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The final stop on the tour were the master’s chambers.

As she had expected they would, her beloved William’s chambers exuded masculinity with the walls a mix of hunter green and browns.

She blushed scarlet when she saw the most enormous bed she had ever seen.

Her betrothed changed colour as well when he noticed her reaction to seeing his, soon to be their, bed.

His bathing room had a twin of the bathing tub she had seen in mistress’s bathing room which caused her to blush all over again.

They returned to the green drawing room for refreshments, and Georgiana took Lizzy’s hand in her own.

“I know I have told you this before, but I am so happy that you will soon be my sister, Lizzy,” she smiled brightly.

“When you told Will that you loved him while he was fighting for his life, I just knew how it would be!”

“I am likewise as glad that I will be gaining you as a sister, Georgie,” Elizabeth said as she hugged the younger lady.

“Has a decision been reached about all of us travelling north yet?” Lady Anne settled next to Lady Sarah.

“Thomas has agreed, but we are waiting to hear from the Ashbys. I believe we will have their answer when Tom, Amy, and Gillian return from Birchington House,” Lady Sarah replied contentedly.

While all were enjoying their tea, Killion announced Lord Thomas Bennet, the Marquess of Birchington, Lady Gillian Ashby, the Countess of Ashbury, and Lady Amelia Ashby.

After greetings were conveyed, Lady Gillian informed everyone that the Ashbys had agreed to join the expedition north set to leave after the wedding on the fifteenth day of May.

The three Ashbys would meet the Bennets and Darcys at a coaching inn where the road from Meryton met the Great North Road.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

As the Stealthy Runner neared the coast of Ireland, the feelings of resentment toward those that forced them to flee England grew exponentially with every conversation the co-conspirators shared.

Karen Younge had been expounding on her ‘dear Wickham’ ad nauseum .

Her ravings annoyed Johanna álvarez so much that she was tempted to tell the babbling woman about her ‘love’s’ plot to have her murdered in order to claim a larger share of the ransom.

As much pleasure as she would have derived from watching the reaction, Johanna decided to forgo.

As long as the woman was angry, it served her purposes.

Clay Younge had chosen Bundoran in County Donegal for their base of operations.

It was on the west coast of Ireland and far from Dublin, which would offer minimal risk of observation and why it was chosen.

It was a smaller town with a harbour that would accommodate his sloop, but nothing too much larger than it.

Clay opined, and Johanna had agreed, that no one would look for them there.

They would bide their time and then they would strike, earning more in this one strategic plot than he had ever dared dreamed of before.

They felt that if they took time to plan, unlike Wickham they would succeed in making the toffs pay the demanded sum.

The day they docked, they set up lodgings, and Johanna had the task to get her hands on any papers for news, as one would normally want when coming to port.

To that end, the post office kept a two-week supply of Dublin and London papers as those who docked could as easily hale from one or the other.

As they looked for any news of themselves or of note about the incident in the park, Karen Younge read something that made her furious.

She learned that the prig who always denied her George his due was a duke!

Not only that, he was engaged to that Bennet trollop who had humiliated her love, and, she was sure, had been instrumental in his death.

As she was ranting at the unfairness, Anthony álvarez, Tony as he was known, swore that he would do anything that he could to exact punishment on those that had had his papa hung and destroyed their empire.

When Johanna álvarez and Clay Younge heard about Darcy’s elevation, they only saw the possibility of exacting more money than they had so far suggested to request. Both suffered from the same affliction that had been the Spaniard’s downfall: insatiable greed.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The pre-wedding festivities and the celebration of Charles Bingley marrying Francine Phillips was most enjoyable.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Bingley had just been sent off on their wedding trip which they would spend at the Darcy’s Seaview Cottage near Brighton.

After the final guests departed, the Bennet and Darcy carriages were loaded to begin the journey to Pemberley after meeting the Ashbys at the appointed coaching inn.

Lady Georgiana Darcy was pleased to learn that the Marquess of Netherfield was home after completing his studies and graduating with honours from Cambridge.

His presence always made her feel warm inside, observations of those around her proved that she was starting to understand how it felt to be in love.

With many outriders and footmen guards, the convoy departed Longbourn for the meeting point with the Ashbys.

They would arrive at Lord Paisley Hastings, the Duke of Leicestershire’s estate Saturday afternoon, and sojourn there on the sabbath.

The estate was just across the border of Northamptonshire, less than a day from Pemberley and Birchington.

Lord Paisley was good friend of both Thomas and Sed Bennet, and had welcomed the chance to host them when they broke up their day of travel to two.

Lady Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a duke, was full of happiness and anticipation for what her future held with the man that she loved above all others.