Page 50 of Losing Lizzy
Ruffe questioned, “And you’ll see me mam has money for me brothers and sisters while I’m gone.”
Darcy assured, “Mr. Liles can deliver the money with a note from you when he returns to Kent, but I require you are in Dry Drayton today.”
* * *
On Monday, along with a magistrate from the proper part of London involved, he had called upon three different men of business and demanded a return of the funds they had illegally transferred from his accounts. He assured each that an accounting of their transactions had been provided the magistrate himself and action would be taken immediately if they did not comply. He also demanded their removal from London, and all of England. All accounts were to be reimbursed within a fortnight,and the men were to disappear off the face of England by that time or they would be arrested and prosecuted. He repeated the procedure for an associate member of Darcy’s bank. That particular gentleman was charged with bank fraud, and the bank managers were put on notice to install more stringent measures to protect their customers or face similar charges. The man was arrested on the spot before enough members of Society for the word to circulate that Darcy was back in London and exacting his revenge on those who had crossed him.
At length, he tracked his uncle down at his lordship’s club. Matlock was not best pleased to view him sliding into the seat beside the earl. “Go away, Darcy,” his lordship grumbled. “I do not wish to speak to you.”
“Such suits my purpose perfectly well,” Darcy countered. He glanced about the room and noticed a number of eyes upon them. Until now, Darcy had not ventured out much since his return to London. He had not wanted to be distracted by the questions visibly resting on the lips of many of their onlookers. “Perhaps we should take our conversation to the park across the street.” He stood then. “Join me, my lord,” he instructed. “I doubt you wish others to overhear what we must discuss.”
“The countess has already warned me of your disdain,” the earl said with a scowl.
“I am glad to hear it. Yet, her ladyship does not know my decision on how we will go forward,” Darcy countered.
“Do you mean me to accompany my sister to the Continent?”
“Ah, it is as I expected: Lady Catherine still believes someone can force me to relent. Only one person has that power over me, and as she has also been wronged by the two of you, I doubt ‘mercy’ is yet in her vocabulary.” Darcy leaned down and lowered his voice to say, “Although I cannot condone her measures, at least, I understand the bit of mania Lady Catherine practiced against me and mine. I have yet to comprehend how you became involved.”
The earl dropped his voice. “I believe the park is anexcellent idea.”
Darcy motioned the servant to fetch the earl’s coat and hat. They made their way from the club to the nearby park in silence. It was only when they sat on either end of the bench located out of the way of the few pedestrians willing to encounter the frosty afternoon that the earl spoke. “Lindale has borrowed heavily from a money lender.”
“And, as usual, you made to save him from my cousin’s indolent tendencies?” Darcy was doubly thankful the colonel had rescued Georgiana from such an existence. “I suppose you initially borrowed money from Lady Catherine.” The puzzle was coming together. “Was it her ladyship’s idea for you to send me on a wild goose chase at the docks? Was that the price you paid for the loan?”
“He is my heir,” Matlock offered in excuse, but made no effort to apologize for his part in Darcy’s torment. Darcy shuttered his heart to deny his uncle mercy.
“And what type of earl will Roland be? You have failed to instill in Lindale even half the responsibility Fitzwilliam displays,” Darcy chastised.
“I could not permit my eldest son to know street justice,” the earl argued.
“I might feel some sympathy if your manipulations had assisted Lindale to a better place—had him regretting his actions, but, from what I have heard from others, he keeps two mistresses and spends the majority of his time in the gaming hells.” He shook his head in sadness. “Have you considered insisting upon Lindale living within his means? Providing him no advances on his quarter allowance?” He sighed heavily when his uncle refused to respond. “You obviously have not. Instead, you chose to rob your nephew of nearly twenty thousand pounds—rob me of the funds I, initially, had set aside for my sister’s dowry,” Darcy hissed. “You took the funds meant for Georgiana’s husband, your younger son, the one who has brought glory to the Fitzwilliam name, and presented it to Lindale, so your eldest son might continue his profligate ways and ruin everything yourfather and grandfather set about doing for the Fitzwilliam legacy. What have you executed to prevent the complete ruination of the earldom?”
Matlock shook his head in the negative. “My pleas are ignored.”
Darcy sighed heavily. “Then I have no choice but to demand proper payment. Perhaps if Roland views his too proud father brought low, your elder son will learn a valuable lesson.”
“I do not have twenty thousand pounds, Darcy,” the earl admitted despondently.
“I did not expect you would,” Darcy said in sadness. “Yet, such will not have me forgiving the debt. As with Lady Catherine, I am offering you but one real option: First, you sell off the unentailed properties, including your London home, and any of the smaller estates, with the exception of Yadkin Hall, which is Fitzwilliam’s inheritance and is not to be touched. Perhaps, you will be required to sell off only a few to return my twenty thousand dollars or perhaps you will be called upon to strip the earldom of its glory.”
“Where am I to live when Parliament is in session?” his uncle demanded.
“If you receive enough for your properties, perhaps you will be able to afford a fashionable home outside of Mayfair. Yet, in truth, personally, I do not care much about your consequence, my lord. Share the house Lindale employs when he is in London, that is, if the viscount can still afford it, or let rooms in your club. I doubt your countess will care much to be seen in London after word goes out through the usual circles of your being in debt to me and how I am calling in immediate payment. Many will likely begin to wonder what crime you have committed. Mayhap they will recall I went missing for nearly four years and wonder if somehow you were involved. I shan’t say a word unless my funds are not restored. If not, many will learn the truth in the newsprint in a very public trial.” Darcy fidgeted with his cane. “Just so you know, those you employed to do your dirty work have either been arrested or made to pay for their errors in judgment. Thatis, all except the real culprit where you are concerned: Lindale. If you are too weak to rein in your heir, you are likely to know more than the loss of your properties, your youngest son, your elder sister, and your late sister’s children.
“However, I would think a reasonable man would be capable of reading the writing on the wall, but it has been many years since you displayed that type of reason. Go home to Derbyshire, my lord. Assist your tenants to a better life. Become the type of earl your father expected you to be. Insist your heir does the same. Use your power in the House of Lords for the good of England, not to line the pockets of a few corrupt peers. Just do not expect me and mine to be a part of your future.”
Darcy stood then. “I will expect payment in full by the end of Twelfth Night, my lord. Three months. Not one day more.”
“You are certainly George Darcy’s son. I never met a harder man,” the earl said softly. “You are very much cut in his image.”
“I am also Lady Anne’s son,” Darcy said in regret. “When my father would have recognized the false face you offered me, my mother, your sister, would have pleaded with me to trust you—which I did. Yet, you forget how unforgiving Lady Anne Fitzwilliam Darcy was when people meant to harm her family. Even she would have presented you the direct cut and more for placing her family in danger. Likely, you would know a punishment worse than Lady Catherine’s.” Darcy started away but turned one last time. “Before you lose face in Society, please place your influence behind Fitzwilliam. I believe he would be an excellent member of the House of Commons and would bring back some of the glory of your family name, much more so than will Lindale. Such focus will provide the colonel the knowledge he did not lose a promising career when he married Georgiana. Fitzwilliam is built to serve and will be a credit to your family and England, where Lindale’s future and that of the earldom is questionable.”
* * *
On Wednesday morning, they departed London forHertfordshire. They would have left on Tuesday, but there were still details of the arrests to be decided. Moreover, he had a lead on a possible investment for Sheffield. He watched in amusement as Elizabeth fidgeted on the bench across from him. It had been heavenly to sleep beside her the last few nights. It would be perfection when they could share more than a few kisses and long conversations.
“Mama ‘t-witch,” Elizabeth Anne said with a frown.
