“My asset insists that the family would never have sent the women. They are not the sort,” insisted Huggins. “He knows the family well, and assures me that Matlock would never have sent his daughter and his nieces. The girls are timid and sheltered, the youngest not even being out, and his sister is such a blabber mouth that she cannot be trusted. Every other source I have tapped in that direction agrees, Lady Catherine is no spy. My intelligence is that the old hag is seeing a doctor here. There is no reason to think the women’s presence is anything but an unfortunate coincidence.”
“The men did say that the ladies said again this morning that the old woman is here to see a doctor,” the Colonel assented.
“She has been followed to a specialist that is well established here a number of times, she has been said to have collapsed on the beach, and she looks ill to me, or at least she did when she arrived. Perhaps the physician’s treatment is helping. What else did the dandies report?” Huggins demanded.
Allen gave a report of the conversation from Lady Catherine’s drawing room, though how the men had interpreted Anne’s remark as a taunt was beyond Richard. Swinton and Lennox must be dense if they believed she had been baiting them.
“I would have felt better about all of this if the foreign secretary had been removed from office. That man has both ears to the ground at all times. His spies are numerous, and he has uncovered more plots than any before him,” complained Allen.
“It was attempted. The best that could be done was to prevent his immediate return to London,” answered Huggins. “I sent someone who knows the family and the area well, but once the first attempt had been made, another was impractical. The man lingered in the area for some weeks, planning to set the house on fire at night if necessary, but Matlock is shrewd, he knew that was no accident that spooked his horse. Security was more than tripled, immediately. They have half a regiment about his house at all times. You should see the escort that accompanies the packets to and from Downing Street every day. This was the best we could do.”
Richard was instantly filled with rage at the understanding that the only contact that knew his family and home well, that was known to Huggins, was Wickham, and that Wickham had planned to burn his home, and kill his family. Wickham hadattackedhis father! He missed the next exchange, so eclipsed he was by fury.
The rest of the conversation was uninteresting, except for the information that the luddite uprising in Chichester had also been contrived by Wickham, who had been sent to hire men and pay them handsomely to stir up the riots, in an effort to lure Darcy away, once he had been followed until Huggins was certain that he was just another dandy, and knew nothing about whatever plot these men were hatching.
Georgiana mether cousin in the garden later that afternoon. They had agreed that if Georgiana wished to speak with him, she would wait for him to approach her when he was at liberty, and they could prearrange their meetings by Georgiana putting an orchid in her window as a signal for him to come. He had informed her of where he was sleeping, in case she needed him, but she was never to send a servant there, or to go herself except in the direst emergency. After her meeting with him, Georgiana visited Torrens in his office. “I have spoken with my cousin just now, Torrens. Would you please ask Marigold Tupper to join us?
“That does not bode well. Yes, Miss Darcy. I shall send for her right away,” said the butler. The two sat, and Mr Torrens poured a cup of tea for Georgiana while they waited, and they spoke of his background, about which Georgiana knew nothing, but now that she was older, she was interested, and he humoured her. Marigold looked frightened when she entered the room to find Miss Darcy waiting for her.
“Marigold, we will not discuss your difficult situation in detail here,” said Georgiana kindly. “As you are all too aware, there is something afoot in Eastbourne and Derbyshire. Until the matter has been discovered and managed completely, you will tell no one of your recent troubles. All that I will say on thematter at this time is that you are confined to the house until further notice for your safety.”
“Oh miss! I fear for my ma!” cried the maid.
“I am told that measures will be taken in Derbyshire to protect your family. For now, you will speak of this to no one. Not I, not Torrens, and not even my Aunt Catherine, until I personally have instructed you otherwise. Absolutelyno one, Marigold. You will send no mail for now. You will not venture outside of the house forany reason. Not even to empty a chamber pot. Not even as far as the garden. Do you understand?”
The maid promised that she did understand, and Torrens informed Georgiana that he would ensure that her instructions were followed to the letter. Miss Marigold was given some sewing to work on alone in her room, and it was put about the house that she was ill and possibly contagious, in case any of the other staff were questioned about her by Huggins or anyone else when they left the house.
Richard hadhis work cut out for him. There was something afoot in Eastbourne, that was plain, and he knew that his father’s injury and absence from London had been orchestrated to facilitate it. But there were so many players in this game that he could not follow them all. He needed more men. He must send to London again for more men. His general had been told to excuse him from duty until further notice. To his knowledge, the only ones who knew of the mission was the quartermaster general himself, a brigadier-general who worked in the intelligence office, and that man’s secretary, a Colonel Sanford. Only Brigadier-General Spaulding knew his actual identity.
Richard had travelled to the next village to send a message to the quartermaster general’s Headquarters, where all three men worked, a week ago, asking for more men. So far, there had been no answer, and no one had arrived. Now he travelled to a village in another direction, and sent another message, asking again for reinforcements, and stressing that as suspected, therewasa plot afoot. He met again with his young cousin, who asked Elizabeth Bennet to include an obscure message in the letter she sent to Darcy the following day.
Bourne House,
Eastbourne
Dearest,
You have only been gone two days, and I am already selfishly wishing you back. How despicable of me to care about the Amesburys’ ball when your investments might suffer, or worse, you or another might be hurt in some abominable riot. I am ashamed of my self-interest, but it has sadly been too long since we danced at the assembly, and I am all eagerness to do so again at a private ball, where I am told that the waltz shall be enjoyed more than once.
Every time we are apart, I spend each moment praying for our next moment together, for when we are in each other’s company, the world shines brighter, and the future looks more wonderful than I could ever have imagined. You have surprised me, Mr. Darcy. I never truly believed that this heart of mine would find such solace in one as steadfast and kind as yours, until you approached me that morning at Oakham Mount. I believe that the mutual accord that we seek has been found, do you not agree?
I must close, but first, a rather cryptic message that your sister asked me to include. Georgiana bids me to tell you that your cousin says that your oldest friendispresent, perhaps here, or perhaps there in Chichester, and that you must be careful, and return as soon as you can.
Do return as quickly as you may. I cannot sleep since you left.
E
CHAPTER 37
Versailles -1774
“Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Count of Maurepas,”the page announced the King’s advisor to his private chambers.
Louis XVI allowed his hand to be kissed, and when Maurepas rose, asked in French, “Where is the harlot?”
“Banished, sir.”answered Maurepas. “She retires to the convent in Meaux.”
“And the charlatan?” demanded Louis XV.
