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Suddenly, a hand gripped William’s shoulder. “Mr. Darcy,” he heard Harrigan say, “Leave him for Mr. Wilburn to deal with. We need to focus on finding Miss Bennet before she freezes to death.”

Aware that Harrigan was right, William shoved Drago back down in the seat. He then stepped back to allow his footman to secure the villain’s hands and tighten the tourniquet on his leg.

“Have Decker help you take this heathen back to the boarding house. Keep him under constant surveillance, even if the apothecary, Mr. Drummond, decides to treat his injury.”

“What do you mean to do now?” Harrigan asked.

“It will soon be dark, and it is beginning to sleet. I cannot, in good conscience, send out a search party, exposing them to harm. Thus, Duke and I shall search the woods indicated by that devil. My cousin and I used to hunt and fish there when we were boys, so I am somewhat familiar with how the land lies. If I have not returned to Pemberley by sunrise, reassemble and search this entire area. As for me, I will not cease looking for Miss Bennet until she is found.”

Harrigan knew there was no arguing with the master. “As you say, sir.”

London

Lady Morgan’s Townhouse

Richard was surprised to be let into the townhouse by Catherine Bennet rather than the housekeeper. Seeing that she was greatly upset, he asked, “Is anything wrong, Miss Catherine?”

“I … I cannot say for certain, but I think—” A muffled cry shattered the silence.

“Oh, my!” Catherine cried. “I think Jane has begun her lying-in, though she does not believe her pains are that close.”

Richard quickly removed his coat, hat and gloves, handing them to a maid who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “Has someone alerted Mr. Graham?”

“No,” Catherine admitted whilst wringing her hands. “Jane will not allow it.”

“May I see her?”

Catherine seemed confused as to whether or not to allow it. “I-I suppose it would not hurt, especially if you can convince my sister to allow us to send for help.”

As she was talking, Catherine crossed the hall to the drawing room and opened the door. Inside, Lady Morgan was sitting on a small sofa with one hand upon her back and the other on her stomach. The housekeeper was leaning over her with a concerned look. The expression on Jane’s face made even the seasoned soldier in him want to grimace. She had not seen Richard come in behind Catherine and was unaware of his presence until he spoke.

“Lady Morgan, I am no expert on birthing babies, but it looks to me as though you need to send for Mr. Graham and return to your bedroom as soon as possible.”

Astounded to be caught unawares, Jane tried to stand, though the exercise caused her to groan. Once she had recovered, Jane wanly smiled at Richard. “I fear my sister is making too much of nothing. I had phantom pains for a full month before Alice made her appearance, and I do not wish to inconvenience the doctor or the mid-wife until it is truly time for this one to be born. Besides, my water has not broken yet, so my lying-in cannot be that close.”

“How often are the pains?” he asked.

“They have been growing closer every hour,” the housekeeper replied, her expression anxious. To Richard, it appeared that she hoped he could convince her mistress of the need to send for the doctor.

Instantly, Richard addressed the housekeeper, “Please take Lady Morgan to her bedroom whilst I send for Mr. Graham.” To Jane, he added, “We had best let the good doctor decide if your pains are real or phantom.”

Jane did not object, and the relieved housekeeper was only too glad to comply. Afterwards, Richard called the maid over to give her instructions. “Send the footman to Mr. Graham’s office and ask him to come at once. Tell him that it appears Lady Morgan is about to give birth. Then, go directly to Matlock House … you do know where Matlock House is, do you not?” The maid nodded. “Good! I will send a note with you advising my mother that I need her help immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

Outside of Lambton

Unsure if Duke could follow a scent in these wretched conditions, William held the shawl down for the dog to sniff. Giving the hound a scratch on the head, he said, “Do your best, boy. It is up to us to find Elizabeth.”

Walking in the direction where the villain had gestured, William recalled that the land he would be traversing belonged to Lord Carter, who no longer resided at the modest estate on that property. Instead, he chose to reside at a larger estate near Manchester. When Darcy, Richard and Lord Carter’s grandson, Philip, were boys, they had hunted and fished the land that he was now obliged to scour for Elizabeth.

Whispering a prayer, William took a deep breath before following Duke into a tangled web of brush, shrubs, weeds and trees in hope of stumbling upon the path Elizabeth might have forged to escape her captor. The combination of brush and trees proved too thick to ride through, so he walked Zeus behind him. Thankful for his greatcoat once the sleet began to fall in earnest, he stopped and called Duke. Once the dog had returned, William pulled an old, knitted jersey from his hunting bag—one he had altered during a previous snowstorm to fit the dog by widening the neck and cutting off the arms.

Pulling it over the dog’s head, he said, “It may not help much, old boy, but it is the best I can do.”

Duke seemed appreciative and set off once again, leaving William no choice but to follow. After a little under an hour, they reached a large pond where William recalled fishing as a boy. A small gamekeeper’s house had once stood on the far side of the water, though if it still existed the misting rain and sleet currently concealed it entirely. In any case, Duke began circling the pond. Shortly thereafter, he discovered the cottage and howled in anticipation of William joining him.

Cold, shivering and bone-tired, upon reaching the small building William realised that if Duke’s tail was any indication, Elizabeth had to be inside. Heart racing with anticipation, he recalled that the cottage included small living quarters at one end and a stall at the other end to accommodate a horse. The front door had a simple wooden latch but once inside the cottage, a board could be placed across the door to secure it.