They started apart the moment she came into view.
“Good morning, Captain Trewson,” said Caroline, politely. She focused her attention on Louisa. “I am sorry to interrupt your conversation, Louisa, but you are needed,” she said, keeping her tone level.
Louisa threw Captain Trewson a regretful glance and excused herself. Caroline marched away stiffly, leaving Louisa to hurry behind her.
“For goodness’ sake, Caroline!” hissed Louisa. “What do you mean by interrupting us like that? You are really going too far now.”
Caroline did not slow down. “There is a houseful of guests, and there are many things to be seen to. Did you not promise to do the flowers for the hallway and the drawing room?”
“It is raining, Caroline. You did not expect me to go out in the rain for some flowers, did you? Why must you always fuss? You and Jane are perfectly able to manage a small group of guests. How many of us does such a simple thing require? And there is Mrs Reynolds, the housekeeper, who is more than capable.”
Caroline walked on. Behind her, Louisa’s hand shot out to grasp Caroline by the shoulder.
“Surely you can understand that I would like to marry again. To have children?” said Louisa, breathing heavily. “I do not understand why you are so resentful.” She waited for a response. When none was forthcoming, she went on. “Is it because you have remained single, while I was already married once, and now I’m likely to marry again? You cannot begrudge me my happiness.”
Caroline turned on her heel and started to walk, afraid that she would say something she would come to regret.
“Captain Trewson has come to mean a great deal to me, Caroline.”
Caroline halted so abruptly that Louisa, who had followed after her, collided with her. Caroline swung round, schooling her features, but unable to take the bite out of her words. “You have been acquainted with Captain Trewson no more than a few days. And the fact is, we know absolutely nothing about him. And now you are—kissing in the corners with him.” It embarrassed her even to speak of it. “Why are you in such a hurry to reach an agreement with him? Surely if you really care for him, you would want to enjoy the relationship, instead of rushing into it headlong? It would not surprise me at all if he has made no mention of marriage.”
“There you wrong him, Caroline. He has mentioned marriage. In fact, he is as eager to marry me as I to marry him. And you need not worry that something untoward has happened between us. He has been a gentleman in every possible way. My feelings for him are reciprocated. I do not see what reasonable objection you could offer. Especially since you became engaged to Robert Darcy after only a few days’ acquaintance.”
“My case is entirely different, as you well know. I did not do it from choice,” said Caroline. “And at least we know something about Robert Darcy. We are very well acquainted with his cousin, who obviously holds him respect. But what do we know of Captain Trewson?”
“We know that he is a war hero and has fought against the French,” said Louisa. “I cannot think of anything more noble than that.”
Caroline knew she would be unable to make her sister see reason. She could not say what needed to be said. She did not think Captain Trewson’s intentions were honourable. Why would he wish to marry Louisa, when there were so many young and beautiful ladies eager to throw themselves at him? But she could not say that to her sister.
“In any case,” she said, since she had to be circumspect, “I am hoping that our ignorance will soon be remedied. I have written to a friend of mine and I am hoping she will tell me more about him. If I can be reassured on that score, I will wish you every happiness, my dear sister.”
“Then I hope you will hear soon, because I do not feel the need to justify myself to you,” said Louisa. And with that she walked away, back in the direction from which she had come.
Matters were moving beyond Caroline. What right had she to advise Louisa how to conduct her life? Not only was her sister more experienced than she was, especially since Louisa was a widow and knew the ways of marriage, but she was also older. Caroline leaned over the balustrade and stared down into the hallway below. She no longer knew what was correct. She had thought the rules very clear, but somehow they had grown confused along the way. Her certainty seemed to have deserted her.
“You take life too seriously,” said a voice in her ear.
“Mr Robert! You startled me!” she said, reproachfully. Gentlemen did not, in her experience, creep up so close to ladies like that.
He grinned. “You looked so very stern, I could not resist the temptation.”
“I would thank you to resist the temptation next time, if you please.”
“I cannot promise you that,” he said, unrepentantly. “I like to surprise people.”
“Have you nothing better to do?” she said. “Where is your Mrs Miles?”
“Still fast asleep,” he said. Then realizing from her indrawn breath how she had interpreted the remark, he added, by way of explanation, “We played cards very late into the night, and she has not yet come down. That is why I surmise that she is sleeping.”
“Ah,” said Caroline, ashamed that he had understood her reaction. “And did you sustain any more loses?”
“No more than I would have expected,” he said.
Caroline was silent for a moment. “Have you told her we are engaged?” she asked, abruptly.
“No,” he said, throwing her a searching glance. It made her uncomfortable, and she looked down into the hallway again. “Did you wish me to?”
“No,” she replied.
“Why do I have the feeling you do not like her?” he asked.
Caroline tried to explain. “I do not dislike her. I just cannot feel comfortable with her. She is too ready to express her feelings in public. Her manners are impeccable, yet…” She searched for the right word, but could not think of one. “There is something too open about her,” she said, lamely.
He stiffened. “You are very ready to condemn others for expressing their feelings, or for not falling completely in step with everyone else. In my mind, however, it is far better to be open, even to the extent of appearing imprudent, than to be so terrified of one’s emotions that one does not even know they are there.”
And with that he walked away.
***
Her two encounters threw Caroline into a morose state of mind. She could not easily dismiss the accusations of both Louisa and Mr Robert Darcy, nor could she explain why she had taken a dislike to the Trewsons. The more she thought about it, the more she reached the conclusion that her sister was right.
Her dislike had its root in envy.
In the wake of this conclusion rose the spectre of spinsterhood. When had she become the kind of person who could not endure the sight of other people’s happiness? Caroline’s own attempts to form relationships had not been successful. But was she really so embittered that she was all too ready to condemn those whose natural charm enabled them to form relationships with ease?
This new view of her character occupied her so much that, when she went to see Eliza that afternoon, she found it hard to concentrate on anything that Eliza said.
“You are very preoccupied today,” said Eliza, after she had repeated a simple question twice before Caroline comprehended it. “I hope there is nothing wrong.”
Caroline shook her head. “It is just that I am wondering how long Captain Trewson and Mrs Miles are planning to stay. I must admit I would be glad to see the last of them.”
“I am surprised to hear that,” said Eliza. “They seem very good company. Indeed, everyone seems quite taken with them.”
“Yes, that is all very well, but I have my concerns. My sister Louisa seems to have conceived a tendre for Captain Trewson.”
“And you do not approve?” said Eliza.
“I do not, but I cannot say why.”
Eliza looked stricken and reached for Caroline’s arm, her face full of concern. “Oh. Poor Caroline! This is all about Robert, i
s it not? He is paying court to Mrs Miles.” Eliza frowned as she considered the implications. “I would never have thought him so inconsiderate, when you have only just been engaged! I call this shabby behaviour indeed!” She ended on an indignant note.
Caroline pulled away immediately, alarmed by Eliza’s misconception. “Oh, no!” she cried. “I—”
“You are taking this very well. In fact, remarkably well. He is behaving badly, and you should not find excuses for him,” insisted Eliza.
Caroline did not wish to wrong Robert Darcy. The situation did make him appear in a very poor light. After all he had done for her, however, she could not in all honesty allow the misconception to continue.
“It seems that I must tell you everything,” said Caroline, sighing. “But you must promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“You may speak freely. I will tell no one,” said Eliza.
She had been waiting for days for a chance to confess and the words began to flow almost as soon as she opened her mouth. Before long, she had told Eliza her sorry story, but only after extracting a promise that she would not reveal a word to Mr Darcy.
Caroline hesitated only when it came to recounting Mr Darcy’s high handed behaviour, fearing to cause offence. But Eliza found the account highly amusing, and before long they were laughing as Caroline described the confrontation between her and Darcy in detail.
“I am glad you stood up to him,” said Eliza. “He is too inclined to think he has the right to decide people’s future. This is not the first time he interferes this way.” She smiled, apparently remembering something. “It is too bad this whole thing is to be kept secret; I would have enjoyed teasing him about it. For I am beginning to see that he resembles his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, more than I thought. I am sure you have had the opportunity to meet her, and you will know what I mean.”
Eliza had not been as changed by her marriage as Caroline had imagined. She would never have presumed to compare the two. But then, Eliza was known for her impertinence, and Caroline was not.
***
Caroline was awakened after a long restless night by the sound of loud voices from downstairs. Curious as to what could have caused such commotion so early, she dressed hastily and went down. Eliza, who rarely left her parlour in the morning, was in the drawing room, surrounded by servants.
“I do not know how the keys went missing,” said Mrs Reynolds, the housekeeper. Her face was red, and she looked flustered, which in itself was unusual, since Caroline perceived her as the embodiment of tranquillity.
“Never mind that,” said Eliza. “The main thing is to determine if anything has been taken. You must do a complete inventory, and report to me as soon as possible. We will discover who is behind this. You need not worry.”
Mrs Reynolds left the room much reassured, followed by the others.
“What has happened?” Caroline enquired.
“Mrs Reynolds’ chatelaine has gone missing, with all her keys, and is nowhere to be found,” said Eliza. “I do not think it is a matter of grave concern however. No doubt someone planning mischief has taken them, and we will find them returned to their place by and by.”
“What is Mr Darcy’s opinion?” said Caroline.
“I have not yet involved him. He is partaking of breakfast, and I did not want to disturb him.”
But it was not long before Mr Darcy came into the room, looking grim.
“Mrs Reynolds has spoken to me,” said Darcy. “I intercepted her as she was coming to report to you. It appears there are several items of silver missing, as well as a number of valuable objects about the house, among them some of the china heirlooms. You would be well advised, my dear, to have your jewellery box checked, and to have the other guests look into theirs. Someone forced an entry into the house last night. A pane at the back of the house has been shattered, and the window opened to allow the thief to enter.”
Eliza sank back on her seat. “Oh, this is bad news indeed,” she said.
“I will send for the magistrate,” said Mr Darcy. “He will pursue the criminal. He cannot have gone far after all.”
The uproar that followed as rooms were searched and cupboards inventoried brought everyone downstairs. Eliza, too filled with anxiety to respond to their questions, recommended each of the guests to check their rooms and report any thefts.
Caroline’s heart beat fast as she hurried to check her valuables. She had brought only a few items with her, and they were not her finest. She had not expected that there would be much call for wearing jewels at Pemberley, given that Eliza was unwell. But a favourite ruby chain and set of earrings was among them. She opened the drawer where she kept them. It was empty.
She tugged at the bell pull.
“Do you remember, Molly, where you put my jewels last night?” she asked, still unwilling to believe they were gone.
“Yes, Miss Bingley. They were right here.” She pulled open the drawer and stared at the empty space where they had been.
It was terrible to think that someone had crept into her room while she slept, defenceless. She shuddered.
She pushed aside the image. She had not been harmed, at least. She cheered herself further by being thankful that she had not brought any family heirlooms with her.
“Perhaps we mislaid them, Molly,”
“Yes, it is possible, Miss Bingley,” said Molly. Together, they conducted a careful search. But they were nowhere to be found.
She returned downstairs to report her loss.
Georgiana was already in the drawing room. Nothing had gone missing in her room. Presently Kitty and Mary, who shared a room, arrived in the drawing room and declared that all was well with them. Charles came down, and, looking indignant, said that the pocket watch he had left on the dresser was gone, but that Jane had suffered no losses.
By and by, Mrs Miles came down, looking quite pale. She announced in a stunned voice that a few pieces of her jewellery had been taken.
“I left them on the table beside my bed,” she said. “I have no one to blame but myself, for I should not have been so careless as to place my jewels in plain sight. The jewellery box was well hidden, and the thief made no effort to find it.” She covered her face with her hands, quite overcome. She moved blindly across the room, trying to find a seat. Robert Darcy stepped forward and, taking her arm, led her to one. “You may think me silly to make such a fuss, but two of the pieces were given to me by my mother on my eighteenth birthday, and I cannot bear to part with them. I do not really care about the others. They were trifles. But those two…” Clearly distraught, she drew out a handkerchief and blew her nose. Caroline noticed the initials RJ embroidered on them.
“They will be found,” said Robert Darcy, grinding his teeth. “We will put out a description of the items, and make sure that the thief will find them impossible to sell.”
“Can you do that?” she said, looking at him as though he had offered her salvation. “Oh, you give me some hope I may recover them, at least! If only you could! I will furnish you with a description immediately. Though I am sure you remember the pearl necklace I was wearing yesterday.” She came to her feet with a sense of purpose, and sitting at the writing table, she began to write a list.
This public avowal brought a hint of red to Robert Darcy’s face, but he quickly brought his expression under control. He did not glance in Caroline’s direction.
The next person to appear on the scene was Captain Trewson, who announced that nothing had been taken from him, but that he thought perhaps there had been money in one of his pockets, and it was gone. He did not set much store by his memory, however, since he could not name the sum, nor could he be completely certain, so it was possible the thief had not come into his room. He looked enquiringly at his sister, who said quite simply and meaningfully to him, “Alas, it is the pearl necklace Mama gave me!”
Her pronouncement had a strong effect on him. He went quickly to her side and pressed her hand affectionately. “We will
move heaven and earth to find it, Eleanor,” he said. “We will hunt the culprit down and bring him to justice.”
Mrs Bennet came into the room, supported by Lydia. The slump of her back and the lines in her face made her seem older and more fragile. “My necklace and earrings are gone. They were on the table by my bed, and they are no longer there,” she said.
“You did search for them in the jewellery box, did you not, Lydia? I may have put them away and forgotten.”
“I did, Mama.” For once Lydia was looking grave. “They were not there.”
It was a measure of her upset that Mrs Bennet said nothing more, but sat down and stared into space.
Mrs Miles, completely overcome by the whole situation, was determined to leave at once for London to engage the Bow Street Runners to pursue the thief and find the jewels. Captain Trewson, however, thought they could do better to search for him in the area. “I am all for setting out to follow his trail immediately. We cannot wait until the trail is cold.”
“I have sent for the magistrate,” said Mr Darcy. “The moment he arrives, we will conduct a thorough search. Believe me, Mrs Miles, no stone will be left unturned.”
But Mrs Miles was too distraught to hear reason. Robert Darcy’s words had convinced her that the thief would head for London to sell the jewels, and there was no changing her mind.
“What does the local magistrate know about such matters?” she cried. “You will be wasting your time looking for the thief here. Meanwhile, he will have sold my valuables and we will never find them again. No, we must go to London and engage the Runners to find him. They will know what to do.”
“I can go to London alone, Eleanor,” said Captain Trewson, trying to reason with her. “You do not need to be there. You can stay here and I will send you word as soon as I have any news. I am sure the Darcys will not object.”
“Of course not,” said Eliza. “You may stay as long as you wish.”
Other Mr. Darcy Page 18
