Chapter 22

A n extremely sullen Harris and Peters finally had their blindfolds removed from their eyes. They were in a room standing opposite several men seated at a table. When they looked around, they noted the soldiers standing near every conceivable avenue to exit the room. Even had their legs and hands not been shackled, there would have been no way to escape their fates.

"If we did not need your testimony against Wickham, I would have liked to have watched you dangle from the end of a hangman's noose," Darcy spat out. "That was my father you murdered!"

"You know William, we do have Wickham's letter," Richard drawled as if the two miscreants were not standing before them. He lifted the discovered missive from where it was on the table. "Surely that is enough to convict him so we do not need these two. We can leave them to the court and watch them hang."

Any bluster remaining between Harris and Peters fled as they hung their heads knowing the men before them held their fates in their hands.

"I think it would be better to have as much evidence as possible," Lord Matlock stated authoritatively. He turned to look at the two before him with as much disdain as possible. "You will be held in Newgate until we run Wickham to ground. If, no, when, we do, you will tell a court everything you know. If he is not discovered or you do not do your part, then rather than transportation you will face a court's wrath and be given the ultimate punishment. "

Both men swore to do what they needed in order to have their lives spared. "What was your part in my father's death?" Darcy growled. "If you address me, it is Mr. Darcy , not ‘toff' anything!"

"That Wickham man ‘ad us chase the man so ‘is ‘orse would be skittish. Then ‘e jumped in front o' ta ‘orse wif a whip. ‘E made ta ‘orse rear and yir faver fell off, but ‘e was still alive. Wickham ‘it ‘im wif a rock an then made it look like ‘e fell onto the rock," Harris related.

"Now you see why we need them," Lord Matlock told his younger son and nephew. "The letter that bastard wrote mentions how he needs assistance taking his revenge on my brother," Matlock looked at his nephew, "your father. On its own it is not enough as he was not explicit as to what form his revenge would take. However, with them telling the court what they just revealed, will seal Wickham's fate and ensure he will swing for what he did. Now all we have to do is find him."

Colonel Whitfield nodded to two of his men. They and others came and took the sorry pair so they could be moved to Newgate Prison.

"We will involve the Runners, will we not?" Andrew queried.

"That we will," Matlock agreed, "but we will need more than Bow Street to run Wickham to ground."

"Did you not mention the man in question was a member of the militia and he deserted?" Lieutenant-Colonel Sisley questioned. There were affirmative nods from the three Fitzwilliams and one Darcy. "Whitfield and I will call on militia headquarters. I am sure the commanding general will make as many men as needed available to us to aid in the search. Word can be sent to regiments all over England so it will be hard for the man to find a rock under which to hide."

"If General Atherton will support our application, it will ensure the assistance of the militia," Colonel Whitfield opined .

Thus it was decided. The two officers would speak to Major-General Atherton, the commander of the Dragoons and enlist his aid in approaching the General of the Militia.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

After Darcy took his leave from Matlock House to see the head of Bow Street, Richard relayed the invitation regarding Christmastide to his family.

"We were to all go to Holder Heights to be with the Carringtons, Rhys-Davies, and some others," Lady Elaine told her youngest. She did not miss the way his face fell at her response. "Marie, as you and Andrew will be back at Hilldale before then and it is so close to Holder Heights, you two should attend the Carringtons. William and Anna will be there as well and I will let Edith know Reggie and I will be joining Richard in Hertfordshire."

"And then you will come to Hilldale for my lying in by the middle of January to join Mama and Charity?" Marie verified.

"Most certainly, yes we will," Lady Elaine averred. "If things progress with Miss Mary then you will meet her after you deliver your child." The Countess turned to her youngest son. "What can you tell us about the Bennets we do not already know from your letters?"

Richard related what he knew and when he spoke of Mary Bennet there was no missing the depth of his feelings for the youngest Bennet daughter. For some comic relief he told his family about his rector's connection to the Bennets and the now cleared-up misconceptions the man had had regarding his inheriting Longbourn.

"And William knows none of this?" Matlock shook his head. "At least since your mother and I delivered a setdown he has acted with more humility. So, the second Mrs. Bennet is none other than my late friend Morris's daughter. Mayhap it was just as well William did not know the truth. I am certain they would not have thought much of an apology if it had been rendered because he knew their social position and wealth was far superior to what he had thought."

"It is good to hear Miss Bingley's behaviour has improved," Lady Elaine remarked, "I used to think she was as bad as that brother of hers. Now we know what he orchestrated to gain William's favour and we know he is far worse than we ever suspected." Lady Matlock paused. "When will you return to Hertfordshire? It is too late today is it not?"

"You have the right of it Mother. The soonest I will depart is early on the morrow," Richard replied, "but I may wait until we hear the answer from the militia. I agree with my friends that the chances of running the murderer to ground increases exponentially if the militia assists in the search."

"In that case, by this evening I will pen our thanks and acceptance of the invitation on behalf of your father and me to Mrs. Bennet. You will convey it back to her for me," Lady Elaine stated.

"Will you tell Anna what we have learnt regarding that blackhearted man?" Andrew enquired.

"I think we must, but I will not do so before William agrees and I think it will be best if we speak to her together," Richard averred. "By the by, you mentioned a setdown. What did my cousin do to earn your ire?"

His parents related what had occurred when their nephew had come to see them before he had discovered the truth about his so-called friend. Richard was not pleased to hear about William's attempt to interfere in the courtship between Mary and himself.

"He is lucky I did not know of this when I first saw him after my arrival," Richard fumed.

"Calm down, Son," Matlock counselled. "Your mother and I made our position on his highhandedness abundantly clear to him. It is that which I believe has led to his introspection of late. Once this business with Wickham has been dealt with, there will be more than enough time for you to set your cousin straight."

"You will not rescind your invitation for him and Anna to visit Rosings Park for Easter next will you?" Lady Elaine worried. Regardless of William's bad behaviour, the last thing she wanted to see was a rift between him and Richard.

"I would not do that to Anna," Richard decided. "Depending on when the babe is born, you will still be at Hilldale over Easter, will you not?"

"Yes, that is accurate," Lady Elaine agreed.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Richard was able to begin his journey back to Meryton the next morning after Colonel Whitfield had called at Matlock House to share the news the General of the militia had agreed to allow his soldiers to be used in the search for George Wickham.

Before he left, William had sent a message that the Bow Street Runners would start at Mrs. Younge's boarding house as he had been sure that was where Wickham would have skulked to in London. His cousin had sent to Pemberley for a portrait the late Mr. Lucas Wickham had commissioned of his son before the latter's twentieth birthday. It would be sent to a man who would produce sketches of the libertine to be disseminated to all of the groups searching for him.

It was just as well he had not seen his cousin before he decamped from London. Although Richard's ire had cooled significantly, he was not sure he would have been sanguine to see William yet, as he more than likely would not have been able to hold his peace before he departed from Town.

With each mile that passed and brought him nearer to Longbourn and his love, the vestiges of bad humour caused by what his parents had related about his cousin lifted. He was to see Mary soon. His coachman would drive him directly to the Bennets' estate and leave him there. He planned to ride Invictus back to Netherfield Park thanks to his stallion being housed at Longbourn during his absence.

With his impatience to see Mary, the trip seemed interminable, but he arrived at Longbourn soon enough. His welcome, especially from his Mary, was everything inviting and warm. As soon as the greetings were over, he handed his mother's note to Mrs. Bennet.

"Mother and Father knew your parents," Richard related.

"I had forgotten that," Cilla remembered. "They used to see the Earl and Countess when they would go to London for the season. With Mama's passing when I was so young, Papa curtailed the time he spent in Town."

While Mrs. Bennet read his mother's acceptance, Richard seated himself next to Mary. They sat as close to one another as possible, their legs touching through the layers of clothing but exciting both of them nonetheless. Mary was about to ask about Richard's time in London when her mother spoke.

"Richard's parents will join us, the Gardiners, and Philipses for the festive season," Priscilla related. "His older brother and sister-in-law will be with family in Staffordshire. Lady Matlock has some very kind things to say about my mother." She wiped an errant tear from her cheek.

All were taken aback when Richard reported what they had learnt regarding the murder of Mr. Darcy's father and the manhunt underway to bring George Wickham to justice.

Not long after the recitation, Cilla left the room to speak to Mrs. Hill, Bennet returned to his study, and Jane and Elizabeth remained in the drawing room to chaperone their youngest sister and her suitor. The two sisters sat in the opposite corner of the room to allow the two to have a modicum of privacy.

As he did not want any secrets between them, Richard told Mary all about his cousin's words to his parents and subsequent setdown.

"That rude, insufferable man attempted to interfere between you and Mary!" Elizabeth blurted out. She immediately blushed with shame as she had overheard what Mr. Fitzwilliam had been telling Mary. It was not her place to interject.

"Lizzy!" Jane admonished. She too had heard what had been said and had been as unhappy about his words as her younger sister, but Jane had always been able to control her temper far better than Lizzy could at times. She was aware Mr. Darcy's ill-advised slight had rolled off Lizzy's back, but this would be something which would ignite her prejudices against him. One did not try to hurt someone Lizzy loved and remain unscathed.

"Seeing he tried to disparage your family as a whole, I should have included both of you in the conversation," Richard said contritely. "All I can tell you is when I saw William…Mr. Darcy in London, there was very little of his improper pride on display. I think my parents' words affected him greatly."

"Only time will tell," Elizabeth huffed.

Mary shook her head and Richard said no more on the subject. Mary was well aware Lizzy would need some time to cool down before she would consider the situation logically.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Mrs. Younge had been more than willing to tell the Runners about her erstwhile paramour and his flight from her house. That led them to question hackney cab drivers and the one who transported Wickham to Hyde Park was discovered. By the next day, the driver who had conveyed Wickham from where he had walked towards Cheapside to the inn had been found. In short order he had related the destination to which he had conveyed his passenger.

Four Runners descended on the inn. Thankfully, having no reason to hide their identities, Bingley had written his and Wickham's names in the register. The investigators interviewed anyone from the landlord and landlady down who had any contact with the men.

It became clear the two men had met at the inn by chance but there was some prior acquaintance between them. Also, it was determined when Mr. Bingley departed in his coach two days previously the man they were seeking was with him. It was learnt the destination was Scarborough.

An express was dispatched to the Colonel commanding the Yorkshire Militia stationed outside of Scarborough within an hour of learning all of the facts. At the same time, Bow Street men and a platoon of militia men from London started up the Great North Road following the trail. As they were on horseback and could move faster than a coach, they hoped to arrive in Scarborough soon after Mr. Bingley's carriage.

When Bingley's name and the fact there seemed to be an acquaintanceship between him and Wickham was mentioned to Darcy, he understood who Bingley had gone to in order to find the men he had paid to attack him on the night he left the inn in Cambridge.

Darcy suggested the investigators go speak to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley to discover places where Bingley would likely frequent in Scarborough.

With everything which had occurred and discovering the depths of Bingley's depravity, Darcy decided he did not need to interview Miss Bingley. He was certain her chase of him had been at Bingley's urging. He also thanked goodness Lady Charity had been resident at Matlock House or he would have brought Anna home and who knows what the dissolute Bingley would have attempted.

How had he been so wrong about so very much?