Page 55 of Lizzy's Story

“Considering the timing, it would have to be someone who came with you to Austen Heights,” Jane murmured to Charles.

I studied Darcy, playing out the rest of the details in my head, my thoughts returning to my Portent. Had Louisa figured out what Caroline had done, and that was whyshe’d been crying? “You said you and Easton were arguing about Caroline Bingley that night, right?”

Charles stiffened and glanced at Darcy.

“Do you know who Easton got the love potion from?” I asked.

“No.” Darcy’s brow furrowed.

“If Caroline liked Darcy and Easton liked Caroline, would he have drunk a love potion meant for Darcy?” Jane rubbed her head.

“I don’t know. Maybe if he didn’t want someone else to take it.” I shrugged.

Charles frowned. “If mixing potions is such a danger, shouldn’t he have known not to drink it?”

“It depends on who he got his potion from,” Jane said. “The supplier could’ve either forgotten to warn him or thought he already knew.”

I rubbed my forehead. “I didn’t catch much of my earlier Portent, but I did see that Caroline looked mad and Louisa was crying.”

“Charles mentioned she was disinherited,” Jane said. “I hate to suspect her of anything, but would she want to get back with Darcy if she needed money?”

“But Caroline doesn’t like me,” Darcy said. “And even if she did, her specialty is glamours. Maybe she could’ve pulled off that trick with the lightning considering the storm, but there’s no way Caroline is powerful enough to conjure a gust strong enough to move a stone gargoyle.”

“Plus, Caroline did our glamours,” I said, realizing the flaw in my theory. “She would have known that it might not be me she was targeting.”

Charles buried his face in his hands and whispered, “It isn’t Caroline.”

Jane rubbed his back. “Then what’s wrong?”

He moved one hand so he could look at her. “The one who specializes in nature magic is Louisa.”

Chapter 16

Ashiverrolleddownmy spine like an icy drop of rain. Had we been staying in the same house as a killer?

What was Louisa’s motive? She was already married, so her being in love with Darcy seemed less likely—not impossible, but not as probable. But what other reason could she have for trying to give Darcy a love potion and attacking me for being around him? And if itwasLouisa, Caroline’s anger didn’t make sense unless she’d found out what her sister had done.

“There must be some mistake,” Jane whispered.

Charles’s lips fell into a flat line. “I would like that, but it doesn’t seem likely. The more Lizzy talked, the more it made sense.”

“Wasn’t she scared of her magic?” Darcy narrowed his glittering green eyes.

“She used to be, but that doesn’t mean she can’t use it,” Charles said. “I suppose she could have been practicing.”

His words brought me back to the day I met Darcy at Club Meryton. Caroline had made a comment about Louisa not being around as much. It hadn’t stood out, but considering all the times I’d seen Louisa glued to Caroline’s side, her absence was strange. Had she been practicing her magic then too?

“Before we assume anything else, I need to confirm what I can,” Charles said. “I don’t want to make any mistakes that could harm my family.”

“Are you going to check the magical residue on the gargoyle?” Darcy asked.

Charles gave a grim nod and disappeared out the door.

“If he can check the magical trace and figure out who knocked over the gargoyle, why didn’t he do that immediately?” I asked.

“It isn’t as straightforward as that.” Darcy rubbed a hand along his scruffy jaw. “It’s like magical DNA. Most of the time there’s no match in the system, but if you already know who it belongs to, it’s just a matter of comparing the two.”

Long minutes passed while we waited for Charles. Only the crackle of the fire and the sound of the clock filled the silence.