Page 5 of Shadows beneath Rosings (A Darcy and Elizabeth Quick Read Interlude #5)
D arcy sipped at that ridiculous teacup and narrowed his eyes as he looked at his cousin Anne.
Something was far wrong. He and Richard were both ignoring Lady Catherine as she droned on about her call on her friend, and Anne was different somehow.
Self-satisfied, that was it. She looked like a cat who had trapped a particularly plump mouse, and was enjoying itself rather too much.
Incongruously, he felt rather sorry for whichever mouse she had in her sights. Anne was an unpleasant person, and he would never marry her, or anyone like her, whatever happened.
There was a knock at the door, and the butler entered, waiting for Lady Catherine to acknowledge him.
“Mr. and Mrs. Collins, my lady. They are here to escort Miss Bennet home.”
Darcy jerked to attention. She had been here? How was that possible?
“Why on earth do they think Miss Bennet has been here?” Lady Catherine was in a disagreeable mood. “Have you told them that I have been out today? I would not have invited that girl here!”
The butler cast an anxious glance at Darcy’s cousin. “Miss Bennet came to take tea with Miss de Bourgh, my lady.”
“Ridiculous!” cried Lady Catherine. “Anne does not have guests when I am not here.”
Darcy looked narrowly at Anne. Her lips were pressed together. She would not break the impasse.
He rose to his feet. “Perhaps I can speak to Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Aunt. I can find out what has occurred.” He looked at Richard.
“Come. We will endeavour to solve this.” What had happened to Miss Elizabeth? He still liked to think of her in that way; her given name giving her more intimacy in his mind.
Mrs. Collins looked far more concerned than her husband, and Darcy felt dread growing within him.
“Mrs. Collins,” Darcy bowed. “Lady Catherine was out today, calling on a friend. She says that Miss Eliz… Miss Bennet could not have come here.”
Mrs. Collins looked puzzled. “We know that Lady Catherine was out, sir. Miss de Bourgh drove to the parsonage yesterday afternoon and delivered an invitation for tea to my friend.” She extended a small piece of notepaper. “And Mr. Collins escorted her here at eleven o’clock.”
Mr. Collins broke in. “It was very good of Miss de Bourgh to be so condescending to my cousin, Mr. Darcy. To take the time to offer to have tea with her!”
“Of course.” Darcy frowned at the note. “I will enquire of Miss de Bourgh what time Miss Bennet left here.” He glanced at Mrs. Collins. “Did you not worry about your friend when she did not return for luncheon?”
“I did, sir. But she may have walked in the grove after she left here and forgotten the time. Mr. Collins did not think we should come and enquire here until now.” Her irritation showed in her voice.
Darcy turned to the butler. “Arrange for our horses, we must conduct a search while there is still light.” He turned to Richard, who was looking thoughtfully at the footmen standing outside the door to the drawing room.
Come, Richard, we will speak to cousin Anne, and then begin our search.”
He turned back. “Mrs. Collins, on your way back to the parsonage, might you look out for any clue as to whether Miss Bennet may have passed that way?”
“I will, sir. But I looked carefully on the way here, and there was nothing to be seen.”
Darcy nodded, his lips tight. What was Anne up to? Why hadn’t she volunteered any information when the butler first said that the Collins’ were here?
Richard’s face was serious, and he followed Darcy back into the drawing room.
Darcy waved the note. “You invited Miss Bennet to take tea with you this morning, cousin Anne. Why did you not tell us that when your mother said that Miss Bennet could not have come here?”
Lady Catherine turned an incredulous gaze on her daughter. “Why would you possibly want to invite such a low-born guest here while I was not able to protect you from any attempts to ingratiate herself to you?”
Anne looked sullen. “I wished to warn her away from Darcy. She is trying to get her claws into him, and he is mine.”
“What?” Darcy stared at her. His voice was louder and less in control than he wished.
“I am not yours, Anne. I have told you and your mother repeatedly that I will not marry you. I am here each Easter at the request of our uncle that I check the books for him. Nothing more! Now what did you do to Miss Bennet?”
“Nothing,” Anne said resentfully. “She went home after half an hour, after I wouldn’t make friendly conversation with her.”
“And who did you ask to escort her home?”
“She walks miles on her own, Darcy! You could not expect me to offer her escort to cross the lane!” Her voice was shrill and angry. “And we are betrothed. You will marry me!”
Darcy looked at her thoughtfully. “I will not.”
He spun round to Richard. “Come. There is only an hour or so of light left. We must conduct as much of a search as we can.”
“You cannot, Darcy! Dinner is about to be called.” Lady Catherine finally managed to break into the conversation.
Darcy threw her a disgusted look. “Have plates saved for us. We will return when we have found her.”
“I don’t think she is in the grounds, Darcy.” Richard’s voice was serious as they rode towards the grove, Darcy’s gaze ceaselessly searching the paths for any indication of his Miss Elizabeth.
“We must search while there is light, Richard. Just in case she is here, and injured. But why do you think she is not here?”
“I was watching the footmen in the hall and then Mrs. Jenkinson while Anne was talking.” He looked grave. “I think they have plotted something.”
Darcy pulled up and turned to him, his heart pounding in a chest suddenly too tight to contain it. “Have they killed her?”
“Do not jump to any conclusions, Darcy. But I think we cannot put off anything until tomorrow. I think while there is daylight, as you say, we should search bushes and possible places where she may be concealed close to the house. We will do what we can now, then we can search the house when we return.”
Darcy turned his horse back. “She might be in the house and in danger from them!”
“No, let’s search outside as arranged, Darcy. I have tasked my batman with watching Mrs. Jenkinson, to observe her closely. I think she is the important figure. He will get your valet to watch the footmen if Mrs. Jenkinson seems to be sending them anywhere.”
He reached over and clapped Darcy on the back. “Try not to worry too much, Darce. They are amateurs, and we will find her.”
“We must, Richard. We must .”