He paced the room nervously. He had made another blunder hurting the family of the woman he loved. How could he make this right? His mind began to calculate what could be done to locate the pair. It was fair to assume they were hiding in London. He would send an express to Richard to begin the search and would leave tomorrow at first light to join him. Darcy’s lifelong connections to Wickham made him more familiar with the man’s favorite haunts and companions. When one wished to hide, they often took cover in places of familiarity.
Darcy was so deep in concentration, he was only drawn back into the room by the sound of Miss Elizabeth’s sobs. He looked at her and found her handkerchief covering her face. He had no right to be here. He, who could have prevented this misery, now standing there watching her in her most vulnerable state. It was with a heavy but determined heart he took his leave. He would find a way to help. He just had to.
∞∞∞
Bingley had hardly slept. A few days earlier, when he had first laid eyes on Miss Elizabeth in an Inn in Lambton, a torrent of emotions he believed he’d conquered came rushing back. He had been plagued for days with images and thoughts of Jane. Then, this evening, the most extraordinary thing occurred.
“Bingley,” Darcy said touching him lightly on the shoulder, “may I speak with you in my study?”
Something in the tone told Bingley this was to be a serious discussion. Darcy had not specifically indicated it was private, but it seemed as if he had waited until Mr. Hurst had retired to make the inquiry.
“Of course, Darcy.” Once inside the study, Darcy did the most peculiar thing. He locked the doors. At that moment, Bingley began to worry.
“Please have a seat,” Darcy said motioning to a large, leather armchair.
“Has Caroline done something untoward?” Charles’ mind raced attempting to figure out the meaning of all this.
“No.” Darcy sat down in a chair opposite his friend, put his head in his hands, and took a deep breath. “There is no easy way for me to say this. I have made a terrible blunder and what is worse is that I have waited until now to disclose it.”
Charles felt a sense of relief. He leaned forward and, reaching out a long arm, placed a hand on his Darcy’s arm. “It cannot be so bad. Did you act with selfish intent?”
“No,” Darcy moaned. He sometimes resented Bingley’s kind nature. It made confessions of this nature even more difficult. “But I have caused you harm and I need to beg your forgiveness.”
Bingley laughed. “Is that what this is all about? Done. You are forgiven.”
“But I have not yet said what I have done to injure you.”
“There is no need. You are like a brother to me. I know you would never knowingly do me harm, and I know that whatever it is, I still find myself one of luckiest men in a England. Speak no more of this. It matters not what troubles you if your only concern was of my well-being.”
Darcy sighed. “It is not only you for whom I repent. I have also hurt Miss Bennet, and in turn, those close to you both.” Bingley’s good natured smile disappeared and he felt a lump in his stomach. Darcy noted the change in his friend’s visage, which made it even more difficult for him to continue. “As you are aware, Miss Elizabeth was visiting Mrs. Collins during my time at Rosings Park. We had an opportunity to speak, and I discovered that Miss Bennet had been staying in London the entire season. It seems she called on your sisters, but I myself had no knowledge of her presence in the city until the week of Easter.”
“Well, it was certainly wrong of my sisters to keep this from me; however, I cannot fault you for not informing me of her visit while you were out of town yourself. Did you even know if she was still residing in London when you discovered this news?”
“No, I was not certain when her stay would end. While I regret not sending you a letter to notify you that she might still be in town, this is not the error for which I am most sorry. When we left Hertfordshire, I convinced you that Miss Bennet had no special regard for you. During my visit with my aunt, I discovered I was mistaken in this matter and your departure had caused her much pain.”
Charles looked shocked and felt a combination of excitement, regret, guilt, and anger. “Why have you waited until now to tell me this? You knew how I felt about her. Did you believe me to have grown indifferent this past year?”
“I am not sure. In part, I did not tell you because I do not know how she now feels toward you, only how she felt when we left in November. Maybe I was also a little jealous. I want only happiness for you, but I had just received rather crushing news at the time I learned about Miss Bennet’s feelings toward you. It would have been very difficult to witness your happy reunion with Miss Bennet, and maybe I made up reasons to continue to keep this from you to protect myself. I do not know. I only know that my eyes have been opened and I see how selfish my actions have been, and I intend to do all in my power to rectify my mistakes.”
Bingley looked at the fire. Fire had always reminded him of anger —beautiful, powerful, and destructive forces. It was easy to see how it both could excite people and draw them in, but very few things in life were improved for having touched such beauty. “If Miss Bennet feels about me as I do her, this time apart will not alter her feelings greatly. We still have our entire lives before us to be together. If she has grown indifferent, perhaps her feelings were not as strong as she professed. Do not concern yourself over this matter. I believe all will be well. I am happy you have told me.” Bingley rose from his chair and Darcy gave him a friendly pat on the arm. “When can we return to Netherfield?”
“I apologize, but a matter has arisen in London that demands my attention immediately. I cannot return to Netherfield until I have found a resolution to my problem, but if you will have me, I will join you as soon as I am able.”
“I am not even sure if I have the courage to call on Jane without you by my side.” Charles considered what he should do. When he looked up and saw Darcy’s guilt-ridden face, he added, “And you are always welcome in my home.” The two parted for the evening. Darcy set off for London the very next day, and two days later, the rest of those at Pemberley also took their leave.
Chapter 30
It has been said in a thousand ways by great philosophers and writers. Strength is not a measure of one’s physical capabilities but a characteristic of one’s very soul. It has many names and can be demonstrated through actions, words, or inaction. A defiant look, a moving speech or even a determination to remain optimistic in the face of tragedy speaks to a person’s inner power, but the motivation behind such displays is equally important in determining one’s level of strength. On first blush, there does not seem to be a significant difference between a man who stares down the barrel of a gun as a result of voicing his ideals and a stag that stares defiantly at a carriage careening toward him. Yet, intuitively one cannot fail to see a dichotomy between these two scenarios. The man knows the likely consequence of his choices and demonstrates his strength though courageously facing his outcome rather than attempting to change his principals. Meanwhile, the deer simply stops out of fear. Without a second piece of the puzzle, strength can be misconstrued as weakness, and this fact, benefited Katherine Carter greatly.
Katherine’s strength might be called resilience. Her body was battered and abused, but her spirit was not broken. She decided, upon realizing her fate, her captors might violate her body, but she could choose whether or not they would touch her mind. With this power remaining hers alone, she was able to find comfort in a world that had been turned upside down and fiercely shaken. But attempting to adapt to one’s misfortunes or finding small treasures of comfort is not the same as accepting one’s circumstances. Katherine’s will remained strong, but she also looked for any and every opportunity for escape.
Because she did not fight or resist in the ways that were typically observed in others who found themselves in her situation, her keepers believed she had been broken. She was given more freedom than was ordinary. In fact, within two weeks of
her arrival in London, she had been allowed to stand outside to show customers her wares. This was not to say she was not constantly under the watchful eye of someone who could break her like a twig, but any dog would say that being held prisoner in a caged yard was preferable to being restrained by a leash.
∞∞∞
When Darcy had heard of Lydia’s disappearance, the first thing he had done was to send a letter to Richard. Richard had acquired certain skills during his years in battle. He knew how to fit into a crowd, how to ask for information without raising suspicions, and how to locate those that seemed impossible to find. Darcy had never asked why Richard had been taught these skills, but he suspected that his cousin’s role in the military encompassed more than planning and executing battles.
Darcy divulged in the letter that he had spotted Mrs. Younge near a certain book shop not long before Easter. Richard now found himself wandering the narrow streets of the neighborhood in which the shop was located. He looked no different from the other miserable souls that traipsed through the filthy streets. Even his movements and expressions mimicked those around him. A young lady, dressed as a whore, approached him. She hooked her arm around his in a suggestive manner and leaned in to say something. Richard looked up and something about her looked familiar. They each stared at one another trying to place the reason for the familiarity.
From the dark recesses of the colonel’s mind, a name floated to his lips. “Miss Carter?”
Katherine’s façade crumbled and she looked as if she was about to cry from relief. She nodded her head and choked back her tears. She looked around for her handlers. They showed no signs that they had noticed anything amiss. “Are you the kind colonel who was looking for Miss Barton?”
Still in shock at this odd encounter, he managed a nod.
She leaned in and whispered, “You must help me. I am being held prisoner. But please, do not let them see that you know me.”
Richard immediately understood the gravity of the situation. He would look for Mrs. Younge after he removed Miss Carter from here. He stumbled forward as if inebriated and said in loud, slurred speech, “That much? Well you better be worth it. Come on. I got a place off Kepler.” He grabbed her arm, and led her away from the square.
The man tasked with keeping an eye on the merchandise had seen the new girl find herself a local man. He knew they were heading to Kepler if he needed to go get her. He had no idea the two were acquainted and given the girl’s compliance thus far, he had no reason to doubt that she would be returned in a few hours. She had nowhere else to go and no one else to protect her. There were far worse men out there, and experience had proven that one would do an awful lot for a soft bed and food.
“Are they following us?” Richard whispered. Katherine told him they were not, so he routed her to the secluded street where he had stashed the carriage. He pushed her in before looking about to verify no one had been watching. Richard then told the driver to make sure they got out of this part of town without drawing any notice. He climbed in himself, closed the curtains, removed his coat, and wrapped it around the girl. He needed to speak to her, but this was not the place.
They had not gone far when Katherine’s emotions caught up to her. She had been strong for weeks. She had endured the stuff of nightmares. But now she was in a carriage with a man she trusted who was bringing her away from those horrors. The tears began flowing in earnest. After tucking her legs up and holding them to her chest, she began to shake.
“Miss Carter,” Richard asked as he watched the frightened girl shaking like a leaf, “What has happened?” Through broken phrases, Richard pieced together the tragedy that had befallen the girl. His heart broke as she told her story. It was getting late, and he must decide what to do with her. He could not bring her home. Her current appearance would place her under too much scrutiny from his mother. Darcy’s home lay empty and would offer her much needed calmness. He would ask his sister to stay with her there.
He wanted to write to Darcy and tell him what had happened, but he knew his cousin was traveling back from Pemberley. He would be difficult to reach. Tomorrow, he would reach out to the constable to see what could be done about the men who had been holding Miss Carter against her will. “Miss Carter, I cannot express how sorry I am that you have had to endure this ordeal. This will not make it better, but know that you are safe now.”
∞∞∞
A few days later, Darcy arrived in London. He was anxious to hear if Richard had located Mrs. Younge. He considered traveling to his cousin’s home, but he knew his aunt would disapprove of his haggard appearance brought on by his travels. He decided it would be best to first stop by his own home and get cleaned up. Much to his surprise, he found two of his cousins and a woman who looked vaguely familiar sitting in his front parlor. Before he could ask why they were here, Richard asked to speak to him privately.
The two men went to Darcy’s study. “Please, Darcy, before you ask let me get you a drink.” Darcy raised an eyebrow in concern but sat down in his favorite chair and waited for Richard to return with a tumbler. “The woman in the parlor with Mattie is named Katherine Carter. Her family owns a book shop in Meryton.” A look of recognition passed over Darcy as he remembered where they had met. “She was abducted by a man and sold to a brothel.”
Darcy’s eyes grew wide. “That is terrible!”
Richard held up a hand to quiet him. “That is not all. The man threatened her by confessing that he had killed Miss Ashbury and Miss Barton. I discovered her when I went in search of Mrs. Younge, and I brought her back to your house. She has been staying here with Mattie.” Richard exhaled and took a long drink from his own glass before continuing. “I could not think of anywhere else for her to stay. I wanted to bring her back to Meryton, but I needed to first deal with the establishment that had purchased her, and then I felt I should wait for you to explain why I needed to leave London.”
Darcy understood and nodded. “Yes, you should take her back home. I can deal with Wickham. But what of this murderer? Has he been apprehended?” Darcy had known Elizabeth had left the day before he had to return home. He did not like the idea of her being in Meryton if the murderer had not been found.
“Miss Carter overheard him speaking to the men she was sold to. I believe he has fled to the north. I do not know if he can be found, but I can assure you he will not risk returning to Meryton.”
“Why not? He obviously stayed there after committing two murders.”
“He could blend in when the militia was there. Now that they have moved to Brighton, he would stand out too much.”
Darcy looked at the fire place. “Stay there, Richard. Until I am done here, stay in Meryton in case he returns.” Richard nodded. Darcy wished he could be there to watch over Elizabeth, but he needed to fix this issue with her sister. “Did you locate Mrs. Younge?” he asked remembering why he was in London.
“In a manner. Miss Carter knows where she lives, but I was unable to go speak to her. The magistrate insisted I go with him when he went to deal with the brothel, and after that, I could not move about in the neighborhood without drawing too much unwanted attention. But here is the address where you will find her.” Richard looked over at his cousin. “Obviously, you cannot go there looking like that.”
Darcy stood from his chair. “Of course not. I have been traveling.” He truly did need a bath.
“No,” Richard said understanding the confusion. “You still look too refined. I will drop off some clothes for you tomorrow before I take Miss Carter back home. And I hope you are comfortable with Miss Carter and Mattie staying here one more evening?”
“Of course,” Darcy walked toward the door and paused. An idea was forming in his mind. “Before you go tomorrow, let us talk again. I think you will need to visit Miss Elizabeth while you are in Meryton.”
Chapter 31
Ever since their return from Pemberley, Caroline had been out of sorts. Her brother intended to return to Hertfordshire for an extended per
iod. He would be leaving in a few days’ time, so Caroline had gone to stay with the Hursts. She refused to return to Netherfield, and any mention of Meryton seemed to set off her nerves.
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