Page 12 of Her Favourite Daughter

“At the first stop after we reached Lincolnshire, I needed a walk…” Fanny told of how she discovered Lizzy and the criminal who, had he not died, would have hurt her. At that point, she pulled the piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Penelope, who was closest to her.

Upon reading the words on the piece of paper, Penelope lost her colour and almost felt like she needed to cast up her accounts. She had wanted a child more than anything in the world, and this mother was sending hers to be murdered.

Taking the paper from Penelope’s shaking hand, Beth read the vile words on it. More than anything, she felt anger. “You need not say anything else. That darling girl I saw was unwanted, and you rescued her from being killed before she ever had a chance to live her life. You named her Lizzy?”

“Elizabeth Rose for you, Mother,” Fanny said proudly. “As you said, she has your colouring.”

“That is what I thought when I saw her,” Beth agreed. “As I am called Beth, calling her Lizzy is wise. That way there can be no confusion between me and my granddaughter.” She thought of something. “Fanny, seeing that your parents, Edward, Hattie, and Frank just saw you in April and May this year, they know you were not with child. They will need to be told the truth. Beyond them, Lizzy is your daughter and was born to you.”

“Thomas and I plan to tell my family as soon as we see them. And when she is older, we will have to tell Lizzy the truth,” Fanny mused, “but not before she is somewhere between sixteen and eighteen. Until then, she must know that she is as loved as Jane and James.”

There were nods from all in the room.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

“Why have we not read about the whelp’s dead body being discovered?” Lady Catherine spat in disgust after she threw down the latest copy of The Times of London.

“Catherine, may I remind you that this was your plan, and you chose the man to execute it. You know as well as I do that I will not be made the heir presumptive in the absence of definitive proof of the babe’s death. If your man does not do as he was told and leave the body where it is sure to be found, then this has all been for nought,” Sir Lewis drawled. “What a waste of twenty thousand pounds.

“I only gave Younge half of the money. I told him he would receive the other half when news that the so-called Lady Bethany was reported deceased. In fact, I never intended to pay him the rest. Ten thousand is more than enough for that lowlife,” Lady Catherine stated.

“If he had done what you instructed, the news would have been abroad days ago. Younge’s last report said he would take her on the fifth day of August. It is almost a sennight past that date, and there has not been a word in the papers. Now, before you say it, you cannot accuse the Duke and Duchess of Leeds of hiding their daughter’s body because that would prove our guilt.”

As that was exactly what she had been thinking of doing, Lady Catherine closed her mouth. Even she understood that if she lost her head, she would not be a duchess. It was her destiny to be above her younger sister, Anne, so there had to be a way.

Knowing his wife would be railing against him and his perceived failures when it was her plan and the man was one who she chose to carry it out, Sir Lewis made his way to his study, where he proceeded to drink half a decanter of brandy. When he was deep in his cups, it drowned out his annoying termagant of a wife.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

A few days after sending men out to the late Mrs Younge’s house and to the house of the girl who used to work as a nursemaid, some things began to become clear.

The girl, Katy Smith, had been threatened by one Jim Younge, the late Mrs Younge’s brother-in-law, who had prompted her to leave her position and recommend her cousin Becky Younge. When she had been asked why she had not reported this to Their Graces, she told them how the man had threatened to murder her family members, making her too fearful to say anything. Although her reasoning for how she acted under duress was understood, Katy would never be employed by the Osbornes again.

The men who called at the Younge’s room learnt more. At first, Mr Clay Younge, the murdered woman’s husband, had wanted to send the men away until they revealed that his brother had murdered his wife. As soon as that was related, Mr Younge told them all he knew.

His brother had been employed by some toffs in the southern part of the country. His wife was supposed to be lightly coshed to make it look like she had no part in it. She had only done it to earn money to better their children’s future and, on condition that Lady Bethany not be harmed in any way. Mr Younge had said that his brother was lucky he was dead because he would have begged for death’s sweet release if Clay Younge had gotten his hands on his murdering younger brother.

They had learnt that the toffs, as Younge called them, were in the south of the country, but that fact was not definitive. He had not known the county in the south, so even though the de Bourghs lived in the south, it was not enough. The problem was that he did not know the name of the person or persons who had employed his late younger brother.

Leeds was very frustrated when all the reports were presented to him. They knew much, but not the critical information of who initiated the attack on his family, even though his suspicions were screaming that it was one or both of the de Bourghs who were to blame.

In an act of desperation, he placed notices in all the papers in Yorkshire and the surrounding counties as far south as Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Many tried to claim the large reward, but not one babe presented to them had the right combination of hair and eye colour, not to mention the birthmark was missing on them all.

So many trying to prey on their grief for profit drove Lady Amelia into the depths of despair. Only the company of her two best friends stopped her from losing the will to live. Anne and Elaine reminded her that every day that no body was discovered was a good day, which meant that Bethie more than likely still lived. It was not very much comfort to the devastated mother, but it was something and gave Lady Amelia a sliver of hope.

After ten days, all the notices offering a reward were replaced with one saying the offer for a reward had been withdrawn.

Given how close to sure he was of who had ordered the kidnapping of his daughter, with the backing of the Earls of Matlock and Holderness, Leeds wrote to his Majesty laying out the suspicions and the reasoning for them. He also requested that His Majesty take certain actions.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

On the penultimate day of August, Lady Catherine de Bourgh was sitting in her drawing room on her raised gilded chair, which she viewed as her throne from which she could look down on all those unworthy to be in her company. The butler had bowed low, as she demanded all the nobodies were to bow to her; afterwards, he approached and offered her the silver salver, which had a single epistle on it.

The writing was unmistakable. It was from Reggie. As he almost never wrote to her, Lady Catherine broke the Matlock seal and began to read after she smoothed the paper.

26 August 1791