There was but a moment of stunned silence then Georgie made an audible gasp, and Mary and Kitty each took one of her hands to comfort her. For a few additional ticks of the clock silence reigned, and then there was an eruption of sound. Everyone started talking all at once, but one voice rose above the rest.
“I will kill him!” Colonel Fitzwilliam spat out furiously. “I will run that scoundrel through like I wanted to after Ramsgate,” he growled.
“No, you willnot!” A forceful voice interrupted from a very unexpected quarter and Mary looked at him square in the eye. “When our courtship is over, I fully intend to marry you so I will not allow you to do something that will end with you being hung at the gallows like that despicable cousin of ours.”
“The ordering you around has started already, Son,” the Earl chuckled with a wink to try to reduce the tension.
The Colonel’s parents, his brother and sister, the Bennet sons and daughters, Darcy, and Georgie, along with everyone else also told him to calm down and they would find another way to deal with this particular issue.
“So far…” Bennet informed everyone about the steps to protect the merchants and their daughters. Then he let them know about the missives dispatched to all of the estates and dwellings not in Meryton, along with his request for Colonel and Mrs. Forster to join them for dinner. “Did we not allow both Miss Bingley and my late, wayward cousin to determine their own fates while always ensuring no one here would be physically harmed?” He scanned the crowd.
“Bennet is correct. We have the resources and manpower to make sure he does not hurt anyone while we wait to spring a trap when we are ready. Given what Bennet and Darcy have already set in motion, the profligate will be very frustrated when he attempts his normal ways in Meryton,” the Earl gave his nephew a calculating look. “William, do you not hold over three thousand in debt markers and vowels for this particular profligate man?”
“Yes, I do, Uncle Reggie. In fact, close to four thousand pounds now. I have them safely stored in Mr. Reed’s safe in his office in London. I will send him an express to have the vowels delivered to me here by special messenger as soon as can be. And as Bennet has wisely invited Colonel Forster and his wife for dinner, we will be able to warn the Colonel and so his fellow officers will be warned that he never pays debts of honour and cheats at cards.
“By virtue of the fact Bennet asked the tradesmen to not extend credit to any officers, Wickham’s suspicions will not be raised as they would be if he was the only one denied credit.” Darcy inclined his head towards Bennet in appreciation.
Georgie moved to sit next to Lizzy who was holding William’s hand tightly. “He will not be allowed to hurt anyone, will he William?” Lizzy asked worriedly as she looked between him and her father, her other hand holding Georgiana’s and was just as unwilling to let her soon to be sister face this moment without her full support as she was her future husband. All in the room were surprised when they heard Georgiana’s voice, and that it was not meek or merely a whisper when she finally relieved their worry by speaking.
“I thought I would be terrified when I heard his name or if I was ever so close to him again. I admit at first, it shocked me, but I find I am not. He holds no more power over me. All I care about is that he is not allowed to hurt anyone else. If he also gets his comeuppance for all of the misery he has visited on many more than just me, so much the better. Please let me help if I can. I will not let him come near any of my sisters or Anne.” She looked at William, stilling his protest then looked at Richard so he too was forced to accept she was stronger now than she had ever been.
“No, we will not permit him to hurt anyone, Georgie,” Darcy promised with a relieved smile. “My Lizzy and I are so proud of you, Georgie. I cannot believe you are the same girl, ehhmm, young lady that arrived in Hertfordshire mere weeks ago. It makes me happy, so very happy to see my confident sister back with us. I swear by all I hold dear that we will make sure he is never able to hurt anyone again.” Darcy repeated his vow, proving his acceptance of her growth and making Elizabeth love him even more for his not disregarding Georgie’s need to be part of this.
Soon after, an acceptance for dinner was received from Colonel Forster for himself and his wife, Harriet. As it was still about four hours before the Forsters would arrive, the group employed themselves with various activities to pass the time.
Edward Gardiner, in particular, used a smaller study Bennet had available for gentlemen visiting his estate to meet with local gentry that had particularly requested meetings with him regarding investment opportunities.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In town, Lady Catherine’s barouche box had just pulled to a stop at Matlock House. She was more than a little frustrated because it had never taken so long to reach London before. It had been more than six hours since she had left Rosings Park when it normally took under four hours for this particular trip.
Her footman lowered the steps and opened the carriage door for her. Not waiting; the frustrated lady pushed the footman out of her way and marched up the steps to her brother’s door. There was no knocker up, but that did not deter Lady Catherine as it would anyone of good breeding. She beat on the door with the head of her overly ornate walking stick until she heard movement. The door was cracked open by the Matlock House butler.
Before Jones was able to make a sound, Lady Catherine’s yell echoed in the hall: “Do you know who I am? I am your master’s sister, and I will have you dismissed for being so slow to get to the door! Now, I demand you open the door and show me to my brother without further delay!” she commanded imperiously.
“If you would have allowed me to explain, my Lady. Lord Matlock and his family are not in residence. Before you ask, I am not at liberty to tell you where he is,” the butler stated evenly.
With that Jones pushed the door shut and locked it. Knowing the opinion the master and his family held of the virago, he was absolutely sure there would be no negative consequences to his shutting the door in her face.
“Why you, you, you...” For a moment she stared at the door, stunned. “I will have my brother dismiss you! I have never been thus treated in all of the years of my life,” Lady Catherine hissed.
After some futile banging on the door that only achieved cracking the head on her walking stick, she returned to her conveyance. She was forced to realise the butler would not give her what she desired no matter how displeased she was, so she instructed the driver to go to Darcy House with all possible haste. The driver, as Miss Anne had instructed, took a much longer route than required for the short trip.
Instead of moving ahead a couple of doors across the square, he felt it imperative they start again from the outskirts of Mayfair. The result at Darcy House was almost identical to the reception she had received at Matlock House.
Killion would not tell her where his master was, and no she was not allowed entry for the night before she continued her trip. So far things were not going as she had intended and further more on picking up a copy of the times, she read her parson had been defrocked, then tried and convicted at the Old Bailey for a number of crimes including attempted murder, and had been hung at the gallows but the day before.
She reluctantly made her way to her own townhouse that only had a skeleton staff as she almost never used it anymore and was just maintained for appearances.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Colonel Forster and his relatively young wife, Harriet, who was but one and twenty yet impressively sensible, arrived on time, as would be expected of a military man. They were shown to the blue drawing room by the butler, and introductions between the Colonel’s wife and the extensive Longbourn party were made.
Everyone chatted amiably and soon after Hill announced dinner was served, so the party made their way toward the dining room. The Earl took Fanny’s arm and Bennet the Countess’s, then the rest of the party formed in their natural pairings, next being Lord Hilldale and his wife, Colonel and Mrs. Forster, Darcy and Lizzy, Edward and Maddie Gardiner, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mary, Bingley and Jane, and they were followed by Kitty, Georgiana, and the Bennet twins.
After dinner, which was also a goodbye dinner for the Gardiners who were to return with their delightful children to Town on the morrow, Fanny led the ladies to the blue drawing room, which was the largest of the drawing rooms and housed an elegant Broadwood Grand pianoforte.
The men sat around the table with cigars and the expected libations, Colonel Forster himself had not had brandy of this quality in many a year. None of the men had a propensity to overindulge, so they had one snifter each. Once the business of compliments and ribbing of the bachelors was finished, Colonel Fitzwilliam opened the discussion they needed to have with Forster.
