Notes: A "guest" reviewer pointed out that Andrew Fitzwilliam would be too young to be a bishop. I have searched everywhere that I could to confirm or deny this, finally resorting to looking at the available personal histories of all of the archbishops. The youngest that any of these men made bishop was forty-three. Therefore I need to go back through the previous chapters and amend my mistake. So thank you to "guest".
Chapter Seventeen – The Plot Thickens
The following morning was a busy one for several people in the local area. Matthew Piper had returned to Greenwich without any return messages only to find that his services were once again required for a trip to Meryton... this time to the constable's office and then back to Longbourn. Matthew saw Mr. Bennet for the first time when he was allowed to hand his express post over to the man under Constable Budge's watchful eye. He does not seem like a violent man. He just looks old and careworn.
Mr. Bennet requested and was reluctantly granted ink, a pen, and a sheet of foolscap. He was actually smiling when he handed the return message to Matthew. Then it was on to Longbourn for the express rider.
At Longbourn Matthew was blessed with another look at the dark-haired beauty with the pretty eyes. Those eyes took on additional sparkle after reading the message he carried. Her smile followed him all of the way back to Meryton, where the post-master flagged him down to carry a message to Sheerness, in Kent. Normally Matthew would have handed a message for that far away to the next post-rider on the route, but Sheerness was only ten miles from the estate where his father still worked, so he determined to make the trip himself. He rode away from Meryton with a smile on his face, the memory of a beautiful woman in his mind and the anticipation of seeing his father.
Andrew and Darcy's morning was less pleasant. They had attempted to convince Mr. Turnbull that Mr. Bennet was innocent and that, in fact, there might be no crime at all. It quickly became clear that the magistrate had no interest in their words. This crime was already becoming famous and obtaining a conviction would be a feather in the man's cap. Who knew? It might even result in a knighthood. With those ideas in the man's head, reason had little chance of penetrating.
The two men eventually gave up and paid a visit to Mr. Bennet. They found him to be surprisingly relaxed and cheerful. At his request a portion of his library had been delivered to his cell on the previous day. Mr. Bennet set down his copy of Homer and smiled, "Good day, gentlemen. And how are you?"
"We are well, Mr. Bennet," Andrew replied. "You seem chipper this morning."
"Ah yes. It seems that Kitty has recovered and Dr. MacDonald had made her an offer of his hand. A good man. Has been seeing to her care for some time now. Always knew that my Kitty held a tendre for him. Didn't know how he felt about her."
Andrew and Darcy shared a look. Andrew as pleased to know that his former rival for Jane's affections had turned his sights elsewhere. Darcy spoke up, "You have approved the match? She is full young."
"Seventeen. Yes. Well, if I am to hang or visit Von Diemen's land, then it pleases me to think that another of my girls is safely cared for. And you, Mr. Darcy. Am I to suppose that you are looking into my case with nothing but altruistic motives, or had my favorite daughter caught your fancy?"
Andrew chuckled as Darcy blushed and replied, "I will not deny that she has my attention. What may come of it, I cannot say."
"Well, if all works out, you have my blessing. Not that it is of value since I ceded all authority in Lizzie's life to your aunt after my wife tried to marry her off to that buffoon Collins."
"Collins will not trouble anyone for a while, Mr. Bennet. It seems that a constable from Huntsford came and collected the man. They departed first thing this morning. The man will stand trial in Kent for theft of the wagon and horse-thievery. As I understand it, the owner of said properties would like to see the man swing. The horse was one of its best and Collins drove the beast so hard that he lamed it."
Bennet nodded and Darcy added, "We have commissioned Bow Street Runners to search for your wife and any clues to what is happening here. Collins could not or would not account for his whereabouts for the past weeks, but without any evidence making him complicit in this situation, Budge would not entertain our request to hold the man. As of now there are no other leads."
oOo
Mr. Turnbull slammed his tumbler down on his massive desk. The brandy in his glass sloshed up and out, wetting his hand and staining the express from Lord John Scott. Only a day before Turnbull's name had featured prominently in The Times, listing him as the man who would be responsible for bringing a brutal murderer to justice. Now this!
Turnbull had been a moderately successful barrister when he attached his future to Baron Erskine, who was appointed Lord Chancellor in 1806 when the Ministry of All Talents formed a government. Though Turnbull did not agree with all of Erskine's reformist ideas, he was certain that the man would carry Turnbull into a top position. Instead the coalition government lasted for only fourteen months after Erskine took office. In the worst form of betrayal, Baron Erskine appointed his own son-in-law as the Master of Chancery instead of Turnbull.
When Lord John Scott assumed the mantle of Lord Chancellor, Turnbull attempted to ingratiate himself to the man in order to retain his position. The man never even gave him the time of day. Instead he gave Turnbull one day to turn over his cases and clear his desk.
Turnbull attempted to resume his practice as a barrister, but some of his actions while serving the Chancellor had burned important professional connections. Those connections then returned the favor now that Turnbull was out of power.
One year after the loss of his position, Turnbull's older brother passed, making Turnbull the new master of Thornridge, a nondescript estate of moderate income. He move to the estate and did little to improve the estate. When the local magistrate position became available, he jumped on the opportunity, seeing it as an opportunity to demonstrate his mettle. Until Mrs. Bennet's murder, however, he had dealt with nothing more challenging than petty disputes.
I will NOT allow this case to slip through my fingers! Fine, if the Lord Chancellor wants everything done by the book then that is what I will do! We shall have an inquest right away. That, at least, will keep my name in the public ear.
oOo
"Mrs. Thompson, may I have a moment of your time?" Jim Beecher, a footman at Darcy House requested.
"Certainly, Jim. How may I help you?"
"It... it's my sister, Mira, Mrs. Thompson," Jim began, worrying his hands unconsciously. Mira was one of the upstairs maids who had only recently joined the house. "I heard she was keeping company with someone. She didn't tell me herself, so's I pulled her aside to ask, since my parents made me promise to look after her. She wasn't sayin' much, actin' all secretive-like. So I followed her the next time she left the house and saw her holdin' hands and walkin' with a gent in the park... only he looked familiar. He didn't stay long and was gone so I returned here...
"Thing is, the more I thought on the matter, the more I thought I knew him. Then it came to me that he paid a visit to Mr. Darcy gone on a year ago and the men exchanged angry words. The man left afterwards mutterin' about vengeance. I don' think he's a good man, Mrs. Thompson, and I'm afraid he's usin' Mira to get at the master."
Mira was summoned. She was furious at her brother's betrayal, but eventually admitted that Mr. Wickham had been asking a lot of questions about Mr. and Miss Darcy. She even admitted that she told the man that Miss Darcy was staying in Greenwich.
Another express traveled from London to Longbourn, this time carried by a different rider.
oOo
Farmer Lowell found the woman's body on the following morning. The gruesome find had been buried under the loose rubble of an embankment on the Netherfield side of Oakham Mount by Lowell's sheep-dog. Within an hour the constable, magistrate, and several men had arrived to collect the corpse. Since neither Turnbull nor Budge had any close dealings with Mrs. Frances Bennet, neither of them could positively identify the woman.
The body was transported by wagon under a blanket into Meryton and to the constable's office. Word had spread quickly and it seemed that more than half of the town was on-hand to greet the wagon
Sir William Lucas, as the Bennet's nearest neighbor, was summoned to identify the body. He hemmed and hawed, not comfortable with blood and death, but finally agreed to look at the face. One look made him faint. With disgust, Turnbull sent for the next-closest male neighbor, Alan Long. This man took one look and shook his head, "No, this is not Mrs. Bennet. I have never seen this woman before."
Although the magistrate insisted that the information be closely-held for the moment, Long told his wife and that worthy spread the information throughout greater Meryton within two hours. When Mrs. Phillips heard the news, she immediately began insisting that Mr. Bennet must have murdered this mystery woman as well. It was at that point that Mr. Phillips dragged his wife home and began pressing for answers. Uncharacteristically, Mrs. Phillips remained mute.
Oddly enough, Longbourn was the last place to hear of any of this. When the entire entourage from that estate arrived at the constable's office, he blustered for a time before finally allowing only the men to enter. Lord Townbridge had never met his mother-in-law. He was merely there to lend his power as a peer to his cousin. Mr. Darcy had never met Mrs. Bennet, but hoped for some clue from the body. Mr. Hill, the Bennet's butler, was the only one of the three who could make a positive or negative identification. Therefore it was unexpected when Mr. Darcy was the one to exclaim when the sheet was pulled away from the dead woman's face.
"Good God! That is Mrs. Younge!"
oOo
Notes: I apologize for all of the various stories which are happening all at once in this and the two previous chapters. Everything will be coming together soon.