The next morning, the housekeeper of Netherfield Park, Mrs. Nicholls, came running in with news that a chambermaid named Sally had gone missing during the night, and several servants had heard her screams. Some even reported seeing a large carriage speeding away in the distance.

Miss Caroline Bingley, Mr. Bingley's younger sister, was not in the least fazed by this news; she simply assumed that a maid so lowly would not be suitable for abduction, and surmised that it was more likely for Sally to have stolen something and run off.

She even proposed to her brother that they look around the house to find out what might have been potentially taken. As they began searching the premises, Miss Bingley trailed behind her brother, her mind wandering off to other things. She had always been quite dismissive of the servants, considering them nothing more than disposable pawns in the grand game of life.

However, thoughts of a different nature filled Mr. Darcy's mind. He had made enquiries about the servants at Netherfield Park when Bingley first leased it, and no one had expressed any doubts concerning their trustworthiness. In fact, Mr. Morris had praised them for their loyalty. It seemed to him that Sally might be caught up in something more serious than a mere misdeed. According to Mrs. Nicholls's description, Sally was just sixteen and quite naïve; her father was an abusive drunkard who neglected to provide for her after her mother died when she was a child. Recalling his own experience with his sister Georgiana's foolish attempt to elope, Darcy felt sorry for Sally and the series of misfortunes she'd endured.

Miss Bingley's lack of concern provoked Mr. Darcy, who promptly offered to organize a search party for the missing girl right away. This suggestion caused Miss Bingley to become flustered.

As they walked through the dark hallways, he felt a sense of unease – Sally was a servant, but she was still a person. The thought of her being snatched away in the night made Mr. Darcy's skin crawl. Upon arriving at the servants' quarters, they were directed towards Sally's room by Mrs. Nicholls, and when they arrived, they found that nothing was out of place. Her roommate Susan informed them that Sally had gone out to collect some laundry last night, but never returned. Mrs. Nicholls was then told by a footman and gardener that they both heard a feminine scream during the night, but brushed it off as an illusion. However, some servants from Longbourn reported seeing an unknown carriage pass by.

Mr. Darcy's mind raced with possibilities, and he knew that they needed to act quickly if they had any hope of finding Sally alive. He instructed the staff to gather as much information as they could about the carriage and its occupants, and to search the surrounding countryside for any trace of the missing girl. He himself went to speak with the local authorities to enlist their help.

Miss Bingley, on the other hand, remained convinced that Sally's disappearance was nothing more than a petty theft. She made it clear to her brother that she saw no reason to waste valuable time and resources on such an insignificant matter. However, Mr. Bingley, after listening to Mr. Darcy's voice of reason, agreed to lend his full support to the search party.

As they rode toward Longbourn Estate, Mr. Darcy felt the pressing need to hurry along. He was aware that every second counted.

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arrived at Longbourn to ask Mr. Bennet for permission to speak with his servants about the events of the previous night. The housekeeper, Mrs. Hill, requested they wait while she informed Mr. Bennet of their presence.

Darcy's eyes then fell upon the portrait adorning the wall - of the Bennet family. There was Mr. Bennet in a chair, an intelligent-looking man in his 50s, and Mrs. Bennet standing beside him, who must have been quite attractive in her younger years. Then there were five other ladies, whom he presumed were their daughters.

He recalled Miss Jane Bennet from the previous night when he had seen her dancing with Bingley - blonde hair, dove-shaped blue eyes, and all the pretence of serenity and innocence; she was exactly Bingley's type.

On the left side of the portrait were two young girls, whom he assumed to be around Georgiana's age. Both had brown hair and blue eyes, but one of them appeared quite shy—this was Miss Catherine Bennet, whom he had seen earlier dancing with Sir William Lucas's elder son.

The other was the tallest among her sisters and had a youthful face. She was radiating chaotic energy even through the portrait.

There was a young woman in the middle, with pale skin, black hair, and deep, dark eyes. She seemed to be staring down death, uninterested in her surroundings. She was slightly older than the other two girls , but she acted as if life had already become stale for her.

Mr. Darcy's gaze settled on the woman standing beside the eldest Miss Bennet, and he felt as if all his breath left his body. She was beautiful: long, dark brown locks cascading over her shoulders, and possessed the most magnificent set of siren eyes he had ever seen. However, it wasn't merely her eyes that captivated him; there was an air of mischief and teasing playfully curling her lips.

"The song of the siren tempted a man towards his fate," he whispered to himself.

Darcy struggled to look away from her image, knowing he had more pressing matters to attend to when the servant announced Mr. Bennet's arrival.