Author's Notes
Hello everyone, yes I am pleased with myself because this is a very fast update comsidering my previous ones and I hope it is to your liking. My beta LizzieB was awesome as always. Thank you!
And to all those who reviewed and gave me stuff to think on, I have left ya'll a small thank you note at the end.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 3
The room at the inn was decidedly below standards, with its musty curtains, sparse furniture and the most dreadfully uncomfortable bed. But Lord Chesterfield did not notice any of these atrocities as he strode inside. One incident was taking up precedence in his mind, refusing to leave him at peace; his entirely unexpected meeting with the young girl known in these parts as Miss. Elizabeth Bennett, or as she was addressed in his mind, Elizabeth Fitzwilliam.
He sank onto the lone chair by the inconsequential writing desk, not even noticing when it creaked in protest and exhaled slowly. He absently untied his cravat, hands working at the knots with the ease acquired through regular practise, his agitated mind flitting briefly to the fact that he had not thought to bring his valet along, before settling back onto the matter at hand.
His Elizabeth, his only daughter whom he had loved and lost eight years ago was suddenly thrust into his life again, she had been found when all hope had been forsaken. As the full gravity of the situation settled around him, an enormous joy welled up inside, rendering him deliriously happy for a few blissful moments. However, as was wont to happen, his happiness soon faded beneath the painful memories of his past that now came to the front of his mind.
Screwing his eyes shut tight, he attempted to stave off the onslaught of memories that threatened to overwhelm him. He had vowed to never dwell on these dark thoughts again and for the most part he had been successful, burying himself in work and keeping his mind occupied had gone a long way to preventing days such as these when it all seemed too much to bear.
The day his daughter had been kidnapped was the day that his life and everything in it had gone downhill. And in light of recent events, he now unwillingly relived it, in every excruciating detail.
He could remember walking past the nursery door, catching a glimpse of his daughter ambling about the nursery and the fondness with which he had looked at her. He had continued down the hall, calling for his valet, he was to view his estate with Henry today, as he had done on a regular basis every week.
His younger son and wife had departed that day to Pemberley, which was but ten miles from his own estate, to visit the Darcy family. Their departure coinciding with his wish to view the grounds, left the house empty, with only the servants going about their work.
But never had he doubted the safety of his beloved daughter. His servants were all extremely loyal to the Fitzwilliam family and he trusted them to watch out for Elizabeth. However, he had failed to recollect that the nurse maid they had hired for Elizabeth was a new addition to the household. Her references were exceptionally good and she had proved her competence on more than one occasion. Because of this, he had been careless enough to assume that she could be of no harm to the family.
The memories were coming faster now, his fists clenching of their own volition. When he had returned it was to a house in uproar, Elizabeth was not in the nursery and the nurse maid was nowhere to be found. There could be no doubt, she had made off with the child.
Furious and more anxious than he'd ever been, Lord Chesterfield had immediately rode into the small village nearby demanding information on the chaise and four which had past by and was in turn told that it had been headed for London.
Armed with this meagre knowledge, he had jotted a hasty note to his wife and then made for London. However, the few hours the thief had ahead of him proved to be his undoing, no trace of a private carriage could be found once he entered the big city. Unwilling to concede defeat, he had hired investigators to aid his case, however as he had no other information on the carriage than its basic appearance they made no headway. His enquiries into the nurse maid was also fruitless, as her earlier masters informed him that she had no remaining family, nor were they aware of any of her close acquaintances.
Two years he had spent, scouring the streets of London for any sign of his daughter, to no avail. He had expected a threat of ransom, but none had come and it was with a heavy heart that he had called off the investigation and returned home to a broken hearted wife and devastated family.
He had watched helplessly as his wife refused to eat, refused to sleep and kept to her rooms, wasting away with the loss of her child. She would succumb, officially, to an illness two years later, but he knew the truth: She had simply given up.
There could be no doubt: Lord Chesterfield saw his agony was now complete. His wife and the love of his life left him behind on a path where he could not follow; his youngest child, his little girl, lost to him. Following this chain of events he had withdrawn from his remaining family, preferring to immerse himself in estate management and parliamentary matters than socialize. With no little guilt did he admit to having rather neglected his sons, he had held them at the same arm's length as all the others.
He would have continued on in this vein had it not been for that scrawled note from Richard. His brow furrowed deeply. Perhaps it was time he stopped avoiding everyone, perhaps it was time to be a good father to his children. Hopefully it wasn't all too late.
000
"And that is all the information you have?" asked Lord Chesterfield as he leaned back on his chair, steepling his fingers together and staring into the fire thoughtfully. "I don't see how I could have collected more," said Richard wearily. The Lord nodded slowly. "I suppose you couldn't have. But I heard that there was a card party to be held tomorrow." He said carefully.
"And?"
"And Sir William seems to be quite the talkative fellow, I was wondering whether we could get some more insight on the Bennets with the local gossip."
Richard blinked.
"That is a very good idea," he finally spoke. "Will you be joining me there then?"
Lord Chesterfield grimaced.
"I consider all social gatherings rather distasteful and conversing with others is not my strong point but I see no better alternative. I trust you know how to gather the needed knowledge?" he asked.
Richard nodded, the shadow of a grin on his lips.
"Father, you should know that I can be perfectly charming when need be."
The smiles accompanying these statements faded slightly when Lord Chesterfield spoke next.
"Richard, I know that these last eight years were difficult for our family. I also know, my behaviour was not that of an exemplary father as it should have been." Here he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I have been selfish in the extreme by distancing myself from you and your brother. I lost my wife and daughter but so too did you lose mother and sister. Having acted so wretchedly, avoiding the both of you such as I did.. I can only express the utmost appreciation for the fine young men you both have become."
Richard's eyes softened for the first time since entering the room. The practised stiff formality that he had developed when in the presence of his father over the years faded for a brief moment, as he placed a comforting hand on the older man's shoulder.
"It was a trying period for us all father, but now we have cause to hope. My fondest wish was once that our family would strive to be closer, but it would be no good to dwell on the past."
And for the first time in eight years, Lord Chesterfield accepted the olive branch his son offered.
Richard smiled politely and entered the various conversations about him with all the ease of a well bred gentleman. He spoke on all kinds of topics while being dealt his hand at cards, occasionally glancing toward his father to make out his countenance.
For his part, Lord Chesterfield was putting an admirable effort into conversing with the other men. He did look rather out of place and withdrawn in the boisterous environment of the Meryton society, however the general good will of the people soon put him at ease. Though he did not find much intelligent conversation, he found the company diverting at the very least.
"Tis a shame Bennet was unable to attend, he always was a good hand at whist," said a gentleman nearby, effectively drawing Richard's attention away from his reserved father.
Leaning forward, Richard played his card and kept the position, pretending to be absorbed in the game so as to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"Yes, quite," continued the other man. "Although I must say, it is a relief Mrs. Bennet is absent as well, she is becoming more and more vocal in her effusions over Miss Jane."
"How old is the child now?"
"Hardly a child Sir, already she is fifteen. No doubt she will be coming out into society upon her next birthday."
Richard could see the former nod sagely.
"She has set her sights on the eldest Lucas it seems."
There was a small chuckle all round at this.
"I do not think Lady Lucas appreciates this interest. She had always wanted a society heiress for her son, although from where she could find one is beyond me."
Richard sighed, rocking back on his chair disappointedly as the conversation shifted again. He would need to initiate some kind of talk so as to successfully turn it to his benefit. He waited patiently for Sir William, who was seated next to him, to play his hand before striking up a conversation.
"I say, the Bennets seem to be a very agreeable family. I have met Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth on a few occasions, and they appear to me such charming children." He began casually. "In fact, Miss Elizabeth rather reminds me of my own sister back at home," he added boldly.
Sir William nodded jovially. "Yes, they are excellent young ladies. My Charlotte is quite firm friends with Miss Elizabeth, since childhood." The man replied.
"The Lucas' and the Bennets are family friends I presume?" he asked politely, casting about for a way to manipulate the conversation.
"Oh most certainly, why we have been acquainted since childhood! Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas are very dear friends," laughed Sir William as he took a sip of his wine. "Lady Lucas was even present during Mrs. Bennets confinement periods." He continued and then paused thoughtfully; "Although not when Miss Elizabeth was due."
Richard seized the subject with alacrity.
"Why was that, sir?" he asked, doing his best to pose the query nonchalantly.
Sir William frowned slightly.
"Oh, Mrs. Bennet was not in Meryton during that period, in fact we had no news that she was with child till late into her confinement. The whole family had moved to London, as there was some financial problem at Longbourne and when they returned none of the children were with them. All were staying with their Aunt and Uncle in London."
Richard frowned in confusion.
"And when did you and your good wife see the new addition to the family?" he asked, hoping that he did not sound too forward.
"Ah, Miss Bennet returned six months later but Miss Elizabeth did not return with her. There were complications with her birth, you see, and she had to receive medical attention" was the man's grave reply. "Mr. Bennet made regular visits to London however. And three years later he returned with Miss Elizabeth. Mr. Bennet informed me that her situation had been dire indeed."
The man then went on to speak of Miss Mary and Miss Kitty, whom he had not yet had occasion to meet. The subject held little interest for Richard and with his troubled mind he played the next several hands extremely ill.
000
Richard explained what he had learnt to his father as soon as the both of them had retired to the inn.
"Well, this sheds some light over the situation, but at the same time confuses us greatly." Remarked the Earl once the particulars were relayed to him.
"Mrs. Bennet had come back from London without both her children, yet informing them of the birth of a child. Therefore I think that she either had a another child who perished at birth or Sir William was not telling the entire truth." Richard frowned. "How can we take that as an option? We cannot claim that he is lying." The Earl smiled grimly.
"Ah but you forget. I was gathering information as well. Mrs. Phillips, who is the sister of Mrs. Bennett had some interesting news. Although I doubt she even recalls that she gave away such information. She is prone to ramble."
Richard nodded, intrigued. "Go on."
"She was put out at Mrs. Bennet this evening I think, as she was expounding on all her faults for some reason or another. She made mention that her sister was very bad at communicating. Then with little prodding, she expounded on this remark, telling me that her sister had not even mentioned the birth of Miss Elizabeth once she returned to town. Only when Mr. Bennet returned three years later, with the girl in tow, had she been privy to that information.
"Apparently the Bennets have explained that they were unwilling to tell anyone of the birth of their daughter, as she was extremely ill and due to complications at birth it was assumed that she would not survive."
Lord Chesterfield eyed Richard shrewdly.
"Plausible yes, but not enough to convince me. Also consider the time frames Richard." The Earl paused before proceeding cautiously.
"Elizabeth was but four years of age at the time of her removal from us. But she could easily have been proclaimed to be but three years due to her relatively small build. The Bennetts remained in London for some time before returning without Mrs. Bennet. She returned six months later, still unaccompanied by Elizabeth. If Elizabeth was kidnapped three years, later at the age of four, they would have passed her off as a girl of three manageably."
Richard sighed, dropping his face into his hands.
"This is all very perplexing father, I do not see how we can be sure of this unless we confront Bennet. However, why do you think that Sir William was lying?" he asked.
Lord Chesterfield stared into the fire, "I would say that he was feeling embarrassed to admit that he had not known of the birth of a child of his 'good friends.'"
Richard snickered.
"Yes, it would give an opposite interpretation to the one he had hoped to imply. But moving back to the subject, I say we confront Bennet tomorrow with the information we have. We should be cautious in dealing with this. I say we now devise what we will speak of on the morrow."
The Earl expressed his agreement. "And how do you suggest we go about this?"
Richard stood up and began pacing. He needed to formulate a tactic to force Mr. Bennet to answer.
"I say we show every confidence in our actions. We should give him the impression that we are unequivocally certain that she is Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. If he has nothing to hide, he will be equally firm in his reply. If not, I am sure we will be able to prey upon his weakness until he confesses. I shall state all the evidence we have, along with a few falsehoods, to see how well he knows his child. Then we should speak of most of what we have gathered from Sir William and Mrs. Phillips." He decided briskly.
Lord Chesterfield nodded. "Yes, that seems a good way to approach the situation. I have it on good word that Mr. Bennet is a rather indolent person and does not enjoy confrontation. He might give up the battle sooner than we anticipate."
The two men continued to discuss their plans and speech in earnest that night, going through all details before Richard finally took his leave.
Mr. Bennet looked up as a knock was heard at his study door. Ignoring it a moment, he sighed wearily and returned his gaze to the morning paper. How he disliked being interrupted.
"Enter."
The door swung open and Mr. Hill, the butler of Longbourne, walked in. He bowed once, "A Lord Chesterfield and Lt. Richard Fitzwilliam to see you."
Mr. Bennet started. He had not had the pleasure of being introduced to the former and he knew of the latter from merely one short visit. Putting down his paper and wondering what the two men would want to discuss, he bid them enter. Mr. Hill soon returned with the two men in question, showing them into the study before closing the door behind them.
"Sit down gentlemen," said Mr. Bennet, gesturing to the chairs opposite his desk before seating himself.
Lt. Fitzwilliam introduced the two with stiff politeness.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked curiously once the introductions were made. Lord Chesterfield, whose eyes had never left Mr. Bennet's since the moment he entered the room, now spoke.
"We have come to discuss a matter of great importance and I shall get down straight to the point." He said sternly. Mr. Bennet wondered at this, he could think of no topic which they would wish to speak about, the Earl was a very important man, what could he possibly want to refer to him about.
"Eight years ago my daughter, Elizabeth, was taken from my family. She was absconded from my estate in Derbyshire to the city of London." Here he took in a painful breath.
"My son, Richard, was recently situated at Meryton with the rest of his regiment. He came upon your daughter, Miss Elizabeth, while out on a walk."
Mr. Bennet, who had grown decidedly pale at the beginning of his speech, suddenly began to speak. It was imperative that he defend himself. The matter he had never wished to be spoken of again was being brought to light and the repercussions he and his family would face if this ever got out would be very harsh indeed.
"Sir, you cannot be implying what I assume you are, I-"
Lord Chesterfield was quick to cut in, his gaze settling darkly on the man.
"You will not interrupt me, Mr. Bennet," he said quietly, yet the command in his tone could not be mistaken and Mr. Bennet could do little but comply to his demand.
"My son has found infallible data, it proves that your daughter is, in fact, Elizabeth Fitzwilliam." He said, confidence oozing out of his posture and manner of speech. "So do not attempt to persuade us on the matter, Mr. Bennet. The gossip around town has not failed to reach our ears. Richard has been most resourceful during his stay at Hertfordshire. Do you not think it strange that you announced the birth of your second daughter three years after the fact?" He continued triumphantly.
"She was in need of medical assistance, we did not know if she would survive," protested Mr. Bennet. But even to his own ears the explanation sounded weak. Internally, he was furious. There was no doubt in his mind as to whom had seen fit to arm the men with this much information. Many of the families among Longbourne had thought it strange that they did not announce the birth of their second daughter, but he had been able to hush up the matter by stating illness. Until now.
"So dire that you did not speak of it to your closest family? I find that very hard to believe." Retorted Lord Chesterfield, his eyes boring into Mr. Bennet's.
"Now tell me truthfully, is she your daughter?"
Mr. Bennet thought quickly. There must be some way that he could salvage this situation. Could he persuade them that he had found the girl and brought her up as his own? No, they would question his earlier protestations. Could he blame his defence on not wanting to part with his daughter? That was equally damning, especially considering a loving substitute parent would want to see the child among her real family. Finally looking up from his position at the desk he gave out a long, suffering sigh. There was no way out.
"She is not."
A/N
Dear reviewers. I thank you all for the support you have shown for this story. It is my first P and P fic and I was very surprised and happy with all the feedback. Several of you posed some big questions and hopefully Im answering them bit by bit. The constructive critisism also helped a lot.
I'm so glad that you spent some of your valuable time to review. Thank you again. :)
Toothlessthegreat.
Edited 06.06.16/ 07.13am
Hello again everyone, I've made a few changes to the story. An eight year time gap seemed better suited to the story than a six year one (Thank you for the help Cynithesia). And also as many people have pointed out, I've finally gotten round to changing the spellings to 'Bennet'
