“And is there any danger to my niece right now, Mr. O’Connor?” Mr. Darcy asked. “Should I be concerned that Anne’s reputation might be damaged this very night and secure her right away, or is she safe for tonight?”
Mr. O’Connor smiled as he looked over his notepad, “Lady Catherine has kept Miss de Bourgh isolated in the bedroom the entire time. We do not believe Wickham has met Miss de Bourgh yet, as she had not left her rooms and the maids at the boarding house only heard that the young lady was sleeping the entire day. Miss Anne might have been given a large dose of a draught and will likely sleep through the night. Given that Mr. Younge leaves for the tavern around this time and does not return until the wee hours of the morning, Wickham is likely occupied at the present moment and will remain in Mrs. Younge’s room for several hours as he had done for the past fortnight. The servants are willing to share much for a few coins, as their employers are miserly and do not pay on time.”
“Catherine has never kept late hours so we can assume their meeting not will not occur until tomorrow morning.” Lady Anne scoffed. “My sister deserves to be punished, husband. Harshly.”
Mr. Darcy nodded and spoke to the investigator, “I would like for you to post a man within the boarding house so that if Wickham does attempt to enter my niece’s room, have him prevent it at all costs, even if we must have Wickham arrested and sent to debtor’s prison immediately.” He looked at his son, “I have Wickham’s promissory note to you with his £600 debt and will use it if needed. I am glad you had enough sense to make him sign for the loan.”
William grinned, “You raised no fool, father. I took precautions, especially since I did not trust Wickham.”
“Good.” Mr. Darcy turned to the man awaiting his orders. “Thank you, Mr. O’Connor. Let us reconvene here at seven o’clock in the morning and we will retrieve my niece.” Mr. Darcy nodded at the investigator and Mr. O’Connor departed Darcy House.
He continued to his son, “She will be safe with Mrs. Jenkinson and your mother and I will return her to Kent in time for Lewis’ funeral. Anne will need to grieve and once she is ready, we will have her join Robert and Sarah at Matlock House and carry out our plans to take care of Rosings.” He sighed, “It will take some time to organise it and Henry will have his solicitor advertise.” Mr. Darcy turned to his son, “I assume you will join me when I confront Lady Catherine and Wickham tomorrow morning. Do you want to go with us to Kent for the funeral?”
“Yes, father. Uncle Lewis was good to me and I will miss him greatly. I would have joined you even without Anne’s disappearance and I am glad I am already here.” William answered. “If you do not mind, I will turn in to rest.” He yawned widely. “I am exhausted!”
Lady Anne embraced her son and kissed his cheek. “Good night, William. I am happy you to have you here and your assistance in the matter was vital. Without your information, Catherine and Anne might have remained hidden for days or weeks, but now, we have time to rectify the situation and keep Anne safe. You did well, son.”
“Good night, mama.” William kissed his mother’s cheek. “Good night, father.” He bowed and went to his rooms to rest. It had been a long day but it was worth the trouble to be present for his family’s current predicament.
Chapter 9
“George!” The woman hissed. “Wake up, George! You fell asleep and I can hear my husband at the front door downstairs; you must get out of my room.”
“Who cares? He will be too drunk to even notice me in the bed.” Wickham whined.
“He will kill you.” Mrs. Younge snapped. “Get out and I will see you later. He is coming through the front door and it will take a few minutes for him to climb the stairs.” She kissed Wickham’s lips, “See you soon, my love. Once you marry that insipid creature, I look forward to living with you in the beautiful mansion in Kent.”
Wickham smirked, “You will be my mistress there, my dear, and you will be away from your miserable life here. I promise it.” He grabbed his clothes and snuck out of the room. He heard the drunkard’s groans from the stairs and hid around the corner and waited until Mr. Younge entered his rooms and shut the door.
“GEORGE WICKHAM!” He turned as he heard his name called out. “What the devil are you doing sneaking about this early in the morning? Get yourself in here right now. I wished to speak with you in any case so this is fortuitous.”
“Lady Catherine,” Wickham flushed, “yes, of course, I will do as you say. Please allow me,” he put on his shirt and wrapped his jacket around his shoulders. Thankfully he had donned his trousers before leaving Mrs. Younge’s rooms.
Lady Catherine walked back into her room, “I know you must have been fornicating with a maidservant or some other harlot but I care not for any of your filthy habits. You can have whoever you want but you will keep it out of my home and not pollute the shades of Rosings Park. There is a level of respect that is required of you, Wickham, and I will not tolerate your misconducts inside my estate.” She continued after Wickham straightened his clothing and sat on a chair. “The truth is, my daughter has been ill all of her life and although I will demand consummation, you must not have a child with her. Keep a mistress and perhaps I will allow your issue
