“As you wish, Your Grace,” Wickham bowed. If his master needed to hear the plans again, then so be it.
“I am waiting,” Hertfordshire interjected petulantly.
“It is confirmed Lord Jersey will convey his son and daughter to his brother-in-law’s estate outside of London directly from St. George’s after the Easter services on themorrow,” Wickham began. “Lady Jersey will be returning to Jersey House to confirm all the arrangements for the dinner she has planned, and to be held there on the morrow are satisfactory.
“As the brother’s estate is a little under two hours away, with time to spend with his family, Lord Jersey will be away for upwards of five hours giving you more than enough time for what you plan to do.”
“Have you used my money wisely bribing all of the footmen who would normally be on duty in the house?” Hertfordshire asked the same question he had asked earlier.
“Yes, I most certainly have, Your Grace. I showed you the accounting did I not? They will all leave the house as soon as Lady Jersey enters her bedchamber to change. We will be in your nondescript carriage near the house and we will see her arrive home and then before you enter the house, you will see the footmen departing,” Wickham explained. “Before he leaves, one of the men will unlock a door on the side of the house which leads into the ballroom. From there we will enter the house and take the stairs up to the master suite. Are you certain you do not want to take the servants’ stairs for added security?”
“Of course not, do not suggest that again or it will not go well for you,” the Duke spat out. “There is no world in which I would use the servants’ anything!”
“As you wish, Your Grace. The entrance hall, stairs, and upstairs hallways will all be devoid of the footmen we would have seen abandoning the house. I will lead you to Lord Jersey’s bedchamber. It is there the maid I bedded told me her Ladyship will be to take a rest after church.” Wickham paused. “Do you require me to enter the bedchamber with you?”
“Of course I do not, you simpleton,” the Duke stated disdainfully. “I will bring her to heel, and if she resists me, mypistol will be with me! It is not the first time I have forced a reluctant woman to have me, and it will not be the last.”
“In that case, Your Grace, I will wait for you outside the door. As soon as you are satisfied, I will lead you safely out of the house,” Wickham related. “It is a pity you will not be able to see the look on your enemy’s face when he discovers you have violated his wife.”
“He will come to call me out and then I will see the anguish I will have caused him. When I threaten to release all of the information to the gossip sheets, he will leave my house with his tail between his legs. My revenge will be complete!” The Duke looked gleeful as he spoke. “Even if he does not end his own miserable life, he will be a broken man.”
Finally happy the plans were in place and they met with his approval, the Duke waived Wickham away.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After dinner on Saturday evening, the residents of Pemberley sat in the drawing room, with the movable wall between it and the music room pushed back. They had been treated to the pleasure of Lady Anne exhibiting on the pianoforte. She was a true proficient.
Mary and Anna had played a duet, and then they had been followed by Olive Portnoy on the harp while her cousin Marjorie Barrington accompanied her in song.
There had been card tables set up as well with whist at one table and loo at another.
Given the early hour of the Easter services, no one lingered past an hour or so in the drawing room, everyone making for their bedchambers. They would all be attending the Lambton church and then Adam, Eve, and their two boys would join them at Pemberley for the Easter meal.
When they reached the first guest floor where they were being housed, Aunt Maddie invited Lizzy into the suite’s private sitting room.
“Lizzy, are you well?” Madeline asked her niece once they were comfortably seated facing one another across the low coffee table.
“What do you mean, Aunt? I have never been happier.”
“Then Lizzy dear, explain why you have periods of great sadness disconnected from anything we know about?”
“Did Jane mention this?”
“No Lizzy, she did not have to, I have seen it for myself.”
“Now and again, it hits me that regardless of the pleasure of being with all of you now, I am still in the prison which is my marriage. Yes, I know, I am free right now, surrounded by love and acceptance, but at some point after I give birth,” Elizabeth placed her hands on the slight bump in her belly, “A time will come when I will be back living withhim. In many ways after experiencing the complete bliss of being with everyone, having to go back tohimcould very well break my spirit. I think I am strong enough for that not to happen, but I will only know then.”
Madeline pulled her niece into a hug. “We will find a way so you will not be cut off from us again. I know not how, but we will. That I swear to you. Also, it is quite possible you may hardly be in that man’s company if the babe growing inside of you is an heir.” All the talk of babes cause Madeline to place her hands on her large belly where her new daughter or son was making her or his presence known.
“It must be! I cannot havehimimportune me ever again!” Elizabeth knew she was omitting the reason for a major part of her melancholy, however, there was nothing she said that was not true.
“Go and prepare for bed, Lizzy. I need to go join your uncle in our bedchamber.” Madeline kissed her niece on the forehead.
Elizabeth watched wistfully as her aunt entered the bedchamber. As long as she was married tohimshe would never know a love like the one her aunt and uncle shared.
Chapter 25
Starting with the first row, six rows of pews on the lefthand side of Lambton’s church were filled for the Easter service by the party from Pemberley. With the added visitors at the estate, there was standing room only to hear Reverend Lambert deliver his Easter lesson.
