Chapter 14
At the end of the second day of her southward journey on the Great North Road, Lady Amelia arrived at the coaching inn they would remain at for two nights, as the morrow was the Sabbath. A rider had gone ahead and reserved rooms, so she was assured of quality accommodations as she travelled.
She was alighting with the aid of one of her footmen when a rider pulled his mount to a halt with some urgency, sending a shower of gravel from the hooves of the horse. He jumped down and purposefully walked towards the dowager duchess.
Three of her outriders formed a shield between her and the man while two footmen, their pistols aimed at the rider, stood in front of her. One of them was Tom, who had shot the kidnapper all those years ago.
“I be a courier for Lord Matlock,” the man stated. “I ‘as a missive fer ‘Er Grace.”
The men around Lady Amelia relaxed and allowed the courier to approach her, but they did not relax their vigilance, just in case.
Lady Amelia took the epistle and recognised Elaine’s hand.
She looked at the direction; it was not from Seaview House.
It was very curious. After thanking the man, she followed Tom up to the suite of rooms which had been reserved for her.
While Tom and another footman took positions outside of the door, Amelia entered her suite.
She was too inquisitive about the letter, so she did not make for her bedchamber.
She threw her light pelisse onto a chair; her gloves and bonnet followed it to the same chair in short order.
She sat on the nearby settee and broke the seal of a ‘B’ surrounded by ivy. She took a deep breath and began to read.
2 July 1807
Longbourn
Near the town of Meryton
Hertfordshire
Amelia this is a letter we have prayed we would be able to write to you since the day Bethie was stolen away almost 16 years past.
Amelia burst into tears. There was only one thing which would prompt the words Elaine wrote.
They thought they had discovered Bethie!
As much as she wanted it to be true, Amelia knew that she had to protect her heart.
If this was not an answer to her prayers; if she allowed herself to believe only to have her hopes dashed, she did not think she would survive that level of disappointment.
She dried her face and allowed her still moist eyes to return to the paper.
You must know that we would never write this letter without being absolutely certain of what we are about to say. We have seen Bethie. Not only does she look like an exact facsimile of you, but she has the birthmark behind her left ear. It was the first thing we checked for as we both hugged her.
There were more tears, but they were of joy and relief.
Unless Elaine and Anne were as sure as could be, they would never have written this letter to her.
Amelia lifted her eyes to the heavens. “Thank you, oh merciful God! You have answered my prayers that I will see Bethie in the mortal world. I am only sorry that my Francis will not be with me when I see her again.”
Her lady’s maid was concerned when she heard crying, and Her Grace spoke out loud when there was no one in the sitting room with her. “Your Grace, are you well?” Jenny Peters asked.
“It is the best news, Jenny! Ladies Elaine and Anne have found Bethie! I will see my daughter again soon,” Lady Amelia gushed.
“That is the best news, Your Grace. Should I not unpack?” Peters queried.
“No, do not. Wait until I have read it all. As soon as I have, I will make some decisions,” Lady Amelia replied.
The maid bobbed a curtsey and withdrew to the bedchamber.
As soon as she was alone Amelia continued reading hungrily.
The discovery began with Miss Caroline Bingley, whom you met at Rosings Park in the summer of 1806. She is engaged to Mr William Collins, the curate at, and son of the rector of, St Cuthbert’s Church in Hunsford. The Collinses are cousins of the Bennets from whose estate this missive was sent.
Miss Bingley and her brother could not believe how much Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked like you.
The Bennets had intended to seek Mr Collins’s counsel as to what they should do.
They had only informed their daughter on her 16th birthday that she was not of Mrs Bennet’s body.
They celebrated Bethie’s birthday on the 3rd day of February each year.
The reason they wanted Mr Collins’s advice was they had come to doubt the assumptions they had made about who wanted to harm Bethie based on some evidence Mrs Bennet discovered when she found Bethie.
All of your questions will be addressed when you arrive at the address listed in the direction we scribed.
What we can tell you is that Bethie has been raised as a gentlewoman. She has been loved and never made to feel any less because she was not born of Mrs Bennet’s body. She has 4 siblings, 3 sisters and 1 brother, whom she loves as fiercely as they love her.
We are awaiting your arrival before we have the harder and more in-depth conversations. Reggie and Robert will enquire about accommodations at the local inn because we will not depart until you arrive and some important decisions are reached.
No one will write to the royals about her discovery until you have seen Bethie and confirmed her identity for yourself.
A similar letter has been posted to Seaview House in case the courier is not able to discover you as he rides north.
We know it seems like a dream, but Amelia, it is true! We are here with Bethie.
With all of our love to our sister of the heart,
Elaine and Anne
Amelia read the epistle twice more just to satisfy herself that she had not misinterpreted any of the words.
They remained the same with each rereading.
Other than Jenny, who had come to see if she was well, out of concern, there was one servant above all who needed to be told the news.
“Tom, please come to me,” she called out.
“Aye, Your Grace,” Tom responded as he bowed to the mistress.
“Tom, I want you to give orders that we depart with first light on the morrow,” Lady Amelia said with a smile.
“On the Sabbath, Your Grace?” Tom verified.
“Normally I would not travel on the Lord’s day, but I believe He will forgive me as we will be travelling to see Lady Bethany,” Lady Amelia confirmed.
It took the footman a few moments before his face was wreathed in smiles.
“It is ‘Er Ladyship, I should say, ‘Er Grace’?” For many years, no matter how many times he had been told that he was not at fault for the little mite being taken, Tom had felt the weight of guilt caused by his inability to save Lady Bethany.
He had prayed to hear this news almost as much as Her Grace had.
“Yes, she has been identified by the Countesses and Earls of Matlock and Holderness,” Lady Amelia confirmed. “Tell the drivers we are for the estate of Longbourn near the market town of Meryton in Hertfordshire. I want them to make all speed without endangering the horses.”
“Aye, Your Grace, it be me pleasure to tell ‘em that.” Tom bowed and practically ran out of the sitting room.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The next morning as the sky lightened in the east, Lady Amelia and her lady’s maid climbed into the lead coach.
She had been pleased to be told that the Matlock courier was returning to her friends with her message telling them that she was on her way.
Before riding off, he had given her coachmen the directions so they would not have any problems finding the way to their destination.
When she spoke to the coachman before boarding, Amelia had been pleased to be told that with frequent changing of horses, they would reach Longbourn on the morrow in the afternoon or evening.
With short breaks to change horses, the long daylight hours would aid them in the number of hours they would be able to travel.
Added to that was the motivation of those employed by her to get her to her daughter as soon as may be.
There were none who were employed at any estate owned by the Leeds Dukedom who did not know about Lady Bethany’s kidnapping. Many of those who had been employed at Kiveton Park were working at Hornby Castle, leaving a small group of staff and servants at the former ducal seat.
A large number of them had been there the day the babe had been stolen. Hence, as word spread among the retinue that the new duchess had been found, and they were conveying their mistress to see her, the mood lightened considerably.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On Sunday the Bennets’ neighbours were curious about the expanded party who entered the church with their friends.
The Gardiners and Collinses were not unexpected, but the fact that the Phillipses were worshipping at St Hugh’s Church in the Longbourn Village and not at St Alfred’s in Meryton was unusual.
The ten people whom no one recognised looked decidedly noble.
Sir William and Lady Lucas had arrived at almost the same time as the Bennets—they alternated Sundays between this church and the one in Meryton—and Bennet knew he could not forgo introductions without being rude; Matlock and Holderness had agreed to being introduced.
As he did so, Bennet was amused by Sir William’s reaction, which he understood.
Until that moment, his friend and his wife had been the only titled persons in the area.
Now there were earls, countesses, viscounts, as well as a lady, which highlighted the fact that a knight was the lowest of the titles possible.
After that, it was the work of moments before the identity of the Bennets’ guests raced through the congregation like wildfire.