The Phantom of Pemberley

by Regina Jeffers

  Coolly composed, Darcy regarded the man. “That is most benevolent of you, Lieutenant.”

  “Of course, I hope it does not come to that. I prefer to claim the lady’s hand as my own, but if I fail, please consider me as your cousin’s champion—to conduct this business tastefully.”

  “And have you considered what such prudence might cost my aunt?”

  Harwood fought the urge to celebrate his victory. Facing Darcy with a stony glare, he replied, “I would imagine several thousand pounds—the inn’s proprietor, maids, stable hands, hackney drivers, and many more will need to be brought under the umbrella to shield your cousin properly.”

  Darcy’s fists formed at his sides. “And you wish me to approach my aunt in your name?”

  “I thought it best to bring my concerns to your attention.You were the voice of reason in the room yesterday. Having offered your cousin the protection of her family, I assumed you would understand the urgency of making arrangements—before the rumors can no longer be squelched.”

  Darcy rose to his feet to end the conversation.“I appreciate your candor, Lieutenant. I will keep your advice in mind as I negotiate with my aunt—until we meet a bit later.” He offered the lieutenant an abbreviated bow. “Breakfast is available in the morning room.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I shall partake of your kindness and then return to my room until we confer with your family. I thought it might be prudent to make a list of whom we may need to approach to secure their silence.”

  Darcy knew Harwood preferred the payment to the marriage, but for good measure, he added,“We can only pray that my cousin will accept a marriage of convenience rather than the infinite possibilities of her ruination.”

  “Of course, Mr. Darcy. We both hope as such.”

  Sir Phillip Spurlock arrived before the family sat to their morning meal. Darcy met him in the main foyer and ushered him into his study before anyone else could speak with the man. He sent one of the maids to find Elizabeth and Georgiana. He wanted them both aware of Sir Phillip’s investigation.

  “Your man was most insistent, Darcy.” Sir Phillip warmed his hands near the fire. “What is all this about?”

  Darcy steadied himself. “There are three bodies in the attic drying room.” He watched the horror spread across the baronet’s face. Sir Phillip and Darcy’s father had attended Eton together—he was a man whom Darcy admired and respected.“All have died of mysterious causes. I have several unexpected houseguests because of the storm, and I assumed you would wish to question them before they departed.”

  “Three?” Sir Phillip took a nearby chair.

  “My cousin’s traveling companion and two of my staff.Another, Jatson St. Denis, suffered minor injuries in a confrontation with an unknown assailant.”

  “I am afraid I do not understand, Darcy. Has someone entered the house illegally or is our culprit someone we know?”

  Darcy ran his fingers through his hair. “I wish to God I knew. The phantom of Pemberley has haunted this house for nigh on ten days and nights.”

  “The phantom of Pemberley?” Sir Phillip stared at him.

  “What my staff has dubbed my intruder! At first, they believed him to be one of the shadow people.” He pulled the cord to order breakfast. “I have sent for Mrs. Darcy and my sister. I thought we might make our insights known to you prior to your questioning the guests. I have made extensive notes of each day’s events since we took notice of a stranger on the grounds and then of the cryptic clues accompanying each of the incidents. I suppose you told your household that you might not return until tomorrow?”

  “Will it take that long?”

  Darcy moved to answer the door. “As we have eight guests and several staff members to address, I am sure you will be about your duties through most of the day.” He opened the door to find Elizabeth and Georgiana awaiting him. “Ah, my Dears.” He caught Elizabeth’s hand and led her to where the baronet stood. “Sir Phillip has come in an official capacity; we need to tell him everything we know of our phantom.”

  “Of course, my Husband.” She curtsied to the official and then summoned a waiting footman to bring in the ordered food and drink.

  Georgiana shivered. “I pray, Sir Phillip, that you can bring closure to this distressing matter.”

  “I will do my best, my Dear.” He squeezed her hand. “I would have Pemberley as clear as the day your great-great-grandfather built it.”

  “I do have one piece of news that will bring you joy, Sir Phillip.” Darcy passed a cup of tea to the man as Elizabeth continued to pour for the rest of them.

  A hesitant smile touched the baronet’s lips. “Please share, my Boy. Under the circumstances, I am in need of felicitations.”

  “My household is to know a new member this summer.”

  The gentleman beamed at Elizabeth, his eyes glistening with genuine happiness. “Mrs. Darcy, you have brought life back to this estate. I do wish Lady Anne and the former Mr. Darcy were here to know of this day. My old friend would be strutting around like the proudest peacock. I cannot wait to tell Lady Spurlock. She will be beside herself with joy. When the roads clear, you will know how much the Darcys are respected by this neighborhood.”

  “Thank you, Sir Phillip. Mr. Darcy and I are blessed to know such joy.”

  “A whole houseful!” Sir Phillip declared.“A houseful of Darcys would please me.”

  Elizabeth blushed. “We will take our blessings one at a time, Sir Phillip.”

  “Let us begin.” Darcy redirected the conversation. The knowledge that the community would welcome the news of his heir pleased him. Pemberley would survive—even the chaos of the past week would not destroy it. Sir Phillip’s words rang in his ears. Mrs. Darcy, you have brought life back to this estate. For the first time in several days, he knew contentment. “Elizabeth, why do you not start with the day you saw the stranger when we were out riding?”

  The hearty breakfast satisfied one of Harwood’s hungers. Plus, he found Miss Donnel alone in the morning room, and he spent nearly half an hour spouting his best “seductive” speeches.The lady appeared to welcome him. Perhaps he would ease another hunger tonight.

  Of course, the lady’s cousin seemed less inclined to “welcome” him to the family.When he found them conversing privately in the breakfast room, Lord Stafford appeared quite angry. The viscount first offered Harwood a direct cut before sending his cousin scurrying to her room. He had thought he knew something of the future earl’s nature after spending several hours the previous evening chatting over cards, but His Lordship’s subsequent private warning spoke volumes. You cannot trust the aristocracy, Harwood reminded himself. The viscount will gladly take your hard-earned macaroni, but deny you the pleasure of his cousin’s company. Without thinking, he swung the door to his room wide. Seeing a man in Regular regimentals shaving at the vanity table stunned him. He strode forward. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

  He made the decision to look for a change of clothes and to seek some other comforts. Since James’s altercation in the east wing and Peter’s frenzied moment in the family quarters, Gregor MacIves had found it quite impossible to leave the passageways.The Darcys had effectively cut off his supplies. Today, he hoped to find some extra clothes or toiletries stored on the second level.“I be a bit rank.” He hit the lever for one of the empty rooms.This was the only part of the house not currently in use or not presently being renovated.

  As the raised dais sporting a small writing desk rotated inward, he stepped into the airy room. He could get used to such luxury, but the likelihood of ever knowing the warmth of a place of his own faded a bit more with each passing day. Only one thing held him back—kept him from realizing his true potential. He had come to Pemberley to right a wrong. Looking out the nearest window, he took stock of the changing weather conditions. “It be tonight,” he said as he let the drape fall back into place.

  He found a bowl and a ewer of water. He stripped off his jacket and searched the wardrobe for
clothes stored in the cabinet. “Well, look here.” He pulled the shirt from the wooden hanger. “Thank ye, Darcy.” He removed the rough linen he had worn for the past week and threw it in the empty bag resting on the bedside end table. He poured water in the bowl, lathered up a cloth, and proceeded to wash his body as best he could. He would prefer a bath, but, at least, he could rid himself of the dust and the cobwebs clinging to his face and arms.

  As silently as possible, he raised the smallest window, and then carefully carried the dirty water to it and dumped the water onto the frosty lawn. Then he refilled the bowl and applied the soap to his face. He returned to the dressing room and found a straight razor on the table. “Thank ye a’gin, Darcy.”

  Taking the blade with him, he looked for a mirror. He found one and began to remove the bristly whiskers decorating his face. “I won’er when be the last time Darcy shaved his own face?” He made smooth, sweeping strokes along his cheeks and then wiped the blade dry on a towel.

  He had just run the razor up the right side of his neck to his chin line when the room’s door swung open. In the mirror, he saw a man wearing what appeared to be an officer’s uniform. The man strode forward. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?” he demanded.

  For a split second, Gregor froze, thinking that being discovered meant he would not have to return to the cold passageways after all, and then survival instincts took hold. He spun, razor in hand, and caught the officer with a forearm across the neck.With his free hand, he slashed the blade along the exposed flesh, leaving a jagged cut from the man’s left ear to his Adam’s apple.

  The lieutenant fought Gregor until his opponent made a second cut, and the blood poured forth over their hands, which were knotted together in a struggle. Then his opponent went limp, the front of his well-pressed uniform turning red with his own blood. Gregor stepped back and let the lieutenant slide to the floor.Without thinking twice, he rinsed his hands in the water. He grabbed a second towel, the bag from the end table, and the clean garments and sidestepped around the writhing body. After locking the room door, he headed toward the secret panel. Reaching the hidden lever, he glanced back once to see the military officer pull up to his knees before suddenly going very still. He knew it was a matter of time.Within a few minutes, the lieutenant would know his Maker. A loud click signaled that Gregor’s escape waited.

  For well over an hour, the Darcys shared what they knew of the mysterious deaths. “It is almost as if there is more than one perpetrator,” Sir Phillip remarked. “My study of the law and my twenty years serving as a magistrate tell me that, usually, a murderer follows the same pattern in committing his crimes.These are very distinct wrongs. It makes very little sense.”

  “I had hoped,” Darcy began, “that your years in this capacity would give you insights we others lacked.”

  “I believe it is time I spoke to your guests.” Sir Phillip stood and moved to behind Darcy’s desk. “I plan to occupy your work area for a few hours, my Boy.”

  “Certainly, Sir Phillip. Anything you need.” Darcy stood also. “With whom did you wish to speak first, sir?”

  Sir Phillip settled in Darcy’s chair. “I think the viscount if you do not mind, Darcy. I am familiar with Mr. Worth—testified in more than one of his cases, but I am not aware of the viscount.”

  “The man is right intelligent, although a bit of a rebel; I believe you will find His Lordship most helpful, however.” Darcy pulled the bell cord to call his servant. “In a short while, I have a meeting with my aunt, her daughter, and Lieutenant Harwood, so I will be engaged with a family matter for an hour or so. But Mrs. Darcy will be happy to serve you, Sir Phillip.”

  “One thing I need both you and Mrs. Darcy to do is to become better listeners. Do not simply take what people say at face value. Someone in this household knows the truth of these mysteries, and I mean to find out who that is. We will succeed, my Boy. Never you fear.” Sir Phillip took out foolscap and began to sharpen a pen. Very businesslike, the baronet explained what he expected them to do. “Both the midday meal and the morning tea will also allow us some time to assess your guests. I realize that you previously searched for missing bed linens and candleholders, but we need to complete a different type of search.We must look through drawers and the wardrobe—examine papers—look in the ladies’ cosmetics. Someone has arsenic. Someone knows something you have missed because of your sense of propriety.”

  “I understand, Sir Phillip.” Darcy looked about uncomfortably. “My men and I are at your disposal.”

  Elizabeth and Georgiana gathered the cups and placed them on the tray.“I shall inform the kitchen of the extra setting, Fitzwilliam. Do you suppose Her Ladyship will take tea with us?”

  “Possibly we should apprise Lady Catherine of Sir Phillip’s presence,” Darcy whispered.

  “I will see to it. Come, Georgiana.” She caught the girl’s arm. “I will speak to Lady Catherine. Might you check on Miss de Bourgh?”

  The girl nodded, but she was lost in her own musings.Taking a closer look, Elizabeth realized the agitation Darcy’s sister portrayed. “What is it, Georgiana?”

  The girl stopped suddenly and looked alarmed. She stammered, “I-I just re-remembered where I have seen Lieutenant Harwood before. It is something I have been unable to release since meeting the lieutenant yesterday evening. He was the man by the cottages that first day, the one leaning against the tree.”

  Darcy was by her side, supporting her weight against his body as she swayed in place. “Are you sure, Georgiana?”

  “Absolutely, Fitzwilliam.The lieutenant has been close by since before the snowstorm. He lied about riding in from Liverpool in the past two days.”

  CHAPTER 17

  DARCY TURNED GEORGIANA to him. “Do not repeat what you just said aloud where anyone else might hear. You must not share this information with the others. It is imperative that it remain among only we three and the baronet.”The girl looked frightened, but she nodded her understanding. “No one, Georgiana,” her brother insisted. “Especially not our cousin.”

  Elizabeth touched his hand lightly, letting him know how his intensity affected Georgiana. “Our sister will do your bidding, my Husband,” she whispered softly. “Georgiana understands the sensitivity of your dealings with the lieutenant.”

  Darcy blinked twice to restore his composure. “I beg your forgiveness, Georgiana. I do not question your loyalty.”

  “I will be careful, Fitzwilliam.”

  “I know, my Dear.” He gently cupped Georgiana’s cheek. “I have always trusted you.”

  “Come, Georgiana,” Elizabeth encouraged the girl. “We must set the stage for your brother’s negotiations with your family.”

  Darcy caught Elizabeth’s hand as his sister started away. “You two are to stay away from Harwood,” he warned.

  Elizabeth acknowledged his caution with a slight shake of her head. “I shall protect Georgiana.”

  “I want you safe also,” he murmured. “You are my life.”

  Elizabeth swallowed hard. He often said the most startling things at the most unexpected times. Her eyes shimmered, and her lower lip trembled. His earnestness completely captured her. She nodded and offered him a full smile before exiting the room.

  Lady Catherine reluctantly accepted Elizabeth’s invitation to join the household for tea. She still had offered her nephew’s wife no apology, but she kept a civil tongue in her head and prayed it would be enough to pacify Darcy. The thought of deigning to admit her wrongdoing did not sit well with Her Ladyship.

  “Sir Phillip,” she said in acknowledgment of the man, who stood upon her entrance.“I am pleased to see you again after all these years.”

  The baronet clicked his heels together before bowing in her direction. “Catherine Fitzwilliam de Bourgh, you are as beautiful as ever.” He kissed Lady Catherine’s fingertips.

  “And you, Sir Phillip, are a perpetual liar.” She swatted at his arm with her gloved hand. “Come, sit beside me so we might speak
of our days at Matlock.”

  “As you wish,Your Ladyship.”

  Soon the room filled with congenial company; Sir Phillip spoke often to Lady Catherine, but Darcy carefully noted how much more often, and with some degree of stealth, the man’s eyes drifted to the others enjoying the midmorning’s refreshments. Sir Phillip looked at each of them—listening to their words—trying to deduce what each was thinking. Darcy followed the baronet’s eyes with his own, trying desperately to observe in his guests what the magistrate saw—looking for something he had not seen previously.

  Darcy’s gaze fell upon Mrs. Williams. She looked down at her lap, appearing deeply exhausted. When had she become so tired looking? Dark circles rimmed her eyes—charcoal smudges telling tales of no sleep—or of a guilty conscience, perhaps, or of twisted lies. Evelyn Williams did not stir—did not speak—simply stared unrelentingly at her teacup.

  “Is something the matter with the refreshments, Mrs.Williams?” Elizabeth had noted his interest in the woman and spoke the words he could not.

  Instantly alert, the woman stammered,“Noth-nothing is wrong. Everything is exquisite, as usual, Mrs. Darcy.You set a most admirable table.” Mrs. Williams took the cup in hand and returned to her tea, obviously shaken to have brought notice to herself.

  “I wonder where Lieutenant Harwood has taken himself off to?” Cathleen Donnel commented as she motioned for more tea from the footman.

  “Building up his appetite,” the viscount grumbled.

  Mr. Worth whispered conspiratorially, “Harwood will show when he thinks our solitude least bearable.”