Page 7 of Her Favourite Daughter

“And we would not expect you to do so at a time like this,” Lady Camille insisted. “Richard and I are here to convey our and the children’s condolences and to tell you that we will assist in any way possible. Where is Mr Bennet?”

“In the study, packing his tomes,” Fanny responded.

“I will go see Bennet,” Grantham decided. He gave a shallow bow to Mrs Bennet and made his way to the small study. “Bennet, there is no need to stand on ceremony,” he said when he saw the man about to stand and bow to him. “I know how hard it is to lose a father, as mine went to his reward some eight years past. On top of that to lose your brother as well, you have my deepest sympathies.”

“I thank you, my Lord. It is very good of you to come to tell me in person,” Thomas responded.

“Camille is with Mrs Bennet. I am certain my wife is telling yours we will help in any way,” Grantham stated. “To that end, I will make a horse-drawn cart available for your use to move your belongings; it is on its way here now. In addition, I know you have no carriage, so my older travelling coach and four will be at your disposal for your journey.”

“As much as I appreciate your generosity, we cannot impose on you in this manner,” Thomas tried to demur.

“How are you imposing on me when it was my decision without your asking for assistance? For the man who was not only an excellent teacher to my sons and daughters but also to the children of Grantham, my honour would not allow me to do less,” the earl insisted. “And Bennet, if you ever need my assistance in the future, you need only ask.”

“When you put it like that, it would be rather churlish of me to refuse the helping hand you and Lady Grantham have extended. I am in your debt, my Lord,” Thomas accepted.

“No, Bennet. For preparing my sons so well for their future education and being willing to teach my two eldest daughters, it is me who is in your debt. I am only sorry that Anna was too young to begin lessons with you,” Grantham replied. “My assistance is transitory; what you have given my four eldest children will last a lifetime.”

All Thomas could do was incline his head in thanks. He stood and accompanied Lord Grantham back to the sitting room where their wives were. The visitors refused tea, saying there was enough going on in the cottage already and took their leave.

“That was beyond generous of them,” Fanny opined when Thomas told her what Lord Grantham had told him. “It will save me having to go to the inn to rent a carriage. I had not even thought of a cart.”

At that moment, the cart pulled by two enormous Shire[3] draft horses came to a halt in front of the cottage. It was manned by two burly men. The coach and four arrived soon after with two coachmen on the box and two footmen on the back bench. There would be more than enough hands to carry and load anything which needed to be placed on the cart or in the conveyance.

Jane understood they were to leave the house she had grown up in, but any sadness at that thought was overridden by the thoughts of seeing her grandparents, aunt and uncle at their new house. James had no concept of what was about to occur. For him, very little would change.

Although thoughts of his father and brother were always in his thoughts, having to pack up their cottage and prepare for the journey commencing on the morrow distracted Thomas from his grief for some of the time.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

“You promise that little Lady Bethie will not be harmed, do you not?” Mrs Becky Younge the replacement nursemaid, verified. She had only agreed to help with this because the money she had been promised was more than enough to ensure her young twins, Clem, named for his father, and Karen, would have a better future than she.

“I’s tol’ ya so ‘afore,” Jim Younge, Becky’s husband, Clem’s, younger brother, assured her. There was no reason to tell his cousin’s wife that he had been paid to end the little miss.

Jim was intimate with a maid who worked at Rosings Park in Kent. The dragon, Lady Catherine, had caught them lying one with the other. She had threatened to sack Paulette without a character and make trouble for Jim unless he assisted her as needed. All Jim cared about was earning blunt, so he agreed. He cared not about Paulette, but the toff lady spoke of good amounts of coin when he was needed by her.

About six weeks past, he had been summoned to her, where she had laid out what needed to be done. He had refused to kill for her, but being offered twenty thousand pounds to do the deed had banished all of his scruples about killing a babe.

A month past, he had put the fear of God into one of the nursemaids working at Kiveton Park and not only had she left, but she had also recommended her cousin, Becky. The Duchess had employed Becky. She had used that time to learn all of the routines of the house. When she had reported that the girl was taken out at least once a day to be pushed around the park and sometimes among the trees, he had come up with his plan.

The duchess met with her housekeeper on Friday mornings. That was the morning one or two of the nursemaids walked out with the girl in her perambulator. Jim told Becky to be sure she was the only one to walk with the babe on the morning of Friday the fifth day of August. She had told him there would be a footman, but he had assured her it would not be a problem as long as she walked among the oaks with the little miss. With his assurances that it was all about ransom, Becky agreed to the plan. The five thousand pounds she was promised did not hurt.

“As long as that is true, then I will help you,” Becky reiterated. “I cannot come with you because I will be missed, and they will suspect me right away. When you cosh me, do not make it too hard.”

“Don’ worry yir pretty ‘ead, Becky; I make it look real but ya be alive,” Jim promised. “Just don’ be late in mornin’,” he admonished.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

On Friday morning, Lady Amelia fed Bethie like she did each morning when her daughter woke not long after first light. As was her wont after Bethie had belched and was changed, she played with her gurgling girl, who had a rather strong grip, for a while before relinquishing her to the nursemaid; it was the new one, Becky, this morning.

“Where is Jamima?” Lady Amelia questioned. She was the senior nurse who would walk pushing Bethie’s perambulator on Fridays.

“She is not feeling very well, Your Grace. I will be taking Lady Bethany into the park this morning,” Becky responded as evenly as she was able. She had slipped something into Jamima’s food the previous evening which had caused her supposed friend to be ill this morning.

“I will send the housekeeper to look in on her,” Lady Amelia said. “Have a good walk with my dear girl.” She lifted Bethie off her lap, kissed her cheek, resulting in the expected giggles, and then handed her precious daughter to the nursemaid.

She hated being away from the darling girl, but Amelia knew her duties, and they had to be met. At the door she turned and blew her girl a kiss and then made her way down to her study, where she would meet with the housekeeper, cook, and anyone else she needed to meet with on this morning.

The perambulator was in the entrance hall waiting for them, so after carrying the happy babe down the grand stairs, she was placed in the little carriage. The babe’s arms were flapping with excitement, and she was gurgling happily. Two footmen carried the perambulator down to the drive, and off they went. With one of the footmen following behind, Becky walked the expected route through the gardens and spent time in the rose garden Lady Bethany seemed to enjoy so much.