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Lady Catherine Bennet was intrigued. Her cousin Wes had invited his good friend Lord Mark Creighton, Viscount Chatsworth, eldest son of the Earl of Derby, to visit and meet his cousins a few days previously.

At first the viscount was very stand-offish and somewhat abrupt, bordering on rudeness, and they had argued almost every time that they talked to each other.

No matter what she said, he seemed to take the contrary position.

In some ways, he reminded her of her brother-in-law William but without the initial insults.

Kitty could not understand why the disagreeable Lord Creighton kept approaching her, for while he was never rude, he was haughty at times.

After the third day Lord Chatsworth was in residence, Kitty asked Wes to take a turn in the gardens with her.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the house and her companion was at a distance that she could not hear, Kitty turned toward Wes.

“Why is that stuck up, opinionated lordling so infuriating?” she asked with a huff.

“Kitty,” he laughed heartily, “I have never seen him say more than two words to any young lady who is not a member of the family, or a friend that he knows wants nought but friendship from him.” His cousin looked at him questioningly.

“Do you remember William saying that he used to feel like he was the fox in a hunt?”

“I do, what…?” Kitty’s voice trailed off as realisation dawned and her lips shaped into a perfect ‘O’. “Has he been as hunted by fortune hunters as William was?”

“He has,” Wes confirmed. “The chase was relentless until Uncle Thomas’s settlement was made available through William’s solicitors.

The instances of compromise have dwindled to a drop in the bucket, and after that rake Beckman was run off by the family, men too understood that the settlement is not to be used to entrap a lady and the marriage mart has been a lot more civil.

But it has not stopped the fawning, nor the attempted use of arts and allurements to attract eligible bachelors like Mark.

He hates insincerity, and, as you know, that is one of the hallmarks of many of the debutantes in society.

It is not hard to see that he is fascinated by you, Kitty. ” He added gently.

“I am sure that you jest, and besides, I think him a boor and would not want to know him better,” Kitty countered, but her blush proved her words a lie.

“I can see that, Kitty,” Wes grinned, amused her blush deepened, “you seem to run the other way every time he approaches you. Oh no, excuse me, you do not. You stand toe-to-toe and do not shy away from him; which I can tell you is very refreshing for him. He enjoys the fact that you do not change your opinion to match his just to be agreeable to him.”

“He is interesting to debate with…I suppose,” Kitty said diffidently. “He would enjoy meeting Lizzy; she has never backed down in a debate unless there is incontrovertible evidence that her hypothesis is wrong.”

“I would wager that he is far more interested in Lizzy’s younger sister,” Wes teased his cousin who blushed anew.

Kitty considered teasing him about his bourgeoning obvious feelings for her twin, but she refrained knowing that Mary would not have been at all pleased with her.

She considered how she felt about the attention that Lord Chatsworth was paying her and decided that if she was honest with herself, she did not object.

She knew that her father required that both of his youngest have a full season, and she found herself hoping that the Derby heir would ask her to dance at every ball they both attended.

Before her conversation with Wes, she had tried to put him out of her mind, but here a few days later she felt that the more attention that he paid her, the more she enjoyed his company.

As Wes’s friend he would be at her coming out ball, and she felt a warm feeling wash over her as she imagined dancing with him as much as propriety allowed, if he asked her for a set.

Fortunately for her peace of mind she had a strong feeling that it was not a matter of if, but when.

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

Finally, the day had arrived that the Stealthy Runner was to put Bundoran behind her.

The morning of the departure the crew worked as a cohesive unit driven by the relief of finally leaving the nowhere town.

Younge decided to tack north, take the longer way around Ireland just in case they were spotted by anyone that they did not want to see them thereby throwing them off their actual course.

Like he had when he left Fowey, the captain left the small harbour south, which was the quickest route to Dublin and then to England across the Irish Sea.

Once they could no longer see the land, he ordered the heading changed toward north.

They would sail to Whitehead where they would take on some fresh supplies then leave the following morning with the tide.

Johanna álvarez was much relieved. She did not know what excuse she would have used to discourage him if Younge had chosen Ballycastle as the location of their next port.

It would take them three to four days to get to Whitehead and, with the single day break, another four to five days before the vessel would enter the River Dee and arrive at Oakenholt.

Younge was standing next to his first mate who believed he was quite clever; he had volunteered to take the early dog watch, and then volunteered for the midnight to four watch.

The captain had had no objection as he preferred the later watch which allows him to sleep in his cabin for as much of the night as possible.

Laraby turned to Jones, who was standing on the quarterdeck with some of the crew and ordered him to report to the quarterdeck just before midnight to stand watch with himself.

Jones had no reason to object, so he accepted his assignment without complaint.

None of the three Dennington men had missed the change in the mate’s demeanour.

Where he had been sullen and confrontational the day before, now he was almost friendly.

None of them were fooled; they were sure that he was going to try something, and when he arranged it so that he and Jones would be the only two awake and on watch, they had a reasonable suspicion that Laraby would try and arrange an ‘accident’ for Jones.

By a signal that none of the crew noticed, the three friends met on the starboard side of the main deck away from the crew and out of earshot for the two females in their cabin below.

“You wills not be alone lat’r, Jonesy,” Forester said, brooking no argument. “This lot taked Hamms, they will not be all’wed to take no one else!”

“I ‘ave no problem w’ you two bein’ ‘ere tonight, mates,” Jones concurred, “In fact, I’s were gonna ask you t’ be near.”

The men agreed that Tibbson and Forester would hide themselves behind the capstan knowing that Laraby would remain on the quarterdeck as he was too lazy to make his rounds regularly.

They would have a clear view, so if by some miracle he stirred himself before he put his plan into action, they would be able to relocate with ease.

It was to be a night with no moon, which they correctly surmised was why the first mate had chosen it to make his move.

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

After getting little sleep the night before, both William and Elizabeth looked tired when they joined the family to break their fast the morning of the departure. “My poor niece and nephew, have you both had trouble sleeping?” Lady Catherine asked solicitously.

“Yes,” Richard pilled on. “I did hear strange noises emanating from that part of the family wing,” he said with a rather large grin that earned him a ladylike kick from his wife, “You had better have the servants catch the vermin that got into your house and made the noises that kept you up.” Notwithstanding the withering look that was directed at him by some of the ladies, Richard’s grin got even wider as he amused himself at his cousins’ expense.

“I assume that everyone’s trunks were secured to the carriages that departed earlier?

” Lady Anne changed the subject to take the attention off her son and daughter-in-law.

She saw that her sister was about to make an additional comment which she quelled with an almost imperceptible shake of her head.

“Well, yes, ahem,” Darcy cleared his throat, “I asked Douglas some minutes ago and he reported that those coaches were loaded and started off on time, and that ours are ready to depart as soon as we are.”

“You will wait for the missive telling you that the Younges and Mrs. álvarez have arrived at Oakenholt before you depart for Pemberley, will you not, William?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes, Lizzy,” Richard agreed. “We have a rider ready and another halfway here. We will know that they have arrived before they are organised enough to leave the riverbanks. If Jones does what he said he can, they will be there for a few days finding more men to make up their numbers. If Younge had reasonable intelligence he would abort when some of his crew deserts him, but we know that with two delusional ladies wanting ‘revenge,’ and his own greed, he will not turn away when he thinks that he is so close to his prize.”