Page 7 of Losing Lizzy

“ Daughter?” he questioned. She felt him sway in place, but he held her to him.

Elizabeth’s mind attempted to understand what had occurred. “There must be—” her mind repeated. Needing to continue her search, she broke free of him.

She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. Her head felt foggy, and she gave it a good shake to clear it, but to no relief. Her mind kept repeating two words: Lizzy. William. Lizzy. William.

Elizabeth stumbled away from him. Although she knew her thoughts irrational, she had to act immediately. Racing up the stairs, she continued to call her daughter’s name, going so far as to look inside wardrobes, behind drapes and under beds. “Elizabeth Anne Dartmore, show yourself!” she ordered in her best mother’s voice, but nothing in the house stirred.

She rushed back to the top of the stairs to stare down at him. He had not moved. “Did you take her?” she demanded. “Please do not take her from me, William. I cannot live without her. I nearly died giving birth to her!” Again, a sense of urgency filled her. What were the chances that her wayward betrothed returned on the very same day as her daughter had gone missing?

“I did not know I had a daughter,” he declared in a voice that spoke of dismay, but Elizabeth could not be certain of his honesty. It was all too convenient. Moreover, she knew Mr. Darcy a powerful man, who would do all possible to have what he wanted.

* * *

Her announcement of the existence of their daughter had shaken Darcy’s world as nothing ever had. Immediately, he understood why Elizabeth had made use of the tale of a deceased husband. Even before she broke away from him, Darcy knew what she was thinking: He would have thought it also if the situation had been reversed. Such did not mean when she accused him of stealing away their child that it did not rip away part of his soul.

He had stood his ground as she frantically searched for the child. “Elizabeth Anne,” he had whispered, learning his daughter’s name. Named for the girl’s mother and his. Even though he had not been present in her life, Elizabeth had presented the child his mother’s Christian name: Anne.

“I did not know I had a daughter,” he had responded to her accusation. He found breathing difficult, as she stared down at him: Vehemence marked her features.

“You have yet to explain where you have been for four years,” she hissed. She rushed down the steps to strike him. “How could you? I loved you!” She hit him again, her fist pounding against his chest. Her anger had not come simply from her fears for their daughter, but, also, for all she had endured because he had trusted the wrong people. He stood very still and permitted her finally to express her rage at the world. At least, one of them should be free of guilt.

He braced himself for each blow. For four years he had stood strong when the Devil himself used his whip against him, but nothing had ever executed the kind of damage her small fists did.

Eventually, she wrapped her hands about the lapels of his coat and tugged hard, as if she wished to rip out his heart. She had no idea she had accomplished exactly that. “Did you take her?” she begged, sobbing against his shirt. “Did you come today to tell me you meant to take Lizzy away? ”

He did not answer. Darcy knew her reason would arrive when her emotions had been spent. Instead, he wrapped his arms about her and held her against him. “I would never punish you. If I had known we shared a child, I would have come, but it would have been for both the child and her mother.” She fought to be free of him; yet, he held her in place. “You know my heart, Elizabeth,” he bent his head to whisper into her ear. “If anyone knows me, it is you. I have shared more of myself with you than with any other person of my acquaintance. Even more than with my sister. I know others, those who have never exchanged even the slightest form of interaction with me, speak of me as an arrogant, uncaring person. I know how I appear to the world. You, too, once held such thoughts,” he ventured, “however, I pray I have proved otherwise.”

She sagged against him. “You must have her,” she pleaded. “You would keep her safe when others would not.”

“We will find her. I promise.” He spoke with more calmness than he felt. Darcy knew in his heart he would destroy whoever had separated the child from her mother. Even if Elizabeth never was his, his vengeance would be forthcoming. “Let us see to Mrs. Harris. Perhaps the lady can tell us what has occurred.”

She nodded her agreement and released her hold on his coat.

He turned her to where the woman remained unconscious upon the floor. Elizabeth broke away from him to examine Mrs. Harris’s wound. “Fetch me the water bowl and a clean cloth,” she ordered.

Darcy did as she instructed and then knelt beside her. Elizabeth dabbed the cloth in the water to wash the lady’s face. “Mrs. Harris,” she said in calmer tones than previously. “It is Elizabeth. Can you hear me?”

The woman’s eyes fluttered open and closed several times before they focused on Elizabeth. “Mrs. ... Dartmore,” she whispered in recognition before panic crossed her features. The woman pushed herself to a seated position. “Is Lizzy well?”

Elizabeth’s features crumbled. “Do you know what became of my daughter?” she asked through trembling lips.

The woman held her head in obvious pain. “I told her to run. Mr. Townsend came for her, but you’d never said you trusted the man. He pushed his way into the house. I kept telling him ‘no,’ but he would not listen. When I struggled with him, I told Lizzy to run home.”

Elizabeth’s hand shook, and he thought she, too, might faint. Therefore, he gave her a task to keep her focused. “I will remain with the lady. You return to the shop and search out Lizzy there. Send Jasper to fetch a doctor and instruct him to join me here. If you have Townsend’s directions send them along with my man.” He squeezed the back of her hand to make certain she was understanding him.

“I told him where Lizzy was,” she admitted, tears returning to her eyes. “When I rejected his overtures, I told him I had to leave the shop to come fetch Lizzy.”

“We will find her, love,” he promised. “For now, you must assist me by doing what I asked. Do you understand.” He spoke to her in clear, concise tones, although his heart was aching to take her again into his embrace. Darcy knew he must be strong for both of them. “I will remain with Mrs. Harris until the doctor appears, and then I will call personally on Mr. Townsend.”

“Do not kill him, William,” she pleaded. “I want my daughter back.”

“Trust me, Mr. Townsend will see reason,” he said. “Now hurry. Lizzy is probably waiting for you at the bookstore and is frightened her mother is not there to provide her comfort.”

She nodded her agreement. “If Lizzy is there, I shall have Jasper bring you word.” Then she was gone, running across the yard to the streets beyond.

Darcy watched her go—his emotions still reeling. He wished to follow to make certain no one brought harm to her ever again. Yet, there were more pressing matters hanging over his head. “Might I assist you to a chair, ma’am?”

“Who are you?” Mrs. Harris asked while struggling to her feet .

“I am Lizzy Anne’s father,” he said with a genuine smile, the idea of having a child had found purchase in his heart.

“Lieutenant Dartmore?” the woman asked.

He did not enjoy the pretense of using another’s name, real or not; yet, if he did not comply, his daughter would be named a “bastard” by Society. “One and the same.” He pulled a nearby chair closer to the lady.

“Everyone thought you dead,” Mrs. Harris said as she hobbled the few steps to be seated.

“At times, I thought such was to be my fate.” He knelt before her. “Might I fetch you something, ma’am?”

She shook off the idea, but winced from the movement. “I can certainly see your daughter in your features, lieutenant. You shall never be able to deny the child.”

Darcy wished to ask more of his child, but he would learn it all soon enough on his own. The idea of his blood flowing through another was satisfying in so many ways, but it was also frightening in a manner he had never considered. The only other time he had known such fury as was coursing through him now was when Wickham had attempted to seduce Georgiana. Although he knew better than to allow his mind to think on the possibilities, he realized if someone, likely Lady Catherine or Matlock, had been bold enough to have him kidnapped to prevent his marriage to Elizabeth, the person would not hesitate to force Darcy’s hand by taking his child. Making himself concentrate on the task at hand, he asked, “Might you tell me what occurred with Mr. Townsend?”

The woman appeared weak; yet, she related the tale. “Mrs. Dartmore was to retrieve Miss Lizzy after the bookstore closed for the day. Mr. Sheffield has been ill, and neither of us thought it was appropriate to expect the gentleman to tend the child while in his condition. In truth, although he says otherwise, Mr. Sheffield is too kind to his niece.”

Darcy swallowed the words rushing to his lip. He wished to defend his former valet, but he set his instant anger aside for the time being. “What of Mr. Townsend, ma’am? ”

“Right,” she said. “We, meaning Lizzy and I, heard a knock at the backdoor and thought it was Mrs. Dartmore, but it proved to be Mr. Townsend. The gentleman said Mrs. Dartmore had sent him to bring Lizzy to the bookstore. He said Mr. Sheffield had taken a turn for the worse, and Mrs. Dartmore could not come herself. I told him I would come with them, for I wished to tend Mr. Sheffield myself. It was then Mr. Townsend insisted he and Lizzy go ahead, and I could follow. He appeared most eager to be gone.”

“You said something about telling Lizzy to run,” Darcy prompted. “Did Townsend do something to frighten the child?”

Mrs. Harris looked at the still opened kitchen door. “I should have known something was amiss when Townsend did not call at the front door.” She frowned deeply. “When I turned to retrieve my cloak and bonnet from the hook, Mr. Townsend must have made some sort of grab for Miss Lizzy, for the child screamed and ran behind me for protection.” The woman pulled herself up straighter. “Naturally, I chastised Townsend for being so foolish. After all, he has two sons of his own. Unfortunately, he ignored my protest and again moved to catch your daughter. When I stepped before him to order him from my house and to say I would return Lizzy Anne to her mother and he should consider his duty to Mrs. Dartmore complete, he struck out against me.”

Darcy felt his hand forming a fist. Mr. Townsend would know Darcy’s wrath.

The woman continued, “It was then Mr. Townsend shoved me from his way, and I struck my head against the china chest. I recall warning Lizzy to run, but not much after that. I must have lost consciousness.”

A light tap at the door announced the arrival of the physician and Jasper. “I will leave you, ma’am,” he said as he stood. “Thank you for your attempts to protect Elizabeth Anne.” He briefly explained what he and Elizabeth had discovered regarding Mrs. Harris to the doctor and slipped a few coins into the man’s hand. “If there are additional expenses, send a note around to Mrs. Dartmore at the bookstore, and I will see to the costs.”

Then he joined Jasper in the yard, “Did Miss Elizabeth provide you Mr. Townsend’s directions?” he asked softly.

“She did, sir.” He handed Darcy a slip of paper. “The lady says this is the one the man provided when he first ordered books from the shop.” As Darcy studied the address, Jasper continued, “I assisted the lady in searching the shop and the area surrounding it before I fetched the physician. Miss Elizabeth planned to retrace her steps before joining you at Mr. Townsend’s home. She will meet you at the man’s residence.”

Darcy had hoped Elizabeth would have discovered the child at home, although he realized the half mile or so between Mrs. Harris’s cottage and the bookstore would be difficult for a child of three or less to cover alone. The idea he did not know exactly when Elizabeth Anne had been born made him sad. He had missed so much of her life while he was imprisoned on The Lost Sparro w . First smile. First tooth. First steps. So many firsts of which he had been robbed.

* * *

“You are certain Mr. Townsend left Brighton a fortnight prior?” Darcy asked the man who ran the boarding house where Townsend had stayed. “Mrs. Dartmore is certain she observed him on the streets less than a week removed.”

“The rooms be let to another these last ten days,” the man said. “I kin show yous the register if’n you like.”

Darcy waved off the idea. “We are simply attempting to make sense of what Townsend has told us.”

“What of his sons? Emerson and Tobias?” Elizabeth demanded. She was obviously again very agitated by this turn of events.

The man looked upon her in sympathy. “Ma’am, to the best of me knowledge, Mr. Townsend had no children, at least, none that be residing with him under me roof. I don’t let to families. Too noisy.”

“William,” she pleaded as she sagged against him. “Make this stop. ”

“I will,” he said softly as he caressed her cheek. To the man, he said, “Is there anything else you can tell us of Mr. Townsend? Did he receive letters? Did he have visitors?”

“No letters, I knows of,” the man shared, “and his only visitor was a man called ‘Hardy.’”

“First or last name?” Darcy asked.

“Not certain, sir, but you might ask of the man at The Dingy Ros e . Mr. Townsend favored the place.”

Darcy handed the man several coins and walked Elizabeth outside into the encroaching night. He pulled her pelisse tighter about her. “I want you to return to the store.”

“I would prefer to go with you,” she protested.

“I doubt a place called The Dingy Ros e is a place for a lady,” he countered. “Moreover, you must be at the store in case someone sends a note requiring a ransom.”

“A ransom?” she gasped. “But—”

His thumb made small circles upon her wrist. “I have thought upon the possibilities of why someone would steal away our daughter. Either someone thinks Mr. Sheffield would pay for the return of his grand-niece or someone has determined Elizabeth Anne is my daughter,” he explained in calmer tones than he felt. He blamed himself for not arriving in Brighton earlier.

“But how?” she questioned. “No one knows of my being with Sheffield other than my father, and even he was not made privy to where we would settle.”

Darcy attempted to keep his expression natural so as not to frighten her further. “When I called upon your father to beg for information of your whereabouts, Miss Bennet stopped me as I exited Longbourn’s main gate. During our conversation, I asked if she knew the identity of the ‘stranger’ who reportedly called upon Mr. Bennet shortly before you departed Longbourn. Your sister told me she had recognized a man she identified as Sheffield, obviously from our time at Netherfield, when he arrived at Longbourn.”

“So more than Mr. Bennet knew of Mr. Sheffield’s offer?” she reasoned.

“I do not think the others knew what Sheffield had done for you; Miss Bennet assumed he had delivered a message or some sort of settlement from my family,” he explained, “but your sister had seen Sheffield from her rooms facing the main drive. Likely, others also had seen him. Most assuredly, one of the house servants let him into the house or a groom assisted in attending Sheffield’s coach, which would have drawn attention.”

“If Jane was at Longbourn, that means Mr. Bingley never returned to Netherfield,” she said sadly. “I left my home and family so my sisters would have a future. It was all for nothing.”

“I asked to see Bingley when I first arrived in London, and I was quite shocked he had not shown more fortitude than he did. I have essentially cut ties with him.”

“I am sorry for it. Sorry for your loss of a friend, and sorry Jane has suffered so. My sister deserved a better life than to be a spinster. All that beauty and goodness wasted because she placed her trust in a man too weak to make his own decisions.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Perhaps it was best to learn her lesson now than after she agreed to marry him.” She shook her head in obvious remorse. “But as to my traveling with Mr. Sheffield, even Mr. Bennet did not know of my final destination, and we did not come to Brighton until after Elizabeth Anne was born. How could anyone learn of our whereabouts? As far as I know, other than the occasional letter from one of his brothers, no one is aware Sheffield is in Brighton, and, according to your former valet, even his brothers do not know we have traveled here together.”

“Sheffield receives a pension from me,” he told her. “Such is how I located him. Please know that before my return to England, Lord Matlock made himself the ‘master’ of my business affairs. He is likely to be aware of where Sheffield can be found. And then there is the matter of what those in your family told Lady Catherine.”

“Lady Catherine? Why has Lady Catherine called upon my family?” Anger again returned to Elizabeth’s tone.

He disclosed, “Both Lady Catherine and Lord Matlock have called upon Mr. Bennet over the last month, each offering several thousand pounds to be used for your remaining sisters’ dowries in exchange for information on your whereabouts.”

“Because of my connection to you,” she reasoned aloud.

“Yes,” he said simply, despising the idea of his late mother’s family harming those he affected.

“But surely Jane would not tell Lady Catherine of her suspicions of my being with Mr. Sheffield.”

“No, but I fear your mother is not so circumspect. Mrs. Bennet told Lady Catherine that Mr. Sheffield had been more well-mannered than her ladyship when he called upon the household.” He fastened the top two buttons on the pelisse. “I do not like to think either you or our daughter will suffer because of your connection to me, but, know, someone paid for me to disappear—my abduction was not simply a matter of opportunity—and I fear they are now attempting to cover their manipulations. I had hoped to reach you before anyone else did.”

“Will they harm Lizzy?” she pleaded.

“I do not think it will come to that. Whoever staged our daughter’s disappearance will use her to force our compliance.” He snagged her chin to lift it so he might watch the dawn of realization arrive upon her features.

“Someone means to keep us apart?”

“I believe our relationship has caused others to react without caution,” he confessed.

“I want our daughter safe,” she ordered. “You will keep her safe, William. You will allow no harm to mark her.”

“I will do everything within my power to secure Elizabeth Anne’s return to your waiting arms.” He kissed her forehead. “Permit Jasper to escort you to Mr. Sheffield. I will come to you as quickly as I learn anything.”

“I believe I will call upon some of the other shopkeepers to see if they have seen anything of Lizzy. Perhaps one of them took her in.”

“An excellent plan,” he said, although Darcy doubted someone would not have returned the child if they had found her wandering the streets alone.

She started away but paused. “If you discover her, William, she will likely refuse to come to you on her own.”

Even though the world was crashing in around him, he could not resist offering her a small smile. “Why is that, love?”

“I taught our daughter never to go any place with a stranger unless he knew our ‘secret’ words.”

“Would you care to share the words with me?” He looked upon her lovingly. If it were not for the dire circumstances in which they found themselves, this would be a wonderful memory to cherish. “I would despise frightening my own child.”

She half-smiled also. “Originally I thought to use the word ‘Pemberley,’ but I feared it might draw unwanted attention to how much our daughter resembles the Master of Pemberley.”

“Also, a difficult word to pronounce for such a small child,” he conceded. “What did you choose in its place?”

Theirs was an intimate conversation held upon a busy street. “Do you recall what you told Miss Bingley that you found pleasurable about my appearance when we were all together at Lucas Lodge?”

“It was the night I realized my complete obsession with you,” he confessed.

“Those two words are the ‘secret’ words to your daughter’s compliance. Elizabeth Anne liked the tale of how her papa defended her mama from the ‘wicked witch’ known as Caroline,” she said with a pert lift of her chin, before walking away with Jasper at her side.