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No matter how much Marie had protested that they did not need to join them, all of the family that had been at Hilldale, excepting Tom and Amy Bennet, made the trip with them to town.

The new Duke and Duchess of Bedford still had a lot that they needed to accomplish at Longfield Meadows before they took a longer break from the estate.

The day before the departure, Darcy had collected his sister and her companion from Pemberley, and the caravan made a detour to Longbourn where Georgie and Mrs. Annesley joined Mary and Kitty and their companions.

The groups decided that they would open only two of their houses, so the younger set would reside at Darcy House while the parents would be at Bennet House.

On their arrival, Andrew sent a note to Sir Frederick and received a prompt reply that the accoucheur would see Marie at ten the following morning.

By ten minutes before the hour, Lord Andrew Fitzwilliam presented his card to the butler at Gillingham House and he and his wife were shown into a parlour used as a waiting room.

A few minutes before ten, a nurse asked the Viscountess to follow her to the examination room.

Andrew wanted to go with her, but the nurse told him that husbands waited while their wives were examined, and Marie assured him that she would be well.

More than a half hour later, Marie returned to her husband, and they were shown into Sir Frederick’s study.

“Please sit,” the accoucheur indicated two chairs facing his desk.

“Welcome Lord Fitzwilliam.” He started, then without preamble the physician explained his findings.

“Her ladyship explained what happened and how she fell.

I cannot be sure, but I believe that had Lady Hilldale not fallen her state would have continued to the natural conclusion.

During my examination I found nothing that would indicate that your wife will not be able to become with child again.

“My theory is that because you fell on your belly with force, it caused damage to the foetus and the body’s way of protecting itself was to miscarry.

Had you landed in your posterior, or just about anywhere else other than right on your belly, I believe that this would not have happened.

Based on what I observed, Lady Hilldale is healthy and can return to a full level of activity as soon as she feels able,” the man concluded, his short and concise manner.

“When can we…er…” Marie was not sure how to ask the question.

“Are you asking when you may have marital relations again?” Sir Frederick asked and both nodded sheepishly. “My answer is the same as I told you for normal activity. As soon as Lady Hilldale feels no more pain and there is no more spotting, then you are free to resume all of your normal routines.”

“Thank you, Sir Frederick, you have relieved much stress with your advice today,” Andrew said as he stood and shook the accoucheur’s hand. “May I ask you an unrelated question?”

“You may ask whatever you wish, my lord,” Sir Frederick responded with an incline of his head.

“Do you travel out of the environs of London to attend ladies for their lying in?” Andrew asked hopefully.

“I think that we,” he looked to his wife for confirmation, and she nodded as she had a very good idea what her husband was asking, “would feel more comfortable if you were able to be with Marie when we are so blessed.”

“Your estate is in Staffordshire, correct my Lord?” Andrew nodded that it was so.

“That unfortunately is too far for me to travel as I would not be able to attend to my patients in London. However, if the Viscountess were in London for her eventual lying in, then I would be happy to attend her,” the accoucheur said in apology for not being able to attend them at Hilldale.

“Let me become with child again first before we worry where I will be for my confinement, Andrew,” Marie said as she placed her hand lightly on her husband’s arm.

“I find that I must defer to my very wise wife,” Andrew said with a half-smile, “she is correct. I was putting the cart before the horse.”

As they had no more questions, the Fitzwilliams thanked Sir Frederick for his time and departed his study. As they left Gillingham House, Andrew placed the expected gratuity in the box for that purpose. They returned to Darcy House where they knew that the family was anxiously awaiting their news.

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

Clay Younge was very happy with his three new crew members.

Not only did they know what they were about as sailors, but they were all big men who he felt had skills that would be very useful if they were ever in a fight.

He gave no further thought to McLamb and his two cronies disappearing, he instead thought how providence had smiled on him to make an opening in his crew and gift him three of the best crewmembers that he had ever had aboard.

Johanna álvarez was still seething at the temerity of her son for lecturing her.

Who was he to tell her what to do? She did not want to admit it to herself or anyone else, but she was having doubts about the chances of success of their plan.

However, as quickly as the doubts were considered, she dismissed them because revenge would be had.

Johanna could clearly see that Karen Younge was delusional, but she could not see the same weakness in her own person.

She was aware that they were attempting to harm a member of one of the most powerful families in the realm, after the royals, and that if they were caught after the attempt to kidnap Lady Elizabeth, that there was only one punishment, hanging.

There would be no chance of mercy or transportation.

Unfortunately for Johanna álvarez, her avarice overrode her good sense as she told herself that they would succeed for her husband where Wickham had failed them all.

The prior evening the three conspirators had decided that they would sail a day after the Coastal Trader departed in August, in less than a month’s time.

All were most relieved to finally have decided on a date for their plan.

It had been pleasant enough in Bundoran, but other than the inn there was no entertainment.

For many months now there had been no wenches or ladies of ill repute.

Having no one with which they could slake their needs, the information had been especially welcome to the members of the crew.

The barmaids at the Happy Leprechaun had been friendly, but had never permitted any liberties, and the captain had made it clear what would happen to anyone who caused trouble while they were waiting to return to England.

The three new crew members were also very pleased, but not for the reasons that their shipmates assumed.

As soon as the date of departure was set and the destination confirmed, Jones wrote a letter and handed it to the postmaster to send to the Dennington offices in Liverpool.

The three could not wait to be away from the group of miscreants and return to their own ship, but they would see their duty through until the conclusion.

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

McLamb and his two accomplices looked around nervously as they were pulled from the back of the cart that had transported them from Liverpool.

Originally, they were headed for Brookfield in Derbyshire, but then the destination changed and rather than one day, they had travelled three.

McLamb had heard one of the twelve outriders mention ‘Hertfordshire’ and ‘Longbourn.’

The Liverpool manager for the lines had received an express telling him to send the prisoners to the Duke’s estate near Meryton as Lord Brookfield would be there and not at his estate.

The man in charge of making sure that the three arrived at the correct destination was Mr. Standish, he was the fifth son of a minor country squire, and had been a major in the army, he was employed by the company after he resigned his commission three years ago.

The head guard was met by Longbourn’s butler, Mr. Hill, who had instructions from his Grace on how to ‘accommodate’ the criminals until the family returned from London on the morrow.

“There is a room with no windows and a very solid oak door in that barn,” Mr. Hill pointed it out to the guard.

“You are to place these,” Mr. Hill pointed to the captives with disdain, “there. You will find a sufficient number of irons for their hands and legs waiting, and we will get more should you want to make it more unpleasant.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hill. We will make sure that this trash is secure in the barn, then my men and I will do eight-hour shifts, four of us at a time, to make sure that no one,” he looked at the three frightened men malevolently, “tries anything unadvisable.”

The three were secured in the room in the barn.

There were three pallets of straw on the floor, a bucket of water with a ladle for them to drink from, and another bucket for them to use as needed to relieve themselves.

Once the three were secured in the manacles, some bread and cheese was brought in for their meal and the door was securely locked.

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

With the news that Marie and Andrew had shared with them after the examination by Sir Frederick, the following day a much-relieved family departed London for Longbourn.

None returned to their own estates as all of the men wanted to be present for the three criminals’ interrogation.

James Bennet had received an express from his father instructing him to leave the men be until the party arrived from Town.

Lord Thomas did not want to take a chance that James would take his displeasure out on them before Richard had made sure that all information had been extracted.