Page 117 of New World Tea Company
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While Lady Catherine remained silent for most of the return trip to London, she did state her belief that Darcy was misinformed about the New World Tea Company’s prospects. She discussed her meetings with George Wickham and revealed that the man kept rooms at the tavern named Sleeping Dog. Darcy was interested in this bit of news, but his aunt recognized his interest and pressed him for an explanation.
“I shall call on George and attempt to recover my cousin’s wealth that you have thrown away,” he replied. For the next half hour, Darcy had to endure his aunt’s bitter denunciation of his high-handed behaviour. Whether the horses required rest or Jasper had heard the shouting, the coach stopped at a prosperous tavern outside of the city. Here the coachman would water the horses, and the passengers could tumble from the coach to refresh themselves.
During the stop, Darcy talked to Jasper to alter their plan – as soon as they reached Matlock House, Lady Catherine and her maid would be left inside the front door. Then the coach would turn toward the Sleeping Dog where Darcy would seek an interview with George Wickham. When it was time to continue the journey to London, Darcy’s valet rode beside Jasper in the box for the remainder of the trip, but Darcy felt obligated to remain in the coach to ensure his aunt did not abuse the lady’s maid riding with them.
Jasper knew the location of the Sleeping Dog because the tavern stood on the street where stagecoach drivers stopped to water and change teams of horses while disgorging and boarding new passengers moving between the hundreds of villages located across the English countryside. The blacksmiths located around the tavern provided horses as needed for the different coaches travelling along the muddy roadways.
Seated inside the coach with his aunt who continued to spew vindictive language at her nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy endured the woman’s diatribes. In his mind, the man thanked his father for the important lesson of treating his servants with respect to earn their loyalty and good service. While Darcy had never ridden between cities and towns in a public stagecoach, from time to time he had ridden in hired cabs in London and Bath. He counted it to be fortunate that Jasper had driven hackney cabs and public stagecoaches before being hired five years earlier. The Darcy coachman would steer the Darcy coach along the streets to the Sleeping Dog.
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The atmosphere remained tense at the Sleeping Dog; the serving girls were timid with the drinkers and several guests had left for other taverns after their first tankard of ale and learning of the murders. The man was considering ways to turn the notoriety into an attraction to draw new clients when he noticed the entrance of three unfamiliar footmen. He placed his hand on his coin purse to ensure that it remained on his belt.
Then a well-dressed gentleman entered the inn and looked to the footmen. One of the strangers pointed to the innkeeper. The gentleman displayed a coin in his fingers before addressing the innkeeper, “Good man, I am Fitzwilliam Darcy, and I have been told that George Wickham is a frequent guest of yours. Is Wickham here?”
Once the coin was in his palm, the innkeeper explained, “You’re a day late, sir.”
“How so?” the gentleman asked with a slight frown on his face.
“George Wickham was here yesterday along with another fellow named Phillip Bounty, and then Mrs Edith Young came looking for him.”
Surprised by this information, Darcy asked, “Edith Young? Mr Wickham knows Mrs Young?”
“He knew her, yeah,” the innkeeper replied. “Late yesterday, I went looking for George and his compatriots in the back room. Wickham was nowhere to the found but Mrs Young and Mr Bounty were stuffed under the bed with their throats slit.”
Shocked to hear that two people had been murdered and Wickham had vanished, Mr Darcy grimaced. For a moment, he thought to question the man’s statement but instead asked for the names of the constables who had dealt with the bodies.
Once he had that information, the gentleman departed quietly with his footmen following close behind. As the door closed, the innkeeper decided,‘In the future I will refuse service for scoundrels like George Wickham despite the extra coins they promise for favours and silence. The stench of rotting blood would make it difficult to rent the room for full price for at least a month.’
Back in the yard where stagecoaches stood waiting for passengers and drivers. Mr Jasper was talking to his peers and hurried to his employer’s side. The coachman had important news, “Mr Darcy, the constables took the bodies of the dead folks to Newgate Prison. That’s where they take the bodies of the murdered persons for living folks to come and identify them before the constables bury them in pauper’s field.”
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When the footman opened the door to allow Charles to enter the house on Olive Street, the man was pleased to find Louisa and Geoffrey standing in the hallway as if waiting for him. But then there was the slamming of a door from the landing at the top of the stairs.
With a mere glance at Louisa, Charles decided,‘Caroline is in a temper for certain.’
As the valet entered the house with a footman helping to carry a single trunk into the house and up the stairs, a housemaid appeared to take the visitor’s hat and gloves. While Louisa embraced her brother, Geoffrey said, “Charles, thank you for coming so quickly.”
Bingley nodded and asked, “Your letter stated we have a catastrophe here in London. What have you learned?”
“Mr Freed and Mr Yonkers will be here shortly to reveal what has happened,” Geoffrey his brother-in-law. “Last night, I found Freed at our club and the story he told left me without much hope of recovering any of the money that Caroline has thrown away.”
Louisa was confused but Geoffrey allowed her to decide if she wanted to remain in the room for these discussions or retire above stairs. Without hesitation, she replied, “I shall remain at your side, Mr Hurst. If I went above stairs, my sister would invade our bedchamber and chide me for doubting her word.”
After a half hour for Charles to refresh himself and rejoin his sister and brother-in-law in the parlour, a housemaid escorted two gentlemen from the front door. Charles knew Freed and Yonkers because they were the attorneys who worked with the banks to maintain his fortune and his sister’s dowry.
After a short discussion, Freed explained, “Mr Bingley, you sent a letter stating that Miss Bingley had obtained her majority and could direct disbursement of her dowry as she chose.”
Frowning after hearing the words, Charles asked, “May I see the letter?”
The provided letter was not written by Charles Bingley but the handwriting matched Caroline’s letter to Louisa about her forthcoming engagement to Lord Campbell. Geoffrey stated the letter is definitely a forgery and Charles replied, “Yes, the letter is Caroline’s handwriting, and she has been the author of her own disaster.”
Carefully, Mr Freed and Mr Yonkers stated that they followed Mr Horace Bingley’s will; the elder Mr Bingley’s daughter, Caroline Bingley was of age and could make financial decisions herself.
Louisa mourned, “We left her alone and that led to this disaster.”
