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Once he had that information, the gentleman departed quietly with his footmen following close behind.

As the door closed, the innkeeper decided, ‘In the future I will refuse service for scoundrels like George Wickham despite the extra coins they promise for favours and silence. The stench of rotting blood would make it difficult to rent the room for full price for at least a month.’

Back in the yard where stagecoaches stood waiting for passengers and drivers.

Mr Jasper was talking to his peers and hurried to his employer’s side.

The coachman had important news, “Mr Darcy, the constables took the bodies of the dead folks to Newgate Prison. That’s where they take the bodies of the murdered persons for living folks to come and identify them before the constables bury them in pauper’s field. ”

~~~

When the footman opened the door to allow Charles to enter the house on Olive Street, the man was pleased to find Louisa and Geoffrey standing in the hallway as if waiting for him. But then there was the slamming of a door from the landing at the top of the stairs.

With a mere glance at Louisa, Charles decided, ‘Caroline is in a temper for certain.’

As the valet entered the house with a footman helping to carry a single trunk into the house and up the stairs, a housemaid appeared to take the visitor’s hat and gloves. While Louisa embraced her brother, Geoffrey said, “Charles, thank you for coming so quickly.”

Bingley nodded and asked, “Your letter stated we have a catastrophe here in London. What have you learned?”

“Mr Freed and Mr Yonkers will be here shortly to reveal what has happened,” Geoffrey his brother-in-law. “Last night, I found Freed at our club and the story he told left me without much hope of recovering any of the money that Caroline has thrown away.”

Louisa was confused but Geoffrey allowed her to decide if she wanted to remain in the room for these discussions or retire above stairs.

Without hesitation, she replied, “I shall remain at your side, Mr Hurst. If I went above stairs, my sister would invade our bedchamber and chide me for doubting her word.”

After a half hour for Charles to refresh himself and rejoin his sister and brother-in-law in the parlour, a housemaid escorted two gentlemen from the front door. Charles knew Freed and Yonkers because they were the attorneys who worked with the banks to maintain his fortune and his sister’s dowry.

After a short discussion, Freed explained, “Mr Bingley, you sent a letter stating that Miss Bingley had obtained her majority and could direct disbursement of her dowry as she chose.”

Frowning after hearing the words, Charles asked, “May I see the letter?”

The provided letter was not written by Charles Bingley but the handwriting matched Caroline’s letter to Louisa about her forthcoming engagement to Lord Campbell.

Geoffrey stated the letter is definitely a forgery and Charles replied, “Yes, the letter is Caroline’s handwriting, and she has been the author of her own disaster. ”

Carefully, Mr Freed and Mr Yonkers stated that they followed Mr Horace Bingley’s will; the elder Mr Bingley’s daughter, Caroline Bingley was of age and could make financial decisions herself.

Louisa mourned, “We left her alone and that led to this disaster.”

Hurst argued with his wife, “No, the person at fault here is Caroline for not consulting us or anyone else with common sense.”

To agree with Geoffrey Hurst, Charles said, “Louisa, Mrs Hurst was ill, and her health was rightfully of primary concern for you and Mr Hurst.”

After reading Caroline’s letter to their sister, Charles asked, “But who is the man Caroline refers to as Lord John Campbell?”

Mr Hurst replied, “Caroline claims that the man is the younger brother of the Earl of Argyle and his heir. She expected to be Lady Campbell after the marriage and then Countess of Argyle at some future date.”

~~~

The three members of Caroline’s family went above stairs to speak with her and gather information. After a single knock on the door of her bedchamber, Louisa went inside and then called for the two men to join them. Caroline remained seated as the others stood around her.

No one spoke for a moment before Caroline asked, “Charles, send a footman to inquire if anything has happened to Lord Campbell.”

Ignoring the command, Mr Bingley asked, “Sister, did you give money from your dowry to Mr Wickham?”

Hesitating only a second, Caroline admitted that she paid fifteen thousand pounds to purchase stock in Mr Wickham’s company.

Her face was animated when she explained, “Lord Campbell agreed that the New World Tea Company would be the next East India Company. Anyone who owns shares in the company will be rich!”

Her voice sounded joyous when she continued, “I shall be rich as a queen and when I marry Lord Campbell, someday I shall become the Countess of Argyle.”

“Caroline, Lord Howard Campbell is sixty years old,” Mr Hurst reminded the woman for the second time.

“Sixty years? No, Lord John Campbell is not more than forty years!”

Charles asked, “Who introduced you to this Lord Campbell?”

“Mr Wickham. In the winter and spring, Wickham brought Lord Campbell to the house many times for supper and to attend my salon. He developed a strong regard for my beauty and talents. He will propose marriage, and I shall marry him at the first opportunity.”

At that moment, the housekeeper was at the door to Caroline’s bedchamber and announced that there was a visitor below stairs. Caroline was triumphant and declared, “Lord Campbell! Lord Campbell has come! Now you will see…”

But the insufferable housekeeper interrupted Miss Bingley to explain, “Mr Hurst, I believe the caller is a constable here in the city.”

“A constable?” asked Caroline.

After a moment to consider what the appearance of such a man at their door on Olive Street, the woman wailed, “Something has happened to Lord Campbell! Lord Campbell has been murdered! Charles, go quickly and discover what has occurred!”

With Louisa remaining with her sister to console her, Geoffrey and Charles hurried down the stairs with the housekeeper.

Speaking to the constable at the front door, the two gentlemen heard that the governor of Newcastle Prison wished for knowledgeable persons to come to the prison and identify two bodies.

There was a dead woman who was thought to have been Edith Young, an associate of the criminal George Wickham.

The governor was also seeking confirmation of the identity of a second individual – a man known by the name of Phillip Bounty.

Mr Hurst and Mr Bingley agreed to go immediately to the prison and the housekeeper suggested that the footman accompany them. “He knows Mrs Young and he dealt with the fellow we knew as Lord Campbell more than any other member of the staff. If this is the pair of them, he can identify their faces.”

The Bingley carriage and team of horses were in the livery, but Mr Hurst hailed a large cab, and the four men were transported across the city to the prison.

~~~