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Chapter 29

The third act of the opera was well underway when Darcy heard noises in the lobby. That alone was unusual: the attendants usually maintained good order during the performances. The noises suddenly got louder and to his shock, he realized that they were now emanating from his own box, which two people had just entered. He stood up intending to investigate when suddenly a woman's voice could clearly be heard during a pause in the music.

"Who are these people? Where is my nephew? Where is my BROTHER?"

Somehow, in the family's commotion following Elizabeth's discovery, no one had remembered to inform Lady Catherine de Bourgh of the news. A passing reference made by her parson to the notice published in the London Times nearly a week earlier had caused the lady and her daughter to rush to town. They went first to the Matlock house only to learn that the family was together at the opera. Somehow, this enraged Lady Catherine even more. She and Anne de Bourgh had traveled immediately to Covent Garden in order to find them.

Charles Bingley was admiring Jane Appleton from the corner of his eye when two women suddenly burst into the box. To his great confusion, the older of the two immediately started barking at him. He had no idea of what was happening. Thus he was greatly relieved as was the flustered usher, when Darcy appeared and escorted the women back out to the lobby.

"Lady Catherine, this is certainly unexpected," Darcy said.

"Unexpected? Did you think that I would not hear about this business?" Lady Catherine demanded. "What is going on here? And who is this woman pretending to be Elizabeth Fitzwilliam?"

"She is Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. There is no question of that."

To her surprise, that response came not from her nephew but from the Duke of Wiltingham, who had followed Darcy out of his box.

"Your Grace." Lady Catherine favored the Duke with a slight curtsy. "You can surely understand my reaction when I heard this news. I do not believe this."

"My daughter and I have already acknowledged Elizabeth's recovery. You opinion in this matter is no concern of mine."

"Is my brother seated with you? I would speak to him now, your Grace."

Arthur Nesbitt looked at Catherine de Bourgh as if she had taken leave of her senses.

"Madame, I will not have this evening further disrupted by you. I invited the Fitzwilliams and the Darcys as well as some other friends to attend the performance in my box. I believe that acquaintances of William are in his seats. Given the lateness of the hour, I suggest that you and your daughter return to your home. I will inform Lord Andrew that you have arrived in town."

With that, the Duke turned to William and gestured for him to return to the box. He walked after the younger man without giving the lady another glance.

Lady Catherine was unreservedly imperious with her family and within her own circle but she well recognized the limitations inherent in sparring with a Duke. To the concealed amusement of the attendants, she turned on her heels and marched out of the hall, with her daughter Anne hurrying behind her.

A quarter of an hour later the opera drew to a close and the singers appeared to take their final bows. As light filtered in from the lobby, Elizabeth watched the Farringtons rise from their seats on the other side of the theater. She caught Matthew Farrington's eye and favored her with a rare broad smile. She nodded then looked away. As she nodded in response and then looked away, Elizabeth was suddenly struck by a startling revelation. How very odd, she thought. She would never have realized it until he had smiled at her just then, which gave his face a very different countenance. Her cousins would no doubt laugh at her when she revealed her opinion to them.

With her light eyes and auburn colored hair, it was Matthew Farrington to whom Jane Appleton bore a striking resemblance. She looked enough like him to be his own daughter.

Chapter 30

The Fitzwilliams and their assorted relatives and guests all assembled at Darcy House after the opera. An invitation had been extended to the Montesfords but they were already engaged and could not accept. Thankfully, Lady Catherine had departed from the theater without learning of the dinner although Darcy and the Fitzwilliams did not look forward to meeting with her on the next day.

Caroline Bingley originally had great hopes for the evening but they evaporated when the news about Elizabeth Fitzwilliam had been revealed to her. The dinner thus proved to be one of the worst of Miss Bingley's life. In terms of the social hierarchy of the guests, it quickly became clear that she and Miss Appleton were viewed as equals, at best. The Reverend Appleton was the second son of a gentleman from Hampshire. The Duke of Wiltingham treated the Appletons with courtesy and with more warmth than he showed to her and the Hursts. Caroline was mystified by this, not realizing that the Duke was aware of her rude behavior to his granddaughter earlier in the evening.

The seating arrangement was even more humiliating. Darcy had sat at one end of the table with Elizabeth Fitzwilliam and Miss Darcy on either side of him. Arthur Nesbitt was at the other end, between Lady Matlock and Mrs. Gardiner. She had been relegated to a seat between her brother Hurst and John Appleton from where she could see but not hear the low-toned conversations which occurred frequently between Mr. Darcy and his cousin.

After dinner, she was pleased to learn that Jane Appleton had never studied an instrument and was prepared to be praised for her own accomplishment on the piano forte. However, neither she nor her sister Louisa received much more than polite applause. Lady Elizabeth was another matter. Mr. Darcy in particular gave her all of his attention and applauded enthusiastically after each piece. She finished her performance singing a childish ditty about sheep, to the great amusement of the much of the company. Miss Bingley was astonished by it all.

Not long after the musical interlude, Charles Bingley had announced their intentions to depart in such a way that his sisters did not attempt to persuade him otherwise. As they said their farewells, Georgiana Darcy took some pity on them and asked that they call upon her soon. Thus, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst recovered some degree of their dignity.

Darcy had earlier explained to Bingley that his family had some private matters to discuss and asked that he assist them by leaving after the ladies had displayed their musical talents. Bingley was happy to oblige his friend. After he had walked them to the door, Darcy joined the rest of the party which had since moved to the drawing room. He found the Duke describing Catherine de Bourgh's behavior at the theater.

"I cannot believe that we forgot to inform her," Lord Andrew said. "I will visit her in the morning and explain the situation to her. We will then need to introduce her to Elizabeth."

"You can bring her to my house for that," Arthur Nesbitt replied. "It must be understood that she will not insult my granddaughter. If she does, I will have her thrown out of my home even if she is your sister."

Lord Andrew nodded. He would do his best to advise Catherine but could not predict how she would behave. They made arrangements to meet at the Duke's house on Friday afternoon.

The discussion then turned to the Farringtons and the various odd events that had occurred in the time since their introduction to Elizabeth. Mr. Gardiner revealed yet another mystery: his express rider to Colchester had been unable to locate the Phillips. They had left their address there several years earlier with no indication of where they were going.

"When did you last hear from them?" Darcy asked.

"Not for years. My sister and I were not particularly close and I did not care for her husband, truth be told," Edward Gardiner replied.

"I am certain that Mrs. Bennet received correspondence from Mrs. Phillips in the year before Mr. Bennet died although they did not attend his funeral," Elizabeth offered. "However, I have no recollection of from whence she wrote."

"I think these matters are all related," Colonel Fitzwilliam said. "Elizabeth is recovered. Subtle inquiries are then soon made about the Bennets and they then disappear. Your home is vandalized and only your will is taken. Farrington's housekeeper sees Lizzy and practically runs out of the room."

He then turned to the Duke and asked whether the Bow Street investigation had commenced.

"Yes, Fitzwilliam," the Duke replied. "They had spoken to the male servants when I left for the opera and were going to continue with the female ones while I was gone. So far, they do not suspect any of them of participating."

"I think that the housekeeper was frightened to see Lizzy," Darcy offered, "as if she would be able to recognize her. And when Farrington first met her, for a moment he had the same look in his eyes, as well as one of resentment."

"This all leads me to think that there are several individuals who had a hand in Elizabeth's and Johanna's disappearance who now fear being discovered," the Colonel said. "I believe that if we find one of them we will be able to unravel the story."

"But what of Elizabeth?" Lady Susan demanded. "Is she not in danger? Even if Farrington does not seek your fortune, if he was involved in James' murder he must have planned to kill the girls as well."

"I do not think that Farrington would be foolish enough to act against her right now," Darcy observed. "That does not mean he will not try to do so in the future. Edward is correct: the key to Elizabeth's safety is finding out what happened eighteen years ago. Short of locking her in a tower until Farrington's death, that is our only course."

"What should we do next?" the Duke asked.

"I have some associates who may be able to assist us in locating the missing Bennets and Phillips," the Colonel offered. "Perhaps Elizabeth can obtain some information from her mother about the housekeeper if an opportunity to do so arises without making her suspicious."

Additional preventive measures were discussed, including the constant presence of two footmen with Elizabeth whenever she left the house. She reluctantly agreed to the arrangement after she realized that her protests were being made in vain. Finally as the clock chimed half past one in the morning, the guest departed and Elizabeth and Darcy were on their way to their chambers. As they mounted the steps, she suddenly asked him if she could speak with him before she retired. As a result, they walked down to the sun-room that connected their two suites.

Taking his seat, Darcy looked at Elizabeth and smiled. "I forgot to tell you how lovely you looked tonight and how impressed I was by your poise in the presence of the gawkers."

"My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me. Also, I knew that my family would be there as my defense," she replied. Looking more serious, she asked him whether he believed her to be in real danger.

"It seems so fantastic to me that after knowing me for only a few weeks, a peer of the Realm would be plotting to kill me, especially the man married to my mother."

"I cannot lie to you, Lizzy," Darcy said. "Matthew Farrington is not a decent man and if I could imagine anyone taking such actions against our family, it would be him. Part of me wishes to whisk you off to Pemberley and surround it with a hundred armed men." Seeing the alarmed look on her face he added, "and Percival of course."

"Who is Percival?" Elizabeth asked.

"My favorite hound." Darcy was rewarded with her tinkling laughter.

"Which footmen will become my companions?" she asked.

" Adderly and Sutton. While I do not believe that he would try to harm you in the immediate future, you will be safe with them. After Farrington's assault on Mr. Gates, I do believe they would take great delight in throttling him if a reason presented itself. And of course, I will be available to escort you as well."

"Perhaps you would be so kind as to escort me to my chambers then, sir," she replied. "I am growing quite fatigued.

"With pleasure, madame."

With that, Darcy escorted Elizabeth her the few yards to the entrance to her chambers. After a light kiss of her hand, he wished her goodnight and then walked across the hall to his own rooms.

Chapter 31

Thursday Dawn
The Thames

The shipping lanes ahead of the Terkins Coalworks barge were free of any significant traffic. As a result, the hand at the front of the boat was not as focused as usual as the craft plowed through the river water. As chance would have it, a flash of something white by the pylons under the Hungerford stairs caught his eye. He stared at it for a few seconds before realizing what it was. A few minutes later the barge whistle sounded and the vessel came to a stop. A further blast of the horn called out a distress signal intended to summon the Marine Police.

The coal barge was once again on its way as two policemen attempted to haul the body out of the river and into their boat. A leg had gotten tangled up in ropes attached to a pylon, preventing the tide from taking the body further downriver. Eventually one of the men sawed through the rope releasing the corpse. The two of them pulled it into their craft and headed for the landing dock. By the nature of the clothing, the deceased was apparently a woman.

Their supervisor jumped down into the boat in order to assist them with the body. A canvas stretcher awaited it on the dock.

"She ain't been in the water too long, boys," the supervisor said. "They'll take a better look at her no doubt but it looks to me like someone broke her neck before they dumped her in the drink."

The corpse was taken to a cold room at the Marine Police Station and the coroner was summoned. An examination of her clothing led to the conclusion that she was likely a middle-class woman. She wore a silver band on her ring finger which was removed and wrapped in a piece of paper. She appeared to have died from a broken neck. Further examination of the body would reveal a number of bruises and two fractured fingers. As a result, the coroner concluded that her death had not been accidental.

Because they believed that she was likely a respectable woman, the police published a brief note in the newspaper, asking her relatives to come forward. Her remains would be kept in the cold room for several days, hoping for an identification.

Thursday Afternoon

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had decided to call upon Georgiana Darcy the very next day in an effort to regain some semblance of their imagined status. Unfortunately for them, their brother had overheard their conversation and had quickly insinuated Miss Appleton into the plans. They found Georgiana and Lady Sarah in the drawing room, embroidering and revisiting the prior evening. The sound of a piano forte came from down the hall.

A quarter of an hour later Elizabeth appeared, along with Darcy. They were both laughing at something as they entered the room but stopped when they realized that they had guests. Darcy immediately became more formal as he greeted the women and then soon excused himself.

Elizabeth quickly realized that the two younger ladies looked relieved to see her and took that as a sign to start a new conversation. She did so by asking Jane Appleton about the area in which she lived.

"I am not familiar with Essex, Miss Appleton. I do not think that I have ever been there. What are its main characteristics?"

"We live somewhat south in the county, Lady Elizabeth. We are not that far from Southend-on-Sea."

"We visited Southend while we were there," Caroline Bingley interjected with an air of self-importance.

"And was the sea air refreshing?" Elizabeth asked.

"I found it to be rather damp."

Elizabeth caught herself before she burst out laughing. "Perhaps it is the season. It is after all still the spring."

Returning to Miss Appleton, Elizabeth asked if she had always lived in Hockley.

"No, my father was a curate at a parish in Buntingford which is in the east part of Hertfordshire," Jane replied. Then she softly added, "that was where I came to live with them."

Miss Bingley immediately pounced on that admission.

"What do you mean, came to live with them?"

"I was a foundling, Miss Bingley. I came to live with the Appletons when I was about five years old and they raised me as their daughter," Jane said.

"How very extraordinary," Miss Bingley declared in a tone that implied that there was undoubtedly something nefarious about the circumstances.

"Ironically, the same thing happened to me, Miss Bingley," Elizabeth said in a measured voice that did not completely conceal her irritation. "When did you come to live with your family, Miss Appleton?" she asked.

"It was in the summer of 1794."

Before Elizabeth could reply, Mr. Gates appeared in the doorway and asked to speak with her. When they had left the room, he told her that the Duchess of Montesford had come to call and that he had escorted her to the upstairs sitting room. Elizabeth thanked him for his thoughtfulness. She return to the drawing room for a moment to make her excuses and then hurried up the staircase to join her mother.

The Duchess was still standing when Elizabeth arrived in the room. She curtsied then approached her mother. To her surprise, the Duchess caught her in a light embrace.

"Would you care for any refreshments, your Grace?" Elizabeth asked.

"I believe that your man has ordered tea. That will be fine."

The Duchess took a seat on the sofa and gestured for Elizabeth to sit next to her.

"I do not believe that I have ever seen this room. It is very pleasant." she said. "I did not visit the Darcys much in town and of course Lady Anne died not that long after your father did. Robert Darcy stayed at Pemberley most of the time after that."

"My sense is that the room has not been changed much since she used it," Elizabeth replied.

"Did you enjoy the theater last night? I hope that being the center of attention was not too unnerving for you," the Duchess asked.

"I was a bit apprehensive at first but then became calmer after the performance started. I enjoyed the opera very much. I am sorry that you could not join us afterwards."

"Yes. We had a prior commitment for dinner. And then when we returned home last night, we learned that something rather distressing had occurred. Our housekeeper Mrs. Burnwell went out some time in the early evening and never returned. We still do not know where she is."

Elizabeth quickly realized that she now had a chance to learn more about the woman whom she thought that she had recognized.

"How strange! Does she have family in town with whom she might be staying?" Elizabeth asked.

"None that we know."

"Has she been in your service for very long?"

"She has been in service to the Montesfords at Greenwood since the previous Duke was alive. Eventually she married my husband's valet. She has been a widow for several years now."

Upon hearing that, Elizabeth wondered if she had previously seen the woman in Nottinghamshire, rather than in London. Does that make sense? she wondered. I would have been so young at the time. She did not feel that she could discuss that with her mother however and so she merely nodded in response.

The Duchess grew quiet and for a lack of any other obvious topic, Elizabeth mentioned that Miss Darcy had guests that afternoon.

"Miss Appleton is a very pleasant young woman. I was surprised to learn today that she was adopted by her parents," she said.

Maria Farrington frowned and Elizabeth suddenly felt very foolish for her impolitic remark. She was about to apologize when her mother spoke, with more intensity than she previously had displayed.

"She is adopted? Did she tell you the particulars?"

"Only that she was came to live with them in 1794, somewhere in Hertfordshire."

It had not previously occurred to Elizabeth exactly how similar Jane's circumstances were to hers. It was only as she repeated them that she suddenly realized that the same facts applied to her.

"Are Miss Darcy's guests still here?"

"I am not sure. They were when I came to join you."

Suddenly, the Duchess stood up and indicated that she wished to join the ladies in the drawing room. Elizabeth did not know what to make of the matter as she followed her mother downstairs.

The three visitors were in the process of taking their leave when Elizabeth and the Duchess appeared in the drawing room. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had already announced that they had another call to make in hopes that Miss Appleton would choose not to accompany them. Thus when Maria Farrington encouraged Jane to stay for a little longer they had no option but to depart, leaving her to remain on her own.

Jane Appleton was surprised to be so singled out by the Duchess. She took a seat again and smiled politely at the woman, waiting for her to speak. However, Maria Farrington said nothing at all. Elizabeth began a discussion of the prior evening's entertainments which caused Jane to admit that while she had enjoyed the performance, that opera was not her favorite musical form. Lady Sarah took Jane's side in the matter and Georgiana agreed with her cousin. Elizabeth playfully argued with her about it trying to elicit her mother's participation in the discussion, but the Duchess seemed content to merely watch them.

Finally after a quarter of an hour had passed, she arose and told Elizabeth that she needed to return to her home. She offered to convey Miss Appleton to Grosvenor Square on the way. Jane accepted her offer with thanks and then said her farewells to Lady Elizabeth. She also quietly requested that she call on her the next day at the Bingley residence, at a time when she knew that his sisters would not be on the premises.

Thursday Night
Maidstone, Kent

It had taken Michael Jones longer than he expected to extract the current location of Sam Wilkens from Fanny Burnwell. She must have been very devoted to her Sammy as she called him. However, she eventually revealed to him that the man was working at an estate near Maidstone in Kent. He had then ridden to the nearest mail stop and purchased a seat on the coach going in that direction.

He arrived Banbury House only to discover that Wilkens had disappeared several days prior after receiving two express letters in as many days. He had left no word of his destination. The stable hand to which he spoke however knew the identity of the express rider himself, who lived in Maidstone. For a moderately sized bribe, Jones learned that man's name and address. Unfortunately for him, the rider was not at home. Believing this to be his best opportunity to learn where Wilkens had gone, he settled himself in to wait.

Thursday Night
Longbourn, Hertfordshire

The two men who had been dispatched to Longbourn had spent several hours observing the building and had seen no sign of any activity. Once it had grown dark and too late for neighbors to be calling, they had stealthily entered the kitchen garden and then one of them picked open the lock on the kitchen door. One man remained downstairs while the other quickly went in search of the mistress's chambers.
As he had expected, she had a writing desk in the room, upon which there were several pieces of correspondence. He soon found four letters from someone named Phillips, coming from a location in Deal. He laughed when he realized that two of the sheets came from a letter which Mrs. Bennet had been directed to burn as soon as she had read it. He found nothing that might lead him to the Bennets' whereabouts, but he assumed that they would learn that from Phillips himself.

The man quickly rejoined his associate and in a short while they were on their way to London.

Chapter 32

Friday Afternoon

Elizabeth traveled the short distance to Grosvenor Square to call upon Miss Appleton with some enthusiasm. She already had the sense that her meeting with her other aunt and cousin would prove to be unpleasant. She hoped that visiting with the genteel young woman would help keep her mind off of her second appointment.

Upon her arrival, she was assisted down from her coach by the footman named Adderly. A rather sizable man, she had a suspicion that he welcomed danger rather than feared it. By prior agreement with her cousin William, Adderly would remain in the house with her while Sutton kept watch outside.

As Jane had predicted, Miss Bingley was gone from the house so only she and Miss Appleton sat in the drawing room. It was inevitable that the topic of conversation would turn to the circumstances of their early childhood. They both spoke of their longing as children to know who their real families were and how they had come to lose them.

"It is a remarkable thing, Lady Elizabeth that your cousins were friends with Lady Sarah and that Mr. Darcy recognized your birthmark."

"Indeed, Miss Appleton," Elizabeth replied. "I suppose that I should be grateful for this blemish that I have scowled at so many times in the past since it was the only thing from my past that remained with me."

"Somehow I had a toy in my possession when the Appletons took me in," Jane said. "It is a small wooden cow. Even now, I take such comfort in it that I brought it with me to London. I dare not tell John for he will condemn me for being such a silly goose!"

"I daresay that it is not only Mr. Appleton's opinion that concerns you at the moment," Elizabeth suggested with a smile.

Jane laughed. "Our host has been very attentive. I admit that I find Mr. Bingley to be a very good man."

"I cannot claim much knowledge of him although he is my cousin William's closest friend which speaks well of him."

"Your cousin William is a very handsome man. He seems to be quite taken by you," Jane replied slyly.

"Do you think so? I confess that I do not mind in his attentions in the least," Elizabeth admitted.

The two young women dissolved in giggles and then spent the next half hour dissecting the attributes of the two men in question. Elizabeth was sorry when the clock struck two and she had to take her leave to join her family at her grandfather's house.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was in a foul mood as she stepped down from her carriage, followed by her daughter Anne. She was astonished that she had been forced to attend the Duke of Wiltingham and whomever this young woman was, at their convenience. No amount of protests had convinced her brother Andrew to bring the girl to her home. As she entered the Wiltingham house she spewed her anger in the direction of the butler after he told her that she was to await the Duke and Lady Elizabeth in the drawing room.

"My Lady, if this is to your dissatisfaction, his Grace has left word that you may feel free to depart," Hodges replied blandly. Before she could respond to his effrontery, he turned and made as if to reopen the front door. With that, she marched herself into the drawing room. Mr. Hodges could not resist an impertinent smirk at Elizabeth's guard Adderly, who stood at his duty in the entrance hall.

Once inside, Lady Catherine settled Anne nearby the fireplace for while it was May, the weather was still too cool in her opinion for her daughter's wellbeing. Anne de Bourgh was a woman of small stature and limited feminine characteristics. Additionally, her mother had doted on her so excessively that she had never felt the need to learn any skill or to be of use to anyone. As far as the de Bourghs were concerned, Anne had one destiny and that was to become Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Lady Catherine had also decided that the arrangements for the marriage would be finalized once and forever on this trip to town.

Towards that end, she had made sure that Anne wore a dress that she felt looked very becoming on her, made of a yellow muslin printed with a small flower pattern. Her hair had been specially dressed. In truth, the color of the dress did not compliment her daughter's sallow complexion and the ornate hairstyle looked rather silly for an afternoon visit. The cut of the dress was also intended to emphasis charms that the young lady did not possess. But both of them thought that Anne looked very well indeed.

About five minutes later, she heard sounds outside the drawing room and looked up to see Arthur Nesbitt enter, followed by her nephew Darcy. The latter was escorting a young woman with dark hair and eyes who wore a yellow muslin dress quite similar to the one she had chosen for her daughter, although to much better effect. She was holding onto her cousin's arm and smiling. Neither Lady Catherine or Anne arose upon their arrival.

"Lady Catherine de Bourgh, this is my granddaughter and your niece, Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth, this is your aunt de Bourgh and your cousin Miss Anne de Bourgh," the Duke said. It was his emphasis on the word "miss" that finally brought the two women to their feet, where they offered Elizabeth a grudging curtsy.

"Lady Catherine, Anne, it is a pleasure to meet you," Elizabeth said politely. She then allowed Darcy to steer her towards the sofa where he took a seat next to her.

"Your Grace, Darcy," Lady Catherine replied. "Elizabeth." She practically spit out the last word as her daughter was content to merely nod.

"I assume that Matlock informed you about the circumstances of Elizabeth's recovery, so there is no need to revisit the matter," the Duke said. "I am sure that you join us in our joy at having her back with us."

"Yes, he told me that she was discovered while working as someone's governess." Lady Catherine's tone made her insinuation obvious. Even Darcy was surprised by her audacity.

"Yes, it was an act of Providence I believe that led Elizabeth to the Millwoods," Nesbitt replied evenly. "Although it has turned Darcy House into a veritable inn since Lady Sarah is remaining there with William, Georgiana and Elizabeth until her parents return from Ireland." The Duke turned to Darcy with a smile. "Though I dare say that William is tolerating the additional company rather well."

Elizabeth wondered what the Duke was about with his comment. She noticed a barely concealed and uncharacteristic smirk on her grandfather's face and heard her cousin on her left softly snicker. However, when she glanced over at the de Bourghs, she saw that her cousin Anne had developed a small red spot on each cheek and that her aunt had turned white. She could not imagine what had upset them, unless they had some prior bad opinion of the Millwoods. She cast about for a subject to break the tension and inquired of Anne whether she played the piano forte.

"No, I do not."

"Had she ever learned she would be quite proficient at it," Lady Catherine added tersely. "Can you not see how delicate Anne's constitution is? Such lessons would have sapped her strength."

After a quarter of an hour of similar conversations had passed and it was acceptable for them to take their leave of the Duke, the de Boughs quickly did so.

After their departure, Darcy turned to Wiltingham with a wicked grin on his face. "You certainly knew how to set them down."

The Duke laughed. Realizing that neither of the men were going to be forthcoming about the exchange, Elizabeth demanded that she have her share of the conversation.

"My dear, for twenty-five years Lady de Bourgh and eventually the daughter as well, have harbored a fantasy that she would one day marry William," her grandfather replied. "Neither Andrew nor Susan nor even William himself could disabuse them of this belief. But her visit here today might have accomplished what Andrew and Susan's wise counsel could not."

"I am afraid sir that I do not understand you."

Arthur Nesbitt smiled at his granddaughter and just shook his head. When she turned to look at her cousin, he was staring towards the windows. And when later thinking back on the moment, she would swear that he was blushing.

Posted on Saturday, 22 December 2007

Chapter 33

Maria Farrington suddenly awoke in her bed on Saturday morning with a memory from the terrible days immediately following James' death on her mind. It concerned a watch.

Their main driver had eventually died of his injuries from the attack but during the few days while he lingered he had mostly been unconscious. Shortly before he passed, he had awakened and spoke two words to his physician, took and watch. Neither she nor her father could make sense of what he had said since James' pocket watch was on the ground near his person when he was found. Maria had eventually given it to his brother Andrew as a keepsake.

Why would the man have mentioned it? she wondered. Was there some import to it that none of us knew? The watch she now recalled was a fairly new one, not a family heirloom. Her husband had made some claim about needing one with larger numbers and had acquired another from his watchmaker, which was considerably greater in dimensions. Was there something significant about the watch that he would not have shared with her?

An odd thought then occurred to her. While she recalled discussing the driver's last words with numerous relations and servants, she did not remember ever speaking to her husband's valet about it. Tompkins had not accompanied her husband to Kent because his own wife had given birth to their first child just the week before the trip. James had insisted that he remain behind. Both the man and his wife had become distraught at the news of the massacre, both because of what had happened and what might have occurred.

Tompkins lived in London now. He had inherited some funds from an elderly relation and had used them to open a coffee shop which also sold baked goods made by his wife, a former pastry cook. The shop was still in business: on the rare occasion, Maria herself had stopped there to wish them well, although she had not done so in several years. She decided that she would travel there that very day and ask him the question even if it was eighteen years late.

The Duchess was pleased to hear from her abigail that her husband had already departed on some urgent business and had left word that he would not return until the late afternoon. She was less pleased to learn that Mrs. Burnwell had still not returned. Barely an hour later, the Montesford carriage turned onto Pheasant Street where the coffee shop was located. When she entered the establishment, neither Mr. or Mrs. Tompkins was in sight but she recognized a girl serving customers from an earlier visit. The girl recognized her as well and after a quick curtsy, sent another attendant in search of Mr. Tompkins.

Daniel Tompkins was genuinely delighted to see Maria Farrington. A few years older than James Fitzwilliam would have been, he had only positive memories of his time at Claresfont, until the tragedy. It saddened him that it did not seem as if the Duchess had ever regained much happiness in her life.

"Your Grace. You are very welcome," he said as he bowed to her and smiled. "It has been too long since I had the pleasure of seeing you."

"Mr. Tompkins, I hope that everything is well with your family."

"We are all well, your Grace," he replied. "And may I add, Victoria and I were over-joyed upon hearing the news about Miss Elizabeth, or I should say, Lady Elizabeth."

"Yes, it is a true miracle," the Duchess said. "In fact, Elizabeth's recovery is indirectly responsible for my visit. I would like to have a word with you in private if possible."

"Certainly, your Grace," Tompkins said. "We may speak in the other dining room. We do not open it for customers until the noon hour. I will send for some coffee as well."

After speaking to one of the workers, Daniel Tompkins escorted the Duchess into a side room which was furnished with numerous small tables. They had barely sat down when a girl rushed in with a tray holding coffee and pastries. The Duchess could not resist the temptation of the small raisin buns and selected one as the girl curtsied and departed.

"I see that Mrs. Tompkins has not lost any of her skills," she observed after taking a small bite of the cake.

"She will be very happy to hear that, your Grace."

After drinking some of her coffee, Maria explained her reason for visiting the shop.

"I regret to speak of the tragic events in our mutual past. However, the return of my youngest daughter naturally caused memories of that time to surface. If you will recall, our driver Morris was mortally injured in the attack but did not die until several days later. He was delirious most of that time but right before he passed, he woke up and began speaking to the physician. He said the words took and watch several times but nothing else.

"The words made no sense to myself or to my father since James still had his pocket watch when he was discovered. We had asked numerous people if those words meant anything beyond the obvious to them, with no success. However, it occurred to me this week that I had never spoken to you about the matter. If my father did, he did not mention it to me. So I have come to inquire if they mean anything to you, after all these years."

Mr. Tompkins was quite perplexed by the Duchess's question and distressed by the answer that he had to make.

"I am sorry, your Grace but they do not," he replied. Then as an afterthought he added, "I was glad to learn that they had not robbed him of his watch. He was so very attached to the portrait in it."

Maria looked at him in confusion. "What portrait?" she asked. "I do not understand you."

"Did he never show it to you? The miniature of the two girls together? The painter did it when they sat for their single portraits. He had the watch specially made to hold it."

A cold feeling began to settle in the Duchess's stomach.

"I do not know anything of what you speak, Mr. Tompkins. Do you mean to say that James had a miniature of our daughters painted into that pocket watch? I do not recall seeing that," she replied.

"It was not painted on the watch itself. He had the watchmaker add a separate compartment for the portrait. The watch opened on both sides like a lady's locket but there was a trick to opening the one with the painting in it. There was a button that had to be pressed on, hard-like. He said he always wanted to carry the girls with him."

The Duchess could not stop herself from releasing a single sob at the thought of her late husband's love for their daughters. She quickly composed herself and then thanked Mr. Tompkins for his information. She was about to take her leave when something else occurred to her.

"I believe that you are acquainted with our housekeeper in town, Mrs. Burnwell? Did you know her when she lived in Nottinghamshire?" she asked.

"Yes, your Grace. She was Fanny Larsen back then. One of the hands in the Claresfont stables was sweet on her. Wilkens was his name."

Mr. Tompkins imposed upon the Duchess to wait while one of the serving girls packed a box of fresh raisin buns for her to take with her. They did not speak but he noticed that her complexion had become considerably paler in the few minutes that they had been together. When the pastries were ready, he escorted her to her carriage and wished her a good day.

Saturday Evening
Deal, Kent

Arnold Phillips had just sat down to enjoy a last glass of port when he heard a loud knock on his door. Having sent his wife Clara to Margate to visit their sister Fanny, he had been looking forward to a peaceful few weeks. He heard a servant speaking rather loudly but could not make out the words. Matters were to soon to become clear to him.

Three men entered his study in ahead of the servant; he recognized none of them. The one who appeared to be in charge advanced up to him and handed him a page from the London Times. In complete confusion, Phillips looked down at the paper and read it. He then turned the color of chalk.

"Phillips, we have come to ascertain your role in the murder of James Fitzwilliam and the disappearance of his two daughters in 1794."

"I do not have the pleasure of understanding you, sir," Phillips calmly replied.

The man moved even closer to him. "We have one of your associates in custody, Fanny Burnwell. She has identified you as the architect of this despicable act."

"Me? She blamed this on me?" Phillips demanded. "I had nothing to do with plotting or killing anyone. Wilkens was told to grab the little girl and kill her someplace else. But he could not bring himself to kill a child. I just helped to find a home for her. I cannot believe that the filthy bitch put this on my doorstep."

"If that is the truth, then for the sake of your hide, you would be wise to tell me your version of the story. You see, it was my uncle and cousins who suffered at the hands of one or both of you."

Edward Fitzwilliam had in fact never spoken to Fanny Burnwell and did not yet know who Sam Wilkens was. His instincts however told him that the housekeeper was somehow involved in the crime. He also knew that they needed to find the Bennets and the Phillips. Towards that end, he had sent two men to Hertfordshire in an attempt to gather intelligence on their whereabouts. As a result of that trip, he was now in Deal.

Upon arriving in Deal, some subtle inquiries were made about Arnold Phillips. His men had learned that he was completely unscrupulous and would sacrifice anyone ahead of his own wellbeing. The Colonel decided that accusing him of the most serious crime based upon the confessions of his cohort would cause the man to defend himself without thinking things through. His instincts proved to be exactly right.

For the next hour, Phillips told the Colonel and his associates everything that he knew about the tragedy while being as vague as possible about his own involvement. He explained to them that his cousin Martin Stone, now deceased, had been the person who brought Elizabeth to Meryton. Stone had never told him who it was that had ordered Wilkens to murder Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. Phillips adamantly maintained that he was the only person in Meryton who knew who the child actually was. He knew of her discovery from a recent communication from Wilkens. Edward was disgusted to learn that Mr. Bennet had demanded money in exchange for adopting Elizabeth, money that his widow and children were likely now living on. More disappointing was the fact that Phillips clearly knew nothing about what had become of Johanna.

Not long before the questions ended, one of Fitzwilliam's men left the room after a prearranged signal. He soon reappeared with another man in tow. Colonel Fitzwilliam stood up and in his command voice spoke to the constable, for that was whom the other man was.

"In the name of the Crown, arrest this man as an accessory to the 1794 kidnapping of Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam, daughter of the Fifth Earl of Matlock."

Now that he knew that a man named Sam Wilkens had contacted Phillips when the news of Elizabeth's recovery had been revealed, the Colonel suspected that the fellow was long gone from the estate where he had been working in Maidstone. To be certain however he sent his two men to check while he himself returned to London. At least he would be returning with the names of several individuals involved in the kidnapping, including Fanny Burnwell. The Colonel did not yet know that the woman had disappeared.

Bristol, Gloucestershire

While Arnold Phillips was being led away by a constable in Deal, Sam Wilkens sat in a tavern slowly drinking a tankard of ale. He was not a particularly stupid man although he had done a few foolish things in his life. The most glaring was his participation in the Marquess of Dayton's plot to ambush James Fitzwilliam some eighteen years ago. He had been approached by a man from Dayton's estate who offered him regular payments in exchange for information on the comings and goings of the Earl of Matlock, in particular when he traveled without the Countess. As a carriage-hand, he always got word if the family was planning a long distance trip. The last one that Wilkens had informed him about was the last trip of the Earl's life.

With the promise of an even greater reward, Wilkens had agreed to take part in what he thought was a kidnapping scheme. However, when he left the scene of the attack with the two frightened little girls crying in the carriage below him and their father already dead, he had been instructed to kill them. He could not bring himself to do so. Thus, he had lied to the Marquess. Wilkens knew that there was chance that one of the children would be later be discovered, putting him at risk of both the law and Dayton. He and Fanny had long ago agreed upon a plan of action should that worst case occur. That was why he was now in Bristol, waiting for her. When she arrived, they would take passage to the West Indies.

Wilkens would never learn that at the end of her life, Fanny had perhaps saved his. Michael Jones had been so focused on learning his whereabouts that it had not occurred to him that she might have warned the man. Thus once he had forced the word Maidstone out of her mouth, he had quickly snapped her neck and disposed of her body, eager to depart for Kent.

He had felt honor bound to inform Arnold Phillips of what had occurred and had done so. The man had replied by sending him a rather fat purse and suggesting that he not contact him again. Now he was starting to become concerned about Fanny. He had expected her to arrive by now. Has she changed her mind about joining me? he wondered. After all that she had gone through with him, he thought that unlikely. He decided to try contacting her through the usual method to find out why she had been delayed.

Chapter 34

Sunday Afternoon
Deal, Kent

Jones arrived at the address which he had bribed out of the express rider who had taken Wilkens' message part of the way to Deal. While the man was not familiar with Wilkens himself, he had transported letters from Arnold Phillips on several other occasions. Unfortunately, Jones had been delayed in his mission by the messenger being on a longer than normal journey.

Thus he arrived at Deal only to learn from a distraught servant that Phillips had been taken away by constables on the prior evening. The servant could not tell him the charge but for a coin intimated that his master's affairs were such that there could be numerous reasons that he might be arrested. Jones was at a loss as to what to do next. He considered bribing -- or killing -- the servant in order to search the man's office but rejected that since he had already seen at least two other servants pass through the hall. He could attempt to visit the man at the jail but he could not ignore the possibility that the local constables might see that as a sign that he was an accomplice of Phillips. Finally, he decided to send for instructions and quickly found lodging at an inn while he waited for a response.

Sunday Afternoon
London

The Countess of Matlock was attending to some correspondence when Mr. Grant suddenly appeared in her upstairs sitting room.

"Excuse me, my lady. The Duchess of Montesford is here and requests to see you immediately."

After twenty four hours of deliberation, Maria Fitzwilliam had decided to go to Matlock House, in an effort to confirm what the former valet had told her. She waited impatiently as the butler went in search of Lady Matlock. A few minutes later, she standing across from her. Without sparing any time for social pleasantries, she asked Susan Fitzwilliam what had become of James' watch.

"I believe that Andrew keeps it in his desk, Maria. He always brings it with him when we travel to London for any duration."

"I must see it."

Lady Susan escorted her guest into her husband's study without any inquiry and soon found the time piece in question. She handed it to her and waited for her to speak.

The Duchess examined the watch closely but could not see anything that looked like Tompkins' description of a catch. She was about to abandon her search as foolery when she spotted a small nub cleverly concealed by its adjacency to the watch hinge. A forceful push on the button caused a compartment at the back of the watch to open, one that was empty, except for some engravings on the case itself. Beloved. 1785. 1789. 1791. The dates were the year of her marriage to James Fitzwilliam and the years in which their daughters had been born.

With Lady Susan watching her, she pulled a velvet bag from the pocket of her gown. She removed a small round object from the bag, and placed it into the watch compartment. It fit perfectly and she closed the lid of the watch over it. She then gently placed the watch down on the sofa next to her and within seconds, collapsed in uncharacteristic and complete hysterics.

Chapter 35

Maria Farrington sat in her bedchamber on Sunday night reliving a moment almost a quarter of a century old. The memory came to her unbidden like a tortured specter unable to enter eternity. Her marriage to the Count of Montesford had been an attempt to appease that ghost, it had been her chosen penance. But now she realized that she had sinned and had been punished to a degree well beyond anything that she had hitherto considered.

April 1788
Nottinghamshire

Maria Nesbitt Fitzwilliam watched the carriage carrying her husband James disappear from the courtyard of Claresfont. The Earl and Countess of Matlock had returned from the annual Easter visit to Rosings Park only a few days earlier. However almost as soon as they had arrived home, Lord Fitzwilliam had left once again to attend to a business matter in Scotland, further upsetting a wife who was already very unhappy.

Their butler held the door open for her; without acknowledging him she entered the house and went up to her chambers. Mr. Mercer did not take offense at her actions. The young wife was normally quite solicitous towards him and it was clear that some disagreement had lately occurred between her and the Earl.

The Fitzwilliams generally gathered their immediate family at the Kent estate of Sir Lewis and Lady Catherine de Bourgh at Easter-time. The tradition had begun in part because the estate was close to London and in part because the Earl of Matlock had married later than his siblings and had originally lacked a hostess at the family estate in Nottinghamshire. After his marriage, the family had continued to celebrate the holiday at Rosings in part out of convenience and in part out of inertia.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was an overbearing woman by nature and prone to instructing others on many aspects of life. On this visit, she had paid particular attention to the fact that Maria and James were still childless despite three years of marriage. In this opinion she had boldly overlooked the fact that she and Sir Lewis had been married for even longer than the Matlocks before their daughter Anne, now little more than a year old, was born. Maria Fitzwilliam however had an obligation in Catherine's mind to bear the Earl an heir and it seemed as if she had spoken of little else for the two weeks that they were with her.

James - familiar with his sister's tendencies -- had largely ignored her comments. As a result, he had failed to notice his young wife's reaction to Catherine's carping and even worse, had made no attempt to put a stop it. Then towards the end of the visit, he had received an express letter concerning a dispute at a family property in Scotland and had informed Maria of his plans to travel there upon their return to Claresfont. That had resulted in the first serious argument of their married life, the impact of which still lingered.

The truth was that Lady Catherine's opinions however officious would not have affected Maria if she herself had not already been preoccupied by the absence of children in her marriage. She had not shared these concerns with her husband out of a sense of inadequacy which he, happy in his life as he was, simply did not perceive. Caught up in Catherine's criticism, she had quickly interpreted her husband's wish to expeditiously attend to his business concerns as his desire to be away from her, motivated by his imagined agreement with his sister's views. Thus as he departed, she found herself both angry and ashamed and without any notion of how to cope with those feelings.

The evening after her husband's departure, Maria attended a dinner at the home of the Earl and Countess of Scranton. She and her husband had accepted the invitation several weeks prior, before they had traveled to Kent. She had decided to attend despite his unplanned absence in hopes that company might improve her mood. When she entered their drawing room, she was startled to see that Matthew Farrington, the Marquess of Dayton was among their guests. He had been one of several interested suitors before her marriage to James Fitzwilliam but the objections of her father the Duke of Wiltingham had put an end to the matter. She had not regretted her father's interference for while she had found the future Duke of Montesford to be an attractive man something about him disquieted her, despite his easy manners. She had not seen him in over two years.

"Lady Matlock. What a wonderful surprise to see you," he said.

"Lord Dayton. It is indeed a surprise," she replied. "What brings you to the neighborhood?"

"I have business in the area. I am a guest of the Scrantons for the next several days."

The Matlocks were not particular friends with the Scrantons although they were pleasant enough neighbors. Maria did not know what their connection was to the Farringtons. She had found herself relieved that he was seated several places away from her at dinner although during the course of the meal she had sensed him looking at her on more than one occasion. Then at the end of the evening as the guests were taking their leave, he suddenly appeared next to her.

"You are even more beautiful now my dear than you were when I first knew you," he murmured in a voice so low that it would be heard only by her. "Why on earth are you here alone?"

"Lord Matlock needed to attend to an unanticipated business problem in Scotland. He is away for a few days."

She thought that she should draw away from him but she could not do so without it being obvious. She was also not certain if she truly wanted to do so: there was something strangely soothing about being caught in his steady gaze. The moment ended quickly however as her carriage arrived and she was shortly on her way home.

After breakfast the next day, Maria was too restless to remain indoors. She was an avid horsewoman and decided that taking out her horse Jubilee might distract her from her concerns about her marriage. She rang for her maid for assistance in changing into her riding habit and sent word to the stables to have her horse saddled.

About an hour later, she and Jubilee were trotting down a right-of-way through a neighboring estate when Maria noticed another rider in the distance. As he drew closer, she realized who it was. Farrington and his horse pulled up in front of her a few moments later.

"Lady Matlock. May I join you?"

She did not feel that she could refuse.

They rode along side of each other for a time with little conversation. Then without warning, Farrington urged his mount into a gallop and with a quick look behind him, dared Maria to follow him. She was an intense competitor in her own way and could not resist the challenge. They rode at a fast past for nearly half of an hour until Dayton slowed his horse and walked him into the trees. He was already dismounted when the Countess caught up with him, in a small and gloomy clearing.

"What is this place?" she asked. In the fury of their racing she had paid scant attention to the direction in which he was taking them. She now found herself standing in a small glade through which rolled a stream so narrow as to barely deserve its name. Beyond the stream stood a small hut.

"We are on the Scranton estate. I believe that their gamekeepers makes use of that cottage in the fall," Farrington replied as he removed some saddlebags from his horse. "Come, I have some provisions for a lunch."

He stepped across the stream and disappeared into the cottage without looking back at her, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. She hesitated, thinking of the impropriety of the situation. Then Matthew Farrington appeared in the doorway with a broad smile on his face.

"Are you joining me, Lady Matlock? If so do come in soon, because I find myself to be quite hungry at the moment. And after such a ride, I may leave little behind to share."

1812
Sunday Night
London

The Duchess of Montesford suddenly knew that no amount of penance would send the specter away forever. What she needed was not punishment but absolution. Absolution however required a confession. She could think of only one person to whom that confession could be made and she resolved to do so before the week was out. She snuffed out the candle besides her bed and waited for the night to take her.

Chapter 36

Earlier Sunday evening

On Sunday evening, the Darcys, Elizabeth Fitzwilliam and Sarah Parker attended a dinner at Charles Bingley's house. He was eager to reciprocate for Darcy's generous evening at the opera. The meal had progressed reasonably well. Caroline Bingley had placed Darcy at her end of the table which she undoubtedly felt was a triumph. She had also sat Georgiana and Elizabeth on either side of her brother at the opposite end and the Appletons on either side of them, in order to have Mr. Darcy's attentions to herself.

Elizabeth had little interest in Caroline's discussions with her cousin William although she did find her remarks to be somewhat amusing in their transparency. On one occasion however when there was a lull between the serving of courses, she heard the woman hiss something at her cousin which took her quite aback.

"Mr. Darcy, you must surely help Charles come to his senses," she said. "He cannot marry a penniless daughter of a priest. And now we have learned that she was a foundling. Who knows what kind of family she really comes from."

"Miss Bingley, I doubt Charles will marry the daughter of a priest since they take vows of celibacy and thus are unlikely to have any offspring," Darcy replied dryly. "As to her suitability, she seems to be very well mannered and bred. And if the size of her dowry is insufficient, it is up to Charles to assess the impact of that on his own financial position."

"She is a psalm spouting opportunist, Mr. Darcy. You must do something." Delivered in a slightly louder voice, it was heard by most of the company including Jane Appleton who coughed into her napkin in an attempt to conceal a rather unladylike reaction. Elizabeth caught the other woman's eye and gave her a reassuring smile which Jane tried to return. She wondered what impact Miss Bingley's behavior was actually having on the Miss Appleton's esteem, imagining that she must be taking some of it to heart. She suddenly felt compelled to retaliate.

"Miss Appleton, I was so pleased that you were able to extend your recent visit to us in order to meet my mother," Elizabeth remarked. "Her Grace was quite interested in meeting you after she had a glimpse of you at the opera. Both she and the Duke of Montesford commented on how well you looked that evening."

"I was very honored to meet the Duchess," Jane replied happily understanding Elizabeth's ploy, although there was truth in everything she said. "It was especially kind of her to convey me to Grosvenor Street in the Montesford carriage. Then by chance just as we were about to separate, Lady Smithson walked out of her house. Your mother stepped out of her coach and graciously introduced me as a good friend of Fitzwilliam family."

Lady Smithson was the Countess of Paxton and a very influential member of London society. To be introduced to her often meant receiving invitations to the Season's more fashionable events. Jane then looked down the table towards Caroline and Louisa Hurst and in a sweet voice, asked whether as neighbors, they had already made her acquaintance.

Before either of his sisters could reply, Bingley responded for them.

"No we have never met her although I imagine that my sisters would pleased to do so. Perhaps you can introduce them to her if you should come upon her together in the future."

With that he smiled at Jane and then shifted his look to his youngest sister and met her glare with an even wider smile. Then he murmured to Elizabeth, "Thank you, Lady Elizabeth. That was nicely done."

When dinner was over, Gerald Hurst insisted that they play cards. John Appleton joined the table with a reluctant Darcy along with Lady Sarah. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst decided to show off their musical talents while the games were underway. Elizabeth was eager to escape their company and softly asked Miss Appleton if she could think of something that would allow them to leave the room. Jane thought briefly and then in a normal voice mentioned to Elizabeth that she had bought some very nice items during her trip, including a small volume of travel maps as a gift to her father. It was soon decided that the two of them along with Georgiana would go upstairs and inspect her purchases.

"If I need to listen to that insufferable woman again tonight, I will not be responsible for my actions!" Elizabeth announced as soon as the door to Jane's chamber closed. She looked about the pleasant room which included a seating area and window seat at one end. I am certain that Mr. Bingley selected this room for you, she thought. Miss Bingley would have had you in the coal cellar.

"I feel sorry for Mr. Darcy for he seems to bear the brunt of Miss Bingley's attention," Jane said.

Georgiana had been wandering about the room admiring its furnishings and decorations. She looked over to Jane and replied.

"She has always behaved that way. My brother ignores much of what she says to him in deference to his relationship with Mr. Bingley. Unfortunately, their friendship has given hope in her mind to an future alliance with William."

"I will confess that from the way she spoke of him before we met, I thought that something of that nature had already been arranged," Jane said, looking slightly embarrassed. "But then John told me that it was not the case."

"And she is not the worst," Georgiana continued. "That would be our aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh who persists in believing that William and Anne were betrothed to each other while they were yet in their cradles. If they were in London more, it would not surprise me if she would try to set my brother up in some compromising position with Anne. Perhaps that is why he never visits Rosings without the Colonel to guard him."

Elizabeth was somewhat shocked by Georgiana's forward manner but did not think that Miss Appleton would think the worse of her for it. Indeed she looked rather amused. Although their acquaintance to date was quite brief, she found herself feeling very at ease with her. She could not resist describing her first meeting with Lady de Bourgh.

"My brief encounter with her on Friday would I fear have been rather unpleasant had my grandfather not been there as well," she said. "I am not a great expert in the honors due to the English aristocracy but I would suspect that not rising to your feet when a Duke enters a room in his own home is a breach of them unless you are an heir to the Throne or infirm. One strong look by him corrected their gaffe."

"Did they visit for very long?" Georgiana asked.

"Little more than a quarter of an hour. Much of the time was spent with the Lady extolling her daughter's virtues. Then Lady Catherine grew quite peevish when she learned that both myself and Lady Sarah were presently residing at Darcy House."

"Seeing how pretty you are must have sent her into a fury!" Georgiana said with some satisfaction.

"Well something certainly did," Elizabeth replied with a faint blush, "as they left shortly afterwards. And now Miss Appleton, may we see your new treasures?"

The three young ladies spent a pleasant half hour admiring Jane's purchases, especially a small folio of antique maps. She and her brother intended it as a present for her father's next birthday. Elizabeth suggested that she and Miss Appleton might call upon the Duke in the next several days and ask his opinion of the book, recalling what Darcy had said about his interest in maps. Perhaps he would be willing to show her the volume displayed in his private study.

Eventually when they felt that they must rejoin the others, they did so with revived good humor and the rest of the evening passed quickly.

Sunday Evening

Colonel Fitzwilliam had returned to London by mail coach, arriving at his parents' home in the late evening. He was surprised to find them in a state of uproar.

The Duchess of Montesford had left several hours earlier after telling Lady Matlock the tale of James Fitzwilliam's pocket watch. When Andrew Fitzwilliam returned home and heard the story from his wife, he was determined to confront Matthew Farrington that very night. Lady Susan was trying to convince him to wait fearing that he had no intent of having a rational discussion with the Duke. She was very relieved to see her son and wasted no time before telling him what they had just learned.

Earlier, when Maria Fitzwilliam had finally calmed down and after the Countess had fed her a glass of brandy, she had told Lady Susan the story of the pocket watch. While she was uncertain as to why James had originally kept it a secret from her, that was not the cause of her distress. That was due to the object that she had carried with her and placed in the secret compartment, a miniature of her two girls seated together as they had looked not long before their disappearance.

The problem was that she had been given the miniature only ten years prior by her second husband, the Duke of Montesford. At the time he had explained that he had commissioned an artist to create the painting for her using other existing portraits of the children. In truth she had thought it to be an odd gesture, his presenting her with a yet another image of her daughters frozen in time.

"Now Maria wonders if the motivation behind the gift had been far more sinister," Lady Susan said. "It seems possible that he made her a gift of something that had been plundered from her dead husband's own body."

It took several minutes for the Colonel to digest what his mother had told him. He then informed his father that were anyone to confront Farrington, it would be himself.

"After all sir, I am a far more capable marksman and swordsman than you are. However I have no intentions of visiting Farrington today. I now know who took Johanna and Lizzy from Nottinghamshire. His name is Samuel Wilkens. He was assisted by the Montesford housekeeper, Fanny Burnwell."

That revelation silenced the Matlocks and they sat down to hear his news. When he was done, his mother looked at him with an almost mournful expression.

"Fanny Burnwell is dead, Edward. She was found in the river on Thursday last. They believe that she was strangled to death. Farrington identified her body yesterday, after seeing a notice about the matter in the newspaper. Maria told me this today."

"Damn her to hell," the Colonel declared. "Damn her to hell. Still, there must be some other way to find this fellow Wilkens."

"I do not see how," Lord Andrew replied as he sunk back into his chair.

Changing subjects, Colonel Fitzwilliam asked whether they had the watch that had so upset the Duchess. His father reached into his pocket and handed it to him, explaining how to open the back compartment. Maria Farrington had left the miniature behind and it remained in the watch. Lifting it out, he saw the engraving on the case and shook his head.

"Farrington's guilt would be hard to prove in court based upon this alone," he said. Then something else occurred to him. "Good God, I hope that Maria was not planning to accuse him herself!"

"I do not think so," Lady Susan replied. "I advised her that it would be very unwise to do so and she seemed to agree."

"We will inform Nesbitt and William of the news and Elizabeth of course," Edward said. "I wish that I did not need to be the one to tell Lizzy about all of this."

"It has to be done. I will send a note to both houses asking that we meet at Wiltingham's home tomorrow," Lord Andrew concluded.

Chapter 37

Monday Morning

Mrs. Driscoll, the cook for the Countess of Edderley, was in a quandary. A letter had been delivered to her that morning from her cousin Mrs. Lampley. She had no relation by that name: rather it was the pseudonym of Fanny Burnwell's longtime beau. As far as Mrs. Driscoll knew, Fanny had invented this ploy because of her marriage to Montesford's former valet.

The terrible news of her death had of course reached their household. She was debating whether to destroy the letter or to read it herself to see if there was an address within where she could send him the news. Her curiosity eventually won out and she went to her room to read the letter.

Bristol, Gloucestershire
Hancock Inn

My dear cousin Agatha,
I hoped that the package you sent me a week ago would have already arrived but it hasn't. I will be at this inn for another week. Let me know what happened to it as soon as you can.

Yours etc.,
Millicent Lampley

Mrs. Driscoll decided to do her old friend one last service and quickly composed a letter to go out with the morning's mail.

London
Edderley House

Dear Miss Lampley,

It is with sadness that I must tell you of the death of my friend Mrs. Burnwell. She disappeared from the Montesfords' residence this Wednesday past and nothing was heard of her again until Saturday, when his Grace the Duke of Montesford read a notice of a woman's body found in the Thames on last Thursday morn. He went to the police and identified her remains. Her burial is tomorrow in St. Stephen's Church yard.

I am further aggrieved to tell you that the coroner concluded that she was murdered, no doubt the victim of some cut-throat thief who hoped that her body would float down river. I hesitated before sending you this bad news but thought that you would want to know.

Yours etc.,
Mrs. E. Driscoll

Monday Afternoon

Edward Fitzwilliam had just finished describing his trip to Deal and the information which he had obtained from Arnold Phillips. It was clear to everyone in the room that Elizabeth was doing her best to hold back her tears over the casual cruelty that had had such an impact on her life. However it was also clear that she wished for no overt comforting at that moment.

The anger infusing Arthur Nesbitt was even more apparent. Darcy found himself moving towards the door to the study to prevent the man from dashing out of his own house, if necessary. Then in an effort to feel that he was doing something, he asked to see the miniature of Elizabeth and Johanna which Maria Fitzwilliam had left behind in her despair. He examined the frame around the painting for a few moments and then spoke to Elizabeth.

"Lizzy, do you have the two other miniatures with you?" he asked. He knew that she occasionally carried the small pouch with her. She nodded then drew the bag out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"The images are remarkably similar; it is hard to believe that they were not done by the same hand and likely at the same time," he noted. "We have some miniatures on display at Pemberley which are not framed. They are all signed on the back by the artist."

"What are you thinking, William?" Lady Susan asked.

"We might remove the frames to see if these portraits show their painter's name."

A few minutes later, the Duke's cook was surprised to see Darcy and Edward Fitzwilliam striding into her kitchen.

"Mrs. Darrow, we need to borrow your stove."

The woman stood to the side as she watched the two men move her kettles out of the way and then place two miniature paintings on top of the griddle. For a moment, she thought they had both gone daft. While they waiting, they asked her for tongs and gloves which she quickly provided.

A few minutes later they each used a set of tongs to pick up a painting and carry it to the work table. They started prying at the frames using pocket knives, the heat-softened metal more easily giving way.

Finishing his task first, Darcy gave his cousin a grim smile. The back of the painting of the two girls was signed by Robert Eakins but more significantly was dated in March 1794. Turning the object over he noticed that a small piece of enamel had flaked off of the front of the painting, from the dress in the image of Elizabeth. He ran his fingernail along the chip and more paint came off revealing a green color.

"It looks like someone painted over their clothing, perhaps to change the look of the painting. The heat must have caused the top layer to loosen," he observed.

A few moments later, Edward removed the frame from Elizabeth's portrait and found an identical notation. They thanked the cook for her forbearance and then returned to the Duke's study.

Darcy set the two miniatures on the desk face-down as the others gathered around it. Now that their suspicions were confirmed they were stunned by the depravity and the audacity of Matthew Farrington's actions.

"He must be insane," Lord Andrew said to no one in particular.

"My mother," Elizabeth whispered. "She must be rescued from him."

Posted on Wednesday, 26 December 2007

Chapter 38

Tuesday Morning

Edward Gardiner was enjoying the last of his coffee when a servant appeared in the dining parlor.

"Excuse me, sir but you have visitors. Four ladies. One says she is your sister Bennet."

The servant was quite surprised when her master dropped the cup that he was holding, causing it to crack when it met the saucer.

"Put them in the drawing room please and send for Mrs. Gardiner to join me here."

A few minutes later, Margaret Gardiner joined her husband at the table, with a confused look on her face.

"Edward, Edna just told me that Nell Bennet is here? How can that be?" she asked.

"I have not yet seen them but they identified themselves as the Bennets when they arrived. Come let us see for ourselves."

The Gardiners' ears learned the fact of the matter from beyond the drawing room when they heard Nell Bennet exclaim, "this is such a sweet room! I don't remember it being this fine!" followed by a few squeals of laughter.

"Nell, Mary, Kitty, Lydia. May I ask what you are doing in London?" Edward Gardiner inquired as he walked into the room. "I stopped at Longbourn just a little over a week ago and heard that you had gone on holiday. I did not imagine that it would be in London."

"Indeed it was not, brother. We had traveled to Margate to meet my sister Phillips who had come there from Deal. But once we heard the new about Lizzy, we hurried to town to see her."

"And Mrs. Phillips?" Mr. Gardiner asked.

"She has returned to Deal in hopes of convincing her husband to join us here."

"And to what purpose is your desire to see Lizzy?" Margaret Gardiner asked.

"With all that has happened to her, she surely would like to see some familiar faces. I can hardly imagine what she may be able to do for my girls. After all, we are her family."

Margaret Gardiner gave her husband an incredulous look. Turning to his sister who was now examining the figurines on the mantelpiece, Mr. Gardiner just shook his head.

"Sister, I cannot say for certain that Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam would have any interest in seeing you just now," he suggested.

"Of course she will see me. I am her mother!" Mrs. Bennet insisted.

"Madame, I believe that you presume too much. In many ways you were a mother in name only to her. She in fact has a real mother living and numerous extended family members," Mrs. Gardiner said sharply. In truth her opinion of Nell Bennet had never improved over the years and she cared not whether she showed it at that moment.

"La, we left the seaside for this?" Lydia whined.

"Yes and there were rumors that three ships from the Royal Navy were soon to berth there for a furlough," Kitty said with a pout.

"That may all be true and we are sorry that you will miss your entertainments so much," Edward Gardiner replied. "But we cannot send you to where Elizabeth is living without a proper invitation from them. We will have some rooms set up for you where you can refresh yourself and the I will contact her family."

Still complaining, Nell Bennet lead her brood up the stairs. With apologies to his wife, he decided to go to Darcy House himself and speak to Elizabeth.

When he arrived there twenty minutes later, he found her in the study with her cousins William and Edward. She was very happy to see him and quickly updated him on the developments of the last several days. Mr. Gardiner was so shocked that he almost forgot his own news.

"Lizzy, gentlemen. Something well, unexpected happened at Gracechurch Street this morning. Mrs. Bennet appeared along with her three daughters demanding to see Elizabeth. Given her expressed motivations of using you to better their lot in life, I told her that your reception of her was in no way guaranteed."

"Mrs. Bennet," Elizabeth repeated slowly. In her heart she had hoped that she would never see the woman again but she also knew that it was an unrealistic wish. "I should not be surprised for it would have happened eventually. Perhaps meeting her now will satisfy the matter for all time. Other than her eldest daughter Mary however, I cannot imagine meeting the girls right now."

"Perhaps we should consider this an opportunity, Elizabeth," Colonel Fitzwilliam suggested. "If Mr. Gardiner were to bring Mrs. Bennet and the eldest daughter here, we might be able to learn something about your arrival in Meryton. I think it is worth the attempt"

"We will not allow her to treat you with any disrespect," Darcy assured her.

Thus in a few minutes, Edward Gardiner was on his way back to his home in order to convey Mrs. Bennet and Mary Bennet to Darcy House. They returned a half hour later. As soon as the lady saw the interior of the house, she could not stop her loud admiration of it. Without replying, Gardiner steered and her daughter into the main drawing room, where Elizabeth and her two cousins waited for them.

Whatever Mrs. Bennet's original intent may have been, it was temporarily derailed when she saw Elizabeth and her family. The former Miss Bennet was elegantly but tastefully dressed in a dark blue muslin gown and wore a simple but fine gold chain around her neck. Her cousins were impeccably groomed and one was strikingly handsome. When Mrs. Bennet's tongue froze, it was the reserved Mary Bennet who walked hesitantly to her former sister and curtsied.

"Lady Elizabeth. It is good to see you again. I was very happy to read that you had discovered your true family."

Elizabeth stepped forward and gave the young woman a light embrace. "Mary," she said. "There is no need for you to be so formal with me. Please call me Elizabeth as you always have. These men are my cousins, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Edward Fitzwilliam. William, Edward. This is Miss Mary Bennet and the woman with her is Mrs. Nell Bennet, my former stepmother."

That roused Mrs. Bennet to action. She rushed over to Elizabeth and embraced her, not seeing the look of dismay on the younger woman's face. When she stepped back she was simultaneously praising the grandeur of the house and demanding to know when they could all attend a social function there.

"No time in the near future, madame," Darcy replied in a rather severe tone. "We are currently busy attempting to uncover who was involved in Elizabeth's kidnapping and locate the whereabouts of her sister Johanna."

"Kidnapped! What on earth do you mean?" Nell Bennet demanded. "Lizzy wasn't kidnapped; she was brought to us by my brother Phillips and we took her in out of the kindness of our hearts. We always assumed that she was someone's natural child since he asked that we not inquire about her background. "

"Whatever Phillips told you was a lie," Colonel Fitzwilliam replied. "I spoke to him two days ago and he admitted that he knew that Elizabeth was kidnapped. Your husband may not have known that she had been stolen but he had to sense that something was not right with Phillips' request.

"It was initially coin rather than goodness which motivated him. Phillips paid the late Mr. Bennet five thousand pounds to take Elizabeth in permanently when the ransom scheme fell apart. You are probably living in part on that money now."

"What we need from you now," Darcy added, "is anything you can recall about Elizabeth's early days with you and what she spoke of to you, particularly if it involved her sister."

"I'm sure I do not know what you are talking about," Nell Bennet replied stiffly.

"Of course you do not remember anything about my childhood, Mrs. Bennet," Elizabeth said in a bitter tone of voice. "You barely paid any attention to me at all and poor Mary did not fare much better."

"How dare you speak to me that way? You are not so high and mighty that you can treat me in such a way!" Nell Bennet took a step towards Elizabeth as she shouted but found her elbow gripped by her brother who swiftly lead her out of the room. Mary started to follow but then turned around and in a hesitating voice, spoke to Elizabeth.

"I do not know if it will help, Lizzy, but I remember a story that you used to tell me. It was about how you came to us."

With that, Edward Fitzwilliam asked Miss Mary to take a seat and then quickly went out to inform Mr. Gardiner to take his sister wherever he would but without his niece. When he returned, Mary was already recollecting the story.

"You told me that a group of trolls attacked you and your real papa and your sister and then hurt your real papa and then a man and lady took you away. After you had traveled a far distance, the coach stopped somewhere and you tried to run from them. The man and lady finally caught you but when they came back to the coach, your sister was gone. The lady got so mad that she hit you with something where you have that small scar on your head.

"The man went and looked for your sister but he never found her. They took you to a house for a few days and after that, you came to live with us. Mr. Phillips brought you, you said. You told me this story many times even before I could barely talk myself, but after a few years you stopped speaking of it. I later once asked you a question about it but it appeared that you no longer recalled it."

"I do not remember this story, Mary but I do not doubt your report," Elizabeth said.

"It does agree in some part with what Phillips told me," Colonel Fitzwilliam said. "Perhaps Johanna escaped from Wilkens and Burnwell at some point in their voyage south."

"Did Phillips ever tell you where Lizzy was kept before she was given to the Bennets?" Darcy asked.

"At his now-deceased cousin's home," Edward replied. "In Alton."

"Miss Bennet, did your parents ever discuss Elizabeth's adoption with you or your sisters?" Darcy asked.

"No. In fact, we were told not to speak of it in such a severe way that even Lydia obeyed," Mary said.

"A very rare occurrence," Elizabeth noted.

"Lizzy," Mary began to speak, then hesitated.

"What is it, Mary?" Elizabeth asked.

"Do you now know what actually happened to you?"

Looking at her cousins, Elizabeth suggested that Mary join her in her chambers so that she could tell her at least part of the story in the privacy of her rooms.

Tuesday Afternoon
Deal, Kent

Upon her return to Deal, Mrs. Arnold Phillips was understandably distressed to learn that her husband had been arrested. She promptly presented herself at the jail but was unable to visit him as the constable was on duty by himself. He suggested that she return in an hour with some luncheon for her husband who would not be particularly well-fed on the jail's budget. At that time, she might be able to speak to him.

As she left the jail, she was approached by a well-groomed man who introduced himself as a fellow solicitor who had a mutual friend with her husband. The man, a Mr. Smith, suggested that he might be of use to Mr. Phillips in his legal difficulties. Mrs. Phillips promptly invited him to attend her at her home while she arranged for lunch for her husband.

The man who was actually Michael Jones, kept up a lively conversation with Mrs. Phillips. She was not a very smart woman but loved to talk. It did not take long for Jones, who was experienced with virtually every type of bad element there was to be found, to conclude that the wife knew nothing of her husband's affairs. She did however talk quite openly about Elizabeth Fitzwilliam and the Bennets.

"And now they are saying that she is the daughter of an Earl! It makes little sense, I tell you. She was the bastard daughter of some client of my husband's. My sister Bennet's nerves were undone by it. She and her daughters have gone to London to see what the young lady will provide them with, perhaps even a house in town."

Jones thought about strangling her on the spot if only to cease her chatter and was relieved when they reached her home and she needed to confer with the cook. While she was gone, he removed a packet from his jacket and checked the contents. It contained an ample quantity of dried and powdered foxglove leaves.

When Clara Phillips returned and declared herself too exhausted to return to the jail, Jones offered to do so in her place. He promised to stop back with a report on her husband. On his way to the jail, he stopped in an alley and liberally dosed the sweet cake on the tray with the poison. He expected that Phillips would eat the meat dish first which would give him adequate time to depart after he delivered the food.

Once at the jail, Jones told the constable that he was a messenger from Mrs. Phillips sent with her husband's meal. The constable checked the tray, which contained no utensils, then walked down a hall to the wooden door of the cell. The door contained a slot through which the tray could be pushed.

"Food from your wife, Phillips," the constable said banging on the door. When he returned to the front of the jail, the messenger had already departed. Michael Jones was well on his way back to London when Arnold Phillips was discovered dead in his cell. The coroner would later note the absence of any physical injuries and conclude that the prisoner had died from a heart attack.

Continued In Next Section