AU Not Cannon
Pride and Prejudice
They Called Him a Bennet Too
A/N I figured Lady Catherine was such an arrogant (fill in the blank) she would make the perfect character to hook up with the bad guys.
Lady Cathrine
Ch 3
No sound filled the house were Lady Catherine lived. It wasn't that all her hired help were gone. Yes, some had gone home. Yes, there were those who had not come in the first place as they were not feeling well. However, the servants who had come in simply dared not converse for fear of being chewed out. One young woman was hurrying to get the laundry down a darkened hallway and into an alcove as not to be seen by a guest who wasn't where they were supposed to be. Another older woman was quickly mopping up a spill caused by another careless guest, and yet another was scurrying as fast as any mouse could to get all the food into the kitchen before the mistress, or her daughter, came downstairs.
"For such a proper..." The word was spoken almost with disdain by a girl who couldn't have been more than sixteen standing over the sink cutting onions and other vegetables, "lady who cares about society rules, you'd think we'd been given more warning company was coming."
"And when did you expect that, Fanny?" Betsy grumbled as she came rushing down the steps with the mop and bucket in tow.
"For all the show she puts on in public, the least she could do is run this house better." Fanny murmured. "And that so-called gentleman on the second level doesn't shoot straight if you be asking me."
"No one asked." Janet entered the room after finishing up with the laundry.
"What are you doing here? There's plenty of work for you to be doing. We can handle this kitchen on our own. This isn't your place."
"Tell that b... lady upstairs. She sent me down here."
The staff continued their grumblings as Lady Catherine came downstairs with William Hamilton, his doctor, and Hamilton's private caregiver. The older gentleman's shoulders were still broad, but his well-toned muscles had turned to flab. everyone would have seen that only his suit covered it up well. His legs once strong had first faltered, and a cane had come into play. He'd claimed that horrid item would be gone within the month after his good doctor got a hold of him. Nonetheless, at the end of the month it had not happened, and he was now being carried downstairs in a chair. "You have your motives, I have mine." Mr. Hamilton kept his hand on a cane he hadn't been able to use in almost a week, yet still clung to the hope he'd be able to use it again in the near future. "What about this Collins you speak of? Will he cause us any problems in regard to Longborne?
"He is a spineless fool." Lady Catherine might as well have spit on the ground for the way her mouth pursed. "And his wife has no say, I would not worry about him. He is already gone over and gloated acting like he owns the place."
"Better for us." Hamilton chuckled. "Give Bennet a distraction rather than what we are doing on, or near his land." He was, silently, delighted the widowed Lady Catherine was so arrogant he could manipulate her so easily.
The two continued speaking knowing the doctor was in on their plans and the servant dared not speak - as Hamilton had the servant at his mercy because of the results of the man's excessive drinking in the past. However, they might not have tossed out their plans so freely if they'd known a set of ears were listening. Ones that had no interest in being faithful to Lady Catherine, and definitely held no loyalty to Mr. Hamilton. Therefore, their conversation, and one spoken into thin air after Mr. Hamilton, his caregiver and Lady Catherine had -temporarily- left the room, sent a quiet set of footsteps down the upper hall, down a set of back stairs and straight to town.
88888888
"Are you certain?" Edward Bryant spoke to his informer; a man who had refused give his real name- in order to keep himself safe.
"I know what I 'eard, sir. That doctor did the deed you've been looking into, and 'e named who 'ired 'im. 'e spoke it out loud when 'e thought no one was listening." The man then informed him of other news he had found out. "your... person... they are not safe anymore."
"Brown!" Bryant hollered to another lawman, "Take Smith's statement and go arrest Doctor Gaskell." He then turned back to Mr. Smith. "After you are done with this, I suggest you leave England. William Hamilton's associates are not going to like what you say on the witness stand. Go to my place. Do not return to Lady Catherine's or the doctor's. You can stay there until Mr. Brown comes for you." He then hollered out the door for Joseph Malloy, a gentleman whose family had moved the area years ago from Ireland. "We are going to London...tonight!"
" 'e related Richard 'amilton, is 'e sir?"
"Yes, but those two men hate each other with a passion. Have not spoken to each other in years. Richard would gloat to hear William was swinging." Bryant was exceptionally good at what he did, got things wrong at times, but this one? The nail had been hit on the head. Hollering once more, Bryant grabbed a coat "Malloy, get your things, we are going to London."
"No coaches are running." Mr. Malloy responded as he put his jacket on.
"Who said we are taking a coach?"
*I know that informer isn't speaking with any H's at the first of any word that starts with H ... however, I can't figure out if it's a dialect or speech problem