Chapter 7

A t the time they had been invited to arrive, Elizabeth and her Aunt Maddie used the knocker to announce their arrival at Miss Darcy’s house. The door was opened by an older, kindly looking butler.

“Mrs Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth Bennet to see Miss Darcy,” Madeline announced as she handed the man her card.

“Miss Darcy told me to expect you,” Lancaster bowed and then stood back to allow the ladies entrance. He and one of his local footmen assisted them out of their light outerwear and then led them up the stairs to the sitting room where they would be received.

“Mrs Gardiner and Miss Bennet,” the butler announced. He bowed to the two ladies seated in the room and withdrew.

Elizabeth did not miss the two footmen in the hall standing on either side of the door as she and her aunt entered the room. As soon as the butler withdrew, Miss Darcy and her companion stood and the four ladies curtsied to each other.

There was no missing how nervous the shy Miss Darcy was. She looked to her companion who gave her a nod of support. “Welcome, Mrs Gardiner and Miss Bennet. It was good of you to call on me today.”

Madeline could see how uncomfortable Miss Darcy was so she decided to try to put her at ease if at all possible. She and her niece sat on the settee opposite Miss Darcy and her companion. “I am not sure if my niece mentioned this to you, Miss Darcy, but I was born in Derbyshire. In fact I lived in Lambton not five miles from your estate. My father was the vicar of the All Saints Church until his passing some eight years past,” Madeline stated.

“You are the late Mr Lambert’s daughter?” Georgiana verified, forgetting her shyness at the pleasure of meeting one who was from the same part of Derbyshire as herself.

“Indeed, I am,” Madeline confirmed. “Do you know when I was much younger and my dear mother was still in the mortal world, I accompanied her to Pemberley on a few occasions, and I had the pleasure of meeting your late mother. You look so very much like her.”

“You knew my late Mama! I never had the pleasure of meeting her as she was taken weeks after my birth.” The last statement made Georgiana feel maudlin for some moments, but then she remembered her duties as hostess and rang for tea.

“I did not really know your mother, as I said I only met her a few times. It was my mother who was much more familiar with Lady Anne. I do remember that she was always very kind to all and welcoming to us. I also have memories of your brother as a young man when he would come to climb the old chestnut tree in the middle of the green in Lambton,” Madeline added.

“Miss Bennet, have you travelled into Derbyshire?” Georgiana asked.

“No, Miss Darcy, I have not had the pleasure. If I am with my aunt and uncle for their holiday next year, I may have that pleasure, as they are planning to see the lakes. That and the peak district are great attractions to me,” Elizabeth replied. “If it is all the same to you, will you call me Miss Elizabeth as I always think of my eldest sister when Miss Bennet is used? In fact, if you would like, I would be happy if you call me Elizabeth, or Lizzy like my sisters do.”

“I would like that, Lizzy, as long as you call me Georgiana or Anna like my family does. May I mention your presence to my brother?” Georgiana requested.

“As we did not part on the best of terms, I would not recommend it.” Seeing the look of consternation on her younger friend’s countenance, Elizabeth decided to elucidate somewhat. “Your brother and I had some misunderstandings between us, and I do not think he would enjoy hearing my name again so soon.”

Based on William’s letters and the tender way he spoke her name, Anna was sure Lizzy—she preferred to use that form of the name rather than Elizabeth—was wrong, but she would honour her new friend’s suggestion and not mention her to William. In fact, she intended to consult Mrs Annesley, regarding what she should do. After Ramsgate she did not want to give either her brother or Richard cause not to trust her.

The truth was Elizabeth had said what she did out of shame for the way she had misjudged Mr Darcy based on the word of such a man. She was sure he would think her very silly once he was made aware of the monumentally erroneous way she had valued the honeyed words Mr Wickham had poured into her ear. The other part of her desire Mr Darcy not learn she had met his sister; was the worry he would instruct his sister to break the connection. Although it was a new acquaintanceship, Elizabeth had a feeling she and Anna could become very good friends. As much as she loved her young cousins, having a young lady she could speak to and spend some time with while in Brighton, who was closer to her own age was something she relished.

Mrs Annesley was well pleased to see the way her charge was opening up to Mrs Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth. Since meeting the vivacious lady, Miss Darcy had begun to throw off the sadness she had suffered from since, according to Mr Darcy, the almost disaster the previous summer. Of one thing she was sure, her employer would not discourage a connection which had such a positive effect on his sister.

The tea service and attendant slices of cake, pastries, biscuits, and fruit were placed on the table in front of the young mistress by a footman who was being directed by Mrs Lancaster.

With far more confidence than she had felt for the best part of a year, Anna asked her guests for their preferences, poured tea for each lady, and made them plates of treats, according to each of her guests’ choices once the housekeeper and footman had withdrawn.

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

“William, you need to calm yourself,” Colonel Fitzwilliam advised as he watched his cousin pace back and forth across his study in Darcy House. “You did not err in agreeing to allow Anna to holiday in Brighton.”

“If something happens to harm her, I will never forgive myself,” Darcy declared. “I should have remained to make sure she is well.”

“You are behaving like a ninny!” the Colonel snapped. “This is not Ramsgate. Anna has a companion with whom we know we can trust her. Not only that, Thompson and his men are with her, and you know he would sooner die than allow anything bad to happen to the ‘ little miss ’ as he calls her.” The Colonel paused to allow his words to sink in. “Now think. What are you telling Anna if you cannot trust she will be well and will never again agree to something like she did in Ramsgate? You will destroy any self-confidence she has recovered. If I did not believe she would be completely safe, I would have remained with her as well.”

“I know what you say is true, Richard, but it does not stop my concerns. I suppose I am becoming a naysayer in my old age,” Darcy jested.

“Poor William in his dotage,” the Colonel grinned.

Just then there was a knock on the study door. On being bade to do so, the butler proffered his master the silver salver with a letter on it. “The courier arrived from Brighton, Sir,” Killion reported.

Darcy took the missive with speed, hungry for the news it contained within. He sat on the settee between the windows which looked out onto the green in the centre of the square. “I will pass it to you as soon as I have read it,” Darcy told his cousin.

The Colonel waved his cousin’s concerns away, knowing this first letter would go a long way to settling William’s worry.

After breaking his sister’s seal, Darcy unfolded the lavender coloured pressed paper he had gifted Anna. As he always did, he admired his sister’s neat penmanship. Rather than look at the form of her writing, he began to read.

26 June 1811

39 Coast Road

Brighton

To William, the best big brother in the world,

Thank you so very much for showing me you trust me to be here on my own (well, without you but well-guarded) because it is helping me move past the event we shall not mention.

Even though you and Richard (the best cousin and guardian in one person) only departed from this house the previous day, I miss you and I am sure you want to hear that all is well here. I will heed Richard’s and your warning to keep far away from the militia encampments. Besides, there is more than enough to occupy my time in the area.

Mrs Annesley, some of the footmen, and I took our first walk along Coast Road on the side closest to the beach and sea this morning. It was before I broke my fast, so we did not walk into the centre of the town where many shops are located. That means I have not seen his Highness’s Pavilion yet either. On the morrow or the next day, I will walk (with my escorts) and go to see that enormous edifice.

My hope is the Regent is not in residence yet so the house will be open to visitors with the possibility of seeing the inside. I have seen some of the plates in the books you showed me before we departed for Brighton, and I am fascinated to see how close to reality those depictions are.

This morning when we walked out, a lady who was so excited to see the ocean for the first time almost collided with me. She was most apologetic and self-deprecating. She was profuse in begging my pardon and was accompanied by a young boy and girl (her cousins not her own children) along with the maid and footman who was escorting them.

William, even though we only just met she was so good at putting me at ease. We share an acquaintance in common, a certain Miss B. No, this lady is nothing like your friend’s sister, in fact, I would say she is the complete opposite. No, she did not fawn all over me and agree with whatever I said like a certain lady to whom I referred.

Darcy started. It sounded to him like his sister was describing Miss Elizabeth Bennet! Then again, she was not the only lady who had met Miss Bingley and was nothing like her. Mayhap, like he had imagined seeing Miss Bennet in the coach they passed on the return to London, he was looking for that which was not there. Besides, the chances of her being in Brighton were nought. He went back to reading Anna’s letter.

She is staying with relatives only one street back from Coast Road, on Privet Street. She may call on me with her aunt on the morrow. When I have more to tell you, I will.

Again, thank you for allowing me to come to a coastal town where I am making only positive memories. If the lady I met becomes my friend, as I pray she will, it can only aid me in my recovery from the melancholy which has gripped me since summer last .

Is Richard still at Darcy House with you, or has he had to return to his regiment? When do you depart for Pemberley?

My warmest regards to you and Richard,

Anna

The letter helped settle much of his guilt and disquiet at not spending the summer with Anna. Darcy nodded his head to his expectant cousin.

“It cannot be bad news based on the pleased look you are sporting,” the Colonel guessed.

Darcy handed his cousin the letter and waited while he read it.

“It seems our ward is on the mend. If the lady she met assists to that end, I am all for it,” the Colonel opined once he had read the letter. “You can relax now William; Anna will be well. Perhaps in her next letter she will name this soon-to-be friend of hers.”

“I feel much more reassured. I will leave for Pemberley on Monday knowing Anna is happy and making progress. It seems listening to your opinion in this was the best thing I could have done.” Darcy inclined his head in thanks to his cousin.

Both men lifted their small glasses of port and toasted to their ward’s wellbeing and enjoyment.

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

They had practiced so much that Wickham could almost perform the task he had been given in his sleep. Younge had joined them a few days earlier and according to what he said, he would remain with the other three until the task was completed. The latter had not been well pleased Wickham had been given the primary role, but he knew how the noble reacted to criticism so he had held his peace on the subject.

That evening his Lordship had invited Wickham to dine with him at the great house. There was no missing the scowl on Younge’s face when he had not been invited as well, but rather than make their employer angry, again the big man said nothing.

The main course was venison roasted to a turn. This was the kind of life Wickham believed was his due. Servants at his beck and call, plentiful food, and as much to drink as his heart desired. Best of all was the obvious abundance of wealth. If the toff was not so single-minded, well-guarded, and observant, Wickham would have taken a chance to find the safe he was sure was hidden in the man’s study.

After dinner, the two retired to the aforementioned study, but not before a guard had been posted near the door to make sure no one could hear what they were about to discuss.

“Given the target, there is a good chance you will be the only one to get away and evade capture. The other three will only be able to flummox the guards for so long, and they will either be killed or captured. If it is the latter, some of my men who will be close by will make sure they will never speak again. Do not get caught. The item you are to bring me will make sure I gain all which I deserve,” the Lord stated.

“Will it not lead to questions if your men kill anyone who has been captured?” Wickham enquired.

“They will only intercede if one or more of the men assisting you are close to being captured. They will be seen as good Samaritans who are acting when they see a wrong being perpetrated. By the time that simpleton knows to whom he is beholden, it will be too late as my men will be back here with me.” The employer looked at Wickham coldly. “If you are caught, or you fail me, you will meet the same fate as the other men. However, if you succeed, not only will I pay you the four thousand pounds, but the amount I would have paid the men who will no longer be able to spend theirs.”

As he was supremely confident in his riding skills, Wickham did not doubt his success for an instant. That Denny, Johnson, and Younge would more than likely soon be dead did not bother him in the least. He would receive seven thousand pounds, and if the noble was well pleased, it was possible he would be paid even more than that.

“May I ask what you want with the target?” Wickham enquired.

“You may not. My reasons are my own and your knowing or not does not change what you need to do. Do I need to remind you that if you mention one word of what we discussed here to the other men, you will not see another sunrise?”

“No, my Lord, they will hear not a word about your plans from me,” Wickham vowed.

He was waved away and one of the guards escorted him back to the cottage where he and the other three were residing. Fate had smiled on him when he had been gifted the talent he had on horseback. Because of that, he would more likely than not be the only one of the four who would survive. And indeed, that survival would earn him almost as much, or perhaps more, money than he would have gained by tying himself to that nasty little freckled thing in Meryton.

Yes, George Wickham’s luck had turned.

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

The day after the call on Miss Darcy at her house, the lady visited the Gardiners and Miss Bennet at the former’s rented house. Besides spending time reminiscing about Derbyshire with Mrs Gardiner, Anna met the two youngest Gardiner children.

She was enchanted when Peter declared her to be a ‘ faiwy pwincess ’ and allowed the youngest Gardiner to climb up on her lap, something he enjoyed greatly.

After tea, and before she and Mrs Annesley departed, it was decided they would all meet at the house on Coast Road on Saturday morning and walk to where the shops and the Pavilion were.

When they arrived back at the house on Coast Road, Anna was excited when Mr Lancaster handed her a letter the courier had brought with him from London. She looked at Mrs Annesley pleadingly. “Go, Miss Darcy. Read your letter. I will be in the sitting room working on my knitting when you have completed your reading,” the companion smiled.

The door was barely closed to her private sitting room attached to her bedchamber, before Anna was breaking the seal. She threw herself into the comfortable armchair near the window which gave her more than enough light by which to read.

27 June 1811

Darcy House

My one and only dearest sister,

You know not how much the evidence of your recovery in the letter I just read pleased me. It is so much more than I could have hoped for you.

The talk in London is that Prinny will move to his ‘house by the sea’ in the first week of July, so you may be able to visit his abode if you go in the next day or two.

Anna smiled to herself. She would mention this to Lizzy on the morrow and hopefully the house would still be open. She was sure her new friend would not be overly awed by the opulence. Never once had she seemed impressed by the Darcy wealth. She picked up the paper again.

Richard was here when your letter arrived. He said to tell you that he only reports back to the Dragoon’s barracks on Monday. He, too, was very pleased you seem to be having a capital time in Brighton so far.

Both of us are happy you are making a friend close to your own age. I know it has always been hard to know if someone likes you for you and is not (like the lady you referred to in your letter) trying to gain my favour through you. As you did not mention it, I will assume the lady in question did not quiz you about me or our holdings.

I do trust you, Anna, completely and implicitly. To prove it I will not ask you for details of your new friend. When and if you want to tell me, I will be happy to read what you say.

Any subsequent letters you send to me with Jimmy should be directed to Pemberley. I will depart London with the dawn on Monday morning. The missives will take longer to travel between us, but I will continue to be a faithful correspondent. In case I did not tell you my reason for needing to be in Derbyshire and not with you in Brighton, it is that among other things which need my attention at the estate, I need to meet with my steward to plan the autumn harvest. It will not be the same without you, but my prayer is that you will continue to recover from last summer and have an enjoyable time in Brighton.

With the warmest regards from both of your guardians,

William

The reassurance William and Richard were confident in her discernment made Anna glow with pleasure. She would write back to William after the time spent with Lizzy and the Gardiners on the morrow.