Chapter 14
Richard finally arrived at Matlock House.
The ride from Hertfordshire was easy enough—he was used to spending all day in a saddle, especially now that he served as an Inspecting Field Officer—yet he had had to wait almost an hour at the offices of Darcy’s solicitors.
But he was delighted to be carrying to his parents the result of that wait: an extremely forceful letter demanding the disclosure of Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s current location.
When Richard found his parents waiting for the announcement that dinner was served, he said nothing at all. Instead, he walked straight to his father and handed him the letter, then stood there enjoying the steady reddening of his father’s countenance.
At a certain point, his father’s face dramatically paled, reversing the angry flush. Richard imagined that his father had reached these paragraphs:
Let it be understood that our client will spare no expense.
We are prepared to bring the full weight of the law to bear in open court.
The public trials that must inevitably follow will lay bare every detail of your Lordship’s coercion before the eyes of the ton, the press, and the High Court of Parliament, to the absolute and irreversible ruin of your House’s honour and standing.
Furthermore, we are instructed to inform you that upon the commencement of such legal filings, our client will instantly and permanently dissolve all financial trusts, consortia, and private family bonds currently existing between the Pemberley estates and your Lordship’s properties.
“I can imagine what lies Darcy has told you, Richard, but my actions were merely aid given to poor Mr Bennet, who stood in this very room, cringing and weeping as he explained that he had raised his daughter Elizabeth to run his estate when he passed. Given that she is not yet one and twenty, he is completely within his rights to deny Darcy permission to marry, but Mr Bennet informed me that Darcy had threatened him with the ruin of his eldest daughter’s reputation.
I felt that I had to give the poor man some aid. ”
Richard scoffed, but his father continued to speak.
“At any rate, it was Mr Bennet who took his daughter somewhere, and since she is, as I said, still a minor, she is still under the legal care of her parents. So Mr Morrell and Mr Stirling are simply wrong about all of this.” The earl waved the letter in the air.
“I assure you, Father, that Miss Elizabeth Bennet is one and twenty.”
“Her father said….”
“Her father is not the most careful of parents. Miss Elizabeth’s birthday is the eleventh of August. And this particular birthday she turned one and twenty. She is no longer a minor.”
Richard watched his father open his mouth, then close it. Open, close.
“Father, you can prevent all of the misery promised with this letter by giving me Miss Bennet’s location.”
His father sat heavily and lowered his face into his hands. “I do not know it, but I can get it for you if you give me an hour.” Looking towards the countess, he said, “Do go in to dinner, my dear, and have Cook save mine for later. This…mess…is apparently a priority.”
Richard admired his mother’s calm demeanour, although her pretence of well-being reminded him of Miss Jane Bennet, and he could not help but shudder at the comparison.
Nobody wished to see his own mother in such an unflattering light. But what his parents had done to Miss Elizabeth was enough to make his revulsion complete, so he supposed additional shudders were of little account.
He addressed his father. “I will accompany you as you seek the information, or I will wait here with you if you only need to send for it. I hope you are right with the estimation that it will only take an hour. I know that Darcy is most eager to secure the health and happiness of his intended.”