Particular Intentions

by L. L. Diamond

  “I am not worried. Anything Elizabeth lacks, I do not mind purchasing.”

  Richard put an elbow upon the mantel. “She could stay with Georgiana for a time at Clarell House. Darce could call on her and there are few places the addle pate could hide around my father’s home.”

  “Addle pate?” Mr. Gardiner’s voice shook with laughter.

  “He was noticed by not only Darce’s driver, but by Miss Bennet. He is piss poor at his job; you must admit.”

  Mr. Gardiner bobbed his head to one side and the other. “My main concern is that we had not planned to move to Mayfair until after Christmas. The house is prepared, waiting empty, but Marianne has not hired enough servants as of yet.”

  “As I mentioned to your wife, my housekeeper might be of some aid. She may know of people seeking work or be able to lend you a few of ours, depending upon what you require.”

  Richard gestured towards the window. “Or I could threaten and beat the man on the corner until he confesses if he works for Wickham or not.”

  “I doubt Wickham hired him; he is dressed better than any scoundrel Wickham could afford.”

  Richard rolled his eyes and made for the liquor tray, calling over his shoulder, “He may owe Wickham money. This may be to settle his debts.”

  Mr. Gardiner disagreed. “I am inclined towards Mr. Darcy’s point of view. From what you have said of Wickham, he is more apt to deal with this himself—as he did in Ramsgate. I would also venture his ploy with Miss Darcy was to gain access to her dowry as much as it was to cause you pain.”

  “Blast!” swore Richard, as he struck the table. “You have a point. And if they change the spy, we may never know who his employer is, as his replacement may be more competent.”

  Richard stalked to the sofa and dropped onto it, his fist bumping his mouth. He was deep in thought until suddenly, his countenance changed and he straightened. “Say, have you considered Lady Catherine?”

  “I do not understand what she would have to gain.”

  “She is unhappy Anne is to wed Bingley and that you are to wed Miss Bennet. We might inquire whether Bingley and Anne are being followed as well. Neither may have noticed, or they may not recognise what it means until they are made aware of your situation.”

  “I have some men whom I employ to investigate possible investors and at times, employees. I shall pen a letter to them when I return home. They may be of help.”

  His cousin’s head gave an abrupt jerk back. “You investigate potential employees? What sort of men do you hire to require such scrutiny?”

  Mr. Gardiner pointed to the brandy as he looked at Darcy. “May I?”

  “Of course.”

  As Mr. Gardiner rose and filled a fresh glass, he gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I run an import business. Money changes hands, and merchandise is delivered to shops or individuals purchasing my wares. In the past, I have suspected an employee or two of theft, and these men were of great help. They now investigate any man who is to take a position in which they handle money.”

  Darcy moved to the other chair. “What information do they seek for you?”

  “Debts can be important. A man who owes a substantial sum is eliminated from consideration for those positions. I prefer to know of the worker’s reputation with his neighbours.

  “I had one employee who stole money and purchased a myriad of items his friends and those who lived nearby coveted. When the men went to the local pub, these people all complained of what this man bought and wondered how he could afford such items. Greed and envy can be useful to my cause as well.”

  He took a swallow of his brandy. “I have also had gentlemen who claim to have money to invest when they do not possess the funds at all. Delays in shipments can cost me dearly. These investigators are worth their fees as far as I am concerned.”

  “If you bring in your men, will you keep me abreast of their investigation? By sharing our information, we can cover more ground in a timely fashion.”

  Darcy turned to Richard. “Please let me know when you have word of Wickham.”

  “I shall. I shall also speak with Father and nose around Lady Catherine’s house. The servants have always liked me. Perhaps I can discover if she has had any unusual guests or been tending to more correspondence than is her wont.”

  Mr. Gardiner stared into his now empty glass, his forehead creased. “If this is Lady Catherine, an early wedding could eliminate this possible threat.”

  A lop-sided grin lit Richard’s face. “I am shocked he is not rushing her to the church even now.”

  An abrupt laugh from Mr. Gardiner diverted their attention to him. “I agree with your cousin.”

  Darcy’s insides jumped. He could be married to Elizabeth without a long betrothal, but his stomach sank as quickly as it had risen. He had not applied for any license as of yet, and Elizabeth deserved a trousseau and her family around her. They needed to try to wait. “I admit to being an impatient bridegroom, but I would prefer Elizabeth have a wedding worthy of her, not some rushed affair. If it becomes a necessity, I will not hesitate to take her as my wife.”

  With a crack of a joint, Mr. Gardiner stood and placed his glass upon the table. “I am certain you will.”

  Chapter 23

  January 7th 1812 – Clarell House

  “Good morning, Mr. Darcy. Lord Fitzwilliam, the colonel, and Mr. Gardiner await you in his lordship’s study.”

  “Thank you, Sykes.” Darcy passed his coat, hat, and gloves into a footman’s waiting hands before the butler led him to his uncle’s private library.

  Sykes entered ahead of him and positioned himself against the door. “Mr. Darcy, sir.”

  “Darce!” exclaimed Richard as he stood. “We expected you a half hour ago. Where have you been?”

  “I stopped at Doctor’s Common before making my way here. I applied for a special license after we spoke of the possibility of an early wedding, and I thought it might be ready by now.” He took a chair near the fire and stretched his feet closer to the heat. The carriage had not prevented him from becoming chilled with the morning’s frigid weather.

  His uncle removed his spectacles and began to wipe them with his handkerchief. “Licenses from Doctor’s Common take a week or a fortnight at most, yet you sound as though yours was not completed.”

  “I was certain it would be prepared, but they cannot even locate the paper I left with the proctor. I submitted another request, and fortunately, I was remembered so I did not have to pay another fee.”

  “I have never heard of a similar circumstance.” His uncle hooked the ends of his glasses around his ears as he spoke in an incredulous voice. “Either you receive the license or they deny the petition, but I do not trust this explanation. I shall visit the Archbishop on the morrow on your behalf.”

  Darcy shrugged. “I thought it possible my petition would be denied since I am not a peer, but I wanted to try. I hoped to marry at Darcy House, and her mother would enjoy bragging of it.”

  “She will crow for a year at least, Darcy.” With a quiet laugh, Mr. Gardiner laced his fingers and rested his hands upon his rounded stomach. “Lizzy loves her mother, but Frances has not treated Lizzy as she should. I would not go to such an expense for her alone.”

  “I assure you I am not. Since we are still unaware of who is following me, I have come to believe a special license to be imperative, in the event we are required to wed expeditiously.”

  Richard stared into the fire as though he did not hear a word around him. “Could a few pounds in the right hands have caused the application to disappear? Perhaps this is the work of whomever is having you followed.”

  The earl nodded. “It is possible, and I believe probable. Whether this is Wickham or another party, we know they want to disrupt your betrothal and wedding. What better way than to prevent the ceremony itself? They cannot, however, prevent you from purchasing a common license in your own parish or even Miss Bennet’s.”

  A common license was a solution, but they wou
ld be required to wed in the church as opposed to Darcy House. They could also not marry at the time of his and Elizabeth’s choosing. The reading of the banns was an impossibility as well. They would be required to wait three weeks and could draw the attention of whoever was scheming against them. A special license was still the best option.

  “You could wed from St. Clement’s,” interjected Mr. Gardiner. “Mr. Pye has always been fond of Lizzy. He would perform the ceremony, and no one would expect you to be married in Cheapside.” All of the men laughed as a knock came from the door. At the earl’s summons, a maid entered with a coffee service, prepared each of them a cup, and promptly departed.

  His uncle rubbed his chin. “Gardiner is correct, you know. You could wed Miss Elizabeth and most of this would no longer be an issue. We could concentrate on locating Wickham and be done with it.”

  Darcy rose and paced before the fire. “I do not want to consider my wedding to Elizabeth as something to be done with. We shall only wed once, and while I am anxious for her to be my wife, I want Elizabeth to have the gown she desires and her family present. I know Mr. Bennet would be hurt if he could not give her away.”

  Two hands to Darcy’s shoulders halted his strides and brought his attention to Mr. Gardiner, who now stood directly before him. “You need to remember that Elizabeth cares for people, not frippery. The most important thing to her will not be whether she wore a new gown or whether her trousseau was ornate and prepared before she wed. Her favourite memories of the day she becomes Mrs. Darcy will be the look in your eyes as you recite your vows and her joy at joining her life to yours. Just remember, I can have her father and Jane brought to London in a day.”

  “We discussed this prior to your arrival, Darce. The Bow Street Runners were unable to begin until Boxing Day, and Mr. Gardiner’s men have discovered precious little. We do not believe this is Wickham, but another party who for some nefarious reason of their own is making a pest of themselves.”

  With a jolt, Darcy whipped his head to Mr. Gardiner. “You have heard back from your men?”

  He gave a guttural exhale and returned to his seat. “One of the men came to the house late last night with his first report. They have found three individuals who have watched you in the last week. You have noticed the one since he has the watch during daylight hours. With the early setting of the sun this time of year, the second and third are certain to be indistinguishable since both of their shifts are after dark.”

  With a knot in his stomach, Darcy began to walk back and forth before the fire at a more sedate pace than earlier. “I agree, that this cannot be Wickham. He would never find the funds to pay three men for work of this sort.” But if it was not Wickham, then who else could it be? The women from the Fitzwilliams’ ball or Lady Catherine were suspect, yet how did they discover whom? “Have they followed these men when they depart their post?”

  “I had a man do so two nights ago,” responded Mr. Gardiner. “He traced the man who watched you all day back to a pub in St. Giles where he met with someone. The meeting was brief and occurred last night as well.”

  “What of the man at the pub? Has he been followed?”

  “My man left his partner at Darcy House to go to St. Giles. Tonight, they both intend to go in order to do just that. None of my men relish venturing to that part of town, and they never do so alone—until that night, that is.”

  Richard pointed to Darcy’s empty chair. “Would you sit! I cannot think when you march to and fro in that manner!” A knock from the door gave them all cause to start.

  “Come in!” called his uncle.

  The door opened as Bingley peered inside. “Am I intruding?”

  “No, you are welcome.” Lord Fitzwilliam stood and clapped Bingley on the shoulder. “I apologise if I sounded harsh a moment ago.”

  Once he situated himself in Darcy’s empty seat, Bingley glanced around at each of them. Richard still stared into the fire as Mr. Gardiner poured himself another cup of coffee.

  “Have you discovered any new information on the gentleman standing in the park on the corner?”

  Darcy’s hand clenched at his side. “You saw him as well?”

  “He is hardly being discreet. I suppose he feels the distance from the house makes him so, yet he makes no effort to appear as though he belongs.” He took a biscuit from the tray on the table before him. “I managed a moment alone to speak to Anne. She has noticed nothing unusual in her mother’s associates or meetings as of late but will continue to keep an eye on her. Neither of us has someone watching us that we can tell, but if we do, they are more skilled at their occupation than that standing budge1 of yours.”

  “I want to accompany your men this evening, Mr. Gardiner.” All in the room looked at Richard, whose jaw was set and his eyes hard.

  “Son, I do not believe this is a good idea. These men watching Darcy House might recognise you, and St. Giles can also be a dangerous place.”

  “I have faced Bonaparte’s troops. Do you not think I can hold my own in St. Giles? If I join the investigators, we can outnumber him three to one, or one might stay behind to keep watch here. I shall stay out of their sights.”

  Richard stood and straightened his coat. “I must speak with my commander. I requested leave, so I could be of use during this time.”

  “The men from Pemberley arrive tomorrow, and your father has been kind enough to allow the use of some of his larger and more trusted servants. I appreciate your willingness to be of aid, but if you cannot be spared from your duties—”

  “I do naught but train troops at the moment down at Horse Guards, with a half dozen other men. They can spare me for a fortnight or so.” He extended his hand to Mr. Gardiner. “Leave word with my father about where to meet your investigators, and I shall be there.” Mr. Gardiner nodded and Richard strode from the room.

  “Do you think this is wise?” asked the earl. “He can be impetuous when those he cares about are threatened.”

  Mr. Gardiner leaned back into his seat. “We have had little success with our current tactics. A more aggressive approach might be useful. I can hardly fault his desire to be of aid when I would do the same were I in his place.”

  His uncle was correct. Richard could be hasty, ill tempered, and impulsive at best when his family was in danger. Should they now convince Mr. Gardiner to renege on his agreement with Richard? He walked to the window and gazed down the street to the park on the corner. The man had moved to a different spot, but was still watching. No, they needed to know what he was about and who employed him regardless of Richard’s methods or temper. He could not chance that Elizabeth would come to harm because of him.

  When Darcy turned, Mr. Gardiner, his uncle, and Bingley all stared at him. “Richard should go if for no other reason than to perhaps bring this to a close. I intend to escort Elizabeth to visit the modiste on Monday with Anne, Georgiana, Mrs. Gardiner, and my aunt. While they appear to be interested in me, I desire her safety and do not put it past Wickham to make an attempt on her if I am not in her company.”

  “We all share the same goal.”

  Mr. Gardiner’s voice was sympathetic and calming, but it did nothing to assuage the restlessness of his limbs. He needed to move. No, he needed Elizabeth.

  Without a word, he hastened from the room. His name was called from the study, but he continued without stopping until he reached the drawing room and entered.

  “Darcy!” His aunt stood and made her way before him. “I did not expect you to join us.” Her arm extended to his right. “You remember Lady Carlisle and her daughter Lady Althea, do you not?”

  Behind Lady Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth’s eyes rolled toward the ceiling, and his body relaxed. She was well.

  He faced the guests and gave a curt bow. “Lady Carlisle, Lady Althea, it is agreeable to see you again.”

  Once they curtsied, Lady Carlisle stepped forward. “We are most pleased to be in your company again, Mr. Darcy. Are we not, Althea?”

  His teeth ground tog
ether as the daughter tilted her head in a flirtatious manner. “Quite pleased indeed.”

  After he cleared his throat, Darcy withdrew his hand and rushed to take a seat beside Elizabeth. Just her proximity was enough to alleviate the remaining tension from the earlier talk with the men.

  The conversation, as long as the Carlisles were present, was tedious to say the least. Despite his aunt and Anne attempting to steer them towards the theatre and the upcoming season, the two ladies were insistent on the latest gossip they had gathered at their previous calls.

  “I have heard that Miss Bingley anticipates moving into her brother’s home once he is wed and residing at Rosings.” Lady Carlisle’s brows were raised as she fiddled with the rings adorning her chubby fingers and smirked.

  Anne frowned. “Even though Miss Bingley has made such assertions, I can assure you Mr. Bingley has no plans to alter his sister’s arrangements. In fact, we intend to use his London home during the season so my mother might have the use of her own.”

  “Ah, I see. I shall have to inform Miss Reddington when I next see her. Miss Bingley, by all accounts, hired a hackney to make a recent call on Miss Reddington. Can you imagine?”

  Lady Althea tittered. “I would be mortified to approach the door.”

  A feather light touch brushed his hand on the cushion of the sofa as Elizabeth shifted, which he continued to feel long after her hand returned to her lap. Would these women ever leave?

  Elizabeth pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Lady Althea was ridiculous with her preening—not that Fitzwilliam noticed or perhaps he did. His stiff posture was far from relaxed. At the moment, he was staring at the hand in her lap as Lady Althea’s lips pursed tightly. How could she have been jealous of this girl a mere few days ago?

  “We should depart,” announced Lady Carlisle as though a parade should be held in her honour. “We are to call on the Duchess of Albany this morning as well.” Lady Carlisle’s shoulders and chest were puffed, making her appear like a bird who had ruffled its feathers.