Page 26 of A Life Diverted
“Based on dreams I have had of that night, I saw a man removing something from a room, I believe was a study. He told me he would give me a magic potion to be able to see the faeries and pixies. I think we went to a kitchen. The next thing I see in my dreams is being in some sort of box. When I came to live with Mama and Papa, I vowed never to hide away again because I told myself my parents had got rid of the trouble-making child.” Elizabeth began to cry as her mother pulled her into a hug.
“Ellie…Miss Elizabeth, that is so far from the truth. You were loved by all of us in the family, but not more so than by your parents and brothers.” Richard saw Ellie’s eyes go wide when he mentioned brothers.
“You have two brothers, David, who is almost ten years older than you, and Barney, Barnabas, who is close to six years your senior.”
“Dawy and Bawny!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
“That is what you called your brothers before you could pronounce their names properly,” Darcy said.
Richard continued telling of how it had been discovered Ellie was missing and the searches for her which spanned months.
He stressed how much her parents, brothers, and the rest of the family wanted her to be restored to them more than anything.
He told of how eventually all of her family, other than her mother and aunt, accepted that she had been murdered.
He also explained they had needed to believe that for their own sanity.
Even though she knew that it was only right that Lizzy be reunited with her birth family, the thought of Lizzy being removed from her life petrified Beth Bennet. She tried to school her features but was not very successful.
Elizabeth stood, walked to her beloved Grandmama Beth, and knelt before her. “Whatever happens, I will never cease being your granddaughter,” she vowed.
Lizzy’s words calmed Beth somewhat.
Seeing Grandmama calm, Elizabeth returned to her seat on the sofa next to Mama. She took Mama’s hands in her own. She felt a welcome squeeze.
Next, Bennet told of their travels from Dronfield and Lizzy’s discovery at The Bleating Sheep Inn in Huntingdonshire.
When he described how she had been drugged, trussed up, and gagged, he did not miss the looks of horror and anger on the faces of their guests.
He told of the return to Longbourn and the steps that had been taken to find Lizzy’s family.
“With the way my uncle kept having men check the inns in and around Derbyshire, had the coachman not met with that horrific accident, one of the notices would have been found, and my aunt and uncle would have come to claim Ellie years ago. Seventeen years past, in fact,” Richard realised.
“It certainly fits, but other than her looking much like your mother and aunt, is there any physical attribute which would mark Lizzy as being your cousin? Something which would erase every last shred of doubt?” Bennet enquired.
Richard stood. “If I am about to offend any of the ladies’ sensibilities, please look away.” Soon he had removed his layers above his shirt. Then he turned, and made sure the back of his left shoulder was exposed. “Ellie has the identical birthmark in the same place.”
“I always said Lizzy’s true family would know about things no one else could know,” Fanny cried. Tears began to fall again as the last shred of doubt was washed away. “Do you know of her nightgown?” she managed.
“It was the one my sister-in-law, Elaine, gifted Ellie. She embroidered it with Ellie’s initials in red. As one who has lost her daughter, I understood the pain Cilla was feeling. If anyone deserves to have her joie de vivre restored, it is Cilla,” Lady Catherine insisted.
“D-does this m-mean I w-will have to l-leave everyone?” Elizabeth wondered as the tears began to fall again.
“We have a long way to go before any decisions like that are made,” Bennet assured his second daughter. No matter whose blood flowed in her veins, Lizzy would always be his daughter, regardless of where she lived.
“Mr Bennet is correct,” Lady Catherine agreed.
She looked at the older Mrs Bennet. “As it is certain your family was not complicit in her kidnapping and were the people who saved and loved Ellie all of these years, I cannot see a scenario in which the Wendells would attempt to stop their daughter from seeing those who are as much family to her, if not more so, than themselves.”
“It is a great pity you do not remember who the bas…criminal who stole from my uncle and then took you away was. I, and many of us, would love to meet that man,” Richard stated menacingly.
“Mr Bennet…” Darcy began to say when the man raised his hand.
“As we are, in essence, family; please call me Bennet. My wife will decide for herself, but I am sure Lizzy will answer to that name or Ellie. After all, you are also her family.”
At that point, Miss Weasley excused herself.
The former governess and current companion had conflicting emotions.
She loved all of the Bennet children and would be sad to see Miss Lizzy leave Longbourn, but at the same time, she was happy that not only had her birth family been discovered, but Miss Lizzy discovered her birth parents had never rejected her.
Miss Weasley still had vivid memories of Miss Lizzy crying out at night, asking why she had to go away.
Fanny and Beth agreed to have Lady Catherine use their familiar names, to which Lady Catherine reciprocated. Lizzy’s cousins were invited to call them Aunt Fanny and Grandmother Beth.
“Bennet, I was about to ask your indulgence to write some notes to send to London. I have a feeling there are some there who would very much like to see Ellie again. As soon as they are ready, I will send one of my couriers. That way they will arrive tonight. There is enough of a moon for a rider to make London in less than three hours without sacrificing his safety,” Darcy requested.
“You are welcome to sit at the escritoire in this room. I will write to my Brother Gardiner as well,” Bennet responded.
“Gardiner?” Richard and Darcy chorused.
“We and our families invest with him; that includes my uncle, Joseph Wendell, Ellie’s father,” Richard explained. “So many connections we did not know existed.”
The two men had just finished writing when there was banging on the front door. Hill entered the room with an express from London. He handed it to his master and took the two epistles to be passed on to the Darcy courier.
Elizabeth saw the script on the front. “It is from Janie!” she declared.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Caroline Bingley was growing more agitated by the minute. She could not understand why the men and that horrid Lady Catherine had not returned from the assembly. Surely after their hostess departed, they would have followed suit?
She had claimed worry and been strident enough that her weak-willed brother had sent a man from the stables to look along the route of their return trip and to make enquiries at the ball.
Miss Bingley could not conceive of a reason why they would still be among all of the country nobodies, but she had to have the man check.
The butler entered the drawing room where she was pacing back and forth.
“The footman reports Lady Catherine and her nephews departed not long after the Bingleys.” Mr Nichols had been told they had left with the owners of this estate and returned to Longbourn with them, but that was not what the gauche, ill-mannered lady had asked him; hence, he had not volunteered that information.
Her reply was to storm out of the drawing room and stomp up to her chambers. Miss Bingley had much to plan.