“Thank you, Johns, you saved me the trouble of touching that pile of excrement,” William stated as he stood over and glared at the prostrate form on the grass.
“I could not ‘ave ‘im say such things about Miss Lizzy,” Johns responded.
“There is no industry in interrogating him,” Holder decided. “Major Tremain, I trust military justice will be done for desertion and horse thievery?”
“Indeed, my Lord,” the major said malevolently. “He will meet a firing squad.”
Everyone began to ride back to Netherfield Park, leaving Wickham to Major Tremain and his men.
Through his pain as he was first manacled and then dragged away, Wickham wondered what had gone wrong. His plan, like all others he made, was sound, so how had he not gained his due? Then Major Tremain’s words filtered into his consciousness.
Surely they would not execute him, would they?
Chapter 36
No matter how Anne, Elaine, Jane, or Marie assured Edith that everything would be well with Lizzy, she still paced back and forth and would not rest easy until she saw for herself that Lizzy was unharmed.
Mary and Anna had been sent to Longbourn so they would have the distraction of spending time with Kitty, Lydia, and Maria Lucas and would not be thinking about any potential danger for Lizzy. That possible danger was what was eating away at Edith as she refused to sit and wait without moving.
She understood the need to have Lizzy play the role she had. The dastard had to be caught in the act. If he somehow escaped, he would be a threat to Lizzy for as long as he was free. The arrival of Major Tremain and his men the previous afternoon was assurance that, once caught, the miscreant would never be free to bedevil anyone ever again, least of all her daughter.
The major had opined that if everything would play out on the morrow the way the others had predicted, he would not interfere until his former lieutenant made his move. Edith had wanted to scream that they should just arrest the blackguard before her Lizzy had to face him.
It had been Lizzy who had convinced her mother that she wanted to be there when he failed, in order to ensure he would know that she was not fearful of him.
And now her daughter, husband, and son—who would ride for Lucas Lodge and Charlotte as soon as this was over—along with a son-in-law and others she loved, were near that stand of trees, hopefully springing the trap shut and arresting the man who dared to threaten one of her daughters, not once but twice.
As soon as Edith heard the hooves approach from the drive, she flew out of the drawing room and down the stairs to the entrance hall and out of the house. She did not stop for outerwear. All she cared about was seeing that her loved ones and the men who assisted them were all well.
Edith felt a surge of gratitude course through her body as soon as she saw Lizzy atop Snowdrop, without a visible scratch on her person and looking like her normal ebullient daughter.
Holder saw the relief on his wife’s countenance as soon as she noted they were all well, most especially that Lizzy had not come to any harm. He hated that she had been so concerned, but the threat was over now, and once military justice was dispensed, that bastard would never be able to harm another.
He sprang off his stallion like one of the younger men, strode over to his wife, and pulled her into his arms. “It is over, my love. Our Lizzy was never in danger thanks to Biggs disarming that criminal before he even saw our daughter,” Holder assured Edith as he pulled her tightly against his body. “He is on his way to London with Major Tremain and his men. He will face a court-martial in days, and then, the army will execute him. As he committed two offences punishable by death, his fate was sealed by his own misdeeds.”
Edith looked up at her beloved husband. “That means that Lizzy’s name will not be mentioned, does it not?” she worried.
“As nothing about his attempted kidnapping of our Lizzy will be part of the trial, there will be nothing in the record about our daughter,” Holder explained. “Even if he attempts to mention her name, it will not leave the room. Court-martials are not open to the public, so he can rant and rave about Lizzy, but all it will earn him is a gag.”
“It is truly over!” Edith exclaimed as she felt herself relax for the first time since she had known Lizzy would be the bait in the trap.
“Yes, Love, we will never see or hear from that wastrel again,” Holder replied.
“Never make me worry for you like this again,” William said as he helped his Lizzy dismount from Snowdrop.
“Not intentionally,” Elizabeth promised.
Everyone, including Mary and Anna when they returned to Netherfield Park, felt much lighter of spirit now that the Wickham threat was neutralised. They were overjoyed to be told that Lizzy was never close to being harmed.
The next day, Charlotte—who had been resting at Lucas Lodge—and Jamey, with Lady Lucas and Maria, departed for Hadlock in Derbyshire, where Charlotte would give birth.
The day after that, those remaining at Netherfield Park, which included William in the dower house, departed for Holder Heights. As soon as Edith was content, the plans for Lizzy and William’s wedding were well in hand; then she, Elaine, Anne, and Jane would travel the relatively short distance to Hadlock to be with Charlotte and Jamey. Marie, Hilldale, and their son were for Hilldale and would be available if needed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
An epistle arrived for Holder from Major Tremain on the second to final Saturday in April.
In it, the major reported that on Thursday, the twentieth day of April, former Lieutenant George Wickham had been tried on both counts they had discussed. As they had suspected he would, he had attempted to blacken Lady Elizabeth’s name. The presiding general was having none of it. As the accused was not presenting any evidence to refute the charges, he had been gagged.
