Chapter 2 #3
The longer that there was no ransom demand, the more Bennet became convinced that his wife had somehow found a way to harm Lizzy. As much as he wanted her to pay, there was no proof; all signs pointed to the missing maid and no trace of her had been found.
Fanny walked into Meryton and saw the unlit candle in the one window—the signal that Sam had returned.
Once she saw that no one was around she waddled to his door and let herself in.
He was waiting for her in the little living room, dining room, and kitchen in one, and they hugged and kissed with the excitement of pulling it off.
“Well?” she asked in anticipation.
“Here,” Sam produced a small box which looked like a mini chest that Fanny had given him ahead of time. “As you asked.”
Fanny gingerly opened the lid and almost gagged at the smell as she looked at the drying organ within.
She closed the lid and thanked Sam most profusely as she handed over all of the money that she had saved.
She thought that she was clever, pilfering money from her husband’s strong box the few times she had been able to slip into his study.
After the service that he had performed for her, she had no problem handing the stolen one hundred pounds over to Sam.
The conspiratorial couple said their goodbye for the final time.
A lad from Mr Lucas asked him to report at the magistrate’s office the following afternoon.
The next morning Sam resigned with the excuse that his family needed him in Devon, gone before Bennet or Mr Lucas were able to question him.
Fanny was quite pleased with herself. Everyone thought that she was not intelligent, but she had shown them all.
When she returned to the cottage her husband had consigned her to, she looked like the cat that got the cream.
For a short while she was able to forget her reduced circumstances and rejoice in the apparent success of her plan to kill the Devil’s spawn, and she hid the little chest with her morbid souvenir in the bottom of her small closet.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Back in the drawing room Mrs Smythe, the new housekeeper at Snowhaven, waved the salts just below her mistress’s nose.
When the Countess came to, she at first thought that she had imagined the vision of her dead daughter, but then she saw the tiny girl clinging to Andrew for dear life.
It did not take long for Andrew and Richard to relay the tale of how they discovered the toddler and what her name was.
It was noted that she asked for her Papa, and ‘aney, which were persons currently unknown to them, someone named John, and sometimes she asked where a ‘miz ammy’ was.
One person she never called for was her mother.
Based on the name Elizabeth on the cross, and her saying her name was ‘Izzy, they asked her “Are you Lizzy?” the little girl had nodded in the affirmative with a smile which meant she was very used to being called such.
Elaine approached Andrew and slowly extended her arms. After some hesitance, she must have decided that she could trust the kindly looking woman, so she allowed herself to be taken and Elaine sat with the gift of the young one in her lap.
As she examined the little mite closely, she could see that although there were some basic similarities with her departed Tiffany there were more things that were different, especially the shape and colour of her eyes.
As the little girl sucked her thumb and relaxed against Elaine, she fell asleep, and the Countess was hopelessly lost. As much as she wanted to never let her go, she knew that they had to search for her parents or parent, and if found she would have to relinquish the girl.
Due to that fact, the Countess tried to stop herself falling in love with the little girl, but it was already too late.
She would not begrudge the parents this gift she had unwittingly been given.
It was something only a parent could understand but being able to hug Lizzy had eased the ache of not being able to hug her own just one more time.
She breathed the little one in as she hugged her and nodded as she looked up at her husband that at last, she was no longer haunted.
The Earl walked over and kneeled next to both ladies in the room, and he looked at Lizzy for a long moment before he again met the eyes of his wife.
“There are some moments you know God had a hand in. Thank you, Lizzy.” He leaned in and kissed the top of her head and then his wife’s who nodded and smiled at him without restraint for the first time in too long.
“Even if we find them, maybe Richard can fight her papa for the honour of her care.” She teased her boys.
“He’s already scowling at you, his own father.
” Her three men laughed, and Lizzy woke up and smiled at her before sighing in contentment.
It was obviously a sound she was used to hearing, and that was a great relief for them all.
The next morning, the Darcys arrived in time to break their fasts with their family after the urgent express summoning them to Snowhaven had arrived the previous evening.
As they all ate, the Fitzwilliams shared the story of the little girl who had been discarded in Sherwood Forest. It was decided that notices would be sent to the newspapers in all of the shires surrounding Derbyshire.
If there were no responses within three months, then the Earl and Countess would decide the next step.
The three Darcys were amused when they were told how the maids had argued among themselves as to who would act as nursemaid to the beautiful little girl, and how the argument had been settled speedily by the housekeeper who had taken the privilege for herself the night before.
When the repast was finished, the family assembled in the family sitting room and the maid who had today been appointed to look after the toddler brought her in.
All three Darcys were struck not only by the beauty of the girl, but also by the intelligence that seemed to shine from her eyes.
The family guessed, based on her size, that she was around one, which made her walking and speaking ability all the more remarkable.
“We have no idea what her birthdate is, do we?” William asked.
“No, William, there was no date engraved on the back of her cross,” Aunt Elaine agreed.
“You found her discarded yesterday on the twentieth day of June, did you not,” William asked his cousins who both nodded.
“Yes, I dare say William is onto something,” his Uncle Reggie said. “As long as little Miss Lizzy is with us, her birthday will be the day you boys found her,” the Earl looked at his sons with pride, “and we will say that she is one now.”
For three months, notices were placed in the papers, and after two the scope was expanded to some shires another ten miles further, but no one called to claim Lizzy.
Maddie Ellison had departed Lambton for London just a few days before the notice appeared in the local broadsheets, so she did not see it and was not able to pass on the information to her betrothed when she was apprised of their missing niece.
She had already claimed the young girl as family when her Edward had said that his niece was missing, correcting him even then by saying ours.
Maddie volunteered to start writing small thoughts and happenings of the family in a journal so that when she was found they could share things they might have forgotten with her.
Maddie’s father had once given the same advice to a mother whose only son had gone to war, so she hoped she was not overstepping; she was pleasantly surprised when her Edward kissed her in appreciation.
It was no tentative first kiss, and she could not wait to be his wife to help him carry his burdens, realise his dreams, and fill his desires.
In the three months since she was brought home to Snowhaven, the petite little ball of energy had wormed her way into the hearts of everyone that came into contact with her.
As each day passed her vocabulary increased, and after six weeks, she was calling Elaine Mama, and Reggie ‘Unca’, as she still had a vague memory of her father.
‘Andew’ and ‘Itch’ were beloved older brothers, and she loved her new Aunt and Uncle and cousin Will very well.
In early October 1792, the Earl claimed little Lizzy as his daughter, and she officially became Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam.
At Longbourn, a grieving father finally accepted that his beloved daughter was dead.
In early October, as she was being adopted, Bennet and his family gathered for a funeral-like ceremony at which they buried an empty coffin.
Fanny Bennet hid herself and watched with glee, walking carelessly back to the cottage not paying attention to the obstacles on the ground.
During this exercise, the first massive pain of labour hit her, and she tripped and fell extremely hard hitting her head on a rock as her world faded to black.