Richard grabbed Darcy’s shoulder as they entered the sitting room. Giving Darcy a quick nod, Richard turned to Mr. Bennet and gently began to inform him of the abduction of Elizabeth and Georgiana and the discovery of Jeremiah.
“Due to the situation in which we find ourselves, it is my belief that both the residents of Oxford Cottage and Longbourn should be removed to Netherfield.” Richard waited for Mr. Bennet’s response.
“Can I not just take my daughters home to Longbourn?” Mr. Bennet asked.
“Sir, I can do a far better job of controlling the situation if all people concerned are under one roof. It will facilitate the sharing of information and lessen the chances of any further trouble.”
“So, in your opinion, Netherfield will be safer?”
Richard nodded. “Safer–perhaps. Definitely more convenient.”
“And you expect to receive a message demanding payment?”
Again Richard nodded. “They have taken both Miss Elizabeth and Georgiana; it is obvious when the message comes, it will be directed to Darcy. I am sure you will want to know of all communication and proceedings?”
“And that will be accomplished more expediently if I am present at Netherfield.”
“Yes, sir.” Richard was pleased to see that Mr. Bennet’s mind beginning to clear.
Mr. Bennet rose from his chair. “Very good. I shall return to Longbourn and assist my family with their packing. We shall be at Netherfield this afternoon, Mr. Bingley.” Bingley acknowledged his statement with a slight nod of his head.
Pausing next to Darcy, Mr. Bennet clapped the young man’s shoulder and gave him an understanding look. Sensing there might be some anxiety and guilt behind the eyes which looked at him, he decided some action needed to be taken. “Come. Walk with me, son. You look as if you could do with some fresh air, and I know I could use a few moments peace before I return to Longbourn.” Together the two men left the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Amid the flurry of packing of trunks and loading of carriages at Oxford Cottage, Richard grabbed Darcy by the arm and steered him into the unoccupied dining room. “Darcy, there is something you need to know.” Richard paced the length of the room. “I have been working on something for someone, and in the course of that investigation, I have come across some other activity which has also required the attention of myself and some of my associates.”
Richard stopped and lowered his voice. “Over the last couple of years, there have been a number of young maids who have gone missing from their places of employ. Some suddenly have been dismissed by their employers for indecent behaviour. Others have just disappeared. We have received intelligence leading us to suspect the involvement of Mrs. Younge. That is why I did not allow you to triple check Mrs. Younge’s references—I knew they were false.” He paused waiting to see the strength of his cousin’s displeasure.
“You wanted her in our employ so you could watch her?” There was a hint of anger in Darcy’s voice.
Richard braced himself for the reaction he was sure would follow his next bit of information. “Yes. We suspect she uses her position as a companion to entice susceptible young maids—those with no family or connections—to take up a position as a courtesan. The girls are told a meeting with a gentleman to prove to them that the loss of innocence can be enjoyable does not require them to accept the position. But then either the employer finds out and sacks the maid, or the maid is taken. Some of the girls live in her sister’s brothels, while others are, for lack of a better term, sold to sailors who take them with them on their journeys and sometimes sell them again in a foreign country.”
“Mrs. Younge coerces young girls into prostitution? And you thought to have her live under my roof with my sister?” Darcy’s voice was low but there was no mistaking his fury.
“She posed no danger to your sister. She only posed a danger to your servants. And we have been watching them.” Richard spoke quickly in an attempt to contain Darcy’s anger. “However, you must speak with Hannah. Mrs. Younge and Hannah took tea with an elderly gentleman in Meryton last week and remained at his inn for longer than propriety dictates. I fear Hannah may be the next young maid to go missing. I had hoped I might be able to intercept her before anything untoward happened, but now with the events of last night and this morning, I cannot just wait and watch. My attentions are needed elsewhere. Speaking to her may, in fact, help us with the situation involving Elizabeth and Georgiana.”
“You wish to know the identity of the gentleman involved?”
“I do. I have had my suspicions as to his identity, but I need to have them either confirmed or denied.”
Darcy nodded and walked down the hall to Georgiana’s room where Hannah was busy packing her mistress’ trunk. “Please have a seat, Hannah.” Darcy motioned for her to take a seat in the chair next to the writing table. “Colonel Fitzwilliam and I think you may be in danger. In order to protect you, we must ask you some difficult questions. I will begin by telling you that nothing you say in this room will have any bearing on your employment with me.”
Hannah swallowed loudly and nodded her head.
“Who did you meet with when you went to Meryton with Mrs. Younge last week?” Darcy asked.
Hannah hung her head and wrung her hands. “Mr. Worthing.”
“Was he the old man with whom you were walking?” asked Richard.
Hannah kept her eyes fixed on her hands. “Yes and no. He appeared on the street as an old man, but he is not old. He is, I would think, Mr. Darcy’s age.”
“What did he look like? asked Darcy a feeling of unease was building in his stomach. “Did he have light brown hair and blue eyes? Was he my height and build? A pleasing, amiable sort of man?”
Hannah looked at her employer in amazement. “He is just as you describe. Very handsome.”
Darcy looked to his cousin. “Is it as you suspected?”
Richard gave a small nod. “And did he talk to Mrs. Younge about anything other than your employment while you were there?” asked Richard.
“They talked while I was changing,” Hannah spoke barely above a whisper. “The door was closed, but I did hear something’ about hiring men and reviewing’ plans, or some such thing as that…the door was closed…” Her voice trailed off.
Darcy knelt beside the girl. “Hannah, did this man take your innocence?” he asked softly.
Hannah nodded, covering her face with her hands.
“You must be seen by a midwife, Hannah. Do you understand that? There are consequences attached to such actions which are not related to motherhood.”
A sob wracked her body as she nodded again.
Darcy laid his hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Hannah. I believe you have helped us by your honesty. No matter what the results of your meeting with that man, you shall always have a home and employment at Darcy House or Pemberley.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Darcy, there is an express for you,” said Bingley as he entered Netherfield’s study where Darcy, Richard, Mr. Bennet and Lord Matlock had gathered and were discussing Darcy’s history with Wickham. “I have asked the rider to wait.”
Darcy took the letter from Bingley and looked at the writing on the front. “It is in Georgiana’s hand, and it feels as though it contains something.” Laying it on the table, Darcy carefully broke the seal and began to unfold the missive. Mr. Bennet, who sat beside Darcy, gasped as he saw the items contained within the folds of paper.
“What is it?” Matlock leaned forward in his chair to catch a glimpse of the items that lay atop the letter.
“It is a lock of their hair and a piece of their dresses.” Darcy’s hands trembled as he picked up the items. Clasping them tightly, he held them to his chest. The muscles of his jaw clenched and unclenched as he read what was written. He squeezed his eyes closed tightly and leaned back in his chair, a finger of his empty hand rubbing the spot between his eyes.
Mr. Bennet picked up the letter. “The direction may have been in Georgiana’s hand, but this was written by Lizzy.” He took a moment to read before sharing the contents of the letter with the other gentlemen. “They are alive for now, and….” His voice wavered, and paused to swallow before continuing. “And, if we wish for them to remain alive, we must deliver four thousand pounds to the Blue Thistle tomorrow to receive further instructions.” Mr. Bennet lay the letter back on the desk and studied it.
“I must send for the money,” said Darcy.
“Not before I question the rider.” Richard strode from the room.
“Are you sure, Darcy?” asked Matlock. “I could send for the money.”
“No, Wickham thinks he knows what funds I have that can be easily moved. He desires to harm me. Let him think it is working. He may get careless if he thinks he is in control.”
“He is not in complete control, Darcy,” said Mr. Bennet tapping the letter. “Do you see how Lizzy has punctuated her sentences?”
Darcy bent his head to look where Mr. Bennet tapped. “With rather large full stops?”
“Yes, and this last one is a heart. She always punctuated her writing in such a fashion when she was particularly upset with me for making her do whatever subject it was she was doing.
“Usually, the submission of such an assignment was followed by a rather clever demonstration of why she thought I was wrong. Those are very angry full stops. Her captors are not in for an easy ride. The heart was always used on her apology notes. It means she is sending her love to us. No, those men have not dealt with someone like our Lizzy.”
“But could it not also put her in more danger?” Darcy asked.
“No, Lizzy is a clever girl. We must believe that she will not take any unnecessary risks. She is probably congratulating them on their cleverness right now while poking them gently with insults and an unwillingness to cower. I have faith in her, but we must still act as we would if she were not the clever girl she is.”
Richard came back into the room. “The post originated in…”
“London,” said Mr. Bennet before Richard could get the word out.
He looked at them in astonishment. “Yes, in Cheapside, near the river. How did you know?”
Mr. Bennet lifted the letter. “Lizzy told us. She has made four letters darker than the rest as if she traced over them more than once — t,o,w,n — town, though they are not found in that order in the letter. I did have to reorder them, but that was not hard.”
Richard took the letter from Mr. Bennet and looked at the writing. Indeed, it appeared only as if she had needed to retrace a letter here and there. To anyone who was not looking for clues, the variation in her writing would look like a simple correction. “I am alerting my men tonight, but I will be back before morning. And you, Darcy, are going to play the part of an unreasonable employer and sever employment with Mrs. Younge. She may provide us with more information in town than here. I will have her watched.”
“Cheapside and the Blue Thistle? Is there a possible connection?” Mr. Bennet drummed his fingers on the table. “Gardiner is in Cheapside. Our monthly card game is at the Blue Thistle. I would be posting men near some haunt within a night’s drive of town that is associated with Matlock. They will save the connection with Meryton until the end when they finally release the girls…after they have gotten their money.” He looked at Darcy, who was sanding the instructions for the delivery of the required funds.
“How much is in your sister’s dowry, Mr. Darcy?” asked Mr. Bennet.
“Thirty thousand pounds.”
“And does this Wickham fellow you spoke of know that number?”
“Yes, Wickham knows the number.”
“But the loss of these funds would not damage the holdings of Pemberley as your father planned they would one day leave with your sister, correct?”
Darcy nodded.
Mr. Bennet tapped a finger on the table for a moment while he contemplated this information. He spoke as if reasoning aloud. “The thirty thousand pounds could be needed in as few as three years. To recoup such a sum in such a short period of time would be difficult.
“In effect, Wickham thinks he is hurting you not just once by removing Georgiana’s dowry, but twice or three times as that money would have to be taken from Pemberley’s coffers to set aside as her dowry and then there would be the need to replace the money within Pemberley’s portfolio, which would mean you will either need to retrench or sell off some assets to keep Pemberley operating in its current state.
“I know it is a rather roundabout explanation, but do you see what I am saying?”
Darcy nodded slowly as he continued to fold his letter.
Richard gave a long whistle. “The initial loss of money will hurt a little, but the second and third losses when it affects quality of life, improvements, permanent loss of property, that is where he truly means to strike. He knows Darcy will not allow those who depend upon him to go without or be affected negatively if it is within his power. Wickham may be more cunning than we first imagined.
“Do you suppose, Darcy, he believes you will only see the immediate issue of the ransom?”
“So that the further effects would not be felt until after this current ordeal is over?” Darcy shook his head. “No, I believe he knows I will see the full extent of the damage from the beginning.”
He gave his cousin a pointed look. From the small, almost imperceptible nod of Richard’s head and the flash in his eyes, Darcy knew his cousin thought as he did. Money was only part of Wickham’s goal. There were far more effective ways to inflict a lasting injury, but he would not speak of that now.
“However,” continued Darcy as he sealed his letter. “Wickham has not seen Pemberley’s books in many years and does not realize that Pemberley is able to sustain such a blow with very little inconvenience to myself or anyone else. He may not have used his inheritance wisely, but I have.”
“And,” added Mr. Bennet, “there is still the small matter of escaping with the ransom monies. I do not see that as an outcome.”
“Nor do I,” said Richard.
“So another twenty-six thousand before we are done?” asked Darcy. “If he keeps asking for it in four thousand pound increments, this could take a week.”
“The next request will be larger, Darcy. But you already know that,” said Richard.
Darcy handed the sealed letter to Richard. “I do. I have requested the full amount of my sister’s dowry to be sent to me.”
“And you did that before I mentioned it?” Bennet laughed. “Yes, you do have the mettle to deal with my Lizzy.”
Darcy rose. He tucked the locks of hair and pieces of dress in his pocket. “Thank you, sir. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a companion to dismiss.”