Page 28 of Lord Lonbourn’s Daughter

“We do not know. According to Miss Darcy, the girls were separated within the first couple of hours of travel. I would like to ask Kitty some questions about it, but I am afraid of upsetting her.”

“Leave it to me, Lizzy. It might be better if I question her alone rather than having all her sisters descend upon her at once.”

“That sounds like a sensible approach. I, especially, seem to incite her ire when I try to get her to disclose something.”

“That is probably because your temper has already flared because they have taken something that is yours.”

“True.”

“I shall speak to Kitty later when we have a moment alone. In the meantime, let us join Kitty and Mary,” Jane suggested.

Elizabeth walked back to Darcy House in time to change for dinner.

Her father and sisters had been invited to the Gardiners’ for the evening.

It would be especially good for Kitty to get out of the house.

Walking down the hall to her chamber, she heard angry voices coming from her husband’s room.

Who would dare to upset him with his serious injuries?

She considered marching into the room, but peering through the crack she saw that Mr Darcy was sitting up in bed, glaring at his cousins.

His angry retaliation convinced her of his improved health.

He might not appreciate the interruption.

She hastened to her room to find something to wear for the evening meal. She would take extra care since her husband had recovered enough to quarrel. She doubted he would come down for dinner, but she might join him in his chamber.

Her maid was not there, so she walked towards the bell pull and had her hand on the rope when she heard her husband’s distinct words travel into her hearing range. She froze at the anger in his tone before the words made her pull her hand away from the cord.

“How could no one have noticed? There are watchmen in the streets, and neighbours, servants, dustmen, porter-house boys, milkmen—someone must have noticed!”

“It is the London way. Nobody cares what other people are doing unless they are irrevocably tied to themselves through business, pleasure, or profit,” the viscount asserted.

“Nobody thought anything was amiss. Georgiana has visited her aunt in her London home before. That Lady Catherine was not in residence may be due to an unforeseen delay or they may have thought that Georgiana was there to afford her newly wedded brother privacy in the first weeks of his marriage,” the colonel suggested.

“That is what I take the most affront at. Using my marriage as a reason to deprive Georgiana of her freedom when the marriage was forced upon us by the aforementioned scoundrels.” Mr Darcy sounded nothing like a contented groom—quite the opposite.

“It matters little in the long run, Darcy. The marriage vows have been said and cannot be undone. The important thing is that Georgiana is back in the bosom of her family and that she marries Richard promptly before the scandal breaks. Too many people know that she has been missing. Lord Longbourn, his daughters, and his servants, in addition to Lady Catherine’s servants who discovered Georgiana missing this morning.

Lord knows what stories Mrs Younge may have bandied about.

The quidnuncs will have no reason to wag their tongues if the girl is already married.

Richard has been away with his regiment.

We could forge a story where they eloped or some other romantic drivel to stave off the gossips.

Most of them are romantically starved, and a happy ending might sway them in our favour. ”

“Thank you for your consideration, Brother, but I have a different bride in mind,” the colonel drawled.

“Who could suit you better than Georgiana? She has a decent fortune and excellent connections. Even you must be able to manage on thirty thousand pounds. Her lineage is excellent, and she possesses both beauty of countenance and a pleasant temperament,” Crawford argued.

“She could be fully grown and out in society. I am thirty years old, Brother. I never pictured myself with a child bride half my age. I mean no slight to Georgiana, who I believe will make an excellent match. Just not with me,” the colonel declared firmly.

“You forget Georgiana’s opinion in your plans for the future, Crawford. I shall never force a union upon her. She is free to choose her own husband when the time comes,” Mr Darcy supported the colonel against his brother.

“I would by no means force her, Darcy. That was not what I meant, but gentle persuasion from a brother she dotes upon will sway her as we both know. Besides, you were forced to marry, yet I detect no harm has come to you by that rushed affair. Your bride is wealthy, well connected, and conveniently absent, leaving you free to follow gentlemanly pursuits. Though the wisdom of that is questionable, judging by the state of you. What possessed you to challenge Hazard of all the brutes in superior society? His prowess in the ring and on horseback are legendary,” Crawford enquired.

“I would have bested him on Swiftsilver if I had not fainted off my horse,” Darcy boasted.

“Doubtful,” the viscount chuckled. “I am glad to see that your spirits have recovered, though. Despite your recent trials.”

“Yes, I can countenance anything now that Georgiana is back,” Mr Darcy admitted.

Elizabeth grasped the bell pull again and tugged it hard.

Linney must have been awaiting her return because she appeared within minutes and aided her into her gown and arranged her hair.

She must have sensed her mistress’s mood and did not make any conversation.

Elizabeth had too much on her mind to speak to anyone.

The proverb that those who eavesdrop seldom hear anything good about themselves came to mind, but she disregarded it.

Some had been delivered to her face, while other slights were more a question of what had been left unsaid.

None of the gentlemen next door had mentioned her still-missing sister.

As long as their precious Georgiana was accounted for, Lydia was entirely forgotten.

In addition, Mr Darcy’s resistance towards being forced to marry was a little too pronounced to leave her any doubt about his feelings.

He was firmly against the notion, which was quite telling.

Regardless, the result was that Mr Darcy had married her against his will.

His sister’s peril was not yet over, and Lydia was in trouble indeed.

She needed to speak to her father when he got home from the Gardiners’, but first, she would attend dinner at Darcy House; no one was going to accuse her of not performing her duties.

As Elizabeth had expected, Mr Darcy did not come down for dinner.

He was still entertaining his cousins. She contemplated entering to see whether he was tired, but she suspected he might not appreciate the intrusion.

Especially considering the words that had not been interrupted an hour ago. Conveniently absent…

The thought of her new sister was the deciding factor; she could not leave the poor girl unattended after her ordeal.

“Lady Elizabeth.” Mr Murray greeted her and pulled out her chair. “Dinner will be served in a moment, your ladyship.”

“Thank you, Mr Murray. Oh, do you know whether Miss Darcy intends to join me?”

“I believe she is indisposed. She has requested a tray to be delivered to her chamber.”

“Oh, I suppose it will just be me, then.”

Elizabeth tried to sound cheerful while feeling utterly stupid. She should have visited Mr Darcy and enquired after his sister rather than assume she would attend dinner. It was a lesson learnt. She had to partake in the dishes being set before her, or she would offend her cook as well.

After her solitary meal, Elizabeth walked swiftly to her husband’s chamber. Forcing a cheerful expression, she knocked and waited until he responded.

“It is I, Elizabeth,” she said and walked to the bed. Only then did she discover Miss Darcy in the shadows of the canopy.

Her husband was sitting up with a half-empty tray beside him. The nausea must still be plaguing him to some extent; she had never known him to partake of a meal and leave something behind.

He looked awful, even worse than that morning.

His left eye was swollen almost shut, and the discolouring had taken on a sinister black hue, but what worried her the most was the strain of pain on his countenance.

Elizabeth doubted his eye was the only part that hurt.

By the visible development of the swelling and discolouration on his face, she could imagine what his shoulder and buttock must look like.

“Are you feeling well, Mr Darcy? Should you not rest?”

He waved her away.

“No, we must finish this business. There is really not a moment to lose as long as those cutthroats and ruffians are still at large,” he said, dismissing her concerns.

“Why, have you heard something about Lydia?” Elizabeth enquired eagerly.

“No, you must pardon my poor choice of words. I have not heard anything new, and Mrs Younge has fled, but Georgiana has something to relate about George Wickham, so we had better listen. It appears he has joined the regulars and has been stationed in Ramsgate. He was a frequent visitor to their house as an old family friend and my father’s godson.

I would like to know who bought his commission, but it is not relevant at this point. Please continue, Georgiana.”

Elizabeth nodded, discouraged. She had hoped Mrs Younge would have information concerning Lydia’s whereabouts.

Her eyes turned towards the girl, who was standing at the foot of the bed with pleading eyes directed at her brother.

It was obvious Elizabeth had interrupted something when she had walked in.

Her sister was flanked by her cousins, who looked like they were guarding her against bolting from the chamber.

Miss Darcy’s eyes flickered briefly to Elizabeth. She understood and moved into the shadows along the wall. It was difficult enough for the girl to face her brother with her cousins hovering over her.

“Mr Wickham made me write him a letter with a lot of drivel and nonsense, nothing of import. I doubt it could be useful to him. It was just a bit of fun.”

“Do you remember anything specific, Georgiana?” Mr Darcy’s voice was soft and tender, not accusing.

“It made little sense to me. He wanted me to write about mending his pen, his excellent skills with his blade, and how I was greatly anticipating seeing him. It all could be explained by small anecdotes from my childhood.”

The girl obviously did not understand the hidden meaning, which spoke in her defence. But in the wrong hands, the letter might cause considerable damage to her reputation.

“We shall deal with that matter when we come to it. What I would like to know, Georgiana, is how you came to trust the man who abducted you enough to write him a letter?” the colonel wanted to know.

“I was never kidnapped. Neither was Lydia or Kitty. Their father called them back to London because of an emergency. Mrs Younge and I were to escort them to the first inn where they were to meet their father while Mrs Younge and I returned to Ramsgate.”

“Did you notice the carriage you were put in?”

“I believe it was black.”

“Why did you not return to Ramsgate?”

“Mrs Younge realised that I missed my home and my brother, so she suggested we could continue to London as well. A message was sent to close up the house in Ramsgate, and another was sent to Darcy House to notify my brother about my premature return. A reply from Fitzwilliam waited for us at the last inn, instructing us to wait for him at my aunt’s townhouse. ”

“Why would I ask you to wait at our aunt’s house?” Darcy enquired.

“I do not know, Brother. It is all very confusing.”

Miss Darcy’s eyes darted to Elizabeth’s corner.

“Did you see whether Kitty and Lydia travelled together?” Elizabeth interrupted.

“No, I…” the girl muttered and looked away.

“What do we do now?” the colonel interjected.

“We wait,” Mr Darcy suggested. “I am positive a new extortion letter will arrive soon.”

“You may wait. I am going to Bennet House to see what can be done,” Elizabeth pronounced and moved for the door.

“Elizabeth, wait!”

“I shall be back when a course of action has been agreed upon, Mr Darcy,” she replied, then left without further ado.