Chapter 6
My eyes widened. I hadn’t known that Darcy was connected to Lady Catherine, but while Lizzy seemed surprised to see him, she didn’t appear surprised to see him at Rosings.
“Elizabeth,” Darcy said. I could’ve sworn the hint of a smile played around his lips, but it was gone before I could be sure, and then he turned and gestured us inside. “Please, come in.”
Lizzy’s arm tightened around mine, but I tugged her inside and said, “What a surprise to see you, Darcy.”
“My aunt invited me to dinner since I was in the area.” His gaze traveled over us once more, lingering on Lizzy.
“How wonderful to see you again.” William took Darcy’s hand, pumping it a little too hard and too long. “I didn’t realize we’d be enjoying your company tonight as well. That’s excellent news. Any relation of Lady Catherine’s is a welcome addition to a party.”
I held in a sigh. For all the things for him to forget, his obsequiousness toward the high-born fae would’ve been high on my list.
“Where is Wilkinson?” William asked. “He usually answers the door, but this time it was you. While that was a pleasant surprise, I can’t help but note his absence.”
“The butler?” Darcy raised an eyebrow and looked around. “I’m not sure. I imagine he’s helping with other things. I answered because I was nearby.”
“Is that Firth, Fitzwilliam?” Lady Catherine’s voice rang over her cold marble floors.
I tried to exchange a glance with Lizzy at the name Fitzwilliam, but she studiously stared at the ground.
“It’s Pastor Collins, his wife, Charlotte, and Elizabeth Bennet,” Darcy called back.
“Well, bring them in.”
Darcy led the way through the halls of Rosings Park, which looked just as much like a palace on the inside as on the outside, with high sweeping ceilings and marble columns in the halls.
The walls were decorated with perfectly symmetrical garlands that must’ve been woven with enchanted pines since there wasn’t a single needle on the floor.
That or the cleaning abilities of brownies really were as amazing as legends suggested.
Candles sat in sconces, providing pools of golden light and the faint smell of cinnamon and green cardamom that almost screamed money.
Darcy barely glanced at the grandeur as he led us to the sitting room where Lady Catherine sat in an overly stuffed armchair next to another towering Christmas tree.
This one had no snow on it, but the ornaments were polished to a shine, and mixed with the roaring fire, it provided quite the picture.
“Thank you for the invitation to dinner,” William said as soon as he made it to the room.
“I’m pleased you could make it on such short notice, especially with the situation you’ve found yourself in.” Lady Catherine inclined her head at him.
I curled my fingers into a fist at my side, more determined than ever to protect William from her if it came down to it.
I wasn’t sure what a human could do against a high-born fae, but I’d figure something out.
But even as I kept my expression pleasantly neutral, I searched her face for signs of frustration.
Was Lizzy right and she was angry with William?
“I would never dream of turning down an invitation from you.” William turned to me. “Lady Catherine, this is my wife, Charlotte Lucas. I don’t remember if you’ve met before.”
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to talk at the wedding.
” I bit my lip to refrain from pointing out it was because she’d arrived late and left early.
But her shoddy attendance at the wedding was the least of her potential offenses.
Maybe this was my chance to get her alibi.
“You seemed to be in quite a hurry when you left. Did you have other plans that night?”
“I just needed to get back to Rosings Park.”
That wasn’t news. I already knew she’d been at Rosings that night since she’d called William over. I needed to push a little deeper. “Were you expecting company?”
She stiffened. “No, I was not. I spent the evening alone. I even gave Merrick and Maris the evening off.” She turned to Lizzy, effectively ending my questioning. “And you are?”
“I’m Elizabeth Bennet,” she said with a small smile, though Darcy had already introduced her. “My family owns the bakery on Main Street, and I write for the Sanditon Chronicle.”
“I see.” Her shrewd gaze drifted from Lizzy to Darcy and back again, like she needed to study them extra carefully to compensate for how they were working so hard not to look at each other.
I glanced at William, who stood next to me. That was something people would never accuse us of, and it was fine that way. Chemistry, like feelings, was far too dangerous.
“Where is Anne?” Darcy asked.
Lady Catherine sighed almost theatrically, although her expression brightened when Darcy asked about her daughter. “She had orchestra practice tonight and won’t be joining us. Although if I’d known for sure you were coming, I would’ve insisted she skip it.”
“I’m sorry to hear it. I always enjoy my time with her.” Darcy bowed his head.
Lady Catherine’s smile grew and she climbed to her feet. “Let’s head to the table, and I’ll have dinner brought out.” She led the way into a dining room filled with more candles that glinted off the plates’ polished silver. A man stood in the corner playing Christmas carols on his violin.
Lady Catherine went straight to the head of the table, but the rest of us hesitated a beat, trying to figure out where to sit. William pulled out a chair for me, then moved to sit next to me.
“You can’t sit by your wife, Mr. Collins,” Lady Catherine said, gesturing to the seat to her left. “I need to speak with you. Sit here.”
I blinked at her, taken aback by her sudden demand, but William moved to obey without a second thought. Lady Catherine settled in at the table with William and Darcy on either side. Somehow I ended up next to Darcy and Lizzy next to William.
A butler with salt-and-pepper hair and a mustache who must’ve been Wilkinson brought in the first course—spiced pears and goat cheese. It was delicious, but we didn’t get to enjoy it in silence for long.
“How old are you, Elizabeth?” Lady Catherine asked.
Lizzy’s lips pressed together in that way they did when she tried to hide her amusement. “Let’s just say that I’ve finished my master's in journalism and have a full-time job.”
“You’re quite cheeky for one so young.” Lady Catherine’s brow furrowed. “And you’re not married?”
“No.” Lizzy’s gaze shot to me, and I couldn’t tell if it was a plea for help or a reminder that I was supposed to be asking questions.
I cleared my throat. “I was hoping we could talk to you about what happened to Dahlia, Lady Catherine.”
“Dahlia?”
“The woman who was killed,” I said.
Lady Catherine dabbed at her mouth with her fancy cloth napkin and frowned. “Oh, her. That sort of topic is not appropriate at the dinner table. It will have to wait.”
William nodded and adjusted his fork, turning it clockwise and repositioning it until it perfectly aligned with his plate. “Of course we can wait. There’s no hurry.”
I scowled at him. He should have been more concerned with the fact that someone might have been targeting him. Was I the only one who wanted to keep him safe?
William, Darcy, and Lady Catherine took care of the small talk for the rest of the meal, with Lizzy focused mainly on her food. I waited for the right opportunity to turn the conversation in the direction I wanted it to go.
“I heard about the tree lighting ceremony, Lady Catherine,” William said as Merrick and Maris brought out trays of food. “It doesn’t make sense that you weren’t included. You’ve participated every other year.”
“Yes, Mayor Pembroke typically requests that I light the tree given my standing as one of the oldest—and most distinguished—residents of this town. I can’t imagine what prompted the change this year, but I have no doubt she’ll come to regret it. One simply cannot replace a presence such as mine.”
Merrick set my food down in front of me, an impressive feat considering he was about as tall as the table. He stared at Lady Catherine as she spoke, nodding in agreement with her words. Apparently, Lady Catherine wasn’t the only one who believed her presence irreplaceable.
“Are you attending, Darcy?” she asked.
“I’m afraid not.” His gaze slid to Lizzy, then away again.
Lizzy glanced up from the honey-glazed ham and speared him with a stare the same way she speared the meat. “It’s a shame you’re going to miss it. I know how much you enjoy small-town festivals.”
Lizzy’s words held an edge, although I couldn’t quite understand where the barb was. Maybe it was some inside joke between the two of them. Not that Lizzy looked like she was joking.
“On the contrary, I find the activities themselves much less fascinating than the people.” Darcy’s green gaze met hers in challenge.
In the background, the violinist started to play Silent Night, although “all is calm” was not how I’d describe the situation at the moment with the sparks flashing across the table.
I shook my head at the two of them. Lizzy might claim to like Wickham, but no pretending could hide her chemistry with Darcy. I didn’t know much about either man, but even I could tell which one was a better match for her. She needed someone to keep her on her toes.
I shifted my attention to William, who chewed a bite of dinner, oblivious to the rising tension.
William accepted a candied walnut from the small nutcracker marching from one end of the table to the other, then turned a bright smile onto Lady Catherine. “It’s such a privilege to join you for meals. I always look forward to the precision of your cook’s work.”
I took another bite, unable to stop thinking about how convenient it was that William had been on his way back from Rosings Park when he was attacked. Everyone else thought we were leaving for our honeymoon that night—and we were, until Lady Catherine called and made him turn around.