RECAP:
Chapter 18 – Louisa Hurst decided to make her own decisions. Lizzy left with Lady Catherine. Alexa delayed the others from finding the truth about Lizzy's whereabouts. Darcy and Richard went to London.
© 2019 Zest Layne
"G-goddaughter?" Elizabeth echoed. She was thankful that she had already swallowed her food or she would have choked in surprise.
"Yes, I am your Godmother." Lady Catherine confirmed, refilling their teacups. "Let me guess, you thought that you are the bastard child of my husband from another woman?"
"How did –"
"How did I know? I suspected that my daughter and nephews had come to that conclusion. You see, nykin, this is why one should not go through another person's belongings without permission." Lady Catherine then proceeded to tell Elizabeth the story of how Anne and Richard opened her secret box where they found letters about her husband having an affair, which had planted the seed of their speculation.
"It is true that my husband had an affair behind my back and that it resulted in a bastard child but it's not you."
When Lady Catherine also mentioned that her miniature of Claire Bennet was missing, Elizabeth could not help but feel a little hurt. Did that mean that the cousins had long suspected her to be Lady Catherine's husband's bastard child? While she now knew that it was not the truth, she did not like the fact that Fitzwi – Lord Ashbourne and his cousins had kept it from her for so long.
Once Lady Catherine had finished her story, she looked at Elizabeth and asked, "How long had you known that you are not truly a Bennet?"
Elizabeth gazed down at her food, "I have only known about it for a week."
Lady Catherine frowned, "You poor dear, no wonder why you are always lost in thought. How come you still came with me willingly?"
"You told me about the hair comb. Grandma Claire informed me to only trust those who knew about it." She paused, avoiding eye contact, "Besides, no one was giving me the answers I wanted so I decided that coming with you was worth the risk."
Upon noticing that was much more to it than her Goddaughter's response, Lady Catherine decided to change the subject. As much as she would like to find out more about the young lady, she could tell that the poor nykin was still overwhelmed by everything. "As much as I like breaking my fast with you, young lady, we will be leaving in half an hour so I suggest that you finish your meal. Agnes will be bringing us some hot chocolate later."
Elizabeth perked up at the mention of the sweet beverage. "Hot chocolate?"
When she noticed Lady Catherine looking at her amusedly, she blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, no need to be embarrassed," Lady Catherine waved her hand in the air with a smile, "your mother was the same whenever sweets were mentioned. Though, I do suspect that you share your father's partialness to butter."
Elizabeth looked at Lady Catherine in wonderment. "My father?"
"Why yes, do you think that you came to this world just by your mother?"
She shook her head and laughed a little at Lady Catherine's words. "It's just that, this whole week all I've been hearing about is my mother. It surprised me when you mentioned my father."
"Well, you better be used to talking about your father, young lady," Lady Catherine warned, "I daresay that your mother could never have a conversation without mentioning him at least once. Your father was the same. Truly, I always try to make an excuse to get away whenever they started singing praises to each other."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "They are a love match?"
Lady Catherine nodded. "Are you happy to hear that they are?"
"Very," Elizabeth smiled.
She truly was happy about it. Elizabeth had always dreamed of marrying for love and hearing that her parents were a love match brought her joy. Of course, she would love her real parents regardless of their situation but knowing that they could be the family she had always longed for… was something else entirely.
Her happy thoughts did not last long, however. Was she born before they got married? Was that why she was given away? Did they send her away to avoid a scandal? Why did they want her back now, after eighteen years? And why was her Godmother the one to fetch her and not her parents?
"I can see that your mind is running wild again," Lady Catherine brought her out of her thoughts.
"Am I that easy to read?" Elizabeth could not help but ask. While she was close with Mary, Kitty, Mrs Winters, the Lucases and the Gardiners, they were fooled by her facial expressions half the time. It was why they could never tell whenever she was up to some mischief – like sneaking out of the house, spying on Jane and her suitor, or secretly befriending Lady Amelia and meeting Lord Ashbourne in the Gardiner Warehouse. As far as Elizabeth knew, only her Abigail, Alexa could truly decipher her moods.
Lady Catherine shook her head. "Your mother is a dear friend of mine and you look a lot like her. You have almost the same expressions. Now, what is it that made you frown? I thought you are happy that your parents are a love match?"
"I am happy," she said, "but I wonder at what could be their reason for giving me away."
"Never doubt your parents' love for you, nykin." Lady Catherine told her solemnly. "Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to tell you their reason, I think it would be better if you hear it from them. Besides, an inn is no place to talk about such private matters."
Elizabeth nodded in understanding and finished her meal. Soon, Agnes, Lady Catherine's Abigail entered the room with a mug of hot chocolate. After Elizabeth had finished savouring the sweet drink, they rested for a little while and Elizabeth wrote a letter to both the Gardiners and Alexa, informing them that she was well. Not much later, they were back on the road to bring Elizabeth to her family.
-p&p-
About two hours later after Elizabeth and Lady Catherine had finished breaking their fast, Madeline Gardiner, Edward Gardiner and Sarah Winters, were waiting for Lizzy to join them at the dining table.
"Alexa," Madeline called, "has Lizzy come out of her room yet?"
The abigail shook her head.
"I will go and check." Mrs Winters said. "Maybe last night has taken a toll on her."
As Mrs Winters left to go upstairs to Lizzy's room, Madeline looked at her husband. "I know you are worried about Lizzy, we all are, but please do not say anything anymore against her engagement with the Marquess. It will not make her feel better."
"I know. I will apologise later." Edward sighed. "If I am being honest I'm not really opposed to the match. I know Lord Ashbourne to be an honourable man and Lizzy would not have accepted him if they do not love each other. I am just worried because their names are on Claire's list."
Madeline nodded. "I hope whatever misunderstanding she had with the Marquess can be fixed soon. I do not like seeing Lizzy upset."
"As do I," Edward nodded. "What do you think was their misunderstanding about?"
Madeline was about to answer her husband's question but the sound of Mrs Winters' loud footsteps interrupted her. Why was Sarah running?
"Lizzy is not in her room," Mrs Winters spoke first before the Gardiners could question her. "I looked around her room and she has some missing clothes. This note was placed on her bed." She held out the folded note to the Gardiners with tears in her eyes.
With shaking hands, Edward took the note and read it.
Beside him, Madeline let out a gasp. "Do you think they found her?"
"I do not know," Edward answered. "Graham," he called for their head footman, "Ask the stablemen to prepare the carriage."
Graham nodded and bowed.
"We will go to Lucas Lodge first," Edward stated. "See if they saw this Maria Smith. Then, we'll see what we can do from them."
Meanwhile, Alexa Digby returned to her room and opened up the letter she had found at Miss Lizzy's vanity desk last night. Once the Gardiners had retired last night, she had searched Miss Lizzy's room for clues. Alexa was sure that her mistress would not leave her in the dark.
And she was right, for at the top drawer of Miss Lizzy's vanity desk (their usual hiding place for letters back then, when Miss Lizzy would sneak out without permission) Alexa found a letter.
Alexa,
I am hoping you would find this letter… And when you do, please keep it to yourself. My curiosity has gotten the best of me again. Well, you know me. I know you must be mad at me for involving you in my impulsive actions once again. To be honest, I am uncertain myself if this is what I should really do. However, I am desperate for answers.
Let me do this, please. A foolish decision it may be, but I need to take this chance. Digby, I trust you to keep this a secret. You have always been my closest friend.
Can you believe that you are still able to put up with me? A true friend, you are, indeed. To make it up to you, my friend, I promise to write on the morrow. Have it your way and tell the truth to everyone if I did not do that. Everyone, in my opinion, means the Gardiners and the Lucases. Report to them how I lied and impart them of our secret. If, however, a letter arrived to-morrow night, then do keep this a secret for a little longer. Not telling anyone is hard, I know, and I am sorry for putting all of this on you. Eager as you are to share what you know, I know that you would not.
Do not worry about me, Alexa. Elizabeth shall be safe. Be sure to keep that in mind. On that note, I shall end this letter now. Uncle Gardiner has his own letter on my bed. Read its contents but leave it on my bed afterwards. Good night, my friend, I should be going now. Horses – I cannot believe I almost forgot! – take care of Apollo for me.
Love,
Lizzy.
P.S. I am serious. I shall write tomorrow and the next days to inform you of my well-being. If anything goes wrong, I am sorry for putting the burden on you. I do hope you found out who Maria Smith is.
Alexa sighed. The letter might have looked like an ordinary one but it was not. It was the clue that Miss Lizzy had left her. She was now the only one who knew the truth. Miss Lizzy was not with a woman named Maria Smith. She was with Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Miss Lizzy had managed to inform Alexa about it using their secret code. The first letters of every sentence in Miss Lizzy's letter indicated the truth about the situation.
On one hand, Alexa was relieved. Miss Lizzy left her the real information. If anything went wrong, Alexa's knowledge about the real situation would be their first clue to Miss Lizzy's whereabouts. On the other hand, she sometimes wished that her mistress didn't trust her so much. What if she told the Gardiners too late and something bad had already happened to Miss Lizzy? Or what if she told them too early and Miss Lizzy did not want to be found?
Looking up at the ceiling, Alexa closed her eyes and began to pray. Miss Lizzy was going to owe her for this.
-p&p-
Meanwhile, in London, at the Matlock Townhouse, Fitzwilliam Darcy had just woken up. Upon seeing that it was already ten o'clock in the morning, he rang the bell for a servant to prepare his bath and to help him get dressed up for the day. Usually, he would wake up three – sometimes even four – hours earlier, but he supposed that his body had taken a toll last night.
Calming down a horse was not hard for him, given his love for riding, but many horses had been frantic last night. He and Richard, along with some stablemen, had to walk around Netherfield to find the other horses who managed to run away. Fortunately, they hadn't gone that far.
The situation still made him curious, though. It looked like whoever played that prank must have really wanted the stablemen to suffer, considering that the stables were found unlocked. That was why the horses had come in different directions when they have been startled by frogs and squirrels.
Shaking his head, he headed towards the dining room where his Aunt and Uncle Matlock were already breaking their fast with Richard and Cousin Matilda, Richard's youngest sibling.
"Nephew, how was your sleep?" His Aunt Elinor asked.
"I slept fine, Aunt."
Aunt Elinor nodded in acknowledgement. "You and Richard should not ride out that late again, William. Your mother will not be pleased."
"Anne is worried about Aunt Catherine, Mother. We all are." Richard reasoned.
"I understand that but your Aunt is not stupid," Aunt Elinor countered, "she only travels with the best carriage and footmen as she often boasts so. Your mothers would appreciate it if you do not put yourselves in danger. What if you encountered some ruffian on the loose?" She paused, staring at both Fitzwilliam and Richard as if daring them to challenge her.
Fitzwilliam and Richard looked down at their plates. One could not argue with Elinor Fitzwilliam, especially in situations when safety was involved. "It would not make your mother feel better if she found out that you travelled on horseback so late at night, William. And you, Richard, what about me, your poor mother? Do you like seeing me suffer? Was that why you joined the army and refused to study the law or become a clergyman?"
"Forgive us, Aunt," Fitzwilliam said, "it will not happen again."
Aunt Elinor nodded at him before looking expectantly at her son.
"I am sorry too, Mother," Richard finally said. "If it makes you feel better, though, I shall be selling my commission before the end of the year. You see, I have proposed to Anne and she has accepted me. Aunt Catherine had also given us her blessings the other day."
What happened next surprised both Fitzwilliam and Richard.
As soon as Richard finished his statement, Cousin Matilda got up from her chair and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Thank you, Mama."
Aunt Elinor smiled. "I told you, your brother would try to make me feel better by telling me good news whenever I try to make him feel guilty."
Fitzwilliam watched with amusement as Richard stared at his mother and sister incredulously. "I've been played?"
The two women only shared a laugh.
"I am serious about my scolding though." Aunt Elinor said.
"Do not worry, brother, at least you do not owe me a favour." Matilda smiled. "Speaking of," she paused, looking at the doorway, "Good Morning, Henry. Did you know that Richard is now engaged to Cousin Anne and that Aunt Catherine had already given him her permission?"
Henry, who had just arrived, blinked twice at Matilda before sitting down next to Fitzwilliam with a groan. "I thought you are waiting for at least another year before proposing?" He glared at Richard.
"That was months ago," Richard defended, "things change. Besides, what does your bad mood have to do with me? Besides, aren't you supportive of my relationship with Anne?"
"Don't mind him, brother," Matilda said cheerfully, "He's just mad because he lost the bet about when you and Cousin Anne would get engaged. Now, he has no choice but to let Mr Marlowe call on me."
"What?!" Richard exclaimed at the same time Henry scowled. "You are too young to receive suitors."
Matilda only smiled, "That's what Henry said too, so we made a bet. Too bad he lost." She paused, taking a sip of her tea, "besides, I am already out. For months now, in case you have forgotten."
Richard shook his head before turning at his elder brother. "How could you let her win?"
"Me?" Henry asked in disbelief. "'Tis you who let her win. You're the one who proposed to Anne this year."
"But why would you bet on that?" Richard protested.
Henry deadpanned. "You have wagered on when I would stop courting Lady Lettice."
"That was years ago," Richard argued, "besides, that was different."
"How so?"
Before Richard could open his mouth to respond, Matilda cut in. "Oh, do stop fighting. There is still one other way to retract my win."
Richard snapped his head at his sister, "What?"
"If Cousin Ashbourne somehow got engaged as well – which is impossible, no offence cousin –"
Before his Cousin could go any further, Fitzwilliam swallowed the last of his bacon and took one last sip of his coffee before excusing himself and walking out of the dining room.
"Did I say something wrong?" He heard Matilda asked.
"No, he was probably having a headache. We did travel late last night."
He sighed when he heard Richard's response. At least he could be sure that his favourite cousin wouldn't reveal anything to his family. Fitzwilliam did not think that he could deal with it right now. Not when Elizabeth had basically ended their engagement last night.
He kicked the foot of his bed in frustration. Why did he say those things? Elizabeth had a right to be angry with him. So much had happened to her in a span of one week. In such a short period of time she found out that she was not truly a part of the family she grew up with, that the people she trusted had lied to her, so of course, it would be natural for her to be mad when she found out that he had lied to her.
Even if he was only thinking about what was best for her. Hadn't that been the same reasoning of the Gardiners and the Lucases?
Fitzwilliam sighed. He understood where her anger was coming from. He had done the same thing she thought he would never do to him. By keeping what he knew a secret, he had broken her trust. And of all people, he should be the last one who would do that. He was her betrothed, after all. He should have treated her equally. She had always been open to him, even when she found it hard to talk. He should've done the same to her.
Running a hand through his hair, he looked up at the ceiling and sighed. He would fix this. He had to. He would not lose Elizabeth. He couldn't.
-p&p-
"We did not notice any new faces that came to the ball last night," said Sir William Lucas, "even if there were newcomers, I am sorry to say that my family has been distracted. You see, Colonel Forster has proposed to Charlotte last night so each one of us was lost in our own world."
Edward Gardiner sighed, "I understand. I am just worried for Lizzy."
Sir William nodded, "I am too. I am sure that once my wife and daughters received the news, they'll be worried too."
"Where are they anyway?" Madeline asked.
"Mother and my sisters were visiting Colonel Forster's sister today." John Lucas answered.
"What are we going to do about Lizzy?" Mrs Winters asked.
"I'll send some men to search for nearby inns and –"
"No!" Everyone turned their attention to Lizzy's Abigail who interrupted Edward Gardiner.
Mrs Winters narrowed her eyes at the girl suspiciously. "What is it you're not telling us, Alexa?"
The lady's maid fiddled with her fingers before looking at the others guiltily. "I was there when Miss Lizzy was about to leave the house with her things."
This earned a gasp from the other occupants in the room.
"She came with this Maria Smith willingly. She asked me to delay telling you about it – that's why I'm only speaking about it now. But you have to let Miss Lizzy go, she was looking for answers and none of you has it here. She will not be at peace until she learned everything."
Alexa took a deep breath before continuing, "Also, I am not lying when I told you that she and the Marquess had a misunderstanding. There was no stopping her from leaving Hertfordshire. Can we not trust her in this?"
"I agree," John Lucas seconded, "All of you had been making the decisions for Eliza for years now. It's time to let her make her own choices. Besides, after all that's happened this week, she needed some space." Just when the elder men were about to argue with him, John continued speaking. "I am not saying that we will not investigate about where this Maria Smith took her, though. But once we are sure that she's safe, we will not take any more actions. It shall be Eliza's choice to reach out to us once again."
"Miss Lizzy did promise to come back," Alexa added.
Before the others could agree or disprove, Mrs Gardiner's exclamation made everyone's eyes turn to her. "I found it!" She held up her diary for all of them to see and pointed at it. "Maria Smith was the person who gave Lizzy to Claire. She must've really come back for her."
Mr Gardiner sighed. "Very well, but we will still look for news about her whereabouts to make sure that she's safe."
After receiving nods of agreement from everyone else in the room, they decided to start their investigation – starting with their footmen and coachmen who somehow fell asleep last night.
-p&p-
When Fitzwilliam and Richard announced that they would be returning to Hertfordshire to fetch Anne before heading to Farris House on Scotland to check on Fitzwilliam's mother, his Uncle Francis insisted on coming with them, saying that he needed to check on his sisters.
This made Fitzwilliam worried. He couldn't have his Uncle finding out about him and Elizabeth. Not yet, especially now when he and Elizabeth had yet to speak about their argument at Netherfield.
However, when he managed to sneak out – with the help of Anne and Richard, distracting Uncle Francis – and go to the Longbourn Dower House, his worries about his Uncle was replaced and all he could think of was Elizabeth.
At first, they had told her that she was visiting Bath and had left earlier that morning. He thought that they were lying to him so he did not believe them. His resolve to talk to Elizabeth must have worn them out, for eventually Mr Gardiner sighed and told him to search around the house.
Though it was very tempting, he did not do that. Instead, he sighed and asked the Gardiners to inform Elizabeth that he would be leaving Hertfordshire to check on his mother who was sick but he would be back once he made sure that everything was alright. Elizabeth needed space because he had hurt her, he had to respect that.
"I understand. We will inform you once, Lizzy returns." Mrs Gardiner told him.
After thanking the woman, Fitzwilliam called shortly at Lucas Lodge to talk to John Lucas. He may believe Mrs Gardiner's words but he thought that it would be better if he had another way of communicating through, Elizabeth.
Once John Lucas had agreed on informing him once Elizabeth comes back, Fitzwilliam wasted no time and returned back to Netherfield. He still needed to talk to Bingley, after all. Before coming to Netherfield, he had promised his friend to help him in managing an estate, and while he did fulfil it, it was still not enough. Half of the time he was always visiting Elizabeth, and now he had to leave urgently.
"Do not worry about it, Ashbourne," Bingley assured him with a smile, "your mother is more important. By the way, I am sorry that you did not get the chance to announce your betrothal to Miss Elizabeth last night."
Fitzwilliam cleared his throat, "Yes, it was alright, Bingley. I think it would be better to make announcements once my mother's health improves."
"I shall send you regards to your Miss Elizabeth when I visit, then."
"Please do, once she returns. I believe she is also taking care of a relative in Bath." As much as Fitzwilliam dislike lying, he couldn't find it in him to tell the truth to Bingley. That Elizabeth was not caring for a distant relative. She left because they had fought.
Bingley shook his head, "Bad timing then."
He nodded.
"I am sure it would get better," Bingley said, and then his normal happy countenance changed into a rare serious one. "I…" he paused, as if searching for the right words. "I am sorry about my sister's behaviour last night. I had already talked to Caroline last night about it and she would be leaving for Scarborough to visit our Aunt soon. Do not worry about the rumours. I believe Louisa had managed to quell it last night. Besides, the people here in Hertfordshire are very fond of Miss Elizabeth."
Fitzwilliam's brows furrowed at his friend's words. "Rumours? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, right, I forgot that you left last night to go after your Aunt." Bingley sighed. "Caroline started telling people about how Miss Elizabeth was a bastard daughter of your Aunt's husband, but as I said. Louisa had corrected Caroline's lies and no one believed her."
Before he could ask Bingley further on the subject, his Uncle had declared that they should be leaving now if they wanted to reach Farris House sooner. It would be about four to five days of travel so they really ought to be going.
Once inside the carriage, sitting beside Richard, Fitzwilliam still could not get his mind off of what Bingley had told him. Fortunately, on the second Inn that they had stopped by on their second day of travelling, his Uncle had immediately retired, causing an opportunity for the three cousins to talk in private.
"According to Mrs Hurst, Caroline had managed to talk to my mother about Lizzy possibly being my half-sister," Anne explained. "I was so worried about it but Mrs Jenkinson told me that before my mother could search for Lizzy, she had received an express about your mother's health cousin."
Fitzwilliam was thankful for that. At least Lady Catherine's impulsive actions whenever one of them was sick helped them through this situation.
He'd talk to Elizabeth once she got back from Bath. Right now, Fitzwilliam forced himself to focus his thoughts on his family. His father was the one who had written the express to his Aunt Catherine. That meant that his mother was seriously sick, for his father would not make the whole family worry about his mother if it was only nothing.
Hopefully, his mother would be alright.
-p&p-
Edward Gardiner sighed when he realised that someone intentionally put sleeping herbs on his footmen and coachmen. The person they suspected to put something on the drink was Peter's cousin. However, it seemed that the man had left Netherfield with his employers.
They were worried about Lizzy. The only comfort they found later that night when a letter came from the handwriting of her niece, telling them that she was safe and that they need not worry about her.
Perhaps, John Lucas and Digby were right. This was what Lizzy needed to do. Hopefully, they'll hear from her again soon.
Alexa also received a letter from Lizzy and the Abigail was not surprised when the Gardiners and Mrs Winters also decided to read the letter she received from Miss Lizzy. Luckily, no one else knew about their secret code and the letter was pretty much the same that the Gardiners received, only longer and with more inquiries about Apollo, the tenants, Charlotte and the Bennet sisters.
The Gardiners and Mrs Winters suspected that it was because Miss Lizzy was talking to someone who was about her age but Alexa knew better. Her letter was longer because Miss Lizzy informed her that she and Lady Catherine were about to leave an inn in Bedfordshire where they stayed under the name of 'Wilkins'.
Over the next days, they received a letter from Elizabeth on the evenings. Seeing as what Miss Lizzy had written to the Gardiners was only a shorter version of her letters to Alexa, the Gardiners and Mrs Winters did not think much about it.
Alexa, on the other hand, was keeping track of where Miss Lizzy was going – every inn, every county, names of servants, whatever she could find. On the third day, Alexa found out that Miss Lizzy's destination was on Leicester. Since the letters kept coming, Alexa continued to keep her mistress' secrets. If anything went wrong, then she would tell the Gardiners everything.
-p&p-
"Do you play any instruments?" Lady Catherine asked.
"Yes, the pianoforte, Your Ladyship," Elizabeth answered. "However, I confess that after Grandma Claire passed away I did not take enough time to practice as I ought to."
At the beginning of their ride, Elizabeth had been curious why Lady Catherine was suddenly asking her these questions. The past few days of their journey, the two of them had been mostly quiet except for their casual conversations whenever they were eating meals.
However, once Lady Catherine explained the reason for her sudden interrogation ("I had only been quiet these past few days because I can see that you needed some time to think about everything that's happening to you. But since this is our last day of travelling, what kind of Godmother do you think I am if I did not bother getting to know my Goddaughter a little bit?"), Elizabeth answered all the woman's questions happily.
"What about singing?"
She dipped another strawberry into the small jar of cream and answered. "I like my voice well enough."
"Do you draw?"
Elizabeth nodded and finished eating her strawberry before answering. "I believe that I do well using pencils [1], but when it comes to painting, I am never satisfied with my work. It seemed that I cannot truly capture my subject as I mostly do when using a pencil."
"Hmm" was Lady Catherine's only response as she ate from her own basket of strawberries.
They were on their third and last day of travel now. When they had left the inn they had stayed at on Bedfordshire, she and Lady Catherine boarded another carriage. It did not have the de Bourgh crest but it was still spacious and comfortable. Lady Catherine had told her that they needed to ride this particular carriage so that they would not get any unwanted attention.
Apparently, bad people could be after them. Whenever they stayed at an inn, Lady Catherine always changed their names. And if they wanted to buy something, either Lady Catherine's maids or one of the footmen would procure it for them. Like the basket of strawberries they were now eating. The last town they had passed had an old man selling some fruits and so Lady Catherine asked one of her servants to buy some.
Lady Catherine told her that if she was like her parents, then that meant that she also loved to eat fruits. And while Elizabeth did love eating fruits, the purpose of the strawberries she was eating was not to fill her hunger. It was meant to calm her nerves.
Finally, after days of travelling, she would be meeting her parents in a matter of hours.
According to Lady Catherine, it would take only about two days of travel if they took the direct route. However, since they were taking extra precautions, they had made some stops on the borders of nearby counties from time to time.
"Can you ride?"
"Yes, I have a gelding named Apollo back in Hertfordshire."
Lady Catherine look intrigued at this for she stopped placing the strawberry in her mouth and raised a brow. "Were you the one to name him?"
"I am." Elizabeth smiled. "Since my second name is Artemis, I thought it was only fitting."
"What an unusual name." Lady Catherine commented before finally eating her strawberry. "It's from the Greek Mythology, is it not? The Goddess related to the moon, if I am not mistaken."
"Yes, Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, the moon and chastity. I thought that my name was very strange too, that's why I rarely mention it." Elizabeth paused. "I assume that it is not my real name?"
Lady Catherine seemed to think about it before finally saying: "You'll find out the answer to that in a few hours."
Though curious, Elizabeth did not press any further. After all, she was more nervous to meet her parents than to know about her real name.
"I have to say, though," Lady Catherine said, "Claire Bennet was a very clever woman. You do not know the struggle that woman had put me through. She had tricked me for weeks before figuring out her real identity and finding you. I like her very much when I was younger but after she had me confused in trying to find her, I do not know whether to admire her more or to like her less."
Elizabeth gasped. "You know Grandma Claire?"
Lady Catherine nodded, "Yes, she worked as your mother's governess and companion back then."
"But how come you did not find her sooner?"
"She used a different name while working for your family."
Elizabeth only nodded in response. She had an idea why Grandma Claire changed her name. Perhaps it was her husband's betrayal that made her do it. Lady Lucas did say that Grandma Claire left Hertfordshire for years and only returned once her husband had fallen ill.
"Do you speak other languages?" Lady Catherine's question brought her out of thoughts.
For the next hour and a half, Elizabeth answered all of Lady Catherine's queries and sometimes, she even asked questions of her own. Once they had both finished eating their strawberries, Lady Catherine took it as a silent signal to end her interrogation.
Elizabeth was thankful for that because only five minutes after they had finished eating, Lady Catherine took a little peek from the partly closed curtains of the carriage and informed her that they would be arriving in fifteen minutes.
The closer they got, the more Elizabeth felt herself become more nervous. She could feel her sweaty palms underneath her gloves and she could hear her heartbeat beating loudly in her ears.
Because the curtains were only partially open, Elizabeth could not distract herself by the view outside. Instead, she began fiddling with the basket on her lap. Then, when she realised that fiddling with the basket could mess the skirt of her gown, she straightened her posture and removed the basket from her lap, placing it on the space beside her.
She tried taking deep breaths and straightened her clothes more than three times.
"Do not worry too much, nykin," Lady Catherine said from across her, "your parents will care more about you than your clothes."
She nodded and tried to keep herself still. Then a few moments later, the carriage pulled to a stop. "This is Rosewood Manor, your parents' favourite estate."
What she saw when she stepped outside made her even more anxious. From Lady Catherine's stories, Elizabeth assumed that her real parents were slightly wealthier than the Bennets. However, she was taken aback to see that the manor in front of her was a stone building more than twice the size of Netherfield.
It was surrounded by greeneries and the setting down of the sun made the place look magical. Before she could look around further, Lady Catherine looped her arms around her and led her inside until they reached a yellow drawing room. The Butler only nodded at Lady Catherine and the footmen only watched them quietly, along with a few maids that they had passed.
From under her lavender cloak, Elizabeth could see two figures standing in front of her and Lady Catherine. Wanting to get a better look at them, Elizabeth slowly removed her cloak and looked up.
The woman in front of her had mahogany locks that were styled in an elaborate bun with some loose curls to frame her face. She was wearing a simple yet elegant blue gown. Like her grandmother had said in her letter, the woman looked almost exactly like Elizabeth. If it was not for the woman's grey eyes, Elizabeth could have mistaken the woman as a reflection of an older version of herself. Beside the woman, was a man with dark brown hair, wearing a dark green coat that intensified the colour of his own green eyes… green eyes that were the same colour as Elizabeth's…
As Lady Catherine spoke her next words, tears were slowly gathering at the corner of Elizabeth's eyes. "Nykin, this is your mother, the Duchess of Leicester, Her Grace, Sophia Diana Leighton and your father, the Duke of Leicester, His Grace, Augustus Arthur Leighton."
[1] Graphite came into widespread use following the discovery of a large graphite deposit in Borrowdale, England in 1564. Appreciated for leaving a darker mark than lead, the mineral proved so soft and brittle that it required a holder. Originally, graphite sticks were wrapped in string. Later, the graphite was inserted into hollowed-out wooden sticks and, thus, the wood-cased pencil was born! (source: /pages/the-history-of-the-pencil)
Poor Alexa, the only one receiving clues from Lizzy. If you don't get the 'secret code' look at only the first letter in every sentence and read it. It should read, "I am with Lady Catherine de Bourgh."
Why didn't Lizzy just tell Alexa straight about it during their talk in the previous chapter? Lizzy had one of Lady Catherine's employee's with her. Besides, Alexa knew Lizzy enough where to search for answers.
So yeah… That happened. Too much? Don't worry, I promise that Lizzy and Darcy will get together soon – somewhere in the next four chapters, I think. This misunderstanding is not going to last long, since as most of you had said; this is not the Hunsford moment. I just want them to deal with their own families first - I can't explain further without giving out spoilers. I understand if you do not like the direction I took but I do hope that you guys stick around.
Is that okay with you guys? I hope you do stick around until the end of this book. My goal is to finish this around March because I'm really itching to write other stories. I'll try to update quicker but now I'll be sticking to one chapter per week. School is going to start tomorrow.
Because of this reason, UPDATES will be EVERY SUNDAY. I can't on weekdays anymore and my Saturday is for doing homework.
Also, about the travelling time I'm not sure if I am right. I based it on Google depending on how long it would take from point A to point B when walking and add a couple of hours because the roads back then weren't as good as it was now and because they use carriages. If it's wrong, then feel free to correct me : )
