Chapter 36
No matter how Anne, Elaine, Jane, or Marie assured Edith that everything would be well with Lizzy, she still paced back and forth and would not rest easy until she saw for herself that Lizzy was unharmed.
Mary and Anna had been sent to Longbourn so they would have the distraction of spending time with Kitty, Lydia, and Maria Lucas and would not be thinking about any potential danger for Lizzy. That possible danger was what was eating away at Edith as she refused to sit and wait without moving.
She understood the need to have Lizzy play the role she had.
The dastard had to be caught in the act.
If he somehow escaped, he would be a threat to Lizzy for as long as he was free.
The arrival of Major Tremain and his men the previous afternoon was assurance that, once caught, the miscreant would never be free to bedevil anyone ever again, least of all her daughter.
The major had opined that if everything would play out on the morrow the way the others had predicted, he would not interfere until his former lieutenant made his move. Edith had wanted to scream that they should just arrest the blackguard before her Lizzy had to face him.
It had been Lizzy who had convinced her mother that she wanted to be there when he failed, in order to ensure he would know that she was not fearful of him.
And now her daughter, husband, and son—who would ride for Lucas Lodge and Charlotte as soon as this was over—along with a son-in-law and others she loved, were near that stand of trees, hopefully springing the trap shut and arresting the man who dared to threaten one of her daughters, not once but twice.
As soon as Edith heard the hooves approach from the drive, she flew out of the drawing room and down the stairs to the entrance hall and out of the house. She did not stop for outerwear. All she cared about was seeing that her loved ones and the men who assisted them were all well.
Edith felt a surge of gratitude course through her body as soon as she saw Lizzy atop Snowdrop, without a visible scratch on her person and looking like her normal ebullient daughter.
Holder saw the relief on his wife’s countenance as soon as she noted they were all well, most especially that Lizzy had not come to any harm.
He hated that she had been so concerned, but the threat was over now, and once military justice was dispensed, that bastard would never be able to harm another.
He sprang off his stallion like one of the younger men, strode over to his wife, and pulled her into his arms. “It is over, my love. Our Lizzy was never in danger thanks to Biggs disarming that criminal before he even saw our daughter,” Holder assured Edith as he pulled her tightly against his body.
“He is on his way to London with Major Tremain and his men. He will face a court-martial in days, and then, the army will execute him. As he committed two offences punishable by death, his fate was sealed by his own misdeeds.”
Edith looked up at her beloved husband. “That means that Lizzy’s name will not be mentioned, does it not?” she worried.
“As nothing about his attempted kidnapping of our Lizzy will be part of the trial, there will be nothing in the record about our daughter,” Holder explained.
“Even if he attempts to mention her name, it will not leave the room. Court-martials are not open to the public, so he can rant and rave about Lizzy, but all it will earn him is a gag.”
“It is truly over!” Edith exclaimed as she felt herself relax for the first time since she had known Lizzy would be the bait in the trap.
“Yes, Love, we will never see or hear from that wastrel again,” Holder replied.
“Never make me worry for you like this again,” William said as he helped his Lizzy dismount from Snowdrop.
“Not intentionally,” Elizabeth promised.
Everyone, including Mary and Anna when they returned to Netherfield Park, felt much lighter of spirit now that the Wickham threat was neutralised. They were overjoyed to be told that Lizzy was never close to being harmed.
The next day, Charlotte—who had been resting at Lucas Lodge—and Jamey, with Lady Lucas and Maria, departed for Hadlock in Derbyshire, where Charlotte would give birth.
The day after that, those remaining at Netherfield Park, which included William in the dower house, departed for Holder Heights.
As soon as Edith was content, the plans for Lizzy and William’s wedding were well in hand; then she, Elaine, Anne, and Jane would travel the relatively short distance to Hadlock to be with Charlotte and Jamey.
Marie, Hilldale, and their son were for Hilldale and would be available if needed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
An epistle arrived for Holder from Major Tremain on the second to final Saturday in April.
In it, the major reported that on Thursday, the twentieth day of April, former Lieutenant George Wickham had been tried on both counts they had discussed.
As they had suspected he would, he had attempted to blacken Lady Elizabeth’s name.
The presiding general was having none of it.
As the accused was not presenting any evidence to refute the charges, he had been gagged.
It had taken the jury, comprised of six officers, minutes to return a verdict of guilty on both charges. The presiding general had ordered the prisoner be taken away for the sentence to be carried out immediately.
A half hour later, George Wickham, snivelling, crying, begging, and blaming everyone but himself, met the firing squad, and his wasted life was ended.
It was not with pleasure or satisfaction that Holder had reported the news to those at Holder Heights. With that letter, the sad tale of George Wickham was over, and his name would never again be mentioned by any of them.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the final day of April, a Sabbath, Charlotte delivered a son and heir. He was named Paul William after his grandfathers. Little Paul and Charlotte both came through the travails of childbirth without any lasting effects.
Both sets of first-time grandparents were beyond ecstatic.
Holder, accompanied by Matlock, Darcy, and Fitzwilliam, had arrived a sennight before the delivery, and Sir William had providentially arrived the day prior to Paul’s birth.
As such, thanks to the ladies present, Charlotte had more than enough support as she laboured.
At the same time, the men were able to distract Jamey enough so that he did not bolt up the stairs and into the birthing chamber each time Charlotte screamed out in pain.
Neither of the new parents had cared what the sex of their child would be, as long as he or she was healthy. The latter was true; Little Paul was as healthy as any newborn had been, so it was an added bonus they had been blessed with a son.
Except for the Lucases, all of those who had been present at the birth departed about ten days after Charlotte delivered her son.
They needed to return to Holder Heights, as Lizzy and William’s wedding was fast approaching.
Even though the latter two had indicated they would willingly forgo a prewedding ball, they had been overruled by Ladies Elaine and Anne, the two ladies who would be hosting the ball, so they had ceased their opposition.
The ball would be on the Saturday before the wedding. As the wedding was on the final day of May, a Wednesday, there would be three full days of rest afterward.
As it was too soon for Charlotte to attend, Jamey would arrive at Holder Heights the evening before the wedding and depart right after the ceremony.
His beloved wife would not be left alone.
The Lucases had been invited to attend the wedding; however, they had chosen to remain at Hadlock with Charlotte and little Paul and would remain with her until, at the very minimum, Jamey returned from the wedding.
Elizabeth and William kept away from the planning of their wedding as much as they were able, preferring instead to spend time in one another’s company.
No matter how Lizzy’s memory made winning debates against her difficult, William loved trying, thereby making his few victories that much sweeter.
Unfortunately, they were always well chaperoned.
When their parents had informed them that John Biggs and Brian Johns had been canvassed, and they were pleased to keep working for Miss Lizzy after she married, Elizabeth and William had not objected in the least. The opposite was true; Elizabeth had become close to the two gentle giants, as she had always referred to them.
Like it had for Jane’s wedding, Holder Heights filled up rapidly as the day of the ball approached. The Gardiners travelled to Longbourn and from there, they and the Phillipses travelled together to the Carringtons’ estate.
One evening, three days before the ball, Holder asked Phillips how he would feel when an heir who would inherit Longbourn was born.
Phillips had revealed his ownership of Purvis Lodge, which he would rename Phillips Lodge when they took up residence there, and explained that combined with Lawrence being the heir to his grandfather’s estate, they would never want for a home.
He emphasised that he and his family were only trustees until one of Bennet’s blood claimed their birthright.
As it was, that was still many years off because when Jane had her first son, he would be the heir to Rosings Park.
The Darcys had five satellite estates, so with Pemberley, Lizzy and William would need to birth a seventh son before Jane and Fitzwilliam had two.
Besides, who knew who would capture Mary’s heart?
It may be one without an estate of his own.