Chapter Seven
On the evening of Richard’s departure, Darcy knocked on the door to Mr. Bennet’s study.
“Come in.”
Darcy found the master of Longbourn seated behind his desk, perusing a book of accounts. He glanced up when Darcy entered. “Mr. Dee. Are you in search of some fresh reading material?”
“No.” Darcy closed the door behind him. “I wished to speak with you.”
“This sounds serious.” Bennet closed his book and gestured to the chair opposite the desk. “Please have a seat.”
Darcy sat and cleared his throat. “I am aware that my presence has caused your household considerable difficulty.”
“You do not eat that much,” Bennet said with a smile.
“I was referring to the attack yesterday and the lengths to which your family has gone to conceal my presence. Not to mention that you will have provided clothing, food, and protection for nearly a fortnight if I remain as long as planned. And I would be dead if not for your daughter’s care for my health. I am profoundly grateful.”
Bennet waved this away. “It was our pleasure.”
Darcy took a pouch from his pocket. It contained a not insignificant number of the banknotes Richard had brought him. He dropped the pouch on Bennet’s desk. “I would like to repay your generosity.”
Bennet’s eyebrows shot upward. “That is unnecessary. You are our guest.”
“A completely uninvited guest who nearly caused the death of many members of your family last night.”
“I do not hold you responsible.”
“And yet it happened. I owe your family an enormous debt. This is only a token recompense.” He gestured to the pouch.
“We do not regard you as being in our debt.”
“Nevertheless, I would prefer to discharge any obligations so that I need not depend upon—”
“That is the problem, is it not?” Bennet said with a small smile. “You do not like to be indebted to or rely upon anyone else. You would prefer to be independent.”
Darcy shrugged. “Would not everyone?”
Bennet frowned. “I do not believe most people would say it was their goal.”
Darcy was not sure he believed the other man. Most people accepted dependence because they had no choice. He was thankful that his income allowed him independence most of his life.
Bennet stood, an obvious sign the interview was over. “You have offered, and I have refused. Consider any obligation to have been discharged and think no more upon it.”
Darcy had little choice but to accept Bennet’s proposal. But he left the room unsatisfied. He must discover some other way to repay the family’s generosity.
***
As Mr. Dee had predicted, the wights did not trouble Longbourn again. Perhaps the family’s resistance had been too fierce, or perhaps the necromancer was satisfied now that he had possession of the amulet.
Mr. Dee’s cousin had given him a sum of money, and the Bennets’ visitor put the funds to use the very next day.
Since he was no longer concealing his presence, Mr. Dee summoned Meryton’s tailor and ordered several suits of clothes made, for day and evening wear.
He had been making do with Mr. Bennet’s old clothes, a situation that obviously frustrated him—as the garments were both too loose and too short.
Although Elizabeth had not been privy to the man’s discussions with the tailor, she later heard a footman telling a maid, “He demanded the very best fabrics Meryton had to offer, and even that did not satisfy him.” Elizabeth was a little amazed that a tradesman would be so fussy, but she supposed that a wool merchant would have strong opinions about fabrics.
Visits from other merchants followed, and soon Mr. Dee was outfitted with hats, boots, cravats, and other necessary accessories of the finest quality. With each visitor, her mother’s estimates of Mr. Dee’s wealth increased. His family’s business must be highly prosperous indeed.
Elizabeth encouraged him to gradually increase his level of activity, and he steadily grew stronger.
He embarked on a series of walks in the company of various Bennet sisters.
Mr. Dee did not wish to be known as the man who washed up on the banks of the river.
Therefore, when they encountered acquaintances on their walks, the Bennets introduced him as the son of their father’s friend from London. But he was not eager to visit Meryton.
Mr. Dee had been rather proud and formal when he had first arrived at Longbourn, but recently he had acted more relaxed. Perhaps he was simply relieved of an anxiety about bringing danger to Longbourn now that the wights were gone and he had passed his mysterious information on to his cousin.
In fact, this Mr. Dee was quite good company.
He and Elizabeth had animated discussions about Byron, various Shakespeare plays, and even The Mysteries of Udolpho.
He was astonished to learn that Jane and Elizabeth regularly read the London papers and was quite interested in their opinions of recent events.
He was curious about the Bennet family’s magical training and asked many questions.
He knew a surprising amount of magical theory, although she could sense him carefully parceling out his information, leery of revealing too much.
She would guess he had been educated at Oxford or Cambridge, which was certainly not common for tradesmen’s sons—all part of the mystery that was Mr. Dee.
She knew that Jane and her father had noticed the various inconsistencies and gaps in his story, but by common agreement, they did not press him.
Elizabeth guessed he worked for the Council for Enchantment in an unofficial capacity; a wool merchant, who must travel constantly, might be a good agent for them to recruit.
There came a day when none of the other Bennet sisters could accompany Mr. Dee and Elizabeth on their daily walk.
He seemed quite disappointed, assuming that they could not walk out together.
Elizabeth assured him that she saw little reason for concern if she walked with him alone but suggested they remain on Longbourn property, where fewer eyes would notice them.
She led him on a walk to the river—a different section of riverfront than the one where she and Jane had first recovered him. Their destination was at the end of the lane, where a dock jutted out into the water.
Mr. Dee’s face was unreadable, and Elizabeth wondered if perhaps she should have avoided the river altogether.
If she had nearly drowned, she might have had an aversion to large bodies of water.
But then he strode onto the dock itself, marching right to the end.
Elizabeth could do nothing other than follow him.
After contemplating the water for a long moment, he sat at the end of the dock, dangling his legs over the water. Elizabeth scrambled to sit beside him.
They were silent for a long minute. “What do you recollect from your time in the river?” she asked.
He did not answer immediately. “Confused images mostly. The pain of the knife wounds. Splashing into the river. I hoped to reach the bank, but the current was too strong. I thought I would die there. I remember finding the log and clinging for dear life…and then….” He shook his head.
“I did not expect to wake up at all, let alone in a clean, soft bed. That was probably more shocking than anything else. I am eternally indebted to you, your sister, and your whole family.”
She shook her head. “You owe us nothing.”
“Exposing you to the danger of wights is hardly an effective expression of gratitude.”
“It is not traditionally considered such, no. May I suggest instead flowers?”
He gaped at her for a minute and then started laughing. “You never say what I expect you to.”
“I do delight in being unpredictable.”
“Indeed. Most ladies of my acquaintance are far too predictable in my opinion. They worry about saying anything wrong…I wish my sister might meet you.”
This was the first time he had mentioned any siblings, and it naturally aroused her curiosity. “Is she also unpredictable?”
His smile faded. “No. Not at all. She is almost painfully concerned with doing the right thing. However, I think a little of your irreverence might do her good.”
“I do not believe anyone has ever before suggested I would be a good influence.”
His gaze was quite intent. “Then clearly you have been keeping company with the wrong sort of people.”
Elizabeth had to look away. It was too much. She cleared her throat. “How old is your sister?”
“Fifteen. About your sister Lydia’s age.”
She decided to pursue this line of inquiry while he was in a forthcoming mood. “Does she live with your parents?”
“No. They are long gone. Right now she resides at my aunt and uncle’s house—my cousin Richard’s parents—in the country.”
With such a gap in their ages, he must have been almost like a father to his sister. He would have needed to grow up very quickly. Another piece of the puzzle that was Mr. Dee.
“We could invite your sister to Longbourn so she might witness for herself that you are well.”
“No.” His reply was swift and intense.
Did he believe the Bennets were not genteel enough to meet his family? Were the Bennets too bohemian? Elizabeth was wearing trousers today, as she often did when walking about the estate. Did Mr. Dee find that immodest?
After a moment, he fumbled through an explanation. “Although she would be delighted to meet you, this is a part of my life that she does not participate in.”
What did he mean by that? She did not participate in the wool trade? Conversing with women on docks? Mysterious tasks that resulted in wight attacks? Although Elizabeth was gratified to know that there were other people in Mr. Dee’s life to whom he was a mystery.