“You thought our father buried that secret? Apparently, he did not, for the son of that vile man is the one who held our nephew.”
“What could he expect to gain? Darcy knew nothing of it, nor, I fancy, did his parents. Old Richard Darcy and Lady Georgina were quick to forget everything, and our own father spoke but little of that affair. I have done what I could to see the matter rest.”
“James, where is that deed? I searched all of Pemberley for it when I was there before, and found nothing. It has surely been destroyed by now, but someone believes it still exists.”
“Then that someone must be deceiving everyone, for I have seen nothing of it. You may rest assured, I made a thorough search through all the old records at the solicitor, for I felt as you—it is best that it be destroyed, if it is ever found.”
She rested somewhat on her cane, but if her aging arms trembled somewhat, her brother made no comment. “What is to be done? Darcy will listen to no one, the foolish boy!”
“What else can be done? If the deed cannot be found and Darcy has returned well and alive, I suppose that is the end of it. I still do not understand why anyone assumed he would have it, or what they thought to gain from taking him.”
“Are you so simple, or do you believe you can deceive me, James? Someone from this very house must have known of it, and desired to gain access to Darcy’s wealth and estate!”
“That seems a rather elaborate ruse, Catherine. Why would anyone go to such lengths? If this Vasconcelos is still alive, he would have come first to me, not to Darcy.”
“And how,” snarled his sister, “am I to think that he did not?”
Matlock slammed his fist on his desk. “Darcy was like a son to me! I would never have allowed harm to come to him!”
Lady Catherine scoffed. “From the moment of his funeral, I have seen you arranging his affairs, and quite happily! Can you think my memory so poor in that regard? You stood to control all of his wealth through your son!”
Matlock straightened and blinked for a moment. “Indeed,” he answered slowly. “My son….”
Lady Catherine narrowed her eyes and walked toward her brother, cane extended. “You will find this out, James! I will not have my nephew casting this disgrace upon me. I insist that you ride to Pemberley at once to explain matters and to set his head straight. And as we are discussing it, there is another matter. I advised you against it, but you persisted, and now it has brought about a travesty against all that is natural and just. I insist that you speak to him about it before the harm is irreversible!”
“There is more? What greater harm could befall the man than to be imprisoned and presumed dead for six months?”
She tapped her cane on the ground. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, that is what.”
Chapter fifty-eight
Leicester
“Fitzwilliam,youaremakinga grave error. If you will only permit me to explain—”
“Unless you have something factual to relate, I am not interested.” Fitzwilliam crossed his arms and stared out the window of the carriage, refusing even to look at the other occupant.
“I am in earnest!” Wickham pleaded. “Darcy has no idea what he is letting himself in for. If you would allow me to show you, I can help!”
“For what price, Wickham?”
Wickham shrugged. “I would hope that Darcy’s gratitude alone would compel him to do all he could for his fellow man.”
Fitzwilliam growled in his throat and rolled his eyes. How typically Wickham! “If you wish me to take seriously your offers of assistance, you might begin with a little free information. How did you become involved with all this, if you were not the architect?”
“I told you. It was heard that I was in London when my marriage was announced in the paper. They came to ask my personal assistance, as one who was brought up at Pemberley but whose present relations with the family were… less than warm. A contact was desired, someone who could find things out. By the time they had discovered my whereabouts, I was already in a carriage bound for Longbourn. When they did catch me up, I naturally wished to make myself amenable to this great person, and I was promised that Miss Darcy would be kept safe by my efforts.”
Fitzwilliam coughed, and could make no answer for a moment as he was laughing heartily. “You expect me to believe that you were concerned for Miss Darcy! After you abandoned your own wife at a coaching inn! I hope they at least paid you well, Wickham, for your skills at prevarication have suffered somewhat.”
Wickham fell silent and stared out of the carriage window. “I regret my treatment of Miss Lydia….”
“Miss?She is no longer aMiss, Wickham.”
He looked the colonel in the eye, some hesitation in his manner. “Have you spoken with her, then? I trust she is well?”
“Better, now that you shall no longer weigh as an anchor upon her.”
Wickham’s eyes lowered.
