“Lookin’ fer the colonel, miss?” came a familiar voice in the dark.
Elizabeth let out a small scream; it really was too much to ask that she be silent, no matter the risk. Her nerves were not at their best. Her courage might rise at every attempt to intimidate her, but her sensibilities were sorely tried this night.
“Tom,” she breathed. “Tom, is that you?
“Yes, miss.” Tom melted out of the shadows. “I be keepin’ watch fer the colonel, and Mr Croucher, in case Miss Darcy needs em.”
“Will your father not be angry?” ask Elizabeth in concern.
“‘E up an’ lef’ yesterday, miss,” Tom informed her. “When he takes ‘is bag wi’ ‘im, ‘e ain’t like to come back fer months.”
“Where is Colonel Fitzwilliam, Tom?” asked Elizabeth. “We need him desperately.”
“The colonel ‘ad word from someone ‘e been waitin’ fer, miss. ‘E went out to meet ‘em,” answered Tom. “Another man, a grand officer, come lookin’ awhile ago. Never seen ‘im afore. He went inside an’ left a packet, but din’t show meself to ‘im. I’m only to wait for the folks in Bourne ‘ouse. I can run yer colonel a message faster’n anything, miss. What ye need ‘im fer?”
“You must tell Colonel Fitzwilliam that Mr Darcy is being held in some caves near Beachy Head, and that he will be eliminated tonight if we do not save him,” Elizabeth explained. “And Tom, there is to be a landing party of the French with the low tide. They are to march on the castle, they want something there. The fireworks are a signal that the town suspects nothing, and they can land!”
“I’ll go right now!” exclaimed Tom. “You wait ‘ere, miss.”
Elizabeth watched as the boy tore off into the darkness, then turned and began running in the other direction, as fast as she could, into the night.
The exodusof Lady Catherine’s party and the Gordons from the ball did not attract as much attention as one might have thought. Lady Catherine was known to have an illness, and had collapsed in Eastbourne before, and someone or other always turned an ankle at a ball. Colonel Allen thought to himself that Wickham’s loose ends might be easier than he thought to tie up, since the whole family was returning home to Bourne House.
The Colonel had done his bit for the plot by assuring the mayor and others that he and his men had personally searched the caves for Darcy, ensuring that others did not go exploring the usually isolated caves. For that, and for ensuring that his regiment were doing anything but their duties when the French landed, and were instead, all dancing at the ball, Allen had received enough to pay his gambling debts and keep him until the miserly relation that he would one day inherit from expired.
It was not until Georgiana went to find Elizabeth once everyone had begun to settle in at Gordon Lodge that she realised that she was not there. William said that Elizabeth said she was going with Ashley, Ashley said that Elizabeth meant to find William and Lady Catherine, and return with the family. When Georgiana told William that she believed Elizabeth had gone to find Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the location of the shack, he kissed Mary on the forehead, and ran, heedless of invasions, or the French, or danger, out into the night, as fast as he could.Before he reached the shack, he was collared by Croucher, who stepped out of a shadow in the lane.
“I cannot stop, I must find my Cousin Elizabeth!” William cried.
“And how will you help her, you know nothing of fighting,” said Croucher, as Tom stepped out of the shadows behind him. “Colonel Fitzwilliam has gone to get the dragoons, who are waiting a few miles away. I am going to the caves to assist Miss Bennet, and he is to follow. Your country has another duty for you and young Mr Tyler tonight.”
Croucher explained that there were fireworks to be lit that evening, ostensibly as part of the celebration of Lady Amesbury’s ball, but in truth, as a signal to the French that they should land. There was also a beacon at the top of the Martello Tower, which needed to be lit, to alert the rest of the coast that there was an invasion impending, and there was also a bell on the tower that must be rung to alert the town that something was wrong?1.
William Bennet and Tom Tyler accepted their orders, and ran in opposite directions with all speed to carry them out.
1 It is unknown if there was a bell on the Wish Tower or how the town of Eastbourne alerted its residents to danger, but we will assume one for the purposes of this story.
CHAPTER 51
An elderly butler was shocked when a pounding started on the door of the castle. He opened it, prepared to soundly chastise whoever it was for disturbing the peace so late at night. The lady he served slept but little, but that was no excuse to disturb her. He was shocked to open the door to find one whom he had not seen in twenty years, perfectly preserved, before him.
“Gather everyone and ready her carriages. She is no longer safe here,” thecomtesaid to the man in French.
“They know?” gasped the butler in the same language.
“The French know, and a landing party shall breach these shores within the hour,” thecomteanswered, “She must go north at once. She can hide in London for a time before she moves again.” Anyone could hide in London if they knew how. The city was teeming with people, all too busy with their own lives to take much note of others. The butler showed him to a small parlour before leaving to attend to thecomte’sorder. A beautiful, graceful woman, still stunning despite her age, occupied a chair before the fire.
“If you insist upon refusing to age, comte, the least you can do is stay away from those who must,” said the lady. “It is rude to turn up as fresh as a daisy to remind me of my age.”
“Your time here is at an end,madame,” thecomtesaid. “You must leave with all haste.”
“Oh, I am sure it is,” answered Madame. “I knew that the moment I heard your voice in the hall. Do not worry, comte. I have been preparing for my flight for some time.”
Elizabeth drew closerto Beachy Head in the darkness. Where was the cave? She crouched in the darkness and listened carefully. Suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared Mr Wickham. Elizabeth waited as the man passed her hiding place in the darkness, and then followed him to a cave that they had seen from afar in their explorations before. They had been told by their guide that day never to approach those caves, for the high tide came in quickly, and if you were taken unawares, one might be trapped in the caves for hours, or worse, during certain times of the year, the tide could be far higher than usual, and one might drown. It had been made very clear to the young ladies and gentlemen of Bourne House that smuggling was very active in the vicinity, and to tour the caves was to put themselves at risk, so none went exploring.
Elizabeth crouched in the entrance to the cave, listening to the echoes of Mr Wickham’s footfalls, attempting to determine to what depth of the cave he was going. She followed, a bit at a time, as she found her bearings in the dark.
“Well Fitz, I suppose we have run short of time,” Wickham said nervously, as Elizabeth listened carefully.
