Page 21 of The Bennet Heir
Chapter Twenty
P hilips realised quickly, upon encountering both Sir William and Colonel Forster at Longbourn, that what Jane had shared with him was most likely true.
“Philips, what are you doing here?” Sir William asked when Hill showed him and his niece into the room where they were talking. “And Miss Pattison? Is there something we can do for you? It is late for a visit.”
“My niece has something to tell you, but first, may I ask what you are doing here?” Philips began.
Sir William looked at the newcomers for a moment. “Bennet is missing. He left this morning to go to St. Albans and did not return. Goulding found the Bennet coachman and footman on the road from Shenley.” Sir William continued to tell Philips what they had learned, almost forgetting that Jane was in the room with them.
Philips sighed heavily when Sir William finished speaking. “Jane overheard something today, and although I had hoped it was idle speculation, I am afraid that it is more true than I might have wished.”
Jane stepped forward and repeated what she had overheard between her mother and Mr. Collins.
“They said that Wickham was a part of this plot?” Colonel Forster interrupted at one point.
“I am certain that was the name I heard them mention,” Jane replied, her voice far calmer than she felt. “They said his name more than once and indicated that he would take steps to ensure the militia would not find my brother.”
Colonel Forster grunted. “Something about that man struck me wrong—he is rather old to be joining the militia as a lieutenant—but another of my men vouched for him. If I had not been in desperate need of officers, I might have attempted to learn more about him before I accepted him. As it is, I allowed him to join a short time ago, but apparently, he is already creating havoc. If he is truly involved in this, then he will have voided the contract he signed when he joined and will be subject to military punishment.”
“There is more although it does not concern your search or the military,” Philips said to the colonel. “Sir William, I will speak with you later about other matters, but for now, our priority must be ensuring the safety of the women here at Longbourn, together with rescuing Bennet. I suggest we proceed with our search as planned. In the meantime, we can send one or two men—those we trust implicitly—to extract Bennet from wherever he is being held. If we keep his rescue quiet and continue the search as if nothing has changed, the conspirators will be left wondering what has become of him.”
The colonel nodded. “A sound strategy. However, we must act quickly—the longer Bennet remains in their hands, the greater the risk. I have observed that Wickham is inherently lazy and has likely placed too much confidence in the belief that Bennet cannot escape from wherever he is being held.”
Sir William, his expression unusually grim, inclined his head. “I will see to it that our most reliable men handle his extraction. But once he is safe, what then? If they suspect we have removed him, they may become desperate.”
Philips pressed his lips together in thought. “Then we must be prepared. They will either attempt to reclaim him or shift their plans. Either way, we need to be ready for whatever move they make next. There is danger in leaving Bennet exposed to the elements, for Jane indicated that the cottage where he is being held is rather rundown. Surely there is a secure location where no one will discover him.”
“There is Grandmama Bennet’s cottage,” Jane suggested. “So few people visit her now, and Mama would never dream of going there. I doubt Mr. Collins or Miss Bingley realise she exists or would think to consider her.”
“What does Miss Bingley have to do with this?” Sir William asked.
Philips answered before Jane could. “It is not clear, but we think that she may have been aiding the conspirators. That is the matter I need to speak to you about, Sir William, but the colonel will not need to be present for this conversation.”
“Do my men have anything to do with the rest of these plans?” Colonel Forster.
“We cannot be certain,” Philips replied, then sighed, resigned. “I suppose there is little point in keeping it a secret from you. Fanny Bennet and this Collins fellow have started rumours that not only is the entail still active—meaning he would inherit Longbourn if something were to happen to Jonathan—but that Longbourn should have always been his since some of the rumours indicate that it was stolen from the Collins family years ago.”
Sir William nodded. “I have heard these rumours and have refuted them whenever possible. Most people understand that Fanny Bennet is not a reliable source of information. Since she is the one promoting this tale, many will assume she is exaggerating out of bitterness or jealousy.”
“Yes, Collins came here because Fanny wrote to him, suggesting he should marry Lizzy,” Philips said. “It seems that, between them, they have decided that marrying Lizzy will give Collins control over Longbourn, and they intend to force the marriage by whatever means necessary. As for Miss Bingley’s involvement, I cannot say for certain, but if I had to guess, I would assume it is because she wants Mr. Darcy for herself.”
At this, Jane spoke up. “Mr. Collins said he would ruin Lizzy if she did not comply willingly. I fear for her safety.”
Sir William’s expression darkened. “Charlotte told me that Miss Eliza has already written to Mr. Darcy, informing him of what has happened. They expect he will arrive sometime tomorrow; Charlotte believes he will set out at first light to reach her as soon as possible.”
Philips and Jane nodded at this. “Where is Lizzy now, Sir William?” Jane asked.
“She went to inform her grandmother of what happened and will stay there tonight,” Sir William replied. “A footman accompanied her, one of the two that Mr. Darcy sent here to look out for the Bennet ladies. I wish one had been with Bennet today when he travelled to St. Albans, but no one realised he might be a target.”
“I knew Mama had been meeting with Mr. Collins and Miss Bingley, but I never imagined they would go so far. It is shocking to think that any of them would even consider kidnapping, let alone threatening to force Lizzy into marriage. For a clergyman to suggest actually ruining her to obtain her compliance—it is simply inconceivable that he would even consider acting in that way.”
“Jane, I cannot explain what these people’s motivations may be, but for many people, greed or vengeance for a perceived wrong can be a powerful factor,” Philips said, seeing both the colonel and Sir William nod at this. “We will do all we can to ensure the safety of the Longbourn family, but I hope you understand that your mother and the others will be held accountable for their actions in this matter.”
Jane’s expression wavered between disbelief and distress. “I understand, Uncle Philips. I do not excuse Mama’s behaviour, nor do I pretend she has not acted wrongly, but she is still my mother. It pains me to think of what might become of her after this. Will she be thrown into prison?”
Sir William sighed, his tone gentle. “I do not envy your position, Miss Pattison, but her actions have put others at risk. There must be consequences for what she has done.”
The colonel nodded. “Our plans may make all three of them become desperate, and desperate people are dangerous. If they fear discovery, they may attempt something even more reckless. We must act swiftly to ensure the safety of Longbourn.”
Jane straightened, pushing aside her own turmoil. “What must we do?”
“For now, Jane, we must get you back to Meryton,” Philips said, looking at the other two men. “Sir William, let me know if there is anything I can do to assist and send word when Bennet has been located and is safe. I will keep an eye on my sister—finally, some good has come of her having a house near my own.” His attempt at humour fell flat, and, with just a few final words exchanged, he and Jane left.
The other two men sighed as they began to amend and further their stratagems. Colonel Forster had served his years in the regulars before taking this position with the militia, but his rank had been purchased, not earned. He was competent at paperwork and other administrative tasks, however planning a rescue mission was beyond his abilities.
“With Lieutenant Wickham involved in this, I am uncertain which of my own men I can trust,” the colonel said with a heavy sigh. “Perhaps Captain Carter, but the coachmen said there were seven men in all. That means this Collins fellow and Wickham, and five other men. It seems likely they are my men, but I cannot guess if they would be officers or foot soldiers.”
“Does Wickham have any authority over the soldiers?” Sir William asked.
“Yes, he is an officer, which means the foot soldiers would have to obey his commands,” came the reply. “He is a junior officer, the lowest rung of the ladder, but still those men would be easier to convince than another officer. Another officer would also require some sort of compensation for kidnapping a gentleman.”
Both men paused as they considered this. “What sort of man is Wickham?” Sir William asked finally.
“As I said, so far, I have found him to be lazy and avaricious. He would want to do things as expeditiously as possible and with the most profit to himself. No, he would not want another cutting into whatever he thought he could get out of this, so he would order soldiers to aid him,” the colonel said, coming to this conclusion as he spoke.
“Then the men he commanded may think it was some sort of practice or training session and will likely speak of it to others, especially if questioned by the colonel of the militia,” Sir William concluded.
The colonel nodded, but after a moment, shook his head. “This does not help us with the matter of rescuing Bennet tonight. Philips’ niece supposed that it is likely he is somewhere on the grounds of Netherfield—who is the most likely to know where a rundown cottage on the estate would be?”
Sir William thought about it for a moment. “Miss Eliza is the most likely. Rather, she and her brother,” he concluded. “However, we obviously cannot ask Bennet, and I hesitate to ask Miss Eliza.”
Before he could say more, the lady in question entered the room. “Do you know where my brother is?” she asked expectantly.
Both men looked at her in surprise. “I thought you were at the dower cottage with your grandmother.”
“She said my pacing was causing her to go mad,” Elizabeth retorted. “Of course, I was only pacing because she knows who the conspirators are and did not warn anyone that my brother was likely to be taken. Did you say that you know where he is?” she asked again, refusing to be distracted.
“She knows who the conspirators are?” Sir William echoed.
“Yes,” Elizabeth bit out. “Neither Mrs. Bennet nor Miss Bingley seem to realise that servants can both hear and understand English and foolishly spoke of their plans openly in front of the maids at Netherfield. The information was relayed to my grandmother—not that she saw fit to warn my brother of the plot.”
Though a trace of bitterness remained in her voice, she quickly recounted what her grandmother had overheard. Then, fixing her gaze on the gentlemen, she demanded, “Now, where is he?”
“We believe he may be in a rundown cottage on the edge of Netherfield,” the colonel answered.
“Which direction?” Elizabeth asked. “I can think of two buildings that have been abandoned for some time which no one has taken down. Of course, they are on opposite sides of the estate. One is near to the boundary of Longbourn, and the other is on the westernmost edge of Netherfield. Both are easily accessible by horse although I suppose a carriage might be able to reach the one nearer to Longbourn.”
“No one has spotted Bennet’s carriage,” Sir William said after a moment.
“The moon was full two nights ago, so someone who knew the way could easily find it on horseback, even now,” Elizabeth suggested.
“You will not be going, Miss Eliza,” Sir William interjected in a more forceful tone than she was used to hearing from him. “No matter what you say, you will not leave this house again this evening. Your brother would have my head!”
Elizabeth closed her eyes. “As much as I hate to admit it, I know that I cannot. If Jon needed help, I would be unable to assist him onto a horse or to do much for him. No, I cannot go. However, Timothy, the footman who typically accompanies me on my walks and rides, could show Mr. Darcy’s footman the way. Between the two of them, they should be able to bring him back. Is there a possibility that anyone was left to guard him?”
“We do not know,” the colonel admitted. “Your servants would need to approach the location with care.”
Once again Elizabeth closed her eyes, considering it for a moment before she spoke. “Let me fetch both men and see what they say. Mr. Darcy’s footman is obviously more than a simple footman and may have some suggestions of his own.”
That done, Elizabeth left the room. She took a moment to lean against the wall in the hallway after she left the men, attempting to compose herself. After her grandmother’s revelation that she knew about the plot, she had paced to try to work out the anger and fear that threatened to consume her. She had burst into the drawing room where Sir William and Colonel Forster were speaking after overhearing that they knew where Jonathan was without taking anything else into consideration.
Mrs. Hill found her in the hallway. “Miss Lizzy, is there anything I can do for you?”
Elizabeth opened her eyes, looking into the concerned face of the housekeeper. “Yes, please send Timothy to the drawing room along with Reynolds, Mr. Darcy’s footman and have someone send to the stables to have three horses saddled. They may not all be needed, but it is best to be prepared.”
Without another word, Mrs. Hill went to do as she was bid, and Elizabeth was once again thankful for efficient and loyal servants. She could well imagine how the request might have caused a raised brow or two, but not for Mrs. Hill.
A short time later, Elizabeth returned to the room. “What will we do with Jon once we have rescued him?” she asked. “Do we want the kidnappers to know he has been found, or do we want them to wonder where he might be?”
“Does your grandmother have room for him at her house?” the colonel asked. “We thought it was best to keep him out of public view for a time.”
Elizabeth nodded her agreement with the plan. “Sir William, what evidence do you need to charge them in this case?” she asked, then turned to the colonel to ask her second question. “Colonel, something occurred to me; are you here to assist with the search or do you have another purpose?”
It took the colonel a moment to answer her question. “We know for certain that one member of the militia was involved and suspect that others may have been as well. Miss Jane Pattison overheard her mother and Mr. Collins speak of a Mr. Wickham, one of my lieutenants, who assisted with the capture.”
“Jane was here?” Elizabeth asked, startled by this news. She shook her head, as though attempting to refocus her mind on the matter at hand. “Jane’s story verifies the involvement of the lieutenant that Grandmama mentioned.”
“Yes, she and Philips came here earlier to inform us what had been overheard and to find out whether Bennet had indeed been taken. Upon learning that it was true, Miss Pattison told us what she knew. Some we have deduced from what she said, and some from what the coachman and footman who accompanied your brother told us.”
“Philips will speak to you further on the morrow, but there is an additional threat to your safety, Miss Eliza,” Sir William reported. “For now, please do not leave this house, and under no circumstances should you allow Mr. Collins to come into this house. Have Mr. Hill bar him from entering.”
“Mr. Darcy will be here tomorrow, as well, and he will no doubt assist in whatever way he can,” Elizabeth said, her cheeks brightening a little as she spoke of him. “As you know, he has a particular interest in keeping me safe, so I will not worry too much about others who might wish to harm me, at least not at this moment.” She sighed again. “If we are keeping Jon from the public eye, we will still need to act as though he is missing, and the search will still need to take place in the morning, correct?”
Just as the men nodded, the servants knocked on the door. Elizabeth called for them to enter, as did the colonel, who appeared surprised. Since it was her home and her servants, Elizabeth smiled at him, causing him to smile unabashedly in return.
Once the men were informed of their task, they set off. They were soon followed by Sir William and Colonel Forster who would begin to organise the search that would take place on the morrow. Sir William never answered Elizabeth’s question about what would need to happen for the conspirators to be charged, but Elizabeth refused to consider that they would not be found guilty and punished in some way for their actions.
With that thought in her mind, she went up the stairs to speak to Charlotte. Her sister had a right to know the plan to rescue her husband. She did not wish to tell Charlotte all she had learned in the last few hours, but she knew it was necessary. The younger girls did not need to know yet, but they would find out at an appropriate time.