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Just as William reached the door, a small voice rang out, “I … I saw him take her.”

Instantly, William returned to the boy. Kneeling in front of Jesse, he took hold of both his shoulders, willing him to look into his eyes. “Tell me everything you saw.”

“Mis-Miss Bennet came out of the bakery with a man. He … he forced her to walk towards a carriage parked in the road alongside the bakery. After he pushed her into the carriage, he climbed in, too, and it began to roll.”

“So, the carriage left Lambton by way of the road beside the bakery?”

Jesse nodded.

“Can you describe the man? Was he tall? Short?”

One small finger pointed at William. “He looked like you.”

“By that, do you mean he was tall and dressed as a gentleman?”

Jesse nodded again.

“Could you see the colour of his hair?”

“He wore a hat. I think it was dark brown or black.”

“Is there anything else you recall?”

Jesse looked down as though trying to think. “Just that …”

“Yes?”

“I-I was in front of the sweet shop when Miss Bennet walked out with him. She looked right at me but turned away as if she had not seen me.”

Without thinking, William pulled Jesse into a quick embrace. Suddenly aware that the child might be uncomfortable, he released him, murmuring fervently, “Thank you.”

Standing, he said quietly to Mrs. Reynolds, “Make certain the boy is not alone tonight.”

“I will, sir,” she replied. “Did the description of the man who took Miss Bennet help?”

“I believe it confirms my theory that it was Wickham. Elizabeth’s sister Lydia told Lady Morgan that he was searching for Miss Elizabeth. That was my purpose in returning—to ascertain she was safe at Pemberley.”

“I am so sorry that is not the case. I shall pray that you find her soon and bring her home safely.”

“Your prayers are appreciated,” William replied. “For only God knows where that blackguard has taken her.”

Lambton

Fortunately, the rumour that Mr. Wilburn was on his way back to Lambton proved true, and the search party happened upon him as he was locking up the old office he had occupied when he was the constable and not merely Mr. Stone’s assistant.

After having the circumstances explained to him, Wilburn agreed to help and called for the boy who looked after his office to bring his horse around, declining to ride in the carriage. “I had rather have my horse so I can come and go as I please and we can use the carriages for the women,” he explained.

Immediately the group, along with Duke, set off for Miss Younge’s boarding house in an unremitting rain. The boarding house was the only building of consequence on the road that wound behind the bakery in Lambton to eventually connect with the road to Sheffield several miles in the distance. Obviously, that structure was the first place they would need to explore in their search for Elizabeth.

As fate would have it, they had travelled no more than a mile before they encountered an exhausted Lydia Wickham sitting on a stump on the side of the road, wet, shivering and crying.

Recognizing her, William’s heart began beating furiously as he dismounted and hurried to where she sat to ascertain if she was injured. Realising who had stopped, Lydia rose and ran towards him, crying and speaking at the same time.

“Oh, Mr. Darcy! Thank God you are here!” she sobbed. “You must stop that villain from disappearing with Lizzy! He shot Wickham right in front of me, so I know he would not hesitate to kill my sister if she were to anger him!”

“Of whom do you speak? I thought Wickham had taken your sister.”

“He had … he did! But George only meant to obtain a ransom for Lizzy and then let us go!” She sniffled. “That wretched man—Wickham called him Drago—was apparently angry that George had replaced him in Lord Addison’s employ, so he shot George … right then and there.”