The Colonel's Ungovernable Governess : A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Chapter Sixteen

“Miss Lambert!” Someone knocked on the room’s door. Jocelyn did not know how long she had slept, but it was not long enough. She had made herself a nest before the weak fire, permitting the twins to share the bed, though they both protested they were too old to share one, but when she lost her temper, they dropped their objections.

“Miss Lambert!” The knock was more persistent.

Still groggy, she rose from her pallet to stagger towards the door. “Who is it?” she asked against the wood, where her head rested, still begging her to return to slumber. She would not release the lock until she knew who or what awaited her on the other side.

“Mr. Darcy,” the voice announced.

She had her hand on the lock to free it, but did not immediately permit him entrance. As foolish as it might sound to others, Jocelyn worried for Vincent’s life. This venture had told her the child was in serious danger. “What is your wife’s maiden name?” she asked as a testing of the stranger’s identity.

“Bennet,” the man responded.

“How many sisters does Mrs. Darcy possess?” she continued her questions, thinking others might know Mrs. Darcy’s maiden name.

“Jane Bingley is the eldest,” he said with what sounded of a chuckle. “Next is Mrs. Darcy, then Mrs. Ericks, followed by Kitty, who is not yet married, and Mrs. Lydia Wickham.” Jocelyn released the bolt and opened the door far enough for him to step into the room. “I have been following you for hours.”

“Where is the colonel?” she asked. In some ways, she knew sorrow that Edward Fitzwilliam was not the one to overtake her. She wished with all her heart to bury herself in his arms and never come out. Jocelyn was as genuinely shaken by this experience as were the twins. Moreover, she knew heart-breaking guilt at having worried her own parents in a like manner. Who would her mother trust with a search for her during her father’s absence?

He glanced to where the twins had sat up in the bed. “The colonel sent me word of what occurred, but I was already on my way to catch up with him. We have determined ‘Mr. Bartholomew’ is a relation of Mr. Jennings’s wife.”

“We have recently discovered much of the same. It seems Lady Annabelle confided in Victoria, but I am of the persuasion to believe all this was a scheme to lure Vincent to the Babcock estate so his relations might convince him to permit them to be his guardian so they might ‘assist’ him as the earl.” She glanced to where Victoria clutched the blanket to her. “Supposedly, Annabelle staged this escapade to draw Vincent home, for Annabelle believes Lord Lindale is dying.”

Mr. Darcy’s brow tightened. “The Lindales erred by not discussing my cousin’s condition. Perhaps,” he said as he approached the bed to speak to the children’s fears, “they thought you too young to understand, but I do not. My cousin Lindale has a condition where if he gets the simplest of cuts, his body bleeds and bleeds. However, if he practices caution, which he has done most of his life and which you have viewed for yourself, but did not understand, he could live another twenty or more years. If he suffers a major accident, his days on this earth will be numbered; yet, such could be true for any of us. His lordship recently experienced a small accident. He is now practicing caution and enjoying the island air as he recovers.”

He paused before saying, “I understand Lindale and your mother choosing not to speak of this when you were much younger, but your not knowing is creating your belief in Lindale’s immediate demise.” He sat on the bed’s edge and took a hand of each child. “Lindale chose not to marry another and produce children of his own because those in the medical profession, and who study such things, assume he could pass his condition on to his children.”

“Just as Bennet looks like you?” Vincent asked.

“Yes, much in the same way. And as you are said to favor your father,” Mr. Darcy said. “Lindale showed great courage with his decision, one that speaks well of his character to protect others. However, he did not wish to spend his whole life alone. Therefore, as your mother and you required a safe place to reside, an arrangement was made to join the Fitzwilliam family with yours. So that all involved might be protected.” Mr. Darcy touched the cheek of each child. “Lord Lindale wished to make you his family, and family protects each other. Therefore, we cannot speak of this with those outside the family, for it could bring harm to each of us in its own way. People would look upon Lindale as if he was too weak to run his estate and do business with others. Unscrupulous people would attempt to take advantage of him or actually do him harm if they disagreed with his decision. Your mother would lose her protection as Lindale’s wife. When he passes, she will receive a substantial allotment upon which to live. That planned future for her could disappear if others learned of their marriage arrangement, for someone would use the unusual circumstances against her.

“All families protect one another, even when the venture is an unpleasant one. I once protected one of Elizabeth’s sisters, though those involved did not deserve my attention, but my most cherished wife would have known great sorrow otherwise. My actions were necessary to save both Elizabeth’s family and mine. We serve each other in that manner, for Elizabeth once saved a member of my family from ruin. Such is the way of all blessed with loved ones. Victoria, you protected Vincent when your previous governess disciplined him unfairly, and, despite her method jeopardizing all, including herself, Lady Annabelle believes she protects her family.”

“Should we return to William’s Wood?” Jocelyn asked.

“I cannot personally see to your safe return, though, I suppose, I could send Mr. Farrin to assist your Mr. Jessie. The colonel has traveled to Babbington Hall to fetch Lady Annabelle back to William’s Wood. I cannot permit him to face Mr. Jennings alone. I admire my cousin greatly, but he can be a bit ‘unreasonable’ when people do not follow his orders the first time they are issued. I imagine the Honorable Mr. Jennings may ‘object’ to the colonel issuing demands at the manor.”

Vincent said quietly. “Could I not order Annabelle’s return?”

“You are the earl, though not yet officially recognized as such by the House of Lords,” Mr. Darcy assured. “Yet, I would not suggest you do so. We cannot ignore the fact the Jennings family has been involved in convincing Lady Annabelle that what she has executed is the best for your family. Now, your uncle could force your mother’s hand and demand your eldest sister marry Jennings’s nephew. If so, you will never be in a position to create a ‘friendly’ division of the Babcock assets. Jennings will fight you and bully you every day of your life if it means he has access to your father’s fortune.”

“I wish I had not kept Annabelle’s secret,” Lady Victoria said in sorrowful tones.

“Like Annabelle, you acted without rancor,” Jocelyn assured, though she thought Annabelle required a good dose of reality, as well as did her brother and sister. Jocelyn asked Mr. Darcy, “We must decide, are we to return to William’s Wood or follow you to Babbington Hall?”

“Though I am frightened . . . I would prefer . . . to travel to . . . our family home,” Vincent declared.

“We cannot leave Annabelle alone,” his sister said.

Mr. Darcy explained, “You could be traveling into danger. We have no assurances Mr. Jennings has not designed this escapade to lure you to the manor and bring down harm upon your head.”

“My father . . . would not . . . hide,” the boy said, though his voice wavered.

Mr. Darcy did not disagree with the child nor deny the boy’s request. “Then, permit me to go ahead and assist my cousin in settling matters before your arrival. I will have Mr. Farrin ride beside your coach as an outrider.”

Jocelyn wished to argue with the man, for she seriously feared for Vincent’s safety, but she equally admired how a young boy, previously afraid of his own shadow, was prepared to stand against those who wished harm on his family. “Then we shall follow at first light.”

* * *

Edward stepped down before Babbington Hall. He had paused at the gate house to learn whether Lady Annabelle was inside or not. “Arrived late yesterday, sir. Mr. Jennings’s nephew escorted our young mistress home from her school.”

Edward slipped a coin in the man’s hand and thanked him for the information. At least, Jennings had put out the beginnings of a tale to cover Annabelle’s foolish nature, but Edward did not expect anyone involved would welcome his interference. Therefore, when he stepped down from his horse, and no one greeted him or came to claim the animal, he was not completely surprised.

“Lazy or presented orders not to respond,” he grumbled as he released the knocker to wait and wait and wait. At length, a footman responded. “Yes, sir.”

“Colonel Fitzwilliam for Lady Annabelle.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I will also require someone to tend my horse.”

The footman frowned. “I will take the horse to the stables once I fetch the young mistress. Please step in, sir.”

Before Edward could hand off his hat and gloves, the servant darted away, leaving Edward alone in the foyer. “Unbelievable,” he muttered as he looked upon the condition of the house. There were several paintings removed, leaving an outline on the well-worn paper. “Sold or taken down for repairs?” he murmured. He was considering looking for the girl himself when she appeared at the top of the steps.

“Uncle!” she called as she rushed down the stairs to greet him. “I am pleased to see you.”

“I would not be, if I were you,” he warned. “You have worried both your immediate family and your extended relations. You have put all of us in great distress.”

“Please do not be angry, Uncle. I simply wished my family’s return to our home,” she argued.

“You may tell yourself what you did was acceptable, but you are in error. Your brother and sister, along with Miss Lambert, set out on the road at night, without an escort. On England’s roads, where highwaymen and a variety of riff-raff pollute every mile of it. You demonstrated only that you cared for no one but yourself.”

“I wished Vincent to claim the earldom,” she asserted.

“Your brother is already the earl. The moment your father took his last breath, Vincent became Lord Babcock. Plans—those made by your mother, my brother, and my father—are already in place to have Vincent recognized by the Lords. The three I just mentioned serve as his guardians. There is nothing you could do to further his ascension to the earldom. It was all out of your hands. If you had approached your mother with genuine fears of the earldom being ripped from Vincent’s hands, you would be made aware of how much in those corners has occurred during your absence at school.”

A door opened along the hall, and Philip Jennings came forward. “I thought I heard angry words being expressed. What is amiss, Annabelle?”

“My uncle is upset with how I came to be at Babbington Hall,” the girl said with a practiced pout.

“To the best of my knowledge, I am your only uncle,” Jennings said with a swagger.

“You may choose to recall the facts to support your suppositions as you will,” Edward countered. “What brings you to Babbington Hall, Mr. Jennings?”

“I could not permit our Annabelle to reside at her family home alone,” Jennings declared.

“As my niece has gone to a great deal of trouble to lead her Lincolnshire family to her location, she would not be alone for long. I will gladly stay with her until she can again be returned to my brother’s estate, along with her brother and sister. It was kind of you to think of staying with her in this house instead of housing Lady Annabelle in your home, but now that I am here, you may return to your own abode. I imagine you do not wish to be long removed from your family.”

“All is well,” Jennings assured. “My wife and children are housed within Babbington Hall.”

“And I assume so is your nephew, Bartholomew. That is the correct name, is it not? It took us a bit of time to realize there was no ‘Mr. Bartholomew,’” he said in warning tones. “Yet, I suppose such was purposeful on everyone’s part.” He continued, “Perhaps it would be a good idea if you asked someone to prepare a room for me, Annabelle, and then we might sit and discuss how best to proceed.” Edward did not think much would be accomplished until there was a contestation between Philip Jennings, and, he supposed, him. He would be required to stand between Jennings and a boy of ten tender years.

Annabelle looked to Jennings for orders. “It was not necessary to keep a full staff without the family in residence,” she said, while Mr. Jennings nodded his appreciation of the girl’s response.

“Are you telling me there is not enough in service to provide a room for all within? If not, perhaps we should remove to Mr. Jennings’s home instead. I am assuming you are not living under such conditions there, are you, sir?”

“Nonsense,” Jennings said with a fake smile. “Assuredly a room can be arranged and a meal provided as is appropriate.”

“Is your nephew also being housed at the manor?” Edward asked the man. “I would have a word with the young gentleman. He has caused my brother’s household great sorrow.”

“It was my idea to leave William’s Wood,” Annabelle stated in firm tones.

“And it was merely convenient that the young man staying in the neighborhood with the Dubrows, who is a cousin to you of sorts, was some four miles removed when you came to this revelation?”

“There is no reason to make accusations,” Jennings said in critical tones. “Annabelle would naturally turn to Bart for assistance. They are, as you say, cousins of sort.”

“Naturally,” Edward said with a challenging lift of his brows.

“Will Vincent and Victoria arrive soon?” Annabelle asked.

“I have no means of knowing,” he stated boldly. “All I know is what Miss Lambert shared before she and the twins set out on the Great North Road to recover you, Annabelle. Alone. With only Mr. Jessie to protect them.”

“But I told . . .” she began in refutation.

“Told what?” Edward demanded. “And to whom? Did you not want your brother and sister to chase you all the way to Scotland? Was such not what you led them to believe?”

Annabelle looked about sheepishly. “You must be mistaken, sir. I told Victoria I wished to return to our father’s home.”

“Poor Victoria. You will blame her for your manipulations!”

The footman returned at that exact moment and looked between them uncomfortably. “Your horse has been delivered to the stables, sir.”

“Thank you, kindly,” Edward said. “As you appear to be in charge of the house, I will require a room for the evening.”

Tellingly, the man looked to Mr. Jennings, who nodded his agreement, before saying, “Yes, sir.”

“Now, Annabelle, as you are the mistress of the house, perhaps you might choose a room where we may sit and discuss how we must proceed. Did not your mother have a favorite sitting room when your family was in residence?”

Again, Annabelle looked to Jennings for permission. The situation was becoming more obvious by the minute. Jennings had taken over the house and had gained Lady Annabelle’s cooperation. The man wished to do the same to Lord Vincent, but such would not occur without a fight on Edward’s part.

“You might use my wife’s favorite sitting room,” Jennings offered.

“Very kind of you, Uncle,” the girl said. “Hopefully, you and Aunt Carolyn might join us.” Obviously, Annabelle was afraid to go against Jennings and required his support.

“How convenient,” Edward declared as he followed the girl along the hall. “Mrs. Jennings has a favorite sitting room set aside for her in two country houses.”

“This one was my mother’s favorite when she was in residence,” Annabelle said happily.

“I see,” Edward remarked upon entering the room.

“What does ‘I see’ mean?” Annabelle asked with a frown.

“Nothing,” he assured before choosing a chair where there would be no one sitting behind him. “Although I am not often enough in Lady Lindale’s company, I must admit, I cannot consider your mother selecting this decor, nor do I think she would choose such bright colors. Yet, I must be in error, for the room is, as you say, Lady Lindale’s favorite.”

“Naturally, with Lady Elaine’s absence, my Carolyn made some changes,” Mr. Jennings said as he sat across from Edward.

“As I said previously, I see.”

* * *

Jocelyn looked out the coach’s window. “This part of England is quite beautiful, but rather rugged.”

“It is a good place to ride one’s horse,” Vincent said as he also slid closer to the window. Victoria was curled up on the bench and asleep.

“Do you miss riding? I must apologize: We have not spent as much time riding as we had wished.”

“I love my pony,” he admitted. “Lord Lindale purchased it for me, but, before he died, my father promised me a ‘real’ horse. We were to ride out so I could see all I would inherit.”

Jocelyn thought the late earl’s death had left a large hole in the boy’s life.

“I have continuing to create the drawing as you showed me,” he admitted when she did not respond to his father’s promise. “The one of my family tree. Like the one in a family Bible. Mr. Darcy assisted me in finding the first Jennings in this area.” His eyes rolled upward as if he was reading a page he saw in his mind. “The peerage was originally a barony. It was an ancient Anglo-Norman aristocratic dynasty.” He looked to her. “Mr. Darcy led me to information about different factions of the family in Wales and Scotland, and even in Ireland.”

“I did not realize you had made such progress. That is amazing,” Jocelyn said in true admiration. “Mr. Darcy has proven to be a good friend and advisor for you. I would be happy to assist you further in the drawing if you have a need of me.”

“I would want to do it justice,” the child mused, “and your script is so much clearer to read than is mine.”

“Then, when you have it in your mind how you wish it to appear, you may seek me out.”

He smiled a secretive smile. “I must admit I spent more than a few hours looking for a special connection.”

“And what would that be?” she teased. Jocelyn enjoyed how the child’s mind worked. How anyone could consider him incapable of learning, she could not comprehend.

“Mr. Darcy showed me how I am related to both him, the colonel, and Lord Lindale. Far distant, but related, nevertheless.”

Jocelyn did not know whether to believe him or not, but she thought it a superb scheme by the gentleman for the child to learn something of his ancestors so the boy would find his own courage while facing the world. Being a member of the peerage is often difficult enough without being complicated by the type of upheaval this particular child had known. “How so?” she asked.

He smiled, as if happy to share what he knew with her. Unsurprisingly, the smile changed his features dramatically, and she made a private promise to assist the child to know how remarkable he truly is. “It deals not with the title of Babcock, but rather the family name. The Irish Jennings surname was Anglicized from the Gaelic surname of ‘Mac Sheoinin’,” he said slowly to make certain the pronunciation was correct. “‘Mac Sheoinin’ means ‘son of Seán,’ or ‘John’ as the English say it. Now, this is the ‘jump,’ but one I really liked, for it makes me connected to Lindale and the colonel. You see, one of the Irish Seáns is thought to refer to a man named John Burke, who was a Clan Chief from Connacht. The Burkes were of Viking and French ancestry. Just as Mr. Darcy’s name likely came from the French ‘D’Arcy.’ In France and later, in England, the Irish version of Burkes became the ‘of Burkes’ or de Burghs or even ‘de Bourgh.’”

Jocelyn attempted not to react to her mother’s maiden name on the child’s lips, but it was difficult. Thankfully, the boy was too caught up in his tale to notice.

“From Mr. Darcy, I learned how Lord Matlock’s eldest sister married a man named ‘de Bourgh.’ Lord Lindale, the colonel, and Mr. Darcy have an aunt whose name has the French derivation of the Jennings name. Their Aunt Catherine assisted in arranging the marriage between my mother and Lord Lindale. Is such not grand?”

“Grand indeed,” Jocelyn managed, but her mind was racing. “I am very happy for you.” She purposely glanced out the window once more before saying, “If Mr. Darcy’s directions were true, we should be at your family estate in a bit over an hour. The last fingermark said ‘ten miles.’”

“I am glad Uncle Edward is already there and so will be Mr. Darcy by the time we arrive,” the child said with uncharacteristic confidence.

“There are a few more biscuits in the basket if you would care for them.”

He grinned wider and set about choosing a treat while his sister slept. Meanwhile, Jocelyn attempted to slow her breathing. The man who filled her dreams with wanting to know his touch was likely the same one she ran away from weeks earlier. What would he say when he learned she was his intended? Would he scoop her up in his arms or read her the riot act? Unfortunately, she must wait a bit longer to discover if there was a chance they could claim a bit of happiness together. As she sat back into the squabs, Jocelyn was nearly as excited as was Vincent to watch the miles flash by the window.