Chapter 13
After one of the fastest journeys Elizabeth could remember, the young ladies and their companions reached London in only four hours.
Young Acton might have been shy, but he knew exactly what he was doing with horses and carriages.
They marvelled at how quickly he had the horses changed, even though at least two other carriages were waiting.
Elizabeth wondered whether he had spent all the money he had received at a single stop; Georgiana assured her they had all the funds they needed.
Whilst Charlotte went to refresh herself, she explained to Elizabeth that her brother always kept large sums of money both in London and at Pemberley in case anything happened to him, at least until she came into her inheritance.
Elizabeth tried to conceal her tears. It was exactly as she imagined him, attentive to every detail concerning the people he loved. She remembered how he had dealt with Lydia and Wickham simply to restore her happiness.
The carriage had hardly stopped before Darcy’s house when they all hurried inside, eager to discover whether any messages had arrived from Rosings.
Mr Acton watched them with a warm smile.
They were remarkable ladies indeed, and he was proud to help them in every way he could.
He remained outside to look after the carriage and horses, as Miss Bennet had warned him they might soon continue their journey.
Gentlemen’s voices came from the parlour, making Georgiana run ahead whilst Elizabeth took Charlotte’s arm to support her.
Elizabeth knew her friend needed to gather her courage before showing herself. She had concealed the bruises beneath powder, but their colour was impossible to hide completely.
A voice she did not immediately recognise startled Elizabeth.
Her heart stopped, hoping against all reason that it might be Darcy.
She released Charlotte’s arm and hurried forward, only to stop in the doorway when she saw Colonel Fitzwilliam embracing Georgiana.
He looked at Elizabeth sadly before bowing.
“Miss Bennet. I am sorely sorry I could not be here sooner.”
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, your presence is both a comfort and a relief,” Elizabeth replied. “You remember my friend, Mrs Collins,” she added, returning to Charlotte’s side to support her through the difficult introduction.
“Of course I do.”
The colonel bowed, and Charlotte curtseyed.
“How did you arrive so quickly?” Georgiana asked, delighted to see her cousin.
“I have been on the road for three days and three nights,” the colonel replied with a smile.
Just then Mr Acton appeared in the drawing room. When he was introduced to the colonel, he smiled with quiet satisfaction, pleased that his adventure was evidently continuing.
All three gentlemen noticed the bruises on Charlotte’s face.
Yet, none of them remarked upon them beyond offering her a warm welcome.
Only the colonel allowed his eyes to rest on her face a moment longer than the others.
He understood at once why Elizabeth had underlined the word disconcerting in her brief message.
No further explanation was necessary for a man who had seen many fights and many bruises.
It was a man’s hand that had marked her face.
He also knew her husband, who had never made a favourable impression upon him during his visit to Kent in March.
“I am relieved that you are here,” Georgiana said, looking at her cousin with hope in her eyes.
“So am I, my dear. Do not be afraid. We shall not stop until we find Darcy.”
Elizabeth and Georgiana clasped each other’s hands and smiled at his confident words. It was a faint and uncertain smile, yet the first either of them had managed after so many tormented hours and sleepless nights.
“Tell me everything you have discovered, ladies. I already know what has happened here in London.”
There was authority in his voice, and for the first time they felt their search had both purpose and direction. Colonel Fitzwilliam was a born commander, and everyone in the room was ready to follow him, eager to discover how their own story was connected with Charlotte’s.
“We have little time, so I shall be brief. Charlotte has told us that during the last few days there has been a strange agitation at Rosings…”
Elizabeth stopped and looked towards Charlotte, for it was chiefly her story to tell.
Instinctively, Charlotte raised a hand to her face to hide the bruises whilst the colonel’s expression hardened with concern and anger.
“What sort of agitation?” Mr Bennet asked.
Elizabeth looked at Charlotte, silently asking permission to continue. Charlotte answered with a slight nod.
“Charlotte has agreed to tell you everything. Lately her husband has seemed almost beside himself, and he pushed her down the steps at Rosings to prevent her entering the house.”
“Excuse me?” the colonel interrupted in disbelief.
He clenched his fist in such a threatening gesture that they all feared for Mr Collins’s well-being.
I cannot say I am greatly concerned for him, Elizabeth thought. After all, the man deserves whatever treatment the colonel may choose to give him.
“So you believe something is happening at my aunt’s estate?” the colonel asked.
Elizabeth and Charlotte both nodded.
“That would explain why none of your efforts in London produced any result. Not the smallest clue came to light.”
“No reply from Lady Catherine?” Elizabeth asked.
Her father shook his head, and when they counted no fewer than six unanswered messages, it became obvious they must leave for Hunsford without delay. There was nothing more to be done in London. Rosings had become their only remaining hope of solving the mystery.
“It seems impossible to me that Lady Catherine could deliberately harm Darcy,” Bingley said. “Perhaps they are keeping some secret between them, and everything will become clear the moment we reach Rosings.”
“Let us pray that is the case,” Mr Bennet replied. “But it still does not explain why Mr Darcy has not sent us even a single message.”
Elizabeth had remained unusually silent. Lost in thought, she seemed to be weighing every possibility. At last she spoke. It was no longer the moment to dismiss even the most unlikely theory.
“There is something that has been troubling me. On the first day we arrived in London, we went to Lady Catherine’s house. We found only the maid who remains there whilst Lady Catherine and her household are at Rosings…”
Elizabeth paused to gather her thoughts.
“That maid was terrified. Do you remember, Georgiana?”
“Yes. She was agitated, and in tears the moment we asked about my brother.”
“Exactly. She burst into tears although we had asked only a single question, one that required nothing more than yes or no. At the time we suspected nothing. I thought Lady Catherine simply terrified her servants. Now I think differently. She could not answer because saying yes would have betrayed her mistress’s secret, whilst saying no would have been a lie. ”
“How can you be certain?” Bingley asked.
“Let her finish, man,” the colonel said sharply.
“I am not certain. But it would explain why she kept talking about losing her position.”
“And about having a family to support,” Georgiana added. “Elizabeth is right. I understand it much better now. She was terrified by the simplest question. Why else would she have spoken of losing her place?”
Elizabeth quickly related every detail of that brief but tense encounter. It took the colonel less than a second to reach the same conclusion as Elizabeth.
Her ladyship was somehow involved in Darcy’s disappearance.
They had wasted precious days searching places Darcy had never visited, whilst the answer was waiting to be found only three streets away.
“You must trust me now,” the colonel said.
They did. They trusted him completely.
“Before we leave for Rosings, we shall make one stop, and there you will allow me to take charge.”
Hearing words that sounded almost like a military order, everyone sighed with relief. At last the right man had taken command, perfectly capable of organising the search and making a sound plan. He rang for Parker.
“Parker, you have ten minutes. Pack whatever your master may require. Then you will come with us.”
Parker bowed and left at once to carry out the colonel’s orders. Like everyone else, he was relieved that someone had finally taken command.
“What about Mr Acton?” Elizabeth asked.
“Mr Acton? I need someone reliable to remain in London and receive any information that may arrive. Mrs Annesley will remain here as well.”
In less than five minutes he had given Mr Acton some brisk commands, precisely as he would have done on a battlefield.
The atmosphere changed at once. They now had an objective, a plan, and a commander.