Murders in London

by Kate Speck

  Without waiting for Mr. Collins to answer, Darcy lifted Elizabeth’s hand and tenderly kissed it. “No, my dear, I am most fortunate to win your hand and I will not allow this man to think otherwise for even one moment.” He looked at Mr. Collins and glared at him. “I am engaged to Miss Elizabeth and my aunt is fully aware of this. Has she not informed you of my betrothal? My cousin Anne is here in Hertfordshire with Lord and Lady Matlock, our uncle and aunt, to attend my wedding in one week. Mr. Bennet will be my father by law and his daughters will be my sisters.”

  Mr. Collins nearly fell over with the news. “I... Rather shocking... Her ladyship has told me for months that you and her daughter were engaged and that it had been arranged since you were in your cradles. She had not mentioned any... change in plans. I was not aware, sir. Does that mean that you and I will... we will be cousins?”

  “No,” Darcy gruffly replied. “I will be husband to your distant cousin and that is all, Mr. Collins, and I will not have anyone believe that I have ever been engaged to anyone than my one and only Miss Elizabeth.”

  “Of course, sir, I shall never repeat such a tale again.” Mr. Collins nodded several times in agreement. “May I congratulate you on your engagement? And Mr. Bennet, many felicitations to you on your recent marriage. I am hopeful that I will also find myself a companion of my future life, and would it not be of a wonderful solution to seek a worthy gentlewoman from my own family in order to offer my dear cousins a chance of happiness with an honourable clergyman who has the condescension of the greatest patroness in all of England?” He looked at Darcy, “And one who will soon be related to such a noble gentleman like Mr. Darcy here?” He turned his head and returned his gaze to the beautiful eldest daughter, Jane Bennet. Realising once again that there was a gentleman sitting next to her, he commented, “And you are Mr. Bingley? Are you from these parts? And Mr. King, I see you are sitting with my cousin Miss Mary. Are you all neighbours?”

  Mr. Bennet kindly intervened, “Yes, they are neighbours, Mr. Collins, very close neighbours, in fact. Mr. King will be marrying my third daughter Mary in a double ceremony with Mr. Darcy and Lizzy next week and Mr. Bingley is formally courting my eldest. I am afraid I have run out of eligible daughters for you to seek, since my other two remaining daughters are not yet out. You will meet the girls and my son, as well as my sister and her husband at dinnertime, Mr. Collins. I hope you did not make the trip to Longbourn only to seek a wife from my household. I have nothing to offer you other than my hospitality for one week, which can be revoked at any time, should your intent be less than honourable.” He gently warned the simple man.

  “Oh, Mr. Bennet, I did not mean to offend you. I have been given a directive from her ladyship that I must marry soon. She told me, ‘Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry and choose a gentlewoman for my sake; let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way.’ She was insistent that I bring home a wife as soon as possible and I wish to please her ladyship in every way I can.” Mr. Collins fretted. “She was surprised that I was in fact related to you, Mr. Bennet, and specifically advised me to consider the second daughter, Miss Elizabeth.”

  “That sounds like my aunt,” Darcy huffed. “The Bennet ladies are not for you, especially Miss Elizabeth. You should act in that manner which will constitute your own happiness, Mr. Collins, without reference to my aunt or to any person so wholly unconnected to you. Your future is in your own hands, not Lady Catherine’s.”

  “You are absolutely correct, sir, and truer words have not been spoken before, I am certain. I shall endeavour to do as you advise, Mr. Darcy, as I have found your wisdom most valuable and I am also very eager to meet their lordship, the Earl of Matlock and the Countess, if I may be allowed the chance.” Mr. Collins answered with reverence. “I have not been introduced to a person of such consequence in all of my life and cannot imagine the honour that will be bestowed upon myself.”

  Elizabeth whispered to Darcy as Mr. Collins continued his monologue to her family. “Charlotte Lucas. I think he is good for Charlotte. What do you think?”

  Darcy hid his chuckles, “You and your matchmaking, Elizabeth. Do you truly wish for such a fool for your friend?”

  “He needs a strong woman and although he may be a bumbling fool, he does not appear cruel or malicious. She wishes for safety and comfort and as a parson, he will be able to provide exactly that.” Elizabeth looked at Darcy, “And I believe Lady Catherine deserves to have Charlotte in Kent. Anne likes Charlotte and they would have good companionship together as well.”

  “Then I am in agreement, milady. As you wish, Elizabeth, and you can ask Anne of her opinion also. She adores you, you know. She cannot imagine a better wife for me and has even jested that I was too solemn before and that I have improved much since I met you.” Darcy kissed her hand and suddenly realised that the entire room was very quiet.

  Mrs. Bennet laughed, “We had wondered when you will remember that there are others in the parlour, Darcy.” Everyone joined in on the amusement. “One more week to go, Lizzy. Why do you not go for a walk in the gardens while we settle in Mr. Collins to his room? I see that Mr. King and Mr. Bingley are eager to be out of doors as well.”

  Darcy grinned softly and quickly departed for the gardens, where he sought privacy to kiss his beloved until they were both dizzy. They had no care but for their own pleasures and left Mary and Mr. King to chaperone the courting couple, and no one batted an eye when the cheeks of both were overspread with the deepest blush when they returned indoors.

  ~*~

  “Oh, everything looks magnificent, Mr. Bingley,” Jane beamed as she curtseyed. “Louisa has outdone herself.”

  Bingley chuckled, “Between their ladyships and my sister, no detail was left unchecked and Mrs. Nicholls nearly went mad, but it was all worth it. I hope you will enjoy your sisters’ engagement ball. Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary are shining with happiness and I am very hopeful that we will have another celebration like this soon. Very soon, I hope, Miss Bennet.” He lifted Jane’s hand and kissed it.

  Jane blushed, “Yes, Mr. Bingley. I would welcome such a celebration very much as well.”

  “I am looking forward to the first and the supper set with you.” Bingley continued. “I know we have had many wonderful conversations and I treasure all of our times together. I hope you know how much you mean to me, Jane.”

  Jane looked at him in the eyes and replied, “I know it, Charles, and please believe me when I tell you that I feel the same about you.”

  Bingley leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Jane. I love you with all of my heart.”

  “I love you, too, Charles.” Jane beamed brightly.

  Bingley stood upright to compose himself as he smiled, “Let us line up for our dance and begin the celebration. You and your sisters surpass everyone here and all of our neighbours will see how much you are admired.”

  They held hands and lined up with Elizabeth and Mary to begin the engagement ball with all of Meryton looking upon them to admire the happy couples, while one particular officer nervously spied around him to inspect his surroundings in order to pay a debt to a man he never wanted to see again.

  ~*~

  The Engagement Ball went off without a hitch and Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were praised for their hospitality. Lady Suffolk, Lady Matlock, Viscountess Andover, Mrs. Kingston, Mrs. Bennet, and Mrs. Gardiner were all acclaimed for their contributions and the townsfolk of this quiet village boasted for years to come of the number of nobilities that gathered in one place for the Bennet-Darcy wedding.

  “I am so tired, William,” Elizabeth yawned. “I do not ever recall dancing every set in all of my life! I was often made to sit out due to a lack of gentlemen at assemblies before, but I enjoyed dancing with you and my relatives so very much. Thank you for allowing Georgiana to attend, my love. She enjoyed her dances with family and I cannot wait to gain her as my sister. She and Anne appe
ared to have had a wonderful time together and Anne bore a smile on her face the entire night. She has such a gentle soul.” She yawned widely again. “I am immensely grateful that I do not have to travel to Longbourn to sleep. As soon as Millie is finished helping me, I will be quite unconscious until late in the morning.”

  Darcy kissed her lips after seeing that no one was about. “I will see you in the morning, my love. If you are able to awaken before noon, I hope for a nice stroll in the gardens and steal a few more kisses, Elizabeth. I loved dancing three sets with you tonight but it is not the same as when we have privacy.”

  Darcy looked around the hallway once more and kissed her deeply before bidding her good night and turning in to his rooms.

  “Mr. Darcy!” Bingley’s butler called out near Darcy’s door. “Sir, I apologise for disrupting your rest but I have an urgent issue that requires your attention.”

  Darcy’s brows rose as he replied, “Where is Mr. Bingley? What has happened?”

  Mr. Nicholls answered, “Mr. Bingley is in his study and awaits you. He has asked for you immediately and I am to fetch Mr. Kingston and Mr. Gardiner as well, sir.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Nicholls. I will go now.” Darcy answered, concerned that something menacing might have occurred. Uncertain of the issue at hand, he thought to himself that he would alert Elizabeth of the news later if it was pertinent, as he knew she was exhausted and needed to rest.

  Darcy hurried down the steps to Bingley’s study to find Bingley and Richard present with another officer whom he had met only once before. “Should I be calling for my uncle or anyone else, Bingley?” He asked. Mr. Bennet had gone home to Longbourn with his wife to return to the children.

  Bingley shook his head. “Once Mr. Kingston and Mr. Gardiner arrive, I believe we are all set for now.” As soon as he finished speaking, the two gentlemen entered the room. “Perfect. I apologise for alerting you and disrupting your rest after a long night of enjoyment. I received word from this lieutenant of a pressing matter regarding the safety of Miss Darcy and Miss Elizabeth and I requested all of you here so we can listen to him explain.”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam spoke out next, “Go on, Denny. You wanted to wait for Darcy; now speak. What is so important that you required all of us here and you would not tell me alone?”

  Lieutenant Denny gulped as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. He looked at the colonel and began. “Sir, I know that... I should have... I should have answered you truthfully when you first asked me about Wickham and I did give you as much of the truth as I could... but I failed to mention... after...” he took a deep breath and continued, “After you questioned me about Wickham, Colonel, I saw him in Meryton and he... he convinced me to assist him in payment for a debt that I owe him. I own £100 as well as a favour and he demanded that I help him but after I examined my plan, after...” he gulped again and looked at Darcy, “meeting Miss Darcy and finding her so amiable, I could not allow myself to let that villain harm Miss Darcy or Miss Elizabeth, sir.”

  Darcy clenched his fist but remained quiet. Georgiana had been allowed to join the ball to only dance with family in order to celebrate the engagements, and he had not seen anyone else speak with her.

  Richard intervened and explained, “Darcy, Georgie was introduced to a few guests and it was made very clear to all that she was not out yet and only present due to her brother’s celebration. Denny knows full well that she is only sixteen years old.”

  Darcy gave a nod to his cousin and returned his fierce gaze to the lieutenant. “Continue.” He commanded.

  Lieutenant Denny released a breath he had been holding to explain in detail, “I was to open the door to the back kitchens two hours after the ball began so that Wickham could enter the mansion uninvited. He was to be dressed as an old man with a false beard and in servant’s clothing,” he raised his hands in defensive motion as Richard and Darcy both began to stand up with the report, as if ready to attack his person, “but I never did what I was told! I did not go downstairs and I did not open any doors!”

  “How well were the back entrances guarded, Colonel?” Mr. Kingston asked. “We were to have the entire place secured with men at every twenty feet.”

  Richard answered, “And they were stationed as planned, sir. My men were given shifts to attend the ball so that they would be able to enjoy themselves but also do their duty. Anyone coming in would have been scrutinised to ensure they belonged here.”

  “But they would not be looking for an old servant, Richard,” Darcy gruffly responded. “The servants were in and out all night long and although Bingley’s staff was to be on the lookout for Wickham, they were so busy with the number of guests in attendance that there would be no way to determine if he was able to slip in, with or without Lieutenant Denny’s assistance.”

  “I agree,” Mr. Gardiner added, “There was no way to find a way to secure the docks when the River Thames murders occurred, and workers are often overlooked if they appear to be hard at their jobs. Is there anyone else at Netherfield who might have been sympathetic to Wickham?” He looked at Bingley and Darcy.

  Bingley shook his head. “I do not know. I have heard of rumours that Wickham was popular with maidservants in Meryton but I have no way of knowing if any of the Netherfield servants know him.”

  “I will not take any chances,” Darcy immediately stood and headed toward the door. “Richard, double the guards for the guests and begin the search. Start with the cellar! I am going to Elizabeth and Georgiana to have them stay together with the maid. Alert Lord Suffolk and your father, Richard. We must find Wickham if he is inside Netherfield. Bingley, see to Jane and Mary. Mr. King returned home and I would like to ensure all the women and children are protected.”

  Darcy immediately ran to Elizabeth’s door and knocked on it loudly. Elizabeth soon opened the door with her eyes barely open and gasped to see Darcy still fully dressed with concern in his eyes.

  “What is it, William? Why are you not asleep yet?” She yawned as she opened the door wider. “What is happening?”

  Darcy was frozen solid without speaking and Elizabeth suddenly realised that in the rush to open the door, she had not put on her robe and was standing only in her nightgown. She blushed profusely as she covered her chest with her hands and hid behind the door.

  “I apologise, Elizabeth,” Darcy spoke as he came to his senses. “You are so beautiful and if we were not already engaged, I would definitely have to propose after seeing you like that.” He chuckled. “Days to go. Just a few more days.” He reminded himself.

  Elizabeth smiled and went back to the bed to fetch her robe and donned it. She returned to the doorframe where Darcy had remained.

  “Elizabeth, I just received word that Wickham may be hiding within Netherfield. I would like to escort you to Georgiana for you to stay with her and Millie until we search the entire building.” He entered the room and embraced her, seeing the fear in her eyes. “I will do everything to protect you and he will be captured quickly, Elizabeth. Do not worry, my love. All will be well.”

  Elizabeth embraced him then shouted suddenly. “The cellar!”

  Darcy smiled, “I have already thought it. Richard is checking there first.”

  “And the servants’ corridors, William. Do not forget how I snuck around Darcy house.” Elizabeth embraced him again.

  Darcy leaned down and kissed her tenderly. “I love you. We will find him and we will marry in four days and we will be together. Allow me to walk you to Georgiana and I will explain to her as well.”

  “Thank you, my love. I feel safer knowing that I will not be alone. Please take care and keep safe, William. I do not wish for any harm to come to you.” Elizabeth gasped, “Oh, Anne! I would like for her to stay with us as well. I do not want to leave her alone. Jane and Mary will be safe together but Wickham might wish to harm Anne due to her fortune.”

  “That is a good idea, my dear. Let us alert her now. Georgiana is next door and I will speak with her while you notify
my cousin.” Darcy agreed.

  Darcy knocked on the door next to Elizabeth’s room and explained the situation to his sister while Millie fetched Mrs. Annesley. Elizabeth took the task to describe the danger to Mrs. Jenkinson and the companion awoke Anne so that all the ladies could huddle together in one place.

  A quarter hour later, Darcy left the group of ladies safely guarded in one room, after ensuring that the servant’s door was bolted and four guards remained at the front door.

  Chapter 23

  “I am so tired!” Georgiana yawned and stretched out her arms. “Although this room is quite comfortable, I am not accustomed to having three other ladies in one bed.” She giggled.

  Elizabeth rubbed her eyes and smiled. “But it certainly made for an exciting night. It seems morning arrived and we are unscathed. We have not received an update but it appears the danger may have passed.”

  Anne de Bourgh rose from the bed and shook Mrs. Jenkinson gently, who was awaking in the chair next to her.

  “No, I do not think it is safe to return to your rooms yet, Miss Anne. We will have to wait until the colonel or Mr. Darcy give us the clearance.” Mrs. Jenkinson replied after Anne motioned with her hands.

  “I agree,” Mrs. Kingston yawned loudly as well, “As long as we are together, I believe in strength in numbers. I know I insisted on joining this slumber party and I apologise for taking up so much space!” She looked at Mrs. Annesley in the other chair. “Would you mind calling for Millie to attend us? We are all in need of ablutions this morning.”

  Mrs. Annesley nodded and walked to the dressing room where Millie had slept during the night and requested her services.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Millie curtseyed, “Do you think it would be alright to fetch some water? If you would lock the door behind me and open it again when I knock, I will bring up some pitchers of water.”