Chapter 36
CHAPTER 36
T he following morning, Darcy and Bingley prepared to leave by dawn. As they made their way downstairs, Darcy encountered Elizabeth and his sister. Elizabeth was leaving for her walk as soon as Jane came downstairs, and Georgiana had woken early to see her brother off, as she had always done since she was old enough. The carriage had just arrived, and the men were ready to leave, though Torrens was not yet about with their hats and canes. When the two couples had said their farewells, Elizabeth and Jane departed for their walk. Georgiana bid her brother and Mr Bingley a safe journey, and turned into the parlour.
“Go ahead, Bingley, I will find them and follow you out. I believe Torrens stores them in here,” she heard her brother say as Bingley went out the front door, and Darcy opened a closet, followed by a strange yelp of surprise.
Darcy stood open mouthed in amazement to see his cousin Richard hiding in the closet. “ You will be silent, ” his cousin hissed as he pulled the door closed.
Georgiana returned quickly from the drawing room. “Is all well, brother?”
Darcy shook his head as if he felt strange, “I just… Well…”
Georgiana clasped her brother’s hand and dragged him upstairs, and into her room, where she dismissed Hopkins. When they were alone, she said, “What did you see?”
“I… I’m not sure I ought…” answered Darcy uncertainly.
“Fitzwilliam! I insist that you tell me exactly what disturbed you!” she insisted.
“Richard was hiding in the closet,” said Darcy.
“I thought it would be something like that,” Georgiana said. “I cannot tell you what he is doing there, but I must insist that you say nothing to anyone, and I do mean anyone , brother.”
“You mean, you know of this?” Darcy said in concern. “What is he doing in the closet? Is he not supposed to be on a mission?”
“He is on a mission. I presume he is there because there is a grate in the wall between the closet and the drawing room,” she answered. “I did tell you that I saw him. You did not believe me. I will have to tell Torrens immediately he must lock that closet, and any other area Richard uses. We cannot have him caught by a maid or footman.”
“For what purpose is he in the closet?” Darcy demanded.
“I cannot tell you, Brother,” Georgiana refused.
“Georgiana, as your guardian, I command you to tell me!” Darcy insisted.
At this, laughter bubbled up in Georgiana, and she could not help but giggle. She had been far too long in Elizabeth’s company to be cowed now, not by her own sibling. “Brother, I am protecting my other guardian. When he tells me that I may confide in you, I will do so, but for now, I am promised to secrecy.”
“I am outraged that Richard has confided in you, and that I had no idea he was even here! Why is he watching this house? Does this mean you are in danger? How dare he bring this upon Aunt Catherine’s house!” Darcy ranted.
“Fitzwilliam, He did not bring anything here, he followed it here. We are not in danger, or at least there is no reason to suspect so now. As you can see, Richard is keeping an eye on us,” his sister assured him.
“Aunt Catherine will be outraged when she learns of whatever this is,” said Darcy, comforted that when his aunt found out, there would be retribution. At Georgiana’s expression, his face fell. “She already knows.”
“We could not very well seek Torren’s secrecy without her permission,” she pointed out.
“I cannot believe that everyone knows of this but me!” Darcy grumbled.
“Not everyone,” she assured him. When he raised his eyebrows, she said, “Lizzy does not know, nor do the other ladies or gentlemen,” she promised. This did not seem to comfort her brother, though he dutifully promised his secrecy, of course, and followed his sister back downstairs.
“Torrens, please assist my brother by bringing his and Mr Bingley’s hats,” Georgiana said meaningfully. “ Give my cousin the key to that closet, so he can lock it from the inside, before anyone else finds him !” she hissed to the butler when her brother had gone.
Later, after breakfast, the ladies assembled in the drawing room to wait for their callers. Georgiana purposely seated herself in the corner near the grate in the wall, and bid Anne and Priscilla to join her. They both gave her a curious look for her request, but complied, and soon the room was filled with people. Mr Woodhouse was present, as he was nearly every day that they were at home to callers, and Lady Gordon called, as well as the Jenkins sisters, and Mrs Forrester.
As they did every day, Anne and Priscilla’s callers joined them. Sir Albert Swinton and Lord Lennox each brought hothouse flowers, and poured on flattery as if it were cream.
“Miss de Bourgh, how is all at Rosings? How do you and your mother fare there running the estate by yourselves? Do you find the work invigorating?” asked Sir Albert Swinton.
“We do not manage by ourselves entirely. My cousin Darcy comes each spring to assist us, and we are in close contact with him and my uncle throughout the year. They advise us well,” replied Anne.
“I am certain they must,” said Lord Lennox. “How is your father, Lord Matlock, Lady Priscilla?”
“I have not heard from my mother in several days, but the last I heard, he was mending well,” Priscilla answered.
“Was his injury very terrible? Do you think it will force your father to retire from his position as Foreign Secretary?” asked Sir Albert.
“I do not expect so,” answered Priscilla. “It was a terrible break, but he will certainly walk and ride again,”
“He will be lucky then. Not so many ministers are allowed to keep their positions when they fall unwell, or cannot stay in the capital. Especially during wartime,” said Lennox. “Another King or PM might have asked him to step down.”
“Nothing prevents my father from working, sir. He is the most tireless and industrious person I have ever met. I am certain that he works from his bed all day, every day, and must have the fastest royal messengers to relay his messages. Being in the country has never prevented him from carrying out his duties before.”
“Do you believe he will return to town before the elections in October?” asked Swinton.
“You asked me that last time you called, Sir Albert. I have no way of knowing what my father’s physician will allow,” answered Priscilla.
“I am surprised at that, I am certain Lord Matlock must be in constant communication with his sister,” said Lennox.
“Communication, yes, but constant? Why must they be in constant communication? What an odd thing to say. I am certain my father corresponds with his sister as often as he ought, and no more or less.” Priscilla was beginning to find the discussion tiresome.
“Well for him to have sent you all here, alone, and with no male protection-” started Swinton before he was cut off by Anne.
“Why on earth would we need male protection? My mother has been a dowager for many years, we are only too capable of taking care of ourselves.”
“Indeed, Father did not send us here at all. We are here so my aunt may consult with a physician, nothing more,” said Priscilla.
“Besides, Darcy and his friend were just here, and William Bennet is in the house,” pointed out Anne.
“Bennet seems a nice enough fellow, but he does not strike me as very protective,” said Swinton. “It is a shame Colonel Fitzwilliam did not accompany Darcy into Eastbourne, now there is a man to have about a house full of ladies in need of protection.”
“Where did you say Colonel Fitzwilliam was again?” asked Lennox. “I cannot recall.”
“We have no idea where my brother is; he is off with the army, doing whatever it is that the army does,” said Priscilla.
“Why, exactly, do we need so much protection? Are you expecting an invasion of the French, Sir Albert?” asked Anne. Lord Lennox suddenly dropped his teacup and broke it.
“Oh dear, and the celandine pattern is Aunt’s favourite,” said Georgiana. “What a shame.”
The little party broke up as the footman came with a dust bin to clean up the broken pieces. The gentlemen took their leave and departed abruptly.
Colonel Allen visited after, and spent some time courting Caroline, but asked nothing in particular that was interesting to Richard, who was able to leave the closet undetected. Later that day, Richard came across Huggins. The thing about spies was that they often had particular patterns of meeting the same people at the same time and place frequently to exchange information. Huggins was no different, and Richard had found one or two of the man’s meeting places, and learned who some of his associates were by following him for days on end.
Richard Fitzwilliam was looking rough. He barely slept, and had little time, nor resources to bathe or shave. He must have shocked Darcy to no end this morning, he chuckled to himself. It was well that he heard Georgiana dragging Darcy away from the closet immediately after. She would ensure his cousin’s silence.
He waited and watched Huggins. Richard had made certain to arrive long before the man or any of his associates might be scouting the area, and found a well hidden place to listen. Huggins was fond of gardens, and seemed to meet people in them frequently. Richard would have to be certain he met Georgiana in other locations besides his aunt’s garden whenever possible. Richard watched as Colonel Allen approached Huggins, and the two began to converse.
“I spoke to Lennox and Swinton a short while ago. They are certain that the women know. They said that one of them even taunted them about the plot,” opened Colonel Allen.
“My asset insists that the family would never have sent the women. They are not the sort,” insisted Huggins. “He knows the family well, and assures me that Matlock would never have sent his daughter and his nieces. The girls are timid and sheltered, the youngest not even being out, and his sister is such a blabber mouth that she cannot be trusted. Every other source I have tapped in that direction agrees, Lady Catherine is no spy. My intelligence is that the old hag is seeing a doctor here. There is no reason to think the women’s presence is anything but an unfortunate coincidence.”
“The men did say that the ladies said again this morning that the old woman is here to see a doctor,” the Colonel assented.
“She has been followed to a specialist that is well established here a number of times, she has been said to have collapsed on the beach, and she looks ill to me, or at least she did when she arrived. Perhaps the physician’s treatment is helping. What else did the dandies report?” Huggins demanded.
Allen gave a report of the conversation from Lady Catherine’s drawing room, though how the men had interpreted Anne’s remark as a taunt was beyond Richard. Swinton and Lennox must be dense if they believed she had been baiting them.
“I would have felt better about all of this if the foreign secretary had been removed from office. That man has both ears to the ground at all times. His spies are numerous, and he has uncovered more plots than any before him,” complained Allen.
“It was attempted. The best that could be done was to prevent his immediate return to London,” answered Huggins. “I sent someone who knows the family and the area well, but once the first attempt had been made, another was impractical. The man lingered in the area for some weeks, planning to set the house on fire at night if necessary, but Matlock is shrewd, he knew that was no accident that spooked his horse. Security was more than tripled, immediately. They have half a regiment about his house at all times. You should see the escort that accompanies the packets to and from Downing Street every day. This was the best we could do.”
Richard was instantly filled with rage at the understanding that the only contact that knew his family and home well, that was known to Huggins, was Wickham, and that Wickham had planned to burn his home, and kill his family. Wickham had attacked his father! He missed the next exchange, so eclipsed he was by fury.
The rest of the conversation was uninteresting, except for the information that the luddite uprising in Chichester had also been contrived by Wickham, who had been sent to hire men and pay them handsomely to stir up the riots, in an effort to lure Darcy away, once he had been followed until Huggins was certain that he was just another dandy, and knew nothing about whatever plot these men were hatching.
Georgiana met her cousin in the garden later that afternoon. They had agreed that if Georgiana wished to speak with him, she would wait for him to approach her when he was at liberty, and they could prearrange their meetings by Georgiana putting an orchid in her window as a signal for him to come. He had informed her of where he was sleeping, in case she needed him, but she was never to send a servant there, or to go herself except in the direst emergency. After her meeting with him, Georgiana visited Torrens in his office. “I have spoken with my cousin just now, Torrens. Would you please ask Marigold Tupper to join us?
“That does not bode well. Yes, Miss Darcy. I shall send for her right away,” said the butler. The two sat, and Mr Torrens poured a cup of tea for Georgiana while they waited, and they spoke of his background, about which Georgiana knew nothing, but now that she was older, she was interested, and he humoured her. Marigold looked frightened when she entered the room to find Miss Darcy waiting for her.
“Marigold, we will not discuss your difficult situation in detail here,” said Georgiana kindly. “As you are all too aware, there is something afoot in Eastbourne and Derbyshire. Until the matter has been discovered and managed completely, you will tell no one of your recent troubles. All that I will say on the matter at this time is that you are confined to the house until further notice for your safety.”
“Oh miss! I fear for my ma!” cried the maid.
“I am told that measures will be taken in Derbyshire to protect your family. For now, you will speak of this to no one. Not I, not Torrens, and not even my Aunt Catherine, until I personally have instructed you otherwise. Absolutely no one , Marigold. You will send no mail for now. You will not venture outside of the house for any reason . Not even to empty a chamber pot. Not even as far as the garden. Do you understand?”
The maid promised that she did understand, and Torrens informed Georgiana that he would ensure that her instructions were followed to the letter. Miss Marigold was given some sewing to work on alone in her room, and it was put about the house that she was ill and possibly contagious, in case any of the other staff were questioned about her by Huggins or anyone else when they left the house.
Richard had his work cut out for him. There was something afoot in Eastbourne, that was plain, and he knew that his father’s injury and absence from London had been orchestrated to facilitate it. But there were so many players in this game that he could not follow them all. He needed more men. He must send to London again for more men. His general had been told to excuse him from duty until further notice. To his knowledge, the only ones who knew of the mission was the quartermaster general himself, a brigadier-general who worked in the intelligence office, and that man’s secretary, a Colonel Sanford. Only Brigadier-General Spaulding knew his actual identity.
Richard had travelled to the next village to send a message to the quartermaster general’s Headquarters, where all three men worked, a week ago, asking for more men. So far, there had been no answer, and no one had arrived. Now he travelled to a village in another direction, and sent another message, asking again for reinforcements, and stressing that as suspected, there was a plot afoot. He met again with his young cousin, who asked Elizabeth Bennet to include an obscure message in the letter she sent to Darcy the following day.
Bourne House,
Eastbourne
Dearest,
You have only been gone two days, and I am already selfishly wishing you back. How despicable of me to care about the Amesburys’ ball when your investments might suffer, or worse, you or another might be hurt in some abominable riot. I am ashamed of my self-interest, but it has sadly been too long since we danced at the assembly, and I am all eagerness to do so again at a private ball, where I am told that the waltz shall be enjoyed more than once.
Every time we are apart, I spend each moment praying for our next moment together, for when we are in each other’s company, the world shines brighter, and the future looks more wonderful than I could ever have imagined. You have surprised me, Mr. Darcy. I never truly believed that this heart of mine would find such solace in one as steadfast and kind as yours, until you approached me that morning at Oakham Mount. I believe that the mutual accord that we seek has been found, do you not agree?
I must close, but first, a rather cryptic message that your sister asked me to include. Georgiana bids me to tell you that your cousin says that your oldest friend is present, perhaps here, or perhaps there in Chichester, and that you must be careful, and return as soon as you can.
Do return as quickly as you may. I cannot sleep since you left.
E