Chapter 42

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

E lizabeth seemed frozen, her eyes wide and dark, her pallor alarming. Darcy drew her close to him as Lady Matlock's shaken guests called for their carriages and left as quickly as they could. Only Darcy, Elizabeth, the Gardiners, the Langleys, the Magnussens, and all the Fitzwilliams remained.

Mr Gardiner wanted to take his wife and niece back to their home immediately, but the admiral cautioned them. "It is my belief that Maltravers has gone mad. He has a history of violence as well. It is to your credit, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, that you wish to take your niece home and protect her, but at this point, I cannot believe he will simply give up and go away. You have young children to consider, as do you, Sir Alexander," he said, turning to Jane and her husband.

"Elizabeth will come to my house," Darcy announced. All heads turned his way. "There are no children there, and beyond my servants already in residence, I shall hire extra guards to protect the house." He took Elizabeth's hand and kissed it. "And, as of this evening, we are betrothed."

"Oh, Lizzy!" Lady Magnussen came forwards and embraced her sister.

"With your permission, Mr Darcy, I would stay at your home as well," said the admiral, clearing his throat. "I have trusted men I can put at your disposal to guard Elizabeth."

"As do I," said Fitzwilliam, stepping forwards.

"You have children," said Darcy.

"My husband is more than capable of handling himself in a fight, should it come to that," insisted the redoubtable Lucy. "You might need his assistance."

In the end, Elizabeth and her family agreed that she would be safest with Darcy. Along with the two military men, Mrs Langley insisted that she would attend her friend, and her husband agreed.

In an attempt to better understand how Maltravers had found Elizabeth's location, Fitzwilliam suggested they send expresses to Windward House and Longbourn, as well as messages to the Gardiners' home and the homes of Elizabeth's sisters in Cambridge and London, to see if he had been noticed there by servants or neighbours. It could be useful to discover how long, and from where, he had followed her path.

Over the course of the night, Darcy House became a sort of fortress. Both the admiral and the former colonel called in men, former soldiers and sailors, to guard the house on all sides. The service doors, the garden, and the mews were all watched and patrolled. The housekeeper and butler were informed and in turn gave strict orders to the lower servants to stay within the confines of the property. Lord Matlock had determined to speak to Lord Akers in an attempt to convince him to rein in his brother.

Darcy himself composed the messages, describing Maltravers and asking whether he had been seen by anyone near any of the family's residences. Fitzwilliam took the messages to prepare them for the express riders and then to get a bite to eat.

Darcy and the admiral were left alone in the study. They sat in silence for a while before Darcy spoke.

"I am trying to understand how this all came about," said Darcy. "It makes no sense. This man Maltravers was a naval officer who had some sort of grudge against Captain Bancroft? The captain has been dead these two years, yet you imply that Maltravers is yet driven to achieve some sort of triumph over him, to show himself to be the superior man. How does Elizabeth come into this? Why is she his target?"

The older man sighed and wearily laid his head back against the chair he sat in. "This story goes back a long way, and part of it is conjecture on my part. I never served directly with Maltravers, thankfully, but I have met him on several occasions and heard a great deal about him over the years, none of it good.

"The Maltraverses are a distinguished family, with an old and venerable title. No doubt you are aware of that. Younger sons of the family have served the Navy with distinction for several generations now, just as your cousins the Fitzwilliams have served the Army."

Darcy nodded thoughtfully.

"From what I understand," the admiral continued, "Roger Maltravers showed signs of instability even as a child. His father would hear none of that. He filled the boy with tales of the heroism of his ancestors who served, most of whom achieved high rank. When he arrived at the naval academy, the young man was completely certain of his own predestined greatness.

"Among the other boys he learnt and served with was Samuel Bancroft, an orphan with no money or family yet who was already earning the notice of his instructors. Maltravers may have fixed on Bancroft as an enemy because he was his complete opposite. Quiet, modest, thoughtful, focused, diligent. As an officer, he put his mission before his ship and crew, and his ship and crew before himself. Maltravers could not understand the idea of someone who had no money or connexions achieving success on his own merits, by his own labours. When confronted with a young man with true abilities and the proper temperament to command, he may have felt that as an affront to himself. It interfered with his belief in his own superiority. People like Maltravers also often need to choose an enemy, a nemesis, someone whom they can blame their failures on."

Bancroft was indeed an impressive man , Darcy thought. He earned his success, the respect of his peers, yet remained modest. He was a man worthy of Elizabeth.

"Upon leaving the academy, the two served their earliest years under Nelson. Maltravers was already showing signs of volatility, while Bancroft was quietly earning the trust and respect of his superiors. Maltravers did receive promotions, but he was kept on a short leash. Patrols and blockade duty, not the more plum assignments. He could not be trusted. Then Bancroft was promoted before Maltravers, and I believe that was when the real hostility began. Maltravers sought ways to harm Bancroft's career, and after some years discovered a rumour that he could threaten him with." The admiral paused and took a long sip of his brandy.

"What was it? What was his secret? Or is it something that you cannot say?" Darcy asked.

Admiral Langley looked Darcy in the eye and shook his white head. "I can say it because it will not hurt anyone now. Samuel Bancroft was a molly."

Stunned, Darcy's jaw dropped. He was speechless. The implications were staggering. Could it be? Was Elizabeth aware of this when she married him? Was it possible that she was untouched even after her marriage? Was that why she had no children? He felt a primitive, possessive beast rise in his breast. Mine, it howled. But how had their marriage come about?

The admiral cleared his throat and continued. "He was one of the finest men I ever had the honour to serve with. Bancroft lived an exemplary life and was simply too valuable an officer to let go. There have been others like him, good officers who have been quietly protected by the Admiralty due to their exceptional talents.

"Unfortunately, there are others who are vulnerable to money and power. Four years ago, Maltravers tried through his father's influence to harm Bancroft with his allegations. He wanted him court-martialled and hanged so that he himself could have command of the Melisande and take part in the mission with the East Indian squadron. Ultimately he failed, though I believe Bancroft felt he had to contract a mariage blanc to protect himself. He could not have chosen better than our Lizzy."

Darcy nodded. So that is how it was.

"Shortly after, when the elder Lord Akers died and his brother let it be known there would be no more money or favours from the family to those who protected him, Maltravers was court-martialled and sent home."

"Why has he come after Elizabeth now?"

"Hannah and I have an idea about that. Bancroft was promoted to Rear Admiral of the Blue posthumously. That information was recently published in The Naval Chronicle . Maltravers may have only lately heard of it since he was removed from the Navy and sent in disgrace to his brother's estate. Given his history, it might have angered him enough to seek some sort of twisted vengeance."

Admiral Langley leant forwards and put his hand on Darcy's arm, saying urgently, "It may be that he is after Elizabeth to sort of… own her, own her person, in the way that Bancroft did not. That would be his revenge."

Darcy suddenly remembered the man he had overheard at the Swan as he watched Elizabeth with the men of the Melisande . The voice that had shaken him with its vitriol. The vulgar words. ‘ A cherry that's never been plucked…'

He stared at the older man in horror. "He wants to…" He could not bring himself to say it. He was out of his chair, stalking about the room, his fists clenched in rage. "Over my dead body!"