Love Among the Gifted - A Pride & Prejudice Alternative

Chapter Forty-Three

Lydia Bennet was disgusted, both at her situation and with her own actions and decisions that had led to that current status as a bound prisoner and bait for a trap. She had, she realized, allowed herself to be deceived by Mr. Wickham. Her desire to emulate Lizzy and her excitement at the novelty and enjoyment of her training had led her to believe the man's fabrication. Both her father and her sisters had warned her against trusting the blackguard, but he had appealed to her vanity and sense of adventure. And now her whole family, and possibly many more, were to pay the price for her foolishness.

"I have done my part, Monsieur," Wickham said. "I have delivered the girl, but this has painted a target on my back that will make it impossible for me to continue in my former role. I am now useless to you. If you will provide me with the new identity and remuneration you promised, I will make my way to someplace far from this war-torn continent."

"Not quite yet, mon ami. I think there may yet be a use for you," said the stranger with the French accent. Lydia was not certain but suspected this was the Frenchman that Lizzy and her father had spoken of on occasion, the one responsible for the attacks in Meryton. That Wickham was colluding with him was obvious, which meant that her supposed friend was a traitor and likely had been for some time.

"But you'd assured me, this was the end of it for me," the Lieutenant whined.

"And so it can be, though perhaps not in the way you had envisioned." The threat was obvious. "But it need not be, if you choose correctly. You may stay and lend your military prowess to our ambush or you may relocate to our vessel, awaiting our return and our voyage to France. Which of these three choices appeals to you the most?"

It took Lydia a moment to realize the Wickham's third choice was to take his chances fighting the rebels. She could not see Wickham's face from where she was chained to the chair, her feet dangling just off the floor, depriving her of the leverage necessary for her to bring her full strength to bear. This, and the elephantine hybrid standing with a heavy hand on her shoulder, were the only things preventing her from managing her own escape. She heard her erstwhile friend sputter half-formed objections, then swallow audibly and muttered his unenthusiastic acquiescence. "The ship, please."

"Very well. MacDill, if you would." A second man, adorned in a bright red driving-coat, gestured. A portal opened before him, on the other side of which was the gently rolling deck of a docked ship. Wickham hesitated, but eventually stepped through. The portal closed behind him.

"Now you, my dear, have only to wait patiently for your sister and her friends to show up to rescue you," the Frenchman gestured to the barrels that surrounded them. "I need not even bring my own provisions for the trap, as your government has supplied sufficient for my needs, and more."

She struggled vainly to break her bindings, or at least to knock her chair to the ground, only to be stilled by the greater strength of her elephantine guard. "You won't get away with this. You've no idea who you're facing."

"Au contraire, ma petite. I know exactly what and whom I am facing. And this time it is they that shall meet a most ignominious defeat. As you shall see in just a few moments, if they arrive on time. It is almost midnight."

Lydia felt rather than saw another portal open behind her. She heard her captors step back, their footsteps moving from the wooden floor of the magazine to what sounded like gravel. She felt the hybrid's massive hand leave her shoulder, followed by more ponderous footfalls. Almost immediately, Lydia began to struggle against her bonds.

"Stop that!" the Frenchman commanded. Lydia continued. She felt part of the chair break away, causing the chains to loosen. "Morton, stop ..."

Before he could complete his directive, the door to the magazine slammed open. Lydia saw Lizzy and Mr. Darcy enter cautiously.