Chapter 38

"Gentlemen, " Allastir Lawton said as he was shown into the Darcy House drawing room two days later. "I believe you wished to speak to me. Your man was rather insistent that he escort me here. A note would have sufficed. I believe it is in all of our best intrests to have this meeting."

"Oh?" Col. Fitzwilliam said as he scrutinized him. Darcy and Littleton where also quietly studying him. Darcy fought to control his anger when faced with him. He wanted to lash out at the man in front of him for Elizabeth's sake. He reminded himself that before he could tear the man from limb to limb they needed answers. The three, along with Bingley had been about to call at Matlock House, but Allastir Lawton's presence changed that. The three had stayed behind, but sent Bingley to Matlock House to alert the Earl and stay to protect the ladies.

"My father, I am sure you have discovered is an unscrupulous man. He began his fortune in trade most believe, but the true source of his wealth has been blackmail," Allastir said grimly. "I am prepared to cut a deal with you. I want first class passage for my brother and I out of England, along with 5,000 pounds apiece in return for what I am about to tell you."

"5,000 each, that is 10,000. What makes you think what you have to say is worth that, plus two first class tickets?" Littleton demanded.

"Because I saved your cousin's life," he responded grimly. When the other men said nothing he continued saying, "If not for me she would have died shortly after her parents."

"I suggest you tell your story," Col. Fitzwilliam said before his brother or cousin could say anything.

"My little brother is a moral upright man, grant him a ticket and funds appropriate to his station and I will. Once I have shared my story with you, you can reconsider my request for myself."

"Done," Darcy said grimly. His argument was not with the younger Lawton, he would agree and honor his agreement to learn what they needed. The fact that the man seemed to be willing to speak without any greater guarantee gave him pause. Even blinded by anger he could see that the man was not what he expected. He remembered Elizabeth's words about the man not being a hardened criminal and found himself reluctantly agreeing with the assessment.

Allastir nodded and said, "My father always pushed me to be a man, to involve myself in what he considered manly pursuits. As I got older he wanted me to act like what he consider how gentlemen my age acted. He gave me an allowance amd encouraged me towards vice." Here he paused and then said, "I never liked him. He was a cruel man. He grew his empire with blackmail. Ammassing a fortune by destroying memebers of his own class. He would blackmail his way into lucrative buisness deals. But was unable to gain what he wanted, connections into the ton. When I was at university he finally came across information that would allow him to gain a foothold into high society. He found information that would allow him to arrange a marriage between me and Miss Anne de Bough, who came with an estate and connections to the Fitzwilliam and Darcy families."

"Sir Lewis's marriages," Littleton guessed.

"Yes," Allastir agreed. "I don't know how he got the information, nor is it pertinent to my story. He approached Sir Lewis with what he knew. Sir Lewis tried to pay him off but my father refused and laid out his terms. Sir Lewis claimed his daughter to be betrothed already to the Darcy heir and offered to pay him money again. My father refused and said he would come up with another way for Sir Lewis to pay. He finally had someone with connections to the first circles in his was determined to make good use of that. While my father was doing this I tried my hand at gambling. I won at first and then started to loose heavily. I was sure my father would cover my losses since he was the one that insisted I gamble more at university. I unknowingly let him manipulate me," Allastir said with a bitter laugh. "He refused to help me but said he would consider arranging a way I could earn the funds. I later learned he set me up, he had me hustled deliberately by some ruthless individuals, so that he would have a hold over me and despite knowing what and who he was, I never saw it coming. That was not his only hold though, he had my brother. I should say half brother. My little brother never learned the truth, but he was not my father's child, but my uncle's. It is a sorid tale, but evidently my uncle seduced his brother's wife for revenge. My father found out, but felt that Harold could be useful to him. Before he arranged a way for me to earn the funds, he allowed the men who held my debts to beat me. I still had not learned yet that he had set me up. He could have paid them off easily, but he wanted me to be desperate. He introduced me to Sir Lewis and said that he had arranged a way for me to earn the funds I needed. I was told that I was to assist in a kidnapping. Part of the ransom would be mine to pay off my debts, and that no one would be hurt. I should have never believed it to be so simple and easy but I was young, barely 19, stupid and scared, not even out of University yet, so I agreed. My creditors were threatening me and alluding that they would not stop with just me. Some of my father's men were to assist Sir Lewis, and that was when I learned the truth. They were the same ones that had beat me. I was told to wait in the coach, that I would be responsible for caring for the child. I will never forget Sir Lewis's face when he threw her into the coach, such hatred and such satisfaction on his face when she landed with a sickening thump."

"Bastard," hissed Littleton.

Ignoring him Allastir continued, "Later, I learned that Sir Lewis had initially proposed to my father that Anne was the heir after Lysette to Glenwood and if he assisted him in dispossing of the Master and Mistress, along with their daughter, as well as providing the funds to break the berothal contract with Darcy, Anne could be betrothed to me. But my father saw a different opportunity. Sir Lewis had boasted about Lady Catherine being Lysette's godmother and his assumption that he would be trustee to the eastate and Lysette Fitzwilliam's guardian if anything ever happened to the Fitzwilliams. With Anne engaged to the Darcy heir and the information he had on her, she would be in a position to increase his own standing in the future. Lysette Fitzwilliam though, could provide a true connection to the Fitzwilliam and Darcy names and Sir Lewis would be in a position to betroth Lysette Fitzwilliam to his youngest son, my brother."

"But Sir Lewis was not the trustee or guardian. My father was," Darcy said his tone flat as he fought to reign in his anger."And he never would have agreed to such a betrothal."

"Yes. Sir Lewis learned that evidently right before he killed Marcus Fitzwilliam, but he did not know it when he left the carriage with Miss Fitzwilliam and me in it. After he had thrown her unconscious body in with me. The driver, one of my father's men took off. I checked her for a pulse. She had clearly put up a struggle, and I was relieved to find her alive. I had some luadamun to keep her quiet I had planned on dosing her with when they handed her in, but in her unconcious state, she did not need it. I picked her up off the floor and tried to lay her as gently as possible on the seat. She didn't stir. I had been instructed that the others, including Sir Lewis and my father, would be meeting the carriage at an old hunting lodge nearby that my father had managed to acquire. When they arrived I learned what had happened. Before I could even wrap my mind around the fact that somehow this simple kidnapping had been a planned double murder, my father agreed with Sir Lewis that the girl was no use alive now. I was horrified. They ordered me to dispose of her, wanting the body elsewhere. Two of my father's men climbed to the coachman's seat. I opened the door and saw her sitting up staring at me with wide terror filled eyes. I knew if she made a sound her life was over so I punched her hard enough to knock her out. A tiny bruised little girl," Allastir said in a pained voice. "I had never wanted to be like my father and raise my fists to a woman or child. But I hit that tiny frightened little girl who had just become an orphan."

"We all do things we do not want too in desperate situations. Go on," Col. Fitzwilliam said quietly to the obviously pained man. His instincts told him that this man was telling the truth, and he had learned to trust them.

"I realized that my father's man was headed for London. A perfect place to leave a body. I knew I had to come up with a plan before we reached London. Everytime she stirred, I forced some of the luadanum down her throat. She fought me the first time. I could not kill her, but I knew if I did not my own brother woukd likely pay the price. His use to my father was clearly to marry well and gain connections, a plan that had gone wrong. I was my father's blood and he held no love for me, I did not delude myself about him. If he was willing to harm a little girl who he did not know, he would thrill in hurting my brother to punish me. As she slept I thought about my father's hold over me with my younger brother and came up with the beginings of a plan. I decided to assume that as an only child as long as she had a younger cousin she loved, my plan would work. When she stirred and I ask if she loved her baby couisn, I was relieved when she nodded. I threatened her with her couisn's safety and then knowing I had to act before we reached London, I opened the carriage door and pushed her out. I prayed that she would be found, but that she would never reveal what she knew. I was not stupid. I knew my father held all the power and control. I claimed I tossed her lifeless body out of the coach when my father's man who had been driving questioned me. That bastard congratulated me on being a man. I was disgusted, but knew that my life, my brother's, and Lysette Fitzwilliam's life depended on me concealing the truth. And that gentlemen is the story of my involvement."

"Good God," Littleton said in horror.

Col. Fitzwilliam said grimly, "I believe you. You are telling the truth. But why did you not speak up before now? I can understand a young man, not of age at University being to scared to initially say anything, but you have had fourteen years to step forward."

"I did not even know where I had pushed her out at, or what had happened to her. My brother turned 21 this year, and I have done my best to keep him out of my father's schemes. The only way he will truly be safe is to leave the country. But my father knows Harold is his greatest hold over me and I have not been able to get him away. I have only the funds he gives me, and believe me when I say that is scant. I am not foolish enough to take to the tables again in an attempt to win more and I will not compromise my morals any further then I have been forced to do so. God will be my judge. I have acted as best I thought I could at times. I can admit, I am not the smartest man, the strongest or the quickest. When Harold went off to University I considered sending an anynomous note, but how to explain such a thing in a note and I had no notion if I would make things worse for your family by giving them hope when anything could have happened to her since I saw her last. To do so would have possibly endangered my brother and myself with no assurance that you would even believe it. Call me a coward if you will, but I selfishky decided not to risk it."

Darcy said nothing but stared hard at him, searching for the truth.

With a word from Col. Fitzwilliam for him to continue, Lawton said, "When I saw the notice in the paper I knew that when I returned to London I would need to speak to you. In the intermittent weeks I realized that you could very likely be my brother's salvation, as well as mine. I have protected my brother for almost a decade and a half. I married the woman my father choose for me and said nothing when she became his mistress, in addition to being my wife. She recently attempted to seduce my brother. Evidently my father has offered her a reward if she deliverd an heir to his empire." He paused here and acknowledged the disguted expression the others wore before continuing. He said, "I cannot protect Harold forever. Someday my father will find a way to draw my brother into his vile manipulations as well. He is obsssed. Driven. I have attempted to gather evidence against my father, but never have I been able to gain anything more then circumstantial. Any that are willing to witness against him,I have no power or funds to protect them, and most that would speak out are in a worse position then me. He treats me as his errand boy. He knows I disapprove of everything he is. He is smart enough to keep me away from his true crimes ever since I made my disgust with the Fitzwilliam situation known. He has believed his knowledge of the murder he believed I committed for him, gives him a power over me. He does not realize I do not speak out against him to save myself, but rather to protect my brother. The devil I know is better then the devil I don't. I am sure that once my wife produces the heir he wants, I will meet with a fatal accident, not until after the birth of course. He needs society to believe the child is legitimate and his grandson. He is obsessed with becoming part of the first circles. My wife is a gentleman's daughter. Her father had a small impoverished estate she was the heiress to, a step in the right direction. She like, my father though, wants to rise in society. She was appalled to be marrying the son of a tradesman until she realized what my father's money could do for her. "

"Your father, I assume is a threat to our cousin," Col. Fitzwilliam said.

"He could be. If he continues to believe what I told him happened fourteen years ago, he will see it as an opportunity to blackmail her, which I imagine would expose to him that I lied. His anger at me for going against him is likely to spill over to her, as well as my brother, in that case. He could also decide to be prudent and let her go if he realizes I lied before approaching Miss Fitzwilliam. Of course if he realizes I lied without approaching her, his anger could still spill over to her. Other then Sir Lewis though, he has not had dealings with any connected to the first circles, or I imagine he would be dead by now. He preys on tradesmen and the fringes of the ton. Lower gentry."

"Fleeing the country and starting a new life might work just fine for you and your brother, but not for our cousin. She just returned to her birthright. The House of Matlock certainly will not see her flee from her rightful place," Littleton said his voice firm.

"Neither will I," Darcy said firmly. "The Darcys may not be titled or a large group, but we are powerful. Your father should never have gone after her, or her parents. He will feel the wrath he has incurred. I will pay for you and your brother's passage as well as settling some funds on both of you. First though I request a sworn statement by you on everything you know about your father and his business. I want you both out of England. I want my cousin to be able to walk in the park without the risk of encountering either of you. Whether you mean her harm or not, your very existence is upsetting to her. You may not have been able to stop him, but my position, along with that of my family, is different, and we will see that he pays and is unable to bring harm to others anymore."

"Good. He deserves to be squashed like a bug. He has preyed on the weak and the lord knows I have not been able to prevail against him. He has attempted to broker an advantageous marriage for my brother, but has been unable to secure a way into the circles he wants. After his scheme with Sir Lewis for Miss Fitzwilliam's hand, he is reluctant to settle for anything less, but lacks the connections to gain the information he wants for the marriage he wants to use Harold for. No one in the first circles would willingly betroth their daughter to the son of a tradesman," Allastir said. "He doesn't even see how any he could gain the type of information on for that kind of leverage, would likely soon as kill him as anything else."

"Other then Sir Lewis," Littleton said.

"Even Sir Lewis appears to have been wily enough to not wish to see his daughter tied to the son of a tradesman and criminal if possible. Sir Lewis attempted to settle his debt after his failed attempt with Glenwood, by offering to betroth Miss de Bough to me, admitting the betrothal he claimed to the Darcy heir was false. My father was livid when he found out Sir Lewis had lied to him that swearing he would see the man pay. He also before that refused to betroth her to me, though I do not know why, since that had been his first intentions. He was adamant a mattiage between me and Miss de Bough would never happen. I have always suspected he had something to do with the accident that lead to Sir Lewis's death. No evidence though, and unargueably the man did deserved to die. Sir Lewis signed his own death warrant when he came to my father at the end of the winter hoping to do away with the Fitzwilliams of Glenwood."