A Spy at Pemberley

A Spy at Pemberley

By

Fenella J Miller

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any method, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of The Author - Fenella J. Miller

A Spy at Pemberley © Copyright Fenella J. Miller, 2016

This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’ s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

COVER DESIGN BY JANE DIXON-SMITH

For my dearest writer friends Jean Fullerton, Wendy Soliman, Fay Cunningham & Maureen Lee.

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Chapter One

Fitzwilliam Darcy put down the letter he had been perusing in order to talk to his wife, Lizzy. 'My love, my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam has written informing me he intends to call in here. We haven't seen him since the christening of the twins last year and it will be pleasant to catch up with him again.'

Lizzy nodded. 'Indeed, it will. Is this a social call or will he have another task for you?' She pursed her lips. 'You have been away on business for him twice in the past six months. Surely he can find someone else to run about the country for him?'

This had become a bone of contention between them. His wife believed he should spend more time with her and the children. However, he disliked being confined for weeks on end at Pemberley surrounded by endless domesticity and babies, and he welcomed the opportunity to get away on business for the government.

'I cannot refuse to serve the King, my dear, as you very well know. Poor Bingley is being worn ragged by your sister's demands. I think…'

She tossed aside her periodical and stood up, her magnificent eyes flashing with annoyance. 'Jane's marriage is no concern of yours, Fitzwilliam. Their daughter, Charlotte, is a constant worry to both of them as she's not as robust as our babies. Think yourself fortunate that Fabian and Amanda are thriving and so very advanced for their age.'

He stood up and walked across the drawing room to her side. 'I apologise unreservedly, Lizzy, you are right to chide me. You and my children are the most important thing to me but, like all gentlemen in my position, I am also obliged to complete tasks occasionally for Mr Spencer Perceval, our esteemed Prime Minister.'

'I suppose with the King indisposed and the Prince Regent in charge they need all the help they can get from gentlemen such as yourself. I cannot like it; however, you were almost caught up in the last Luddite riot and could have been injured.'

When he cupped her face and tilted it to receive his kiss she didn't shy away. Things had changed between them since the birth of the babies last July and they were no longer quite as close as they had used to be. Her attention was given mainly to their son and daughter, then to her sister's sickly baby, and he believed that he came a poor third.

Perhaps he should be more insistent that she leave the care of the children to the team of nursemaids employed upstairs and concentrate more on his needs. His father had been a dictatorial man and his mother had not been allowed to spend time with her children unless her husband was away. When he had married Lizzy he had been determined not to behave in such a way. He wanted to be involved in the care and upbringing of his children, not be a distant figure of fear as his father had been to him and Georgiana.

'Would you like to have a house party in the summer? You could invite your parents and sister – I believe it's time to forgive Mary for her involvement in Georgiana's abduction last year.'

'I should like that above anything, my love. Although Georgiana and Kitty are in an interesting condition, there could be no objection to them attending a house party here.' She clapped her hand to her mouth. 'Oh dear! I was not supposed to reveal this news as they are both in the early stages.'

'When am I to be an uncle again? Presumably at the end of the year.'

'Kitty is expecting her baby in November and Georgiana in December. Neither of them is feeling quite the thing at present so they won't be visiting.'

He well-remembered the nausea Lizzy had suffered in the early months of her pregnancy but if he recalled correctly this passed and was perfectly normal.

'They will be well soon enough and able to enjoy the summer's events. I did wonder why I'd not seen either of them recently.' He gently squeezed her shoulder. 'I have letters to write, my love, and then the colonel should be here. I shall see you, no doubt, at dinner.'

He strolled from the room as if he had not a care in the world, but as soon as he was out of her sight he lengthened his stride and hurried to his study. He thought he'd disassembled well – Lizzy couldn't have guessed that the news he'd received was so disastrous.

He wished to have no interruptions for the next hour or so. The butler, Peterson, had instructions to conduct his visitor directly to him. He opened the letter and read it a second time.

Darcy,

I write to you in haste with the most serious news. We are certain that information is being sent to France about the dispositions of our troops and the plans of our generals.

The Prime Minister is already under pressure and the Prince Regent appears more interested in his mistress than the war.

It is my surmise that two English families are involved in this traitorous activity and they are passing the information to Bonaparte via Count Duvall, a so-called émigré.

This needs to be stopped and we need your help to do so. Frederick Hall is a close friend of Sir Robert Sinclair and we think he too is up to his neck in the business.

You need to invite them to your house so I can investigate them further. I'll explain when I arrive later today.

The signature was scrawled underneath this missive. He had only made the suggestion that Lizzy organise a summer house party because of this letter. He disliked having strangers in the house – family and close friends were another matter – but this event must include the Sinclairs and Halls, as well as other families from the
ton
.

God knows how he was to manage this as he'd never met the people in question. He was notorious for being over-particular in his acquaintances and to invite complete strangers to stay with him for the summer would cause unnecessary speculation.

No doubt his cousin would have a scheme in hand to overcome this problem. Whilst he waited he would take care of some other estate business which needed his urgent attention. He would be damned glad when Ingram, his steward, returned from visiting his ailing mother and could take back these time-consuming tasks.

When the colonel was announced Darcy was more than ready to put aside his tedious duties. He went to greet his friend and cousin. 'Welcome, I was shocked to read your letter and will do everything I can to assist in this difficulty.'

'I knew you'd not let us down, old fellow. Forgive my disarray, I didn't stop to tidy myself as this matter is of the utmost importance. I've not eaten since before dawn – would you be so kind as to send for refreshments?'

'Of course – the matter is already in hand. Sit down, would you like a brandy to revive you after your long ride?'

'I would indeed. I'm not in favour of strong liquor so early in the day but today is different.' He collapsed onto a leather seat to the left of the fire and Darcy took his drink over to him.

'Here you are; forgive me if I don't join you but my wife would not be impressed if she smelt alcohol on my breath before dinner.'

One footman arrived with a tray laden with cold cuts, fresh bread, cheese and a selection of pastries. A second followed behind carrying the necessary crockery and cutlery plus a silver jug of coffee. They set it out on two tables at the far end of the room.

He waved the servants away and they vanished. 'Help yourself, Cousin, I'll join you at the table. I don't usually take luncheon, but today I'll make an exception in your honour.'

The colonel was too hungry for conversation and munched his way through a substantial amount of food and consumed three cups of coffee before he was ready to talk. Finally he wiped his mouth on his napkin and resumed his seat by the fire. Darcy followed his lead.

'Both families we are interested in are going to be in Town for the Season. I need you to open your house in Grosvenor Square and make sure that you attend the events that they do. Sinclair moves in the same circles as you. He has deep pockets and his estates are substantial.'

'In which case there should be no difficulty making his acquaintance. If he is a member of the
ton
how is it that I've not met him a before?' Darcy frowned. 'Why has he become embroiled in this matter if he's a wealthy man?'

'He's a hardened gambler – need I say more. He has been living abroad for the past few years and only returned last summer. As you've not been to London to socialise in the past few months there's no reason you should have met.'

'What about the other family?'

His cousin frowned. 'Wealthy cits – he made his money with the East India Company and he too has only recently got back to England. Hall, unlike Sinclair, had no properties of any importance until he purchased a large estate in Hertfordshire and a house in Grosvenor Square. This makes things easier as he will now be a neighbour of yours and I'm certain your wife can make a morning call and thus establish the connection.'

Darcy's eyes narrowed. 'I've no intention of involving Lizzy in this. As you know I keep my work for the government separate from my life here.'

'This won't work unless you have her with you. A gentleman doesn't go willingly to Town to attend routs, balls and soirées – he's always dragged there by his spouse.'

'Dammit to hell! She will bring the babies and I won't have them there. This will cause dissent between us as Lizzy hasn't been separated from the twins since they were born last July.'

Hugo shrugged. 'You have no choice. King and Country must come before family. Good God, man, why do you think I've not yet married? Being an intelligence officer and a husband do not sit comfortably together.'

His cousin was right. He would have to persuade Lizzy to accompany him and leave the children with their nanny and nursemaids for as long as it took to accomplish his mission. She wouldn't agree willingly and he would have to insist she did as he bid. That didn't bode well for his marital happiness in the future.

Hopefully she would understand when he was in a position to tell her the real reason for dragging her to Grosvenor Square. Neither of them enjoyed attending fashionable parties where it was impossible to hold a sensible conversation and one was obliged to do the pretty with people one would prefer to ignore.

'I'll not mention it whilst you're still here, my friend, better to wait until you've departed so you're not involved with the inevitable row that will follow.' Darcy glanced at his gold pocket watch. 'We've barely time enough to change for dinner. You are staying in your usual apartment. You will have to come up with something feasible to explain why you arrived here in such a rush.'

*

Lizzy completed her toilette and was ready to go down and still Fitzwilliam had not appeared to change. What could be keeping him so long? She would go to the nursery and check that Amanda and Fabian were sleeping peacefully.

Even Dawson, her husband's efficient valet, could not change his master and prepare him for the evening in less than a half an hour. This gave her ample time to slip upstairs and return without keeping him waiting.

As always the sconces were lit everywhere. The staircase leading to the nursery floor was carpeted and her children were as comfortable up here as she and Fitzwilliam were in their own apartment. She had wished to have the children moved downstairs so she could visit them more easily, hear if they cried in the night, but Fitzwilliam wouldn't hear of it. So they remained where he, and all the Darcy children, had been raised – on the nursery floor looked after by a positive regiment of nursemaids. The nanny had been appointed by her, as had the nursemaids, so she had no complaint on that score.

In some households it might have been considered unusual for the mother of the children to be seen up here – but she had no intention of allowing her children to be brought up by servants. She would have fed them herself if she hadn't been so unwell after the delivery.

Nanny was sitting by the fire reading a book. She looked up, jumped to her feet and dipped in a curtsy. 'Good evening, madam, I'm afraid Miss Amanda and Master Fabian are already asleep. They quite exhausted themselves crawling about the drawing room all afternoon.'

'I'm not surprised. I think that Amanda will be walking soon as she's already attempting to stand up. I'll just look in and then leave them in peace.'