“Away? Where might I go?”
“Ruy gave the name of one with whom you might shelter. He says none could know to seek you there, and it is an honourable situation—a merchant’s family, he says. The name is not familiar to me, but what has my protection secured you? I do as your brother demands, for perhaps by his word, at least, you will be safe. Here is a letter he has given, and the address of Ruy’s friends when you dock. I have already spoken with the captain; he will look to your welfare and carry some remuneration for your expenses.” He tipped his head toward the ship at the nearest dock. “She sails within the hour. You must be aboard.”
She turned to survey it gravely. Wherever the ship was bound, she already preferred it to her husband’s home. She breathed a silent thanks for her brother, and all his foreign connections. “Do you come with me?”
He withdrew a handkerchief to dab his forehead, the strain of consigning his daughter into the care of strangers showing in the lines of his face. “I cannot. If I were to follow you, you might be found the more easily. I go instead to Lisbon, to speak on behalf of my son. Perhaps…” his frown deepened and he stared at the ground, “perhaps I might do him some good. I have failed both my children,” he sighed, “and now others will determine their fates.”
She rested a hand on his forearm. “Father, you have not failed.”
“I have! You are too gentle, my dear—like your mother! But I have known of my sins for far too long and done nothing. It took your English colonel to lead me to confession.” He took both her hands again, his shoulders shaking and his eyes filling with tears. “Forgive me some day, my daughter! God willing, I will see you again, and I hope you will find something in me of which to be proud.”
Amália was beginning to sob. Did he truly speak of her leaving him, possibly forever? Ruy, her home—everything? “Father,” she sniffled and fell into his embrace, “I will write to you! I must see you again. I must know about Ruy, and you, and—”
“No! Do not write.”
“But I must know! Did Ruy’s batman say whether he will recover from his wounds, or is he—”
“The knife wounds are the least of his worries, and I will do all I can do for him. Do not write. You are still a married woman, my daughter. Nothing can change that, but if Miguel cannot find you, perhaps at least you will be safe. You must not write.”
She dashed away a tear. “But even from Brasil? Even Miguel would not follow me there.”
Her father kissed her on the cheek, then turned her to face the ship. “You do not go to Brasil. That ship sails for England.”
Pemberley
Itseemedthatnota soul at Pemberley was in their right mind. Lady Catherine had shut herself in her rooms, commandeering at least five of the maids. The rest all seemed to be buzzing around as so many black ants with no direction. Mr Hodges stood in the centre of the chaos below stairs, conducting the household as best he could, but Mrs Reynolds—who would have brought some sense of order to the mayhem—was alone in her own room weeping.
Georgiana refused to answer to Elizabeth’s knock, though Elizabeth knew perfectly well that the girl was awake, and attended by Lydia. She could hear her sister’s urgings and blunt observations through the door, but sobs were her only answer. Sadly, she walked back to her chamber to change her clothing.
By three o’clock in the morning, the colonel and the riders from the stables still had not returned with word of Darcy. Elizabeth had occupied herself taking tea to poor Mrs Reynolds and speaking with Mr Jefferson regarding the search efforts. What Mr Hodges and the rest of the household staff thought they could do to aid the process remained a mystery to her, but every fireplace in the house blazed comfortingly, and every corner of Mr Darcy’s favourite rooms gleamed with polish and flowers from the hothouse.
Elizabeth paced, but from room to room rather than in one small path. Somehow, she felt as if she were accomplishing something that way. After another hour, Colonel Fitzwilliam at last sought her out. He lowered himself to a chair, still wiping his face and neck dry and caring little that he did so in her presence.
“You have found no sign of him?” she asked in a strained voice.
“He cannot have gone far, but damned if I know where,” the colonel grunted. “And I was so looking forward to a warm bed tonight! I think if I see another saddle this side of Easter, my feet will fall off.”
“You have looked in at all the tenant farms? He may have sheltered there.”
“Houses, barns, trees, yes, we have checked them all. The bother of it all is that it is still dark, and we might have ridden right by him unawares if he were not of a mind to make his presence known. Damned if I know how such a tall fellow can disappear so easily.”
“I still do not understand why he would do so! This does not suit with what I know of him, Colonel.”
Richard Fitzwilliam shrugged wearily, blowing air through his lips. “He is not a man given to violent temper, that is true. He was always one to brood, and I knew him often when we were boys to seek out his solitude. I never knew or cared where he went, but then, he never disappeared in the middle of the night like this. The only other time I saw him start out at truly odd hours by himself was at Rosings last year—but perhaps that may not surprise you overmuch.” He lifted a significant brow at her.
Elizabeth crossed her arms, warding off the barb. “Colonel, what happened to him while he was away? What do you know?”
He lowered his eyes. “That, Miss Bennet, is likely not fit for a lady’s ears. I heard he had a ghastly time of it, and there is probably much I do not know. I had warned Georgiana that he might seem… excitable. I never expected him to thrashme. It… did not help that he saw Mr Wickham the moment he returned. Or my aunt.”
Elizabeth covered her face. “It is all my fault!”
“Hah! Do you mean that my aunt remained here at your pleasure? If you have found a way to direct her actions, please share your secret with me, for I have never had an ounce of success. As for Wickham, yes, that was a damned foolish thing to do, but you were trying to save Georgiana. I do not entirely blame you for that, but it did a deal of harm.”
“What are we to do? Must we simply wait until he decides to return? Oh, Colonel, I must not be here when he does! I think you are quite wrong, for I will be the last person with whom he will wish to speak.”
“On the contrary, Miss Bennet, you are the only one whocanspeak to him. Remember that he rushed to find you the moment he returned, and only you can convince him that I do not wish him ill.”
“But surely, Georgiana—”
