Page 23 of The Bennet Heir
Chapter Twenty-Two
D arcy, Elizabeth, and the others were met in the hallway by Charlotte. After she greeted Mr. Darcy and she was introduced to the others in his party, the men departed.
Charlotte took one look at Elizabeth and raised her brow in question before leading her back into the drawing room.
“Any news, dear sister?” Charlotte asked.
“You first,” Elizabeth insisted. “I know that you received a note from Jon.”
Charlotte let out a relieved breath. “It was waiting for me when I awoke. He is well and will remain with Grandmama Bennet until it is determined to be safe for him to return to Longbourn.”
“He is well?” Elizabeth asked.
“He is,” came the reply. “A little worse for wear, but nothing that could not be remedied by a good night of sleep and something warm in his stomach. It was rather cool last evening, and he said he was a bit chilled, but Grandmama is enjoying having him to fuss over. I will call on Grandmama a little later, if you would like to join me.”
“I have promised not to leave this house, so until Mr. Darcy returns and is able to escort me, I will wait,” Elizabeth said with a teasing tone. However, her countenance fell nearly as quickly as she recalled other details she needed to recount. “Mr. Darcy and his cousin, the colonel you just met, intend to find Colonel Forster to speak to him about Mr. Wickham. It appears that he is known to both gentlemen, and neither thinks well of him.” Elizabeth described the colonel’s reaction to hearing that man’s name, and they spent a few moments speculating about the connection.
“Has no one visited Longbourn to ask after your brother?” Charlotte asked once they had exhausted that topic.
“No, they have not, which surprises me greatly. I had expected my stepmother to be among the first to arrive since she would want to obtain whatever gossip she could, or perhaps to see how we are reacting to the news that he is missing,” Elizabeth replied.
Charlotte looked over at the clock above the mantle. “It is early yet for Mrs. Bennet,” she remarked upon seeing that it was only a quarter past ten in the morning. “I would have thought my mother would have called by now, however.”
“I wonder what your father told her?” Elizabeth replied. “I am sure she will be here soon.”
Elizabeth’s words proved prophetic, for within half an hour, several visitors arrived. As per her instructions, any ladies who called were admitted, but no tea was served, as they wished to discourage guests from lingering. An exception was made for Lady Lucas, who, upon her arrival, was determined to remain at her daughter’s side well into the afternoon—or at least until they received some news.
For the remainder of the morning and into the early afternoon, the only visitors were ladies who had come out of genuine concern upon hearing of Mr. Bennet’s disappearance. They speculated about who might be responsible and why, yet none could fathom a reason for his abduction, as he was generally well-liked in the area.
Into the group of visiting ladies, two people arrived and their arrival increased the volume of interest and gossip in the sitting room. The first was Darcy, who was known to be Elizabeth’s intended. He returned to Longbourn not long after his conversation with Colonel Forster, while his cousin and the Bow Street Runners remained to assist in the search.
While Colonel Forster and Sir William were focused on maintaining the illusion of the search for Bennet, the efforts of the Runners were focused on uncovering the full extent of the conspiracy and investigating the known conspirators. Initial inquiries revealed that Wickham had already amassed several debts among the local merchants. While the total was not yet substantial, after only a fortnight in the area, it far exceeded the debts of any other officer. If he continued at this pace, the sum would become significant before the militia departed.
When Darcy arrived, he went directly to Charlotte and Elizabeth to report on the findings from that morning, which mostly confirmed that teams of local men and militiamen had been formed to search as much of the surrounding areas as they could. Darcy did not attempt to make this announcement a secret and spoke openly of the methods that were being used.
Darcy was still discussing the search when Mrs. Fanny Bennet arrived with her daughters in tow. Initially, they had been excluded from the visitor list, but with Darcy present, their restriction was lifted, as those aware of the conspiracy wished to observe their reactions.
Lydia glanced around the house with delight, recalling her mother’s promise that they would soon be living there. Though she had been warned to keep silent, she could hardly contain her excitement at the thought of the finery she would enjoy once she and her mother moved in after Elizabeth married Mr. Collins.
Over the past few days, she had overheard this plan mentioned several times and found it endlessly amusing. Each time, she laughed at the idea of her half-sister being forced to marry the smelly and rather stout man. Lydia had found his conversation dreadfully dull on the few occasions they had spoken, and she took great pleasure in imagining “that hoity-toity Lizzy” bound to a husband like him.
Fanny Bennet entered the room with a feigned air of sympathy for the woman who had succeeded her as mistress of the estate. Her confidence faltered, however, when her gaze landed on Mr. Darcy seated beside Elizabeth. She had expected to find Mr. Collins there, not him. The thought that Darcy might come all the way from London to involve himself in the search had never occurred to her—or to any of the other conspirators.
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Fanny Bennet’s face, but she quickly schooled her expression into one of concern. Pushing aside her unease, she stepped towards Charlotte, her voice laden with feigned sweetness. “My dear Charlotte, it is a dreadful thing, to have your husband go missing and no idea where he may be. I can only imagine how distressing this must be to you and to all my daughters.”
Charlotte met her gaze with polite detachment, her posture poised but wary. “Indeed, Mrs. Bennet. It has been a trying day for us all. Mary and Kitty have elected to remain in the schoolroom, for they find so much company trying just now.”
Fanny’s eyes darted back to Darcy and Elizabeth, but she did not speak to either of them. She bit the inside of her cheek, frustration creeping in. No matter—she had come with a purpose, and she would not be deterred so easily from her plans.
Glancing around, she lowered her voice and leaned in slightly. “Have they had any success in the search?” she enquired, her tone carefully laced with just the right amount of concern.
Charlotte studied her for a moment before replying evenly, “There is hope, I believe. The footman and coachman were discovered, and the militia has joined in the search.”
Fanny Bennet forced a sigh and shook her head. “Oh, I do hope they find the poor dear. I trust Mr. Collins is doing all he can to assist? Has he been here yet this morning?” She let the question hang, watching closely for any reaction.
Darcy, who had thus far remained silent, finally spoke, his voice cool and deliberate. “Mr. Collins’s involvement is of little concern at present, nor would I imagine he is welcome at Longbourn after he was tossed from here for his presumption in thinking he would step in and marry Miss Bennet without any prior acquaintance or the approval of her guardian.”
Fanny turned sharply towards him, her mask of sympathy slipping ever so slightly. There was a flash of anger in her face as she saw him sitting so closely to Elizabeth. “Oh? But surely, as the master of Longbourn and my daughter’s intended, he has a duty to see the estate and its inhabitants safe.”
Elizabeth chuckled, tilting her head as if considering the matter seriously. “I had not heard that he was engaged to any of your daughters. To which of my sisters should I offer my congratulations? Only Jane is of a marriageable age, but I was under the impression you intended her for another. Unless, of course, you mean Lydia? If so, he will have quite the wait before she is of a proper age to wed.”
“He claimed he was to marry you,” Fanny Bennet said with an air of condescension, pointedly disregarding the announcement made the previous Saturday—just as she had ignored the sight of Elizabeth wearing Mr. Darcy’s gift upon her arrival that evening or his presence at her side just now.
“Then Mr. Collins is an even greater fool than I supposed,” Darcy said, his voice cool and unyielding as his sharp gaze settled on Fanny. “He was informed—quite plainly—not a fortnight ago that he had no claim to Elizabeth.” Murmurs went around the room at his informal address. Though nothing had been said since the dinner party Saturday night, his presence revealed much about his intentions towards Elizabeth and confirmed the family’s announcement of an understanding between her and the gentleman.
Regardless, Darcy was not finished with the matron. “As I am certain you are aware, only a lady’s guardian may grant permission for her marriage. A stepmother does not possess that authority.”
The pointed remark struck its mark. Fanny Bennet’s cheeks tinged red though she quickly adopted an expression of indignation rather than embarrassment.
An uneasy silence settled over the room. Fanny’s fingers twitched against the folds of her gown. She had come expecting to revel in the discomfort caused by her stepson’s disappearance and to further the rumours of Elizabeth’s supposed engagement to Mr. Collins. Yet nothing was proceeding as she had planned. With Darcy here—watching, listening, waiting—her usual tactics suddenly felt ineffective.
She would have to reconsider her approach—and she certainly needed to meet with Miss Bingley again. Wasting no time, she hastily departed from Longbourn, her mind wholly consumed by the urgency of speaking with her conspirator. So focused was she on her objective that she failed to notice Jane remaining behind with Elizabeth.
“Lizzy,” Jane whispered as soon as her mother had left. “Did Uncle Philips speak to you?”
Elizabeth glanced around the room before meeting Charlotte’s gaze, silently requesting permission to step away for a moment. Charlotte gave a small nod, and Elizabeth rose, gesturing for Jane and Darcy to follow. Though nothing was said aloud, those gathered took note of their quiet departure. However, with Jane accompanying the couple, there was no question of propriety being breached, and most assumed it had something to do with the search or perhaps something Mrs. Fanny Bennet had said or done.
Once Elizabeth showed Jane and Darcy into a smaller sitting room near her brother’s study, Elizabeth finally spoke.
“First, I would like to thank you for speaking to our uncle once you discovered what your mother was plotting,” Elizabeth began. “I am certain that was difficult for you, but I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate that you were unwilling to allow your mother or anyone else to harm our family. Even if we are not related by blood, you are still a part of our family.”
The sisters hugged after that, and it was several moments before either spoke again. Darcy merely observed, understanding that this was a moment between the two women, but grateful that he was no longer expected to sit in the room with all the women seeking information.
“You cannot say anything, but Jonathan has been found. He is well and is staying at the cottage with Grandmama for now,” Elizabeth said once she was settled onto a settee next to Darcy.
“Colonel Forster has men watching Lieutenant Wickham,” Darcy interjected. His gaze settled on Elizabeth as he added, “I do not believe I have mentioned it to you yet, but the colonel has learned that Wickham has been speaking of marrying an heiress and leaving the militia soon. It made me wonder if he intends to betray his fellow conspirators and force you into marriage with himself instead of Collins. That is precisely the sort of scheme he would attempt. If possible, I intend to visit your grandmother today and obtain your brother’s written permission to marry you in order to purchase a common license. Now that I have found you and won you, I do not intend to risk having you taken from me.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and drew in a slow, measured breath before releasing it. When she opened them, her voice was calm but laced with resignation. “I suppose this means I shall not be permitted to leave the house again—at least not until we are wed, Fitzwilliam. They cannot possibly know the exact size of my dowry, as even I am uncertain of the sum. This entire scheme is built on the mistaken belief that I will inherit Longbourn if my brother is dead. None of them realise that Charlotte is with child and that, once the baby is born, I will no longer be in line to inherit. Likewise, their plans assumed that Jonathan would never be found.”
She exhaled softly and leaned into Darcy’s side. In response, he wrapped an arm around her waist in a subtle but steadying gesture, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
Jane could only watch the pair of them. “I want that,” she whispered.
Elizabeth sat up, startled. “What, Jane?”
“I want what you and Mr. Darcy seem to have,” she repeated. “Mama has pushed me at several gentlemen, and her present target is Mr. Bingley. Yet when he speaks to me, he spends the entire time offering compliments, and half the time, I feel that he is merely repeating the same platitudes he has offered hundreds of times to any number of women. You and Mr. Darcy are not yet wed, but it is obvious that the two of you care for each other deeply. I have never witnessed a couple that is so at ease with each other.”
Jane, overcome by emotion, abruptly stood and pulled her sister up and into an embrace. “Oh, Lizzy, I have missed you so much. You cannot imagine how often I have longed to return to Longbourn. Living with Mama has become unbearable—she is constantly speaking of Mr. Bingley, forever trying to push me towards him. But, Lizzy, I do not like him. I know there are far greater concerns at present, and it is selfish of me to even bring this up, but after all my mother has said and done of late, I do not wish to remain with her.”
Elizabeth held Jane close, her mind racing to decipher the full meaning behind her sister’s words.
The couple exchanged a knowing glance and smiled.
“I believe I have been exceedingly fortunate to find a man who matches me so completely,” Elizabeth said. “We have also been blessed with good examples of marriage—my brother and Charlotte, as well as Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. But I suppose you have not spent as much time with either couple to truly witness the strength of their relationships.”
She paused in thought before continuing, “Jane, you are of age. Your mother has no authority to force you to remain with her. Charlotte would gladly welcome you here, and if any formal approval is needed, one of our uncles or our brother can provide it. While Mrs. Bennet may be upset by your decision, she cannot prevent you from leaving.”
Jane lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. “I do not want to return to her house. When she realises her plans have failed, she will be irrational, and I fear what she might do next.”
“Then stay, Jane,” Elizabeth said firmly. “I will ask Mrs. Hill to prepare your room, and we will send a servant to collect your belongings. If Mrs. Bennet is too distraught to take notice, she may not even realise your things have been removed until it is too late to protest.”