The news revitalized Darcy. “Allow me to clean up, and I will happily join you.”
His cousin waved his hand. “The better choice wouldbe to stay in your travel-worn clothing. We are not there to socialize.”
Darcy nodded. “If we can catch Simon Cole or learn his plans, I would dress myself in Georgiana’s old pink ball gown and wear eardrops.”
“In that neighborhood, I doubt anyone would notice.”
Almost an hour later,the two men stepped away from the hackney that carried them from Grosvenor Square to the theater district. A new production of Shakespeare’sAs You Like Itwas being performed. Streams of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen ascended the stairs to the entrance of the Theatre Royal. The upper crust came to see and be seen at the play.
From across the road, Darcy ignored the women and the tall men, studying each individual that he estimated to be Cole’s height. When the next carriage pulled away from the front, Darcy heard footsteps pounding on the cobblestones. He peered in that direction to see a man running toward the theater entrance on the back side of the building.
Cinna?Grabbing the sleeve of Richard’s coat, Darcy hurried after the man.
Even though Darcy only saw him once, he would have recognized him anywhere. The same sharp eyes, nose, and chin. The same wildly fuzzy brown hair. This evening, he dressed as the melancholy traveler, Jacques, who would recite one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches instead of wearing a notary’s garb.
Entering the alleyway in time to see Cinna dartthrough the stage door, Darcy came to a stop. “We know where he will be for the next several hours.”
“Who is he?” Richard asked as he remained alert, glancing up and down the narrow lane.
“That, dear cousin, was the man pretending to be a notary who witnessed my signature on the deeds assigning Pemberley to Wickham and thence to Cole, who was named as Wickham’s heir.”
“What!” Richard hissed. “What a fine kettle of fish this is.”
“Let us go to the front to see if Cole attends.” Darcy and his cousin returned to their posts. Once everyone was inside and the performance began, the two men traveled to their neighborhood to the house of Mr. Archibald Cornerstone, a local constable. Requesting his attendance, they explained the situation on the way back to the theater.
Mr. Cornerstone, a respectable gentleman with a will of iron and an honest conscience, had been a long-time friend of Darcy’s father and exactly the man Darcy wanted when he questioned Cinna.
Before the night ended, if things went smoothly, they would have the false notary in custody, which would bring them one step closer to apprehending Simon Cole. Darcy was confident that he would be at least a solid step closer to regaining Pemberley.
34
Elizabeth welcomed having a private moment with Lady Matlock.
“My dear girl, how are you faring?” The older woman reached over and patted the back of Elizabeth’s hand.
“Aunt Helen, may I speak plainly?” Setting her cup aside when the lady agreed, Elizabeth said, “I am worried about Fitzwilliam.”
The corners of Lady Matlock’s mouth lifted. “Pray refer to him as Darcy while you are here, as we all do, or everyone will think you are speaking about one of us. I was a Worthington for the first twenty-one years of my life, which means I have been a Fitzwilliam for far longer. It is the name I am used to hearing for my immediate family, dear.”
When Elizabeth acknowledged her comment, Lady Matlock asked, “What has disturbed you?”
Elizabeth picked at the fabric of her skirt, her eyes downcast. In truth, she worried about many thingsconcerning her husband. Undertaking a long journey on treacherous roads was never completely safe. Searching in the city’s underbelly for a potential criminal would put him far outside his area of comfort. Yet that was not what distressed her.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to Darcy’s aunt and said simply, “Pemberley.”
“Ah. I wondered.”
“Please allow me to explain. When we first became acquainted, he believed the loss of his estate was permanent. Because of his belief, he was methodically, but eagerly, looking at different options, not just with a view of the present but to the days ahead. As soon as he learned about the death of Georgiana’s husband, he re-plotted his course. Since then, he has become single-minded. His focus shifted until all that is in his vision is Pemberley.”
“I understand why you are concerned. Is that all, then?” Lady Matlock asked kindly.
Smiling to herself, Elizabeth said, “Although it has been not many months since we met, my husband has shown me facets of his character that delight me, that truly warm my heart. He is a thoughtful man. His humor complements mine. The importance he places on caring for his own elevates him above any other man I have known. But his devotion to his former home is unsettling to me. I suspect Pemberley is all he thinks about. It is what drives his choices now. I fear that beautiful buildings and the soil underneath them will supplant anything else in his heart if it has not already done so.”
Darcy’s aunt nodded. “Your concerns are weighty. And they are compelling.” Relaxing back against the sofa,she said, “Every Fitzwilliam I have ever met is stubborn to their core. Even Darcy’s mother, Lady Anne, would dig in her heels when she was passionate about something until she saw it done. The Darcy side of the family is as hard-headed as they come.”
“My husband is very much a product of his family, then.”
“Yes, he is. You should know that what sets the Darcys apart from others is their fierce sense of what is right and wrong. I saw it often in Darcy’s father. He attacked any injustice affecting his family or Pemberley until it was resolved. Good heavens, I recall a time when Gerald Darcy took on three of his peers once he realized they were attempting to exploit an innocent young man who inherited an estate much smaller than their own. He was relentless. Does that not sound like your husband?”
