P & P
Hidden in Plain Sight
Previously:
Mr. Bennet then sighed and hoped the two were safe and wondered how they were doing.
Note: Oops to dollar bit where Charlotte was talking in the other chapter, that has been edited to say pounds. Ty to the guest who pointed it out...your review should show soon.
Hurst returns
Ch. 21
Chattering of voices passed the carriage as it rolled down cobblestone. Mr. Hurst, and his men, had been following leads all week with very little headway. It had all been very discouraging. Lord Ashford was getting very few notes and, when he did get them, it felt as if it was more of taunts than actual any real threats to his grandson's life. The only thing he had honestly been able to tell the Chancelor was it felt like a mind game.
"I think they hope to wear you down mentally. Is there some law that an opponent wants passed you are refusing to bend on? Or is there someone from your past you can think of trying to get revenge?"
"If it is politically motivated, they can go hang." The man growled. "I love my grandson, but I will not bend on what I believe. Though, clearly, I am not sparing any manpower on locating him. As to revenge?" The man let his shoulders slump. "That could be a very long list my good man."
The Chancelor then grinned. "People are saying you will become a titled man soon."
"That is not on my list of desires. Never has been and you know it."
The carriage stopped at his estate and the special agent alighted his mode of transportation. Mr. Hurst had not expected to be met by anyone. No, he planned on going inside and to relax in his study and try to dwell on what little he had been able to find out only to see the butler and Mr. Shein standing on the stairs with very grave faces.
"What is going on?"
"Mr. Dexter and Johnston's relations tried to frame you for taking Lord Ashford's son with the help of one very pompous fool that is what." Mr. Shein told James about the party and then handed him a folded piece of paper. "That was found underneath one of the windows, in an empty flower bed this morning. We apprehended the carrier near the side gate as it was trying to fly away and called the law on their inside contact. Fact is most of the kitchen staff have now been arrested. I cannot believe how many rats we had on board."
"Good work, Mr. Shein." Mr. MacDonald said as he read the note it stunned him. "I had no idea we were in middle of that kind of hornet's nest. I need to give you both a pay raise."
"It is not us that set the trap and sprung it." The butler was not about to take credit for something he had not done.
"Well, who did? I need to thank him."
"Her...you need to thank her." Mr. Shein spoke with a twitch of the mouth. "I do not now how Miss Thayne figured it out all, but it was she who told me the coop was too full of birds and rats; showed me how to get all the ample proof too. Oh, and that note sent to Lord Ashford, she said was not meant for him, but aimed at you."
"Forgive me for saying sir, but..." The butler could not help but grin. "I think, at times, that lady makes us look like cultivated cretins."
Mr. Hurst said nothing but walked on by and walked into the foyer and down the hallway towards the study. If anyone was going to have set a trap for so many rats and succeed, besides him, it did not surprise him it had been Kitty -he could not think of her as Iona at the moment. Opening the door, he was not surprised to see her standing at the desk going through the mail.
"I hear we had an infestation of over-sized rats and that note was meant for me."
"We did and it was, as to the rats, they were all in the kitchen."
"What gave them away?"
"Let us just say lousy cooking and I might as well have needed to draw them a map for the kitchen and leave it at that." She looked up when Mr. MacDonald grew quiet longer than normal. "Is something the matter?" She thought he was thinking of the note, but he brushed it off.
"If they want to try to kill me, let them. I am thinking more of the word sent of your relations being almost done covering Derbyshire." James let out a long sigh. "You have done wonders up here, stopped me from being framed, cleaned up this whole house..." The gentleman bawled his fist up. "If I could get my hands on Mr. Dexter and his partner, I came up here to get you back to safety, to get you back to Longbourn , to your family."
"Life does not always go the way we plan." Iona was surprised when James walked to the window and cross his arms behind his back.
"Maybe, I over-reacted when I saw Mr. Dexter walking towards you. Maybe, it would not be so dangerous to send you back to Longbourn as I originally thought."
The two had been so busy talking they had not heard the door opening, nor had they seen Colonel Fitzwilliam walk into the room. The gentleman had heard the last of Mr. MacDonald's comment and Richard, knowing James well, cleared his throat.
"Colonel." Mr. MacDonald turned around, kicking himself for having been so wrapped up in though as to have missed such a simple thing as a door opening. "May I help you?"
"You may, on a few things, but first..." He smiled at Miss Thayne. "I think it is best if Miss Thayne goes and sees to her afternoon duties?"
Iona left knowing it was his polite way of saying no woman needed to be around for their talk. Once Miss Thayne was gone the colonel spoke freely. "First, we found where Lord Ashford's grandson was being kept. And you were on the right track; almost got a hold him the other night too."
"Almost, what happened?"
"They were a tad faster than us, that is what." Richard sighed. "You were right about the two locations though. With what you found at the location you went to and, clearly, with us almost catching sight of the small group. It was obvious they had been staying there." Richard sat down and leaned back and looked straight at James. "I will tell you what I told Lord Ashford. I overheard a conversation in a tavern not meant for my ears." The colonel shook his head. "This is not about him; it is all about making sure you do not get a title."
"Are you jesting. You heard such a conversation?" James asked as he sat in his chair. "That was just spread for the sake of an excuse on this house, nothing more. And it has not been in use for quite some time. We only started that talk back up because we were looking for that boy."
"Actually, no it was not." Richard confessed it had been tossed around for some time. "The past couple of cases you worked on were pretty major. Lord Ashford has been pushing for you to get a title for some time. He has been meeting with resistance though."
"I have told him more than once I do not want one, probably why the push back." Growled James. "Man's too bullheaded for his own good."
"And James..." Richard dropped any formality and spoke to the gentleman as a friend. "Chances are high you would have found him weeks ago only you have been distracted because you are choosing to ignore what you need to face; what I now can clearly see. It also means Lord Ashford was right in what he suggested."
"What are you saying?" James did not snap, but his tone was, nonetheless, still very much guarded.
"Your heart, and eyes, are on Miss Kitty Bennet. You really do need to keep her by your side as a wife, and not just as some secretary assistant."
"Seems to me you are not the one to be talking to me about whose eyes are on whom." James was tossing Richard's game right back at him.
"I will be taking care of that as soon as I get back to Meryton. Now back to your own eyes, you know they have been on Miss Bennet for quite some time."
James had the urge to stride over to the colonel and slap the man upside his head. "What makes you say such a thing?"
"Please, James, I understand while you are in the role of James MacDonald there are many things you have to push down. But seriously? Even I can figure that one out. Look how many men we sent down to you attempting to get you up here when we thought this was all aimed at Lord Ashford. Not a one of them, not even Sir William or I could get you to budge. That is until I mentioned Miss Bennet had come to Brighton. Then someone might as well have poked you with a steaming-hot iron rod."
"You are right and wrong." James finally admitted.
"Explain that one."
"I do have feelings for Miss Bennet; however, she is Jane's sister. As far as that family is concerned...I am a no-good drunk, gambler, and right down bum."
"Ex." Richard pointed out. "Now they think you reformed and extremely quiet."
"Point is I am still not high on any society rung. And why should I make a move...that would just make her more of an open target. Not just for those men but to certain friendly fire with men who do not know when to hold back their bullets. I highly doubt her father would consent to such a thing."
"Will you ever forgive those men? The main one got hung."
"I thought I had." Sighed James. "But..." Richard's associate choked up. "When I think of holding Kitty close to me, my mind -on its own- sees her in a pool of blood caused by others failing to admit what was right in front of their own eyes." He shook the picture out of his head. "And as to the other group's motive..." James looked at Richard. "What you heard was to mislead us. I have overheard my own share of conversations. This is about more than me, or one man's child. Lord Ashford's just happens to be the most famous and my title among thousands. We have snakes to take down." Standing up he strode over and handed the colonel a piece of paper he had found. "I was going to show that to you tomorrow; However, since you are here, sir, you might as well read it now, before you head back for Meryton- a trip I know you are due to take."