Chapter 5

Just under a week before they were to send the carriage to Longbourn for Kitty, Elizabeth was working in her study just after luncheon when the butler knocked and announced that a Miss Lydia Bennet had arrived with a maid in one of Elizabeth's carriages from Netherfield, and was claiming to be Elizabeth's sister. Lydia had not been to visit Elizabeth in London yet, so she was not yet known by the butler and housekeeper, only the staff who had worked at Netherfield or had gone with the family to Brighton the previous summer. Elizabeth sent for Darcy and proceeded to the drawing room where Lydia waited.

As Elizabeth entered the room, Lydia jumped up from the chaise and threw herself into Elizabeth's arms. "Lizzy, she's been gone for nearly a week! I could not get here, Papa's horrid new footman watches the household like a falcon, and we have all been confined to the house, even Mrs Hill! If Papa had not gone to St Albans to see about a new horse and Cook had not left a bottle of port where that Cuthbert could find it, I would never have got away! She has been gone for so many days, how could we possibly find her now!"

"Lyddie, you must calm yourself and explained what has happened," cried Elizabeth. Darcy entered the room and insisted Elizabeth sit upon the chaise, and for Lydia to calm herself.

"Mrs Hill has sent a letter for you, ma'am, and Mrs Nichols has bade me tell you that she is preparing the house as we speak for you," ventured the maid, holding out a missive to Elizabeth. Elizabeth dismissed the maid to the kitchens, and opened the letter as Lydia continued to weep and Darcy poured the girl a glass of wine.

Miss Lizzy,

I cannot apologise enough for my inability to protect the young ladies after the promise I made to you. Three days ago, while Miss Lydia was visiting the tenants, a very fine, intimidating gentleman arrived in the finest carriage and four ever seen, ma'am. He spent an hour in Mr Bennet's study, and when he came out, he went straight to his carriage and waited. Mr Bennet sent Betsy to pack for Miss Kitty, then went to the drawing room, and I am told, informed the ladies that the man was a powerful duke, and had come to escort Miss Kitty to her new husband. Miss Kitty was in right distress, ma'am. She seemed to know of the man, and declared that she was not being courted by the gentleman's son, but rather he was courting her cousin Miss Dashwood, and that Miss Kitty preferred the attentions of another gentleman. Mr Bennet would brook no argument, and insisted that she was not to be permitted to squander such an opportunity, and he allowed two footmen to enter and remove Miss Kitty to the carriage.

Mrs Bennet was in hysterics and fainted dead away when Miss Kitty was removed quite against her will and it was all very dreadful, ma'am. A new arrived the next morning, sent from St Albans I am told, and Mr Bennet instructed us that the man was in charge of the household and in enforcing his orders, and we were to follow all of his instructions. No one, including myself, was to be allowed to leave the house, nor even to send a note to the butcher. We are making do with what we can use from the home farm and the larder, though Mr Bennet must allow us to order supplies soon. The new footman Cuthbert watches all, and none of us can escape his watch. I fear that were I to escape or send a message, I might be turned out, and my mistress needs me, ma'am. You must understand I cannot leave her in her state.

Miss Lydia has been rightfully outraged, but that foul Cuthbert has prevented her from disturbing her father and the peace of the house. In the hopes of preventing her from being locked in her room, I have persuaded her to keep quiet and not to make any trouble until one of us can get away, when I will finish this letter.

Two days later:

Mr Bennet left at dawn this morning to St Albans to purchase a new horse. Cook and I have conspired to leave a bottle out where Cuthbert can find it. It is barely breakfast, and thankfully the man is already too drunk to stand upright. Lydia is to cut across the fields to Netherfield and seek Mrs Nichols' aid, and I know my dear friend Mrs Nichols will send her to you immediately. Cuthbert ought to sleep for hours after what he has drunk, and Mr Bennet ought not be hom e until late tonight, for he said he is meeting some friends from Oxford at a friend's estate for luncheon and dinner before he returns to Longbourn. Please come to us with all haste, Miss Lizzy. That Cuthbert has tried to have his way with Betsy, though I got in his way, and I do not like the manner in which he looks at Miss Lydia. Godspeed ma'am.

Hill

Elizabeth said to Darcy sharply, "What in God's name did you say to that duke in your letter?"

"Very little of course," answered Darcy defensively. "I could not be explicit or use any names, of course, to protect the reputations of the young women in the household. I only requested that he take his heir in hand, rather than allow him to trifle with the young gentlewomen under the protection of his neighbours. I mentioned nothing of Catherine of course, or the name of Bennet, considering it was not even she that St Claire was currently trifling with. I cannot imagine what might have led him to go to Longbourn rather than discussing it with me."

"What will he do with Kitty?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Do not entertain hopes that he will force her into a marriage with his heir, little though we would wish it, it is the least likely path he would take. No matter how large her dowry, Leeds would never allow the connection. None of the other possibilities are anything that I would discuss in front of Lydia."

Lydia began weeping hysterically while Georgiana and Charlotte entered the room. Georgiana went to Lydia to attempt to comfort her, and inquired of her brother what the trouble was. The two ladies added their tears to Lydia's when Darcy explained the matter to them. Elizabeth rang the bell and sent for Banks and Wilson. Elizabeth sent Wilson to Darcy House with the letter from Mrs Hill and a note beseeching the Fitzwilliams to come to Longbourn with them to lend their aid to Elizabeth and Will, then called the housekeeper to have the carriages ready, and to have Sarah and Watson ready their trunks for a journey to Hertfordshire to leave within the hour.

Lydia fought against her sister forcefully to accompany them, but Elizabeth would not argue with her. She would not take the chance of being required by law to leave Lydia behind at Longbourn again. She sent Banks to escort Lydia in a carriage to Matlock House with Georgiana for company, bearing a note to Lord Matlock to please offer his protection to Lydia while Elizabeth and Darcy located their other sister. Elizabeth would never let Bennet see Lydia again after this. If he wished to exert his rights over his youngest, he would have to find her first.

Mary and Richard arrived, Mary in tears, and Richard bearing the society pages from that morning's newspaper, which Elizabeth and Darcy had been too busy to read yet. They took very little interest in the society pages, only reading the announcements regarding weddings, deaths, and births, and ignoring the gossip and fashion columns. One interesting announcement read:

His Grace the Duke of Leeds announces the marriage of his heir Lord Jonathan Benedict Albert Willoughby, the Viscount St Claire, to Lady Rose Eleanor Marie Francis, eldest daughter of the Marquess of Beaumont, on 11 November, in His Grace's private chapel at Stoneacre.

"Well, that answers whether he forced Kitty to marry Willoughby, not that there was much chance of it, I am afraid. Willoughby's wedding took place days ago," said Elizabeth fretfully as she handed the paper to Will. "The carriage must be nearly ready. We should prepare to leave; I wish to enter Longbourn before my father returns." Darcy exchanged a look with Richard and then glanced back at Elizabeth, who continued. "Do not attempt to talk me out of going. My sister and my stepmother need me, and I will go! I understand your fears, Will, but I promise you I shall make every attempt to keep my composure, and not allow myself to become excessively distressed."

"There is also the question of whether hieing to Longbourn first is the correct course of action," pointed out Richard. When Elizabeth inquired as to his meaning he explained. "Of course, your stepmother needs you, but we are already aware that Miss Kitty is certainly not at Longbourn, and it is unlikely that your father knows her true location now. It may be better to pay a call on his grace's townhouse, not that he would admit us, or even tell us anything, assuming he is even there."

Elizabeth rang the bell, and Banks entered immediately, having just returned from Matlock House, where he assured her that Lord and Lady Matlock had taken the girls in without a qualm, and that Mrs Hopkins, Mrs Annesley, and a bag with a few days of clothing would follow them. Elizabeth instructed him to go to Mr Montague immediately, and to contact all of the finest investigators they had at their disposal to learn anything they could about the duke's current location and most recent activities. Elizabeth wanted to know about anyone he may have done any business deals with or paid money to, and to do everything in their power to determine what may have been done with Kitty. She informed him that they would return to London by the next day at luncheon, and she expected as much information as possible in that time.

Banks was authorised to promise enormously large rewards or ransom to aid in the location of Kitty, and instructed that no expense or resource must be spared. Elizabeth's funds were to be prepared for immediate withdrawal from her bank. Elizabeth demanded to know of all of the duke's properties, both on English soil and abroad, as well as any known contacts he might have that could have assisted him in disposing of Kitty. Mr Banks knew a number of men of all sorts of backgrounds that he could send into any sort of establishment looking for information and be trusted. Men were to be sent to the docks to ask questions as well as to start combing the brothels where wealthy men went to look for virginal girls, and begin searching for Kitty in some of the more desperately dangerous places as quickly as possible.

*****

With that accomplished, Elizabeth felt she could journey to Meryton that day knowing that all of the information that could help was being prepared in her absence, and hoping that when she returned the next day that enough information would have been found to lead them to Kitty. Charlotte would remain at Pemberley House with Diane and young William. Elizabeth and Mary went upstairs to refresh themselves before their journey and then, with a large basket of cider and refreshments from the cook, the two couples embarked for Hertfordshire, followed by a carriage with their servants, as well as Miss Carmichael, and a great number of armed footmen and grooms on horseback.

When they entered Meryton, the second carriage went onto Netherfield with instructions to leave the trunks and servants at Netherfield, and then follow them to Longbourn along with a cart immediately for Mrs Bennet and her trunks, while Elizabeth and Darcy's carriage continued to Longbourn. When they arrived, Longbourn appeared quiet, being only just dinnertime, and Mr Bennet was, according to Mrs Hill's letter, not expected for some hours yet. Darcy and Fitzwilliam insisted that Elizabeth and Mary wait in the carriage until they had secured their entrance to the house. Elizabeth began to object, but Mary convinced her that in her condition, she must stay back and leave the more dangerous and distressing tasks to the men for once. Darcy pounded upon the door and after a few moments it opened a few inches to reveal an unfamiliar looking footman. "Lord Darcy and The Honourable Colonel Fitzwilliam to see Mrs Bennet," Darcy said firmly.

"The master is not at home, and no one is to be admitted, sir." stated the footman shortly, and then attempted to slam the door until Colonel Fitzwilliam shoved his boot and arm through it and grasped the man roughly by the throat, propelling him backwards into the hall where Mrs Hill was cowering in a doorway. "Is this him, Hill? This is Cuthbert?" At Mrs Hill's nod, Fitzwilliam continued, "Are there any more of him about?" When Mrs Hill shook her head, Richard dragged the man out of doors, and around the back of the house, away from the view of the ladies.

Darcy continued into the house and asked Hill, "Where is your mistress?" Hill led him upstairs to where Mrs Bennet sat in a chair by the window with her foot propped upon a cushion, fretfully fidgeting with a handkerchief, looking desperately troubled. "Oh Lord Darcy! My Lydia found you! I knew she would find you and her sister! Is Lady Darcy well? Have you found my dear Kitty?" the woman burst into tears.

Darcy replied, "We have not found her yet, Mother Bennet, although we are doing everything in our power. We have many skilled investigators in London learning all they can so that we know where to begin when we return there tomorrow. Right now, I am come with your daughters, Elizabeth and Mrs Fitzwilliam, to remove you and your female servants to safety until this matter is resolved."

Mrs Bennet allowed Darcy to lift her into his arms and carry her down the stairs, carefully minding her wrapped ankle, and out of the house. Darcy had a footman hand Mary out of the carriage and then lifted Mrs Bennet in with Elizabeth, who did her best to attend to her ankle, so Mrs Bennet was able to ride as comfortably as could be expected for the short trip with many cushions holding her foot in a safe position.

Darcy addressed Elizabeth, "Darling, as we expected, your father is not here. Please return with your stepmother to Netherfield, and make her comfortable while Mary and the servants assist us in packing your mother's trunks and their own as quickly as possible."

Elizabeth agreed, and was followed to Netherfield by Miss Carmichael and more than half of the outriders leaving the rest surrounding the house. They passed the other carriage and cart on the road, returning to bring Darcy and the others back to Netherfield when they had finished what they must do.

Richard returned as Darcy and Mary entered the house, wiping the footman's blood off of his knuckles with a handkerchief. He shushed his wife as she became distressed by the bruising on his hands, assuring her gently that it was nothing at all, and then agreeing to Darcy's plan that Mary would go upstairs to pack her mother's belongings, giving Mrs Hill and Betsy time to pack their own possessions. Mary went upstairs to her mother's rooms, and began packing madly, while Richard shared with Darcy that he had beaten the offensive footman soundly. The stableboy had happily locked the man in the root cellar, but the man had no information.

Darcy and Richard entered Bennet's study, and as much as Darcy felt uncomfortable entering another man's office, and rifling through someone's private documents felt appalling to him, any information they could find about Miss Catherine was essential to their search. They found no documents pertaining to any sort of marriage settlement, but they did find an entry in Mr Bennet's ledgers for an addition of thirty thousand pounds.

Mary packed Mrs Bennet's belongings as quickly as she could with the help of a maid who had come from Netherfield to assist. Mrs Hill and Betsy appeared with their belongings, the footmen carried the trunks down to the carriage, and the party returned to Netherfield. Mrs Hill went immediately to assist Mrs Bennet, and Elizabeth was filled with grief and self-recrimination when she learned about the entry in the ledger. "If only I had just let him have it!" she cried. "All this time, the money meant nothing to me and now Kitty might be lost forever to us because I had to win his game! How difficult could it have been to just be generous with my own father? All my life, I have been generous with those I care about, but stingy with my own father, and it has brought my family to this! Selfish, selfish woman!"

Mary and Darcy were quick to disagree with her, and Darcy insisted that Elizabeth eat and retire, because they would set out at dawn for London. Elizabeth and Darcy would leave at dawn with Mrs Bennet, Mary and Fitzwilliam would go to Longbourn a few hours later to interrogate Mr Bennet and be sure he knew nothing of Kitty's whereabouts. Richard was certain Mr Bennet would know nothing. "If the duke wished to remove Miss Kitty from his son's interest enough to pay your father such a sum, he would ensure no one in her family, nor his son, could ever find her. Often such girls are sold to brothels or ships leaving port. Or he might marry her to a tenant on one of his many properties, but it would certainly be one far away. Whatever he does, it will be designed to make her unmarriageable to his son. I am of the opinion he will marry her to someone immediately, or remove her from England, or both. Those are the most permanent alternatives."

Elizabeth was extremely distressed by this revelation. Darcy insisted that she retire, and he went with her to their apartments to make sure she at least attempted to rest. Before he went up, he sent an express to their housekeeper in London, to ensure she had a midwife and Mr Roberts available to examine Elizabeth and Mrs Bennet's ankle, which really ought not to have been moved, when they arrived in London, in order to put his worries to rest.

*****

The following morning, Darcy and Elizabeth left on schedule, with Mrs Bennet and Mrs Hill. Betsy would be given work at Netherfield, and Hill would stay with her mistress for she had always doubled as Mrs Bennet's lady's maid. The cook had no fear of Cuthbert or Mr Bennet, and opted to stay at Longbourn, for her family were tenants on the estate. Mrs Bennet's wrapped ankle was stretched out across the seat, and held in place with many cushions. She had taken a tiny amount of laudanum to ease her discomfort on the journey, so she slept heavily much of the way. She was awake enough to be agog at the imposing size and elegance of Pemberley House when they arrived. Mrs Bennet was speechless with nerves at how to behave in such a fine house, and so conducted herself much better than anyone might have hoped.

Mary and Fitzwilliam boarded their carriage at eight in the morning, and headed to Longbourn. It was too early, but this was not a social call, and Mr Bennet was known to be an early riser, so since he had been expected sometime in the late evening after they had departed Longbourn, Mary deemed it safe to presume he would be at Longbourn and awake by this time.

They did not go far before Mr Bennet was found at the end of Netherfield's drive, arguing with the armed footmen that had been posted at the gate with strict instructions not to allow him or anyone up Netherfield's lane. When the carriage had passed through the gates, Richard stepped down and looked hard at his father-in-law, who had dismounted from his fine new horse to continue his verbal abuse of the footmen who had denied him entry. "Mr Bennet," said Richard as a footman held the carriage door open, "You will board the carriage, and we will return you to Longbourn, sir. One of the grooms will lead your horse." Mr Bennet looked as though he might disagree, but there was a dangerous glint in Richard's eye, and the footmen all appeared to mean business, so Thomas Bennet boarded the carriage, followed by his son-in-law.

As he sat across from his daughter, she said nothing to him, and made no eye contact for several moments while she determined what to say until eventually, she fixed him with a hateful stare quite unlike anything Richard had ever seen upon his wife's usually gentle countenance.

"How could you?" she spat. When Bennet said nothing, she continued, "You sold her? You sold my sister, your own daughter, to a complete stranger. HOW COULD YOU SELL KITTY?" she shrieked, tears streaming down her face. Thomas Bennet said absolutely nothing, just looked at her impassively as the carriage continued on. Richard put his arm around his wife with a dark glare at Bennet.

When the carriage arrived at Longbourn, Mary had composed herself, but refused to leave the carriage. Richard raised an eyebrow at her, questioning that his wife was truly declining to be a part of the discussion with her father. Mary sniffed and turned her face away from her father, raising her nose in the air and Thomas Bennet knew that, one, he was dead to his third eldest daughter, and that, two, she had quite obviously elected not to protect him from her very dangerous looking husband with her presence. Mr Bennet was increasingly nervous as the two men entered Longbourn, and Richard followed him menacingly to his study.

As the door closed behind them, Bennet abandoned whatever plan had taken him to Netherfield to interfere with his wife, and stated, "I would offer you tea or coffee, but the servants have gone along with my wife, and the cook claims she is too unwell to attend her duties today. Feel free to help yourself to the port," he offered, waving his hand at the decanter. Richard ignored this as he sat across from Bennet and fixed him with his menacing gaze. "You must know that I have no idea where she is. He would have never paid me so much to allow me to know her destination. It was for that reason I was able to demand so much for her. At first, he thought I would accept ten thousand. It took nearly an hour to convince him that I would protect her relentlessly, and was perfectly willing to let his heir elope with her, before he would give me what I wanted."

"Just like that," Richard said, disbelievingly. When Bennet raised an eyebrow, Richard continued, "You sold your own daughter to a perfect stranger who will certainly destroy her life without a second thought? Do you care nothing for any member of your own family?"

"No," answered Bennet, perplexed. The man seemed sincerely bewildered by such a question. Richard stared at him, the inclination to beat the older man as soundly as he had the footman last night was quite strong. What was the point? He looked at the ageing man who regarded him dispassionately from the other side of the desk, and couldn't bring himself to waste the effort upon someone so inhumane, so lacking in basic empathy and compassion. Standing, he comforted himself by yanking the man out of his chair by his collar and rendering him unconscious with one blow to Mr Bennet's jaw. It was far better than such a person deserved, he thought as he stalked out of the house and boarded the carriage where his wife waited.

Mary was disinterested in Mr Bennet's fate, and only concerned about news of Kitty. When he had none to give her, she buried her face in her husband's chest and wept bitterly all the way to London for her lost sister.

*****

When the first party returned to Pemberley House, Elizabeth was examined by the doctor and the midwife, and then finally allowed back downstairs to speak with Banks and Mr Montague. There was, simply, very little to go on. Montague had contacts in every bank and man of business in the city, and had learned that the only significant or atypical transaction the duke had done recently was with Elizabeth's father. There were no other payments to or from his accounts that might indicate what had been done with Kitty. A list had been compiled by Montague of all of the duke's known properties, and investigators were to be sent to investigate each to search for Kitty. The docks in London had been searched throughout the night. Many people were questioned, and a start was being made in the brothels, but so far, no clue had turned up.

Information had been found that Viscount St Claire had left for the continent with his wife on their wedding trip immediately after their nuptials. If Kitty was not found soon, someone would be sent to find and question the young man, but he was the last person they expected to have information. After they had exhausted every direction of thought, Elizabeth rose and called for her carriage. When Darcy asked where she was going, and realised Elizabeth planned to visit the duke's townhouse, he nearly suffered an apoplexy. Everyone felt it was a terrible idea, and that the heavily pregnant Elizabeth should send Darcy and Richard to do the questioning with Mr Montague. Elizabeth would not hear of it, and disregarding all arguments, boarded her carriage with Darcy and Richard.

It was a fruitless endeavour; after Banks had knocked for many minutes, Elizabeth had lost her patience, pushed the man and her husband aside, and had beaten upon the door relentlessly with her parasol, insensible to the damage she caused to the wood or the scene she caused, until eventually an exhausted looking butler had answered with an army of armed footmen behind him. Elizabeth might have liked to have forced entry into the house, but Leeds clearly put as much effort into the protection of his house as Elizabeth did hers, and she knew they would not be successful. The tired looking butler refused to admit them, denied any knowledge of Kitty, and insisted his grace was not at home.

They returned dejectedly to Pemberley House, but Elizabeth returned daily to pound on the door, uncaring of the spectacle she made. The investigators searched for weeks without a single clue. Eventually, Elizabeth grew irate at the duke's ability to sequester himself within his house, and wrote to Her Majesty for intervention. Elizabeth begged The Queen to demand that his grace reveal what had been done with her sister.

The Queen was outraged at the news of what had befallen Elizabeth's sister, and true to Elizabeth's request, sent a letter to Leeds House, demanding that the man wait upon her at Buckingham House to explain himself. Her Majesty was even more outraged when no answer arrived to that or several other consecutive messages.

Eventually a Royal Messenger came to Elizabeth stating that Leeds' butler had eventually sent a reply to Buckingham House, apologising because of course he could not open his master's correspondence from The Queen, and that it grieved him to inform Her Majesty that two days after returning to town after his son's wedding, his grace had suffered from an apoplexy, and was unable to speak or rise from his bed. Her Majesty assured Elizabeth that upon receiving this news she had sent her own physician and private secretary to confirm the matter. The secretary had searched Leeds' study extensively for information regarding her sister to no avail. Another Royal Secretary, accompanied by the Royal Guard, had been dispatched to Stoneacre to search the duke's study there as well.

Elizabeth and Lydia had nearly fallen to pieces by this point, and Darcy began to fear for his wife and unborn child in earnest. Elizabeth had steadfastly refused to return to Pemberley for the birth unless Kitty had been found, and had no other interest in anything other than the investigation. She ate little, slept less, and spent hours closeted with detectives and investigators. Darcy relayed his worries to Mr Roberts, who recommended that he send to Derbyshire for Sister Augustine. "She hasn't thought of it yet, for her only concern now is Miss Catherine, but when her time comes, she will want Sister Augustine, who brought her safely through her last birth. Of course, any of the midwives from the London convent would be acceptable, but if anyone can make Elizabeth eat properly and take rest, it will be Sister Augustine."