by Anne Louise
Darcy took the news as best he could, but it was difficult. He had long ago known that Wickham had turned bad, but had Wickham been the man who knocked him out? It looked as if it was the other man, but that was not certain. Now he wondered why Wickham did not want him killed. Would he later seek all the ransom money for himself? Was there a servant helping him? It certainly looked that way. Would Wickham have tortured Darcy and later returned to town and murdered the other person?
He thought of this and many things as he looked at Georgiana and Elizabeth and he knew that Wickham would relish having his way with both young women. He also thought that Wickham might have later tried to make Georgiana fall in love and marry him.
Finally, Darcy spoke. “Do we have enough to go on to arrest our chief suspect?”
Mr. Jennings looked at Mr. Adams and then back at Darcy.
“I believe we do. Mrs. Pierce discovered these balled up pieces of a letter found in the footman’s room, under his bed. They are from the letter he wrote, claiming to be the attorney. We also found a diary he had hidden and other papers with cryptic notes, and my man just told me that the footman forged his reference from his last job and that it was part of a plan that he and Wickham put together.”
“Well, Uncle, since you are hosting us and will gain your house back once we return to Darcy House, what do you suggest we do?”
“Then, let us confront the man, but we must have enough men to restrain him before the women can enter the house.”
“I have three men waiting outside, Your Lordship.”
Darcy’s uncle next went to the front door and welcomed the three men inside.
“Please come inside and get warm. I did not know you were waiting outside.”
“Thank you sir.”
“Mr. Adams, I leave the rest for you and Mr. Jennings.”
The plan was soon agreed on. Mr. Jennings would stop near the park out of sight of Darcy House and speak with his men who had been watching the house and the men would move onto the grounds in the event the man tried to escape.
Mr. Jennings and Mrs. Pierce would next arrive and when Mrs. Pierce signaled from the front window to come inside, Mr. Adams and his three men would knock and come inside and arrest the man. Later, when Mr. Adams and Mr. Jennings needed Darcy’s presence, he and the remaining women would come inside, but this would only be done after the footman had been restrained.
Mrs. Pierce and Mr. Jennings now came inside and were noticed by a couple of servants but acted as if nothing was planned. Mrs. Pierce next asked if there had been any more letters, and thought she heard a chuckle from one of the footmen. She next went to the front window and gave the signal for Mr. Adams and his men to come inside. Soon the knock was made and the men came inside.
Immediately the footman came into the room and he was blocked by the three men.
“Mrs. Pierce, what is all of this about?”
“I think you know what this is about, do you not?”
“No, I do not know unless you suspect I am involved in Mr. Darcy’s kidnapping?”
“What are you saying? No one has said anything about a kidnapping,” replied Mrs. Pierce.
“It is obvious, is it not? Mr. Darcy is missing and there are these letters and Georgiana is not here and you have locked all the bedroom doors and the doors to the study and the library.”
“It is a different story now, said Mr. Adams. Mr. Darcy is alive. He escaped from his prison inside a stone gatehouse near the old Burgess estate.”
“Then I am happy to hear that. I like Mr. Darcy. This is all a nightmare and I am innocent,” replied the footman.
“The two men sent to abduct Mr. Darcy have been caught. They were overheard at a nearby pub and a man went to the local magistrate who put his men there to apprehend them.”
“I know nothing of any of this.”
The others watched as the man was awash in anger.
“Do we know the identity of the men?”
“We do, for Mr. George Wickham is one man and the second one is a man named Mr. Stone. They told us everything.”
The footman had still not been tied up but had nothing more to say but lowered his head to his knees and wept.
Darcy and Georgiana along with Darcy’s uncle now arrived and at the sight of Darcy the man suddenly burst from the others and had a knife he had removed from his boot moments earlier.
Next he lunged at Georgiana, who had been pushed away from him by Elizabeth, and next ran toward but the door but was tripped by Elizabeth and fell hard against the floor. Next he bolted outside just as Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, walked up the steps. The man then took a swipe at the colonel but missed and fell down the stairs and was restrained by Mr. Jennings men.
He was then bound with his hands tied behind his back.
“Mr. Samuel Woods, you are under arrest for kidnapping and attempted murder.”
“That is absurd, Mr. Darcy is alive, and my name is Michael Stevens.”
“No, you have used many names over the years and we are on to you. Others have come forward including Mr. Wickham and Mr. Stone. Why did you try to run away?”
“I am innocent and wanted to save my neck. Look, I did not know of any plot to kidnap Mr. Darcy. George Wickham asked me to deliver letters to Darcy House, that is all.”
“No, you wrote the letter from the so called attorney and gave it to Mrs. Pierce to give to Mr. Darcy. You also wrote the first ransom letter and delivered it to Mrs. Pierce.”
“You have no proof of any of this.”
“We have all the proof we need. Mr. Adams, please remove the man from the house. We all have heard enough of your lies, Mr. Woods.”
CHAPTER 5
Darcy, Georgiana and Elizabeth stayed with Darcy’s aunt and uncle that night. The Fitzwilliams planned a dinner to celebrate the end to the kidnapping nightmare and they also wished to meet with Elizabeth and get to know her better. When Georgiana learnt of the dinner she asked her aunt if she could invite Miss Jane Bennet, since she was in town. Her aunt agreed and Elizabeth wrote the missive requesting Jane’s presence and Darcy’s aunt had a servant take it and wait for a reply. Mrs. Gardiner knew Darcy was safe and that the footman had been arrested, but Elizabeth wrote that she would tell more when she arrived with Georgiana to pick up Jane.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had been unaware of the kidnapping as he had just recently arrived back in town and had missed the others by minutes after they had left to arrest the footman. His first sighting of Miss Bennet was at Darcy House as the footman ran to escape.
Later that afternoon, Charles Bingley visited to check on his friends. He was almost giddy to learn that Darcy’s ordeal was over. Darcy’s uncle saw the state of happiness that Darcy’s friend showed and invited him to join them for dinner. What had started out as a small celebration had suddenly grown into a party. Bingley now got his fist look at Georgiana and Darcy’s new friend and could see why Darcy spoke so highly of her. Colonel Fitzwilliam and her were already talking of military history and England’s wars and the conversation was lively.
“Come Bingley, I have kept you long enough from meeting the first woman professor of military history and tactics.”
“Miss Bennet, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Charles Bingley.”
Elizabeth next curtseyed as the man bowed.
“It is a pleasure, sir. I understand that both you and Mr. Darcy celebrated Christmas again this year.”
“Yes, Miss Bennet, but Georgiana also celebrated with us.”
“I understand your Christmas celebration was subdued because your mother’s illness kept your relatives away.”
“We did celebrate that my mother was getting well. I have to thank Mr. Darcy for bringing his doctor to help us. This helped save many lives. He told me that you met at Cambridge.”
“That is so and I am glad for it. He was in his second year and I was a year behind. He befriended me and helped me gain confidence and he looked after me. We have been good frien
ds since then, but he is a very serious man.”
“That must be the biggest understatement I have ever heard. Mr. Darcy said he has worked very hard to learn to manage the Darcy estate after his father died. Apparently, his father had rarely discussed estate matters with him and Mr. Darcy had a lot to learn and many matters that needed to be resolved in short order.”
“He told me the same thing, Miss Bennet. Darcy and I are opposites. He is cautious and deliberate and I am too impulsive and go with my instincts.”
“Has that worked for you?”
“For the most part I am happy, but my instincts have been wrong as it pertains to my love life. Darcy said that I meet a new love every season, and perhaps that is true, but none has lasted.”
“Do you think that seems strange? Are these women fortune hunters?”
“Most of them are, but many are also full of themselves. My weakness is that I am attracted to the pretty ones, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I am not so much laughing at you, Mr. Bingley, as much as the many men who put physical beauty above all other considerations when choosing a wife, but I do like your courage. Perhaps you are looking for the wrong thing in a woman? The beautiful woman you are interested in today will not stay that way forever. If it is beauty that you want, evaluate the mother, for the apple does not fall far from the tree.”
Darcy next joined the others. “Is it possible that I can join you both?”
“Do not forget me, cousin. I was having a good time until I introduced your friend to Miss Bennet. Perhaps she became bored about our discussion on military history?”
“No, I believe she is most passionate about the subject, but now she is telling Bingley to look at the mother if you want to see the daughter years later.”
“So, Miss Bennet, are you now giving advice on marrying a pretty woman?”
“No, Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am only saying that beauty fades with time. If it is happiness that you want, then you should follow your heart.”
“Is this the path you have set for yourself, Miss Bennet?”
“It is, sir, and I would hope that my future husband will feel the same, for I am certainly no beauty.”
“Your mother is quite good looking, Miss Bennet, and so are you.”
Darcy was content to watch as Elizabeth blushed. He had never been more attracted to any woman and he would wish no change to this woman who now owned his heart.
“My sister is very pretty, but it is her countenance that makes her very special. She looks for the good in people and never judges others. Her heart is pure.”
“Bingley, from what you have told me, none of your women friends are like Miss Bennet’s sister.”
“Yes, Darcy, from the way Miss Bennet has described her sister, I believe none are that good.”
“It must be difficult for all three of you gentlemen. You are all rich and handsome, yet none of you have ever married.”
“Miss Bennet, I must correct you. As the second son of an earl, I am not wealthy. My army salary does not make me an attractive candidate for marriage. Who would wish to marry a man who might be killed or maimed in combat? The army is a hard life for a married couple.”
“But you have enlisted soldiers who are married. Is their lot so poor that they would wish not to be married?”
“There are many soldiers with a family, but I should not want my wife to worry about me and I would not like being separated from any woman whom I love.”
“There, Miss Bennet, we have only to find such a woman for my cousin to love, and then we can see if you are correct.”
Darcy’s uncle looked at his son and chuckled. “Darcy, he needs to meet a woman such as your Miss Bennet, but he favors a woman of wealth.”
“So, Colonel Fitzwilliam, your father has called you a fortune Hunter?”
“He does not lie, Miss Bennet, but I need enough money to support any such future wife in style.”
“Georgiana, what do you think of all this talk? Who is correct?”
“William, I think this is a talk that should be continued at a layer time. For now my friend makes a good case, but so did each of you, but we must be off to Gracechurch Street to get Elizabeth’s sister.”
A knock on the Gardiner’s door soon had the maid letting them inside and soon Bingley saw Jane Bennet for the first time.
When Mrs. Gardiner saw the pleasure in the young women’s expressions, she told Jane and the others to enjoy themselves. Mr. Darcy and his friend further endorsed that suggestion and because they were running late, Elizabeth said she would return on the morrow and tell her aunt the details of the arrest of the man.
Miss Jane Bennet was well dressed and was beautiful and also innocent, if not naive. Georgiana winked at her brother as the look on Mrs. Gardiner’s face did not change. The woman again offered tea but the friends politely declined and next returned to join the others for dinner.
Darcy’s uncle was the first person to see Miss Jane Bennet as they met.
“Uncle, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Miss Jane Bennet.”
“Your Lordship, it is a great honor to meet you.”
He was joined next by his wife and Colonel Fitzwilliam and more introductions were made. The women next joined in conversation in the parlor and the men adjoined to the study to await the call to dinner.
“Georgiana, I have to congratulate you on your choice of friends. Both sisters do their parents proud. Let me see now, I believe that Miss Jane Bennet is the eldest?”
“That is correct, Your Ladyship. There is roughly two years between each of the five sisters.”
“And you have no brothers?”
“A brother or two would have done well for our family, but alas, my father has to put up with five females.”
“Aunt, Elizabeth means the estate is entailed along the male line.”
The dinner went very well and all were pleased. It was an intimate affair and was held in the smallish family dining room with Darcy’s aunt seated at one end of the eight seat table, and near her second son, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Her husband sat at the head of the table and Darcy sat next to Elizabeth whilst Georgiana set opposite them and was between Jane and Mr. Bingley.
“Uncle, I wish to thank you and Aunt for hosting this dinner and for helping us and others during this stressful time. I do not think we could have discovered the footman’s role in this as early as we did without your help.”
“You are very welcome, Darcy. I have enjoyed meeting the Miss Bennets and seeing Georgiana and you and Mr. Bingley and having Richard here with us. I just want to take a few minutes to go over things concerning the kidnapping.”
“Of course we can speak on the matter.”
“Then my first question is if we have any others who were involved?”
“Uncle, I do not believe others are involved, but I do have concerns for a few things.”
“Then are you certain no other servants or others outside of Darcy House are involved?”
“Now Uncle, it is possible that we might learn of others after Mr. Woods talks. Remember, he still does not know the other men are dead.”
“Miss Elizabeth, what are your thoughts?”
“Your Lordship, I wish to know how the two men who caught Mr. Darcy would have dealt with him had they not died. The footman seemed to be the mastermind for the plot. He wrote the original letter posing as the attorney. Once Mr. Darcy asked him to post the letter telling when he would meet the attorney, he never posted it but told the two men to go to the Burgess estate and wait at the gatehouse for Mr. Darcy. They must have left as soon as he told them, but Mr. Woods also wrote the ransom letter and put it in an envelope that another servant found and delivered to Georgiana the day after Darcy was attacked. We know the men fought the next day, so Mr. Woods must have also written the letter telling Georgiana to put the lantern next to the boxwoods out front. Mr. Woods even wrote the letter that Mr. Darcy found inside the gatehouse that the two men carried with them as well as the brie
f missive that Mr. Darcy supposedly had written telling all was well.”
“Yes, Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Woods was ready to collect the ransom, but Darcy’s escape foiled that plot.”
“And I am pleased that he did, Your Lordship. I wonder what Mr. Woods thinks of that? He still does not know that the accomplices are dead.”
“Miss Elizabeth, it goes without saying that Mr. Woods wrote these letters. Perhaps he was a bit too eager to start collecting the ransom money, but now he can just await the gallows. Whatever plan the three kidnappers did have now is rendered null and void after Darcy showed up.”
“My next question, then, is who is this man George Wickham?”
The others watched Darcy as he replied to Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, it is a long story and I will share it with you later, but he was a childhood friend and lived at Pemberley. His father was my father’s steward at Pemberley and helped to manage the property and the tenant farms.”
Darcy did not want his sister or the others to learn the sordid details of just how low his former friend had sunk, nor of Wickham’s history of debauchery.
“Miss Elizabeth, regarding your earlier question of what they would have done to me if I had not escaped, the men who watched them fight said the two men argued over money and told that the older man wanted to kill me right away, but the other man was not so much in a hurry.”
“William, would the footman have stabbed me if Elizabeth had not pushed him?”
“He may have, Georgiana, but you must remember the man was running for his life.”
“Miss Elizabeth also tripped the footman, or he may have cut me, Darcy.”
“That is true cousin. Let us give a toast to the real footman, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, of Longbourn and Hertfordshire.”
All toasted the young women and laughed.
“I never heard of this, Lizzy. What exactly happened?”
“The footman had a knife hidden in his boot and sat innocent enough on the floor before grabbing the knife and making a run for it. Georgiana was standing in his path and I pushed her away and he lost his focus and I tripped him.”
