Chapter 11. Mr Darcy’s Letter from a Scoundrel
The afternoon was dry but cold; Elizabeth completed her work with her aunt and dressed for a visit with Georgiana.
When the Darcy carriage arrived at Grace Church Street, she climbed in with the aid of the footman and the trip through the streets of London was quick with Elizabeth anticipating the time she would spend practicing a new duet with Georgiana.
Mr Darcy’s applause the previous visit had been most appreciated.
When the carriage pulled to stop in front of the Darcy house and the footman opened the carriage, Elizabeth stepped down to the street and then turned to climb the steps to the door.
But she was interrupted; a woman dressed in mourning with a full black veil covering her face came up to her and thrust a letter into her hands while crying out, “For the love of Christ, Miss Bennet! Ask Mr Darcy to help George! He will hang if Mr Darcy does not to save him!”
“Get off with you!” the footman said, breaking between Elizabeth and the stranger in widow’s garb. But the woman turned and fled down the street, leaving Elizabeth perplexed and shaken.
“Forgive me miss,” the footman said. “I did not see her approaching you.”
Watching the fleeing woman for a moment, Elizabeth told the footman, “No one would make much of a widow in full mourning walking down the street. Think nothing of it.”
When she turned the letter over to determine the direction, she found there were two names written in a man’s strong hand, ‘G. Wickham’ and ‘Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy’. Elizabeth’s face grew sombre, and she began to climb up the stairs to Darcy House as the door opened and the master came out.
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“Miss Bennet, what has occurred? I saw the lady approach you and my footman. Are you well?” he asked most solicitously.
“I am well sir, but I am perplexed,” she said before handing the letter to him. She saw his face turn dark when he read the direction.
Glancing at the footman, Darcy ordered, “Tell me all that you heard and saw.”
“Sir, I helped the young lady from the carriage, folded up the step and closed the door. Immediately when I heard the woman’s voice behind me, I stepped forward to separate her from Miss Darcy’s visitor.”
“What did she say?” he asked the footman who swallowed hard.
“Mr Darcy, the lady was wearing full mourning with a heavy veil. I did not pay her any attention.”
Elizabeth looked at the footman and said, “Your man was most quick to come to my aid and I am unharmed. It would have been improper to approach someone in deep mourning in any case.”
“Sir,” the footman spoke up. “I thought that I recognized the woman’s voice–it sounded like Mrs Young who used to be with Miss Darcy.”
Now Darcy asked Elizabeth, “Miss Bennet, what did the woman say to you?”
“May we go inside first Mr Darcy?” Elizabeth asked. “The air is cold.”
“Yes of course,” he replied and led the way into the house. As soon as the door was closed, he turned to Elizabeth again.
She considered carefully before answering his question. “The lady called out and thrust the letter in my hands. She begged me to ask you to help someone named ‘George’. She said that he had been falsely accused and would hang. She insisted that only you could help him.”
While Elizabeth was speaking, Darcy examined the letter, his scowl growing deeper as he focused on Wickham’s name on the paper.
“Thank you, Miss Bennet,” he said. “Please go to my sister and enjoy your visit. I shall review the letter and see if I can make any determinations.”
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From her seat near the pianoforte, Miss Annesley asked, “Miss Bennet, will you tell us what distracts you so this afternoon?” Hearing her companion’s question, Georgiana stopped playing and looked up from keyboard.
Twisting around to face her hostess and the lady’s companion, Elizabeth sighed and explained. “Something very unusual happened in front of Darcy House when I arrived this afternoon.”
“Please tell us,” Georgiana asked, now curious.
“When I stepped from the carriage, a woman dressed in mourning approached me and gave me a letter she wanted me to pass along to Mr Darcy. She said that someone named ‘George’ was going to be hanged if Mr Darcy did not assist him.”
“What was her appearance? Her face?” asked Georgiana.
Elizabeth shook her head. “She wore a heavy mourning veil. I could only truly tell it was a woman by the tone of her voice.”
The door to the music room opened and Mr Darcy came in, the letter in his hand. Behind him in the hallway, Elizabeth noticed that the butler and housekeeper waited in attendance. Mr Darcy left the door open, an unusual occurrence in the house where the family highly prized their privacy.
“Brother, you are early. We shall not have tea for another half-hour,” Georgiana said, rising and approaching Mr Darcy to embrace him. Mrs Annesley and Elizabeth rose to curtsey.
“Forgive the intrusion sister, ladies, but I must speak with Miss Bennet about the lady outside the house this morning.”
“Elizabeth had just informed us of the meeting,” Georgiana informed her brother. “She does not gossip but Mrs Annesley recognized her spirits were not very high and asked her to tell us of her troubles.”
“I am sorry Georgiana,” Elizabeth apologised. “It was just so sudden and unusual. I do not know what to make of it.”
“Miss Bennet, did the woman call you by name?”
Elizabeth slowly nodded and watched Mr Darcy’s face grow sombre before he turned to his sister.
“Georgiana, this is very important. Think back to when Mrs Young was with us. Which maids or footmen did she befriend? Was there anyone she talked with regularly among the servants?”
After moving back to the pianoforte, Georgiana bowed her head for a moment before answering, “I think the only maid she ever spoke to–other than my lady’s maid–was Millie Smith. The girl wants to be a lady’s maid and Mrs Young allowed Millie to help her dress each morning.”
Mrs Annesley looked up and added, “Mr Darcy, the girl has approached me several times about helping me with my gowns, but I have not made use of her services. And I have found her in the passageways behind the rooms more than once when I have gone to the kitchens.”
“Mrs Annesley, you do not have to use the servant staircase,” Darcy admonished his sister’s companion.
The lady smiled but nodded her head in acknowledgement. “Thank you, sir, but it is much easier to reach the kitchens from the servant stairs.”
Darcy stepped to the door and asked Mr and Mrs Jones into the room. The butler and housekeeper wore sombre expressions that caused Georgiana and Elizabeth to exchange worried glances.
“Miss Darcy and Mrs Annesley confirm your conclusion Mrs Jones,” Darcy told his staff. “It appears to be Millie who is telling tales to Mrs Young.”
“The girl has had many new ribbons and extra coins for sweets,” Mrs Jones replied. “What shall I do sir? Dismiss her?”
“No,” Mr Darcy said quickly. He paused in thought for a moment and then asked, “When is her next half day?”
“Tomorrow, sir. She leaves after luncheon and must be back before ten when the outside doors to the kitchen are locked.”
“I do not know the girl–I would not recognize her,” Darcy told the housekeeper. “What could I tell a man to find her on the street if he was to follow her?”
Mrs Jones thought for a moment before answering. “She wears a yellow shawl about her shoulders and her house cap out into the weather on her half days. If you want her followed, the man could find Millie on the street without fail.”
“Thank you, Mrs Jones.” Darcy glanced at Elizabeth and gave her half a smile before turning to his sister. “Georgie, you must not speak of this to your maid in any manner. Not a word.”
She glanced at Mrs Annesley and Elizabeth before nodding most solemnly.
“We shall speak of this to no one outside of this room,” Mrs Annesley confirmed.
“Miss Bennet, when it is time for you to return home, I wish to accompany you to Gracechurch Street–I shall speak to Mr Gardiner regarding the letter.”
“Certainly Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth agreed and rose to curtsey once again when he bowed and swept from the room, followed by Mr and Mrs Jones.
The three ladies were quiet for several long minutes until Elizabeth stood up. “Shall we attempt the duet again Georgiana? I believe I can rise to the challenge this afternoon.”
“Bravo, Miss Bennet,” Mrs Annesley said to encourage both young ladies and she helped Georgiana find the proper sheets of music.
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The footman and coachman stood before Mr Darcy’s desk as he asked them questions regarding other carriages on the street in front of the house in recent days and any pedestrians that appeared on the street regularly.
“I do remember seeing a coach setting on the street several times last week–in front of Lord Grey’s house but the house is closed for the year. But it has not been there in the last three days.”
“Have you noticed any coaches or stragglers on the street around Miss Bennet’s home on Gracechurch Street?”
“The Gardiner footman always comes to the carriage to help Miss Bennet sir, and I have time to look up and down the street for pickpockets and beggars. There are not any beggars around the house, and I have not seen anyone, or any coach follow us when we make the trip.”
Darcy nodded. “I am glad to hear that you are paying attention to the streets when you travel with the family and our friends. Hereafter, when my sister and her companion are out, a second footman is to attend the carriage.”
The coachman remained silent but lifted his coat to display the loaded pistol he carried at all times. Darcy nodded again and added, “Carry a musket under the seat as well. I shall carry a pistol under my coat for the next few days.”
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When tea was delivered, Elizabeth joined Georgiana and Mrs Annesley at the table, but they did not wait on Mr Darcy.
“My brother must have more information than he shared with us,” Georgiana commented.
Mrs Annesley answered, “If he wanted us to know more, he would tell us.”