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Leaving the parlour, Darcy paused in the hallway and remembered, ‘I am at fault here. I met with the lawyers and ended my hold on the Rosings assets . Of course, the lawyers followed her direction to provide her with money. If they were smart, they bought the properties for themselves – both stay rented, and the tenant businesses pay their debts regularly.’

‘The properties were worth at least another ten thousand pounds but the lawyers followed Lady Catherine’s instructions to sell quickly.

None of the banks would mortgage the properties because of my aunt’s personal history of not paying her debts.

And now the whole value is gone from Anne’s estate,’ Darcy ruminated.

‘I am fault for this catastrophe. If I had discouraged Mr Collins last year…it was not my place. But I should have said something…anything.’

The man sighed as he thought, ‘Elizabeth will be disappointed in me.’

~~~

After refusing to call for a maid to order tea for Lady Catherine, Darcy realized he was obligated to return with his aunt to London and seek his uncle’s counsel about the loss of a sizeable fortune from Anne’s estate.

The Earl of Matlock would be angry with his sister, his nephew and the lawyers.

But with the power of the nobleman’s position, they might recover some or all of the lost funds when Wickham was located.

Suggesting to his aunt that she remain in the parlour, Darcy left the room and went through the kitchens to seek his uncle’s coachman.

The Matlock man took excellent care of the team of horses and would have moved them to the stables behind the manor where water would be available for the animals.

Outside the large stables, the coachman tipped his hat to greet the gentleman.

The dependable coachman explained, “Mr Darcy, I have a horse that’s gone lame. It’ll be three days at best before I dare put this team back in harness. Will you deal with Lady Catherine? Her Ladyship never cares about the horses.”

Darcy told the man to treat the horse here at Netherfield and sent the lady’s maid who had been left in the carriage into the kitchens for tea and food. Then the gentleman asked, “Does my uncle know you came to Hertfordshire today?”

“No sir,” the coachman replied. “The countess urged his lordship to curtail Lady Catherine’s excursions around the city, but the earl ignored his wife.

When Lady Catherine arrived from Rosings, her horses were in bad shape.

That team is in the earl’s stables and can’t be used for service for at least another week.

This morning when she stepped from Matlock House, she ordered me to turn the carriage toward Meryton. ”

After learning that his aunt’s forays around London had included a short visit to his own house in Mayfair, Darcy determined to bring the problem to the attention of his uncle – and leave the problem in that man’s hands.

He told the coachman, “Stay here with the horses. Charles Bingley and his wife are friends of mine and they will allow you room and board as well as fodder and stables for the team until they are fit to return to the city. Keep a record of everything you use, and I shall require my uncle to reimburse Mr Bingley for the items.”

“What about her ladyship?” inquired the coachman. “Earl Matlock is unlikely to be forgiving if his sister is trapped in the countryside.”

Nodding in agreement, the gentleman replied, “I shall take Lady Catherine back to London in my carriage. I must go to the city to determine the damage Her Ladyship has inflicted on her daughter’s estate.”

Approaching his coachman, Darcy instructed, “Jasper, harness the team to my carriage and be prepared to depart Netherfield in just one hour’s time. Leave my other mounts here for I shall return after we deliver Lady Catherine to my uncle’s house.”

Returning to the kitchens of Netherfield, Darcy sent his valet to pack a trunk. He would be needed in London no more than two nights and his household in Mayfair would be in disarray with his unannounced arrival tonight. It was easier to carry everything to London for a short stay.

The team of horses and carriage that delivered Lady Catherine to Netherfield would remain in the care of the coachman in the Netherfield stables.

Darcy would make certain his uncle learned of their location and the fact that one of the horses had gone lame.

The stable at Netherfield offered suitable stalls, hay and oats for the horses to recover.

The footman from his uncle’s carriage would return to London to inform the head of the Earl’s stable about the team and their location.

Returning to the kitchens, Darcy relented and asked Mrs Hobbes to provide Lady Catherine with tea and a chance to refresh herself before his carriage left Netherfield.

~~~

With Lady Catherine confined to the parlour until Darcy came for her, the man ventured above stairs.

His valet was packing the two trunks with his belongings – clothes and coats in one trunk, and boots and books in the second.

A small trunk that the valet would carry on his person in the coach was already packed.

It contained Mr Darcy’s correspondence while at Netherfield, and the writing materials Darcy carried everywhere.

Knocking on the door to Georgiana’s bedchamber, Mr Darcy was pleased to find his sister in the room with Mrs Annesley, Mrs Bingley, and Miss Elizabeth.

Smiling at his sister and the other ladies, Darcy asked, “How did you get inside the house? I did not hear you come through the front door or climb the stairs.”

Smiling impishly, Georgiana explained, “Elizabeth and I entered the house with young Mr Hill through the kitchens and came up the back staircase with the chambermaid who cares for my room.”

Surprised, Darcy asked for clarification, “Did you use the servant’s staircase?”

Jane Bingley smiled as she explained, “At Longbourn, my sister and I learned to slip down the back stairs to the kitchen once we were too old to climb out of the window and down the trellis to the ground. Our housekeeper monitored our excursions as best as she could.”

Elizabeth added, “I believe Papa knew what we were doing but Mamma never discovered how we exited the house when we were supposed to be napping or considering proper lady-like behaviours.”

The young woman smiled as she added, “The back stairs here at Netherfield are narrow but they offer doorways into each chamber above stairs. You do not encounter anyone along the way except for the occasional maid.”

Georgiana grinned and concluded, “It was an adventure to avoid Aunt Catherine.”

Dracy smiled before he addressed Jane, “Mrs Bingley, I must return Lady Catherine to London this afternoon. Might I beg houseroom for my sister without my presence for a few days?”

“What has happened?” asked Georgiana. Elizabeth was glad to hear the question that she would have asked if Miss Darcy had not.

Darcy replied, “Our aunt has been swindled out of a tremendous amount of money and impoverished Rosings. I must try and see if there is anything to be done about recovering the money.”

Jane interrupted, “Mr Darcy, do you believe she was swindled? How did this occur?”

The man explained, “She handed over fifteen thousand pounds to purchase shares in Mr Wickham’s fictious company that Mr Wickham spoke of last autumn here in Meryton.”

Elizabeth asked, “Do you refer to the New World Tea Company?”

The gentleman nodded his head and Elizabeth turned pale before she expounded, “Mr Darcy, that company…when Mr Wickham attended the wedding of Mr and Mrs Collins, several of the neighbourhood gentlemen purchased shares in that same company.”

She continued, “Moreover, when I was a guest of Mr and Mrs Collins in Hunsford, Mr Wickham called at the parsonage before going with Mr Collins to call on your aunt. Inadvertently, I overheard a business conversation between the two men, and it left me very confused.”

Frowning, Mr Darcy asked, “How did the conversation leave you confused, Miss Bennet?”

Glancing at the audience in Georgiana’s sitting room, Elizabeth admitted, “I would rather not explain my information at the present moment.”

Pleased that Elizabeth had not revealed the cause of Mr Bingley’s urgent trip to London, Jane suggested, “Mr Darcy, would you allow me to chaperone you and my sister while she discusses this matter with you? We can meet in my sitting room while Miss Darcy and Mrs Annesley return to their sewing or reading. I shall give them tea once you have departed for London with your aunt.”

Unhappy to be denied all the information, Georgiana was pleased with the hug from her brother and his promise of sending her a letter from London. He added, “I shall return as soon as possible.”

~~~

In the small sitting room attached to the bedchamber Jane shared with her husband, the lady motioned her sister and Mr Darcy toward a pair of chairs near the fireplace.

She retreated to the window that looked out at the eastern side of the house and waited while Elizabeth spoke with Mr Darcy confidentially.

With Jane on the other side of the room, Elizabeth confided, “The last Sunday I was a guest at Hunsford, I retired to my bedchamber immediately after luncheon. Mr Wickham came to eat and remained to talk business with Mr Collins. I feigned a headache to avoid the man’s company and retreated to my bedchamber.

Unfortunately, my room above stairs was directly over the room that Mr Collins used as his office and through the chimney I could hear every word of their conversation. ”

Blushing Elizabeth admitted, “At first, I thought to make the gentlemen aware their conversation was overheard but then Wickham mentioned that you–Mr Darcy–were to be an investor in his latest business venture. I admit I remained silent and listened as Wickham explained the opportunity he would present to Lady Catherine.”

The gentleman frowned but made no comment, so Elizabeth continued, “I have no way of knowing if Mr Wickham’s business offered a secure investment for your cousin’s estate.

The sums of money discussed were beyond my comprehension–thirty thousand pounds for a merchant ship.

And profits of fifteen thousand pounds per annum. ”

“However, I could understand why the promise of such wealth was an overwhelming temptation to the gentlemen in Meryton and Mr Collins,” the young woman concluded.

“The next morning, Charles and Jane appeared at Hunsford with a tale that my mother was ill. I immediately left with them to return to Hertfordshire.”

Darcy asked, “Is your lady mother sick? No one has said that she was indisposed.”

“No sir,” Elizabeth admitted. “It was a tale that my sister and her husband contrived to excuse my sudden departure from Hunsford. My father was disturbed by comments in a letter from Mr Collins and he wished me returned to our home as soon as possible.”

Surprized by the stratagem, Darcy admitted, “Mrs Bingley will be the making of Charles.”

“I was cross with Jane and Charles for all of ten minutes,” Elizabeth admitted. “I have written to Mrs Collins that my mother has recovered.”

She continued, “That night we remained in London with the Gardiners at their home on Gracechurch Street. After supper I spoke with my uncle about the conversation. He asked Charles to join us for the conversation and both of them assured me that Wickham promises of profits were impossible.”

Frowning Elizabeth continued, “I was incensed that it was allowed for any man to lie to people about business and investments and they both assured me that the buyer was responsible for evaluating offers for truth or fabrication. Charles and Uncle Gardiner supported my notion that women should receive some education on these matters but also pointed out that most men do not think before handing over their coins to charlatans and fools.”

Mr Darcy stated, “I agree with everything you say Miss Bennet, and we can discuss this idea at a future date…we shall discuss these facts and provide you with instruction as well as my sister. However, this afternoon I must escort Lady Catherine back to Matlock House and discover the extent of damage to my cousin’s estate. ”

The gentleman continued, “You heard them–the men–planned for Collins to introduce Wickham to my aunt the next day.”

“Yes,” Elizabeth confirmed. “Wickham was to call at Rosings at three the next afternoon. Mr Collins would make the introduction, and Mr Wickham would present the investment opportunity to your aunt.”

Now, Darcy explained, “The price of thirty thousand pounds for a cargo ship sounds reasonable but the returns that Wickham promised are not possible. Generally, a ship has several owners or is owned by a company so that the loss of the ship does not destroy an individual’s entire fortune.

And the owners must pay the crew, taxes to the government, and the occasional gratuity to the harbour master. ”

He concluded, “And Wickham failed to mention the cost of the cargo…he sells a pipedream, Miss Bennet.”

Sitting back in the chair, Elizabeth added, “Uncle Gardiner and Mr Bingley agree with you, sir.”

~~~