"Lizzy! Lizzy!" gasped Jane as she chased after her sister. "You must take your cloak."
Jane handed Elizabeth her cloak, which she had forgotten in her haste to leave the house and her family's absurdness. Mrs. Bennet was in hysterics because Elizabeth had refused Mr. Collins' offer of marriage and Elizabeth's two youngest sisters found the whole thing hilarious. Elizabeth had fled, without a care for the fact it was late November.
"Where are you walking to?" asked Jane as she fell into step alongside her sister.
"Nowhere in particular," answered Elizabeth. "Just away from Longbourn."
"Do you mind if I walk with you?" Jane, too, had no wish to be at Longbourn during the commotion.
Elizabeth agreed that she did not mind the company. The two walked together, the earthy smell of the forest surrounding them and the steady rhythm of their footsteps creating a sense of calm.
"Do you hear that?" asked Elizabeth. She thought she had heard someone call out.
Jane did not, but after they walked a little while longer, they heard it again. It was a man's voice calling out.
"Witting!" The voice was now clearer as the person calling out came closer.
"Mr. Witting!" he called again.
"That is Mr. Darcy's voice!" exclaimed Elizabeth.
"He seems to be looking for someone," said Jane. "We should go and see if we might be of assistance."
They continued in the direction of the voice until Mr. Darcy came into view. They exchanged greetings and then inquired who he was searching for.
"My valet. It may sound absurd, but he did not come in this morning as he usually does. No one has seen him. It is not like him to be late or absent to his duties," said Mr. Darcy. "I am most concerned that he is hurt somewhere."
"I assume all of Netherfield House has been searched," asked Elizabeth.
"Yes, and the gardens and estate. He seems to have vanished," he replied.
"It is not possible that he simply found employment elsewhere or left service for some reason without giving notice?" asked Elizabeth.
"He would not do such a thing. He has been my valet since I was sixteen," said Mr. Darcy, running a hand through his hair.
Elizabeth was skeptical, supposing that it must be most disagreeable to be Mr. Darcy's valet. "He did not have any… people that he might have spent the night with?" asked Elizabeth, blushing scarlet.
"No. None. Well, I suppose one, but she is a servant as well, and she had not seen him either."
"We can ask the servants at Longbourn if any have seen him. Perhaps he has made friends there," suggested Jane.
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy agreed that this idea was sound. As they walked back towards Longbourn, Elizabeth wondered if she should not warn Mr. Darcy about the state of the state of the place. It was very unlikely that her mother's hysterics had ceased in the last quarter-hour. Mr. Darcy and the two ladies called out for Mr. Witting as they walked, looking about for anything out of place.
Thankfully, Charlotte Lucas was walking up the path to Longbourn, and they met her along the way, so Jane could go ahead to Longbourn and inquire while Mr. Darcy and the other two ladies walked together, looking for Mr. Witting. Charlotte was fully informed as to what the concern was, but she too was skeptical that the servant had not simply taken off without notice. She related that a scullery maid had done similar to the Gouldings last year and everyone was quite concerned until they heard that the maid had married a blacksmith. Mr. Darcy again repeated that he could not believe it of Mr. Witting.
Elizabeth was quite struck by Mr. Darcy's loyalty to his valet. It was very contrary to everything she knew of the gentleman. That a man who had treated Mr. Wickham so terribly would be concerned for the welfare of a servant was rather peculiar. She would have imagined him more concerned about the stubble on his chin rather than the servant's health and safety.
"Perhaps we should go towards Lucas Lodge to see if he went in that direction, unless Mr. Bingley or any of the others are already searching there," said Elizabeth.
"The others at Netherfield could not be bothered to disrupt their morning to look for a servant," said Mr. Darcy with a scowl before calling out for Mr. Witting again.
"I took the path that goes past Oakham Mount in coming to Longbourn, so we should take the other way. While I was not looking for anyone on my way, I think I would have noticed anything very unusual," said Charlotte.
Darcy and Elizabeth agreed and when the path split, they went in the direction away from Oakham Mount.
They reached Lucas Lodge with no sign of the valet, but asked one of the footmen to inquire with the servants. They went inside and greeted Sir William and Lady Lucas. Sir William had similar reservations to those that had already been expressed, but still ordered his horse saddled and for his estate to be searched carefully by his servants.
"That is most kind of you," said Mr. Darcy to the other man.
"It costs nothing, really, to spend a few hours looking for the man. If it turns out he is hurt and unable to return to Netherfield, it shall be infinitely worth it," said Sir William.
Darcy, who was by now very anxious for the health of his valet, told Sir William how grateful he was. He had hoped that he would simply find that his valet had lost track of time and that he would encounter him very soon and feel quite foolish for worrying. Miss Bennet suggested that a manservant be sent to Netherfield to inquire if Mr. Witting had yet returned, so they might not exert so much effort if he was warming himself by the fire in the Netherfield kitchen. The others agreed that this idea was sound, and a servant was dispatched thither immediately.
Elizabeth wondered if they should not walk into town. Most of the shops would be open. If the valet had assumed that his master would sleep later than normal on a morning after a ball, he could be in town carrying about other duties.
"I cannot think that he would do such a thing as I always awaken early, even if I am awake quite late. We can look though, as it cannot hurt," said Mr. Darcy.
They three walked together, joined by two of the Lucas brothers on horseback. The Lucases rode about the fields on each side of the road as they went, supposing that the valet might have cut through a field or two if he knew he was late in returning.
Meryton was very quiet when they arrived. None of the officers were about, as most were likely still abed, sleeping off the previous night's excesses. The party split into two groups, with the Lucas brothers and the others taking opposite sides of the street, inquiring in every shop if anyone had seen Mr. Witting. Several of the tradespeople knew him quite well, as he did much of Mr. Darcy's shopping. None has seen him that day or since the previous morning when Mr. Witting had purchased some shoe polish at Mr. Darcy's request.
"Did he say anything or act any differently?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, Miss Elizabeth. He acted as cheerful as always. He's always smiling and has a kind word to say. He told Amy that she looked pretty in her new bonnet, but other than that, we spoke only of shoes and boots. He said Mr. Darcy needed his riding boots repaired soon, so depending on how long Mr. Darcy remained at Netherfield, I might expect to have that business," said Mr. Shewmake, the cobbler.
Amy was the cobbler's nine-year-old daughter, a charming young lady who enjoyed assisting her father in his shop. They thanked Mr. Shewmake and went on their way to the next store, who had seen nothing of the valet.
"It seems odd, if he were planning to run off, that he would speak of having Mr. Darcy's boots repaired with the cobbler," said Charlotte.
"Those are my thoughts as well," said Elizabeth. "I begin to be of Mr. Darcy's opinion. Something is not right."
Not knowing what else to do, they turned back towards Longbourn, hoping that word would have been sent that Mr. Witting was found well. Mr. Darcy was visibly distressed now, which was not a state Elizabeth could have previously imagined of him. It was evident that Mr. Darcy considered Mr. Witting a friend, even if he was also a servant, and would not rest until he was certain that he was safe.
"When was the last that you saw him?" asked Charlotte.
"Just before the ball. I told him that he need not wait up for me, as I would be quite late."
"So perhaps six or seven?" asked Elizabeth.
"About seven," agreed Mr. Darcy. "All of his things are still in his room. That is the most telling that he did not run off. What sort of person would leave their belongings behind? He would have had plenty of time to pack a trunk while I was at the ball."
Elizabeth and Charlotte agreed that it was most unlikely that someone should leave without their things. The group walked back to Longbourn without conversation, only calling out for Mr. Witting periodically. Upon their return, there still was no word of him. Most of Meryton was now out searching for him, but he seemed to have disappeared entirely. Even Mrs. Bennet had forgotten her hysterics at Elizabeth's refusal of Mr. Collins and had joined the search, speaking to the Longbourn tenants and calling on her acquaintances.
"I have just thought of something most dreadful!" said Elizabeth. "Since you are so fond of your valet, might someone not wish to use him against you? Perhaps to learn secrets to blackmail you or even to hold him for ransom?"
"Lizzy!" exclaimed Jane, who had once again joined their search party. "How can you think such a thing?"
"It is not entirely unheard of. People have tried to harm my family to gain wealth before," answered Mr. Darcy.
"That is terrible!" cried Jane.
"It is the way of the world, unfortunately," said Mr. Darcy.
He frowned deeply, remembering Mr. Wickham. He should inquire as to his whereabouts and see if he had anything to do with this matter. He asked if he might request the use of pen, ink, and paper, which were promptly given to him upon their entry into the house. He wrote several letters, one to Colonel Forster, one to Colonel Fitzwilliam, and one to the Earl of Melbridge, his uncle. All these were sent express.
"What else is there to do now?" asked Elizabeth. "I daresay the area has been searched ten miles around."
Darcy did not know, but Mrs. Bennet proposed that what they do next is sit down to dinner, as the day had quickly gone by while they were searching. The food, although likely excellent as Mrs. Bennet kept a fine table, was tasteless to Darcy as he worried about what might have happened to Mr. Witting.