A Spy at Pemberley (6 page)

'We shall see about that, madam. When I have spoken to Darcy you will find that he takes my side as will my brother and dearest Jane.'

Lizzy's fist clenched and the wretched woman saw the danger sign and fled. Nanny had come in unnoticed and scooped up the disgruntled baby.

How much had been overheard? This was an unmitigated disaster. She must get to Darcy before Caroline could burst in with a string of accusations. She didn't for a minute think her husband would believe a word of it – instead he would be enraged and goodness knows what the outcome might be.

'You run along, ma'am, take the servants' stairs; you will reach the study quicker that way.' Nanny said quietly.

Without stopping to think about the consequences of being found running about in such a place Lizzy did as suggested. She snatched up a candle, lit it from the fire and then ran into the maids' room and out through their exit.

She would have soon been lost in the rabbit warren of passageways and staircases if numbers, arrows and directions had not been written on the walls. She emerged breathless on the ground floor and crossed the central stone passageway and threw herself into the study.

Fitzwilliam dropped his pen and surged to his feet. 'Lizzy, sweetheart, whatever's wrong?' He strode across and gathered her close to his chest.

Her heart was pounding so loudly she thought he must be able to hear it. She was trembling and unable to explain why she'd arrived so precipitously. He stroked her back and murmured reassurances until she'd recovered sufficiently to speak.

'Caroline Bingley is on her way to stir up trouble between us.' Quickly she explained what had taken place in the nursery and his expression was grim by the time she'd finished.

'The woman hasn't changed – she's still as pernicious as ever she was. I thought that love had changed her. Hide in one of those high-backed chairs at the far end of the room. When I've done you can reveal yourself.'

Gently he pushed her away. Lizzy ran to do as he suggested and was barely settled before there was a soft tap at the study door.

Chapter Six

Darcy could barely contain his ire. This was the last time Bingley's sister caused an upset in his family. He tried to keep his voice even as he invited the woman in.

'My dear Darcy, I would not come to you if I did not think you would desire to hear…'

He allowed her to say no more. 'Silence. My wife asked you to leave these premises. You will do so forthwith and not return. Do I make myself clear?'

Her reaction could not have been more extreme if he had struck her. She recoiled, colour left her cheeks and her hands fluttered uselessly in front of her. For a second he regretted his harshness and was about to say something a little more conciliatory when she spoke again.

'I see that you have been poisoned against me. I've always considered you a dear friend; I have only your best interests at heart.'

He reached out and pulled the bell-strap. Peterson must have been outside the door as he stepped in immediately. 'Please conduct this person from the house. She is not to be admitted again under any circumstances.'

The woman's shoulders slumped and she turned, defeated, and followed his butler from the study. He hoped Lizzy had not been too distressed by the unpleasant scene. He was about to go to her when she emerged – to his surprise she was smiling.

'Fitzwilliam, that was masterly. I almost felt sorry for her.' In three steps she was beside him.

His reply was to gather her close and demonstrate just how much he loved her. They were standing within arm's reach of the door and he leaned backwards and firmly turned the key. They'd never made love in his study and now was the perfect time to do so.

A most enjoyable time later he sat up and helped Lizzy adjust her clothing. 'Your hair is sadly disarrayed, my darling, you might as well remove the final pins.'

Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. She had never looked more lovely. 'You are incorrigible, Mr Darcy. This was hardly the time nor the place for such a pastime.'

He reached over and tugged gently at her hair so it tumbled about her shoulders. 'If I wish to make love to my wife in my study then I shall do so. As you are always telling me, I am the master of Pemberley.'

She gathered up her tresses and with a few deft strokes restored her appearance. Watching her do something so intimate made him feel the urge to tumble her to the ground again.

'Don't look at me like that, Fitzwilliam, once is more than enough. Now, kindly behave yourself whilst I make sure I am looking respectable.' She waved towards his untucked shirt and barely buttoned breeches. 'You would do well to restore your appearance, sir, before we send the entire staff into palpitations.'

'My stock is ruined – I shall have to return to our apartment for a new one.' He shrugged into his discarded topcoat and pulled his boots back on. 'We shall go there together…'

'We shall do no such thing. I shall go first and you will follow after a respectable time has passed.' Her smile was loving but he knew better than to disagree.

*

As she reached the door he swore and she turned in shock. 'My love, whatever's wrong?'

'I must send for Bingley at once. I can only imagine what that woman will have told him. I should have thought of that immediately.'

'As should I – Charles and Jane will feel obliged to take her side, but I doubt that they will do anything precipitous. However, I cannot say the same for her future husband. I do hope he doesn't arrive to call you out.'

Her attempt to lighten the mood had the opposite effect. His eyes widened. 'Devil take it! That's exactly the sort of thing he might do. Sweetheart, we must repair the damage our lovemaking has wrought on our appearance and then go next door and speak to your sister and Bingley.'

'If we return by the route through which I arrived we will be there more quickly.' He followed her into the servants' domain and thus up the narrow wooden staircase staff were obliged to use.

When she reached the floor where she was certain their apartment was situated she stopped, not sure in which direction to go as previously she'd made her way down from the nursery floor. 'I don't suppose you know the correct turning to take, Fitzwilliam?'

He was standing so close behind her his breath tickled her neck. He raised the candlestick so he could see the arrows and numbers. 'My father must be rotating in his grave at our behaviour today. Firstly, what took place in the study and now becoming lost on the servants' staircase. Although I've never used this route before, I think we must turn here.'

They moved forward and she prayed they were near their destination as she was no longer comfortable wandering around these narrow passageways.

'Yes – if we exit here we should be in our own apartment or fairly adjacent.'

He reached over her shoulder and pushed open the door and immediately she recognised her surroundings. 'We are in the dressing room attached to my bedchamber. I must change my gown as it is sadly creased and quite unfit to be seen.'

'I only need a new stock – I'll wait for you in the sitting room.'

Fortunately her maid had been doing some mending and was able to assist her. In a quarter of an hour she was in a fresh dress – a pretty russet chenille with long sleeves and high neck – ideal for the chilly weather.

Fitzwilliam smiled his appreciation at her speedy arrival. 'I've sent a servant next door to request that Bingley and Jane call here as soon as they may. I think it better than us going to visit them. I hope to avoid an unpleasant confrontation with Forsyth or Miss Bingley.'

'I'm so relieved we don't have to go in person. We had better hurry for it would not do for us to keep them waiting.'

*

Bingley and Jane were ahead of them. She was in tears and he little better. 'I apologise for keeping you both waiting. Thank you for coming round so speedily.' Darcy indicated that they should go into the drawing room.

Lizzy rushed to embrace her sister but Jane seemed reluctant to be embraced. This was an ominous sign.

'Before you speak let me tell you what took place here – I doubt that you got an accurate picture from Miss Bingley.' He gave them a brief explanation but his words appeared to make little difference to their distress.

'Jane, we both know what Miss Bingley is capable of. Please don't let her machinations come between us.' Lizzy was having difficulty holding back her tears and seeing her so distressed made him more resolute.

'Well, Bingley, can you now say that we were not justified in ejecting your sister from these premises?' His friend wouldn't look directly at him and his mumbled reply wasn't clear. 'Would you please repeat what you said as I didn't hear you?'

'Caroline is beside herself with grief. She knows she should not have attempted to offer advice but it was well meant…'

Lizzy was about to disagree but Darcy shook his head and she remained quiet.

'She has changed, Darcy, she is no longer the person who behaved so poorly at Netherfield. You have both misjudged her and caused us all a deal of pain.'

Jane was still sniffing into her handkerchief but appeared to be in agreement.

This time he couldn't prevent his wife from speaking out. 'Jane, I cannot believe that you would side with that woman. That you are prepared to sever relations with your real family…'

Finally Jane spoke. 'You are my sister, but Charles is my family now. I beg you, dearest Lizzy, don't make me have to choose as my loyalty must be with him.' She stood up, her cheeks pale and her expression sad. 'Do we have two find ourselves another home if we are no longer welcome at Pemberley?'

'Don't talk fustian. Bingley explain to your wife that although you are my tenants you have as much right to live there as Lizzy and I do to live in this part of Pemberley.'

His erstwhile friend stood up and pulled his wife up beside him. 'I intend to return the lease to you, Darcy. We shall not remain if my dearest Jane wishes to leave.' He nodded to Lizzy and bowed to him. 'We have been friends for many years and I am saddened that things have ended in this way. I bid you goodbye and wish you good luck in your London venture.'

Lizzy made a move towards her sister but he restrained her. 'Not now, leave things until they have had time to reflect.'

She turned her face into his shoulder in despair. Caroline Bingley had caused this misery and he was determined she would get her comeuppance – but it would have to wait until he'd completed his mission for the government.

'Don't cry, my love, I promise Jane will be restored to you. This will be but a temporary separation.'

She raised a tear-stained face. 'This is different. She is right to say she must put Charles ahead of her feelings for me. We love each other dearly but I believe that I would do the same if I was in her situation. Caroline has poisoned them against us and I can't see how this can be resolved amicably.'

'I shall leave it a day or two and then speak to Bingley. Anyway, it will take them several weeks to find another estate to buy and by the time we return from Town…'

Her expression changed. 'Surely you do not intend to go to London as things are? Your cousin's marital needs are nothing in comparison to restoring my relationship with my sister.'

Although what she said was true she didn't know the real reason they were going. He had given his word to the colonel. He would have to insist they leave as planned and this might irreparably damage his marriage.

He had to give her an answer and when he did things would change between them. His chest constricted and he swallowed a lump in his throat. 'I appreciate your sentiments, my love, but we shall go at the end of the month. In the circumstances I think it better if we are both away from Pemberley for a while until matters next door have calmed down.'

She stared at him for a moment and then moved away. 'I shall, of course, do as you request, sir. I think that you are quite wrong in your assessment of the situation. The rift between my dearest Jane will only worsen in my absence.' She straightened her shoulders and it was as if an invisible wall had come down between them. 'Pray excuse me, sir, I have things to attend to elsewhere.'

She walked away and he wanted to call her back and explain his reasons but couldn't do so. They would depart next week, sooner if possible, not leave it until the end of the month. He must send a message to Georgiana cancelling the dinner engagement tonight. Better no one else knew about today's events.

He would go upstairs and talk to Lizzy when he had written the letter to his cousin. Hopefully she would have calmed down a little and be ready to listen to him by then.

An hour later he arrived at their shared apartment to find everything had changed. She had removed herself and her belongings from his bedchamber and the communicating door was firmly locked from her side. She could not have made it plainer.

He stared at the door and was tempted to go around to the other side and remove the key but thought better of it. Lizzy was upset and he didn't blame her. He would allow her a night to get over it before making the closed door an issue.

He loved her – she was his life – but this was his house and he would not be denied access to any of its rooms even by Lizzy.

*

Lizzy collapsed on the bed expecting to hear her husband hammering on the communicating door at any moment. The knob turned. She held her breath but he did no more and she was relieved there wasn't going to be further confrontation.

One thing was certain, if he insisted that she accompany him to London she would never forgive him. She would always love him but things between them would never be the same. It was fortuitous he already had an heir as the way things were at the moment he was unlikely to have the opportunity to produce another.

A woman was in law, considered a chattel of her husbands for him to do as he wished with. She believed there was even a statute that said a wife could be beaten with a stick no thicker than his finger. Fitzwilliam could demand his marital rights, indeed could take them by force, but however estranged they became she was certain he would never do anything like that.

The door between their rooms was locked. That would be enough to tell him he wasn't welcome in her bed until – well, until he agreed that they shouldn't go away before she and Jane were reconciled.

Her first task must be to send a letter to both the butler and housekeeper at Grosvenor Square informing them they would not now be coming. It would probably be wise to also cancel the dinner engagement tonight as she had no desire to share her marital problems with anyone else.

It took several attempts to compose the necessary correspondence as her penmanship was all to pieces. Eventually she was satisfied and sanded the sheet, folded it, applied the sealing wax and pressed in the Darcy seal.

Her abigail had been arranging her gowns and underpinnings in the closet. She could take the letter down and make sure Peterson sent a footman to the village immediately. She glanced at the clock on the mantelshelf and saw to her surprise the time was only half past eleven. How could her world have fallen apart in so short a time? Returning to the nursery was not possible as the children would be taking their morning rest. She needed to clear her head and a long, brisk walk around the grounds would do exactly that.