37
Darcy sent a note to Bingley the next morning asking if he could describe the third man who was with Anders and Cole the night they rode from Meryton to London. He asked the same of Anders, wondering if Burt Rumple acted out the role of Lady Macbeth or Hamlet, murdering those who stood in the way of their ambitions. Fortunately for the actor, Anders’ description did not resemble the thespian.
“You believe the butcher, then?” Richard asked.
“I do,” Darcy readily admitted. “He had no reason to lie to us. Also, thinking back, he never actually confessed to killing Wickham, only to wanting him dead more than anything in the world.”
“I do not blame him,” Richard mumbled.
Silently, Darcy agreed. “Hearing Crosgrove’s explanations of the timing of finding Wickham and the circumstances of his death, we agree that Mr. Anders is an angry father who is innocent of murder. Richard, we need to find Cole.”
Richard leaned forward. “I have been thinking about that. Putting together all the pieces, we know he is somewhere in London. In fact, I would not be surprised if he did not have someone watching the ship to make certain Anders departed. This means that he likely knows that we have the butcher in our custody.”
Darcy tapped his fingers on his leg. “Cole believes he has the superior intellect and that he is holding all the cards. He will not be pleased with our changing his plans.”
“But we have Rumple and Anders’ statements in our possession, both clearly identifying Cole as the mastermind behind theft and murder.” Richard slapped the table. “If he knew what we now know, he would mobilize his forces to defeat us all, eliminating you, me, Anders, and Rumble.”
“And Haggerston.” Darcy kept turning the facts around, looking for a single cohesive action that joined them all together. Finally, it occurred to him what he was missing. “What is your greatest fear, Cousin?”
Without pause, he replied, “Snakes and women seeking an attachment.”
Darcy would have chuckled, except he knew his cousin was serious. “For me, I fear not being able to protect those I love even more than willfully damaging Darcy’s reputation. But Cole, what does he fear?”
“You, Darcy. The power has shifted from his hands to yours. He is on a precipice where you control whether he is safe, or he plunges to the rocks below. If he loses everything, he will be dangerous. He killed Wickham, or he arranged Wickham’s brutal murder. I cannot believe he would hesitate to do it again.”
Darcy kept moving the puzzle pieces in his mind. “I accept that to be true. We will exercise caution. I think that what renders him weak is his fear of others knowing his fallibility. He wants those he now considers his peers to admire his business acumen, to fawn and fete him for overthrowing the Darcy monarchy.” He stood to pace. After only a few minutes, he said, “I know exactly what I need to do. I pray you excuse me for a moment. I need to write a story.”
“A story?” Richard followed him when he moved to the corner of the study, borrowing paper and ink from his uncle’s desk. “What in the world are you about?”
“You shall see.”
For the firsttime in Darcy’s life, he entered the noisy corridors ofThe Times,The Morning Chronicle,Morning Post, andThe Morning Herald. In his hand was an article that would appear on the next day’s news. As it stood, each publisher rushed to have their papers hit the streets first. Fitzwilliam Darcy would create a sensation.
Richard was aghast. “You, the most private man of my acquaintance, sharing personal information for the public to read? Who are you, and what have you done with my cousin?”
“Read this.” Darcy placed a sheet of paper in front of his cousin. “Aloud, if you please.”
Richard darted his eyes toward him, his brows arched. “Are you sure about this?”
“I am.”
“Very well.” Taking a breath, Richard began reading.
“The Fall and Rise of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Esquire
There are moments in a man’s life when trust becomes the most important quality between two people. Peers and landed gentry place individuals in a position of confidence when they hire a man of business to oversee the writing of contracts, the accounting of revenue and expenditures, the facilitating of transactions between vendors and buyers, and the making of private investment choices. These men carry heavy loads as they go about their daily activities for their masters.
What happens when a man of this caliber becomes untrustworthy? For the answer, look to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, formerly of Pemberley in Derbyshire and Darcy House of London. At one of the most challenging times of his life, his trusted employee stole his assets, attempting to rob him even of his dignity. How far Mr. Darcy fell. Or did he?
What always happens when someone takes something that is not theirs? They break the laws of the land. What results? The law pursues them, looking for flaws in the plans of the thief or weaknesses in the thief’s character. Such has happened with the man who attempted to bring Mr. Darcy down. First, one flaw appeared. Then another. Finally, investigators exposed a plot dastardly enough to include murder.
What will happen to this man of business? I beg you to discover this for yourself. If he is in any way indebted to you, you will find that he has no assets remaining to provide your relief. Will you be able to collect your fee if you were hired to repair or rebuild Darcy House? Absolutely not. What about working on or at Pemberley? The same.
For a certainty, Mr. Darcy will regain control of his assets once the Courts decide his former employee’s guilt. With that said, the retired man of business can be judged in the Court of Public Opinion now. If you continue to transact business withMr. Simon Cole, you will do so at your own risk. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is not, nor will not be, responsible for any debts incurred while Mr. Cole pretended to be the master of Pemberley.”
Richard’s jaw dropped.“This will ruin him.”
“It will.”
