“Rushworth does not often drink,” Mr. Bertram said. “But I believe my sister does, and she is perfectly well.”
“Hardly,” she scoffed. “Oh, can we please take him away?”
Mr. Tilney gave a solemn nod. “Yes, I daresay we ought to move him.”
Lady Susan smirked at him. “What, now that the blame has shifted to you? Mrs. Clay and Mrs. Younge are notably absent, and did you not come in and meddle with all the place cards before the meal?”
He held up his hands defensively. “I merely wished to mix us all up, so that we are talking to different people than those we have kept close to these three days. And what could I have done in here that would cause only Mr. Rushworth to be poisoned?”
“You could have put it in his wine glass before it was filled, or on his plate or silverware, or something like that,” she said.
“What a fascinating turn of mind you have,” Mr. Parker retorted. “I would never have imagined such an idea, Lady Susan.”
Sir Walter turned around to gaze at his countenance in the mirror, and adjusted it, for it had hung crooked since Mrs. Rushworth knocked it askance. He gave Lady Susan a dashing smile. “While that certainlyisclever of you, I can at least agree with Tilney that we ought to clear away that horrid sight! Most indecorous. It is bad enough that nobody has been sitting with the bodies. We ought to tidy him up and move him awaysomeplace. I am astonished at the fortitude of you ladies for not swooning at such a sight!”
“Ah, not so hasty,” Lady Susan said, causing the man to look rather affronted that she had resisted his charms. “You forget that Mrs. Rushworth still has the keys we gave her this morning. I cannot think it wise to allow her to keep them.”
“That is absurd,” Mr. Crawford cried. “Even if she did harm Rushworth, which she did not, why should she hurt anyone else? You may attribute some motive there, for it is easier than discovering what actually happened, but she has no cause to do any of you any mischief.”
Elizabeth could feel Mrs. Rushworth staring at her, but this time she could not speak up. She could think only of protecting the evidence they had in the parlor, and she hardly knew whether it was better for Mrs. Rushworth, who already knew that secret, anyhow, to keep the keys, or to give them to another. Who else could be trusted?
“I will share with her tonight, since she does not have her husband to share with,” Miss Denham said. Both Mr. Parker and Mr. Crawford bristled at this, and Lady Susan eyed them all sardonically. “Am I to be left alone, then, Miss Denham?”
“You may share with us, too, if it would give you any peace about the keys. I am far more worried about Miss Morland’s set of keys, since she is so well-disposed toward Mr. Tilney.”
All of Elizabeth’s friends and relations began clamoring in Cathy’s defense at once, until Mr. Tilney insisted that they cease their squabbling and move Mr. Rushworth to the cellar. Mr. Bertram and Mr. Crawford offered to assist him, though before they set about their task, Mr. Tilney whispered something to Sir Edward, who nodded his agreement.
The party began to disperse. Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy, hardly knowing what to say, but wishing the comfort of some conversation with him. “I….”
“You ought to retire,” he said. “This has been a ghastly ordeal. You spoke up very bravely, Miss Bennet; I am shocked that none of our friends supported your clever theory.”
“But you believe it,” she said with a breathy smile. She still had his coat about her shoulders, and she ran her fingers up and down the thick wool, hardly wishing to relinquish it to him. It felt safer, somehow, to have it around her.
Sir Edward beckoned them over, and did the same to Cathy and Harriet. Lady Allen was already at his side, and Emma went wherever Harriet went. “Mr. Tilney has suggested we relocate ourselves.”
“We really should,” Elizabeth agreed. “Anybody might come into the parlor through the library passage.”
“He recommended a set of rooms on the second floor, the north side of the castle. We may have to take a few guesses with your set of keys, Cathy, and send for the servants to help us hastily make the rooms ready.”
They agreed and returned to their suite to prepare themselves to relocate. Mr. Darcy joined them, escorting Elizabeth in thoughtful silence; he offered to assist them in removing the evidence pinned to the wall.
In their shared room, the three sisters collected their bedclothes and a day dress each to don in the morning. Elizabeth returned to the parlor with the bundle of her things tucked under her arm, and watched Mr. Darcy stack the last of the papers from the wall on the escritoire. As Cathy went to retrieve them, he moved to the sideboard. He poured himself a drink, downed it in a single gulp, and then took the empty glass to thefireplace, where he filled it with ashes that had not been swept away.
“Miss Bennet, where is the bookshelf that conceals the hidden passageway?”
She pointed to it and watched him move toward the place where Lady Susan had discovered the secret passage. He sprinkled the ashes on the stone floor in front of the bookshelf. “If anybody does come through this passage, I wish to know of it.”
“How clever!”
Mr. Darcy beamed at her compliment. “Thank you, Miss Bennet.”
“I ought to return your coat to you,” she said, still reluctant to part with it.
He held up a hand. “I fear I am rather dirty after rummaging in the fireplace. It is a favorite of mine, and I would rather not soil it.”
“Oh, very well,” she said playfully, hugging the coat tightly around her and relishing the warmth of it. Once again, she knew was speaking without thinking, but she was too weary to be entirely sensible.
When they were all ready to seek their new quarters, Mr. Darcy again escorted them, carrying the newspapers and Lady Allen’s rather large bag of necessities. Cathy tried half a dozen keys before unlocking the door Mr. Tilney had told Sir Edward to look for, and when they stepped into the room, lit only by a thin sliver of moonlight, Mr. Darcy set down what he carried and began to make a fire.
