“And you have always taken an eager interest in what he might have imagined,” Mr. Darcy said. He opened his mouth as if he would say more, and then abruptly stalked away.
“Lizzy,” Cathy cried. “I could not be as bold as you for all the world, even if we are sisters.”
Elizabeth felt her cheeks burn at the shame of venting her frustration upon Mr. Darcy. She had been vacillating between the natural horror at three murders taking place in a single evening, and the painful revelation of her uncle, and she again fixated on the latter. “I hope you did not take my distress personally, Cathy. I am only cross because my uncle admitted there was something he was keeping from me, which he knew not how to tell me. He had countless opportunities to confess, over the course of my life, and especially since we have journeyed from Hertfordshire. After all that, he might have done it gently, instead of at such a moment, when I had not even the comfort of privacy to consider it. But you must comprehend me.”
“Certainly,” Cathy agreed. “Of course, I could never be cross with Lady Allen, who has been such a dear friend all my life. I wonder that I never thought of it before, for I have always been her favorite out of all my brothers and sisters. But I should feel heartless to think ill of her when she is so distressed herself.”
Elizabeth could more easily sympathize with Lady Allen than with her uncle at such a moment, though she could not think why. She would never say that a woman was more entitled to frailty and delicacy than a man. Perhaps it was merely that when it came to natural children, men were more easily forgiven that women, and thus Lady Allen’s admission was braver and far more costly.
Mr. Tilney concluded his search and rose with a heavy sigh. Sir Walter had assisted him, and now set about tidying the captain’s clothing and position as fastidiously as he seemed to attend to his own fashionable attire. When he had finished this, Mr. Willoughby handed Mr. Tilney a blanket from a nearby chaise to cover his brother.
The murmur of conversation and accusation about the room ebbed as Mr. Tilney held up one hand. His voice crackedwith emotion. “That is about all I can bear tonight. I know the situation is dire, for we are trapped here and one amongst us is a killer, but I think we should retire for the evening. There is little to be done that will not be better accomplished tomorrow, in the light of day, once we have had rest and perhaps a meal.”
“You expect us to sleep with a killer amongst us?” Lady Susan gaped at him with disdain.
“We need not sleep alone, surely you unmarried ladies may share,” Mrs. Rushworth said. “And the gentlemen might do the same, or bring in cots for their valets.”
Mr. Tilney nodded gratefully at her. “Just so. Surely the other ladies do not mind sharing, though there is an odd number between them. Perhaps, Mrs. Rushworth, you might consider sharing with Miss Denham?”
The two women exchanged a wary glance, before Mrs. Rushworth’s gaze shifted to Mr. Crawford, and Miss Denham eyed Mr. Parker with a sly upturning of her lips. The ladies agreed to share.
“Lady Allen can come stay with me, and maybe Harriet could stay with Lizzy,” Cathy said. Harriet glanced up at Emma with a look of alarm, but Emma patted her hand and said, “That suits well enough, for my aunt and I can share. And you should stay with your new sister, Harriet.”
Sir Edward had come to stand protectively over Elizabeth after Mr. Darcy left her, and she looked up at him with a smirk. “Perhaps you might share with Lady Allen, Uncle. That way Cathy and I, and Emma and Harriet can stay together. I presume you havesharedbefore.”
He scowled at her. “You have the right to be angry with me, Lizzy, but not to be vulgar.”
Elizabeth thought she had kept her voice low, but Lady Susan appeared to hear her and nodded decisively. “Well, then that settles it. The star-crossed lovers can reunite, and share the suite with the three sisters here, a snug little family. Emma, the delight of my company is all yours, my dear.”
Lady Susan’s chipper, sardonic air seemed to conclude the matter, and Mr. Tilney suggested the other gentlemen might help him shift some furniture around if they wished to share, or bring in cots for their servants. “Let us roll up our sleeves and get out of this room, I should rather be anywhere else, and it is perhaps wise that nobody is alone at such a time. But if anybody still has any appetite, I am sure dinner can be sent up to you.”
***
Half an hour later, Elizabeth, Harriet, and Lady Allen sat in their shared parlor eating off the trays that had been sent up, while Cathy observed them with horror that they should be hungry at such a time. Sir Edward brooded out of the window, though Elizabeth thought it odd that he should be sulking when the whole party gave him tacit permission to share a bed with a woman who was not his wife, and had once been his lover.
Elizabeth took another angry bite of her meal, as Emma and Lady Susan bid them goodnight. “I am glad you have eaten something, Harriet,” said Emma, who had also felt no compunction in accepting Mr. Tilney’s offer.
Harriet glanced sadly at Cathy, who had begun to weep. “Will you at least have a little wine?”
“Oh, you poor dears! We have all been through quite an ordeal,” Lady Allen said, fanning herself as she lounged on a chaise across from them. “We are very lucky to have you toprotect us, Edward, and it was ever so kind of Mr. Darcy to place a cot for his valet outside our door.”
“He did what?” Elizabeth looked up in astonishment.
Cathy sniffled and carelessly wiped at her face with her sleeve. “Mr. Darcy said that he is safest sharing with Mr. Tilney. He is convinced of Mr. Tilney’s innocence, but said that the culprit will surely try to pin it on Mr. Tilney, therefore no harm shall come to him.”
“That was very clever of him,” Lady Susan drawled, never one to miss a chance for mischief. “We shall have to keep an eye on Mr. Darcy, the wily fellow. I saw him giving Mrs. Younge such evil looks.”
Emma frowned. “YoustruckMrs. Younge, Aunt.”
“And I would have cheered if you had done the same,” was Lady Susan’s brisk reply. “And on that score, we shall say goodnight to the happy family. Cheer up, Miss Bennet! What young lady does not wantmore sisters?”
When Emma and Lady Susan departed for their own shared room, Sir Edward finally turned to Elizabeth. “Will you speak with me, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth was more interested in comforting Cathy, who had not ceased her tears for poor Mr. Tilney, who was too handsome to be so wrongfully accused. As much as she had wished to know what more her uncle had to say, Elizabeth knew herself to be too vexed to hear him respectfully, and there was perhaps some small satisfaction in delaying him. “Tomorrow, I think, after I have had my walk.”
“We are locked in,” Cathy tearfully reminded her.
“Right,” Elizabeth sighed. “Well, we have had our meal, and Harriet and I ought to comfort our sister.”
