Conspiracy of a Compromise

by MinorGentry

Darcy is compromised while staying at his friend's estate near Meryton, which forces him into an unwanted marriage. As events unfold, he discovers a wider conspiracy surrounding the compromise, compelling him to investigate to determine who was behind it and what was their motive for involving him and his bride. HEA for ODC. Some characters OOC.

10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. We have had much to deal with in the last month. Hopefully life will be settling down for us. Thank you for your patience.

Thanks for reading. This is unbeta'd. All the mistakes are my own. Please review.

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Chapter 10

London, Wednesday, March 11, 1812

Before disembarking from the carriage, Richard and Darcy exchanged doubtful looks as they eyed the disreputable ale house that they had been directed to by Mr. Smith, one of Darcy's men who had been charged with keeping an eye on Bingley. Not an hour before, they had received word from him that Bingley had met with someone in the White Hall district. For what purpose, they did not know, but Mr. Smith had interviewed the man, and he had indicated that he would be willing to talk with them.

Much to their relief, Mr. Smith stepped out of the shadows of an alley and signaled to them that this was, indeed, the correct address.

Within a very few moments, they found themselves sitting at a table with Mr. Smith and a large, unsavory-looking man. No introductions were offered or requested.

The colonel started the conversation. "We understand that you met with an acquaintance of ours."

The burly man gave a barely imperceptible nod and appeared to be weighing the advantages of keeping silent or divulging what he knew. Mr. Smith slid a sovereign across the table prompting the man to begin to speak. "E were a dandy name o' Bingley. Danc'd in 'ere like a roight swell. Don' know where 'e got me name. Said 'e 'ad a job fer me. But when I aks'd 'im wot be in it fer me, 'e low balled me. I tol' 'em, no deal. Not my line o' work noways. Ah stop'd 'im roight ther'. Don' do nothin' that moight get me neck stretch'd. Ah'm mar of 'n infarcer fer lenders. Jus' a bit of muscle work. Thas' m' line." he stated with injured pride.

Darcy prodded, "What services did Mr. Bingley require?"

"'E wannit me t' do som' 'ousebreakin' dow' to Chilton to dispatch a bit o' muslim, permanent like. The cagey part wer oi were t' make it look like th' 'usband did th' deed."

Richard held Darcy's gaze for a moment, then asked, "How were you to frame the husband?"

"I were t' leave somthin' roun' the body. If'en ye wants more, yer need t' shell oot more blunt."

Darcy pulled out a small bag of coins. The man reached forward, but Darcy kept his hand on it. "What items?"

With his eyes fixed on the money bag, he responded. "A 'andkerchief wi' 'nitials an' a mark fro' a ring loike th' one yer wearing on yer pinkie."

Richard leaned forward. "Can you recall the details of the handkerchief or the ring?"

The man smirked and gestured toward the coin bag. "Fer that, I kin give ye the trinkets therselves."

Darcy slid the bag over, and the man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white cloth. "The fool war' sa mad at me tarnin' 'im down, 'e starmed out leavin' 'em et th' table. 'E not all ther', if'en yer aks me." His countenance darkened as he added, "E wannit m' t' leave a bloody mark on 'er body wit' th' seal o' th' ring." He shook his head in disgust.

Darcy picked up the handkerchief and the ring fell onto the table. He inspected both items and passed them to Richard. Then turning to the man, he asked, "Would you be willing to make yourself available if we needed further assistance?"

The burly man winked and indicated the bag of coins. "Ye keep th't comin' an' I will."

Later, Darcy and Richard sat silently in the carriage as it rumbled back towards Mayfield. Richard broke the silence. "How did he get a ring made to match yours so closely."

"I have no idea. He must have taken one of my wax seals from a letter."

"Well, we can wait no longer. We need to confront him and ensure that he is no longer a threat. He is too dangerous to leave on the streets."

"What do you propose?" Darcy asked dejectedly.

"Like we planned, we bring him in for cards. With Judge Darcy and the Earl in attendance, we put the fear of God into him and put him on the first boat to distant shores."

ppp

Darcy House, London, March 13, 1812

Bingley and Hurst were shown into the drawing room where Darcy and Richard's brother, Viscount Worthington, stood next to the fireplace with drinks in hand. "Bingley, Hurst, welcome. May I fix you a drink?" Darcy walked over to the decanters on the sideboard.

Shortly thereafter, Richard was announced, to be followed closely by his father, the earl. Five minutes later, Judge Darcy joined them with another gentleman in tow. Everyone was acquainted with one another except this gentleman who was introduced as Mr. Edwin Montgomery.

Dinner was a lavish affair of three courses with lively discussions of various topics. Bingley appeared to be relaxed.

It was not until they were sitting enjoying their port and cigars that Richard and Darcy began to lead the conversation in such a way as to confront Bingley. All of the servants save two muscular footmen left the room on cue, but not before one of them handed a satchel of papers to Richard. All but Bingley and Hurst knew what was to come.

Richard blew out a puff of his cigar smoke and idly watched it swirl up toward the chandelier above the table. "Darcy, how is your pretty little wife? When can we expect to see her in town?"

"She is much improved. Although, she experienced a setback a week ago. But I hope to have her join me soon."

Bingley sputtered looking confused. "I-I thought you were joking about bringing her to town. Surely, you are planning to leave her in the country indefinitely."

"Why would I do that? She deserves to be introduced as my wife."

Bingley continued to look confused. "But you told Caroline…"

"Ah, yes. You refer to all that balderdash I said about making her miserable if she attempted a compromise." He paused for effect. "That only applied to your sister. I kept Elizabeth in the country for her health, not as a punishment."

Bingley looked as if Darcy had punched him. His face turned ashen before taking on a blotchy red hue. He leaned forward and growled, "So, it is only my sister who is to be treated with contempt for threatening to stoop to extreme measures to be your wife. Let me remind you that my sister was not the dishonorable woman who crept into your bed. She never actually carried out her plan."

Darcy held up his hand to interrupt the outraged man. "But she would have, I have no doubt. Your sister had become relentless in her pursuit of Pemberley and my wealth. Eventually, she would have been successful in her attempt to force a marriage if she had been able to catch me unawares."

Bingley retorted, "How can you know that? My sister is everything proper and genteel. It is your arrogant disdain for her roots in trade that color your disapprobation for her as a wife. Instead, you find yourself shackled to a gentlewoman of no morals. That is the irony."

"Charles, I had no problem with Miss Bingley's origins or yours, for that matter. It was your sister's shrewish nature that I abhorred." Darcy and Bingley glared at one another for a tense moment. Then Darcy continued. "Yes, my wife is a gentlewoman. However, she is not a dishonorable woman."

"Darce, I was there. She was discovered in your bed by me, Caroline, and several servants. And all of this time, we have kept secret your dirty little secret. You should be thanking us."

Darcy stared at the man, never breaking his gaze from Bingley's furious countenance. As the younger man finally averted his eyes, Darcy responded, "Charles, the truth has come to light. She may have been discovered in my bed, but she did not go there willingly. She was drugged and placed there by two very unscrupulous individuals. She is no more guilty of scandalous behavior than I am."

The other men in the room all nodded in agreement as if to indicate that it was understood by them all to be absolute truth. Hurst turned his eyes upon his brother-in-law with growing unease and alarm.

Bingley's anger began to shift to uncertainty. He stammered, "H-how did you arrive at that conclusion?"

The Colonel drew out a crisp sheet of paper from the satchel, stood and walked around to where Charles was seated at the table. Placing it in front of him, he calmly began, "This is a copy of an affidavit that we obtained from George Wickham who is, at this moment, sitting in jail awaiting his transport ship to Van Diemen's for his crimes against the Darcy's as well as unpaid debts. The original affidavit has been filed with Darcy's attorney."

Richard returned to his seat as Bingley scanned the page, his visage growing several shades paler as he read. After a moment of silence, he slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Th-this is an outrageous falsehood! It is libel! Lies, I say. Neither my sister nor I would ever stoop to such behavior. Besides, everyone knows what a liar Wickham is. Darcy, surely you don't believe his word against mine. There can be no real proof that his assertions are true."

Darcy merely gave his old friend an impenetrable look. Hurst, having reached across the table for the affidavit, took only a moment to read the damning verbiage before returning it to the Colonel in disgust. Richard, then, withdrew a bundle of letters from the satchel, at the sight of which, Bingley broke out into a sweat. A visible sheen appeared on his forehead and upper lip.

The colonel passed the bundle to the Earl who opened the first letter and held it up for all to see. "Are we all in agreement as to whose penmanship and signature is contained herein?"

Hurst rose from his seat and came to peer over the Earl's shoulder at the scrawled handwriting on the missive. "Charles, I would know your scribbles anywhere. No one could forge those blots and scratches."

Worthington glanced over and said disdainfully, "Bingley, even I recognize your handwriting. I know of no one else who writes like that."

The Earl began to read aloud excerpts from a few of the more direct letters in the bundle. Bingley's face had now taken on a rigid expression as he fixed his eyes on the amber liquid in his glass.

After the Earl returned the letters to Richard, Bingley finally found his voice. "I-I realize that you are understandably angry, D-Darcy. Therefore, I would like to offer my humble apology. Nevertheless, you must own that it was nothing more than a prank, something that we would have done at university. Surely, our friendship can survive this. Besides, now you have a lovely wife, and no one has been truly harmed."

The crash produced by Darcy's chair tipping back as he shot up from his seat startled the hapless fool into silence. As a murderous Darcy rounded the table toward Bingley, Worthington stepped into his path and took him by the arm to force him to calm himself. An angry murmured conversation ensued between the two cousins resulting in Darcy wresting his arm from Worthington's vicelike grip and stalking over to stare out of the window.

Indignantly, Richard turned to Charles. "No harm, you say! You forced marriage on two individuals who were not inclined to marry. You hired Darcy's worst enemy to attempt to ruin his new wife. That fine, gentle woman was nearly killed at the hand of your hireling. For when we cornered him, he tried to choke the life out of her, leaving her severely injured. If she had died, you would surely hang alongside him as his conspirator. As it is, you could be tried for attempted murder and hang still. Furthermore, you endeavored to set more mayhem in motion. Allow me to reacquaint you with another who you sought to engage for a much more serious crime."

The colonel gave a nod to one of the footmen, prompting that man to step out the door and quickly return leading the burly man that the cousins had met in the pub in White Hall. Bingley's stunned expression of recognition attested to his guilt. Likewise, the newcomer recognized Charles and gave him a cheeky wink.

At Richard's prompting, the man relayed to the gentlemen in the room the nature of the conversation that he had engaged in with Bingley. Throughout his revelations, Bingley sat with his head in his hands, rubbing his temples as if in pain. After the handkerchief and ring were revealed, the burly man made his exit, and the remaining gentlemen sat in an oppressive silence.

Finally, Hurst stood. "Let me see if I understand this correctly. You drugged two people, forcing them into a scandalous marriage. You hired a nefarious individual to ruin a young gentlewoman by any means necessary. She was injured by that individual. You then sought to hire another man to murder that same gentlewoman and frame her husband for the crime. Charles, are you insane?"

Bingley sat frozen, refusing to meet his brother-in-law's eye.

Darcy then demanded, "Bingley do you have anything to say for yourself? I considered you to be my friend. How can you possibly justify what you have done? Speak, man. I deserve some sort of explanation."

Still, Bingley refused to respond, again rubbing his temples.

The Earl spoke next. "Mr. Bingley, we are aware of your money problems. Furthermore, we surmise that your purpose in inviting my nephew to your country estate was to promote your sister as a match, giving you access to the coffers of Pemberley. In addition, it is apparent that Darcy's set down of your sister was some sort of trigger leading to these latest crimes. We would simply like to hear an explanation from you as to why you resorted to such drastic measures in the face of very little provocation."

Matlock's words finally elicited a response from Bingley, "I had plenty of provocation. But I will not be sharing my motivations with any of you. You have no idea what insurmountable obstacles I have faced in my life. And by the way, Darcy, we were never friends."

Darcy flinched and stared at him with an incredulous expression. "Never friends, you say? Not even when I rescued you at university from the noble sons that were harassing you? Not even during that year when we both lost our fathers?"

Bingley made no reply except to glare at him.

Darcy gathered his disjointed thoughts and said, "Well, I would much prefer to see you hang for your offenses to me and mine. But in order to avoid the scandal, we will see you deported. However, you should keep this in mind: if you do not offer your full cooperation, I will not hesitate to present all of this damning evidence to the magistrate and have you tried for attempted murder. Mr. Montgomery is, in fact, a magistrate and is ready and willing to work with Judge Darcy to prepare a case against you if he is required to do so." He then turned to Richard. 'Would you explain to Mr. Bingley what arrangements have been made for his upcoming journey."

After much consternation and argument from Charles, Richard was able to impress on him that he had no choice if he wished to remain a free man. A sullenly compliant Bingley was, then, introduced to the four men who would be shadowing him for the next four days to ensure that he did not miss his ship's departure scheduled for Wednesday of the coming week. Hurst also volunteered to guarantee Bingley's cooperation and to ensure that he would speedily arrange his business affairs on the morrow.

Before exiting the room, Hursts said with great perturbation, "Darcy, I cannot express with words how sorry I am that my family has wronged you and Mrs. Darcy to such a horrendous degree. And I am ashamed to say that I suspected that something was not quite as it seemed while we were at Netherfield last fall. Yet, I did nothing. Without a doubt, my wife and her sister are guilty of seeing you entrapped into marriage. Thus, you can rest assured that Louisa and I will be withdrawing to my family's estate and will no longer subject you to our society. Furthermore, I will control Caroline such that she shall return to Scarborough until she marries. Even then, I will threaten her with ruin if she tries to approach you or yours in the future. I am deeply sorry."

Richard interjected, "Hurst, you are correct that your wife and Miss Bingley were involved in setting up the compromise. Beyond that, we do not believe Mrs. Hurst was complicit in Bingley's subsequent activities. However, we do suspect Miss Bingley of worse crimes. Therefore, we mean to work with you in order to see that she too is punished in some meaningful way. In addition, we need you to work on the Bingley siblings to discover the motivation behind the actions that Bingley set into motion."

After Hurst gave them his assurances that he would aid them to the fullest extent of his ability, he and the four minders accompanied Bingley out to their carriage. Their departure was followed soon thereafter by the other guests. Darcy was solemn but heartfelt in his expressions of appreciation for their presence and support. Mr. Montgomery and Judge Darcy asked to be kept apprised of the situation and promised their help should it be needed.

Wordlessly, the two cousins made their way to Darcy's study. Richard poured brandy into two glasses, handed one to Darcy, and then sat in the adjacent armchair before the fire. Neither man felt inclined to break the silence as they ruminated over the events of the evening.

Finally, in great agitation, Darcy turned to Richard. "I beg you to answer me honestly. Is it me? Is there something about my nature that engenders disloyalty and hostility from those that are closest to me?"

"Certainly not!" cried Richard. "Darcy, you are the best man I know. Admittedly, you are reticent by nature, causing some to consider you proud and haughty. But those who know you best recognize and appreciate your excellent qualities. The salient point is that you are extremely wealthy and independent for one so young. Most gentlemen of our age are still beholden to their fathers for their well-being and are years from coming into their inheritance. Your situation is unique and probably stirs the jealousy of many of the gentlemen of society, never mind, that you gained your independence at the great loss of your beloved father."

Darcy acknowledged his words with a nod and then lapsed back into silence.

After a number of minutes, Darcy shifted in his seat and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Richard, what about you? Do you resent me?"

Richard regarded Darcy for a long moment before responding. "Never. I consider you a brother. Nay, closer than a brother. I have seen first-hand the burdens that you have had to shoulder since the death of your father. My life as a soldier during this infernal war with the French seems easy in comparison. In fact, I relish the challenges that I have faced in battle over what you have had to contend with. And know that I am not jealous of your situation. As you know, I will come into an inheritance from my mother's family and that is enough for me." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully, "You should never fear that I would act as Bingley or Wickham has done, to conspire against you or cheer at your downfall."

Darcy stared intently into the flames as he fought to control the painful lump that he felt rising in his throat. When he had regained mastery of himself, he replied rather gruffly, "Thank you. You are the brother I never had."

After a few more moments of introspection, Richard, never one to enjoy sentimental subjects for too long, began to outline, in a very business-like manner, the tasks that lay before them on the morrow. They both agreed to rise early in order to accomplish all of their goals. Having finished his drink, Richard took himself off to bed while Darcy stared unseeing into the fire for another half hour before sitting at his desk to pen another missive to Elizabeth.

Darcy House, London

March 13, 1812

Mrs. Darcy,

It is done. The mask has been ripped off, and Bingley has been confronted for his crimes…

Putting those words to paper proved to be both painful and liberating for Darcy. In the rest of his letter, he detailed the evening's confrontation with Bingley and their plans for the coming days as they prepared to send him off the next week. Then, he went on to describe to her the pain that he had felt upon hearing the hurtful words that the man had spewed concerning their past association. As he wrote of the betrayal, he imagined that she was in the room with him, that she was sharing the burden with him. That, along with Richard's earlier reassurances, helped to ease the ache in his chest and put the matter into perspective.

I wish to reassure you that we remain ever vigilant concerning your safety and that our vigilance includes keeping Miss Bingley under surveillance. My earnest hope and prayer is that it brings you comfort to know that the Bingleys are no longer a threat to you.

Your servant,

FD

ppp

Gracechurch Street, London

March 13, 1812

My dear Mary,

Your arrival cannot come soon enough. Your room is aired and ready, and the children are thrilled that you will be staying with us. Edith, in particular, is beside herself with joy. She is impatient to show you how she has improved on the pianoforte. You may have to be a bit stern with her if she takes advantage of your good nature and monopolizes your time too much.

I know that you will protest, but I have made appointments for you with my modiste. Your father has given me a budget for some new gowns, and your uncle and I intend to gift you with some as well. For it is apparent that you will be unable to hide yourself away in my home for the entirety of your visit. Therefore, I am determined that you will go unashamed into the fashionable world that your sister is soon to inhabit. As you have heard, Lady Matlock and I are more than passing acquaintances having served on the board of some of the same charities. We have already been in consultation over your sister's wardrobe, and the Countess has expressed a desire to meet you. So, regardless of your reticence, I fear that you will be in some demand by that fine lady.

However, we will, as much as possible, cater to your wishes and provide the types of outings that are more to your liking.

Counting the days,

Aunt Madeline

ppp

Chilton Cottage, Hampshire

March 13, 1812

Dear Lady Matlock,

I wish to express my gratitude for your efforts to locate a suitable woman to train Sarah Hill, my current lady's maid. It is of great comfort to me that she will accompany me to London. Furthermore, she is eager to learn the skills necessary to adequately fulfill the duties of a proper lady's maid. Miss Peggy Ross sounds eminently qualified, and it is encouraging that, since she is soon to retire from service, she will not feel resentful when she is not offered the position.

In addition, I seek to reassure you that the bruises caused by my injury, are quickly fading. Therefore, they will be easily concealed with a minimum of effort by the time of my arrival on Wednesday of next week.

The gowns that I received from you yesterday are lovely and very much in keeping with my own taste and preferences. I am greatly in your debt for your excellent sense of style. What a delightful coincidence that you are acquainted with my aunt, Madeline Gardiner. I am happy and grateful that the two of you have been willing to take time out of your busy schedules to see to my wardrobe.

What an honor it is that Herr Schmidt has agreed to work with me on my performance at the pianoforte. Again, I thank you for arranging this on my behalf. However, I fear that I will disappoint you and insult Herr Schmidt with my limitations on the instrument. If it is acceptable to the exalted teacher, I would like to allow my sister to sit in on some of his lessons.

Your condescension in sponsoring me in society is most heartily appreciated. I look forward to being formally introduced to you and your family.

Most respectfully yours,

Elizabeth Darcy

ppp

Darcy House, London

Mar 14, 1812

Mrs. Darcy,

We spent the day arranging Bingley's affairs in order to set about exiling him from England. I promise to elaborate in more detail when I see you next week. Mr. Hurst is proving invaluable in pushing Bingley's attorney to act so that there will be no delays to his sailing on Wednesday.

Richard will escort Wickham to his prison ship on the following Thursday. Due to the violence of his actions, I have no desire to show him mercy. He should be grateful that we are not seeking to have him hanged.

We have not yet agreed on a fitting punishment for Miss Bingley. However, some sort of banishment is warranted. What has us at odds is the type of banishment to which she should be subjected. Whether it will be from society or, possibly, from British shores entirely is undecided at this time. She does have a fiancé, thus we are in talks with him also. He indicates that, for her dowry, he is willing to accompany her to the place of our choosing. He is the third son of a wine merchant, and thus, has no prospects.

The interesting news that I want to share with you is that Hurst believes that he has finally been able to ferret out the motive for Bingley's (and Caroline's) actions. I received a note from him just a few moments ago requesting an audience tomorrow afternoon and understand that it will be him and his wife. I will keep you informed as to what transpires.

I apologize for the brevity of this missive, but early morning meetings and the late nights have taken their toll. I hope and pray that you are able to rest easier knowing that the end is in sight, and we will soon be done with the Bingleys and their ilk. Please know that your comfort is my priority henceforth.

Your servant,

FD

ppp

Gracechurch Street, London

March 14, 1812

Bennet,

Enclosed are the revised marriage articles that your son-in-law's lawyers submitted to me. There has been very little back and forth related to the new terms of the contract, which is in large part due to the broad generosity of Darcy. The lawyers, in the beginning, grumbled a great deal over the irregularity of making changes to the original document. However, it was your daughter's husband who compelled them to 'get on with it'. Those were his words, not mine.

I am satisfied with the provisions therein. The pin money is more than reasonable, dowries and property allotted for children is quite satisfactory, and the widow's portion is extremely generous. He has included the clause that you recommended which states that her personal property will remain hers in all circumstances. As you had intended, this clause will underpin the trust that his lawyers are working to craft. In addition, I was asked to serve as a witness to his new will, which further supports the trust, as well as confers on her the normal rights and privileges that she should expect to receive as his widow.

The structure of the trust is beginning to take shape. The lack of protections for a woman and her property is the greatest travesty of our legal system. Finding the terms and strictures necessary to make this truly irrevocable has required a great deal of knowledge and creativity. One document that we have consulted as a reference source is the queen's own marriage document. Six of our ruling sovereigns have been women and strongly worded contracts were put in place to protect the wealth of the royal family against her chosen consort.

Darcy's man of business has identified several properties that might be suitable for Elizabeth's needs. When she comes to town, we will allow her to review the list. When she narrows that list down, we will need to plan excursions to the country so that she may view them in person.

As you know, Darcy has expressed his regrets to me for his treatment of my favorite niece. However, I am taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether I allow him back into my good graces. If he continues along this new path that he has begun, I will give him a second chance. We shall see.

Mrs. Claudia Stoner will be available to travel with you to Longbourn on Thursday. She comes highly recommended by the colleague that brought her to my notice, as well as by her last three employers. Her terms are very reasonable, and based on our interview, I believe she will be a good fit for your family. She does not seem to be intimidated by Lydia's recalcitrance.

As always,

Gardiner

ppp

Chilton Cottage, Hampshire

March 15, 1812

My Dear Fanny,

I am glad to hear that you and my daughters residing at Longbourn are well. I am equally impressed that you have ensured that our two youngest have been kept at home and away from those influences that contributed to their poor behavior. They must be made to understand that I will brook no disobedience on their part.

When I arrive next Thursday, I would like to confer with you on some of the things that have come to light concerning our second daughter's marriage. It has truly made me understand all of my past failings towards you and our entire family. There is much that I must account for.

As planned, I will convey Mrs. Stoner to Longbourn when I come. My hope is that she will lighten your burden in your dealings with Kitty and Lydia. I have high hopes that she can take them in hand.

To my surprise, I received a letter from my cousin, Mr. Collins, in which he has declared that he will condescend to grace our home with his presence on April 1. As you may recall, he vowed never to darken our door after he learned that Elizabeth had dared to steal Mr. Darcy out of the grasp of Lady Catherine de Bourgh's daughter. I cannot fathom what has compelled him to act in direct contradiction of his earlier vitriol. Curiosity constrains me to allow the visit. I pray that your nerves will not be overset by his impending stay. Please remember, my dear, I am now, at long last, endeavoring to provide for your future. Moreover, Mr. Darcy has had a change of heart and has promised to see to your comfort should you need it. So please do not distress yourself about Mr. Collins or the entail. You and all of our daughters will be fine.

I miss you, wife.

Your faithful husband,

Thomas

ppp

Chilton Cottage, Hampshire

March 16, 1812

Mr. Darcy,

I hope that you are well. All preparations for your arrival tomorrow and our removal to London proceed apace. Mrs. Morris and the staff will then proceed to close the cottage over the next month. All the servants except for one of the maids has expressed a desire to relocate with us to my new locale, wherever that might be.

I understand that there are three properties that my uncle has proposed for consideration as my new home. Your forbearance in granting me the space that I need to feel more secure in our marriage is commendable. Most gentlemen would have never considered taking the steps that you have undertaken on my behalf.

Your letter yesterday was quite mysterious concerning the revelations that you received from the Hursts. I admit that I am experiencing a great deal of impatience to hear all of the particulars, but I understand that some things need to be disclosed face to face. It is telling that you have increased the harshness of Miss Bingley's punishment and are altering the plans that you had in place for Mr. Bingley. Your mention of one other participant in the compromise has me scratching my head. Other than Mr. Bingley, Caroline, and Mrs. Hurst, I can think of no one, besides a maid or two, who might have been involved.

Over the past months, I have been plagued with apprehension, mortification, and shame concerning the mysteries of what occurred that night while we were drugged. In my mind, discovering their motivation behind the overall conspiracy ranks as secondary in importance to what actually occurred while we were insensible. Since you were also a victim, I feel that you can sympathize with my perturbation. It has caused me great distress to not know how far their violation of my privacy went. I hope that you are not shocked by my mention of my worries. But, as I said, I feel comfortable disclosing my thoughts to a fellow victim.

Sir, I have a suggestion for the coming month that I will be spending under your roof in London. You would probably agree that our correspondence these last two weeks has permitted us to address some of the issues that stand between us in a way that would have never been possible in person. Therefore, I would like us to continue this practice even though we will be separated by only a sitting room. For those topics that are contentious, or delicate, or simply too uncomfortable for us to discuss in person, I propose that we write it out. I realize it sounds strange to pass notes in this manner, but it gives me a sense of comfort to communicate with you in this way. I know that I find it easier to divulge my thoughts and concerns on paper. Thus, I ask you to indulge me in this.

Yours,

ED