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“Excellent!” William declared. “I want him incarcerated until I can move him to London to be charged, but I cannot do that until Lord Addison comes to Lambton to collect his prize.”

“Do you think he will?” Harrigan asked. “It would not be a smart thing to do for one in his position.”

“Oh, he will,” William retorted. “Men like him think they are too smart to be caught.”

“When do you expect him? Surely, some of us need to be in Lambton when he arrives.”

“I expect Lord Addison in a day or two, possibly a sennight, and you are correct, in addition to Mr. Wilburn keeping watch, some of you must be there to help with his capture. I cannot stay in Lambton, as I do not wish to leave Eliz … Miss Bennet unprotected, but I want that villain under lock and key the moment he sets foot in Lambton.”

“Decker, find the apothecary and bring him to Pemberley. Harrigan, check with Mr. Wilburn to see if he can meet me there around noon. Tell him I will not keep him long. Osborne, I am tasking you with watching for Lord Addison’s coach until a schedule can be arranged for others to keep watch. Inform the innkeeper I wish to rent a room for an unspecified period for my servants who will stay in town to greet an incoming coach. He does not need to know the particulars.”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Osborne declared, whilst the others nodded.

Satisfied, William put a foot on the step to enter the carriage. “On to Pemberley as quickly as safety permits, Marshall.”

Once situated inside, William pulled Elizabeth into his arms and tucked the blankets around her as the carriage began to roll. Kissing the top of her head, he whispered in her hair, “Do not worry, my love. As soon as we are at Pemberley all will be well.”

Chapter 21

London

Lady Morgan’s Townhouse

The next morning

Lady Matlock, who had come immediately upon receiving Richard’s summons, had been appalled when she arrived the previous evening to learn that the only family supporting Lady Morgan was her younger, unmarried sister, Miss Catherine Bennet.

Miss Catherine had explained that her mother’s mind had been affected after her husband’s death and that she would be of no help were she there. Moreover, an aunt the Bennet sisters had always relied on, Mrs. Gardiner, was caring for her ailing husband and four children and therefore unable to come. Lady Matlock had instantly agreed to stay on, as it appeared the birth of Lady Morgan’s child was imminent.

Fortunately, Lady Morgan’s pains had slowed by the time Darcy’s physician arrived to examine her, and Mr. Graham believed she was not ready to deliver the child presently. He ordered Jane to stay in bed until he could examine her again the next day.

Thus far that morning, Mr. Graham had not returned. Instead, he had sent a note that he was working on a difficult birth and would come as soon as he could.

Richard arrived early, anxious to hear how Lady Morgan had fared and to hear what his mother had to say regarding the possibility of an early birth. After being let into the townhouse by the housekeeper, he glanced at the grand staircase as she took his hat, gloves and greatcoat. “Is my mother still with Lady Morgan?”

“Yes, Colonel, she stayed with her all night,” Mrs. Harris replied. “I tried to get her to lie down this morning, but she refused.”

“When she wishes to be, Mother can be quite formidable.”

“I cannot disagree with you there.”

“Would you please ask her to join me in the drawing room? I would like to hear her thoughts on Lady Morgan’s condition, and, if it is not too much to ask, I would dearly love to have a cup of tea and a scone.”

“The tea and scone will be no problem,” Mrs. Harris said with a smile. “Your mother is an entirely different matter.”

Richard laughed, and as he began to walk away, Mrs. Harris called, “Colonel.”

He turned to face her, and she continued, “Thank you for fetching Lady Matlock. I-I never had children of my own, and I was quite at a loss of how to be of help. Your mother proved very useful in keeping my mistress calm.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Richard said. “Mother likes to be useful, and it gives me relief to think she may not be too upset with me after all.”

The housekeeper smiled. “Please tell her that we are thankful for her help.”

“Of course.”

Pemberley

The apothecary, Mr. Drummond, had come as soon as he was summoned, and upon examining Elizabeth pronounced that his main concern was to reduce her fever. To reach that goal, she was to be bathed continuously with wet compresses until her temperature dropped. The bathing had gone on for several hours now, but William was not willing to give up his vigil in the sitting room adjoining her bedroom until she was re-examined later that afternoon. In the meantime, the apothecary had gone to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms, as he was weary from tending to villains a goodly portion of the day before, in addition to Miss Bennet.