Chapter Twenty-one
It was late in the evening when Colonel Fitzwilliam finally received the express that had been sent the day before.
It had been handed over to a desk sergeant, then handed off to a private to deliver to his quarters, but no one had been informed yet that the colonel had been given new quarters when he was reassigned, so it had taken a full day to reach him.
He grumbled and ripped it open. Anyone who might have been looking would have seen Richard’s face turn beet red and then paste white and then red again.
He crumpled the missive and jammed it in a pocket.
He bellowed for his batman and hastened to his commanding general to inform him of a family emergency.
Ratcliff, his longtime batman, had satchels packed and their horses ready before he returned.
They were mounted and thundering towards Ramsgate within an hour of the express finally reaching him. He prayed they would not be too late.
~~~~~
The Wainright twins, Timothy and Tyler, were very loyal to the Darcys.
When the steward’s son, George Wickham, had seduced their sister, the Darcys had taken her in and helped her find a kind husband to raise the rake’s child as his own.
The teenage twins had been hired labor at a local farm before that, but had offered their services to the Darcys after, and become some of their most loyal servants.
Tim managed to fit himself into Miss Darcy’s closet that night, and somehow, Tyler wedged himself under her bed.
They would not allow Miss Darcy to be alone with that blighter, Henry Blake, even for a second.
Jackson and John Smith were hiding in the tiny garden out back.
Tommy and his cohorts were waiting to follow the man who called himself Mr. Blake.
The Rileys were going about their business and watching Mrs. Young who had just ordered some sweet sherry for her young mistress who was having a hard time going to sleep.
“Here you are Miss Darcy. I brought you a bit of sherry to help you sleep. I check on you before I go to my bed each night, you know, and you have been very restless. Bad dreams maybe? Here you are. Drink all of that and you shall sleep the night through and wake refreshed.”
“But I…well…I guess I have been a bit more tired lately. Thank you, Mrs. Young.” Georgiana put the glass to her lips just as a loud cough was heard from the hallway.
Bernice went to look out the door, and Gigi dumped the glass out on the opposite side of the bed.
It splashed Tyler in the face and he tried to remain silent, but his boot kicked the floor.
Georgiana thought quickly and threw herself back onto the pillows with one arm over her head.
“What was that?”
“Oh, ow! I was being dramatic and threw myself back. I hit my arm on the headboard. I hope I am not bruised in the morning. Would you mind taking this glass for me? I finished the sherry. I am so tired. I might skip breakfast with the Bennets and Beth tomorrow morning. If I am not up, will you please give my excuses?” She yawned loudly.
“Of course, my dear. You could use a day in bed. Sleep well. I shall check on you before I retire.” Mrs. Young backed out with a sly grin.
She would rinse the glass herself so no laudanum residue would be detected.
No one was in the kitchen, and all the servants seemed to have gone to bed.
There was only one footman in a chair near the front door, and he seemed to be nodding off from the little treat she had given him a while ago. ‘Perfect!’
Across town, the man known as Henry Blake was sneaking out of the side door of the Brass Duck.
The boy he had been paying to run messages would be around the corner holding onto the reigns of his horse and two-person travel carriage.
He would drive the carriage himself, while Miss Darcy and Bernice rode inside with the curtains drawn.
Rather than driving towards London, he would go around and then head towards Cambridge.
He knew of a long stretch of road with nothing for at least ten miles where he would dump Bernice out.
He’d then make a dash for the Scottish border, but not Gretna Green.
They’d never catch him on the route he intended to take.
He’d keep Miss Darcy drugged most of the way.
He’d make sure she was thoroughly compromised before they got there, and he’d make sure she felt all the shame of it so she would not make a fuss at their marriage over the anvil. He was so looking forward to this!
Ah! There was the boy. He had earned his pay, so he threw him a coin and ruffled his hair.
“Thank you boy. I will be leaving town now. You do good work.” Never hurt to be nice to a street rat.
They weren’t long for the world, but they were useful and kept their mouths shut.
The man did not even notice the boy had grabbed onto the back of the carriage and rode along.
Tommy signaled two other boys who had been watching from the shadows and they took off.
Meanwhile…
The other tall, blonde man was checking the places that were said to have gambling. His ‘old friend’ would likely be at one of them. He would start at the nicer places, then work his way down to the docks. It would be a long night. He would likely have to buy a lot of drinks to get any information.
The man who called himself Henry tied his horse to a hedgerow not far from Seaview Cottage and snuck around to the back garden.
The candle was in the window and Mrs. Young was waiting for him in the shadows.
“Hurry! She’s out like a light and so is the footman on duty.
” She grabbed his hand and led him into the house and up the back stairs.
Neither of them realized they were being followed by two large men who were preternaturally quiet.
They opened the door to the girl’s room and entered quietly.
There was no movement on the bed, but her blonde hair could be seen in the moonlight.
The man was just leaning over to pick her up when the closet door creaked open and a shadow moved.
The man’s head jerked up, and his face was illuminated by that same moonlight.
“Wickham! You dastard! You’ve ruined your last girl!
” Timothy lunged at him and Mrs. Young screamed.
Tyler got ahold of his foot and tripped Wickham as he tried to run.
He crashed face first into the floor. His chin hit and made a sickening crunch.
Mrs. Young went to rush out the door and found a solid wall of men.
She was grabbed, jerked out into the hall, and immediately tied up.
The footman who she thought she had drugged rather enjoyed tying her hands behind her back and marching her downstairs to tie her to a chair.
He likely was not as gentle as he could have been.
She had made no friends in this household.
George Wickham, the steward’s son from Pemberley, was dragged down the stairs and out the back door.
Timothy and Tyler Wainright took their revenge for their sister out with their fists.
Wickham was unconscious by the time John Smith stepped in and told them to stop.
“What should we do with him? Call the constable?”
Tyler was breathing hard and looking at his bloody knuckles, “He’ll just talk his way out of it. He always does.”
“So, who is he, exactly? I thought he called himself Henry Blake. You know him as George Wickham?”
“He’s the old steward’s son, grew up at Pemberley.
Played with all the boys, then he turned bad.
Left more than a few girls high in the belly.
Never paid his debts. Old Mr. Darcy never saw it.
Young Mr. Darcy kicked him off the estate as soon as he was master.
Ole Georgie Boy vowed revenge. Guess he thought he’d get it tonight. ”
“Is his father still steward at Pemberley?”
“No, God rest his soul, he was a good man to the end. Died just a few months after old Mr. Darcy died. He found out all his son had been doing, and just why the young master threw him off the land. Probably died of a broken heart, it’s said.”
“Ah, young Tommy, did you ever find out about the other blonde man?”
“Jimmy says he’s goin’ round to all the gamblin’ places lookin’ for that one. He heard someone call the man ‘Rose…somethin’.
Tyler and Timothy looked at each other. No one had seen Miss Darcy quietly coming out on the lawn. “Could it have been Rosemont? My cousin is tall and blonde.”
“Coulda been. Did you folks want ta get rid of the rat there? I knows a way. You’ll never see ‘im again.”
“We won’t do anything illegal, Tommy.” John admonished the young man.
“Not illegal. Navy’s always lookin’ for more hands. Ya take him down ta the docks. I know the men that’ll take him and glad of it. Ya don’ even hafta pay um, but they don’ mind takin’ a tip, if ya know what I mean. Keeps quiet an all.”
Slow smiles spread around the gathered men.
Miss Darcy started backing away. “I think I had best go inside. Lizzy and Beth should be here to take me to Rock House soon.” She turned and fled back in the house.
It was mere minutes before George Wickham was being wrapped in a rug and thrown into his own carriage.
Tommy rode up with John who would drive down to one of the rougher parts of town, while Timothy and Tyler rode inside the carriage with a still unconscious George laying at their feet.