~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The evening of the first full day of travel, the Bennets arrived at an inn about twenty miles inside of Northamptonshire after they had crossed the border of Leicestershire.
Like he had in Matlock the previous evening, the coachman made sure the team of two horses was secure in the stables. As there was no coach house here, the conveyance was in the courtyard with others which would depart either north or south in the morning.
Once he had completed all he needed to do, the coachman gratefully accepted the crock of warm, tasty, and hearty stew Mr Bennet had purchased for him. It was accompanied by some mulled wine and thick, fresh, crusty bread. His master had given him money for his food and lodgings, but Mr Bennet would not hear of his former patron’s money being used. Rather, the man he was transporting insisted on paying for everything.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Ellie woke up. Wherever she was, she felt cramped, dark,and cold. Her eyes felt very heavy and were trying to force her back to sleep. She could feel some fabric above her and when she tried to move her hands and feet, they would not respond. It felt like there was something in her mouth, and she felt rather thirsty. Her tummy was groaning with hunger as well.
Where was she? Her head felt very mixed up, and her eyes kept on wanting to close so she could go back to sleep. Ellie tried to fight against the feeling. Had she hidden away in a place such as this where no one could locate her? Surely Mama and Papa would find her? If not, certainly Dawy and Bawny would discover where she had hid herself? She liked it most when her brothers discovered her hiding places.
Her last memories before now were very hazy. She was to see some faeries and pixies, and was there not a magic potion she had to drink to see them? She could remember no more.
Her heavy eyes won the battle, and Ellie was asleep again.
Chapter 2
By Saturday, the first day of February, there was still no trace of her daughter’s whereabouts. Priscilla Wendell was beside herself with worry and grief. No matter who attempted to soothe her, nothing helped.
Wendell, who was fighting his own urge to allow the sorrow at his missing darling girl to take over his every waking moment, was directing the search for his beloved daughter. It would be so easy to ensconce himself with his wife and allow the concern to rule, but he had a purpose which overrode any selfish feelings. With the help of tenants from both his estate and those neighbouring, every conceivable location at Willowmere had been searched. They even looked at the lake; with the unseasonably warm weather, the ice had become thin and brittle, and even one of Ellie’s slight weight would have caused it to crack and break. However, there was no evidence of a break in the ice from someone falling through it into the water below.
His brothers and their sons had ridden to all of the surrounding towns from Lambton in the north to Matlock in the south. Not a single person had seen Ellie. A small girl in night attire would be noticeable. But there had not been a sighting of her anywhere.
With the support of Matlock, Granger, and Darcy, Wendell would not give up on their girl. Surely if she were no longer alive, he would feel it in his heart.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Wicky, we appreciate you assisting us with the search the previous days as well as today, but this is a time for family, so it is time for you to ride back to your father’s house at Pemberley,” Andrew, as the eldest of the cousins, and less than six months younger than the steward’s son, told him.
“Is it not your uncle’s estate, Hilldale?” Wickham replied insouciantly. “I am helping like everyone else, so why would I be sent away?”
“I have my uncle’s permission to send you home. He agrees it is time for family now.” Andrew did not like Wicky’s attitude. He seemed to be doing his part, but when he thought he was unobserved, it was easy to see he was not trying very hard. Seeing that he did not like Ellie very much, it was understandable his efforts were tempered. That was why Uncle Joseph agreed that it was time to send Wicky away.
“Do we need to get my uncle to tell you himself?” Richard challenged. “Uncle Robert would not be impressed if you tried to make yourself the centre of attention with Ellie missing.”
Hearing that, George Wickham could see the truth in the younger Fitzwilliam’s statement. He could not afford to lose Mr Darcy’s ear. “I will leave,” he stated.
When he rode away, his valise attached to the back of the saddle, George Wickham was not well pleased that none of his friends had come to see him off. Thankfully there was good light left in the day, and the ride would be less than an hour.
The cousins watched Wicky ride away from one of the windows in the sitting room attached to David’s suite, which was on the second floor and had an unobstructed view of the drive. They were sitting and speculating about where Ellie was, as boys of their age were wont to do.
“I know Wicky did not like Ellie very much, but I have never seen him do anything hurtful to her, have you?” David enquired of the other boys.
“No, I have never seen him do or say anything to harm Ellie,” William responded. “And do not forget I spend more time with Wicky than any of you. He likes causing mischief now and again, but I do not believe he would ever do anything to harm another.”
“Do not forget there was an encampment of Gypsies nearby who are gone now,” Barnabus noted.
“Ellie is very inquisitive. I could see her being attracted by all of the bright colours they have on their wagons,” Richard opined. “But then the question is why would she have been outside in the night, unless someone thinks one of them was stealing from Uncle Joseph and Ellie was wandering about the house?”
“What of Aunt Catty and her desire that Anne be the only daughter in the family?” Andrew suggested. “Do not forget Ellie is not related by blood to William, so they could marry one day.”
“Andy, I am not ready to think about that for many years,” William objected.
“I know that, little cousin; I was simply guessing about possible reasons for Ellie’s disappearance.
“You know Aunt Catty has softened and has not raised the question of Anne marrying either you or William for some years now,” Richard pointed out. “Did you not hear Mother say that if our aunt met Ellie, she would more likely than not love her like the rest of us do?”
