Harry opened the letter and read Colonel Fitzwilliam’s bold script.
Tupper,
You must confide yours and your sister’s problem to my father immediately, before something unfortunate happens to your family. You have been clever, but the time to seek my father’s protection has come. I will do what I can in Eastbourne to see to the safety of Marigold.
F
Harry readthe message and passed it to Lord Matlock. “Oh, bother,” said his lordship. “Whatever have you got yourself into, Harry?”
“It’s a pickle, sir,” said Harry in embarrassment. “I ought to have come to you straight away, but my sister, she was afraid for our mother.”
“This is your sister Marigold, who works for my sister Lady Catherine at Rosings Park?” inquired Matlock.
“Yes, sir,” answered Harry. “She was approached by an unknown man. The man described our mother and our cottage to her, and threatened that if she did not make me pass information about your activities, that our mother would be hurt. They threatened Marigold too, sir. Threatened her with consequences that ought never befall a girl, if you take my meaning.”
“How horrible for Marigold – she must have been terrified,” said Matlock. “And what did you do?”
“I thought up a plan, sir, to make them believe us ignorant and uneducated,” explained Harry. “I made up a packet of letters, silly things, notes from Lady Catherine about nonsense with the young ladies in Eastbourne, short missives or invitations from unimportant people that I have met here and have a good knowledge of. I copied them in an unschooled hand, made it look very illiterate, and sent it to her and told her to tell them that I stole them from your study and copied them. When they grew angry with her and said that they were not what they wanted, she was to tell them that I had struggled in school and could barely read. And that I had to have my mother read her the letter that she had sent me, and that I did not know one letter from another. The only thing she could tell them was that I had told them that you receive a great deal of mail, sir, and that as a lower footman, I rarely wait upon you in your rooms. We hopedthat would be believable sir, for Marigold fears for our mother, sir, but neither of us wishes to be a traitor.”
“You are correct, you ought to have come to me immediately.” Lord Matlock sighed. “But I can see that you meant well, and there is no harm done. We must see to your mother’s safety. The Widower Gordon has been calling upon her, did you know? Perhaps if she marries again, she will be safer under a man’s roof.”
“I did know that, sir, and he is a fine man. I’d have no objection to seeing my ma well cared for,” said Harry. “She is not too old to take on another husband if she has a mind to.”
“I will speak to Ludlow, and have him keep you indoors for the time being,” said Matlock. “I hope we can trust Richard to keep an eye on your sister.”
Elizabeth hadlittle success finding an acceptable time to speak to Lady Catherine alone regarding her refusal to be open with her daughter, nor had she had the opportunity to ask Darcy to do so. Lady Catherine consulted with thecomteand the two surgeons weekly, though she would no longer allow Anne to accompany her, nor would she tell anyone what was discussed at the appointments, nor what treatments were planned. Anne’s anxiety and fear grew as a result, and it made her difficult, and waspish in the presence of thecomte.
Thecomtespent a great deal of time amongst them and their party. He called upon them every day, and dined with them frequently, though he never ate. His servant accompanied him everywhere, and kept him supplied with mineral water, which was all the man drank. He always wore black from head to toe, and was always tinkling from the sheer number of goldand diamond trinkets he adorned his attire with. He constantly kept whatever party he engaged with entertained, telling stories about the courts of Catherine the Great, Louis XV, and other royals.
“I have been to so many royal courts that I am on first name terms with every noble ghost in Europe,” the man joked one night at Lady Catherine’s table.
Anne, piqued as usual with thecomte, wished to put the man on the spot, and she addressed his servant who was standing behind him. “Is it true that your master is over a thousand years old, then?”
“I could not say,mademoiselle, for I myself am only three centuries old,” came the reply that Denomme gave to everyone who asked such a question.
“Anne, do not be irksome,” chided Lady Catherine.
“Amesbury, we could use your influence with the war office. MacArthur and I just sent up a demand that they cease neglecting the Martello Tower, and send a proper regiment, and a few naval vessels to protect the waters. The East Sussex Volunteer Corps and the coastal blockade are mostly concerned with smuggling, they cannot be expected to defend us. I beg you to send a letter yourself,” said Sir Charles Gordon, a local baron who owned an estate perhaps five miles away from town.
“Preposterous!” barked Lord Amesbury.
“The protection of the coast and town is preposterous?” asked Darcy. Sir Charles’s suggestion did not sound very silly to him.
“Indeed! Every regiment sent here would be a regiment wasted when they are needed in Chichester!” said Lord Amesbury dismissively.
“What is happening in Chichester?” asked Mr Woodhouse curiously.
“There is a Luddite uprising there, if you can believe it,” answered Lord Amesbury. “I just received word of it this morning, from Colonel Allen, with a warning in case the mills to the north in Westham follow suit. I have investments there. Allen says they cannot fathom what got it started, the mill owners there have been generous to their workers, so generous that the owners of other mills in the region are complaining, but as of a few days ago, there was rioting there. In any case, the French are preparing to attack Russia. They have no time to attack our coast as well.”
“Darcy, those could be our mills!” said Bingley in agitation.
“Do you have investments in Chichester?” asked Jane.
“Indeed we do, Miss Bennet,” answered Darcy in concern. “It is a recent investment that we made in partnership with your father and uncle. Bingley, I believe we ought to travel to Chichester first thing in the morning.”
“Oh dear,” said Jane. “We should hate for you to have to go away, but I understand if your investments are at risk.”
“I do hope for Papa’s sake, and for the rest of the gentlemen involved, that all will be well,” said Elizabeth.
