“For myself, I intend to pay a call at Cheapside again this evening, and in the morning, I must speak with my solicitor. Doubtless we will have legal matters to discuss. As soon as it can be established that I am myself, I will arrange for a special license and ride to Hertfordshire.”
“Without even settling matters with our family?”
“Why should I go before my uncle in his own house? Let him come to me, and our aunt as well. They will know of my presence in London by now. If their consciences trouble them, they will assume that I am giving them the cut direct, and will wish to confront me on the matter. Until they do, I do not intend to wait in suspense. I shall visit Miss Bennet, for her company is far more agreeable.”
Richard frowned and kept his thoughts to himself. He narrowed his eyes and his face fell into a deep scowl as he stared out the window.
Darcy watched his cousin intently. Well did he remember another carriage ride, back from Kent the previous spring. Then, it had been himself retreating into sullen brooding and Richard attempting to pry open his bottled feelings. It would profit him little to offer advice or commiseration, for the case was a hopeless one.
The carriage drew up to the Gardiners’ residence, and Darcy paused to look back at his cousin. “You do not wish to accompany me?”
Richard would not meet his eyes, staring instead at the seat Darcy had just vacated. “No.”
Darcy hesitated, then acquiesced. “Very well. Tell the coachman I shall be about two hours.”
Richard grunted, but did not stir, and the carriage drove away.
Darcy House, London
Darcyreturnedtothehouse late that evening, and instantly sought Richard. He found his cousin in the blue drawing room by a roaring fire, swirling a half-finished glass of smuggled Scotch. His back was turned, and Darcy stopped at the door to observe him before betraying his presence.
There was a languid, yet frustrated quality to Richard’s movements. One hand covered his mouth, and his head was cast back as if looking at the ceiling. His coat was thrown haphazardly over the chair back and his cravat hung loosely in repose, but his feet were curled beneath him as if in preparation to fight or fly.
Darcy cleared his throat, then entered the room. Richard straightened somewhat at his arrival, drawing a sharp cleansing breath and stretching his shoulders back.
“Darcy, is that you? It is about time, old chap. Georgiana and Mrs Wickham retired over an hour ago. I think Georgie was hoping to see you.”
“I regret disappointing her. How did you all pass the evening?”
“Oh, the standard routine. Mrs Wickham demanded a tour of the house and nearly stumbled upon her husband. As it was, she stopped some while and diverted O’Donnell, asking all about why he was guarding the door, and what manner of hidden treasures the townhouse held.”
“Perhaps I was unwise in posting a footman known to her at Wickham’s door. Naturally it would raise her curiosity to see him there.”
“Keep that lad near at hand, I say. He is useful, and has proved his mettle. It was a jolly good thought to bring him as a personal guard. Then, let me see… Mrs Adams served broiled fish. Have I ever told you that I can scarcely abide fish?”
Darcy permitted a twitch to his lips. “No, you have never mentioned it.”
“Ghastly. After that, the ladies came in here to practise their music, but Mrs Wickham is fearfully inept at the instrument, so they gave it up and played cards instead. And then… ah, yes, I stopped over at Matlock house to confront my father and our aunt.”
“You what? I thought we had determined to wait.”
“You determined to wait. He is my father, and it is my family home, so I decided to call.”
Darcy suppressed a sigh. It was done, he supposed. “What have you learned?”
Richard held up his glass to admire it and gave a sarcastic huff. “They knew all about Vasconcelos and the deed, but they thought it was lost a generation ago. Apparently, after your ‘death,’ each saw their opportunity to search your grandfather’s records and the house, just to make certain nothing ever resurfaced, but neither suspected Vasconcelos to be the cause of your disappearance.”
“And you believe them?”
Richard shrugged and took a swallow of his drink. “I’ve no reason not to. Wickham never indicated them, and I have beaten confessions out of liars on enough occasions. I know the look in their eye. No, I think they were speaking the truth, though they did spend most of the time bickering about whose fault it all was.”
“What truth? Can they tell us more about the history?”
“I got very little of that. Something about your grandfather, Richard Darcy having some business interests in Portugal over sixty years ago. There was a quake, I knew of that, and apparently your grandfather invested heavily into some rebuilding efforts. King José sought to appease him, or pay him off by passing off a land grant that he probably thought of no value.”
“So, that much was true,” Darcy mused, rubbing his chin.
“Except that the land did have value, and the king had taken it from someone else who owed him money.”
