Chapter 15 A Shadow of Suspicion
“Are you certain you do not wish me to accompany you, Richard? I am at liberty, and I can go with you.”
“I will be fine, Darcy. I will write if I need anything.”
“Son, I should rest easier if you would allow Fitzwilliam to go,” his father urged.
“No, Father. I wish Darcy to remain here in London.”
Turning to his cousin, he said, “Vane, the principal officer I engaged is in Nottinghamshire at present. He is suspicious of the Earl of Manvers.”
Richard’s voice tightened. “Philip was courting the eldest Stanhope daughter. He wrote that she was receptive to him, and that is the last I heard from my brother.”
“Richard, I shall have my solicitor examine the finances of both Manvers and Stanhope. Perhaps we may uncover a motive for foul play. Does your batman accompany you into Nottinghamshire?”
“No, Cooper has also been granted leave. He is here in London, visiting his mother.”
“Then give me his direction, in case we have need of him. I will pay him well.”
Richard took up a pen and paper and wrote down the address of his batman’s home.
“Cousin, when do you depart?”
“This afternoon. I leave for Elvaston Castle, to learn what I can from the Stanhope family, and then to Thoresby Hall, the home of the Earl of Manvers, if needed.”
“Take care, Richard.” Darcy clasped his cousin’s shoulder, then left the house. He paid a visit to his solicitor, then went to his club in search of his friend, William Harcourt. If anyone knew the scandals and hidden dealings of the peerage, William would have heard of them.
Darcy sat in a corner at White’s for three hours before Harcourt arrived. The well-dressed gentleman nodded his head in greeting when he caught sight of Darcy and joined him.
“Where have you been, Darcy? I have not seen you this age.”
“I returned to town two weeks ago. I came to White’s hoping to see you. What can you tell me of Harrington and Manvers?”
Harcourt studied him closely. “Is this about Phillip?”
“Yes.”
“Has he come to his senses yet?”
“He has been unconscious for nearly a fortnight. Richard was recalled from France, in case...”
Harcourt’s expression darkened. “If Philip became entangled with Manvers, it bodes ill. Manvers is close to losing his estate. He has squandered his fortune, and I have heard the property is heavily mortgaged. He is desperate to marry for money.”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed. “And Harrington? Did he owe Manvers money?”
“I have never heard anything discreditable of Lord Harrington. He was only eight and forty when he died in a carriage accident. It is said that the carriage overturned when a shaft broke, and he was killed.”
Darcy’s voice sharpened. “Perhaps it was not accidental.”
Harcourt’s eyes widened. “I have never heard otherwise.” He fell silent for a moment, then added, “If Manvers was involved, he might have sought one of Harrington’s daughters. Each of them has a dowry exceeding forty thousand pounds.”
Darcy grunted. “If he is a gambler, ruined and mortgaged, perhaps Harrington refused the match, and then my cousin enters the picture. Twenty years younger than Manvers, handsome, wealthy, and destined to be an earl himself. Manvers fires upon him and misses.”
Harcourt exhaled. “It is a plausible account. I have seen men shot for less, in drunken brawls over a gaming table.”
Darcy rose. “Harcourt, I am in your debt. I must go. Richard leaves for Nottinghamshire today, and I must warn him to take care with Manvers.”
Darcy hailed a hackney outside of White’s and proceeded directly to Matlock House. He mounted the front steps at once and let himself in.
The butler emerged from the pantry, a cloth in one hand and a silver urn in the other.
“Mr. Darcy, sir, may I assist you?”
“I must speak with Richard.”
“Sir, the colonel left about an hour ago.”
Darcy’s expression tightened. “He has already departed for Nottinghamshire?”
“Yes, sir. He packed lightly, taking only what would fit into his saddlebags.”
“I see. Is my uncle within?”
“Yes, sir. He is also making preparations. He hopes to return to Matlock in the morning. You will find him in his study.”
“Thank you, Martin. I shall see myself in.”
He strode to the study, tapped once, and entered.
Henry Fitzwilliam rose as soon as he saw him, his gaze sharpening upon the troubled look in his nephew’s face.
“What is it, nephew?”
Darcy lifted a hand. “Nothing immediate, Uncle Henry. I had hoped to catch Richard before he left. I spent the last three hours at White’s. I learned a great deal from Harcourt.”
He relayed what he had heard, then concluded,
“Uncle, I fear Richard may come to harm unless we can warn him. Manvers is desperate. He will lose everything unless he secures a fortune through marriage, and I believe he has fixed his attention upon one of the Earl of Harrington’s daughters.
If he murdered the earl and nearly murdered Philip, he faces prison. ”
Henry Fitzwilliam began to pace, saying, “He will stop at nothing now.” He paced back to his desk. “Richard should have taken his batman with him. I insisted upon it, but he refused me.”
“I will go after Richard, Uncle Henry. I shall pay his batman to accompany me, and I will take my two footmen. They are good men in a fight. Martin says he is only an hour ahead of me.”
He paced to the window.
“Unfortunately, I shall not be able to depart London until tomorrow. If the batman cannot join me in time, I shall go without him.”
“You should catch him upon the road,” Henry replied. “Elvaston is near one hundred and twenty miles from here. Richard expects to arrive in three days on horseback. He will stop to change horses on the second day. But you, in a carriage and four, could make it in two days, perhaps two and a half.”
Frowning, the elder man said, “You must travel anonymously, nephew.”
“Yes, sir. I shall hire a carriage and fresh horses, and I will dress as a farmer. I do not wish to draw attention to myself.”
Darcy rose. “I will leave you now. I must pack and attend to some business.”
“Wait. I will send you a pair of flintlock pistols. I purchased them for Richard, though I intended to have them engraved first.”
He glanced toward the door.
“Ring for a servant, will you, son?”
Darcy rang the bell. When the footman entered, his uncle spoke.
“Bring me the new pair of flintlock pistols, the carbine, and the spadroon.”
“Yes, sir.”
The servant withdrew, and the earl turned back to Darcy.
“The carbine is shorter than most designs, and will be easier to manage in a fight. The spadroon allows for greater speed and agility. I purchased them for Richard. Perhaps they may prove useful to one or both of you. Richard has only his own pistols with him.”
When the footman returned with the case, Darcy examined the weapons and the box of ammunition, then turned to his uncle.
“I pray we shall have no need of them, but I am grateful. I shall come in the hired carriage and collect them. I arrived here in a hackney.”
The Earl chuckled. “Yes, it would not do for you to be seen armed to the teeth. Very well. I shall have them wrapped and ready when you come.”
With that, Darcy took his leave.
He walked the short distance back to his townhouse and went directly to his study, then rang for the butler.
Higgins entered at once, flustered. “Sir, I did not hear you arrive.”
“Never mind, Higgins. I came in through the library.”
He gave instructions for travel preparations, then added, “Send Peter to me.”
Darcy sat down to write a note to Charles, another to Richard’s batman, and the last to Mrs. Gardiner.
The note to Elizabeth’s aunt proved more difficult, for he did not know precisely what to say.
There was no understanding between him and Elizabeth, yet he could not bear to leave without informing her.
After a few minutes, he managed to compose a short missive:
Mrs. Gardiner,
My sister wished to shop at Hatchards with the two Miss Bennets, but unfortunately, I have been called away, and must travel into Nottinghamshire tomorrow morning.
Please accept my apologies, and convey them to your nieces.
When I return, I shall call, that we may arrange to shop together, and perhaps also to visit Gunter’s.
Sincerely,
F. Darcy
He had just sealed the note when his footman presented himself.
“Mr. Darcy?”
“Send Robert at once to the Gardiners with this note.” He handed him a second paper. “This is the location of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s batman. See if you can run him to earth. Tell him the Colonel is needful of his services.”
“Yes, sir.”
Darcy next wrote to Kendall, sharing what he had learned and urging him to continue his inquiries. He left the notes for Charles and Kendall with the Butler, then went to the music room to speak with his sister.
“Georgiana, I am leaving for Nottinghamshire on business for Uncle Henry. I fear I must leave you here alone, since Aunt Helen is at Matlock nursing Philip. Will you be well by yourself?”
“I have remained here alone before, brother. I shall be quite well. May I invite Miss Elizabeth for tea?”
His expression eased.
“Yes, do so, my dear. She will be a comfort to you. I do not yet know how long I shall be gone, but I doubt it will be more than a fortnight. Reach out to Kendall if you have a need.”
As he returned to his study, Higgins approached.
“Mr. Kendall is wishful to speak with you, sir.”
“Send him in.”
The solicitor entered a moment later with Darcy’s letter in his hand, still sealed.
“Sir, I have not yet been able to obtain any useful information regarding the Earl of Manvers, but I have learned that the Earl of Harrington was a very wealthy man. Both daughters have dowries of fifty thousand pounds apiece, and the eldest, Lady Abigail Stanhope, will inherit the estate and the greater part of his fortune should her brother die before her.”
Darcy’s expression sharpened.
“The title will become extinct, sir, for there is no other male heir, should anything occur to the son before he has progeny.”
“Kendall, you have done well. Please continue with your inquiries. I leave in the morning. Send communications to Hadden Hall, and I will answer as I am able.”
When he was again alone in his study, he sat for a long while gazing unseeing at the portrait of his parents that hung above the hearth. His thoughts were wholly engaged with Elizabeth Bennet.
Would she still be in London when he returned?
In his distraction, he had neglected to inquire after her plans.
Did she think of him as he so often thought of her?
She had appeared pleased and entirely at ease in his company.
Never before had he felt so much at home with any woman of his acquaintance, nor had he detected in her voice or manner any of that affectation or sycophancy which he found so distasteful.
With an effort, he drew himself from these reflections and turned his attention to the business that must be concluded in preparation for his two-week sojourn in the north.