Page 118 of New World Tea Company
Hurst argued with his wife, “No, the person at fault here is Caroline for not consulting us or anyone else with common sense.”
To agree with Geoffrey Hurst, Charles said, “Louisa, Mrs Hurst was ill, and her health was rightfully of primary concern for you and Mr Hurst.”
After reading Caroline’s letter to their sister, Charles asked, “But who is the man Caroline refers to as Lord John Campbell?”
Mr Hurst replied, “Caroline claims that the man is the younger brother of the Earl of Argyle and his heir. She expected to be Lady Campbell after the marriage and then Countess of Argyle at some future date.”
~~~
The three members of Caroline’s family went above stairs to speak with her and gather information. After a single knock on the door of her bedchamber, Louisa went inside and then called for the two men to join them. Caroline remained seated as the others stood around her.
No one spoke for a moment before Caroline asked, “Charles, send a footman to inquire if anything has happened to Lord Campbell.”
Ignoring the command, Mr Bingley asked, “Sister, did you give money from your dowry to Mr Wickham?”
Hesitating only a second, Caroline admitted that she paid fifteen thousand pounds to purchase stock in Mr Wickham’s company. Her face was animated when she explained, “Lord Campbell agreed that the New World Tea Company would be the next East India Company. Anyone who owns shares in the company will be rich!”
Her voice sounded joyous when she continued, “I shall be rich as a queen and when I marry Lord Campbell, someday I shall become the Countess of Argyle.”
“Caroline, Lord Howard Campbell is sixty years old,” Mr Hurst reminded the woman for the second time.
“Sixty years? No, Lord John Campbell is not more than forty years!”
Charles asked, “Who introduced you to this Lord Campbell?”
“Mr Wickham. In the winter and spring, Wickham brought Lord Campbell to the house many times for supper and to attend my salon. He developed a strong regard for my beauty and talents. He will propose marriage, and I shall marry him at the first opportunity.”
At that moment, the housekeeper was at the door to Caroline’s bedchamber and announced that there was a visitor below stairs. Caroline was triumphant and declared, “Lord Campbell! Lord Campbell has come! Now you will see…”
But the insufferable housekeeper interrupted Miss Bingley to explain, “Mr Hurst, I believe the caller is a constable here in the city.”
“A constable?” asked Caroline.
After a moment to consider what the appearance of such a man at their door on Olive Street, the woman wailed, “Something has happened to Lord Campbell! Lord Campbell has been murdered! Charles, go quickly and discover what has occurred!”
With Louisa remaining with her sister to console her, Geoffrey and Charles hurried down the stairs with the housekeeper. Speaking to the constable at the front door, the two gentlemen heard that the governor of Newcastle Prison wished for knowledgeable persons to come to the prison and identify two bodies. There was a dead woman who was thought to have been Edith Young, an associate of the criminal George Wickham. The governor was also seeking confirmation of the identity of a second individual – a man known by the name of Phillip Bounty.
Mr Hurst and Mr Bingley agreed to go immediately to the prison and the housekeeper suggested that the footman accompany them. “He knows Mrs Young and he dealt with the fellow we knew as Lord Campbell more than any other member of the staff. If this is the pair of them, he can identify their faces.”
The Bingley carriage and team of horses were in the livery, but Mr Hurst hailed a large cab, and the four men were transported across the city to the prison.
~~~
Chapter 56.Newgate Prison
Climbing from his coach outside Newgate Prison, Mr Darcy was surprised when he recognized Charles Bingley and Geoffrey Hurst at the entrance to the primary building. While the three men waited for the governor to be available, Charles revealed that his sister had given George Wickham fifteen thousand pounds to purchase stocks in his New World Tea Company.
Hurst added, “No one in business has any knowledge of this firm and we fear that unless the constables locate Wickham, we shall never recover any of the money.”
“I am here concerning a similar loss, gentlemen,” Darcy admitted to Bingley and Hurst. “Only an hour after Charles departed Netherfield this morning, Lady Catherine appeared at the front door with a similar wild tale. My aunt revealed that she gave George Wickham fifteen thousand pounds for shares of this fictious New World Tea Company.”
“During the journey back to London, my aunt revealed the establishment where Wickham kept lodgings in the city. The moment I left my aunt at Matlock House my coachman drove the carriage there. At the Running Dog, the innkeeper revealed that yesterday Wickham was at the tavern and apparently killed his two accomplices, Edith Young and some man named Phillip Bounty.
Surprised to hear the woman’s name, Darcy mentioned that he also knew an Edith Young. He learned that she had been Caroline’s lady’s companion for Miss Bingley since the winter and he explained his family’s short association with the woman the previous year.
Darcy continued, “I found no connection to George Wickham last summer after I dismissed her. Today, I came to Newgate togather information. If Wickham can be found, we may find some part of the wealth he stole.”
Hurst added, “My footman knows Mrs Young and the man who called himself Lord Campbell. We came to provide identification of the bodies though I have little hope of locating Wickham or finding any of the gold.”
