Page 73

When the Darcy coach and four appeared on the drive leading to Netherfield the next afternoon, Miss Darcy was glad to see her brother.

Even though she welcomed Mr Darcy back into her home, Mrs Bingley was distressed with the continued absence of her husband.

The delivery of an express letter from Charles almost immediately after the arrival of Mr Darcy, relieved many of Jane’s concerns.

As Dracy led his sister and Jane toward the Darcy carriage for the trip to Longbourn, Jane continued to watch the drive leading to Netherfield, imagining the image of her husband’s carriage bringing Charles home.

Mrs Bingley admitted to herself, ‘I miss my husband terribly.’

~~~

Elizabeth walked through the apple orchard nearest to the house.

The fruit would soon ripen, and the ladies of the house would help the housekeeper to peel and cut up the apples to dry in the attics.

Another orchard, closer to the pastures, grew the apples that were crushed for cider and vinegar. Those apples did not ripen until July.

Unlike other summers, the young woman’s thoughts were not focused on the tasks required to ensure the family, servants, and tenants had sufficient food stuffs to eat during the winter.

Her entire life, Elizabeth’s parents and other adults around Longbourn provided instruction on growing and preserving food.

And every summer, there were multiple gardens in the fields around Longbourn and every tenant house.

Today, Elizabeth Bennet was lost in her thoughts about Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Her memories of his recent visit at Netherfield fed the flames of her attraction to the tall man.

Then a letter from London pulled Charles to London.

The unexpected appearance of Lady Catherine that same day with her story of the New World Tea Company was disconcerting; Mr Darcy’s sudden departure with his aunt in tow that same afternoon left Elizabeth disappointed.

Jane, Miss Darcy, and Mrs Annesley remained at Netherfield when Lizzy returned to Longbourn in the late afternoon.

During supper and in the parlour before bed, Elizabeth shared none of the events that had occurred at Netherfield earlier in the day.

The next day, Elizabeth lingered in the hallway to see if her father received any letters.

She knew if he did, he would remain silent at the table in the dining room.

‘Papa will not feed the gossip that Mama and Aunt Phillips would spread around Meryton faster than the hounds chase the fox during the hunt.’

Elizabeth smiled imagining Mr Darcy’s flushed face when he returned from such an excursion.

In her mind, she saw the gentleman guide his horse across the fields of Longbourn, pull the mount to a stop and drop from the saddle.

She paused in her walk as her daydream continued with Mr Darcy – Fitzwilliam – smiling at her, approaching her at the door of the house, and lifting her hand to his lips for a kiss on her skin.

“Lizzy!” called a voice from far away.

Lost in her daydream, Elizabeth imagined she was alone with the handsome man – no chaperones in the corners of the room – as Fitzwilliam’s hands drew her close, her heart beating wildly in her breast as he bent his head toward hers.

“LIZZY!” shouted the voice again, interrupting Elizabeth’s lovely daydream.

Lydia stood at the fence that surrounded the orchard with the usual perturbed look on her face.

The younger sister did not pay close attention to the other woman, or she would have giggled to see the bright red flush that heated Lizzy’s cheeks and neck.

“Papa sent me to find you!” Lydia declared. “He wants you to come to his library as soon as you have clean shoes on your feet!”

The message delivered, Elizabeth watched Lydia turn and begin her trip back to the manor house.

The younger sister lifted her skirts to lengthen her stride – the ground was dry and the path back to the kitchen door was clear of mud.

Hurrying to the stile that allowed Elizabeth to cross the fence and reach the path, she also lifted her skirt to speed her steps.

Lydia had already vanished around the bend of the path behind shrubbery that hid the sight of the pastures from the dining room.

Once she entered the kitchen, Elizabeth saw Lydia’s dirty boots left beside the chair near the fire.

Mrs Hill was kneading bread dough and had not put the boots away.

Sitting in the same chair, Elizabeth pulled off her dirty boots and picked up both pairs of boots.

She placed them in the closet near the back door where everyone’s outdoor footwear was stored.

Then she noticed her shoes for inside wear were missing.

She frowned but said nothing to Mrs Hill and left the kitchen in her stocking feet, determined to find Lydia and retrieve her shoes after visiting with her father.

The floors were not cold – June had been pleasantly warm – and the floorboards were not newly polished, so the young woman did not slip as she walked along the hallway to cross from the back to the front of the house to her father’s library.

When she reached the library door, knocked and looked inside, Mr Bennet invited his daughter inside and asked her to sit. Once his daughter was seated before him, handed her a letter.

“I have received this letter from Mr Darcy with details of an expensive fraud that has occurred in London. He asked me to share with everyone in Meryton that George Wickham defrauded Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Miss Caroline Bingley of many thousands of pounds.”

Shocked to hear of crimes and lost wealth again, Elizabeth fell silent.

Mr Bennet allowed his daughter to read the letter–Mr Darcy’s words were clear that no investor with the New World Tea Company would receive dividends or recover their investments.

Worse, it appeared that Mr Wickham murdered his confederates and then disappeared with the stolen wealth.

Lizzy continued reading:

I shall return to Netherfield to continue my visit with Mr and Mrs Bingley, and my calls with your family.

Before the end of May, I shall provide documents from government officials in London to each gentleman in Meryton who purchased shares in the fictious company.

These documents include statements concerning the murders of Mr Wickham’s confederates, affirmations from the London harbour masters that there have never been any ships at the London docks with goods belonging to the New World Tea Company, and the statement of the innkeeper at the Sleeping Dog concerning that last day.

~~~

“Murder!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

Then she asked, “Papa, why would the innkeeper’s statement be included?”

Her father explained, “That man spoke with Wickham and both murder victims. He is the one who discovered the bodies and the disappearance of Wickham from the inn.

Confused Elizabeth asked, “Did the innkeeper not see Mr Wickham leave through the door?”

“Apparently, the Sleeping Dog has a back staircase that allows gentlemen with less honourable intentions to slip out the back.”

Elizabeth looked confused by the statement and Mr Bennet added, “I imagine the innkeeper requires everyone to pay for their lodgings, food and drink before they are given a room.

“The man knows some guests slip out the back!” Elizabeth complained. She grimaced and confessed, “Jane and I used the back staircase to escape from the house many times…even today, I went down those stairs and out through the kitchen.

“Of course you did,” Mr Bennet stated. “I climbed down the trellis until I was eleven years but then used the same backstairs until I married your mama.”

Blinking with surprise to hear her father’s confession, Elizabeth was distracted by a knock on the front door.

Mr Bennet and his daughter turned as Mr Hill opened the door of Mr Bennet’s library and announced, “Sir, Mrs Bingley has come for tea, and she is escorted by Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Georgiana Darcy.”

The look of surprise on Lizzy’s face pleased Mr Bennet greatly as his second daughter rose and straightened her gown but ignored the curls that had escaped from the combs in her hair.

She waited for her father to lead the way into the hall to greet their visitors.

From the staircase, she heard her mother exclaiming about the pleasant surprise of visitors in time for tea, Jane’s laughter, and the pleasant tones of Bingley’s voice.

The happy smile on Elizabeth’s face was matched by the smile on the tall gentleman’s face as she curtsied to Mr Darcy before she turned her attention to Georgiana for a moment.

~~~