Chapter 4
On the fifth day of travel, not counting the day they remained at an inn to observe the sabbath, the Grantham coach reached Longbourn.
As they passed the gateposts with the black fabric draped over them, Bennet felt a wave of sadness hit him. He had been close to both his father and older brother, and it was still hard to come to grips with the loss of both of them.
Having Lizzy with them had been a good way of distracting him from his grief.
Thinking of Lizzy made him remember that he and Fanny had agreed to tell first Mother and Penelope, and then, when they saw them, the Gardiners and Phillipses the truth.
They had been sure that once they heard what the parents had attempted to do with Lizzy, they would agree that he and Fanny had done the right thing to rescue an innocent life.
When the coachman brought his team to a halt, Bennet could see his mother and sister-in-law in their widow’s weeds waiting in the drive before the front door.
Fanny was also wearing a black dress. The afternoon before leaving Grantham, she had a maid dye one of her older gowns, which she had donned this morning. Bennet had a black armband in place.
One of the footmen from the back bench extended the step from the recess and opened the door.
Bennet handed Fanny out who was soon in a three-way hug with his mother and Penelope.
Next, he helped Janey out who was soon enfolded in his mother’s arms. James did not recognise his grandmother and aunt, as he had only met them once when everyone had been in Grantham.
That did not stop him bestowing wet kisses on both, which elicited weak smiles from both widows.
Lastly, Bennet took Lizzy from Sophie before the footman helped the nursemaid alight.
Lizzy was awake, giggling and gurgling. Her little arms were flapping.
As had been expected, Mother and Penelope looked on with surprise. Bennet stood still while his mother approached to inspect Lizzy.
“Thomas and Fanny, I know not where this babe is from, although she does have some of my colouring,” Beth Bennet stated as she looked from her son to her daughter-in-law.
“Lizzy is our sister,” Jane volunteered. “I love Lizzy.”
Beth Bennet arched an eyebrow in question.
“Mother, Penelope, we have much to tell you, but it would be preferable to do so in the house,” Fanny prompted. She linked her arm with Penelope’s. “We were so sad to receive Hattie’s letter. You have my deepest sympathies, and you will always be my sister.”
“Thank you for your comforting words, Fanny,” Penelope responded.
With Jane holding one hand and James the other, Beth made her way into the house. Bennet followed, leading Sophie, who was holding Lizzy in her arms. In the entrance hall, Bennet did not see the butler and housekeeper who had served Longbourn for many years.
After handing her grandchildren to a maid who proceeded to show the nursemaid holding the mystery babe up to the nursery, Beth noticed the confusion on Thomas’s countenance.
“Mr and Mrs Langston retired a year ago. Thomas, allow me to introduce you to Mr and Mrs Hill, the new butler and housekeeper. Mr and Mrs Hill, my son and daughter-in-law, Mr and Mrs Bennet, the master and mistress of Longbourn.” It hurt Beth to name anyone other than her husband in that role, but there was nothing which would change that fact.
At least the master was still a Bennet, and Thomas had a son, which would keep Longbourn in the family for generations to come.
Had they not had a second son who had his own children, Longbourn would have become the property of a distant cousin, Clem Collins.
It was not because of an entail to heirs male, as that was not how the entail was crafted, but rather that Longbourn could only be inherited by one of Bennet blood.
None of Bennet’s ancestors had seen the need to entail the estate on the male line.
Although the cousin bore the name Collins, his great-grandfather had been a Bennet third son.
He had married the only daughter of a man named Collins, and in order to become master of the family’s estate, William Bennet had become William Collins.
The Collins estate had been lost by Clem’s father, who was a gambler, and Clem Collins had taken orders and received a living in Hunsford, Kent.
As far as Beth knew, he lived in his parsonage with his wife, Ophelia, and his son, William.
The son was three years older than Jane.
If Thomas and Fanny had not been blessed with James, Jane would have been the heiress to Longbourn.
Beth was snapped out of her reverie about the family as she joined Penelope, Fanny, and Thomas in the drawing room. She watched as Thomas closed the door. “It seems you have much to tell us,” she stated as she sat.
“At the first stop after we reached Lincolnshire, I needed a walk…” Fanny told of how she discovered Lizzy and the criminal who, had he not died, would have hurt her. At that point, she pulled the piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Penelope, who was closest to her.
Upon reading the words on the piece of paper, Penelope lost her colour and almost felt like she needed to cast up her accounts. She had wanted a child more than anything in the world, and this mother was sending hers to be murdered.
Taking the paper from Penelope’s shaking hand, Beth read the vile words on it. More than anything, she felt anger. “You need not say anything else. That darling girl I saw was unwanted, and you rescued her from being killed before she ever had a chance to live her life. You named her Lizzy?”
“Elizabeth Rose for you, Mother,” Fanny said proudly. “As you said, she has your colouring.”
“That is what I thought when I saw her,” Beth agreed.
“As I am called Beth, calling her Lizzy is wise. That way there can be no confusion between me and my granddaughter.” She thought of something.
“Fanny, seeing that your parents, Edward, Hattie, and Frank just saw you in April and May this year, they know you were not with child. They will need to be told the truth. Beyond them, Lizzy is your daughter and was born to you.”
“Thomas and I plan to tell my family as soon as we see them. And when she is older, we will have to tell Lizzy the truth,” Fanny mused, “but not before she is somewhere between sixteen and eighteen. Until then, she must know that she is as loved as Jane and James.”
There were nods from all in the room.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Why have we not read about the whelp’s dead body being discovered?” Lady Catherine spat in disgust after she threw down the latest copy of The Times of London.
“Catherine, may I remind you that this was your plan, and you chose the man to execute it. You know as well as I do that I will not be made the heir presumptive in the absence of definitive proof of the babe’s death.
If your man does not do as he was told and leave the body where it is sure to be found, then this has all been for nought,” Sir Lewis drawled.
“What a waste of twenty thousand pounds.
“I only gave Younge half of the money. I told him he would receive the other half when news that the so-called Lady Bethany was reported deceased. In fact, I never intended to pay him the rest. Ten thousand is more than enough for that lowlife,” Lady Catherine stated.
“If he had done what you instructed, the news would have been abroad days ago. Younge’s last report said he would take her on the fifth day of August. It is almost a sennight past that date, and there has not been a word in the papers.
Now, before you say it, you cannot accuse the Duke and Duchess of Leeds of hiding their daughter’s body because that would prove our guilt. ”
As that was exactly what she had been thinking of doing, Lady Catherine closed her mouth. Even she understood that if she lost her head, she would not be a duchess. It was her destiny to be above her younger sister, Anne, so there had to be a way.
Knowing his wife would be railing against him and his perceived failures when it was her plan and the man was one who she chose to carry it out, Sir Lewis made his way to his study, where he proceeded to drink half a decanter of brandy.
When he was deep in his cups, it drowned out his annoying termagant of a wife.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A few days after sending men out to the late Mrs Younge’s house and to the house of the girl who used to work as a nursemaid, some things began to become clear.
The girl, Katy Smith, had been threatened by one Jim Younge, the late Mrs Younge’s brother-in-law, who had prompted her to leave her position and recommend her cousin Becky Younge.
When she had been asked why she had not reported this to Their Graces, she told them how the man had threatened to murder her family members, making her too fearful to say anything.
Although her reasoning for how she acted under duress was understood, Katy would never be employed by the Osbornes again.
The men who called at the Younge’s room learnt more. At first, Mr Clay Younge, the murdered woman’s husband, had wanted to send the men away until they revealed that his brother had murdered his wife. As soon as that was related, Mr Younge told them all he knew.
His brother had been employed by some toffs in the southern part of the country.
His wife was supposed to be lightly coshed to make it look like she had no part in it.
She had only done it to earn money to better their children’s future and, on condition that Lady Bethany not be harmed in any way.
Mr Younge had said that his brother was lucky he was dead because he would have begged for death’s sweet release if Clay Younge had gotten his hands on his murdering younger brother.