A Royal Bennet

by Melanie Schertz

  “Unfortunately, I was forced to dismiss one of my maids only this morning. She was overheard discussing the guests of this inn with some unknown man.”

  Elizabeth’s expression showed her fear. “Where would we go? I have no means to pay for other lodgings, or even for some sort of transportation. I know not what we will do.”

  Mrs Barkow shook her head. “Do not fret, Miss Elizabeth. I have sent word to a friend of mine. His name is Abraham Miller. He will be here soon and will be able to assist you. Mr Miller is a freed black man, and he assists others who are being taken to the Americas to be slaves. He has set up a network of houses to hide those he helps to escape their destiny. Though your skin is quite pale in comparisons to those he commonly aids, you are escaping being sold into slavery. I am certain Mr Miller will assist you.”

  Tears welled up in Elizabeth’s eyes. So caught up in her own struggles, Elizabeth had not thought of the many Africans who were stolen from their homes and sold as slaves. Though slave trading had been illegal since eighteen hundred and seven, most ships carrying slaves ignored the law. She had heard of secret groups who would find ways of freeing the men, women and children who were being ripped from their loved ones, and taken far across the ocean. It was shocking to Elizabeth to now be involved in such a situation. Having grown up in Hertfordshire, Elizabeth had never met anyone of dark skin until she visited with her aunt and uncle, in London.

  “Why would Mr Miller assist us? We are white, not African.” Elizabeth felt humbled as she realized the situation. She had never lifted a finger to aid those freed from slavery, yet now, she would require the assistance of a former slave who was protecting others.

  “Abraham is a friend of my husband. We have…assisted…him from time to time.” Mrs Barkow wished to keep as much information private, for she did not wish the truth to become well known. Though it was illegal to participate in slave trading, there were many who disagreed with the law. Their sort would have no difficulty in causing trouble for the innkeepers, even destroying their inn. “He also has ways of transporting people from the ships, using tunnels and the canals between here and Manchester. My husband is an abolitionist, and I agree with him. It does not matter if your skin is black, white, green or purple. No person should be forced from their home and sold, as if they were a horse or steer.”

  “Thank you, Mrs Barkow. I will make certain you are repaid for your generosity.” Elizabeth embraced the innkeeper’s wife.

  “Keeping you safe is repayment enough, Miss Elizabeth. I am more concerned with you and Lucy being safe.” The elderly lady patted Elizabeth’s cheek with her hand. “You are a good girl, Elizabeth Bennet. A kind, caring girl, and I am grateful we have been able to assist you. Now, I will bring you news as it arrives.”

  “You have my gratitude, Mrs Barkow.” ~~ ** ~~

  Abraham Miller was nearing his late thirties, and had lived in Liverpool for the past five years. In that time, he had aided more than fifty slaves to freedom, escaping the ships with their bellies filled with African slaves. Between the abolitionists, like Mr Barkow, and other freed slaves, Abraham was able to move those he freed to other areas of England.

  Receiving a message from Mrs Barkow, explaining her situation with the two young ladies staying with her after escaping their captors, Abraham was at a loss as to how he could help. He was accustomed to assisting Negros, and had never given much thought to those of other races being stolen and sold as slaves. He realized how foolish he was in this thinking, as he was certain there were people of all races being sold into service everywhere in the world.

  Plans would need to be made quickly, for, if Mrs Barkow’s letter was to be believed, the culprits could storm the inn at any moment.

  He sat down at his desk and began writing letters to some of the men and women who had aided him in the past. As soon as he heard from them, he would go directly to the Barkow’s inn, and assist the young ladies to disappear from there.

  One of the ways Abraham had used in the past was distraction. His skin color was unique enough to cause many to stare at him. What used to cause him frustration, had become a useful way to use people’s prejudices against themselves. While he distracted the attention of others, other men and women were able to lead those who were being rescued to safety.

  ~~ ** ~~ Abraham Miller arrived at the Mallard Inn before the dinner hour. Mrs Barkow showed him to a private room near the dining room. The private room had a servant’s entrance in the back, which led to the servant’s staircase up to the guest rooms. Once the door was shut behind him, Mrs Barkow led him up the staircase and to the room where Elizabeth and Lucy were staying.

  “Miss Elizabeth, this is Mr Abraham Miller. He has agreed to assist us.” Mrs Barkow made the

  introductions. “Abraham, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet and her maid, Lucy.”

  “Actually, Lucy is my aunt’s maid, but that does not really matter.”

  Abraham looked at the young lady on the bed. “Is she ill?”

  “No, just frightened. She has been overwhelmed by all that has happened.” Elizabeth stated. “Well, we will be hiding you in the basement of the Bluecoat School. It is for poor children, but a friend of mine works there, and will keep you there until tomorrow. From there, we will work on moving to a church near my home. The church is near the canal which flows to Manchester. We can move you there, to the home of another friend. Once in Manchester, we can contact your relations to meet you there.”

  Tears were welling in Elizabeth’s eyes once again. It amazed her how easily her tears flowed in the past week. She was exhausted, not having slept a full night since she left London. “Mr Miller, I cannot thank you enough for your aid. I will see that you are

  reimbursed when my family comes for me.”

  “It is not necessary, Miss Bennet. We are all dedicated to stopping slavery, and your plight has made me realize that my people are not the only ones who can become victims of slavery. Now, while I draw attention to myself near the front of this establishment, I will have Mr Barkow lead you out the back and to my wagon. You will need to hide under the cloth on the back of the wagon. Mr Barkow knows how to arrange everything.”

  Elizabeth nodded her head. Looking at the innkeeper’s wife, she took hold of the lady’s hands. “I cannot thank you enough, Mrs Barkow. I promise you will be paid for the room and our care.”

  “I am not worried, dear girl. Now, do as Mr Miller tells you and trust him. He will do everything he can to protect you.” Mrs Barkow handed Elizabeth a satchel with some clothing and food inside. “This is to tide you over until the next stop on your way. Safe journey, and I will be praying for you.”

  The two ladies embraced, and then, between them, were able to manage standing Lucy up and moving her to the stairwell. Mr Barkow was at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to assist the young ladies. “I saw the men, they were talking out front, though one man was standing in the alley, near the stables. If Abraham causes a fuss out front, I am certain the man from the alley would move to the front.”

  “Very good. Walter, will you be able to take the ladies to my wagon? It is parked in front of Jethries’ shop.”

  “There should be no problems. I will see them safely hidden in the wagon.” Mr Barkow replied. ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 6 Abraham Miller took a deep breath and stepped outside the front door of the inn. “I have never been treated so abominably in my life. I have money to pay for the services, how is it my money is not as good as another man’s money?”

  Mrs Barkow stepped outside, playing her part in the distraction. “My husband will be back in an hour. Until then, I am in charge, and I say we do not want the likes of you in our business. Your money is from dishonorable work, and I will not sully our

  establishment with your tainted, filthy money.”

  “You are a foolish woman. My work is not dishonorable, and there is no taint on my money. All I wished to do was purchase some food. Is it too much for a working man to purchase a meal?”<
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  “In this establishment it is. Now, be off. I will not tolerate you any longer.” Mrs Barkow walked back inside the inn, praying they were convincing enough to allow her husband and the ladies to escape out the back. She had noticed four men watching from across the street, one of which came from the side of the inn and joined the others.

  Abraham continued to fuss about until he finally made his way down the street, in the opposite direction from his wagon. He had performed this sort of ruse before, and he was more than willing to walk a few extra blocks to protect those he was rescuing.

  Nearly an hour later, Abraham was able to meet with his wagon. The ladies were covered completely, and would remain so until they reached Bluecoat school. After shaking hands with Mr Barkow, and apologizing for the scene he made outside the inn, Abraham picked up the reins and urged his horses to walk.

  ~~ ** ~~ Pulling to a stop near the rear of the “H” shaped building, Abraham was met by his friend, Jenny, who worked as a scullery maid, along with her sister, Ruby. The sisters had been rescued by Abraham and his friends two years prior, and they had vowed to do what they could to aid others.

  “Jenny, let us take the young ladies inside before I introduce them to you. It is best that as few people as possible know they are here.” Abraham suggested.

  Elizabeth and Lucy were kept covered up, hiding their identities as much as possible. They were led inside the building, and down into the basement. Once they were inside a small bedchamber, and the door closed behind them, introductions were made.

  “Jenny and Ruby Walker, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Miss Lucy, pardon, I do not remember her last name.” He turned his attention towards Elizabeth.

  “Her name is Lucy Winters.” Elizabeth looked at the young Negro ladies. “It is a pleasure to meet you both. I cannot begin to thank you for assisting us.”

  “I must admit, I was surprised with Abraham’s request to assist white folk. But he stated that there is some in other places of the world who be wantin’ a pretty white lady to do their biddin’.” Jenny stated. “Guess it dunno madder what color the skin, there be those who would sell ya.”

  “It has been an experience I will never forget. I am from a small estate in Hertfordshire, and, to be honest, I have never spoken with someone of dark skin before.”

  Ruby laughed. “I wish I had a penny for ev’ry time one o’ the chilluns asks bout our skin color. I been tellin’ them I was baked too long in God’s oven.”

  Elizabeth found the young ladies to be sweet natured. They did not seem frightened of white people, and used humor in the same manner that Elizabeth did to make others feel comfortable.

  “And what do the children say in response?” She asked Ruby. “They’s eyes grow wide, and most act as they believe. It does no good to figures out why we be different, we just is. Be good they see different sorts though, and learn we is all just people, nottin’ evil or scary ‘bout the color we is. The evil and scary is on the inside.”

  “I agree with you there. After all we have endured since leaving London, I can agree with your words. The men who kidnapped us were evil, inside.”

  “You be hungry?” Jenny asked. “No, Mrs Barkow was quite generous. She even gave us some food to bring with us.” Elizabeth motioned to the bag in her hand.

  Jenny motioned to a small bed in the corner of the room. “Forgive us, you and Lucy will need share a bed. My sister and me will share my bed.”

  “I am extremely grateful for your generosity. There is nothing to forgive.”

  ~~ ** ~~ Darcy arrived at the inn, only to learn he had missed Elizabeth. Mrs Barkow was polite to him, and, at first, denied any knowledge of Elizabeth and the maid. It was only after his informing her of his acquaintance with Elizabeth’s family, her father’s estate of Longbourn, and with the Gardiner family, that Mrs Barkow decided he was telling the truth. “Mr Darcy, if you will step into my husband’s office, we can speak in private.”

  Richard followed his cousin as they entered the room, and the door was closed behind them. “So you do know Miss Elizabeth?” Richard inquired.

  “Yes, and you must understand the reason for us not saying so. There have been men watching the inn, as one of the maids had gossiped about our

  mysterious guests who did not leave their room. Foolish girl; we had to send her on her way, for I will not hold with such gossip.”

  “The men who were here, are they still watching the building?” Darcy asked. “They were until an hour ago. We heard some commotion out front, and, when we looked, we saw the men arguing and suddenly left the area. I am not sure if they realized how we snuck them out, but it was plain to see they knew the young ladies were gone from here.”

  “How did you remove Miss Elizabeth and the maid?” Richard was curious. “A friend of our family is a freed Negro. He assists others to gain their freedom.” Mrs Barkow stated, watching her words carefully. She was cautious of allowing anyone know of Abraham, for she did not wish to bring him any harm.

  “Mrs Barkow, we are here to recover Miss Elizabeth and the maid. We wish to restore them to the Gardiners. I believe they will be arriving in Liverpool any time now. We received an express from my sister, at my estate of Pemberley. That is how we came to be at your establishment. Apparently Miss Elizabeth sent an express to Lambton, to a friend of her aunt’s. The lady then informed my sister, knowing I was coming to assist Miss Elizabeth.”

  “Yes, Miss Elizabeth was concerned with using what few coins she had to pay for the express, but she felt it was important to send the information quickly.”

  “I am eternally grateful for your kindness to Miss Elizabeth and, I believe the maid is named Lucy.” Darcy stated with a warmth about him. “And I wish to cover any debt the ladies left behind, as well as whatever cost was accumulated in moving them.”

  “Miss Elizabeth stated her family would assist in paying the funds, but it is not that great an expense. Miss Elizabeth would not hear of adding to the bill, keeping everything as simple as possible. I would not stand for her and Lucy having only bread to eat, it would do them no good to take ill from no proper food. They did not have anything necessary to take care of themselves. Why, Miss Elizabeth even tried to refuse my offer of a hot bath. Like it would be such a great burden. No, what I have done for the young ladies was a gift from me and my husband. We are firm believers in when you do good things, good things come back to you. Someday, we might be in need of assistance, and hopefully someone will be there for us.”

  “You will always find a friend in me, if ever you are in need, Mrs Barkow. No matter what the problem or need, you will be welcome to contact me.” Darcy handed her one of his cards, with his address at Pemberley and in Town on it, along with a pouch of coins. “Can you tell me where they were being taken to?”

  “Mr Miller was taking them to Bluecoat School. He has a friend who works there, and they would be able to hide the ladies in the basement.”

  “I can take you there, Mr Darcy.” Mr Barkow stated.

  ~~ ** ~~ Mr Gardiner came out of the Rose and Crown inn. “They said that Mr Darcy and his men are out at the moment, and they do not know when they will return.”

  “Do they have rooms available to rent?” “They do. I have paid for two rooms. Let us go inside and order some food. We can wait for Mr Darcy to return.” Mr Gardiner assisted his wife down from the carriage, before turning to assist his brother in law. “How are you feeling, Thomas?”

  “As if a herd of horses have trampled me a dozen times.” Mr Bennet stated as he shook his head. “I have some laudanum in my bag. After I have eaten, I will take a small dose.”

  The trio entered the lobby and were directed to the dining room. They ordered some roasted beef, potatoes, bread and dessert. The food arrived and they all enjoyed the repast.

  Just as they finished the meal, they heard a commotion from the lobby. Moving to the door, the trio was met with a disturbing sight.

  ~~ ** ~~

  “Are you certain the black
beast was involved?” Caspen took hold of one of his men by the front of their shirt. “You allowed him to trick you while the chits escaped? That man is known for hiding slaves. And you let him fool you. We need to start searching where there are darkies and those who protect them.”

  One of the older men spoke up. “There is some darkies working at the poor school, that Bluecoat place. I seen them with that Miller fella a few times. That would be a good place to hide them ladies.”

  “I will go with you to check out the school.” Caspen replied. “You two check the darkies’ church over by the canal. And you two go to the church by the stables on Park Street. There are lots of darkies who go there.”

  The men separated and went on their way, in hopes of finding the ladies. It had become clear to all the men, Caspen had no desire to sell the ladies any longer. His desire was to see them pay for making him appear weak. He could not allow the humiliation to continue.

  Caspen and Fred entered the rear entrance of Bluecoat School. They silently looked about the main level, before they began searching the basement. With the servants’ quarters in the basement, it was natural the servants would be hiding the ladies.

  The first room they came upon was the kitchen. Inside the room, preparing items for the following day’s breakfast for the children, was the head cook, Mrs Firth. The men startled her, making her drop the dish in her hand.

  Caspen moved towards her, placing a hand over her mouth as Fred took hold of her arms. “Where are your darkies? They be hidin’ some ladies, and we want them.”

  “We have no darkies here.” Mrs Firth replied, though unconvincingly.

  “I know you have some darkies, and I demand you take me to them now.” Mrs Firth was shaking as she felt herself being pulled down the hallway. She was fond of Jenny and Ruby, and feared for their safety. Knowing the men were not to be trusted, Mrs Firth thought of how she could warn them. Down the hall, a door opened and one of the young men who worked for the school stepped out. “Franklin, what are you doing awake? You are usually the first to fall asleep.” She asked, motioning with her eyes towards the man holding her left arm.