Page 41 of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Exile

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I shall still hold him to a high standard. There are certain things on which I am unwilling to compromise.”

There was a loud, rhythmic pounding on the door, and Hill’s footsteps creaked on the floorboards along the hall.

An authoritative tone echoed through the corridor. “Frank Rafferty, bailiff to the Sheriff of Hertfordshire, accompanied by Mr. Henry Voles, an officer from the London Custom House, here to see Mr. Thomas Bennet on official business.”

Elizabeth met Charlotte’s concerned eyes. Her hand crept up to her lips. It had been a fortnight since the King’s Messenger had delivered the warning. While Mr. Robinson and her uncle had told her to expect the government to expedite their case against Papa, she had hoped they might have more time.

“Oh, Lizzy,” Charlotte took Elizabeth’s hands, squeezing them as though she were lending her all the strength she possessed.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. She must be calm and sensible for the sake of her mother and sisters. Together, she and Charlotte walked out to the hall. With a departing nod of support over her shoulder, her dear friend slipped past their unwanted callers, leaving Elizabeth standing before the two men who would bring her family to ruin.

CHAPTER 22

The heavy knock on the door sounded up in the attic, and shortly thereafter Darcy heard the assured voice of a man accustomed to giving orders. He hastened down the steps to the front of the house. Already Elizabeth stood there, shoulders straight, chin up like an empress in command of her realm. She knew who the men were, what they were there for, and she would not allow for them to take her dignity even if they would sell off every other personal item in the household.

“Allow me to show you to his book room, gentlemen,” she said calmly. Her mother and sisters clustered around, curious and looking to her for answers she had been instructed not to give. She tapped on the door, then pushed the barrier open and stepped aside to allow the gentlemen to pass. Mr. Bennet looked up from a book he had been reading and appeared disoriented, as though he had been jolted awake from a pleasant dream. Bringing up the rear, Darcy turned and, with a nod he hoped provided some reassurance to the remaining female Bennets, he entered the study and closed the door behind him.

The bailiff stood directly in front of the desk. “Mr. Bennet, I am Frank Rafferty, bailiff to the Sheriff of Hertfordshire. I do apologize for the intrusion⁠—”

“Mr. Bennet,” interrupted the second man, dressed in a black coat over a dark waistcoat, the cream-colored documents in his hands a stark contrast to his funereal attire. “I am Mr. Henry Voles, Officer of His Majesty’s Customs. I have been authorized by Sir Bradley Headstone, the Collector of Customs, to attend to the execution of a distress warrant upon your property on behalf of His Majesty’s Customs regarding debts owed in relation to Imperial Spirits & Fine Goods.” He held out the credentials as he spoke, a folder full of more documents tucked firmly under his arm.

Mr. Bennet’s dazed gaze settled on Elizabeth as he wavered to his feet, leaning against his desk. “I… I did not expect your call so soon.” She rushed to his side, motioning for the men to sit, and saw her father settled while Darcy poured him a drink from the decanter on the sideboard.

With a deferential bow, Darcy next offered the gentlemen a glass, which they promptly refused. “Mr. Rafferty, Mr. Voles, I am Mr. Bennet’s secretary, Daniel Robinson. While the promptness of your call has taken us by surprise, we did know to expect you.” At that, Mr. Voles relinquished the papers. Darcy crossed to the other side of the desk, where Elizabeth stood, so she could see the letter of authorization from Sir Bradley, a copy of the distress warrant, and a detailed accounting of the debt. Darcy’s heart sank, but his voice was crisp. “Everything is in order.”

From the small writing desk by the window, he retrieved the stack of partnership documents, company correspondence, and receipts from the quarterly dividends that had been paid. They had not been so lucky as to find a contract with a blatant forgery. He handed them to Elizabeth so she might present them to the officer, a gesture showing his deference to her and establishing her as an authority in the household.

Her composure never faltered. Taking the documents, she presented them to Mr. Voles. “We respect that you are a busy man with an important job. It appears by your appearance a mere fortnight after we received the first notice that the charges brought against my father have been expedited?”

Mr. Voles replied directly. “If you cannot pay in full today, I have the authority to sell your personal possessions.”

“We are aware. While we have been gathering evidence to disprove the claims against my father, we thought it beneficial to both parties to conduct our own inventory of Longbourn’s property.” She nodded at Darcy, and he produced the list. The officer took the papers, flipping through them as Elizabeth spoke. “We began with the contents of the house, and would have continued to the outbuildings and the livestock had you not arrived so promptly.”

With a slap, he flipped the pages of the list closed. “This is an exhaustive list?”

She nodded. “I went through every room with the assistance of the housekeeper and Mr. Robinson. The list was checked and approved by my father for its accuracy. I am confident you will find it thorough.”

Mr. Voles’s expression remained alert, but his stance relaxed. “In my fifteen years of service, I have never had anyone perform this duty for me.”

“We intend to be cooperative, sir.”

“Most people try to throw me off their property.”

“We have no intention of doing so. However, we would appreciate that you grant us the time we have spared you. Please, allow us more time to prove our case. My father is not responsible for this debt.”

“It is not in my authority to grant you more time.”

Elizabeth was not discouraged. “But surely, it would take you much longer than the week it took us to identify the articles which might be sold from Longbourn.”

“I thank you for sparing me time, Miss, but I cannot extend the payment of your father’s debt beyond what has been assigned.”

She bit her lips. Mr. Bennet said nothing, just sat spinning his empty glass. Darcy stepped closer to the desk, to her. He applauded Elizabeth’s attempt to gain more time and wished he could soften the blow of refusal for her.

Addressing Mr. Voles, he said, “That is as expected, and we appreciate your candor. Am I to understand that you are satisfied with the list and therefore have no need to cause further disturbance to the residents of the household by doing your own inventory?”

The officer handed the list to Mr. Rafferty. “Does this seem accurate to you?”

Mr. Rafferty looked over the list, his cheeks blushing when he got to the contents of the ladies’ rooms. He cleared his throat and handed the papers back. “Yes. It appears complete.”