His eyes opened wide. ‘Whom you have imprisoned? How on earth …’
‘No matter. The point is that this regime must end, and Helena must be removed from Sir Arthur’s circle to a society where she will be cherished and allowed to heal.’
Lord Harbury regarded her sharply. ‘I believe that is my business, Miss Bennet, not yours.’
‘In which you have signally failed these past years,’ Elizabeth retorted.
He recoiled as if she had struck him, and Elizabeth froze in alarm at her outburst. There was a long silence, and she began to fear that she had lost his sympathy, and thus thrown away her last chance of securing a deal. If only she could learn to control her anger and keep her mouth shut! She leaned forward, and said softly:
‘I’m sorry, sir. I had no right to speak thus.’
He shook his head wearily. ‘You were certainly rude, Miss Bennet, but that is not what is upsetting me now. I am concerned that you might be right.’ He looked into the distance, as if retrieving a thought. ‘I was uneasy, from the start, over my sister Alice’s betrothal to Sir Osborne. Still, it was what she wanted, and others pronounced it a good match. She never complained of her treatment, although as the years passed she lost her sparkle and became more and more subdued, until unfortunately she died of consumption. I noticed that Helena too became introspective and fearful of society, but it never crossed my mind that she had been ill-treated. What could I do? The estate was my brother-in-law’s, to run as he pleased. I had no business interfering …’ He put his head in his hands.
‘You are right, sir,’ Elizabeth said. ‘In my anger over what has happened, I spoke without thinking.’
Slowly he uncoiled, and faced her again. ‘Very well. Perhaps I could have done more, perhaps not, but now my duty is plain, and I ask you to let me honour it. More than that, I ask your help …’
‘I can name some of the families,’ Elizabeth said. ‘Also I have two maids and a groom from Wistham outside, who can give further information.’
He held up a hand. ‘Miss Bennet, pray allow me to finish. I was referring to your friendship with Helena, which would appear to be genuine, whatever its original motivation.’
‘I have promised Helena that I will remain her friend. This promise was not made lightly, and I will keep it regardless of the outcome of our present discussion. But if I may insist, I’m concerned too for Agnes and Abel Harte, the groom, and also for a maid named Lucy Clover who is probably still in the clutches of some unspeakable bawd in town …’
‘Miss Bennet! May I again remind you that such reparations are my affair, not yours, and that I have vowed to do anything in my power to make good the harm that has been done. I mentioned Helena in particular because as someone who has earned her trust and affection, you are especially well-situated to help. For the maids and other servants, I will find out what I need to know from others.’
Realising that his pride had been hurt, Elizabeth managed to accept this slight rebuke, and with a deep breath rose from her seat. ‘Very well, sir. I believe we understand one another.’
He also rose, and offered his hand.
‘And not before time, Miss Bennet.’ He pointed towards the corridor, where there was a sudden commotion as spectators left the public gallery.
As Elizabeth turned to retrieve her bonnet, there was a tap on the door and she heard an all-too-familiar voice, high-pitched with nervous excitement. ‘You asked to see me, uncle? Don’t worry, it’s going well.’
She faced him, her head still uncovered, and he stared at her in disbelief. ‘What the devil …’
‘Arthur, this is Miss Bennet,’ Lord Harbury said matter-of-factly. ‘I believe you are already acquainted.’
He continued to stare open-mouthed, then said breathlessly to Lord Harbury: ‘Uncle, you should not believe a word this woman says …’
Lord Harbury turned away from him to Elizabeth. ‘Miss Bennet, I must apologise for my nephew’s ill-breeding in referring to you as this woman. I need to speak with him on this and some other matters for a while. Would you be so good as to find Mr Darcy, and ask him to remain behind until Sir Arthur and I have concluded our conversation? I hope we can then confer, and put a swift end to this unfortunate affair.’
Giving Arthur Kaye a wide berth, Elizabeth was more than content to take her leave.
Seeing no sign of Darcy in the corridor, Elizabeth hastened to the foyer, where Harte was waiting with Bertha and Agnes in a corner. As she crossed to join them, she quickly laced on her bonnet and veil so that her face would attract less attention.
‘Have you been waiting long?’ she asked the groom.
‘Ten minutes, ma’am. We returned as you asked after nearly an hour, but you were not here, so we thought it best to wait.’
Agnes piped up: ‘It took us a while to find a place, madam. After a bit of searching we saw a salop stall round the corner in Bishop’s Court. An old woman there made us root tea with milk and sugar.’
From across the foyer Elizabeth noticed a disturbance in the crowd as someone pushed through in a hurry, and with a quiver of alarm she recognised Mr Darcy. With only a token bow he accosted her immediately.
‘Miss Bennet! I thought I spotted you in the courtroom.’ He looked more closely at her face, and then suddenly stepped forward and lifted the veil.
His voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Elizabeth, how did this happen?’
Gently she took his wrist and pushed him away. ‘You forget yourself, Mr Darcy.’ She turned back to Harte, who was diplomatically looking the other way. ‘Can we meet back here in half an hour? After that, I think you and Agnes can accompany Miss Kaye. Don’t worry, you will be under Lord Harbury’s protection, and will be quite safe. Bertha, stay with Agnes for now, then later you can come with me.’
The servants exchanged glances, obviously excited, and Elizabeth took Darcy’s arm and drew him back towards the corridor. ‘Are Mr Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam still here?’
‘They stayed behind in the courtroom with my lawyer.’
‘While you rushed impetuously out to track me down, and give me the benefit of your advice,’ she grinned. ‘To wit, that a young lady such as myself could have no business attending a trial for murder.’
‘Why did you leave with Harbury?’ he demanded.
‘Oh, merely to offer myself as a witness for the prosecution,’ she shot back. ‘I thought it might cook your goose properly if I informed the jury of your unspeakable arrogance, pride, and disdain for the feelings of others.’
He stopped, and faced her angrily. ‘Have you taken leave of your senses, laughing at such a matter?’
She took his arm again, and gently pulled him to a secluded alcove. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know why you irritate me so much. The truth is that you are safe. Lord Harbury is with Sir Arthur now, and will persuade him to drop all charges against you. It will be conceded that after hearing your testimony, Sir Arthur now believes that you acted with honourable intent. You will be asked, in return, to accept his change of heart, and take the matter no further.’
He stared at her. ‘That is absurd. Why should they pull back now?’
‘Because they are terrified of some information now in my possession regarding their family.’
‘What information? How could you possibly …’ He pointed at her veil, his face suddenly a mask of rage. ‘How did you meet with these injuries?’
‘Calm down.’ Gently she took his hand and returned it to his side. ‘Let us find a place where we can sit down and talk.’
Having given Darcy a summary of her adventures, carefully avoiding any mention of her mistreatment by Sir Arthur Kaye, Elizabeth led him back to the Lord Mayor’s Clerk’s room, where she found the atmosphere curiously lightened. Helena had returned, accompanied by Lady Carmichael, a regal silver-haired woman whose husband was Pitt’s Lord Chancellor. Seated beside Lord Harbury, with Helena on her left, Lady Carmichael was making fun of the Spanish, who had secretly agreed to pay France 72 million fra
ncs a year as compensation for their delay in declaring war on Britain. Helena’s colour looked much better, and although she did not contribute, she at least gave every appearance of attending to the conversation—unlike her brother, who was seated some way apart from the others as if bored with the whole proceeding.
‘Miss Bennet! And Mr Darcy!’ Lord Harbury, all affability, offered Darcy his hand, before busying himself arranging chairs and pouring wine from a decanter on the sideboard. Surveying the room, Elizabeth was keenly aware of Arthur Kaye’s gaze, which immediately attached itself to her figure, before switching with a supercilious grin to Darcy. Disgusted, she did her best to ignore him. Darcy, instead, acknowledged him calmly with a slight nod; noticing this, Elizabeth felt a further twinge of guilt that she had omitted Sir Arthur’s assault from her account, leaving Darcy with the impression that her injuries were inflicted during her struggle with Pritchett and McGill.
Once they were seated, the conversation about Spain resumed for a few minutes, until Lady Carmichael announced that she had to meet her husband, and left arm in arm with Helena.
‘So, to business.’ Lord Harbury looked at Darcy. ‘Has Miss Bennet informed you of our proposal?’
‘She has.’ Darcy threw a glance towards Arthur Kaye, who was looking down as if the matter had nothing to do with him. ‘I trust this has Sir Arthur’s agreement.’
Lord Harbury coughed. ‘Arthur?’
He looked up like a petulant child. ‘Uncle?’
‘You are in agreement? We will tell the judge that the trial is to be discontinued, owing to an understanding among the parties. You will accept that Mr Darcy acted honourably. Mr Darcy in return will renounce any grievance against our family. We will leave our misunderstandings and disagreements in the past, where they belong.’
‘I should point out,’ put in Darcy, ‘that from the start, I have carefully avoided any wider recrimination against Sir Osborne’s family. The wording of the agreement is therefore odd. Why should I renounce a grievance that was never expressed?’
Lord Harbury shrugged. ‘We ask only that the two sides go their separate ways, and neither speaks ill of the other—regarding, of course, the events that have divided us in the past. For the future, obviously, no undertaking can be given.’
Darcy nodded. ‘That is reasonable. For my part, I agree.’
‘Capital. Arthur?’
After what seemed a calculated delay, Arthur Kaye replied in a soft whine, ‘Yes, whatever you say,’ as if he had never attached any importance to the prosecution anyway, and was unable to see what all the fuss was about.
Lord Harbury looked at Elizabeth with the suggestion of a grimace, and rose to his feet. ‘Excellent. Well gentlemen, shall we shake hands on it?’
Elizabeth held her breath as Darcy and Arthur Kaye approached one another and completed a token handshake. Again Elizabeth noticed the suggestion of a grin on Kaye’s face, as if he had outwitted Darcy, and was therefore the victor, and not a nonentity who had instigated an unreasonable prosecution and been forced to withdraw. Still, it was done. But a reckoning still awaited, because to procure the agreement she had deliberately misled Darcy, and integrity demanded that this wrong must eventually be righted. Sooner or later, she would have to tell him.
Chapter 32
After the meeting broke up they were reunited with Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had been waiting patiently in the corridor. Their delight and relief on learning the outcome was heartfelt, and although obviously perplexed by Elizabeth’s role in the affair, not to mention the condition of her face, they took care to curb their curiosity for the moment. Elizabeth, eager to change the subject, took the opportunity to congratulate Bingley on his engagement to Jane, and they chatted for a while on plans for the wedding. The lovers were not in haste, and no doubt everyone would need time to recuperate, but if all went well Jane would be a bride before the year was out.
During this lively digression Darcy stood silently to one side, and Elizabeth sensed his frustration: he wanted to return home to reassure Georgiana; he had also noticed that her account was far from complete, providing as it did no convincing explanation of why Lord Harbury had agreed to settle.
Eventually he managed to draw her away, and whispered: ‘Elizabeth, will you be coming to Darcy House tonight, or must you return to Gracechurch Street?’
She considered. ‘My uncle and aunt will not be anxious on my behalf, for they will assume I am still with the Beaumonts.’
‘So you will come?’
Elizabeth glanced along the corridor at Lord Harbury’s party, who had been reunited with Helena and Lady Carmichael. She faced Darcy again and shook her head. ‘I would like to, but I cannot. I gave my word to Lord Harbury that if possible I would remain with Miss Kaye tonight.’
‘Miss Kaye?’ He stared at her in bewilderment. ‘In heaven’s name, why?’
She pulled him further away and hissed: ‘Hush, they will hear you.’
‘Why?’ he insisted.
Elizabeth reflected a few seconds, before replying: ‘Miss Kaye has been traumatised by the events of the past few days. She has also come to see me as her best friend. It would be heartless to abandon her now, and I won’t do it.’
‘Indeed?’ He regarded her strangely, before continuing in a cooler and more formal tone. ‘It seems you have formed strong ties with the Kayes, Miss Bennet. It did not escape my notice that you and Lord Harbury held each other in high esteem. Nor was I unaware of Sir Arthur’s attentions, and the smirk on his face as his eyes followed you around the room.’
Elizabeth raised a hand sharply. ‘I advise you to reconsider this line of argument, Mr Darcy, before you say something you later regret.’
‘May I at least be reassured that your affection for Miss Kaye does not extend to her brother?’
Infuriated, Elizabeth came close to lashing out, but just in time she gritted her teeth and hissed: ‘We will talk of this on another occasion. Please give my apologies and best wishes to Georgiana, and tell her that I would love to visit her tomorrow—provided, of course, that I am still welcome in your house. Good day, sir.’
Before he had a chance to reply she span away, and walked past Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam towards Helena’s party.
Arrangements were finally made. The judge reappeared, having been informed by Lady Carmichael that negotiations were in progress, and ordered that the parties should come the next day to sign some papers, whereupon the jury would be dismissed and the trial terminated. Darcy cast a final suspicious glare in Elizabeth’s direction before setting off with Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Now dizzy with exhaustion, Elizabeth retrieved Harte and the two maids from the foyer, and explained the new plan: they would all, Bertha included, accompany Helena and Elizabeth to Lord Harbury’s town house in Birdcage Walk; only Sir Arthur Kaye was to be excluded from the party, and would return to his house in Tudor Street.
There was little conversation as they journeyed down Fleet Street and the Strand towards St James’s Park. Dusk was falling, and although the distance was relatively short, the streets were busy and it was dark by the time they arrived.
A housekeeper showed Elizabeth and Helena to the drawing room, where Lady Harbury received them in astonishment, and complained that she should have been forewarned so that she could make appropriate preparations. In embarrassment Elizabeth joined Helena on the divan while Lord Harbury drew his wife into the passage for a whispered explanation. She returned white-faced and more courteous—although still wary of Elizabeth, who wondered whether she was disdainful or just shy.
Like a well-oiled machine the house was soon organised to accommodate them. Elizabeth was invited to join Helena in a double room, and to her delight they were offered a hot bath. While servants passed to and fro carrying bowls of hot water, Lady Harbury tapped on the door to invite them for a late dinner. Frazzled, and with no fresh clothes, Elizabeth asked whether instead a cold supper could be brought to their room, a suggestion their host was all
too happy to accept.
The bath was a blessed relief. As she luxuriated in the suds, Elizabeth felt purged not only of the sweat and grime of the past two days, but also of the grasping fingers of McGill and Arthur Kaye. So long did she remain in the water that the skin on her hands turned bright pink and began to wrinkle. She put on her nightgown and returned to the bedroom, where Helena was preparing platters of bread, cold meats, radishes and pickles from a tray on the table.
‘Have you been waiting for me?’ she smiled.
‘Oh no. Well, just for a moment. It was kind of you to let me bathe first.’
‘I’m glad we don’t have to dress for dinner.’ Elizabeth poured herself a glass of ale and took a long draught. ‘Do you usually use this room when you stay?’
‘I haven’t come often these last years.’ Helena squinted as if searching for a memory. ‘We used to come regularly when mother was alive. But I was only little then, so I stayed in the nursery.’
They ate in silence for a while, then Elizabeth said gently, ‘How do you feel over what happened today?’
‘I’m pleased the trial is over and your friend will come to no harm.’
Elizabeth impulsively took her hand. ‘Do you realise that it was you who saved him?’
Helena shook her head. ‘Oh no, I only made an exhibition of myself. It was very wrong to speak as I did. I promised father most faithfully.’
‘Dear Helena, listen to me.’ Elizabeth squeezed her hand hard. ‘You were a little girl of ten. Sir Osborne had no business treating you thus. Nor had he any right to extract a vow of silence from you. He was trying only to protect himself. You must understand that he was the guilty party, not you. You have done nothing wrong at all.’
Helena frowned. ‘But he was my father.’
‘You mean, he was the responsible adult, you were merely a child, so you assumed it was his prerogative to define what was right and what was wrong?’
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