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“Now I recall the rumours!” Richard proclaimed. “The elderly Lord Morgan gambled away almost every pound he possessed, abandoning his wife and son in a neglected estate and requiring them to rely on the benevolence of her relations lest they starve. Meanwhile, he took up with a widow who had been left with a modest living after her husband died. If I remember correctly, he had a son by her.”

“That is about the gist of it. David gained little more than a title and a pittance when his father passed. His mother died shortly afterwards, leaving nothing but some family jewels she had hidden from her husband. When he came to me, David was vacillating between trying to revive the estate by selling the jewels or returning to the study of medicine under a prominent surgeon, something he had begun after his father deserted him.”

“Truly a sad situation; however, you cannot claim that your plan to have him occupy Netherfield Park was successful. After all, Mr. Bennet ended up having an apoplexy and is confined to bed, Miss Elizabeth began working as a companion, and her younger sisters are still unmarried.”

“Actually, it worked far better than I had hoped. When Morgan married Miss Bennet, it kept her family from sinking further down the social ladder. Like all small villages, Meryton’s elite venerate those with titles and wealth, and Lord Morgan has a title and appears to be wealthy. The elite in Meryton softened their attitude towards the Bennets, and given time, I believe Lady Morgan’s marriage will help Miss Mary and Miss Kitty make proper matches.”

“Let us hope so. I always thought that an entire family being ruined by the actions of one member was unfair.”

“I agree.”

“At least now I understand why you cut yourself off from the family after your marriage.”

“I apologise for not being candid with you sooner. I missed having you to confide in.”

“No more than I have missed you, Darcy.” Suddenly, Richard’s attention focused on the stacks of paper on his cousin’s desk. “How long do you think it will be before you can leave for London?”

“I hope to be ready to leave within a se’nnight.”

“Whilst you catch up with your business, I shall take it upon myself to write to Father and explain how Anne went berserk and guaranteed your silence with her threats. Subsequently, when you arrive in London to fetch Georgiana, you will not have to repeat that horrid story again.”

“Do whatever you wish. I am still resentful of all the years my uncle tried to coerce me into marrying Anne once I reached my majority. Moreover, I refuse to believe he was not involved in some manner with their last deception.”

“If you had heard his remarks after Anne tried to convince him and Mother of her miracle healing, you would not feel that way.”

A flick of William’s hand let Richard know that any more discussion of that subject would be futile.

“Unless you need my help, it will seem that I have disappeared from Pemberley… until, of course, the dinner bell rings.”

“Rest assured I will not need your help. I shall see you again at dinner.”

“At dinner,” Richard repeated as he left the room.

Chapter 2

London

October 15, 1813

Weeks after the news of Lydia’s folly reached Longbourn, the Bennets received a letter from her stating that she and Mr. Wickham were in London, with plans to marry and afterwards depart for the Americas. However, having been enlightened by Mr. Darcy about Mr. Wickham’s character, Elizabeth did not believe that horrible cad had any intention of wedding her sister. Still, her mother’s raptures about having a daughter married forced Elizabeth to keep those thoughts to herself.

It was not long before the consequences of Lydia’s actions became glaringly evident. Mr. Bennet watched as his wife and daughters were shunned by their neighbours, and Elizabeth announced her decision to seek employment as a companion in London. Owning his failure as a father, Thomas Bennet suffered an apoplexy that had him evermore confined to his bed.

With her father unable to act on Lydia’s behalf, Elizabeth was fortunate to have quickly found a position as a companion to a kindly, empathetic and very wealthy widow, Lady Agatha Cargile, whose late husband had been a frequent customer of Mr. Gardiner’s warehouse. Elizabeth was hopeful that, with her position, she could search for Lydia on her days off.

Lady Cargile’s Townhouse

After over a year as Lady Cargile’s companion, Elizabeth had all but given up hope of finding any trace of Lydia when, out of the blue, her employer called her into her study one morning.

“Miss Bennet, have you had any news of your sister … the one who ran away?”

Elizabeth had not meant to share about Lydia with the countess but had done so one day when, at her lowest point, her employer caught her crying. That painful conversation and Lady Cargile’s compassion would be forever etched in her mind.

“Have I ever told you about my cousin, Lady Clara Cunningham?” Before Elizabeth could answer, the countess continued. “She and I were like sisters when we were girls.”

Lady Cargile, who Elizabeth had learned often lost her train of thought, stared into space for a moment before continuing. “However, Clara was much more religious than I, a trait that won her no favours with her parents. In any case, she flatly refused to marry the man they had selected for her. Instead, she dedicated her life to a local charity that serves fallen women. Her parents were bitter about her choice for the rest of their lives, as she was their only daughter.”

“That happened over thirty years ago, and now Clara is the head of that charity. After her parents died, she used her inheritance to purchase the adjoining bakery in order to provide the women with an opportunity to learn skills with which to support themselves and their children when they leave the home. The bakery is well known throughout London for its excellent goods!”