Chapter 4 #2
They had learnt that the toffs, as Younge called them, were in the south of the country, but that fact was not definitive.
He had not known the county in the south, so even though the de Bourghs lived in the south, it was not enough.
The problem was that he did not know the name of the person or persons who had employed his late younger brother.
Leeds was very frustrated when all the reports were presented to him. They knew much, but not the critical information of who initiated the attack on his family, even though his suspicions were screaming that it was one or both of the de Bourghs who were to blame.
In an act of desperation, he placed notices in all the papers in Yorkshire and the surrounding counties as far south as Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Many tried to claim the large reward, but not one babe presented to them had the right combination of hair and eye colour, not to mention the birthmark was missing on them all.
So many trying to prey on their grief for profit drove Lady Amelia into the depths of despair.
Only the company of her two best friends stopped her from losing the will to live.
Anne and Elaine reminded her that every day that no body was discovered was a good day, which meant that Bethie more than likely still lived.
It was not very much comfort to the devastated mother, but it was something and gave Lady Amelia a sliver of hope.
After ten days, all the notices offering a reward were replaced with one saying the offer for a reward had been withdrawn.
Given how close to sure he was of who had ordered the kidnapping of his daughter, with the backing of the Earls of Matlock and Holderness, Leeds wrote to his Majesty laying out the suspicions and the reasoning for them. He also requested that His Majesty take certain actions.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the penultimate day of August, Lady Catherine de Bourgh was sitting in her drawing room on her raised gilded chair, which she viewed as her throne from which she could look down on all those unworthy to be in her company.
The butler had bowed low, as she demanded all the nobodies were to bow to her; afterwards, he approached and offered her the silver salver, which had a single epistle on it.
The writing was unmistakable. It was from Reggie. As he almost never wrote to her, Lady Catherine broke the Matlock seal and began to read after she smoothed the paper.
26 August 1791
Kiveton Park
Yorkshire
Mrs de Bourgh,
This is the final time you will hear from me, as what you or you and your husband have done is so far beyond the pale, it is indescribable.
You may ask why I addressed you as I did. That is simple. Both you and your useless husband have had your titles stripped from you.
“NOOOO!” Catherine de Bourgh screamed. “You cannot do that; I will not allow it. When I am a duchess, I will send you to the Tower!”
Although we do not have definite proof yet, we know that you paid Jim Younge to kidnap, and, we believe, murder Lady Bethany Osborne. However, there is a strong enough suspicion for Leeds to have applied to Their Majesties for two things, both of which have been granted.
The first was to strip you of your titles, and the second is that you and Mr de Bourgh, and any in your line, have been irrevocably removed from the line of succession of the Leeds Dukedom.
You have failed, Mrs de Bourgh! Even if Bethie’s body is discovered, you will never be a duchess or hold any other title.
If you think this is not true, I suggest you watch for the royal notice which announces the stripping of your and your husband’s titles and the removal of any de Bourgh from the line of succession.
Mrs de Bourgh sat staring at the words as if they would change if she looked at them long enough.
She had made a perfect plan, how had everything gone so wrong?
Surely this was not true! Had they truly lost everything they had wanted for themselves?
No! She could not accept this. She forced herself to continue reading the offensive missive.
You have angered and disgusted everyone from Their Majesties down to those who used to call you family.
Know this: None of us will rest until we have the proof of your culpability which will allow you to have a date with the executioner in the Tower.
When that does happen, you will be censured, slighted, and despised by everyone in society.
You will be seen by all for what you are: a disgrace.
Your names will never even be mentioned by any of us ever again, and none of us will mourn you.
When that happens, the crown has agreed that rather than take Rosings Park and all de Bourgh holdings, they will become my second son’s property.
Anne will be adopted by Lady Matlock and me.
We will give her the Fitzwilliam name. As soon as you two meet the end you deserve, the de Bourgh name will die with you!
I take no leave of you, Mrs de Bourgh. I send no compliments to your husband. You deserve no such attention. We are all most seriously displeased!
Lord Reginald Fitzwilliam, Earl of Matlock
Catherine de Bourgh had to believe what her brother wrote was wrong; it just had to be!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At the same time his wife was reading her brother’s letter, Sir Lewis de Bourgh was in his study reading the London papers. He unfolded The Times of London and saw a notice on the front page which took his breath away.
Royal Decree
Their Majesties King George III and Queen Charlotte hereby state and decree that effective immediately Sir Lewis de Bourgh and his wife, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, are stripped of their titles.
Further, the de Bourgh line beginning with Mr and Mrs Lewis de Bourgh, is forever removed from the line of succession of the Leeds Dukedom.
Lewis de Bourgh poured a full glass of cognac and threw it down his gullet. Why had he gone along with his insane wife’s plans? Even if the body were discovered—it had not been to date—everything was for nought.
He admitted, if only to himself, he had supported Catherine because he had been blinded not only by the title, but the wealth, the estates, and the holdings of the fourth richest dukedom in the realm.
He had not even felt the burn of the liquor as he swallowed it.
He refilled his tumbler twice more and threw each one back as speedily as he had the first one.
Mr de Bourgh threw the broadsheet down and made his way to the drawing room, attracted by his wife’s screeching.
“There you are! Look at this fiction my brother posted to me!” Catherine threw the letter at her husband’s feet. “How dare he lie in that fashion? The King is to strip our titles indeed!”
He picked up the epistle, and de Bourgh read the words, which both confirmed and went further than the royal decree.
“This is all your fault!” de Bourgh hissed.
“The notice was in the papers today with the royal seal! Everything your former brother said is true. It is only a matter of time before they find the evidence they need, and then you and I will lose our heads in the Tower. We committed treason, you simpleton!”
The former Lady Catherine sat looking most ill-used. “I am seriously displeased. I will write to the King and Queen and order them to reverse their ruling!”
It was obvious that his wife had lost her tenuous grip on reality, so de Bourgh turned and left her to her insane rantings.
He decided he needed to go to the parsonage and speak to Collins.
Before he left the mansion, de Bourgh returned to his study and imbibed three more tumblers of the amber liquor.