Page 48 of The Blackmail of Mr. Darcy
“So we have a maid, a footman, and one of the colonel’s watchers all missing? They cannot all have been killed, could they?”
Mr. Darcy cringed. “Good lord! I certainly hope not.”
“Did Mr. Wickham have a history of violence?”
“I have never even heard of him hitting another, let alone killing anyone; when I knew him in university, it was all silver-tongued charm, claims of victimhood, seduction, and wheedling for more time to repay loans.” Mr. Darcy shook his head and added, “However, he brought a pistol—a loaded one!—toNetherfield, so that tells me that he has changed in regards to violence.”
“I see. So, have we run into a dead end in our investigations? Or will we continue to search for the individuals and perhaps recently-dug graves?”
“I think it is clear that Bingley’s current staff was not involved with blackmail nor kidnapping schemes. From my friend’s standpoint, I suppose he could turn over the information to Sir William and let it go.”
Elizabeth considered, then nodded. “I agree.”
“As for me, my father’s godson is now gone; he cannot do anyone any further harm. I do not know if I can let it go, however; what if Wickham killed one or more of these folks? What if he has locked them up somewhere? Should I not seek to know the truth, seek for the people or their graves, seek out their families, to make things as much right as I can?”
Elizabeth studied him for several seconds. She said, “You being you, I suppose youwill, whether or not youshould. But I am struck by the idea that the people could be locked up somewhere rather than dead. I should hate foranyoneto slowly starve to death, if we can find them and prevent such torturous deaths. Can you rally men and horses and hounds? And perhaps get some items of clothing from Miss Pott and Mr. Patterson so that the dogs have their scent. While you do that, I can create maps of the lands around Netherfield and Longbourn, marking all the places where people might be locked up.”
The two separated; Elizabeth asked Miss Goulding for paper, pen, and ink and sat down to make two maps, one for each estate. She marked the half-burnt hunter’s lodge on Longbourn’s land and the hunting box in the forest near Netherfield, the ice houses for each estate, the potting shed of Longbourn, and the still-room lodge of Netherfield, which waslocated near the herb garden rather than within the manor house.
Between the two estates, there were several tool sheds, root cellars, and a storm cellar separated from Longbourn’s manor house. The old almshouse on Netherfield land was now abandoned, and the ruins of an older coach house was located near Longbourn. A few workshops were seldom used, and the windmill located on Netherfield land was only inspected by workers when it broke down. The milking parlour and granaries of Longbourn’s home farm were no longer used, and Netherfield boasted a hermitage that was once a hunting tower.
Elizabeth wondered if she would be able to find Mr. Darcy near the stables, and indeed she did. Mr. Bingley was there, as well, and she quickly explained her maps, showing how they could orient the searchers using the marked river and brook, the millpond, and the roads. Each of the structures dotting the maps was labelled, and a few were described briefly as well.
“We will gather more searchers when we arrive at Longbourn and Netherfield,” Mr. Darcy assured her. “Can you and Jane be ready to leave in the carriage within a quarter hour?”
“Certainly.”
Soon they all left. Elizabeth and Jane had the carriage driver leave them at Longbourn, and the men went on to lead searches. They all hoped that the people they sought would soon be discovered—alive.
Hours later,Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arrived at Longbourn. Elizabeth could see that the men had attempted to clean up after the search, but Mr. Bingley looked, not just battered,but exhausted. Mr. Darcy looked less tired, but his serious expression told her nothing.
The two men asked to speak to Mr. Bennet and were whisked to the bookroom. Elizabeth felt vexed to be left out, especially when she had worked so hard on making those maps and longed to know if her efforts had paid off. But in less than a minute, Hill came to the parlour to ask her and Jane to come to the bookroom.
Once again, Elizabeth asked, “What news?”
Mr. Darcy smiled and said, “We found them in the hermitage. They are alive; there was a source of water although no food. They were very thankful to be found.”
“Did you even know you had a hermitage?” Mr. Bennet asked Mr. Bingley. The latter shook his head, and Elizabeth’s father said, “It is probably a good idea to inspect all of your lease holdings, while walking or riding.” Mr. Bingley looked quite blank but then nodded.
Mr. Darcy took over to give a full report. Elizabeth loved how he moved through the news with a matter-of-fact attitude and precision. James Clinton, it seemed, had not been promised riches for his part of the scheme, but was rather threatened with the exposure of a murder he had committed; he was promised a way to start over somewhere far away with a new name.
Alice Pott had been paid handsomely to teach Mr. Wickham about the back stairs, service corridors, and underground tunnel with which he could escape. She denied knowing his intent to kidnap a guest of Netherfield and was horrified at the idea of helping “such a despicable wretch.” Robert Patterson had accepted money from Miss Bingley to carry messages and documents to and from a forger who was, he admitted, a distant cousin. Again, he had had no idea of the sort of “miscreant” Miss Bingley was working with.
“And where are these three people now?” Elizabeth asked.
Mr. Darcy explained that Sir William had arranged for them to be held in a sort of locked-down recovery area in the unused coach house of Lucas Lodge. “The apothecary was just arriving as we were leaving, and I left two of my own most trusted footmen to ensure that they stay put until they are moved somewhere else. Of course, Sir William’s family is making certain that the three have plenty of food and water.”
“And the colonel…?”
“I sent an express to my cousin Richard—Colonel Fitzwilliam,” he explained as he flicked a glance at Mr. Bennet. “And of course William Goulding and several Goulding servants were there to see that Alice Pott and Robert Patterson had been found but are in considerable trouble.”
“I think, then, that this is all behind us. Finally,” Elizabeth said.
“Forward, from now on,” Mr. Darcy promised.
Chapter 28
Darcy
