Lizzie Bennet Agent for the Crown

by Elizabeth Hopkins

  Lizzie was wearing one of the gowns Madame Collette had fashioned for her. It was emerald green with gold lace trimming the bodice and hem. She thought she looked very well in it. She checked the hidden pockets and attached her dagger to her upper thigh.

  As previously arranged, she danced the supper set with Mr. Darcy so that they could sneak off to his Lordship’s study while the other guest dinned. Darcy had already located the study earlier and he directed her to the room.

  Lizzie began to meticulously search the desk while Darcy opened cabinets and searched the bookcases.

  “Mr. Darcy, I need your assistance. I believe this is a hidden draw. Please hold down this flap while I press the lever.”

  The hidden draw popped open and Lizzie removed the contents that were within. She began to quickly peruse the papers.

  “What is it Miss Elizabeth?” asked Darcy as he leaned over her shoulder to read the papers she was holding.

  “Detailed information listing the dates of movements of the British army.”

  Darcy and Lizzie both raised their heads at the opening of the door.

  Lady Lanville stood in front of them with four of her footmen. All of them were holding pistols that were aimed directly at Lizzie and Darcy.

  “Do not try anything heroic Mr. Darcy. I have no compunction in shooting Miss Bennet between the eyes.”

  “You will have no trouble from me Madam.”

  “Good. Search them and then bring them to the cellar. Bind them and lock them in the dungeon. Jenks, stand guard over them until I send for you. And Mr. Darcy, please keep in mind that I can just as easily shoot Miss Bennet in the back if you resist.”

  Darcy and Elizabeth were escorted to a cell and locked in but not before their hands and feet were bound.

  Sitting on the dirt floor side by side Lizzie exclaimed “Well that was a surprise! We all assumed the L. Lanville referred to his Lordship when it was Lady Lanville who was the culprit all along.”

  “It is an easy assumption to make” replied Darcy.

  “Mr. Darcy, you must allow me this opportunity to apologize for the deplorable manner in which I behaved toward you at the Barrington ball.”

  “No apology is necessary Miss Elizabeth. The fault is mine. I regret not having made Bingley’s betrothal known to your family, but I promised that I would keep his confidence. Deceitfulness is an abhorrence that I cannot tolerate. Can you accept my apology?”

  Lizzie’s heart leapt, she smiled and said “Let us agree then to forgive one another and start anew. I also wish to express my deepest gratitude of my family and myself for your averting the scandal that would have ruined my family if Mr. Bingley had proposed to my sister. She would have suffered the most severe scorn from our neighbors when it became known that Mr. Bingley was already engaged to another lady.”

  At least an hour had passed before voices were heard and the footman guarding them took his leave.

  “At last!” Lizzie exclaimed. “Mr. Darcy please lift my skirt….”

  “Miss Bennet!”

  “I have a dagger secured to my upper thigh, you need to retrieve it so we can cut ourselves free of these bindings.”

  Their hands were tied behind their backs and Darcy had to shift sideways with his back to Lizzie.

  He carefully lifted her skirt and slowly ran his hands up her leg. Darcy groaned and wished that the dagger was between her breasts instead of her thigh.

  Her skin felt like silk. He was glad she could not see the deep blush that enveloped his face. He truly was enjoying himself.

  “Mr. Darcy, it is my upper thigh you need to reach!”

  “Of course Miss Bennet” he replied. He was able to remove the dagger from it sheath and hold it securely between his hands.

  “Very good sir. Please hold very still. I am going to place my hands over the blade and cut the rope.”

  It took some time, but Lizzie and Mr. Darcy were eventually freed of their bindings.

  Lizzie examined the lock on their cell and then removed the handle from the dagger which revealed a slender taper. Darcy watched in amazement as she crouched down an inserted the taper into the lock and began to twist it back and forth until the lock clicked open.

  “Brava Miss Bennet!”

  Lizzie beamed and said “I never thought that this knowledge would be useful but I am glad the Colonel insisted on its teaching.

  Chapter 16

  Darcy took Lizzie’s elbow and directed her out of the cellars. “Let us go and locate my cousin. It has been some hours and I am surprised he had not come to locate us.”

  “I hope we do not encounter any other guest Mr. Darcy. My dress is as filthy as your suit.”

  As Darcy and Lizzie carefully made their way down the hallway on the first floor, they encountered Sergeant Chessup.

  “I have been searching for you both sir.”

  “Where is Colonel Fitzwilliam?” Darcy inquired.

  “In an upstairs bedroom being attended to by a physician. He was shot in the shoulder by Lady Lannville. Lord Lanville was also shot by his wife but is expected to make a full recovery.”

  “Please take us to the Colonel.”

  “Of course sir, please follow me.”

  The doctor had already left and they found Colonel Fitzwilliam buttoning his tunic.

  “Cousin how are you? Chessup said you were shot.”

  “Just a graze on the shoulder. That blasted woman thought she had killed me and her husband. You do know she shot Lanville as well? The doctor said it is not serious and his Lordship shall recover. Thankfully her aim is as bent as she is. Where have you two been? When I came to the study you were not there and I was met by Lady Lanville instead. She was emptying the desk and when she saw myself and his Lordship she did not hesitate to shoot us both. Where is she now Chessup? Chessup had managed to capture and interrogate one of her accomplices.”

  “The Lady Lanville escaped to Liverpool where she and her accomplices have boarded a ship bound for the Americas.”

  “Blast it all!” the Colonel roared. “I was so focused on Lanville that I never suspected his wife!”

  “Do not be too harsh on yourself cousin. It came as a surprise to Miss Bennet and myself as well. She encountered us rifling through the study desk and imprisoned us in the cellar. Thanks to Miss Bennet’s excellent skills with lock picking, we were able to make our escape.”

  “It is almost dawn. What say we pack our trunks and head back to town?”

  Darcy nodded and said “I agree cousin. And the sooner the better.”

  “Miss Bennet? What say you?”

  “The sooner I see the back of this estate, the better I will be for it.”

  Chapter 17

  It was an exhausted party that reached the Needleham Hotel in the early afternoon. Lizzie declined the Colonel’s invitation to join him and Darcy for lunch and retreated to her rooms. After refreshing herself and changing into a nightgown, she crawled into her bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  She awoke the next morning just as the sun was rising in the sky. She laid in bed ruminating over all that had occurred and thoughts of Mr. Darcy were foremost in her mind.

  Lizzie was disappointed and admitted as much to herself. Friendship? The man had only offered friendship. Well, I will accept his friendship and hope that one day his feelings of love will equal my own and he will offer for me.

  She rang for her maid and requested a bath. Colonel Fitzwilliam had sent word for her to join himself and Darcy in breaking her fast in his sitting room.

  When she entered the Colonel’s rooms, she also found Mrs. Mcglinty and Sergeant Chessup in attendance. The gentlemen stood and after acknowledged greetings, Lizzie proceeded to the sideboards to prepare herself a plate. Lizzie was famished and could not recall the last time she ate.

  When all had eaten their fill and the plates were removed, the Colonel called everyone to order. “I have just received word that my brother Rupert, the Earl of Matlock, has passed.”
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  All expressed their condolences and the Colonel continued. “I must bring his body to Matlock for the funeral and settle his affairs. I expect to be away for at least two weeks, maybe three. My cousin Darcy will be accompanying me. We expect to leave in two days’ time.”

  He looked directly at Lizzie and Mrs. Mcglinty “It will be business as usual here at the war office. It has been ascertained that Lady Lanville did in fact board a ship in Liverpool bound for the Americas. I am now the Earl of Matlock, but I shall not be assuming those duties at present. Matlock estate is in good hands will the Countess running the estate and a competent steward to assist her. I will not be resigning my commission in the military until such time that I have apprehended Lady Lanville and brought her to trial for the heinous crimes she committed against the Crown and England.”

  “What do you intend to do? What is your plan cousin?”

  “When I have settled these affairs, I will go to America and bring her back to England. I might have to drag her back by her hair, but so be it. It will be my last assignment for the Crown and I must see it completed.”

  Darcy only nodded and wondered how it would affect his relationship with his lovely Elizabeth.

  Lizzie thoughts were the same as Darcy. Oh well, she thought. Only time will tell.

  Epilogue

  Mr. Bingley never did return to Longbourn after the six months had elapsed. After he returned to town, he continued his social amusements and flited from angel to angel. Jane Bennet was all but forgotten. But had he returned to Longbourn, he would not have found her in residence.

  Jane was introduced to a wealthy tradesman, who was the third son of an Earl, and they were married three months after she came to stay with her Aunt and Uncle. Her husband was so enamored of her that he bought the Earl of Matlock’s former home in town and gifted it to his bride as a wedding present.

  Lizzie was beyond pleased that her beloved sister obtained the love and happiness that she so justly deserved. She chuckled to herself and thought it ironic that Jane was now mistress of the home that formally belonged to the Colonel and Mr. Darcy’s family.

  As for Darcy and Lizzie, their story continues in book two.