Phillips,
Bennet passed away on the 29th day of March. That in and of itself would not have induced me to send this to you. Mrs Bennet discovered the heir’s address and wrote to him, causing him to arrive on the 4th of April.
He understands that until you read the will, he is not the master of the estate and, at pain of disinheritance, may not do anything until then.
The reason for my letter is…
Phillips’s blood turned cold as he read about the drugged nursemaids, Fanny and the girls disappearing and her return the next day with false sadness and an unlikely tale, which, unfortunately, could not be disproved.
… with all of the above, I pray you will understand why I had no choice but to contact Mr Morris.
An almost identical letter was sent to Mr Gardiner in Gracechurch Street, as I remember you mentioning that he is one of the executors of the will if Mr Bennet were called home.
I trust we will see you as soon as may be.
With contrition for intruding on your wedding trip and congratulations on your marriage,
WJ
“Agatha, my darling, we must return to Meryton with all speed,” Phillips said. Seeing the consternation on his wife’s countenance, Phillips handed her the missive.
She gasped as she read, and her eyes teared up. There was a time when Agatha had believed Thomas Bennet was the man for her, but he had withdrawn and never courted her. That did not remove him from the corner of her heart he would always own.
“Surely Fanny Bennet cannot be so evil as to rid herself of her daughters?” Agatha stated as she shook her head.
“That woman cares for nothing which does not benefit her,” Phillips explained.
The Phillipses were on the road within an hour. On hearing why his guests had to leave so suddenly, the hotelier refunded the money for the unused nights even if Phillips had not requested he do so. It was more than three hundred miles, so they planned to travel each day for as many hours as they could.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Within an hour of the Darcys and Fitzwilliams reaching their respective homes in Grosvenor Square, both sets of parents were making the short walk to Holder House as swiftly as they were able.
The Carringtons’ house was on the corner of Grosvenor Street and Park Lane, facing the park, which gave them an unimpeded view of the Grosvenor Gate and Hyde Park beyond. The first Earl of Holder had had the foresight to purchase a large freehold property on that corner. In the end, three large houses, each with a good amount of garden around them, had been built. The Carringtons had received a return on their investment in the land more than ten times over.
Matlock and Darcy had wanted to go directly to their estates to make sure the spring planting had proceeded without a problem. However, their wives allowed them to read the letter from Lady Edith, and they agreed that it was for London they would travel.
They had shared what they knew with de Bourgh, but none of them, her husband included, had told Lady Catherine. She would have pontificated that the foundlings should be left with the parish.
Fenster had been told to expect the callers, so he admitted them immediately. The knocker was down, and no one else was welcome.
After greetings had been exchanged, the friends sat in one of the drawing rooms.“I assume that nothing came of your notice in the paper?” Matlock enquired.“Or was there a surprise today?”
“No,except for one coachman…” Holder told their friends about the man who had conveyed the unnamed mother and her three daughters to the park.“Other than him, nothinganyone tried to tell us approached the truth. Even though I stressed a modest reward in the notice, many tried to pull the wool over our eyes. None succeeded. It is very effective to be able to threaten transportation for lying to a peer. It clears the room of vermin with speed.”
“You intend to take them with you to Holder Heights?” Darcy verified.
“Indeed, we do,Mr Darcy,” Edith replied sharply. She assumed Robert meant to say they should not do that.
“Peace,Lady Holder,” Darcy responded, his hands raised.“I can see they are already very dear to you, and your protective instincts are fully engaged. That was not in any way meant to question your decision, only for my own clarity.”
“Please pardon me, Robert. You have the right of it. I feel very protective of the three girls.” Edith turned to her female friends.“I told you what their ages are in my epistle, did I not?”
“No, Edith, that information was not included,” Lady Anne responded.
“Jane is not three yet; Elizabeth was one recently, and the babe, Mary, is a few months old; we think about three months,” Edith revealed.
“So young! The woman who abandoned them needs to be called out,” Lady Elaine insisted.“You said they speak warmly of their father; is that not correct?” She saw both Carringtons nod.“Then is it not strange he is not seeking his daughters?”
