Chapter 2 #2
Jim was intimate with a maid who worked at Rosings Park in Kent.
The dragon, Lady Catherine, had caught them lying one with the other.
She had threatened to sack Paulette without a character and make trouble for Jim unless he assisted her as needed.
All Jim cared about was earning blunt, so he agreed.
He cared not about Paulette, but the toff lady spoke of good amounts of coin when he was needed by her.
About six weeks past, he had been summoned to her, where she had laid out what needed to be done. He had refused to kill for her, but being offered twenty thousand pounds to do the deed had banished all of his scruples about killing a babe.
A month past, he had put the fear of God into one of the nursemaids working at Kiveton Park and not only had she left, but she had also recommended her cousin, Becky.
The Duchess had employed Becky. She had used that time to learn all of the routines of the house.
When she had reported that the girl was taken out at least once a day to be pushed around the park and sometimes among the trees, he had come up with his plan.
The duchess met with her housekeeper on Friday mornings.
That was the morning one or two of the nursemaids walked out with the girl in her perambulator.
Jim told Becky to be sure she was the only one to walk with the babe on the morning of Friday the fifth day of August. She had told him there would be a footman, but he had assured her it would not be a problem as long as she walked among the oaks with the little miss.
With his assurances that it was all about ransom, Becky agreed to the plan.
The five thousand pounds she was promised did not hurt.
“As long as that is true, then I will help you,” Becky reiterated. “I cannot come with you because I will be missed, and they will suspect me right away. When you cosh me, do not make it too hard.”
“Don’ worry yir pretty ‘ead, Becky; I make it look real but ya be alive,” Jim promised. “Just don’ be late in mornin’,” he admonished.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On Friday morning, Lady Amelia fed Bethie like she did each morning when her daughter woke not long after first light.
As was her wont after Bethie had belched and was changed, she played with her gurgling girl, who had a rather strong grip, for a while before relinquishing her to the nursemaid; it was the new one, Becky, this morning.
“Where is Jamima?” Lady Amelia questioned. She was the senior nurse who would walk pushing Bethie’s perambulator on Fridays.
“She is not feeling very well, Your Grace. I will be taking Lady Bethany into the park this morning,” Becky responded as evenly as she was able. She had slipped something into Jamima’s food the previous evening which had caused her supposed friend to be ill this morning.
“I will send the housekeeper to look in on her,” Lady Amelia said. “Have a good walk with my dear girl.” She lifted Bethie off her lap, kissed her cheek, resulting in the expected giggles, and then handed her precious daughter to the nursemaid.
She hated being away from the darling girl, but Amelia knew her duties, and they had to be met. At the door she turned and blew her girl a kiss and then made her way down to her study, where she would meet with the housekeeper, cook, and anyone else she needed to meet with on this morning.
The perambulator was in the entrance hall waiting for them, so after carrying the happy babe down the grand stairs, she was placed in the little carriage.
The babe’s arms were flapping with excitement, and she was gurgling happily.
Two footmen carried the perambulator down to the drive, and off they went.
With one of the footmen following behind, Becky walked the expected route through the gardens and spent time in the rose garden Lady Bethany seemed to enjoy so much.
She walked for over a half hour until the babe fell asleep, as was her wont on these walks.
It was imperative for Jim that she be asleep because he wanted as little noise to attract notice from the footmen at the house as possible.
Once Becky was sure the girl was well and truly slumbering, she swaddled her and then headed towards the stand of oak trees.
Even though most of the time once Lady Bethany was asleep, the mistress or the nursemaid would head back to the house, the footman did not question the nursemaid about why she was not doing that.
Jim was waiting where he would not be visible to those at the mansion. He crept up behind the footman and struck the man with his cosh. As soon as Jim hit the footman, he dropped to the ground. Jim then advanced to where Becky stood with the perambulator.
“Just like you did, Tom, not too hard for me,” Becky said softly.
“Of course, you be me sister,” Jim assured her. The truth was he could not afford to have her as a witness after it was discovered the girl was dead. It was her life or his, and he had no intention of swinging.
Becky turned and waited.
He pulled his arm as far back as he could and then struck her with as much force as he was able to.
He did not know it, but the blow was enough, but to make sure, he hit her head a few more times.
Then, he lifted the babe. Luckily, she was still sleeping.
He placed her on some blankets on the floor of the carriage he had rented.