Page 38

“Mrs. Drury, what about Elizabeth?” William enquired, now quite alarmed.

“As is her habit, Elizabeth arose before dawn and was on the balcony as the sun rose this morning.” The elderly woman brought her hand to her forehead as though she was trying to remember precisely. “I was with her when I saw you ride off quite early. After the sun was up, I requested the maid bring her breakfast. She ate a muffin and drank a cup of tea, and I read to her. Shortly afterward, you returned and,” the woman blushed, “I was not trying to spy on you, but I did notice you helping that woman down from her horse.”

“Yes, and?”

“Out of the blue, Elizabeth dropped her cup. As I went to pick it up, she stood and hurried into her bedroom. She locked the door, and I have not been able to get her to open it. I returned through the door into my bedroom. I was afraid to alert your staff, as I did not know how much you wanted them to know.”

“I was planning to discuss our strategy after breakfast. I would like to keep her presence a secret from outsiders, of course, but not every servant here will know about her special problems either—only those that I trust implicitly. I will discuss it with you today.”

At that very moment, a footman appeared on a nearby balcony, and still eavesdropping, Mrs. Preston was obliged to hide behind a large potted plant. Sure that she had heard quite enough to alarm Georgiana, she decided not to wait for tea, but to return to Rosewood immediately. She stood perfectly still until the footman went back inside and practically ran down the path towards the stables.

Meanwhile, William paced the parlour, running his hands through his hair. He knew Elizabeth was beginning to rely on him completely, and he recollected Dr. Towson’s warning not to hurt her feelings. “Do you have any idea what caused the spell? Could she have seen me with Mrs. Preston?”

“I am not sure. She never seems to pay attention to anything in particular, but this is her first morning at Pemberley, and to see you with any woman, particularly one holding onto you the way the lady…well, I would have assumed she was your wife, if I did not know better.”

“Return to her, and I shall come as soon as I wash the dirt off and change clothes.” She bobbed a curtsy, and he bowed imperceptibly before hurrying past. As she reached the doorway, she caught sight of him as he reached the staircase and took the steps two at a time. Being not so nimble herself, Mrs. Drury followed at a more sedate pace.

Stalking back to the stables, Cecile was seething.

So, he has thrown me over for some chit, and he had the audacity to bring her to Pemberley. He is a fool to believe he can hide her!

She stopped abruptly when another theory came to mind. Of course! She is probably his mistress! And what special problem could she have? Is she with child already? Well, Mr. Darcy, we shall see exactly what Georgiana and Evan will say when they learn of this!

The groom already had her horse prepared, and she was on the way to Rosemont Manor before William had even remembered to check on his visitor in the dining room. Having washed and changed into clean clothes, he returned downstairs to find she was not in the house. Checking with Mrs. Reynolds, he learned Cecile had never entered the dining room, and a footman had seen her hurrying to the stables.

William had a niggling suspicion why Cecile might have left without a word but no way of confirming it, so he convinced himself that it made no sense to worry about something that might not be true. He had intended to offer his sister and brother a full accounting of Elizabeth’s situation; now that would have to become a priority for this day. If Cecile stayed in Derbyshire for any length of time, she would likely learn of Elizabeth’s presence, so he would need to seek Georgiana’s thoughts on telling her sister, in confidence, the story they had invented about Elizabeth’s being a distant cousin. Perhaps Cecile would feel bound by familial duty to Georgiana and Evan to keep it private.

He shook his head, trying to clear all negative thoughts and assume a pleasant countenance. At this very minute, there was a beautiful young woman that needed some reassurance from him, and William was eager to be of service. As he hurried to her room, he distinctly heard a small still voice. Remember, she is married.

He stopped for a brief moment before dismissing it as he had at every other instance. He was too deeply in love to consider that.

~~~*~~~

“Elizabeth! Please open the door!”

For the fourth time, William put his ear against the smooth wood, but Pemberley’s doors were so thick it was impossible to discern any movement within the room. His eyes met Mrs. Drury’s and he shrugged. “I shall have to get inside via the servant’s hall.”

At her expression of surprise, he explained. “All the bedrooms have hallways behind the walls that allow the servants to come and go without disturbing the guests.” While he talked, William went into Mrs. Drury’s bedroom, walked over to one of the walls and pressed a panel. She gasped as a door opened, revealing a narrow space wide enough for one person to enter. He lit a candle sitting on a nearby table and holding it, disappeared inside. She walked over to look down the narrow corridor in the direction of a light that was getting dimmer the farther he walked.

Entering Elizabeth’s bedroom through a similar door, William blew out the candle and stood still for a moment. He did not wish to frighten her, and she had all the curtains drawn, rendering the room almost black. As his eyes became accustomed to the dark, a small sigh caught his attention, and he stepped silently towards a form, now visible on top of the white counterpane.

She hid her face in a pillow and only an occasional sound escaped. She looked so vulnerable, still in her white, lace-trimmed nightgown, barefoot, her dark hair dishevelled. It was entirely void of pins and hung down like a child’s. For several seconds, his starving eyes drank in the sight of her. She must have detected his presence, because she raised her head from the pillow.

“Elizabeth?”

She rolled in the opposite direction, hiding her face in the pillow once more.

“Please, Elizabeth!” He went around to the side she now faced, sat down and took one hand in his. “Will you at least let me explain?”

When he finally coaxed her to open her eyes, he was devastated to find the distant look that harkened back to his first memories of her at Netherfield. He cupped her face, but got no reaction. Finally, as a last resort, he leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. When he pulled back, she was studying him with a puzzled look.

“The woman you saw with me, the one I helped down from the horse, is only a guest who wished to rest here for a bit before resuming her journey. I could not refuse her request for a cup of tea.” He longed to see her features relax. “She is only an acquaintance.”

Once again, Elizabeth focused somewhere off in the distance, so he continued.

“Today I would like to show you Pemberley’s walking paths. We have short ones through the gardens and longer ones around the lake and ponds. Would you like that?” He thought he felt a squeeze of her hand. “All right then. I will open the door for Mrs. Drury and your maid to assist you in getting dressed.”

With a heavy sigh of relief, he stood and opened the door, finding Mrs. Drury waiting patiently just outside. “I shall have Mrs. Reynolds send Maggie to help her get dressed. Send for me when she is ready, and I shall take her walking.”