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Elizabeth’s smile was that of a predator; a fox before it’s jaws snapped the neck of the chicken.

“Although Caroline Bingley tried not to discuss the source of the family wealth, her brother was not as tight lipped. Their father, and his brother, made the family fortune in a town called Scarborough. It is in the north somewhere, but the important point to note is that the business continues, under the control of the uncle.”

“I still do not understand.”

“There are lots of carriage makers, often they serve only a county or two. Bingley carriages are not known in London. I will have Mr. Jones send six men north to purchase three carriages. When they are back in London I will have them driven every day in the fashionable areas of town, Mayfair most of all. Word will quietly be spoken of a new carriage maker. Within weeks I expect that the name Bingley will be associated with them, and tie them to that trade forever. It is difficult to claim gentility, to suggest there is any cachet to their name, when the queue for the ball you are attending has several carriages bearing that same family name.”

“That is.”

Harriet stopped.

“I am not sure what the next word in my sentence should be. Brilliant, devious, the sort of thing that Italian wrote about.”

“Do you mean Machiavelli?”

“That is him, yes.”

“Caroline Bingley damningly portrayed me as the worst sort of woman. And in that instant all of my life meant nothing. 20 years of behaviour were washed away in less than a second. I am not stooping to her level. Her father and uncle created a business that thrived. There is nothing to be ashamed about that. However, she is trying to play the Princess down here in London, all airs and graces as if her family had a pedigree of hundreds of years. The sad thing is my family have been the custodians of Longbourn since the restoration, more than 150 years now.

“I am going to bring three Bingley coaches down to London and work to make sure they are known as Bingley coaches. But I am not making anything up, there will be no false accusations. Caroline Bingley is the lowest of the low, with a terrible and vicious tongue. My sense is that there will be many who are just waiting for the right moment or event to turn on her.”

Little did she know how accurate that last statement was.

--

Mr. Jones was diverted from his path of more direct retribution and instead bought into the scheme of using the family business to remind everyone of the Bingley’s antecedents. Within three weeks there were an additional three carriages in the mews.

“Where have you stabled all the carriages?”

“Er. here in the mews, my Lady.”

“We had space for three additional carriages?”

“Oh yes, my Lady. There is still room for two more.”

“How big are the mews?”

She held up her hand.

“Clearly they are large enough to accommodate six carriages. I suppose my underlying question is why are they so large?”

“In the years and decades of the past, I assume the family in residence was much larger. I will admit that two of the spaces needed a lot of cleaning.”

30 minutes later Elizabeth, wearing boots, stood in the mews looking at the carriages.

“How do we do this?”

She looked at Mr. Jones rather than the head groomsman.

“I have a plan, my Lady.”

He said no more but did glance at the groomsman. Elizabeth understood, what he did not know about he could told gossip about. They returned to the house.

“Tell me your plan Mr. Jones.”

“I cannot be involved, none of your guards can. We are all too well known, or will be shortly, as having only one arm. There are several parts to it.

“First of all Mr. Lawrence will hire additional maids, two for each carriage. They will be dropped off in a fashionable area of town and then walk down the street as normal. There are always maids who are on an errand for their mistress. When the carriage goes past one maid will comment to the other one of the following phrases.