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Posted on Sunday, 16 December 2007

Chapter 19

Elizabeth had frozen when the Count of Montesford touched her. She wanted to pull away but steeled herself not to do so: the thread connecting her to her mother was so new and thin that she wanted to do nothing that might sever it again. An immediate rejection of her husband would likely do just that. She was relieved when he dropped his hands and turned to his wife to hear her story of what had just unfolded.

In a soft voice, the Duchess explained how Elizabeth had been discovered by Darcy and Edward Fitzwilliam. She indicated to Farrington that both she and her father were convinced that she was indeed Elizabeth Fitzwilliam but did not elaborate upon the evidence. Silence then descended over the room. The preexisting animosity between the two Dukes hung in the air and Elizabeth herself had no notion of what to say. Finally, Darcy took the initiative and asked Arthur Nesbitt whether he intended to make a formal announcement of his granddaughter's recovery.

"Yes, William," he replied. "I intend to publish a notice in the papers within the next few days." He glanced at his daughter but she made no comment. A few more awkward minutes passed until the Duke of Montesford suggested that he and his wife host a celebratory dinner in the next several days, in Elizabeth's honor. Wiltingham had no choice but to agree and then to the relief of all of them including Elizabeth, the Farringtons took their leave. The Duchess favored her daughter with a light kiss on the cheek and then with a nod to her father, followed her husband out of the room.

The door had barely closed behind them when the Duke sat down heavily onto a nearby sofa and asked for a glass of brandy. As he served him the drink, Darcy was struck by how old the man suddenly seemed.

Well, I'll finally see the inside of Montesford House, Wiltingham thought with a silent laugh. He had never stepped foot in it, either before or after Maria married Farrington. The servants said that the place was cursed. Matthew Farrington's mother had fallen down a flight of stairs late one night when the boy had been only eight years old. She was heavily into her second pregnancy at the time of accident and gave birth almost immediately. Both she and the baby boy died two days later.

The spirits revived him somewhat and he asked Elizabeth to allow him to dictate a note for his attorney to her, with the wording of the announcement that he wished to have immediately published in newspapers in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

The Duke of Wiltingham, the Duchess of Montesford and the Earl and Countess of Matlock and their families are pleased to announce that Lady Elizabeth Anne Nesbitt Fitzwilliam, granddaughter of Arthur Nesbitt and daughter of the late James Fitzwilliam, Earl of Matlock has been restored to us after an absence of eighteen years. During the intervening time, she had been known as Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire. We formally acknowledge that she is entitled to all rights and privileges as would have been accorded to her under normal circumstances.

A. Nesbitt
Duke of Wiltingham
Marquess of Telford
April 21, 1812

As she finished writing, Elizabeth was once again seized by the enormity of what had happened to her as a child and by the sudden change her life had just taken as an adult. She pushed the paper away and started to weep uncontrollably. Before the Duke could react, Darcy went over to her and taking hold of her hand, pulled her up into an embrace. He murmured reassurances to her and when she had calmed somewhat, led her over to the sofa to sit next to her grandfather. He poured her a small measure of brandy and after refilling the Duke's glass, poured a drink for himself.

Darcy was very curious about what had transpired between Maria Farrington and Elizabeth but did not feel that he should ask for fear of upsetting either her or her grandfather again. However, after they both finished their brandies, the Duke arose and indicated that he was returning to his own house. He asked Elizabeth if she would join him for dinner later that day; he apologized to Darcy but indicated that he wished to dine alone with his granddaughter. Darcy assured him that he was not in the least offended by the request and asked his cousin to wait for him as he saw Nesbitt to the front door.

When he returned, he saw that Elizabeth at the side table refilling her glass with brandy as well as his own. She handed it to him with a small smile and they both took their seats again.

"I suppose you would like to hear what happened earlier," said Elizabeth.

"If you wish to speak of it, certainly."

"I do not yet know what happened between my grandfather and my mother before they came to Darcy House. Perhaps we will speak of it at dinner. When they came into the study, I stood up and curtseyed to them. She took a seat then my grandfather brought me over to her and asked me to show her my wrist. She took hold of it, looked at it closely for several seconds and then looked up at my face for several seconds longer. Then she nodded and asked me to sit.

"She asked me how I had been treated by the Bennets and how I came to be working as a companion for Lady Sarah. I spoke a little of my stepfather and of the Gardiners. Then she asked whether I remembered anything of my Fitzwilliam childhood. I could tell her very little other than the pet names for people and places that I have remembered although I did suggest that with more contact with my family, other memories might return."

"I believe that may happen," Darcy noted, "especially when you see Claresfont. I know that you have been to Matlock House here in town, but in truth your parents spent little time in London after you were born. Perhaps if you and the Duchess were to visit your former home together, it will awaken other memories."

"She did not actually suggest that we spend time together, William. In truth she said very little and showed even less feeling. "

"You must keep in mind how unexpected this has been for her."

"I think that after the warmth that Lady Susan has shown to me, I was expecting the same from my own mother," Elizabeth said quietly. "And I worry that I am already a disappointment to her."

"Oh, cousin, do not say that!" Darcy said forcefully. "I cannot imagine what qualities she could possibly find lacking in you. It is no doubt her years with Farrington that have so changed her affect, that and perhaps disappointment that Johanna was not with you."

"Perhaps you are correct. Finding only one daughter must by its nature be a reminder again of the loss of the other. Hopefully time will address that."

"I am sure that things will be better when we see them at Montesford House. Perhaps you should rest some now before joining Wiltingham for dinner." Elizabeth agreed to do just that and upon reaching her chambers, hoped that it would be some time before she would need to quit them permanently. They brought her a restfulness which she had never experienced before in her life.

Left to himself, Darcy decided upon another glass of brandy. Despite his assurances to Elizabeth, he had no confidence that their next encounter with the Farringtons would go any better. At least there will be strength in numbers, he thought, since the invitation extended to the Fitzwilliams as well.

Chapter 20

Montesford House was in an uproar. After sending his wife upstairs to her chambers and insisting that she take a sleeping elixir, the Duke summoned his housekeeper, Mrs. Burnwell as well as his cook to inform them that he would be hosting a special dinner on Sunday evening. It would be attended by the Duke of Wiltingham and Lord and Lady Matlock, as well as several others. After receiving some general instructions, the cook was sent on his way. Mrs. Burnwell was about to follow him when the Duke ordered her to remain behind.

He closed the door to his study and sat down opposite of her. "We are having an interesting collection of guests this weekend, Burnwell. Not doubt you recognize them as relations of my wife. Are you not curious as to why they are attending?"

The housekeeper wisely said nothing.

"I am sure that you will be as astonished as I was this afternoon to learn that my wife's younger daughter, Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam, has been resurrected from the dead and that she in fact will be attending this dinner as well," Montesford hissed at her.

The housekeeper turned white and then red. "But sir, that cannot be. Sam said that he was going to take care of both of them. I never asked for the particulars of course but he later never said anything that gave me reason to think he had not done it."

"Aye, he assured me that all had gone according to plan," the Duke said vehemently. "You would not happen to know where Wilkens sets his boots down now, would you?"

"Sir, I won't deny that we keeping company when we were both in Nottinghamshire but after he left Greenwood, we fell out of contact. That was several years before I met my Mr. Burnwell."

Fanny Larsen had eventually married the long time valet of the Duke of Montesford, who had also attended to his father. They had only been married for some five years when her husband died because of a large age difference; they had not had any children. She had been a widow now for six years, having become the housekeeper of the Montesford home in town after her husband's death.

"The last time that I saw Sam Wilkens, Your Grace, he was heading to some place in York. Perhaps the stable master at Greenwood kept some records on him? But begging your pardon sir, are you certain that this woman is the right one?"

Montesford scowled. "I have no way of knowing but Wiltingham and the entire Fitzwilliam clan have accepted her."

"But what about her Grace?"

"It turns out that the child had a number of birthmarks, all of which are present on the woman. She also remembers some childish names from the times. I was not there unfortunately when she was presented to the Duchess and by the time I arrived, she had been convinced. If I get my hands on Wilkens.."

The Duke did not need to say anything more. Mrs. Burnwell knew him very well. She made some inquiries about how to react to the official announcement of the news and was told that the household should be seen as overjoyed by the event. She then took her leave to begin the planning for the dinner. After returning to the kitchens to speak with the cook about the most promising seasonal vegetables, she left him to attend to a personal matter.

In her suite of rooms, she had an old locked valise that had once belonged to her former husband. She had kept it for sentimental reasons and because it had a lock which could be opened by just one key. After he had died, she used it to store her treasure trove of letters from her dear Sammy, sent to her over the years by a nonexistent cousin, with the assistance of a neighbor's cook. Fanny knew enough about the woman's affairs to be certain that she would keep her secrets. There were several reasons that she and Sam had never married, one being that he actually had a wife when he had come to work for the Marquess of Dayton. The wife had died not long after the Claresfont affair but Sam refused to put her in danger by marrying her, knowing that they had defied the Marquess's orders. He even had understood when she married old Burnwell although they were both disappointed that their occasional liaisons did not result in his getting her with child while she was married.

Her first priority was getting word to him now. He was working at an estate near Maidstone, in Kent. She summed up the little that she knew. With the excuse of needing to check at the butcher's, she was soon on her way to a rider who would take her message to Wilkens by express. With any luck, he would have it that night. Before she went to sleep, she made sure that her package of letters from him were burned to dust and scattered. She then lay awake in bed wondering how good the recollection of a child not yet four could possibly turn out to be.

Sam Wilkens indeed received his express that night. He wasted no time in sending the same to the cousin of the late Martin Stone, who now lived in Deal, a location useful for his various enterprises and removed from the site of his glaring misstep. It was now Wednesday evening and another message was sent off, this time by a personal courier entrusted with a fair amount of coin in a pouch, en route to Hertfordshire. The pouch contained specific instructions as to what the occupants of the address were to do upon its receipt. A similar pouch was sent to Maidstone.

Chapter 21

If Elizabeth had felt as if the last week had been tumultuous, it was nothing like what was to come. Fortunately, Lady Susan had already made arrangements with her to go to Woodworth's for further fittings and for additional evening-wear. She was pleased when her niece made no objection to the need for some fancier clothes. She was less pleased that Elizabeth appeared more interested in speaking of the Duchess's gorgeous rose colored gown than she was of their actual meeting.

"Lady Susan, she said so little to me. She looked at my hand and touched the birthmark then asked how I had been treated by the Bennets. It was rather bewildering, all and all. She was so beautiful and composed it was as if she were a mannequin. Thankfully, I sensed no hostility from her: that would have been unbearable."

"Perhaps she asked her father some of those questions," Lady Susan offered, in an effort to comfort her. Sensing that Elizabeth did not want to discuss the subject at that moment she decided to let the matter drop and they rode along in silence.

When the ladies reached Woodworth's, they were again shown to its largest salon. Lady Susan told her that she would make her introductions as they should have been made last week. She would then leave her briefly to check on another matter, since she knew that her niece would not wish to criticize the proprietor in front of another important customer.

"Ah, Lady Matlock, Miss Bennet. I hope that everything went satisfactorily on Monday?" Mrs. Woodworth asked.

"Yes, madam. In fact we come with some news as well as the need for some additional purchases," Lady Susan replied. "In fact, you will be able to tell some news to the boys who deliver the afternoon Times, and next week's Glasgow Herald and The Dublin Observer."

She turned and smiled at her niece and then looked back at Agnes Woodworth.

"You see, Mrs. Woodworth, I was forced to tell you a small fib last week. This is is not Elizabeth Bennet, a distant relation of mine. She is Lady Elizabeth Anne Nesbitt Fitzwilliam, the daughter of the late James Fitzwilliam, the Fifth Earl of Matlock and my dear husband's brother, and the granddaughter of the Duke of Wiltingham. She is now restored to us after a period of eighteen years. Her mother of course is Maria Nesbitt Fitzwilliam Farrington, the Duchess of Montesford."

Lady Susan then told the shocked woman that she wished to speak with one of her drapery girls concerning a special order gown that she needed made and swept out of room, leaving her niece behind.

"Why, Lady Elizabeth, this has all been such a fabulous surprise for you, no doubt," began Mrs. Woodworth. "I hope that we have been able to be of service to you in the time that we have known you."

"Yes, your work was of very good quality and the fabrics were satisfactory. I am particularly interested in having my aunt Mrs. Gardiner see me in the dark evening green dress before it is finalized. I had expected that she would be here by now."

"What is her full name? Perhaps she was put in another room. I will send someone to inquire."

"Her name is Margaret Gardiner. Perhaps while your assistant is looking for her, I might have a word with you alone?"

"Certainly, Lady Elizabeth," replied Mrs. Woodworth.

Elizabeth waited while the other woman left the room.

"Madam, during the fitting session at Darcy House earlier this week, all of your workers were speaking of the fact that his Grace, the Duke of Wiltingham was responsible for my purchases and that under those circumstances, money was no object. This was mentioned by your people in front of my maid as well as two younger ladies who were attending the fitting, to the confusion and the embarrassment of all, including myself. The titters and smiles made their assumptions and inferences quite clear and I for one, did not appreciate it. And I would not have you blame this upon your seamstresses for it was your assistant herself who seemed to enjoy the clacking the most."

Elizabeth delivered her message in a calm voice without breaking eye contact from the other woman. She had no intention of playing the role of a petulant debutante but nor would she be treated as a gullible rustic.

Before the woman could respond, she added, "I assume that the rest of my custom in your shop will be accorded the privacy that I deserve."

Mrs. Woodworth was about to embark upon a creative apology when the door to the salon opened and Lady Susan walked in holding the arm of a slightly younger looking woman revealed to be Mrs. Gardiner. The owner's day was now complete when a clerk whispered to her that the doorman had been in the process of forcing the woman to leave the premises for the lack of an appointment. Lady Matlock had overheard the conversation and insisted that she be shown upstairs.

As the three woman sat down and tea was ordered, Elizabeth introduced Lady Matlock to her Aunt Gardiner who whispered to her that they had already become fast friends while doing battle with the butler. Elizabeth just shook her head, wondering if she was getting a taste of the part of her real world for which she would have little enthusiasm. Very quickly, a dark green silk dress was brought out for Elizabeth to model along with fabric and patterns for Lady Susan. Mrs. Gardiner tested the quality of the fabric. While her niece was trying on her dress, Margaret Gardiner observed to Lady Susan that she thought the deep violet satin fabric was a bit too dark for her coloring and that she felt that a violet with a gray undertone such as a lavender would be a better match.

"But Lady Susan, we do not have such a color and weight available here," protested Mrs. Woodworth.

"Mrs. Woodworth, from looking at the marks on this fabric bolt, I know that it came from Gardiner Drapers, which is owned by my husband. I am certain that he has the other fabric in stock right now."

"Well, we cannot possibly acquire it in time. We must work with this fabric which I think suits you very well."

This conversation was interrupted by the reemergence of Elizabeth in a forest-green silk evening gown. Her two aunts walked around her and observed it carefully as Mrs. Woodworth made suggested that some gold trim be added over the bosom and sleeves.

"I am not sure, Mrs. Woodworth. I think that gold trim would compete with the fabric for attention," Lady Susan observed. "I am no longer certain that I like the sleeve style."

"Given your concerns and the deadline, perhaps Lady Elizabeth should plan on wearing a different gown for this social event."

The increasing haughtiness displayed by Mrs. Woodworth made up Lady Susan's mind for her.

"Mrs. Gardiner, do you think that Lady Elizabeth's gown will be harmed by a carriage trip?" she asked. Mrs. Gardiner, after quickly checking a few of the seams assured her that the dress was travel-worthy.

"Mrs. Woodworth, we will take this dress with us now as is; you may add that to the Duke of Wiltingham's account. Please have Elizabeth's other dress wrapped and brought down to the carriage immediately."

Mrs. Woodworth was left to return to her office to consider if she had somehow managed to lose the Fitzwilliam business. If that was the case, with this new announcement, her husband would not be pleased at all.

Chapter 22

As the carriage pulled away from Woodworth's establishment, Elizabeth turned to Lady Matlock.

"Oh, Lady Susan, I do believe that you will be very pleased. My Uncle Gardiner sells his fabrics to all of the Bond Street clothiers and at any one time has a far great selection of fabrics than any of them, such as what my Aunt Gardiner was suggesting for you," Elizabeth assured her. "And they are not in the habit of throwing perfectly presentable people out of the store!" she exclaimed.

The carriage was directed to a back entrance of the store where Elizabeth, who was already known to many of the workers, slipped into a rear dressing cabin. She was a little confused about her aunts mumbling about the dress since she liked it very much as it was designed. The next thing she knew, one of the shop's best seamstresses had joined the discussion and after inserting a few quick pins around the bodice, quickly lifted it off of her and gave her a dressing gown in which to stay warm. Her aunt Margaret then returned with a bolt of an icy lavender satin which she thought would suit the Countess admirably. They looked through some pattern books and at some life-sized pinned models of some of the dresses and then Lady Susan and another seamstress stepped into a second room to take her measurements.

A few moments later a smiling Margaret Gardiner carried in two copies of Elizabeth's favorite cotton-muslin yellow dress but this time made of fabric with printed patterns, one with red flowers and the other with more delicate stars. Touched by her aunt's thoughtfulness, she warmly embraced her.

"Oh, aunt, you know how much I like that dress. These are as finely made as anything at Woodworth's!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Indeed, I believe they are, Elizabeth," said Lady Susan, as she entered the dressing room and watched her niece try on one of the gowns.

"Did you find something to your satisfaction?" Elizabeth asked.

"Your aunt Margaret was absolutely correct, my dear. The lavender satin looks better with my complexion and Marta suggested a beautiful pattern."

"We will have them at Matlock House on Saturday for any last minute adjustments," Mrs. Gardiner said. "Elizabeth said that she would be staying there overnight."

"Why do you not stay for dinner?" Lady Susan asked. "I am sure that Lord Andrew would be very pleased to meet you and Mr. Gardiner. Wiltingham has mentioned him to us."

"Unfortunately, my husband is going on a business trip and will not be home until late Saturday. I must decline, with regrets."

The ladies spent a bit more time discussing clothes as well as Agnes Woodworth. Mrs. Gardiner was appalled at how free the clothier's workers were with their tongues and both aunts were pleased that Elizabeth had made it clear to the woman that she would not tolerate such behavior in the future.

"Of course," she added with a little grin. "It did not hurt that I could rely upon you and Uncle Gardiner to provide me with a dress if she tossed me out of shop. In fact, I would rather prefer having Marta make my gowns in the future."

"That will not be possible, my dear," said Lady Susan with a wicked little laugh. "She is going to be too busy making mine."

Margaret Gardiner smiled and nodded at the Countess while reminding herself to have a discussion with her husband once again about opening a drapery shop further west in town.

Chapter 23

On Saturday afternoon, Darcy was composing a letter to his steward at Pemberley when Gates announced the arrival of Charles Bingley. Ah, a fine distraction, he thought. Bingley entered the study with his hand already extended and a smile on his face.

"Darcy! How are you?" he asked.

"I am well, Charles but it has been a rather unusual few weeks," Darcy replied. "You returned Thursday last as planned?"

"Yes, to the chagrin of my sisters who were ready to leave two days after we arrived. Were it not for them, I would have extended my stay in Essex."

Darcy sensed a familiar story was about to be told but let Charles tell it in his own way. He was surprised to learn however that the object of Charles' enthusiasm was now at his house on Grosvenor Square along with her brother, John Appleton.

"You have left them there along with Caroline?" he asked.

"No, she and Louisa have gone shopping, I believe. I was hoping to have you return home with me now to meet them," Bingley replied.

The thought was tempting but with the Montesford dinner looming, he decided that he would better stay home. He gave Bingley a brief summary of what had happened while he had been gone. His friend was of course familiar with the Fitzwilliams especially Edward, and was aware that there had been a tragedy in the family years before.

"That is a remarkable story, Darcy," Bingley said. "And your cousin is now residing with you?"

"Yes, along with my sister, Mrs. Annesley and Lady Sarah Parker. I am grateful that Mrs. Annesley is so even-tempered since we have yet to hear from the Parkers. Lizzy gets along with the girls well."

"When might we all meet?"

"After our dinner at the Farringtons, I might have a better idea of what the next few weeks will bring. We can perhaps go to the theater together. How long will your friends be in town?"

"For at least several weeks," Bingley replied. "I cannot wait for my sisters to hear this news!"

"Perhaps you would be willing to withhold it from them until we meet? They certainly will learn of it soon enough since it has been published in the Times already. I do not want them to feel obligated to call on her so quickly."

His friend understood Darcy's unspoken message and quickly returned to his more pleasant topic, that of Miss Appleton's virtues. The two man also shared some laughter over Bingley's belief that his brother Hurst had faked his gouty symptoms to have peace and quiet and his port to himself for a few weeks. With that, Bingley left to return to his company with Darcy's promise that he would contact him early in the week to plan for a theater party.

Chapter 24

The Duke of Wiltingham found himself alone on Saturday evening. His granddaughter was spending the night at Matlock House in order to prepare for the dinner at the Montesfords on Sunday. Lady Matlock already had in her possession an elegant jewelry ensemble of bi-colored green and red tourmalines which Elizabeth had previously admired at Smithson's. He was partaking in his final brandy of the evening when he heard a knock on the door to his study.

It was Hodges who looked into the room. "I am sorry your Grace, but Mr. Edward Gardiner here and wishes to speak to you, on a matter which he says may be of importance to Lady Elizabeth."

"Send him in. He is Lady Elizabeth's uncle, Hodges."

A few moments later, Edward Gardiner entered the study and gratefully accepted a glass of brandy from the Duke. "Your Grace, I apologize for my late and unscheduled visit to you but I received some information which troubled me and felt that I should bring it to your attention."

"By all means, Gardiner."

"You realize that by late Wednesday, news of Lizzy's reappearance was beginning to circulate about town. I was already scheduled to go on a business trip on Thursday morning, which took me by Longbourn where the Bennets lived, on early Saturday morning. I decided to make the detour and visit them there to tell my sister about Elizabeth, but to my shock, to my surprise, the house was locked up tight and there were no servants to be found. Next I stopped at their nearest neighbors at Lucas Lodge."

"Yes, Elizabeth mentioned that name to me."

"The eldest Lucas daughter is now married to the relation upon whom Longbourn was entailed. I first assumed that he had finally decided to claim his prize. If that was the case, her father would obviously be aware of it. To my further puzzlement, I learned that the Collins family was still at their parish house in Kent. Apparently, my sister and her family had the servants rapidly pack their personal things into a carriage and several wagons, under the guise of going on a holiday on Friday, to an unknown location. They then departed, taking no one but their drivers with them, with no stated destination.

"Now sir, I would have attributed all of this largely to my sister's capriciousness, had not my assistants at both my drapery establishment and my emporium been accosted by "customers" who claimed to need information about a family branch named Bennet. It struck them both as odd in that the married name of one of my sisters does not come up in my business at all, except through a direct referral from the family. They both feigned ignorance because their suspicions were raised."

"Did your men find out who they were?" Wiltingham asked.

"They were unable to do so. One went so far as to follow them outside to check for distinctive livery but saw none. Do you think sir, that they are trying to dispute Lizzy's place in your family?" Gardiner asked.

"Mr. Gardiner, I am grateful for this intelligence. While these actions may be an attempt to deny my granddaughter was is rightly hers, I think it equally likely that certain individuals are trying to hide their complicity in what happened to James Fitzwilliam eighteen years ago. I ask that you remain vigilant against future inquiries and report them to either myself or to Fitzwilliam Darcy, who is one of the trustees of my granddaughter's estate."

"Your Grace, I cannot imagine that my sister or brother Bennet were party to a kidnapping or a murder!" Edward Gardiner protested.

"I am not suggesting that they were involved in my son-in-law's murder, Gardiner. But they did have one of the children which means that they know something, if only a link to another part of the chain," Wiltingham replied.

Gardiner nodded his understanding. "With your permission then, I believe that I shall write a casual note to my other sister, Mrs. Phillips, who resided in Essex the last that I knew, and find out if she knows where Mrs. Bennet has gone. I will not share our mutual information with her, of course."

"That would be fine, Gardiner. Can I interest you in another drink?"

"I think not, your Grace. Margaret will have expected me home by now."

"Goodnight to you then."

"Goodnight, your Grace."

Wiltingham was left to ponder what Mr. Gardiner's news might mean. His misgivings about the next day only increased.

Chapter 25

The Wiltingham carriage had departed from St. James Square shortly before six o'clock after stopping for the Darcys, whom the Duke had invited to accompany him. Some two hours later, Mr. Hodges returned to the house after spending the day with his sister's family.

As he rode down the lane to the stables, he noticed that a side door to the house generally used for food deliveries was slightly ajar. When he got to the stables, he whispered for three of the hands to come with him, one of whom carried a lamp on a pole. He pushed the door open suddenly and the other man shoved the lamp within but they saw no motion. With the men behind him, Hodges walked upstairs to the servants' quarters and saw that light came from under the door of Mrs. Grale's sitting room. He motioned to the others to step back several feet, then as was his habit, knocked on the door to tell her that he had returned. In response to his inquiry, she indicated that everything was well and bid him a goodnight.

Everything was quiet at the front of the house. He roused a footman near the main entrance who informed him that the Duke was yet to return home. Asking one of the men to remain with the footman, he and the two others walked up to the first floor and then down the hall to the Duke's office, where he kept his business papers and held related meetings. The door to that room was standing open.

Before doing anything else, he sent one of the stable boys to summon his faster runner who he knew could get to Montesford House in a matter of minutes. Hodges lit the sconce on the wall and looked around. There was a safe in the room which appeared to be undisturbed but the Duke also kept papers locked in his desk, especially when they were in use. He walked around to the other side of the desk and saw that the normally locked drawer had been forced open.

Moving quickly now, he closed the door and locked it, instructing the stable hand to stay in front of it to wait for the runner. He then ran up to the next floor. As he expected, both locks to the Duke's private library were secured: even he had the key to only one of them. The door to the Duke's chambers were locked as was normally the case if both the Duke and Hodges were out of the house at the same time at night. He unlocked the door but saw nothing out of order. He went back downstairs to the office, opened it again to write a quick note to Wiltingham and then gave the paper to the young lad instructing him to hand it to no one but the Duke himself.

Earlier in the evening, the Duke of Wiltingham had appeared stoic as he assisted Georgiana Darcy out of his carriage. Behind her Fitzwilliam Darcy gave him a wry look: neither of them were really looking forward to the evening. Georgiana however was eager to see how Lady Matlock had succeeded in her fashion efforts with Elizabeth and her brother would have admitted to a similar curiosity had he been asked.

Mr. Preston announced the arrivals at the entrance to the drawing room.

"His Grace, the Duke of Wiltingham. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Miss Georgiana Darcy."

The Duke and Duchess of Montesford received them formally with a tight bow and curtsy. Then to his surprise, Maria Farrington moved to her father and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. The guests each accepted a glass of wine and took their seats. Darcy smiled at his sister: he knew that she was feeling quite anxious about the evening and wanted to reassure her. She had chosen to wear a pale cream muslin gown with a faint printed pattern of lilac colored flowers. He had augmented it by the addition of a single strand of pearls with a small emerald clasp. He thought that she looked quite lovely.

Darcy sat back and surreptitiously observed his surroundings. The room was furnished in a tone which he found unnecessarily majestic, for the man after all was a peer not an heir. He also detected just the slightest degree of deterioration in some of the ornamentation and thought back to rumors that he had heard about Farrington's purse. There was no hint of that however in dress of the Duchess. She wore a gown of indigo blue silk, its revealing neckline emphasized by an enormous sapphire pendant and diamond and sapphire ear-bobs. With her white blond hair and blue-green eyes, she looked like a portrait created by a European painting master. For a moment, Darcy was drawn back to the idle reveries of his youth. Then he heard the sounds of voices outside of the room.

Mr. Preston appeared once again.

"The Earl and Countess of Matlock."

"Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam."

"The Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam."

Lady Susan looked as elegant as she always did, in a beautiful lavender satin gown and a jewelry ensemble of amethysts and silver. Edward wore a pristine dress uniform and Lord Andrew wore his usual air of amused distinction.

"My God."

"She makes no claims to be the Lord but by God, she is my granddaughter," the Duke murmured with an air of triumph to Darcy.

Lady Susan and Margaret Gardiner had played their roles to assure that Elizabeth was the star of the evening. She entered the drawing room last, wearing a sleeveless green evening gown. A layer of crocheted lace in a darker shade of green was fitted over the bodice. The lace was embroidered with tiny salmon colored flowers and extended over her shoulders, forming tulip shaped sleeves. But even more stunning was her jewelry. She wore a necklace made of irregularly shaped green and rose colored stones, interspersed with small diamonds and even smaller gold pieces, joined in the center by an square-cut diamond. Her earrings each consisted of one of the unusual stones set off-center below a smaller square-cut diamond. (In the future, the jewels would simply be referred to as the Nesbitt Diamonds.)

The sight of Elizabeth Fitzwilliam drove any musings of the Maria Fitzwilliam of his youth into the furthest recesses of Darcy's mind.

Elizabeth curtsied along with the other women then walked over to the Duchess. She curtsied again before leaning forward and kissing her mother on the cheek. She nodded to Farrington but before he could react, she moved to her grandfather whom she also favored with a kiss. The company then sat, with Elizabeth choosing a place between her aunt and her grandfather. She was bemused and secretly gratified by the reaction of her cousin William but disheartened by the continuing muted response from her own mother.

They spent a half of an hour making stilted conversation. Montesford appeared far more curious about Elizabeth's time in Hertfordshire than her Grace did. She answered his questions disarmingly but without telling him any new details about the family. Her grandfather smiled at her reassuringly but to himself was particularly grateful that the one relation of hers whom he had met was blessed with such native intelligence. Although he doubted that Elizabeth needed any tutoring, after Mr. Gardiner's visit to him he had sent a note to Lord Andrew asking that he call upon him the next day. Thus the Fitzwilliams were well aware of the inquiries being made about the Bennets in London. The Darcys had been informed during the carriage ride. Wiltingham had decided to withhold the information about the Bennet family's disappearance until he was able to speak to Elizabeth in person.

When dinner was announced, everyone quickly arose. Darcy immediately appeared next to his cousin and offered her his arm to escort her into the dining parlor. Her grandfather gave way with a small smile and followed behind them. The Montesfords were seated at opposite ends of the table with Elizabeth placed to the right of Farrington and with Georgiana placed to his left. Darcy was uncertain as to the cause of his good fortune but happily found himself seated next to his cousin. In addition to the proximity that it afforded him, it would also allow him the opportunity to distract the Duke from his barely concealed inquisition of Elizabeth.

While one set of servants was removing the soup bowls from the table and another was laying out additional dishes, Georgiana bravely began a conversation with the Duke about the latest musical offerings in the theaters. Thus, the Duke's attentions were mostly elsewhere when Darcy heard Elizabeth suddenly draw in her breath. Darcy realized that she was looking over at the serving table, at a woman whom he assumed by age and dress was likely the housekeeper. She appeared to be in her early forties. Just then, the woman quickly glanced at the table and saw that Elizabeth was staring at her. The older woman lost her color and almost immediately left the dining room.

Darcy looked at his cousin, who was now gazing at her plate without moving. He also realized that Montesford was watching her with a darkened expression. He then surprised himself by reaching for his glass of wine in a way that caused it to fall over and spill, leaking under Elizabeth's place-setting. In the servants' hasty action to address the matter, she was quickly escorted to a newly set place several seats removed from Farrington and himself. It was worth the sacrifice to get her further away from the man.

During the brief commotion resulting from Darcy's blunder, Elizabeth had caught him looking slightly pleased with himself. It occurred to her that he might have spilled his wine intentionally. To separate me from Farrington or himself? she mused. Farrington, to be sure. Well, I hope that was his purpose! She glanced at him again and this time caught his eye. In response to her fleeting grin, she was shocked when he quickly winked at her and then smiled before he returned to his plate.

Elizabeth's seat change also put her nearer to her mother. She was now sitting between Lord Andrew and her cousin Edward: her uncle had originally been placed at the Duchess's right. To her surprise, her mother soon inquired as to whether she played an instrument. After she told her that she played the piano forte and enjoyed singing, her Grace asked if she would perform for them after dinner. Elizabeth agreed to do so and Lady Susan indicated that she would play as well, in an effort to support her niece. The Duchess appeared pleased but then fell back into her silence. That prompted Lord Andrew to extemporize and tell his sheep story to her.

The Countess of Matlock groaned audibly at her husband's growing embellishment of the tale, which now appeared to involve a great deal more sheep than she suspected that their estate actually owned. When Elizabeth's musical laughter rang out and even the Duchess smiled, Darcy glanced at Matthew Farrington and for just a moment, saw a look of anger cross his face. The Duke quickly composed himself but it left the younger man to consider what had provoked him. Enmity towards the Earl? Or towards Elizabeth? Or was he so obsessed with his wife that he could not tolerate the her attention towards something other than himself, even something so harmless?

The Earl finished his account with a flourish, which prompted an outburst of Bah! Humbug! from the generally more reserved Colonel Fitzwilliam, which caused another round of laughter as he placed particular emphasis on the baa. Not long afterwards, Montesford stood up and suggested that the party remove to the music room. No one was particularly surprised that he did not suggest that the men might remain behind to sample his port. Darcy was quick to reach Elizabeth's side and as they followed their hosts down the hallway, she asked him quietly about the wine glass incident.

"Sir," she whispered, "if you wanted to rid yourself of my company, you might have simply asked rather than staining my mother's expensive tablecloth."

"Madam, had I wanted to rid myself of your company, I would have taken more direct action," he replied.

"How so, sir?"

"I would have spilled my wine onto you."

"Sir!"

"However, on further reflection, that would have been very poor judgment on my part. The ruined tablecloth never cloaked its object with the same glory as does your gown. To ruin that would be unforgivable."

Darcy murmured his last remark as they entered the music room and with a self-satisfied smile led her to a sofa which would later provide him with a fine view of the piano forte. She had to be content with glaring at him while taking her seat, which only made him smiler wider. Their cousin Edward watched them discretely but with some astonishment from the other side of the room. Can this be my decorous cousin William seemingly flirting with Elizabeth? He thought that she appeared to enjoy it despite her show of disapproval. They would be a fine match. One look at Lady Elizabeth and even Lady Catherine's fantasies will finally come to an end.

The remainder of the party took their seats as Lady Susan walked to the piano forte. She looked through the sheet music on the fine instrument and selected a Mozart piece from the collection. Then with a mischievous grin at Elizabeth, she played the Bach piece that her niece had found in their home:

Sheep may ever graze securely
Where a worthy shepherd wakes.

That received ardent applause from her husband and then it was time for Elizabeth to perform. Rather then use sheet music, she played and sang from memory a sober aria that she favored from Purcell's Dido & Aeneas.

Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
On thy bosom let me rest,
More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest.
When I am laid in earth, May my wrongs create
No trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.

Her audience murmured their appreciation and then to change the mood, she played a lively Scottish air. She was about to return to her seat after her applause, when the Duchess arose and motioned for her to stay at the piano forte. She leafed through the music collection and then handed her daughter a score, asking her softly if she could accompany her. Elizabeth looked quickly through the music then nodded. After a few seconds she started to play the opening bars of her mother's surprising selection.

The Duchess began to sing a movement from the funeral music composed for Queen Mary II. It was also written by Henry Purcell, after her death in 1694. Elizabeth assumed the others were familiar with the elegy. If not, the words themselves were certainly distinctive.

Remember not, Lord, our offenses,
nor the offenses of our forefathers;
neither take though vengeance on our sins,
but spare us, good Lord, spare they people
whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood,
and be not angry with us forever.
Spare us, good Lord.

Maria Farrington's voice descended into stillness as she finished the piece. The stillness extended to the others as if they were frozen in place. After a few seconds, her husband began to speak but was unexpectedly interrupted by the appearance of his butler.

"Excuse me, your Grace. There is a boy here from the Duke of Wiltingham's house who has a message for him. He insists that he hand it to his Grace personally."

Arthur Nesbitt patted young Peter Jones on the arm and sent him on his way home. He opened and read the note from Hodges where he stood. Then thanking Mr. Preston for his assistance, he returned to the drawing room. He found an expectant audience but merely noted that his butler wanted to apprise him of an express that had recently arrived. Several of his relatives suspected that he was dissembling. One person in the room was certain that he was.

The interruption effectively drew the evening to a close. A quarter of an hour later, the Nesbitt party and their hosts bid each other goodnight with the same formality that they had earlier displayed. However, when the Duchess accepted a kiss on her cheek from Elizabeth, she murmured to her that she would call on her in a few days.

When they reached their carriages, Nesbitt quietly asked the Fitzwilliams to go to his house rather than to their home. Darcy looked at him questioningly but the Duke shook his head. The ride was short enough that no conversation was needed although Georgiana offered her compliments to Elizabeth on her performance at the piano forte. She also mentioned that she had read an announcement that the very opera from which her cousin had selected her piece was to be performed during the upcoming week.

They all immediately resolved to attend a performance, and to ask Charles Bingley and his friends to join them. Darcy and Wiltingham spent a few seconds in debate over whose box they should use, although both knew that the younger man would defer to the older. The topic of the note would wait until the adults had reconvened at the Duke's home.

Chapter 26

As they stopped in front of Darcy House, Georgiana bade everyone a goodnight then stepped down from the carriage. In truth she was quite interested to learn about the urgent message sent to the Duke but knew that her brother would not allow her to participate in the discussion. Darcy, Elizabeth and her grandfather then continued to his home where they found that the Fitzwilliams had already arrived. The Duke quickly directed them to his study, asking Mr. Hodges to join them.

As the butler summarized what had happened after he returned to the house that evening, Arthur Nesbitt looked at the contents which remained in his violated desk drawer. Everything was in place except for one thing. After his conversation with Darcy earlier in the week, he had removed a copy of his will from the safe in order to review it. Now to his self-disgust, he regretted his carelessness in not returning it to the safe. The will was gone.

Given the presence of Hodges, the Duke merely mentioned that a copy of an important document had been taken. The first person to react was Edward Fitzwilliam. His military responsibilities made him more familiar with the potential nuances of these types of situations.

"Your Grace," he said, "At the risk of being presumptuous, it occurs to me that this theft likely involved the assistance of someone in this household."

Ignoring a protest from Hodges, he continued, "whoever stole your document had to be well aware of several things. The most important is the fact that both you and Mr. Hodges were away from the house this evening. While Mr. Hodges' schedule could possibly be determined by observation of the house over a period of several weeks, what you do with your time is less consistent.

"The only way for someone to know that you would not be here would be for him to know of your specific plans for the day. In addition, it is quite difficult for a stranger to enter a house such as this and not be observed, whatever the time of day. It is even possible that someone in your household removed the material from your desk and then simply handed it off to someone who was waiting in the cellar."

"Or perhaps delivered the document himself," Darcy suggested. "Perhaps the door was left ajar to allow his reentry."

The Colonel thought for a moment then turned to the butler.

"Did you lock the cellar door after you entered the house?"

"I did, although there was some activity after that. I had to send a stable hand to fetch Peter although the door was locked immediately afterwards."

"I suggest that we determine if any of your servants are missing," the Colonel said to Wiltingham. "But we need to be unobtrusive amount this, in case he or she for that matter, never left the house."

Hodges went in search of Mrs. Grale and without explaining the matter asked her to check the rooms where the female servants slept. He in turn checked the men's chambers and then quickly looked for the servants still on duty. No house servant was missing. He returned to the study and informed the Duke of his findings. The Duke then excused him for the evening.

In order for all of the remaining party to understand the significance of the theft, he explained the nature of the codicil that he had signed after his daughter married Matthew Farrington. In particular, he explained Darcy's idea that Elizabeth herself might potentially be at risk and his suspicions about Montesford's involvement in their family tragedy.

"My God, I realize that he is a dreadful man but do you actually think that he may have been behind the murder of James?" the Countess asked.

"I have long believed that he is the most likely suspect," the Duke replied.

"Elizabeth, did he look at all familiar to you when you first met him?" Darcy asked.

His cousin shrugged.

"For a moment, he did. But then again, I had that same reaction with several of you as well. I really do not know for sure. Even if he was the instigator of the attack on my father, I cannot imagine that he was actually present when it occurred."

A few seconds later she added, "one strange thing did occur at the Montesfords' house. There was a woman with the servers during dinner who did look very familiar to me. She was in the dining parlor only briefly and I cannot determine where I may have previously seen her."

"I believe that was his housekeeper," Darcy observed. "I do not know if you saw her reaction to you. She looked quite troubled and quickly left the room after she saw you staring at her. I think Farrington noticed this as well. That was around the time when the accident with my wine glass occurred."

"There is also something else. Edward Gardiner brought this to my attention yesterday but I did not wish to share it with you until we were all together," Wiltingham said. "He was returning from a business trip on Saturday morning and was near your former home at Longbourn. When he arrived at the house, it was closed up.

"He then checked with neighbors -- the Lucases -- and learned that the Bennets had left on Friday for a holiday to some unknown location. They had given all of the servants leave as well. They apparently packed an excessive amount of baggage for this trip, requiring a wagon to accompany their carriage."

"That is quite odd, sir," Elizabeth said with a frown. "Did my uncle Gardiner have any thoughts on where they might have gone?"

"No, but he is to contact his relations the Phillips to see what they might know."

"I am starting to think that we should remove to Claresfont or Fairview now, instead of staying in London for the season," Lord Andrew offered.

"There is merit to that idea," the Duke replied. "Right now, I am primarily concerned about keeping my granddaughter safe. Society is irrelevant."

"Grandfather, my mother told me that she would call upon me during the week. I would not wish to abandon my fledgling connection to her," Elizabeth said.

"Perhaps we should not make any decisions tonight. It has been an emotional evening for all of us," Lady Susan suggested.

After some further discussion and more conflicting opinions, the group decided to take no hasty action in response to the theft. The Colonel announced his intention to stay at Darcy House that evening but asked that the others not delay their return to their home on his behalf, in that he wanted to speak further with the Duke.

Upon their arrival at his home, Darcy informed Mr. Gates that the Colonel would be arriving shortly to spend the night. He then asked Elizabeth if she wished to join him for a drink before she retired but she declined. After she went upstairs, Darcy asked Gates to be sure that the doors were all secured as well as the first floor windows. He then went to his study to await his cousin.

Edward Fitzwilliam appeared a quarter of an hour later. He explained to Darcy that he had advised the Duke to send a message to Bow Street concerning the burglary. He was convinced that someone in the household was involved in the theft and felt that some of the servants should be questioned by a constable. Wiltingham had decided to follow his advice.

"What do you think of my concerns, Edward?" Darcy asked.

"I think they are valid. However, Elizabeth cannot run away from Farrington for the rest of his life. Moreover, I do not believe that he would act precipitously, given that the news of her recovery has just been made public."

Darcy had to acknowledge the Colonel's superior experience in matters such as these but remained uneasy. The men discussed other aspects of the evening over a glass of port and then went to bed.

Matthew Farrington paced the floor of his study awaiting the arrival of Michael Jones. His company had left hours ago and his wife had retired to her rooms almost as soon as the guests had departed. He was not by nature a patient man and the unexpected arrival during the evening of a message for Wiltingham had sent him into a particularly black mood.

Eventually, he heard a light knock on the door followed by the entrance of a man dressed like a prosperous merchant. The clothing was a disguise for Jones was not in trade but rather was an aide-de-camp to the Duke of Montesford.

"Well?" he asked.

"Here it is, your Grace," Jones replied as he pulled a document out of his jacket and handed it to the Duke.

"Why are you so late?"

"One problem with using a scullery girl for your information is that they don't always know what's happening upstairs. The girl let me in then she went ahead of me up the backstairs to make sure no one was about. The housekeeper stays in her rooms in the evening if the Duke ain't there. She was right about the footman at the front door. He's a drinker and was sound asleep at the door when I looked over the banister.

"The problem was that the butler came home about two hours earlier than she said he would. Girl probably can't even tell time. I was already out of the house but just barely when his horse came trotting down the lane. I was going to wait there until the Duke showed up to so I would know that you were free but once the butler appeared I decided I better scoot. Then I delayed coming here to make sure they were gone and her Grace was asleep."

"Get yourself a drink and sit down while I read this."

Barely two minutes later, Jones knew there was a problem.

Farrington had quickly flipped through the pages of the will and spotted the codicil dated after his marriage to Maria. He skimmed through the document and almost exploded in anger. Then something occurred to him and he read through it again more closely. When he was done, he put the will in his desk drawer and told Jones to pour him a drink. They had some matters to discuss.

Posted on Wednesday, 19 December 2007

Chapter 27

Elizabeth, Georgiana and Darcy were still at breakfast the next day when they heard voices outside of the room. Georgiana thought that it might be Lady Sarah and Mrs. Annesley returning; they had spent the last two days at the home of another friend. Darcy had imposed upon Georgiana's companion and asked that she accompany Sarah since he remained mindful of his responsibilities in the absence of communication from her parents.

However, it turned out to be Charles Bingley, accompanied by a man and a woman whom Darcy did not recognize. Everyone at the table rose up to meet the visitors.

"Darcy, Miss Georgiana," Bingley said. "I apologize for intruding upon your breakfast. We decided to visit St. James Church this morning and since we were close by, I thought that we would call."

Darcy smiled to himself. Bingley was not the most consistent church goer but given that his friends were the children of a cleric, a visit to Christopher Wren's Seventeenth Century parish church was perfectly understandable.

"You are very welcome, Bingley," Darcy replied.

"Then, may I introduce Miss Jane Appleton and her brother, Mr. John Appleton of Hockley in Essex. Miss Appleton, this is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Georgiana Darcy."

Darcy bowed as Georgiana curtsied, then he turned to Elizabeth. "This is our cousin, Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam."

Elizabeth and Jane Appleton curtsied and then Elizabeth offered the guests a broad smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she said. "William has spoken of you often, Mr. Bingley."

Darcy invited them to sit and a servant was soon pouring coffee for them.

The Appletons were quite curious to meet Mr. Darcy. Bingley had described him as his closest acquaintance and after the experience of living with his sister for the past few days, they were hopeful that his friends were of a more amiable temperament.

Given the recent distractions, Darcy was somewhat less interested in them but as guests of Charles he owed them every civility. John Appleton looked to be at least five and thirty years and had a rather serious demeanor. His sister was considerably younger and very attractive. She had brilliant blue eyes and despite her modest dress, had a very appealing figure. Bingley no doubt is already in love, he thought. A parson's daughter. Caroline must be delighted.

As Darcy came out of his musings, he realized that Georgiana was speaking to his guests about the upcoming opera performance.

"I realize that it is short notice," she said. "We are attending a performance of Dido and Aeneas at the Theater Royal on Wednesday. You would be very welcome to join us at the theater and then at dinner."

"What do you think, Miss Appleton?" Bingley asked.

"That would be delightful, Miss Darcy," Jane replied, although with some reserve. "But are you certain that you can accommodate us?"

Darcy wondered if she was thinking of the Hursts and Miss Bingley. "We have the use of two boxes, madam. I believe that we have eight in our party right now, assuming that my sister's friend joins us. Our invitation extends to the Hursts and Miss Bingley, of course."

John Appleton then spoke up. "If it suits our host, we would be happy to attend."

That settled, the group spent some time hearing about Bingley's visit to Essex. They were eventually joined by Colonel Fitzwilliam and the introductions were repeated. Bingley and his guests stayed for another quarter of an hour and then took their leave.

"Who are Bingley's friends, again?" Edward asked after they left.

"They are friends of Wallace Peters whom Bingley was visiting in Essex. I believe that you have met him: he was a classmate of ours at Cambridge. Peters went to boarding school with the brother."

"What does he do?"

"I do not know," Darcy said. "Their father is rector of a parish in Hockley but the son does not appear to be a cleric."

"The sister is very pretty. She reminds me of someone although I cannot place whom," Fitzwilliam noted.

"Mr. Bingley is very amiable," Elizabeth said. "I do not know that I have ever seen a person smile so much. "

Darcy laughed. "Charles was certainly in an ebullient mood, even for him. I imagine that has something to do with Miss Appleton."

"Yes, he did appear to be quite taken with her. She seems quite pleasant. I hope that sits well with Miss Bingley." Elizabeth did not imagine that it would, recalling her introduction to her when she was just Miss Bennet.

"Miss Bingley," Georgiana snorted in an unladylike manner. "She is no doubt seething that she must play hostess to them."

"Better than Hurst and his gout." That came from the Colonel.

Darcy found himself too amused to chastise his cousin for encouraging his sister's impudence.

The conversation eventually turned to the menu that they would serve on Wednesday evening. Given the addition of his acquaintances Darcy decided that dinner would be served at his house, rather than further impose upon Arthur Nesbitt's hospitality. He and the Colonel eventually left the ladies to their schemes, after they determined that Elizabeth had no plans to leave home that day.

Chapter 28

Wednesday Evening
Covent Garden

The opening curtain was still forty minutes away but patrons were already arriving at the theater. The performance of Dido and Aeneas on the previous Monday had received excellent reviews drawing other opera enthusiasts to the theater. In addition, the venue was one of those favored by London society to see and be seen.

A murmur ran through the already assembled crowd with the arrival of the Duke of Wiltingham. The news of his granddaughter's recovery was a subject of some curiosity especially since the murder of James Fitzwilliam was a story forgotten by some and not previously known by others. Surprisingly, he appeared to be alone as he made his way to the parterre box level. Not long afterwards however, his Grace was joined by the Earl and Countess of Matlock as well as a couple whom no one recognized.

Arthur Nesbitt was speaking to an acquaintance as Lord Andrew and Lady Susan made their way over to him, accompanied by Edward and Margaret Gardiner. He excused himself and went to greet his guests.

"Andrew. Susan. Mr. And Mrs. Gardiner."

"Your Grace," Edward Gardiner bowed. "Thank you for inviting us."

"It is my pleasure, Gardiner. I trust that it will enjoyable."

"Did you see Elizabeth today?" Lady Susan asked.

"No," said Wiltingham. "I decided that she and the other young ladies would be too distracted by their preparations to pay attention to an old man."

"William asked us to look for his friend Mr. Bingley and his party," Lord Andrew noted. "They are using his box this evening."

A few minutes later, whispers were heard again amid the noise of the background conversations. They turned out to herald the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Montesford. Several people turned to watch their progress towards both their box and the Wiltingham party. Matthew Farrington could observe social niceties when necessary, despite his self-centered personality. Aware that they were being watched, he steered his wife over to greet his father-in-law.

"Wiltingham. Matlock. We did not expect to see you," Farrington said.

"Our plans were drawn up rather suddenly," Lord Andrew replied.

"Is Elizabeth here as well?"

"She is attending but she and my nephew have yet to arrive. Montesford, may I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gardiner."

Farrington recognized the Gardiner name but made no show of it. He and the Duchess acknowledged them civilly. After a brief conversation, the Montesfords stepped away to greet the Earl and Countess of Carlton. The attention of the crowd eventually turned elsewhere.

The Darcy carriage arrived in front of the theater a quarter of an hour before the curtain. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped out to assist the ladies in their party. Georgiana and Lady Sarah were both in a happy mood. After devoting the last day and a half to decisions about gowns and jewels, they were both looking forward to the evening.

The last person to exit the coach was Elizabeth. She had chosen to wear a mulberry red satin gown as well as the jewelry set gifted to her by her grandfather. In truth, she was somewhat nervous. Both Lady Susan and Darcy had warned her that she would likely be the object of some scrutiny that night. She tried to steady herself and then took hold of her cousin's arm as the Colonel led the way escorting the two younger ladies.

Upon their entrance into the hall, the volume of the crowd grew louder then for a moment completely ceased. Elizabeth could only hope that the blush she felt rising would not be deeper than the tone of her gown. As they made their way up the stairs, the murmuring started again in earnest. She was very relieved when they reached the first level and she saw her family waiting outside of their box. Ignoring several barely concealed stares, she walked firmly to her grandfather and curtsied.

The Duke leaned forward so Elizabeth could kiss him on his cheek and smiled at her. "You look lovely, my dear. I hope that you are well this evening."

"Thank you, sir. I am."

"Your mother and Montesford are here," he said softly. "Let me take you to her so that we may be done with this."

As the Duke escorted Elizabeth over to the Farringtons, Darcy greeted the Matlocks and the Gardiners and then asked his uncle if Bingley had arrived.

"We have not yet seen them," Lord Andrew replied.

A bell sounded in the waiting area indicating that the curtain would rise in five minutes. Darcy had no intention of waiting in the lobby for the Bingleys on that particular evening. As the crowd started to move towards their seats, he excused himself in order to inform the attendant at his box that he would be expecting guests that evening, although he would not be using the box himself. He then rejoined his party en route to the Wiltingham box.

The Duke's box on the parterre level was one of four that accommodated ten patrons in two rows. By an unspoken agreement, the gentlemen escorted the five ladies into the front row, then took their seats behind them. Darcy glanced over to his box, which remained empty. He assumed that nothing untoward had happened to his guests but rather that they were just late, likely due to Caroline Bingley. As the orchestra began to play the overture, he saw that he had been correct in that estimation, as the Bingley party finally appeared.

Caroline Bingley had already had two fits that evening and she almost had another when she finally entered the box. She had been mortified when she learned that Charles had called upon the Darcys with the Appletons. She was even more mortified that he had insisted on attending a Covent Garden performance while they visiting. She had expressed that to him in no uncertain terms on Monday, when she could distract him from Jane Appleton long enough for him to listen to her. He was unmoved. Accordingly, not wishing to explain their company to any of her acquaintances, she delayed their departure long enough so that they would arrive at the theater only a few minutes before the curtain. The delay involved castigating her maid for an imaginary wrinkle on her gown, which resulted in her need to change to a different one.

However, she had allowed no time for mishaps en route to the theater and bad luck had thus found her. A coach had broken down in the road a few streets away from Covent Garden. As a result, a line of carriages were forced to slowly make their way around the obstacle. No amount of hectoring from her could have possibly improved the situation but she did not consider this as she berated their driver for the better part of five minutes. When they finally entered the lobby, the minute warning bell had just sounded. As a result, she had lost her opportunity to preen before the other attendees, in particularly their host.

Now as they entered, she was astonished to find that the box was still empty. From what Charles had said, she had assumed that Miss Darcy and her friend as well as Darcy himself would already be present. She quickly consoled herself with the thought that they were likely delayed by the same accident. However, after she and the Hursts had sat down in the front row seats, she happened to glance around the theater before the candles were snuffed and to her astonishment spotted Mr. Darcy among a large party of guests in the Duke of Wiltingham's box.

As the light dimmed, she tried to make out who they were. She recognized Georgiana Darcy and her friend as well as Darcy's aunt, Lady Matlock. The other two women were not familiar to her. Fuming, she had no choice but to wait for the first interval.

Elizabeth sat with her eyes closed letting the music wash over her. She had been secretly disappointed that the Duchess had not yet called on her as she had earlier indicated that she would do and had not expected to see her that evening. Maria Fitzwilliam had however appeared pleased to see her and they had spoken together for several minutes. Now in the dark, she wondered whether that had primarily been a performance to satisfy the many onlookers.

On stage, Dido was already regretting her love for the Trojan prince Aeneas to her maid Belinda.

Ah! Belinda, I am pressed
With torment not to be confessed,
Peace and I are strangers grown.
I languish till my grief is known,
Yet would not have it guessed.
Grief increases by concealing,
Mine admits of no revealing.

Elizabeth suddenly felt a chill and opened her eyes. She looked across the open cavity of the theater to where she had earlier noticed that her mother was seated. She could not actually see her in the dark but she had the sensation that she had been watching her.

Grief increases by concealing,
Mine admits of no revealing.

The act drew to a close and the performers appeared to hear their ovations. Attendants began lighting lamps and the audience started to move out to the lobby in search of refreshments and conversation. The men in the Wiltingham party left the women's side in order to gather drinks for them. Lady Matlock drifted off to speak with an acquaintance. While they were gone, the Bingleys and Mrs. Hurst appeared, followed by their guests.

Georgiana greeted Bingley and then began to make the introductions of the other ladies. She was quite taken aback when Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst made no effort to conceal their lack of interest in the introductions to Elizabeth and her aunt Gardiner. Georgiana's manners did not abandon her however and she proceeded to welcome the Appletons on Darcy's behalf.

"And where is your brother, Miss Darcy?" Miss Bingley asked.

"He has gone to fetch refreshments for us, Miss Bingley."

"Charles, perhaps you could do the same for us?" Caroline stared pointedly at her brother.

"Come Bingley, I will assist you," John Appleton said and the two men walked off in the direction of the drink stands.

Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner moved closer to Jane Appleton and inquired as to whether she was enjoying the performance.

"I am, Lady Elizabeth. It was very kind of your cousin to allow us to impose on him."

"It is no imposition, Miss Appleton. We will be quite the merry party when we dine later," Elizabeth replied.

"No doubt we shall," Jane replied but she could not stop herself from glancing over to where Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were holding court with Georgiana and Sarah Parker.

Following her eyes, Elizabeth could not resist adding, "or perhaps I should say, we will mostly be a merry party. The sisters seem quite determined to not enjoy themselves."

"Have you met them before?" Jane asked.

"Only Miss Bingley briefly, and that was before the change in my status." A change that I suspect Miss Bingley is unaware of, she said to herself.

Jane did not understand to what Elizabeth was referring but before she could inquire, the men returned followed by a waiter holding a tray with glasses of champagne. Darcy handed glasses to Elizabeth, Miss Appleton and Mrs. Gardiner. He was about to ask his cousin for her opinion of the performance, when he was interrupted by the appearance of Caroline Bingley.

"Mr. Darcy. Finally!" she cried. "We were quite disappointed not to see you in your box."

"I had to be with my family tonight, Miss Bingley, especially since I had escorted Elizabeth and the girls," he replied.

Caroline could not imagine why Darcy would be escorting a companion to his sister's friend to the opera. She gave a sideways glance at her and was even more surprised when she saw the jewelry that the young woman wore. For a horrible moment, she wondered if the woman was his mistress but she quickly dismissed that idea. Mr. Darcy was simply not the type of man to behave in such a way. She was amazed that either the Parkers or the Darcys would have lent the woman such an expensive jewelry set but that was the only logical explanation.

Darcy raised his eyebrows when he saw Miss Bingley examining Elizabeth but his cousin just shook her head and smiled in response. A few minutes later, Charles Bingley joined them along with John Appleton and Elizabeth returned to her aunt Gardiner's side.

"Why on earth was that Bingley woman so rude to you, Lizzy?" she asked.

"I suspect because she met me as Sarah Parker's companion several weeks ago. I imagine that she has not learned about the revelation as they were away until just a few days ago. I feel sorry for Miss Appleton. I suspect Miss Bingley is treating her dreadfully since she and her brother are merely the children of an Essex clergyman."

Mrs. Gardiner looked over to where Jane Appleton was standing. For the occasion, she wore a white muslin gown embellished with white satin ribbon that accentuated her well-developed figure. "She is a very attractive young woman."

Elizabeth agreed. She suddenly realized that she shared the Colonel's view that Miss Appleton reminded her of someone but like him, could not however determine who that was. It will likely come to me after they have returned back to the country, she thought.

A few moments later, Elizabeth saw her mother and Matthew Farrington approaching. They stopped to speak with her. As they were all standing together, both of the Montesfords seemed to focus on Jane Appleton as she stood several feet away, with her brother and Charles Bingley.

"Who is that young lady, my dear?" Farrington asked.

"Her name is Jane Appleton, sir. She and her brother John, the dark haired gentleman over there, are friends of Mr. Bingley. Bingley is my cousin Darcy's closest friend. The Appletons are acquaintances of Mr. Bingley's from Essex."

Perhaps feeling their scrutiny, Jane Appleton looked over to where the Montesfords were standing and smiled at them. Elizabeth was puzzled to see the Duchess start slightly at her gesture. Before anyone commented further, the bell chimed announcing the next act and the mass of bodies began its movement back to the seats. Darcy soon appeared at his cousin's side and escorted her inside.

To Elizabeth's relief, the attention of the crowd no longer appeared to be as focused on her during the second interval. Perhaps they are just being more discreet, she thought as she took her place next to her grandfather. They were soon approached by an elderly couple, introduced to her as the Duke and Duchess of Norwell, who were friends with Arthur Nesbitt.

"My dear, this is such wonderful news," the Duchess said to Elizabeth, taking hold of both of her hands. "Over the years, your grandfather never stopped speaking of you. You are so lovely."

"Thank you, your Grace."

"Please call me Lady Turnbull. I hope that we will see you at our house soon, if not in town then in Staffordshire. We live quite close to Fairview."

After the Turnbulls moved on, several other close acquaintances of Wiltingham approached him, in order to meet his granddaughter. Louisa Hurst and Caroline Bingley were standing alone watching the scene. Gerald Hurst had long disappeared in the direction of the drink tables.

"I am astonished by this, Louisa," Miss Bingley offered.

"Indeed, sister. It is very perplexing."

After a time, an acquaintance of theirs named Miss Morrow joined them. She was the daughter of a knight, not the company to which they generally aspired but she happened to be an excellent source of gossip. They stood together watching the crowd milling around Elizabeth and the Duke until Miss Bingley could finally bear it no longer.

"Do you think that she perhaps is the old man's paramour?" she asked in a derisive tone.

To her astonishment, Miss Morrow began to titter.

"Have you two not heard the news?" Miss Morrow asked, well aware that they clearly had not. "She is not his paramour, she is his granddaughter, Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. It is quite a story! I had not heard it before but then again I was very small when it occurred. You see, she was kidnapped over eighteen years ago."

As Miss Morrow continue to recite the tale, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley could only stare at her.

"And according to the girls at Woodworth's, he has already spent over two thousand pounds there buying her gowns. Why, they say he spent over a thousand pounds on the necklace that she is wearing."

Just then, Elizabeth happened to look over in their direction and saw the unappealing image of two women standing with their mouths agape. She also saw Jane Appleton waiting by herself a few yards behind them, with a curious look on her face. Not knowing what to make of either display, she turned back to her grandfather, smiling charmingly as she was introduced to yet another member of the English Peerage.

Continued In Next Section