Page 116 of New World Tea Company
He concluded, “And Wickham failed to mention the cost of the cargo…he sells a pipedream, Miss Bennet.”
Sitting back in the chair, Elizabeth added, “Uncle Gardiner and Mr Bingley agree with you, sir.”
~~~
Chapter 55.Afternoon at Olive Street
At the Hurst home on Olive Street in London, the household continued to revolve around Miss Caroline Bingley’s commands; as the clock struck one of the clock, both footmen were engaged with carrying the hot water above stairs to provide a bath for the houseguest. At half past two, the housekeeper came into the parlour and reported that Miss Bingley wished to speak with Mr and Mrs Hurst in her bedchamber. The couple conversed with a few glances before rising and ascending the stairs.
Hurst knocked once and Caroline called out, “Come.”
The couple remained waiting outside the door until Caroline threw open the door and growled, “It is unsupportable that you force a lady to answer her own door.”
Mr Hurst retorted by saying, “A proper guest in my home would not summon me to her bedchamber.”
Inside the room, the couple watched Caroline return to her chair. Mrs Hurst notice the gowns thrown across the bed, bonnets and feathers scattered about on the bureaus and tabletops. Mr Hurst noticed the dirty breakfast tray sat on one table with straw bonnet smashed into the plate.
“I wish for both of you to remain above stairs until Lord Campbell arrives at three.”
“No,” Geoffrey replied. “I am hopeful that Charles will arrive by that hour, and we can discover if your dowry can be recovered from the criminal George Wickham.”
Alarmed by the man’s announcement, Caroline sputtered, “Charles? Recovered? Criminal? What do you mean Mr Hurst?”
Louisa was equally surprised and exclaimed, “Oh Lord! Geoffrey, why do you think George Wickham is a criminal?”
Mr Hurst explained that none of his associates at his club, and none of the lawyers at the firm that managed monetary affairs for the Hurst estate, or the Bingley fortune knew of a single piece of evidence that the New World Tea Company had ever paid a real dividend to any individual.
He added, “What’s more, no one in business has ever heard of the company or the proprietor.”
Sitting back in the chair, Caroline moaned, “What will Lord Campbell think? How can he ask me to marry if Wickham is a criminal?”
But Geoffrey argued, “Caroline, the man you think is Lord Campbell may be a confederate with George Wickham. If Charles and I can find Wickham, we may find your Lord Campbell and Mrs Young.”
“No! I do not believe it. My husband will be the Earl of Argyle,” Caroline stated to reassure herself.
Suddenly the woman shouted, “This is your fault Hurst! If you had not run off to Suffolk in winter none of this would have happened! It is your fault that…”
“Stop!” Louisa demanded. “We went to care for Geoffrey’s mother. You chose to remain in London with Mrs Young as a lady’s companion.”
Peevishly, Caroline commented, “Better the old woman had died.”
Surprising everyone in the room, Louisa slapped her sister’s face. Then with some heat in her tone, the woman said, “Whenever Charles appears, he and my husband will attempt to locate the thieves to whom you entrusted your fortune. If they can recover any part of it, I shall beg my husband to throw you from this house the same afternoon.”
Turning away from Caroline, Louisa headed for the door but then she turned back and said, “I hope your Lord Campbellappears this afternoon. If he proposes, I shall pay for a common license from my own purse to see you married tomorrow morning and gone from this house. I do not care if you become the Countess of Aryle or Duchess of Manchester, I want you gone from our home.”
Surprised by his wife’s declaration, Geoffrey took note of the look of shock on Caroline’s face as Louisa opened the door of the bedchamber. The man followed his wife from the room and then escorted her down the stairs. Behind them Caroline slammed the door to her bedchamber. As they passed the front door, there was a knock upon the door panel. Opening the door himself, Geoffrey was pleased to find Charles Bingley standing there.
“Charles! Thank goodness you have some!” Louisa declared.
Back above stairs, the door to Caroline’s bedchamber slammed shut for a second time that afternoon.
~~~
At three of the clock, the Darcy coach-and-four waited outside the door at Netherfield. Lady Catherine who was full of tea and biscuits instead of luncheon, was escorted by her nephew through the open door. The gentleman’s aggravation with his relative grew when the woman did not offer any thanks to Mrs Bingley for the hospitality shown to the uninvited visitor. Leaving Lady Catherine outside the door for the moment, Darcy thanked the young bride for the kindness she had shown to his family. He bowed to his hostess before he stepped out of the manor and never offered his aunt his arm as they walked the short distance to his carriage.
Darcy’s valet and his aunt’s lady’s maid were already seated in the carriage and the Matlock footman sat beside the Darcy coachman in the box. Mr Darcy’s trunks were secured to the top of the carriage. Once he handed Lady Catherine into the interior of the carriage, Darcy took a moment to confirm with hiscoachman, Mr Jasper, that the footman knew the best route to Matlock house in London.
When Jasper confirmed that the two servants had discussed the route, Darcy told the coachman, “Stop at the best inns along the way to rest the horses as you think necessary. I wish to be in the city tonight but do not want a horse lamed by any false urgency.”
