not worth worrying over,” he bowed.
“I would like to begin again, as friends,” she said with a shy smile.
“I would like that too, Miss Elizabeth!”
***
As summer rolled into autumn so the double wedding held in a prominent London Cathedral occurred between Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Mr Darcy and Viscount Wessington, Cyril Fitzwilliam.
Mrs Bennet attended with pride in her eyes as Jane became a Viscountess. Her father had tears in his eyes as his two sensible daughters were handed to their beaus.
Lydia sulked by her parents as she had been dragged back from Brighton, just in time, for she was almost set to elope with an officer determined to marry first. Kitty was happy for her sisters and was asked to stay with Mrs Darcy, Mary was to help the Gardiners with their children, she was trying hard not to admire Colonel Fitzwilliam.
The couples were close and happy for the rest of their married lives.