Chapter 23 #2
“You know I will do anything to help you, George, but I must be certain we will not be lumbered[6] if I assist you in this. Tell me again how it will work?” Karen Younge asked.
“I showed you the advert Lord Holder placed looking for a companion for his daughters, did I not?”
Miss Younge nodded; agreeing it was so.
“You will become Mrs Karen Younge and apply for the position. To make sure you are the best candidate, I know a man who is an excellent forger, and he will make up some glowing characters for you from some of the leading toffs in the Ton.”
“But, George, what if they verify my characters? They will discover they are all false.”
“Karen, I used to live around this type. As soon as they see the names of some like, and even above, them, they will never check because that would be like questioning the honour of their friends. I guarantee you that you will be invited to interview and then they will give you the position.”
“And once I have it?”
“You will be a good companion for a few months and gain their trust, especially that brat Elizabeth.
It will be spring by then, and you will put something in her food to make her seem ill.
Then you will suggest she may benefit from some time near the coast in a place like Ramsgate or Brighton.
The parents will be too busy to go with you, as they do not care for the foundlings like they used to.
They have regretted taking them in for a long time.
“If they bother to send any footmen with them, you will dismiss them, as you will be in charge of the household, and then begin to take walks per directions I will give you.
I will meet you by chance and win her confidence with your help and encouragement.
She was too young at the time, so she will not remember our past interactions.
I will suggest an elopement, which she will agree to.
We will return to London and contact her parents and tell them that unless they want their house embroiled in scandal, they are to turn her dowry over to us, and we will return her unharmed.
“Of course, once we get the funds, we will pay a man to ruin her. It will be worth the money, as I have no interest in a woman who is not you.”
Wickham sat back and allowed his paramour to digest his words. He kept his face impassive as he watched her cogitate over his plan. He was supremely confident it would not fail. It was too well thought out not to succeed.
“Alright, George. I will help you get your due,” Miss Younge decided.
“Thank you, my dear.” Wickham kissed her languidly. “You will not regret this. One thing; I am skint now. Would you have ten pounds to pay the forger? It is integral to the success of our plan.”
Karen Younge was used to George not having money.
She agreed to help, but she would not give it to him; she would go with him to pay the forger herself.
She ignored George’s wounded look. She knew only too well how he loved to throw money away at the tables.
Hence, she would make sure the money was spent as planned.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
With Jane’s coming-out ball behind them, the search for a companion took precedence. Edith had called on the Duchess of Bedford at Bedford House and been given leave to speak to Mrs Annesley regarding a position after Lady Marie married Andrew in November.
The lady had agreed to work for the Carringtons if, by the time her charge married, the post had not been filled.
Edith was very pleased to have the option of employing Mrs Annesley because so far she had not interviewed a recommended candidate who came close to the skills and quality of the aforementioned lady. Her thoughts about a companion were interrupted when Paul entered the room, an epistle in his hand.
“You remember that I placed an advert in the papers for qualified companions to apply, do you not?” Holder verified.
“As I am not in my dotage yet, yes, I do remember,” Edith replied with a tease.
“You should read this letter because it seems that Lady Marie Russell had two companions, and we were unaware of that fact,” Holder stated sarcastically as he handed his wife the letter along with those from the lady’s supposed prior employers.
Once she had the letter in her hand, Edith began to read.
The more she read, the easier it was to see that whoever wrote this drivel was too enamoured with their own intelligence, which they seemed to seriously lack.
“I am sure the motivation was what is being reported about our girls’ dowries,” Edith stated after she had read the fiction in her hand.
“I wonder if Lady Georgiana realises that she wrote a character for a companion who was never employed by her.”
“I think that Bedford will take a very dim view of someone forging a letter from his duchess. I will wager the forger is not aware that Lady Georgiana Russell is a distant cousin of our king[7]. It is obvious the authors of this nonsense were convinced that seeing the Bedford, Jersey, and Esterhazy names would blind us to all of the falsehoods in their application. I wonder if Mrs Karen Younge is even the woman’s proper name,” Holder stated.
“We need to invite her for an interview so we can see what is behind this attempt to infiltrate our household,” Edith suggested.
“I agree, and we should have some guests here when she arrives.”
Holder kissed his wife and returned to his study to write some missives. This woman would regret the day she attempted to defraud the house of Holder.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“George, you had the right of it. I just received a letter from Lord Holder,” Karen Younge said excitedly. “Here, read it.”
Wickham took the letter and began to read.
4 November 1807
Holder House
Park Lane
London
Mrs Younge:
The Countess of Holder and I were extremely impressed by your vast amount of experience as a companion and that you were employed by some of the leading families in the Ton.
As such, we invite you to come to the above address on Friday the 6th day of November at 11 o’clock for an interview.
If in person you are as impressive as your characters suggest, then I see no reason why the position will not be yours.
As we have three daughters, and you desire to remain long-term, the role could be yours for not a few years.
We are very generous with those who are good and loyal staff or servants.
If my daughters’ previous companion had not chosen to retire to spend more time with her family, we would not have found one of your quality.
If the day and time I proposed is not convenient, please inform me as soon as you are able.
PH Carrington, Earl of Holder
“Did I not tell you that using the names of those even more senior would ensure they would not verify your characters?” Wickham crowed. He could smell the banknotes already.
“You did, George. You said your plan would not fail, and the words in that letter are the proof. Soon we will be twenty thousand pounds richer and on our way out of England,” Karen Younge sang.
“I will work hard to gain Lady Elizabeth’s trust.” She paused as she had a thought. “Must it only be her?”
“Yes, she must pay for how much suffering she caused,” Wickham insisted.
He had heard a report that the dowries were double what he had assumed. Forty thousand pounds would set him up for life in the Americas. He would, of course, be alone, and he would not tell Karen about the much higher amount of the chit’s dowry.
In his mind it was poetic justice that the one who had caused him to lose his gentleman’s education, along with any chance at Mr Darcy’s continuing patronage, would be the one whose dowry would fund his new life of leisure.
Just as important to him was ruining her as soon as he had the money.
Better still would be if she fell with child.
He could just imagine how her life would be ruined if she had to carry his bastard offspring.
He cared not whether Miss Lizzy would submit willingly or he would have to force her compliance. Either way she would be bedded by him.
Wickham would accompany Karen on Friday so it would not be a long wait to hear of her success. At last he would get his due.