by Jennifer Joy
“You do not think it best to speak with Miss Darcy first?”
Darcy saw the disappointment in her face. She did not want him to leave. Were they married, she could accompany him.
“The timing is poor, I know. I do not wish to leave you either. However, Georgiana has not given me any hint she is willing to confide in me, nor can I force her confidence. With Mr. Nelson, I will be on more even ground.”
“When will you leave?”
“I depart today. I have already spoken to Tanner to request he keep a watchful eye on Mr. Bennet. There is no one I trust more than him. When we have seen to Georgiana’s affair, we shall discover what Miss Lydia is plotting and lessen our worries to concentrate fully on your father … although I already suspect two individuals in particular.”
“Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bilford? I shall not allow them to call while you are away. I have already spoken to the servants.”
“Precisely those two. I will not be away long, then we will get to the bottom of the matter.”
Stepping out from under the wisteria, Elizabeth said, “Come. Have some tea and refreshment before you leave. Miss Darcy will be pleased to see you.”
Darcy had hoped Elizabeth and Georgiana would be past calling each other by their formal address by now. As with all things of late, he would simply have to be patient. If only it were so simple.
Chapter 18
Traveling in the dark hours of night, riding his stallion to arrive all the quicker and make himself less of a target to the riffraff prowling the roads, Darcy arrived at his London home. Carriages full of town-dwellers choosing to enjoy the entertainments to be had in the crowded capital instead of the fresh air of their country estates, rambled past as he dismounted and took the steps to the door his butler held open.
The hour was too late to call at the Inns of Court, the place where Darcy would find Mr. Nelson. Although he possessed the gentleman’s address, Darcy thought it preferable to meet in a neutral location. He was acquainted with many of the judges and would suffer no disadvantage.
Rising early the following morning, he wrote a note to Aunt Catherine. He could not very well show himself in London without calling on her. Anne had assured Elizabeth that Aunt was too distracted to pay them any heed, but Darcy would rather see the truth of Anne’s assumption for himself. Seventeen days remained until he could marry Elizabeth, and Darcy would not allow for any interference or delay.
If all went well, Darcy would speak with Mr. Nelson and call at de Bourgh House that same day, leaving him free to return to Meryton the following morning. The sooner, the better.
Taking his carriage, Darcy made his way to Lincoln’s Inn at the time when students were most likely to dine with their mentors, listening to their lectures and deepening their knowledge over tankards of ale and lobster on lettuce.
Old Hall was older even than the furniture at Longbourn. A tablet on the north wall dated the structure proudly, “in the fifth year of King Henry VII.”
The hall hummed with hushed voices deep in conversation and the clatter of forks against plates. Two large windows illuminated the crowd spread throughout the otherwise dark room enclosed by ornate woodwork on either end, portraits of esteemed members hanging on the papered wall opposite the windows, and topped with a vaulted ceiling covered in heavy plaster.
After making a few discreet inquiries, Darcy learned Mr. Nelson had only recently departed. Nobody seemed to know where he had gone.
Frustrated, Darcy turned to leave when he heard a hearty guffaw near one of the windows. Turning on his heels, Darcy looked across the room to see none other than Lord Harvisham enjoying an energetic conversation with two judges.
The elderly gentleman noticed him and waved Darcy over to join their table.
Smacking Darcy on the back, Lord Harvisham performed introductions, and asked, “What brings you to London, young man? I had thought to see you with a handsome lady on your arm by now.”
The judges, who looked to be of the same age as Lord Harvisham, leaned in to better listen like two old gossips.
Lord Harvisham chuckled. “Do not mind them, Darcy. They only require a bit of entertainment after languishing in the courts overseeing one drab hearing after another.”
The judges, one tall and thin and the other short and plump, looked at each other and nodded. The round one said, “Quite right, Harvey.”
The thin one said, “It is why we enjoy Harvey’s visits. He always has something diverting in which to involve us.”
Lord Harvisham grinned. “Do not say too much, my friend.” Jutting his chin in Darcy’s direction, he added, “Mr. Darcy is her nephew, and I will not have him spoil my plans for the world. He despises disguise.”
The two judges pursed their lips and nodded, covering their mouths to hide their merriment.
Darcy did not know which emotion to favor — worry or approval — and so he squelched them both and asked dryly, “What plans?”
“Not so fast. I will answer your questions — and even allow you to participate in my scheme if you choose — but, first, you must answer mine. Where is your lovely Miss Elizabeth? I assume she is not yet Mrs. Darcy or else she would have found a way to join you here.” To his friends, he added, “She is an exceptional young lady with a sharp mind, a quick wit, and the finest mischievous eyes in the country.”
The way the judges brightened at Lord Harvisham’s flattering (and entirely truthful) description of Elizabeth made Darcy determine to keep her away from the old hounds.
“Close your mouths, sirs. You look like drooling dogs and it does not suit you,” said Lord Harvisham plainly.
Finally given opportunity to answer the question posed, Darcy said, “Mr. Bennet has exercised his rights as a father and insisted we wait a short time more.”
Lord Harvisham harrumphed. “Favorite daughter, eh? I daresay he shall be lonely when she departs from Longbourn. Pemberley is far.”
“There is that and, while it tries my patience, there have been strange goings-on at Longbourn to merit the delay.” Darcy told his companions about Mr. Bennet’s unexplained ailments and accidents, his trouble with his steward, and the strange actions of a certain neighbor residing at Netherfield Park.
All three gentlemen leaned back in their chairs and tugged their side whiskers in thoughtful unison.
“She will not want to leave her father if she feels he is in danger. You do not believe it a scheme of his to keep her close? Mr. Bennet is as clever as his daughter…” suggested Lord Harvisham.
“It is what we initially thought. Even Mr. Bennet suggested as much, being unwilling to accept his suspicions.”
Lord Harvisham pressed his chin against his chest. “I see. You had best find out who is responsible soon lest your wedding day be delayed further. Is that what brings you here?”
“Not exactly. I am looking for a gentleman by the name of Nelson. I was told he studies here.”
“Nelson, you say?” said the skinny judge. “A fine fellow, although he suffers from delusions of a philanthropic nature. He will make a fine barrister, but I fear he aims to help the unfortunate who cannot afford proper defense.”
The rotund judge clucked his tongue. “He will never make a fortune.”
Lord Harvisham growled at them. “You are jaded. There is nothing wrong for a man to have ideals and use his position to raise up those who have been brought low.”
“You are one to complain. If we had ideals such as Mr. Nelson, we would not assist you in your scheme against an old flame,” grumbled the portly judge.
Happy to turn the subject away from Mr. Nelson for fear Lord Harvisham would sense Darcy’s reason for inquiring about the gentleman, Darcy asked, “And what, exactly, are you plotting against my aunt?”
Lord Harvisham clasped his rough hands together on top of the table and leaned forward. “It is a beauty. Mind you, I never would have done it had Cathy not acted against my son. She can say what she will against me and I will not retaliate. She has no power over
me to warrant a reaction. However, she has decided my son is a charlatan and is doing everything she can to make him miserable because Miss de Bourgh has taken a liking to Henry … and he for her.”
It was as Darcy had suspected. Aunt Catherine had jilted the third son of an earl to seek a man with fortune and position in society. If Anne fell in love with the third son of an earl, Aunt Catherine would do what she must to prevent an attachment — especially when the gentleman involved was Lord Harvisham’s son.
“And so you have engaged in battle?” Darcy commented.
Lord Harvisham grinned and rubbed his hands together, clearly enjoying himself. “I may have inherited a title, but I am nothing more than an old soldier … and I never back down from a fight.”
Aunt Catherine had best brace herself.
He continued, “It is time Cathy learned to put others’ interests before her own, and allow her daughter to marry whom she chooses … as well as her nephew.” He nodded to the judges. “Which is why I have enlisted the help of these gentlemen.”
“What is this plan of yours and how can I help?” asked Darcy.
Darcy followed Mr. Nelson from one end of town to the other, and everywhere he was told the same. He had only just missed seeing the gentleman.
He would have to try to find him at the Inns on the morrow.
Returning to Darcy House, an invitation to dine with his aunt and his cousin awaited him. Darcy tapped the invitation against the palm of his hand. It would be the perfect opportunity to begin the first phase of Lord Harvisham’s plan, in which Darcy now played an essential role. Elizabeth would take delight in it, and he could hardly wait to tell her every detail. If it brought them all to reconciliation — Aunt Catherine included — the end would justify the means.
A stack of correspondence awaited him, but Darcy sat at the desk in his study pondering and swirling the brandy in his glass. He missed Elizabeth. She would have enchanted the judges, and he had no doubt she could have improved Lord Harvisham’s plan, excellent though it was.
Meeting with Mr. Nelson proved more difficult than he had hoped it would be, but Darcy now had Lord Harvisham’s assistance to keep Aunt Catherine occupied. He was often in her company, and not much happened in her household of which Lord Harvisham was unaware. He was a firm believer in keeping his friends close … and his enemies closer. All things considered, it felt good to have another ally.
Dressing for dinner, Darcy chose to walk the short distance to his aunt’s home. Looking up at the sky mottled with clouds and chimney smoke, Darcy longed for the open spaces at Pemberley. He hoped Elizabeth would not want to remain long in London, but he would not deny her an evening at the theater.
The dinner party was small, consisting only of Aunt Catherine, Anne, and himself, leaving Darcy to conclude it had been done purposefully.
“Have you come to your senses yet, Darcy?” Aunt greeted him.
“Fully. Miss Elizabeth has that effect on me,” he goaded.
Anne smiled at his retort. She looked different. The shadows which had circled her eyes were gone and a pink flush covered her rounded cheeks. Her frame, which had always seemed sickly and gaunt, was different … as was her hair. Darcy could not identify the changes specifically (he would leave that for Elizabeth to notice when they next saw his cousin), but there was no denying that Anne looked healthier and much happier than he could recall ever seeing her.
“You are looking well, Cousin,” he said.
“Well enough to marry,” Aunt Catherine pointed out tactlessly.
“So you approve of the match, then? That is quick work, Anne, and I congratulate you. Mr. Hammond is a fine gentleman and an excellent doctor.” Darcy kept his eyes trained on Anne’s face, which twitched in her effort not to laugh, while he saw Aunt Catherine out of the corner of his eye.
As red as the velvet covering the chairs in her front parlor, she huffed, “You deliberately misunderstand me. I do not welcome the mention of that man in my house.”
Was she blind? Astonished at her stubborn pride, Darcy asked, “Can you not see how improved Anne is under Doctor Hammond’s care? Rather than forbid him in your home, you ought to show your gratitude by welcoming him.”
Anne sighed and stared into the fire as if already bored with the exchange soon to occur.
“Welcome such a man? Did you know he studied at the University’s Faculty of Medicine in Edinburgh?”
“That is one of the finest medical schools. What does that signify?”
Aunt Catherine raised her nose. “He could not even study under the best tutors England has to offer. He had to go to Scotland for his education.”
“He chose to go there, Mother. You assume he had no choice, and that simply is not true,” defended Anne.
With a scoff, Aunt Catherine attacked a gentleman who was not present to defend himself. “Is he so inept, he had to look outside his own country to validate his little pastime?”
“You call his treatments, which are being proved not only by science but by the many patients who have benefited from his methods, a pastime? I do not know why I even bother to return home to dine with you if I am only to bear insults against a man who has been kind to me.”
“He is only kind to you because I pay him handsomely. Your treatments are not free,” countered Aunt Catherine.
Anne rose to her feet, only the tremor in her voice betraying her emotion. “You would criticize him for denying you the air he breathes. I will not bear it any longer, Mother. I love him and I aim to marry him.”
Darcy raised his hands to clap, but thought better of it when he saw how Aunt Catherine shook in rage. “You would bring scandal to our house by encouraging a man so far inferior to you?”
“Need I remind you who his father is? I hardly think a son of an earl is beneath me. Nor should you, knowing of their history.” Anne crossed her arms and raised her chin, exhibiting the same stubborn streak her mother displayed. It was a pleasing sight to behold.
“He is nothing more than a charlatan grubbing for money. He stands to benefit from a connection with our exalted household much more than you could ever benefit from his attentions. We would be the talk of the ton and you know how I despise their gossip. I will not have it, Anne. I forbid it!”
It was the precise opportunity Darcy sought. And he took it. Motioning for Anne to sit, he said, “What is more scandalous, Aunt? For Anne to find happiness with a humble doctor—”
Aunt interrupted in protest, but Darcy pressed on. “Or for your own interference to cause one of the best families to welcome a thief into their home at your recommendation?”
Her mouth remained open, but no words poured forth.
Anne asked in a hushed voice, her eyes wide, “Which family?”
“Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to say,” Darcy began.
Aunt Catherine’s spine stiffened and her tall coiffure shook as she spoke. “Not at liberty? Someone has slandered my name and you will not tell me who my enemy is so I may defend myself?”
“As you allow Mr. Hammond to defend himself before your attacks? No, Aunt. Earlier this afternoon I met with a judge who inquired about you.”
Aunt Catherine blanched.
“Apparently, your tendency to make recommendations on whom others should employ, insisting you know better than they do, has led to the pilfering of silver from a highly-respected family.”
Speaking through clenched teeth, Aunt said, “I am an excellent judge of character. I would never recommend a thief. Who dares imply I would do such a thing?”
Darcy raised his eyebrows. “The judge did not give any names outside of yours. If you wish to know who plans to take you to trial, you will have to find out for yourself.” There it was. He had filled his role, he hoped, to satisfaction.
“Trial! But it will be all over the papers!” Aunt exclaimed. “Those haughty gossips would love nothing better than to see my name trodden in the mire.”
Her eyes narrowed and a calculated calm settled over her
as panic turned to purpose. Darcy was relieved to see it. Lord Harvisham had been correct about her. Like him, Aunt Catherine was a soldier. And she would not back down before the battle before her. She would call at every influential family’s home in London until she found out who was responsible for the vicious rumor. Until her inquiries led her to Lord Harvisham.
Chapter 19
Mr. Nelson was a busy man, scurrying all over London to hospitals, debtor’s prisons, and clubs where the more influential barristers could be found. Everywhere Darcy followed him, he was spoken of kindly. The families he took an interest in praised his insights and use of connections to assist them until such a time as he could defend them properly. The barristers and judges — while they for the most part did not share in or understand Mr. Nelson’s ambitions — praised his dedication to his chosen profession.
Darcy had not yet met the man, and already he was inclined to like him. It must have been Elizabeth’s influence over him, for Darcy was never inclined to like anybody at first sight (or sight unseen as in the present case). And yet, try as he might, Darcy could not conjure one injurious thought against Mr. Nelson … so long as he did not attempt an elopement with Georgiana or insist on a secret courtship.
Had Darcy not experienced for himself how a good woman changed a man, making him do things he would not otherwise do, he would have discredited the idea that a responsible man establishing himself in his career would attach himself to one so young. But he knew better. He had changed. For Elizabeth. And Georgiana was mature for her years (or so he liked to believe). She shared the same ideals Mr. Nelson did. Maybe, for him, Georgiana was as much of a breath of fresh air as Elizabeth was to Darcy.
If not for this blasted secrecy!
Coming as close to despair as he allowed himself to feel, Darcy rode back to Lincoln’s Inn where the nurse at the hospital had said Mr. Nelson had returned. Darcy hoped so. If he had to stay away from Elizabeth for one more day, he would go mad. He needed to see her; to ensure Mr. Bennet was safe.
