One of the guards walked behind the pair in the gardens at the side of the house. Fitzwilliam acquainted his wife withwhat Richard said privately and encouraged his wife to take additional precautions, including not drinking anything she did not see prepared.
Fitzwilliam was surprised at his wife’s emotional reaction to this news. He had rarely seen her cry in the four months of their marriage. He expected a reaction, but the nearly inconsolable tears were a surprise. When her tears continued for some minutes, he took her into his arms and carried her inside to a small, rarely used, sitting room. He sat them down on the settee and pulled her into his lap, rubbing his hands up and down her back as he sought to console her.
“Elizabeth, dearest, are you well?” he asked when her tears finally began to wane.
It took her another minute or two to articulate her thoughts. “I think I am, but I never anticipated that Jane would be so…” She paused, searching for a word to describe her feelings. “I am astonished Jane would contemplate causing me irreparable harm, let alone aiding someone to do so. Before I departed for London, I regarded Jane as a friend and a beloved sister. It was not until I met you that I realised our relationship’s inequity.”
“My cousin wonders if she is mad,” Fitzwilliam said softly.
Elizabeth responded with a bitter laugh. “I, too, entertain such concerns,” she replied. “Is it possible that Mama’s frequent praise has gone to her head?”
Fitzwilliam held her tighter. “Your mother was wrong about both of you, dearest. Please know that.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I want to believe you, Fitzwilliam. It is difficult to overcome years of her slights and insults.”
“I will spend the rest of my life convincing you of your worth, my love,” he countered. “Replace her voice with mine, telling you how exceptional you are.”
“I am trying, Will,” she whispered just before he kissed her.
CHAPTER 25
The Plot is Revealed
It was a subdued group who gathered for supper. The cook, a woman who had found this position with the help of Elizabeth’s grandmother, had been warned of the threat to the family, particularly Elizabeth. She was determined to ensure that everything served in her kitchen was safe to eat, and the party took comfort in that, but there was still much to discover.
Richard brought several additional men with him tasked with finding and tracking Wickham. Their first assignment was to discover where he was staying and then to keep an eye on him. Another man was charged with seeing what he could discover about Jane Bennet, which was slightly more complicated. She rarely left her house, and her meetings with Wickham most often occurred in the drawing room, in plain sight of the Bennet family. No one knew how to learn more about Jane and Wickham’s plans, as there was no way to get anyone else inside the house.
“We could speak to Mrs. Hill,” Elizabeth suggested once she recovered from her tears and joined Lady Anne and the gentleman. “She is the housekeeper and would let us know if she hears anything. She could encourage the maids to eavesdrop and report anything they hear.”
The gentlemen looked at each other for a moment and shrugged. “It could not hurt to try it,” Richard replied. “You cannot visit Longbourn; however, if you give me a note, I will ensure it gets to her. She can keep a secret?”
“Yes, extraordinarily well,” Elizabeth laughed, her first real laugh since that afternoon. “Mrs. Hill was always a great help to me when I would try to avoid Mama’s anger and worked with me to circumvent Mama’s threats. She was the one who would help me escape the house when I needed to.”
“Does she want a new position?” Fitzwilliam asked. “You know we will need to replace the housekeeper at Oakridge soon. The one we have there presently wants to retire soon, if you recall.”
Elizabeth considered this and informed her husband that Mr. Hill would also need a position. They decided to consider that idea soon, as right now, they needed to focus on ensuring the safety of their family.
Georgiana joined the family for dinner, and the conversation remained focused on lighter subjects for her sake.
After dinner, the entire party moved into a drawing room where the ladies entertained them with music. The gentlemen talked quietly together, though Fitzwilliam remained near the ladies, particularly his wife.
Finally, Lady Anne told her daughter it was time for bed, so mother and daughter retired to their chambers with Elizabeth following behind. “I am tired, Fitzwilliam; however, do not feel you must join me immediately. I know you want to speak to the gentlemen,” she whispered.
Reluctantly, he sent his wife upstairs ahead of him. “I will not be long, my love,” he said, kissing her before releasing her hand.
Richard and George laughed at the look on his face as his wife exited the room. “You are utterly lost, Fitz,” Richard teased his cousin. “You will never find me looking like that over a woman.”
Darcy scowled at his cousin. “I am delighted with my wife, Richard. You do not know what you are missing.”
Richard scoffed, and the topic turned to more serious matters. “What should we do about Wickham? My men are ready to grab him and deliver him to the press gang, or do you want to see what he will do first?”
“Take him now,” Fitzwilliam stated. “Make sure he still has the belladonna and capture him. I prefer that he not endanger my wife.”
“But if we wait until he acts, we can have him arrested and hung,” George replied. “He apparently has no qualms about murdering someone.”
“Under no circumstances will we use my wife as bait,” Fitzwilliam protested.
“I am not suggesting we do so,” George retorted. “I am merely suggesting we allow him to get caught in the act. We have people watching him; he cannot do anything we do not know about. The Hills at Longbourn are keeping an eye on things there and have already given us an account of a meeting between Wickham and Miss Bennet.”
