Page 74 of Her Favourite Daughter

On the day of the ball, Mary, Giana, Petunia, Maria, and Kitty were spending the night at Netherfield Park.

The ball was attended by a mix of family, locals, and members of the Ton. Lady Elaine Fitzwilliam had been extremely pleased that Harry and Anne Smythe, the Earl and Countess of Granville, had arrived before the ball. They had left the earl’s younger sister, Petunia at Netherfield Park with the other younger girls who remained at the estate. Her mother was overjoyed to see how happy Anne looked.

Bethany enjoyed all her dances, but none more so than the supper set. She knew that she was young, too young to think of a future with any man, yet she felt an attraction to her distant cousin, William Darcy. The half hour of the dance had flown by, and then, she had had the pleasure of sitting next to him for supper.

The final set had been very enjoyable for her as well, not because she danced, but because she sat with William and they had an in-depth conversation about which of Shakespeare’s works they enjoyed more and why.

Amelia had also enjoyed the ball. She had not danced at a ball, or anywhere else, since Francis’s passing, but she did so tonight. She enjoyed one set each with Reggie, Robert, and Thomas. She was not sure who had been more pleased that she danced, herself or her best friends, Elaine and Anne.

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

Like his brother had done for him, Richard stood up with Andrew the day he was to wed his Jane. While Hilldale was staring at the door, willing Jane to appear faster, Fitzwilliam was looking at his beloved wife, who was seated next to her parents, brothers, and sister. There was another man who was watching the inner vestibule doors, and he was not one of the wedding party. Conyers kept the doors in his vision, so he would be able to behold Bethie as soon as she entered the church behind Meryton and Jane.

Sir William Collins saw a nod from one of the men who would open the doors to allow the bride to enter, telling him Cousin Jane, her father, and Lady Bethany were ready. He gave the signal for everyone to stand and smiled at his wife seated next to his parents. As soon as the congregation stood, the double doors were pulled open and Jane began her walk up the aisle on her father’s arm.

Conyers’s eyes were pulled to Bethie walking behind the first two, holding the bridal bouquet. She was a very beautiful woman, but her eyes mesmerised him. ‘One more year until she comes out,’ he told himself silently. ‘Until then, at the very least, you cannot try courting her!”

Hilldale was lost as he watched his Jane walk towards him. He even remembered to wait at the head of the aisle for Meryton to place her hand on his arm.

Once the bride and groom and their attendants took their places, Sir William Collins gave the signal for the congregation to be seated. He leaned forward, and with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he spoke so only Jane and Hilldale could hear him. “It is not too late to escape,” he said to his cousin very softly. It earned him a playful swat on the arm from Jane, who relaxed, thanks to Cousin William’s antics.

The rector opened the Book of Common Prayer and began to intone the marriage liturgy.

In the blink of an eye Jane was Viscountess Hilldale, walking around Longbourn’s ballroom on her husband’s arm as they greeted and thanked their guests for joining them to celebrate their wedding.

Two hours later the family and close friends waved farewell to the newly married Fitzwilliams as they departed for Hilldale House. On Monday, they would travel from London for their wedding trip to Seaview House, where they would spend a month.

As she walked back into the house on her husband’s arm, Fanny lifted her eyes to the heavens and thanked God for being so good to them.

Chapter 28

It was humiliating for Wickham to have to ask Karen Younge to rent a carriage, but thanks to his lack of funds, there had been no choice. She had refused to give him the money to do so on his own. The carriage would be waiting on a path behind the trees, out of sight when the young duchess walked with the simpleton, Clay Younge.

Wanting to be sure that all of those departing would actually do so, Wickham had hidden where he could watch the entrance to Longbourn on the Monday morning after the wedding. He watched as coach after coach departed in the direction of the road to London. Even better was the fact that two hulking men were on the back bench of one carriage. With the number of outriders and men with each conveyance, he could see that very few footmen had been left to guard his soon-to-be wife.

He had to admit that the Younge twins had done very well. It was almost a pity that they would be arrested and executed, but he would not share his newfound wealth with them. In the end, he did not regret the fate he would consign them to.

On Tuesday morning, Wickham was up before there was any trace of light in the eastern sky. Dressed warmly against the morning chill, he made his way to Oakham Mount in order to make sure the area where he intended to wait was good and devoid of any others. He had been here before to look about the wooded area, and, as before, there was no movement within other than the early morning breeze causing a susurration among the leaves of the trees. By this time, the sky was beginning to lighten, meaning that the duchess and Younge would be on their way soon.

Knowing this was the time, Wickham walked to the other end of the wooded area and there he saw the promised carriage, pulled by a single horse. He suspected one of the Younges had told the man not to depart without one of them inside. Because of that, he had given up on sticking to his original plan to have the Younges arrested while he escaped. As such, he did not send any information to the knight he had learnt was the magistrate.

After verifying the rented conveyance was already present and convinced that he was alone, Wickham sat in the spot he had chosen the previous time he had come to look at the area. That spot was to the side of a tree, which gave him a good view of the path leading to the base of the hill. At the same time, one on the path would have a hard time seeing him. Noting the sky lightening significantly, Wickham knew that his wait would be a short one now.

Soon he would get his due. If only his mother was still alive to see how well he would do for himself. Wickham cared not that his father had never supported his mother’s teachings and had attempted to tell him everything she taught him was wrong. He desperately wanted those things Mother had told him were his due, which had led to him ignoring his father’s words.

Besides, what did he care for his father when each time he had applied to his sire for funds, the same reply had been received: ‘Come work for it, and I will happily pay you.’ Now his father would see. When he had all of the Osbourne wealth at his fingertips, and possibly became a duke, he would not know his father or give him anything.

He pushed his musings aside as soon as he saw a female he identified as Lady Bethany walking along the path. Wickham could see Younge following her at a distance, just like Karen had said he would. Feeling confident, as soon as she was close to where he had been hiding, he stepped out of the treeline, pistol in hand.

“Who are you, and why are you here on my father’s land?” Bethany demanded.

“I am your abductor. Unless you want me to shoot you, you will accompany me to the carriage waiting on the other side of the trees,” Wickham drawled. “I suppose, if you do not come willingly, Younge and I will have to force you, and if you are too much trouble, I will have to ransom your corpse to your mother.”

“You do understand that there were some who attempted what you are trying now, and it did not go too well for them, do you not?” Bethany stated, arms akimbo.

Why was this slip of a girl not afraid? “Enough, Younge secure her, bind and gag her if need be,” Wickham commanded. He watched as Younge did not move. “Now, you great lummox, you!” Still, Younge did nothing.

“Clay, does this criminal think you are here to assist him?” Bethany asked.