“Not your fault,” I echoed, seething. “That’s convenient.”
“Aye, it is. Now quit yer fussin’ o’er that wee book an’ get on wi’ it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And I suppose you have nothing more to offer me? No more half-truths or obnoxious riddles?”
Ewan’s gaze flickered, just for a moment, but then he shrugged again. “Truth’s there if ye’ve got the eyes to see it, lad.”
I was about to demand more when his expression softened unexpectedly. “So... the lass gave ye the book, eh?”
My jaw tightened. “Miss Bennet helped, yes.”
Ewan’s grin returned, though it seemed a touch wistful. “Ah, Elspeth…”
I frowned. “What?”
“Elspeth,” he repeated, his voice almost distant. “Reminds me o’ her.”
“Elspeth,” I repeated, taking a step forward. “Who was she?”
Ewan’s eyes darkened as he straightened up. He reached forward and slammed the book cover closed. “Ach, keep yer nose out, lad. Some things are best left buried, ye ken?”
And with that, he was gone, leaving me to stare at the closed book on the desk and wonder if I’d ever get a straight answer from him.
Elizabeth
As I stepped intothe warmth of Longbourn, the familiar clamor of home greeted me—a combination of Kitty and Lydia’s shrill laughter and Mama’s inevitable fussing. The contrast was jarring. After the eerie stillness of the gamekeeper’s cottage, where Mr. Darcy had just shared his outlandish tale, the noise here was almost too much. I shook the cold from my cloak, willing myself to act as if nothing had changed—though, in truth, everything had.
What had I gotten myself into?
“There you are, Lizzy,” my father’s voice floated out from his study. “A word, if you will?”
I cringed inwardly. I bet I knew exactly what this was about. With a deep breath, I approached his open door and peeked inside. He was sitting at his desk, spectacles perched on the end of his nose, leafing through what remained of the stack of books I had until recently pillaged.
“Papa?”
“Ah, yes,” he said, without looking up. “I couldn’t help but notice a rather curious gap in my library. Several books on history and even a handful on paranormal curiosities seem to have taken a walk—on their own, I presume, since no one in this house would ever dream of sneaking them out without asking.” He raised an eyebrow, finally meeting my gaze.
I bit my lip, trying to concoct a reasonable lie. “I… thought they might be helpful for—research.”
“Research, is it?” His other eyebrow joined the first. “Is that what they’re calling pilfering these days?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “A little harmless reading, Papa. Surely you don’t begrudge me that?”
He leaned back in his chair, his expression turning bemused. “As long as it’s harmless. But do tell, what is so fascinating about folklore that you’ve turned historian overnight? And is it merely a coincidence that my books on mania have also disappeared?”
“I—” I fumbled, trying to piece together something believable. “It’s just an interest. I-in Scottish superstitions, to be specific… you know, all the things that Mama would call nonsense.”
Papa snorted. “Well, as long as it’s not too serious. But do try to return them in one piece, my dear. I don’t fancy a ghost turning up to demand his books back.”
Ghosts.That was Papa being facetious, but if only he knew how close he was to the truth.
I managed a weak smile before escaping the study, only to find myself immediately ambushed by Lydia and Kitty.
“Lizzy, you’re just in time!” Lydia said, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “We’re going to Meryton again to see the officers!”
I groaned inwardly. “Didn’t you just see them yesterday?”
“That’s hardly the point!” Kitty chimed in. “We need to show our faces. If we don’t, they’ll think we’re dull, and I refuse to be thought dull.”
