Mr. Bertram scowled at his sister. “Maria, if he had merely written to us claiming that the evidence of our misdeeds had been destroyed, who would have believed him? Who would not have had some doubt that it would resurface someday?”
“I never know when I shall be able to gain access to my father’s secret documents at all,” Mr. Tilney said. “He often travels with his most valuable documents on his person. It seemed easier to catch him in a trap that would silence him, by bringing him to the royals. Besides, I imagined you all might enjoy witnessing his downfall, after what you endured. As I said the night before last, I expected it might be satisfying to watch him clapped in irons for his crimes against the Crown, which were far more devious than what he has done to you. I expected to be celebrating his arrest, not speculating about his murder.”
“Besides,” Emma said, “It was a chance for some of us to meet who really ought to – all of Sir Edward’s daughters.”
“And we shall all meet Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward!” Cathy fairly bounced in her chair as she reminded them of this inducement.
Sir Walter sniffed. “How do we know theyarecoming? We have only your word on it, and you can be nothing to them, you are not even titled.”
“And why would I lie about it? I did not tell any of you about it until your arrival – or rather, Mrs. Clay and Mrs. Youngemade some indiscreet comments. You can hardly say you were lured here under false pretenses. The letters you received from Mr. Butler told the absolute truth; I wished to help you resolve your unfortunate situations.”
“Then why the false name?” Mr. Crawford shot him a look of challenge.
“Because I feared that one amongst you might seek to gain some advantage by telling my father I meant to betray him! It was a great risk to take, but I only ever wanted to be helpful. Look, here is the letter I received from the royals.”
Mr. Tilney produced a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket, displaying the Hanover seal for all to see before passing the note around the table. “See for yourselves. They are coming as soon as the weather permits. At any rate, can you not think how preposterous your accusations are? If I washed to kill my father and brother, I might have done it a hundred ways without inviting so many witnesses!”
“Witnesses, or suspects you could blame it on?” Lady Susan leveled a glare before leaning into her niece and examining the royal letter, and then flippantly handing it off to Mr. Willoughby, who scowled at it.
“I must echo my uncle’s question, sir. Why would the royals accept an invitation from you?”
“For two reasons. The first is that my father worked for them in a sensitive capacity, and had first come to their notice more than twenty years ago, by performing a great service. Another amongst us, whoistitled, was involved at the time, and has a more significant connection.”
The party all glanced between the four titled people at the table, who all wore inscrutable expressions. Mr. Tilney continued. “There is also the matter of the castle. It oncebelonged to the royal family, and Princess Elizabeth is of a mind to buy it back and make herself a personal retreat.”
Mr. Rushworth snapped his fingers as if struck by an idea, which seemed unlikely. “And you wish to sell, because youknewyou would inherit Northanger Abbey!”
Mr. Tilney gazed heavenward as if unable to bear the stupidity. “I did imagine she wouldpay mefor the castle, allowing me to purchase something more modern, and in England.”
Elizabeth shared a look of wary humor with Cathy before having her share of the conversation. “I am astonished to say that I agree with Miss Denham. Mr. Tilneyisa very obvious culprit, and surely some have greater motives than others, and are hiding behind him.”
Miss Denham curled her lip at Elizabeth. “And I suppose you and your spirited little friend – forgive me,sister– mean to do something about it? You have been secreted away all day!”
“Yes, how very strange that we should keep to our rooms the day after three murders,” Elizabeth drawled.
Sir Walter tittered with contempt. “This squabbling is so unseemly. But these lovely ladies have a point; we ought todosomething. What of these dossiers, Mr. Tilney, all the documents and evidence your father possessed? I say we recover them, if we can. Then we shall know who is hiding something worse than bastards and bad politics.”
Those he had alluded to all grimaced at Sir Walter, but Mr. Tilney held his hand up. “If we can put aside the foul language, I might tell you that I searched my father’s things, and I found nothing. I will look at Northanger, when we get out of here, and destroy it all.”
Sir Walter raised an eyebrow at Mr. Tilney as if not believing him, and several others looked doubtful as well. Lady Susan rolled her eyes. “You said he travelled with his important documents.”
“There have been occasions when he did not – that is how I managed to discover them in the first place,” Mr. Tilney said, perfectly convincing. Elizabeth agreed that it was safest to keep the dossiers a secret, but it was unnerving how smoothly the man lied.
Lady Susan gestured to Mrs. Clay and Mrs. Younge. “We have other ways of finding out what you all are hiding. Let us question these creatures who stole our secrets. I say we tie them up and have the truth out of them!”
Emma gasped. “Aunt, you cannot want that!”
Elizabeth was sure Lady Susan must be bluffing, for her secret was among the worst; alongside Mr. Crawford and Miss Denham, Lady Susan was the most suspicious person on their wall of clues.
Since Emma had already confessed that she had some misgivings about her aunt, Elizabeth found a sly way to mention her own distrust. “There is a room in the castle filled with junk and relics and old newspapers, and we have looked at some of them. One scandal sheet from years ago had such interesting things to say about you after you were widowed twice at such a young age. Do you really wish us to know what the general was blackmailing you about?”
“What an insolent friend you have made, Emma,” Lady Susan admonished. “Yes, he was blackmailing me for the murder of my second husband, but I did not kill him!”
Emma breathed a sigh of relief before asking, “Then why were you paying him for his silence?”
Lady Susan glanced coolly around the room. “I did not wish to make a scandal. My second husband was a deranged lunatic! Just before his death we had an argument, and he threatened me with some harm in public.”
Mr. Rushworth gasped. “But why would he harm you in public?”
