Upon receiving the letter, Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose. It was a very good thought indeed; Mary was not Jane, but she was the next best thing!
Chapter Fifty-Nine
It was an entire week before Mr. Darcy received a reply from Bingley. By that time, he had all but torn his hair out in his fear; the servants had learnt to tiptoe around him.
While he waited, he set his house in order. He ferreted out every servant who had accepted Lady Anne’s guinea and dismissed them on the spot. Abby he tossed out on her ear, but not before learning from her what she had reported to Lady Anne. He was speechless with horror. No wonder Elizabeth had left!
And then Bingley’s message arrived.
Darcy,
Elizabeth is not ***, and Jane seems to know nothing **** occurred at Pemberley. Is there ******* I might do to help? You have but to ask.
Bingley
Parts of the letter were unintelligible, as was usual with Bingley’s letters, but the gist was plain enough. Elizabeth was not at Longbourn.
Georgiana came in as he sat with his head in his hands. “No news, Brother?”
“Bingley says she is not at Longbourn.”
Georgiana sat in silence for a minute before saying, “Might she have gone to the seaside, Brother? She spoke often about how she looked forward to going to Bath next year. It is not the season for sea-bathing, but perhaps…”
Mr. Darcy looked up. “That is a very good thought, Georgiana. Bath is a large city, but there cannot be more than a dozen good hotels. I will send out riders to ask if a Mrs. Darcy or a Miss Bennet is registered at any of them.”
“Brother, wait. What if she is using a different name.”
Mr. Darcy groaned. “Then I do not know how we will find her!”
“You know I am fond of sketching; I think I can make a recognisable sketch of her.”
“Can you make half a dozen of them, Georgiana?”
The girl nodded firmly, happy to be of use. “I will begin at once.”
Buoyed by this new hope, Mr. Darcy rang for Barton. He would send out a half-dozen riders with Georgiana’s sketches in hand first thing in the morning.
Chapter Sixty
Agood number of packages made their way to Darcy House over the next several days, delivered to the back door. Elizabeth did her best to deal with the gowns, coats, hats, gloves and shoes herself, but she realised she would need a good lady’s maid if she were to make the sort of social splash that the Countess had in mind.
But who could she trust? Who, after the debacle with Abby, could make her feel safe again? “Kate,” she thought. “I want Kate. Kate could come with Mary.”
Kate was no London lady’s maid, and Mrs. Annesley had made the distinction clear when instructing Georgiana, but perhaps Kate could be taught. With the help of one of the upstairs maids, Elizabeth put on one of her new gowns and matching slippers, and felt quite the lady-about-town. She asked that same maid, Agatha, to accompany her to call on the Countess.
“Mrs. Darcy,” Cunningham, the butler at Matlock House, greeted her with a bow. “I shall tell my lady that you are here.”
Once tea had been served, the Countess eyed Elizabeth. “That colour suits you nicely,” she said. “It was a good choice on my part.”
Elizabeth managed not to smile, and instead to speak sincerely. “I thank you, Aunt Eleanor. But I am here not to praise and be praised, but to ask – well, a favour. Another favour, as you have done so much for me already.”
“Name it and it is yours.”
“I need a lady’s maid.”
“You do, of course, and I have just the person.”
“Wait, please. I want my maid from Longbourn.”
