“As I said in my letters, I am truly thankful I have neither seen nor heard from him, Lizzy. I have also laid to rest any concerns I had regarding Miss Bingley’s change in demeanor.” Lizzy took in her sister’s appearance. She looked to be in good spirits and heath. But Lizzy still held a steadfast grudge against the Bingleys. Although Jane might allow their behavior to be excused, she was not so generous.
“I am very certain, Jane, that the actions of the siblings are linked,” Lizzy said taking Jane’s hair in her left hand and brushing it. “You have neither seen nor heard from the gentleman because his sister has not shared with him news of your arrival. And I cannot help but conclude it was her brother’s growing attachment that caused Miss Bingley’s change of attitude toward you. Although, any attachment that is so easily cast aside is either not worth describing as an attachment or the possessor is not worth considering as a man.”
Jane sighed. She had given more than enough of her time on this topic. She could not truthfully say she heart was indifferent but knew that her mind no longer felt Mr. Bingley was worth further thought. “We have argued these points in correspondence since my departure, Lizzy. It seems we will need to agree to disagree. Let us not waste more time discussing this. Your time here is short, and I have missed you dearly. Tell me news of your gentleman caller. How is Mr. Wickham.”
Lizzy smiled as she set the hairbrush down on the vanity. “Oh Jane, I had just this afternoon filled our aunt in on this gentleman’s situation. He has found a much better match in Miss King.”
Jane looked confused.
Lizzy was uncertain if her confusion lay in her own excitement or in the reason she was not a suitable match. She continued, “We always knew that Mr. Darcy’s unfair treatment had put Mr. Wickham in the worst of predicaments. We were aware he would need to marry a person of means. It seems Miss Mary King has the good fortune to be related to a such a person, and by a second stroke of luck, this relative died. Now, with her ten thousand pounds, she seems to be most attractive to Mr. Wickham.”
“I am so sorry Lizzy.” Jane took half of her hair and began braiding it into plaits.
“Please, do not be,” Lizzy now understood it was her demeanor that had caused her sister’s confusion. “I do not fault him his need to survive. In truth, I think he was more affected than I when we parted ways. She seems a friendly enough person and,” Lizzy’s smile grew, “Aunt Gardiner has taken pity on me, when no such pity is required. She has invited me to join them on a tour of the Lake District this summer. I look forward to the outing with great excitement although I will miss you during our time apart, and I am saddened it has been lengthened. Are you certain you cannot join us?”
“I have already promised our young cousins that I will play with them while their parents are away. But fear not. We will write each other every day, and I will be all but forgotten as you discover the beauty of our homeland.” Jane rose from her stool and both girls climbed into bed. It was perfectly clear from the look of delight on Lizzy’s face, her joy at the prospect of her summer journey outweighed the distress she felt at prolonging her separation from Jane.
As they lay side by side, Lizzy then proceeded to tell Jane of the news from home. “I had written you of my friendship with Katherine Carter?”
“Oh yes, I am surprised you two had not met sooner.”
“It was not until recently that Miss Carter’s began working at the shop. I do not wish to criticize her grandfather, but it is nice to be able to speak to her about the books. When her grandfather oversaw the store, I had to write all of my questions out on a slate.”
“That explains the smudges on your gloves,” Jane said.
“Although she claims to merely be helping during her father’s recovery, she is more than capable of running the store permanently. She has so many ideas on ways to improve things. It is fascinating.”
“I understand her situation dictates it, but I simply could not imagine running a store,” Jane said feeling admiration and bewilderment. “With luck Mr. Carter will soon be recovered.”
Lizzy eyes cast a downward look. She shook her head. “Sadly Jane, I do not believe he will be long for this world. But Katherine has incredible strength. I imagine she could survive anything.”
Chapter 20
“While I cannot say I am indispensable, for only one such as yourself is so very imperative to our community, I flatter myself to believe my absence would be keenly felt after my recent trips to Hertfordshire.” Anne focused on holding her eyes in place. They were a very disobedient pair that had been longing to roll ever since the arrival of Mr. Collins. The man droned on, and Anne filled her mouth with a bite of dessert. “And I cannot deny I would miss the fabulous pie you serve, Lady Catherine. I am utterly certain that a more scrumptious morsel could not be found in all the world. It can only be through your excellent choice of chefs and selection of the perfect apples that such a divine combination of flavors is achieved.”
“What does my pie have to do with it?” Lady Catherine snapped. “I believe, I was asking your wife if she had plans to visit her family.” Mr. Collins looked crestfallen and Anne lifted her napkin to hide the amusement evident on her lips.
Mrs. Collins looked up from her plate. “I would not think to leave my husband alone so early in our marriage, Lady Catherine. I do miss them, but I am fortunate that my sister and father will soon be coming to stay with us for a short while.”
Charlotte was certainly less grating than her husband, but as she never said anything of great interest, Anne took little notice of the conversation. Until, that is, Mrs. Collins mentioned that a friend by the name Elizabeth Bennet would be joining her family on their trip to Hunsford. The name was familiar, but it took a moment for her to recall where she had heard it. She then remembered Mr. Collins had implied he had passed the woman over for his current wife. Of course, Anne could not help but think how fortunate Miss Bennet had been. Still, if she truly was as steadfast in her interest in Mr. Collins and as disappointed in his rejection as he insinuated, having her stay at the Parsonage sounded like the most interesting thing to have happened here in years. She resolved to arrange to observe the party as soon as they arrived.
For Elizabeth, the ride to Hunsford was somewhat less tedious than the ride into London. The addition of another passenger who would be dropped off a few towns before their stop provided Sir William with a new audience to whom he might share his tired stories. Lizzy found the time passed quickly as she took in the scenery around her and soon she came face to face with Charlotte and Mr. Collins. Less than twenty-four hours passed before the Collinses and their guests were invited to Rosings Park for dinner by none other than Mr. Darcy’s future wife, Anne de Bourgh. Based on her sickly appearance alone, Elizabeth could not think of a more perfect companion for Mr. Darcy.
∞∞∞
It had been months since Joshua had attempted to take another girl, and his creditors were breathing down his neck. The experience with the Barton girl had shaken him. He couldn’t help but think he had been a hare’s breath away from being caught in that field. And the fact he had been able to slip back into the militia so seamlessly…well, it had to be a one-time thing. He had gotten lucky with the Ashbury girl. No one suspected a thing. But he had been stretching his luck by botching two jobs in a row.
He could not help but worry that if they had already found and identified Betsy’s body they might suspect him. He had made the foolish mistake of speaking to and getting to know her. He had thought it would make the abduction go smoothly. And it had. But now he had to stick around Meryton where people knew they were acquainted.
He needed to go back there. He had to find out if her body had been discovered and what they knew. He had waited months and no one had come to speak to him yet. That must mean they either had not found her or did not suspect him. If she still lay in that field decomposing, he would relax. If she wasn’t there, he would carefully make some inquires. But he couldn’t feel comfortable until he kn
ew what was happening and he needed to relax to get the job done. Next time, he would take no risks. Next time he would get his money.
He set out a week later and went straight to the field. The body was gone. He made his way into the nearest town and found the local pub. He started making up a story about a childhood friend who had mysterious disappeared only to later be discovered killed by a pack of feral dogs. His tale did the trick, and a man sitting down at the end of the bar started talking about the body they had discovered many months ago in a field off Kingsmands Road.
“Aye, we had no idea who the lass was. Her face warn’t there… all we had was her uniform. It looked like some servant girl. But no one here was missing a servant girl. Then Bob Finney come back to town and says he ran into some fella up north. Says he’s worked at an estate in Meryton and been spending his free time going round all the local villages asking after some girl that went missing. It was some servant girl. Finney tells him about the body we found. Describes the uniform. Seems this fella thinks it’s the girl he’s been looking for.”
Smith swallowed a sip of his beer. “And when did all this happen?”
“Well, let’s see… I think it was about a month back or so.”
Smith nodded and returned to his drink. If she had been identified a month prior and no one had come to see him, he was not a suspect. “Local magistrate thinks it was most likely someone on them back roads that killed her. No one knows,” the stranger at the bar added almost to himself.
Smith suppressed a smile at last feeling the relief of a man who had escaped death.
It was David who had searched for Betsy and spoken to Bob Finney. It had taken him months to find out anything, and he still could not be sure the mystery girl had been Betsy Barton. The clothing and height sounded about the same, but the body had long since been disposed of so he had based his assumption strictly on speculation.
After speaking to Mr. Finney, David sent word to the Bingleys letting them know what he had found out. Bingley became angry with Caroline for hiding that another girl had gone missing from his estate. Caroline could not see why it would matter. They were no longer in need of the help, and this servant had not even been someone who mattered. Even that Ashbury girl possessed a family! This one meant nothing to anyone in this world. She thought her brother was being even more ridiculous than David, and she insisted that the girl must have run off with some field hand. She was convinced the maid was now in Scotland. The only lesson she took away from this crazy story was that one should never travel on the back roads.
∞∞∞
“Oh. Good day, Bingley,” Darcy said as he walked into his sitting room. He was pleasantly surprised to see his friend had paid a call. The news of Miss Barton’s possible murder had temporarily distracted Bingley from his broken heart, but even such a shocking event was insufficient to divert his thoughts for long.
Within a fortnight, the melancholy associated with lost love had rolled back over Bingley like fog. He had returned to hiding in his room, and Darcy knew it had only been through much effort he had managed to leave his home. Darcy knew this, of course, because every day he had gone through the same struggle. Watching Bingley’s unabashed sadness, Darcy again considered un-bottling his emotions. He quickly dismissed the thought. The consequences would be too great. In Bingley’s case, he had been willing to offer his love freely and therefore he had nothing to lose by openly displaying his agony.
“As always, I am glad to see you. But to what do I owe the privilege?” Darcy said while showing his friend to a chair.
“I believe you will be leaving soon for your annual visit with your aunt. I simply thought it would be good to pay a visit before you are off.” While this was partially true, Bingley also wanted to hear Darcy’s thoughts on what he should do with Netherfield Park. His conversation with Caroline had been tabled in light of the possibility Miss Barton was murdered. Since Caroline had disregarded the girl’s disappearance, this slim possibility created a small sting of guilt, and she temporarily accepted her brother’s edict without a fight.
Now her brother had stopped speaking of the girl, and Caroline wished to readdress these expenditures. Bingley could not refute his sister’s argument that the estate represented a significant financial commitment, but he cared about those who would be impacted. While his initial efforts to get to know his staff had been stilted and awkward, he had managed to get to know a few of the house staff and if it was not exactly friendship, it was responsibility that demanded he continue to allow them their livelihood. Perhaps it was time to find someone to assume the lease. As long as it was occupied, the staff would be needed. With no reason or plans to return, he could not delay his sister indefinitely. “I also hoped you might weigh in on an estate management issue,” Bingley added to his previous explanation.
Darcy raised an eyebrow. “You need advice on estate management? Are you hoping to return to Netherfield Park?”
Bingley looked away. He did hope to return but knew it would be best not to torture himself by seeing Jane. “Actually, the question is in regards to the best method to dispose of my obligations while minimizing the impact my departure will have on those who rely on the property for their livelihood.”
Before Darcy had an opportunity to respond, his butler came in and announced the arrival of Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. After asking the butler to show him in, Darcy quickly turned to Bingley and apologized. “I hope you do not mind. I had asked my cousin here not knowing you would come to call. He is bringing me a report I can share with you, but he will not be staying long.”
The colonel came into the study. “Darcy, it is so good to see you again. Oh, and good evening to you as well, Mr. Bingley.” Richard frowned. Every other time they had been in contact, Bingley had been chipper and friendly, but currently he looked as if he was sitting under a dark rain cloud while the rest of the world enjoyed a fine spring morning.
Bingley muttered a greeting and continued to sulk.
“Well, I gather you two are discussing something of some importance. Could it be in regards to the poor Miss Barton?”
Time often gives birth to conviction, and within a few days of hearing David’s theory of Miss Barton’s death, Bingley became convinced that the body was hers. With this conviction came a need to do all in his power to find her murderer. Darcy had offered to assist, and Richard had been hired to investigate anyone suspicious in Meryton. “We were not discussing her at the moment, but were you able to discover anything about her disappearance?” Bingley asked. The brief relief that accompanied his thoughts shifting away from Miss Bennet was indeed welcome.
“I cannot claim to know a great deal, but it seems there is a lead on a possible abductor. There was a man who lived two towns over who had been accused of attempting an abduction years ago. He had been seen in Meryton a week before she went missing. There is no witnesses that suggests he had met Miss Barton, but I believe the lead is worth pursuing.” Richard handed a package to Darcy. “Here is the report you asked me to bring you. Naturally, I took a peek. It seems he left Hertfordshire and may be in Wales.” Richard was intending to leave but could not resist asking a question that had been nagging him since he had uncovered Darcy’s attachment to a certain lady. “As I have both of you here perhaps you might enlighten me, Mr. Bingley. Why is my cousin trying so hard to hide his involvement in helping in this matter? He insisted I hide our connection while gathering the latest intelligence.”
Mr. Bingley was not equipped to provide an answer, so both men turned to Darcy with a look of confusion. In truth, Darcy was a modest man. He did not want to flaunt his largess or be forced into the public light because of his desire to help. Further, a small part of him still played with the idea of asking for the hand of Elizabeth Bennet regardless of the unevenness of the match. When he allowed his mind to enjoy this fantasy, he could not forget that her station in life would demand she accept due to the financial advantages. He hoped that with time he could win her heart as she had wo
n his, without having the unfair advantages wealth and connections had afforded him or because he had the resources to perform these acts of charity. Little did he consider that his choice to use his resources for such kindnesses were a part of his character and should be considered in judging his worthiness.
“We do not yet know what had happened to Miss Barton. This could turn out to be a terrible scandal. I see no need to get my name involved,” he lied.
“Oh,” Richard said. “Darcy, did I mention I received a letter from Aunt Catherine. It seems that she is not the only one in Hunsford who will be hosting visitors.” Darcy looked at his cousin as if he could not comprehend why he had decided to waste so much time with random insignificant chatter while Bingley was visiting. Seeing his bait was not having the intended impact Richard continued. “Mr. Collins, her reverend, has invited his cousin to stay with him.
Courtships & Corruption Page 14