She bit her bottom lip. “I have been thinking about why none of your letters sent from Netherfield were received.”
“A man will leave on Monday to seek answers as to why nothing I sent from Netherfield was received at Pemberley. It is odd, is it not, that only that post has been affected?”
“Do you think it was something Mr. Wickham did?” Elizabeth asked.
He drew in a deep breath. “I have considered it. I have also considered my aunt, though that seems unlikely. She will be angry when she discovers it, though, I have no doubt. I also thought about Miss Bingley. I do not believe she knew I was with her brother in Hertfordshire, but if she did learn of it, I suppose it is possible she did something. However, I cannot think of a motive to have taken such an action. What purpose could it have served?”
“Could my father have somehow done something? Though I do not understand what his motivation could have been either. Just to be contrary? It still does not explain what happened to the messenger.”
“This was not an isolated incident. Apparently, since leaving my townhouse in London, no letters I have sent to Pemberley have been received. However, the post from other places have not been interfered with. So far as I can tell, I have received all the letters sent to me. That makes me wonder if it has to do with Netherfield in particular or Hertfordshire in general. I also am uncertain how the messenger has been affected by all this. I suppose there is a possibility that the two are not related.”
“What will you do to find out what has happened?” Elizabeth asked.
“My steward intends to send a man to track down the messenger. He will also check to see if any of my messages were received at any of the inns where we were to stay along the way. I suppose I will need to investigate what happened to the letters after handing them to the servants at Netherfield to see if they ever reached the post office in Meryton to discover where the problem originated. That will help us determine the problem,” Darcy replied.
The two considered this momentarily before Darcy spoke again, deciding to pursue a different topic by asking for her impressions of Pemberley.
“It is beautiful, simply astounding,” Elizabeth exclaimed. “I never could have imagined anything like this. Do we have time to see the library before we dress for dinner?”
“Yes,” Darcy replied, smiling at her. “We can go through this door here as the study is adjacent to the library.” Standing, he pulled her up and into his embrace for a moment before releasing her. They moved toward the door he indicated, but the housekeeper knocked before they could go far.
“Mr. Darcy, sir, I’m sorry to trouble you, but there’s been a report of a carriage entering through the gates. Are you expecting any other visitors?”
Darcy’s brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on Elizabeth, his eyes reflecting his confusion. “No, I was unaware anyone else was expected. We will have to wait until they arrive to see who has come. I suppose you should prepare another room or two just in case they need to stay the night.”
Mrs. Reynolds nodded and left the study. Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “I wonder who it could be?” he asked, still perplexed at someone arriving uninvited and unannounced.
“Perhaps it is whoever is responsible for the missing letters?” Elizabeth suggested.
Again, Darcy grimaced. “I cannot imagine that would bode well for our plans. Still, other than making things uncomfortable, there is nothing anyone can do to prevent our marriage.” He paused, looking out the nearest window as though he could see the carriage through the trees. “If they have just arrived at the gate, we have half an hour until they arrive at the house. Very few people knew my intention to come to Pemberley just now. The only person who would arrive unannounced is Colonel Fitzwilliam, and we just left him in Hertfordshire a few days ago. It could be his parents, but they would typically announce they are coming in advance and not just show up on my doorstep.”
“Would Lady Catherine make the journey? Particularly if she somehow learned of your engagement to me?” Elizabeth asked.
“If she had some inkling that I was courting or engaged to a woman, she might attempt something to stop it. But I do not know how she would have found out.”
“It is possible the Lucases wrote to Charlotte about your return to the neighbourhood. If she told Mr. Collins or if he read her letters from her family, he might have mentioned it to his patroness. Would Lady Catherine come all this way, though?”
“Even if someone in Hertfordshire had written to the Collinses about our plans, it seems improbable that he could have received the news so swiftly regarding our departure from Hertfordshire. Moreover, the speed at which she would have had to travel to arrive today if she had been informed is unlikely. No, I am inclined to believe it is the earl and countess. I suppose Richard could have written to them.”
“Do you suppose they will be here to try to make you break the engagement?” Elizabeth asked, her face revealing her uncertainty.
Darcy approached her and clasped her hands. “They have no authority to do so. I am my own man and have been so for several years since my father died. The earl may be the head of the Fitzwilliam family, but I have never come under his authority, at least not since I reached my majority. And even then, my father never bowed to the earl.”
“So, what will you do if he attempts to force you to break the engagement?”
“I will do nothing. He cannot force me to break it, nor can he force me to bend to his will. Not only that, but he would not want it to be known that there was a public break in the family. I believe I told you once before, the earl might be recalcitrant, but my aunt will adore you,” Darcy attempted to reassure her.
Elizabeth nodded, uncertainty written on her face. He held her. “I will not let anyone come between us, my love. I hope you know that.”
For several moments, they stood that way—she burrowed into his chest as far as she could while he rubbed his large hands up and down her back in a calming manner. Finally, she seemed to shake herself, restoring her courage and pulled away. “Should I go with you to meet your guests, or should you meet them on your own?”
He grinned at her. “You should join me, dearest. As the future mistress of Pemberley, you should certainly be on hand to greet any guests who arrive uninvited and unannounced. Perhaps the sight of you will send whoever it is scurrying away.”
She laughed. “Your talent in teasing is improving. Perhaps in a year or so, you will become proficient.”
“As my aunt likes to say, no one can become a true proficient without practice,” he retorted.
Arm in arm, they moved toward the grand foyer to await the unknown guest. They did take a few minutes to peek inside the library, to Elizabeth’s obvious delight and she spoke about spending a great deal of time there in the future. However, they soon ambled on, with Darcy pointed out interesting features to help orient her to specific areas of the house.
