Page 32 of In Want of a Suspect

“Well, if that’s all,” Josette said slowly. “I hope that you find your mysterious lady.”

Darcy forced himself to pull his gaze away from Leticia. “Me too. Thank you. We won’t take up any more—”

But before he could finish his sentence, Dupont entered. “Mr. Hughes, mademoiselle.”

Darcy turned in surprise, not having expected to catch a glimpse of Josette’s fiancé during this visit. A tall, sandy-haired gentlemen strode into the room. His appeared to be in his midtwenties, with thick sideburns and pale blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled at Josette. But that smile quickly turned into confusion as he registered the unfamiliar guests.

“Darling,” Josette said. “Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and his... companions, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

“Darcy,” Mr. Hughes said, bowing stiffly toward him. He gave Lizzie and Jane a small bow. “What a surprise. What brings you to my fiancée’s home this afternoon?”

“Darcy is working a case he thought we might want to know about,” Leticia explained before Josette could even open her mouth.

“Oh?” Mr. Hughes looked at Darcy and the Bennet sisters in confusion. “What is your business, sir?”

Darcy didn’t believe for one minute that Mr. Hughes hadn’t heard of him and his business before this moment. “I’m a solicitor,with Pemberley and Associates.”

“And I am a solicitor with Longbourn and Sons,” Lizzie added.

“Indeed?” Hughes looked to Jane. “And you, Miss Bennet?”

“I’m afraid I have no trade, except to keep my sister company,” she said with a patient smile.

“Did you send for a solicitor, darling?” Mr. Hughes asked. “I hope you haven’t had any trouble.”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” Josette rushed to say.

“They’re investigating a fire,” Leticia explained. “On... what was it? Burr Street?”

“That’s right,” Darcy said slowly. “The Mullins brothers own a storehouse that burned—they’re wool merchants.”

“Isn’t that awfully near your office, Mr. Hughes?” Leticia asked, her voice ringing with false innocence.

There was a pause, and then Mr. Hughes responded, “My former office.”

“What is your business, sir?” Darcy asked. Something wasn’t sitting right about this conversation. Josette looked confused and uneasy, and Leticia was needling Mr. Hughes.

“Graphite mining,” Mr. Hughes said. “Or rather, it was. I own land in the Lake District, and about ten years ago we discovered veins of wad. But I’m afraid that’s all in the past now. The veins dried up last year, and so I am back to being a man of leisure.”

“How unfortunate,” Lizzie said.

“Hardly, Miss Elizabeth. It allows me ample time to spend with my fiancée.”

Josette smiled warmly then, and Darcy recognized it for her true smile. She was happy with Mr. Hughes.

“How lovely,” Lizzie said. “May I ask, when is the happy union to take place?”

“A few weeks’ time,” Josette said.

“Eleven days,” Mr. Hughes said at the same time. “We’re waiting until Josette and Leticia are out of mourning.”

“Of course.”

“Well, I hope you find whoever set that fire,” Mr. Hughes said. “Terrible business. It’s a miracle that nothing else burned down.”

“Indeed it is,” Lizzie agreed. She smiled at him, and the silence stretched a beat longer. It seemed that neither Leticia nor Josette had anything more to add to the conversation, and Darcy was too busy adding up all the new information to formulate a response.

Fortunately, it was Jane who saved them all from terrible awkwardness. “It is lovely to meet you, Mr. Hughes. I am only sorry we cannot stay any longer, but we’ve taken up quite enough of Miss Beaufort’s and Miss Cavendish’s time.”