‘Please, Adam, we must not think of ourselves at this time. We must concentrate on keeping everyone safe and finding a way to defeat the spirits. As far as I am concerned containing them is not enough, we must find a way to send them to hell where they belong.’
‘You are right, my love, to stop me. But be very sure when everything is settled I shall be speaking to Darcy and your sister. Are you ready to go through the door?’
Chapter Fourteen
Lizzy watched her sister and Mr King talking earnestly by the door and then walk through. ‘Fitzwilliam, have you noticed how close Kitty and Mr King have become over the past few days? I am not entirely sure of her feelings, but he is definitely besotted with her. What do you think? Am I imagining things because of my condition?’
He glanced across to see that his sister was occupied with Jane and Bingley, before answering quietly. ‘I agree with you, darling, and applaud his choice. She would make him an ideal wife, and to have her living permanently so close to us would be ideal.’
‘Good heavens! Have you too fallen under her spell? Being closest to Lydia in age, Kitty became influenced by my youngest sister’s wild behaviour. However, I believe her to be more like me in character than either Jane or Mary, and I am very fond of her too.’
The third time she glanced at the door he took her hands in his. ‘They will come to no harm, I have every confidence in King. Let us talk about something else; it will take your mind off what might be going on next door.’ He raised his voice and called to the other three. ‘Come and join us over here, we wish to make plans for the soirée that will be taking place in two days’ time.’
After a lively discussion the evening had been planned down to the last minute. When their guests arrived there would be champagne served in the Great Hall, dinner would be à la français with four courses and several removes, then afterwards there would be dancing, and cards for those that did not dance.
Satisfied that her first Pemberley party would be a success she now asked them to put their minds to what entertainment should be provided for the six families who would be joining them at the end of next week.
‘There will be three young gentlemen and two young ladies around the same age as you and Kitty, Georgiana, and I was hoping you would get together and put on a Christmas pantomime or play. This could be performed the afternoon of Christmas Eve, which always seems to drag a little.’
‘I should like that above anything, we have never done anything of that sort before. It would be great fun to enact a fairy tale – perhaps Cinderella would be a good choice.’
‘I was thinking of inviting King to stay with us for the twelve days. He has only to take three services during that time and whatever the weather I am sure he can get to and fro without difficulty. I think he might enjoy being in the congregation in our chapel instead of leading the prayers himself.’
‘I would feel more comfortable knowing he was living here,’ Jane said. She smiled sweetly at Bingley and then continued shyly. ‘It too am in an interesting condition, Lizzy, our babies will be born next summer. I sincerely hope Charles and I have found ourselves a suitable property by then.’
‘Ingram has been looking for the past two weeks and should have a list of properties for you to view in the New Year. There are several substantial estates that would be suitable and all are within ten miles of here.’
A further half an hour went by and still there was no sign of Kitty or Mr King.
*
Kitty and Adam stood arm in arm looking down the length of the music room. Since the pianoforte, harp and all the other musical instruments had been moved into the Great Hall the room looked strangely empty. Mind you, as it was more than thirty yards in length and twenty in breadth, this was hardly surprising.
‘Do you feel anything strange, Kitty? This chamber feels no different from next door to me.’
She released her hold on his arm and stepped away to stand in the centre of the polished boards. At this end there were no expensive carpets and she felt vulnerable and alone, but if she was to remain at his side she was certain his presence would be protecting her. This was the only way to ascertain how far the spectres had managed to spread.
‘I think that despite this room sharing a wall with the East Wing, the lack of the communicating door has kept it free from harm. Shall we go into the chamber next door where the Great Stairs are and see how we feel? I don’t remember if there is a connecting door on that floor, do you?’
‘The only time I used them was when I came to help you, I was in too much of a hurry to notice.’ He walked to her side and retrieved her hand, this time putting his arm around her waist. This was a dreadful breach of etiquette, Mama would have a conniption fit if she were ever to hear about it.
Instead of complaining she smiled up at him and saw his eyes darken. For a delicious moment she thought he might be going to kiss her, however, he merely smiled and that had to be enough for now.
‘Let us get this over with as quickly as we can. I don’t like being away from the others, even though I know you will take care of me.’
‘We will walk slowly to the centre of the room, as soon as you feel anything, we will retreat. I am not letting you stand by yourself, and I have no wish to ascend the stairs either.’
The double doors that led to the stairway were firmly shut and he managed to open them without releasing her. Once they were through he pulled them shut. Her heart was hammering so hard she was surprised he did not hear it, her stomach lurched unpleasantly and she wished she had not eaten so much cake.
Slowly they walked the short distance from the door to the stairs – so far nothing untoward had occurred. ‘Let me stand on the stairs by myself, Adam, you can stay close by.’ Reluctantly he removed his arm and she took two steps on her own.
‘I do feel something, but it is not the same as before. I can’t quite describe it, but it is as if something or someone is calling to me. I’m in no danger today.’
Before he could restrain her she picked up her skirts and ran to the gallery. As soon as she stepped onto the expanse of polished boards a swirl of grey and black mist enshrouded her. She had made a grave error. She should have stayed with Adam. She tried to retrace her steps but was being dragged inexorably towards the communicating door behind the curtain.
Somehow she managed to look over her shoulder but could no longer see the head of the staircase or hear Adam calling to her. She was surrounded by these beings from the underworld, they were going to take her and there was nothing she could do about it.
She waited for the cold to spread from her fingertips, for the air to be slowly sucked from her lungs, but she remained relatively warm and her breathing was as normal. Her panic subsided, for some inexplicable reason the demons were not intending to kill her.
Slowly her hands unclenched and her heart returned to its normal place behind her bodice. She dared to open her eyes and to her astonishment the clouds of vapour were forming into a recognisable shape. The figure of a man emerged from the mist, a man dressed in the clothes of long ago. He had dark hair and was quite recognisably a Darcy ancestor.
Was he going to speak to her? Should she curtsy to a ghost? Strangely she was less afraid of this apparition that she had been of the suffocating darkness and strange shuffling noises.
He bowed low and his golden frock-coat flapped around him almost as if he were real. ‘I bid you good morrow, mistress, Henry Darcy at your service. I wish to speak to you most urgently.’
Kitty wasn’t sure if she had actually heard his words being spoken or if the sound was only in her head. ‘I am Miss Catherine Bennet. You almost killed me the other day so why should I wish to speak to you now?’
‘I beg your pardon for that error, Miss Bennet, at that time we did not know you would be of assistance to us.’
‘I don’t understand; how can I be of use to you? Surely you should be contacting a Darcy.’ The shape shimmered and an icy shiver gripped her. The apparition was not pl
eased. She spoke again hoping to placate him. ‘Are you seeking justice for your untimely deaths? I am not sure how this could be achieved but I am willing to do what I can to put matters right.’
The cold retreated and the ghost regained its human form. ‘In order for us to depart this world we must have retribution. Someone must pay. A descendant of the man who orchestrated our murder must also die unnaturally.’
‘That is what I thought must happen. If I give you my word I will do everything in my power to help you, will you agree to leave the family alone?’
Again the spectre wavered, his edges becoming indistinct, its shape more wispy than before. ‘You have until Christmas Eve, after that we shall wreak our own revenge and take the lives of all that remain within these walls.’
His image faded, leaving her alone in front of the curtain that concealed the burnt panelling and communicating door. Before she could make sense of what had transpired she was swept into a fierce embrace.
‘My God, what happened to you? I was held fast, could not move my feet an inch, and saw you surrounded by those demons. Are you unhurt?’
‘Adam, you will not believe what I saw.’ She pushed herself free and ran around the space. ‘He has kept his word, the gallery is safe. We do not have to barricade anything or change our plans; Pemberley is safe until the night before Christmas.’
They returned using the main staircase and dashed to the drawing room, bursting in so eagerly that the occupants were scared half to death. Kitty breathless with excitement, told them the whole and when she had finished her extraordinary story they were all struck silent.
Eventually Darcy shook his head. ‘If you had told me all this two weeks ago I would have thought you fit for an asylum, my dear, but now I am just horrified by your story.’
Kitty’s excitement evaporated. ‘But surely what happened is a good thing? All we have to do is—.’ Then the enormity of Henry Darcy’s demands finally sunk in. She collapsed on a chair and buried her head in her hands.
‘I see you have realised the invidious position we are now in,’ Darcy continued, his tone bleak. ‘I’m afraid that we must cancel our Christmas guests, Lizzy, we cannot risk being here on the day before Christmas. We cannot fulfil his demand as we cannot commit murder in order to satisfy these devils. That will make us no better than the villagers who caused this catastrophe.’
Kitty had spun from elation to despair in the space of a few minutes. Darcy was quite right. In anguish she cried out. ‘My promise to help was foolish, like most of the things I have done in the past year. I have made matters worse by my interference and now we shall all have to move away.’ Her shoulders slumped and tears trickled through her fingers.
Unexpectedly a soft white handkerchief was pushed into her hand. ‘Please, little one, do not cry. None of this is of your making, nobody is blaming you.’ Adam stroked her shoulder and gradually she controlled her tears, blew her nose and mopped her eyes and sat up expecting to see everyone looking at her with disapproval. Instead she saw the exact opposite.
‘Good girl, King is quite right, you have been incredibly brave, have brought us ten days of safety. You must not distress yourself further.’ Darcy was smiling at her with genuine affection and despite her fear she felt a flicker of happiness that by some miracle she had become part of this powerful gentleman’s inner circle. Whatever happened over the next two weeks she would not be sent packing back to Longbourn in disgrace.
Georgiana looked so miserable Kitty forgot her own distress and hurried over to join her friend on the daybed. ‘Everything will work out in the end, dearest, even if your brother has to demolish the East Wing next year before we can return. I am now absolutely certain we are in no danger and can walk around this wonderful house without fear of being molested by evil spirits.’
‘I wish I was as brave as you, Kitty, but I believe I can endure whatever might happen if I have you to keep me company.’ Then her expression changed and she lowered her voice to whisper conspiratorially in her ear. ‘Mr King has taken you to his heart. Do you feel the same way about him?’
Kitty glanced across at Adam, who was deep in conversation with Lizzy and Darcy, so she could watch him unobserved. He was quite the most attractive man she had ever seen. He had no need of extra padding to broaden his shoulders, and was, in her opinion, even more handsome than Darcy. But far more important, he was kind, intelligent and resourceful. She had her answer.
‘Yes, he is everything a young lady could wish for in a partner. We have not spoken of our feelings, but when this business is done with I believe he will be speaking to your brother. He is, I suppose, my guardian.’
Lizzy beckoned to them. ‘Girls, join us over here and we will tell you what we have decided.’ Once they were settled she continued. ‘We are going to have our small party as planned but letters will be sent out to our Christmas guests that we can no longer have them here.’
She exchanged smiles with Adam, and Kitty guessed what was coming next. ‘Are we to move to the Rectory?’ Her interruption was unpardonable. ‘I beg your pardon, I should not have spoken out of turn.’
‘No need to apologise, Kitty dearest, you are quite right in your assumption. Adam has kindly offered to house us all for the foreseeable future. He has more than a dozen bedrooms, as well as his own apartment on the ground floor. Our guests will be invited to join us there instead.’
This was indeed the best possible news. They could stay together as a family, enjoy the festivities as planned and Pemberley could be scoured of the restless spirits in their absence.
‘What about the staff, Lizzy? We cannot leave them to the mercies of those devils – even though they need not go anywhere near the East Wing I believe the ghosts to be strong enough to escape and terrorise the entire household.’
‘Fitzwilliam has decided that those we do not bring with us can move to the Dower house – it has a dozen or so chambers upstairs – sufficient for them to live comfortably until it is safe to return.’
Kitty was satisfied with that response. ‘Have you come up with a suitable explanation for your neighbours and staff for the sudden vacation of Pemberley?’
‘We are still of the opinion that Bingley’s suggestion of an infestation by some sort of insect should be enough. We will put the house under holland covers and let it be known the restoration work will not be started until next year.’ Darcy appeared remarkably sanguine for a man whose ancestral home was about to be abandoned because of something as outlandish as an invasion of ghosts.
The handsome mantel clock struck five o’clock and Kitty prepared to leave for her apartment to change for dinner. Lizzy held up her hand to prevent her. ‘After all the excitement this afternoon the gentlemen have had no time to play billiards and we ladies have not had time for a pleasant chat. Therefore we are to dispense with both formality and dinner today. Do not look so surprised, Kitty my love, the customs here are not so set in stone they cannot be adjusted occasionally. As we all ate heartily not long ago I have asked Cook to serve supper at nine o’clock and so we have no necessity to change this evening.’
The gentlemen sauntered off to play billiards promising to return within an hour or two and join the ladies in the drawing room. Georgiana suggested she and Kitty went into the Great Hall and spend the time at the piano practising their duets.
*
Lizzy watched the girls leave and sighed. Immediately Jane came to join her. ‘What is wrong, my love? I know that my pregnancy is making me unnaturally fatigued, as well as having made me lose my appetite somewhat.’
‘I wish that were all I had to worry about. Fitzwilliam has blithely announced we are to remove our household to the Rectory at the end of the week and has also announced we will be taking some staff with us and sending the rest to idle their time away in the Dower house. However, what he has not done is set anything in motion. That, it would appear, is to be left for me to organise.’
‘As you know there is nothing I like more than writing lists,
so we shall do it together. Send for Reynolds and the steward, Ingram, let them get started.’
‘Calling Mr King by his given name, so soon after making his acquaintance, makes me feel a little uncomfortable, but Fitzwilliam insists that he is part of the family now. He is to make an offer for Kitty once this wretched business is over. How can that be? It took me months to realise that I loved Fitzwilliam and yet these two appear to have made up their minds after less than a sennight.’
‘I think it very romantic, Lizzy, and we could not have found a better partner for our dearest Kitty. They will have ample opportunity to get to know each other better once we are residing under his roof. Now, shall we call in your housekeeper and get started?’
‘Not today, let us enjoy this evening and try and forget we are being driven from this wonderful place by evil spirits.’
Chapter Fifteen
The billiard room was at the far end of the central part of the house. Something occurred to Adam as they were walking towards it. ‘Darcy, if you are to tell your servants the house is being closed down because of an infestation of some sort then would they not expect an expert to have visited and made this suggestion?’
‘Devil take it! My wits are wandering, I should have thought of that for myself. I am afraid, gentlemen, billiards will have to wait for another day. We must spend the next two hours marching up and down examining non-existent insect damage and generally making a fuss about nothing.’ He gestured towards the Great Hall. ‘We might as well start in there.’ He grinned, making him look far more approachable. ‘Remember, a lot of sighing and scratching of heads is called for.’
They wandered through the house making a great to do about examining the panelling, shaking their heads and looking despondent, collecting together and discussing deep and meaningful matters in low and sombre voices. Adam was hard put not to laugh, but really it was no laughing matter.
Eventually they made their way back to the drawing room. If he had not known the truth he would have truly believed Darcy had just discovered his house was falling down about his ears. If he ever lost his fortune he could make his living on the boards.
The Ghosts at Pemberley Page 13
