Millie has taken to giving him pieces of bread to suck on and feeding him a thin pap. I do have concerns he will choke, yet she assures me, he is fine. He has certainly grown since she started. If he continues, he will have to walk for I shall not be able to carry him.
I miss you dearly, my love. I know you must go since it is too great a temptation for you to remain so close, but I cannot help but hope for time to pass so we might be together once again. You have said you will come for Easter, and I am eagerly awaiting your arrival. I long for us to walk the gardens with Alexander, and I would be happy to merely sleep in your presence once more. If you can find the time to come, then please do, regardless of whether it is easier or not.
All my love,
Lizzy
Elizabeth rolled the ball to Alexander, who sat on the floor. He loved playing ball with her. He always pumped his arms up and down and giggled when she rolled it towards him. His next favourite part was attempting to put the toy in his mouth.
“Alexander, give me the ball.” She bent forward and held out her hands while he gave her a huge smile.
Jane laughed and knelt to take the ball from his mouth. “Here,” she said, handing it to Elizabeth. When Jane stood, she cupped her hand over the bulge that had just begun to show. Elizabeth had been rather jealous of how easy the first few months had been for Jane. Her sister felt only a slight amount of nausea, and though Elizabeth’s illness was not terrible in comparison to some ladies, she had been sick on several occasions. Jane had not. She was just as serene and beautiful as always.
Her sister sat behind Alexander and pulled him onto her lap, but he fussed and reached for the floor. “He is as active as you.”
Elizabeth shrugged and rolled the toy towards them. “Fitzwilliam is hardly idle.”
A commotion from the hall made Jane look to the door and her forehead crinkled. “I wonder what that is about?” She shifted Alexander back to the floor, rose to her feet, and opened the door. “Graham, please inform Lord Carlisle that his brother has arrived.” Her words were quite loud, whether to give Elizabeth advance warning or simply due to the butler’s distance, she did not know.
Elizabeth’s stomach jumped into her throat. She picked up Alexander and held him to her as Jane disappeared into the hall, closing the door behind her. “Come, let us go to the kitchens. I have a feeling Aunt Jane does not want the colonel to know we are here.”
She slipped into the servants’ corridor and down the stairs, the warmth from the kitchen growing the farther she travelled. A maid bustled by as she stepped through to the cook’s domain.
“Your Grace, did you need something?” asked Mrs. Nicholls, who exited the larder with the cook.
“No, thank you. Lady Carlisle was receiving a guest, and I did not wish to be in the way. Do you know if Lalande is here?”
“She only just returned to your chambers. Do you need help finding it through the servants’ passages?”
“I would, thank you. I am certain Lady Carlisle will seek me out when she has finished.”
Mrs. Nicholls gestured to a maid. The girl curtseyed and held her arm out towards a different set of stairs. “If you will follow me, Your Grace.”
When Elizabeth stepped into her dressing room through the servants’ entrance, Lalande ceased hanging Elizabeth’s freshly laundered gowns and frowned. “I beg your pardon, Madame, but is something amiss?”
“Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived, and Lady Carlisle closed the door to the hall behind her. I do not know more. It was time Alexander ate and took his nap anyhow, so I searched for you in the kitchens. Since you were already in my chambers, one of the maids brought me here.”
“When I am done, I shall see what I can discover.”
“Thank you.” Elizabeth settled on her bed and opened her gown. Alexander, never one to forgo a meal, latched on quickly and took his usual long draws. He was always a good eater, and after she swapped him to the other breast, his eyes began to droop as they usually did. When he finally slept, she took him to the adjoining room he and Millie used as a nursery and placed him in his cot.
Millie smiled while she sat in a chair near the fire knitting. Today had not been as cold as winter, yet the mist that settled around the fields had a slight bite, making it feel cooler than it probably was.
When Elizabeth returned to her bedchamber, a knock upon the door made her jump, and Lalande hurried in to answer it. She did not hesitate to allow Jane inside.
“Nicholas and I need to speak to you in your sitting room when you are able.”
Elizabeth knew the colonel’s visit would cause some anxiety, yet she did not think it should cause quite this much. “Alexander is napping. Should we talk now?”
Jane led the way through to the sitting room, allowing Nicholas inside. Elizabeth sat near the fire.
“If you are concerned over my reaction to your brother’s arrival,” started Elizabeth, “you need not be. I shall take every precaution. I shall not be caught unawares and alone with him again.”
“’Tis not just Richard.” Nicholas sat across from her and rested his forearms on his knees. His expression was so serious. He held her eye without blinking and his shoulders remained stiff. “Darcy wrote me a fortnight ago to let me know Leeds’s nephew James had released the investigator he had hired from his employ. James’s creditors were demanding money, and James could not afford to pay for a groom. The man lingered as close as he could until a se’nnight ago when James disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving behind a staggering bill at the inn where he had been residing.”
“I thought he was with Prinny in Brighton.” Why did she sound so pathetic? She was not the young, naïve girl Richard cornered in the library. She could manage and keep her son safe from both of them. She had no other choice.
“James fell out of favour with the Prince Regent. He lacked the funds to go far, so he found a small inn at Worthing. I can only assume he relied on challenging the naval officers and ships’ crews coming in and out of the ports to cards, giving him a greater opportunity to gain funds than at a country establishment on the road to London. He managed to win just enough to get him to Portsmouth and then Southampton. For a man who typically loses at the card tables, he managed to win again then headed north to a small inn in a town called Alton north-east of Winchester, which is where he remained. Soon, he began losing at the tables there. He also stayed too long since he had no further funds to travel.”
He cleared his throat. “I imagine his creditors would not threaten him while he kept company with the Prince Regent. Once they learnt he journeyed alone, they tracked him to that small town in Hampshire. That was when he released the investigator and fled. The man we had trailing him indicated he met up with Richard in Alton. We believe Richard helped him flee.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “Do you mean to say James was with Colonel Fitzwilliam? Here?”
“Yes, he was.”
At Carlisle’s affirmation, she clenched her hands together. Jane sat beside her and wrapped an arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders.
“Nicholas sent them to the inn,” said Jane.
Elizabeth looked back and forth between them. “Is that a wise idea? The two of them might bleed you dry.”
“I have sent my personal secretary with them. He is giving the innkeeper specific instructions. I shall pay for their rooms and their meals. I shall not pay for their liquor or any losses they have at the card tables. He will also warn the innkeeper not to extend them any sort of credit. I do hope with those restrictions they will return to London within a few days.”
“Does James know I am here?” Elizabeth immediately wanted to slap herself on the forehead. What a stupid question! Anyone in Meryton could tell James and the colonel where she lived. “Forget I asked.”
“Richard knew from my mother. He apparently indicated by letter from Southampton that he desired to visit us. My mother penned a letter in return ordering him to stay clear of Netherfield and you. She had th
e best of intentions; however, she only confirmed what he likely suspected when he heard of Leeds’s death.”
Elizabeth rubbed her hand across her forehead in an attempt to cease the pulsing that began behind her eyes. “Fitzwilliam did send James a letter informing him of Thomas’s death and Alexander’s birth. We had to tell him lest he arrive in expectation of claiming his inheritance.”
“He had the Prince Regent’s favour and naught to fret over at the time.” Nicholas shook his head. “Now, he is desperate. Since James departed Alton, the investigator has been attempting to track him by following several men attempting to claim money from him. James has hidden well.”
“We should alert Fitzwilliam,” said Jane. “He would want to be here.”
Nicholas had steepled his hands in front of his mouth with a furrowed brow, but removed them. “No, I was supposed to keep it a secret to surprise you, Lizzy, but Darcy is planning on visiting us for Easter. He needed to fetch Georgiana and Kitty from school before arriving, so he has journeyed to London. He arrives next week. I was to go to Reading for Lydia, but instead, I shall notify your father that I cannot. He must fetch her himself.”
While Elizabeth appreciated Jane’s support, her sister’s fingers were beginning to dig into the top of Elizabeth’s arm. As it was, her head was swimming in information and possible scenarios and reasons for James and the colonel to be together, making that infernal pulsing turn into a pounding. She did not need the bruises as well. She took Jane’s hand and pulled it over her head to hold it in her lap. “I do not understand why we cannot tell Fitzwilliam,” said Elizabeth.
After shaking his head again, Nicholas sat straight in his seat. “I am afraid my cousin will panic. Georgiana and Kitty’s school will be closed during the Easter holiday. My mother could fetch the girls, but I know Georgiana would much prefer spending the holiday with us to my mother.”
“And Kitty does not know your mother well at all,” said Jane.
“No, she does not. There is also the matter of Darcy taking off the moment he receives word of James’s whereabouts. If he receives that letter at night, I do not doubt he will mount the fastest horse in that stable of his and ride like the devil to get here. I shall take responsibility for not making him aware. I simply do not want him injured or killed when we do not even know my brother’s intentions or those of James.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and squeezed Jane’s hand at the idea of any injury happening to Fitzwilliam. He was so dear to her. He could not come to harm. She would never forgive herself if he killed himself while trying to reach her. “I agree with you.” She reopened her eyes and looked Nicholas straight in the eye. “But what do we do in the meantime? I do believe we must remain watchful.”
“Indeed,” he said, nodding. “I have spoken to Mrs. Nicholls, and we are to make a few changes within the house. While the servants will believe you remain in this suite, you and Alexander will sleep in a different wing. Lalande and Mrs. Nicholls will ensure your passage through the servants’ corridor when you retire.
“Fortunately, the weather has not been conducive to your walks with Alexander, so until it improves, we need not fret on that account. If you desire a walk, you must remain within the gardens around the house and we must have more than one footman on guard. I have sent for two of your footmen, Jonathan and Matthew. I am certain Matthew will arrive first since he only travels from London. Both were loyal to Leeds. Colin informed me they were trained as a sort of guard for Leeds, which is why Matthew typically joined the duke at the theatre.”
“And also explains why Thomas always insisted Jonathan follow me when I walked.”
“Precisely,” said Nicholas. “Colin mentioned them before he departed Worthstone. He had concerns over James making some attempt at Alexander’s inheritance and did not want to see Thomas’s legacy turned over to the wastrel.
“I shall pen a letter to the investigator later. If he knows of any good, reliable men we can use as guards, I shall pay the expense. I do not want you harmed under my roof.”
Elizabeth propped her hands upon her hips. Nicholas was as bad as Fitzwilliam when it came to ensuring the well-being of those in his care. “The dukedom should pay for our protection. You and Jane have a child to consider.”
“I have a fortune set aside for a girl should it be required. I have never spent my allowance as my brother did. Darcy counselled me to set aside a certain amount when we were at Cambridge. We both invested our savings and continued to put the profit back into the investments in order to see a greater return. I can easily take thirty thousand from the investment for a daughter’s marriage portion.”
“But ’tis not necessary.” She looked to Jane. “Tell him. We can pay for our own protection.”
“Whatever is necessary to keep you safe, we will do,” said Jane. “You are residing in our home.”
Nicholas smiled at his wife. “Even within the house, I want someone with you. That person need not be a man, even Jane will do.” He exhaled and ran his hands through his golden-brown hair. “Since the two of you are from Meryton, do you know any in service here who might not be trustworthy?”
Jane pressed her free hand to her chest. “No, I could not imagine any of them betraying us.” It was interesting that Jane could think poorly of Colonel Fitzwilliam, Nicholas’s own brother, but not the servants. Nicholas levelled a steady gaze on Elizabeth.
“I cannot think of anyone, but I believe Mrs. Nicholls might be a better person to ask. A number of the servants are different than when I married Thomas. The colonel and James do not have much to give them. That is a consideration.”
“You must remember Alexander’s inheritance,” said Nicholas. “James could promise a fraction of its worth and still be a very rich man—even after he paid his creditors.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and bit back a groan. Nicholas was correct. James could have any number of people at his disposal, and Colonel Fitzwilliam was likely counting on a portion of that inheritance. Why else would he journey to Netherfield and bring James along with him?
“I do not mean to frighten you, Lizzy.”
She opened her eyes and gripped Jane’s hand while she regarded her sister’s husband with a mind that screamed “run.”
“I do not know what he has planned, but you are better off with us than on your own. Darcy will be here soon, and you know he would protect you with his life.”
“Unlike you,” she said, with a tight laugh.
“Lizzy! What a thing to say!”
“I was only teasing, Jane. I do trust Nicholas, and I know he would protect us as he would you. I simply needed a bit of humour, even if it was a poor attempt.”
Nicholas smiled, though it was tight and flattened his lips. “I understood. He would be an addlepate to attempt to harm you under this roof, but he might not be interested in harming you at all. He could attempt to force you into marriage.”
“I should as soon marry a toad,” said Elizabeth. What a disgusting notion! As if she would put herself or her son in that position!
“Darcy would solve that dilemma. Regardless of James’s actions, Darcy would marry you. He would never allow James to gain that sort of power over you or your son.”
He was correct. She only had to rely on Nicholas and Fitzwilliam, and all would be well. She had to believe all would be well, or she would start having fits of nerves. Her father would be so disappointed when Elizabeth began calling for her salts like her mother.
“We will need to talk to Millie. As much as we need to keep these events secret—even from the servants—I do not know how to keep her unawares.”
Nicholas frowned and took a deep breath. “For the next few nights, Alexander can sleep with you. When Matthew and Jonathan arrive, they can move a cot in the new suite for him. I would prefer Lalande help with Alexander for the time being.”
“You do not trust Millie?” said Jane in a gasp.
He held up his hands, palms out. “Millie is newly employed. As much as I
want to trust her, we need to minimize how many people are involved. Her mother is in poor health, is she not?”
Elizabeth drew her eyebrows together. “Yes, but how is that important?”
“We can pay her for the time she is gone, but insist she help care for her mother for a time. Hopefully, this will all have been sorted by the time she is ready to return.”
The plan seemed a sound one. The problem would be gaining Millie’s acceptance. She and her family were proud—in the best sense of course. Nicholas was correct again. This conspiracy needed to be as small if not smaller than James’s or word could leak out.
Lord, but she hated this! Why could the year not be over and her wed to Fitzwilliam? They would be at Pemberley raising Alexander together and not thinking of who wanted to gain control over Thomas’s fortune. A part of her was tempted to hand it all over, but as much as the idea had merit, too many people relied on her and Alexander to protect the dukedom and the Osborne holdings.
Chapter 26
“Why did you not message me?” Fitzwilliam’s voice echoed from the walls despite the study being quite small.
Elizabeth grasped his biceps and held him still to cease his pacing. “We did not want you rushing here and harming yourself in the process. You still needed to retrieve Georgiana and Kitty from school. You would have forgotten all about them if Nicholas had sent you a note informing you that James was in the area.”
“Not just James, but Richard as well,” growled Fitzwilliam. “The two of them together will wreak all sorts of havoc.”
“I am well aware.” Nicholas sat behind his desk with his hands together on the work surface. “Lizzy is correct. We thought it best to tell you when you arrived. In the meantime, we have taken every precaution.”
Elizabeth clutched his arms tighter. “I am going out of my mind from being cooped up indoors and never having one solitary moment, but I am well and so is Alexander.”
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