FF PRIDE and PREJUDICEAU NOT Cannon
Check-Mate
I do not own the copy rights to the book, or bbc special, Pride and Prejudice
Finding Joy again...sort of
(I promise the Bennet world will 'be back' shortly)
Ch. 12
"We have to seal this door." I hate the idea. I know it will stop me from going back to Thomas only I have to do what must be done. If I don't, Bryant will win his stupid game of chess. "Can we do that? It's not safe down there - look how long it took me to get back. If there hadn't been scraps of food, I'd have been a goner." I ask Mr. and Mrs. Hughes who are in shock when I show back up with Raven. I know it wasn't necessarily right to add the 'reason' only they can't be told the facts.
"I'll get permission." Mr. Hughes leaves the room as does his wife.
"You don't want to stay here - do you?" Raven asks and gives me a sympathetic look when I shoot him a 'what-do-you-think type of look. "Uh, not much of a choice?"
"Not much." I sigh and go to stand up. "I'm going to sleep." It is only after a short nap and then dinner. Afterwards, we get permission to seal up the door as a means of keeping Bryant from doing anything stupid, that much is a relief to me.
"Now…" Raven speaks once the door is taken care and we, along with Quinton, are away from the house. "...we need an explanation for Joy not being found. One Bryant is likely to buy. Hopefully, it will get him to back off your case when you get home."
"We can always show him these." I pull out the white gloves and show him the ring. "Just have to make them look beat up and dirty. Swing by the ocean first. Hopefully, this will be a check mate move."
OOOOO
"No personal insult, princess, but I do not care for England." Quinton buttoned jacket as I work on the gloves. Rolling them in dirt, dunking them in water and so forth. He takes care of the ring while Raven continues to keep an eye out for any looking suspicious activity. That last thought makes me laugh- they aren't impressed.
"I actually quite enjoy it. Fog and all." I laugh as he only rolls his eyes.
"Your highness, Quinton." Raven called as he looked around a boulder. "Come look and what I just found."
"Oh, my goodness and…" Quinton shook his head slowly. "If I did not know better, I would swear that was Joy." My friend seldom speaks formally in casual settings; hence, I know he truly is shocked.
We, Raven and I, hadn't actually told Quinton about Joy. I questioned the body being my friend's. Raven did too, I could tell by the looks he gave me. "I doubt we can get anyone in authority to sign us papers to take her back with us." I speak slowly knowing for sure I had left Joy behind with Darcy and the Bennets even though I had no real proof of it.
"Looks like those gloves and rings are going to come in better than we thought." Raven got in contact with the English lawmen and ignored a passing boat.
Calling the English authorities didn't take long; however, them showing up was another matter. I walked down the shoreline and knelt on the sand. Was I the one losing it? Just as much as Jasmine? I knew where I had been, knew who I had met and had been attracted to far stronger than I'd ever been, but this? I couldn't make it out. She looked like Joy, wore clothes that could easily be my friends, but the ring and gloves? The hands I'd seen behind the boulders were too rough and worn to be Joy's. I doubt they'd seen a pair of gloves in their life. And to have sported as an expensive a ring as my friend had given me? I doubt it.
"Abigail." Raven helped me stand up and held out the gloves I'd given to him seconds before the call to the law was made. "Forgive me."
"For what?" I looked at him confused, which quickly left as he told me he was going to slip the ring onto the lady's hand and put the gloves on her. "Why would you do that?"
"Because we need leverage." He promises to pull Maynar aside when all is said and done. "Go wait in the car. The police should be here soon."
I am in the car for only seconds when the law shows up. I do not move, which is not hard as I am still processing what I've been through - and what I now see. Raven and Quinton are having no problems talking to the law. No signs of tight muscles, no nervous twitches or sweating. They had to have mentioned me for one of the Bobby's - a term I have heard on television -comes and knocks on the window.
"You knew the young lady?" He asks.
"We…" I know my look of shock is still in place. The good man waits patiently as I manage to get out that the woman appears to be an old friend, Joy. "I've been looking for her the past few weeks." He asks a few other questions and I manage to answer him - or look at him in utter confusion. Afterwards, the policeman leaves and soon Raven and Quinton are back in the car.
"They are sending for the proper authorities- ones who can release the body to our country." Raven turned the car on and turned the car around. "We're following them, already called your brothers."
"Goodie, Goodie. Just who I wanted to see on my birthday - Bryant and a dead lady who looks like Joy." I then shut my mouth as Quinton gives me 'the eye'.
Th drive is uneventful to town was uneventful. At least I thought so, but I wasn't driving. That being the case, my mind wasn't on any cars going by our vehicle. It bothers me, finding 'Joy' the way we did; However, there was little I can do. I will just have to keep quiet until I get home.