A Spy at Pemberley

by Fenella J Miller

  'I agree. Have you any idea what Miss Hall is like? You had an excellent description of the Sinclair family.'

  He frowned trying to recall what he'd been told. 'She is an outdoor type, not in the common way, but my cousin said she's an intelligent girl but somewhat outspoken.'

  'She sounds ideal for the purpose. As long as she's not an antidote I believe our scheme will work.'

  'In which case, Lizzy, I shall make sure the letter supposedly sent from home arrives on Saturday morning. We should be back at Pemberley by the middle of next week. This will allow you no more than a week or two before your family arrives. Will that be sufficient?'

  'Fitzwilliam, it's kind of you to think of me in this way but as the invitations have already been sent to friends and family there is no option but to be ready in time.'

  He laughed and joined her on the chaise longue. 'To tell you the truth, sweetheart, I cannot think how having the two families under my roof is going to make it easier for my cousin to discover if they are indeed traitors.'

  'I had thought the same, but didn't like to say so. We must assume he has some scheme in hand to which we are not privy. Regardless of the circumstances I am actually quite looking forward to entertaining a large number of guests.'

  'I shall endure it for your sake and for my cousin – but I can assure you I shall be glad when this nonsense is over. I don't intend to do anything else for Mr Perceval but I am afraid I have no option but to do as he wishes as long as he is Prime Minister.'

  *

  Lizzy took her maid with her when she set out on her round of morning calls. This was not strictly necessary but she hoped Sally would be able to glean some extra information below stairs about the families she intended to include in the house party. As far as staff and everyone else was concerned this was a genuine search for a wife for the colonel.

  'Sally, remember to be discreet in your enquiries. You will learn more from listening to the gossip than adding to it. I require to know anything that might help with this venture.'

  'Yes, ma' am, I know what to do.'

  Lizzy had arranged things so that she called in at the establishment that was the greatest distance away and then would make three further calls on her return journey. The first that the carriage pulled up outside was a smart house in a quiet cul-de-sac just off Hanover Square. She had spoken briefly to Lady Roberts the previous evening and had been delighted to learn she numbered both Lady Sinclair and Mrs Hall amongst her acquaintances.

  There were two other carriages waiting outside so she would not be the only one present. She hoped that one of the carriages had brought Mrs Hall and her daughter. The door opened as she arrived at the top of the steps and she was bowed in by a butler who enquired politely as to their names.

  The sound of voices echoed from the open doors across the black and white chequered vestibule. Sally slipped away to the servants' hall and Lizzy stepped into the drawing room as her name was called out loudly.

  Lady Roberts was overjoyed to see her. 'Mrs Darcy, come in, come in. Let me introduce you to my other guests.'

  The first matron and her stout daughters were of no interest to Lizzy but the second was the family she wished to meet.

  Mrs Hall was unremarkable in every respect, modestly dressed and softly spoken. Her daughter on the other hand was quite startling. She was a head taller than her parent, had hair the colour of a raven's wing will. Her sharp features were redeemed by green eyes that sparkled with intelligence. Lizzy liked her immediately.

  'Mrs Hall, Miss Hall, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. Are you remaining in Town for the whole Season or just visiting?'

  Mrs Hall almost smiled. 'We are not here for more than a week or so, Mrs Darcy. My husband has business interests in the city and we stay just long enough for him to attend to those. We are not here to participate in the entertainment.'

  'I hope to see you both at one or two parties before you leave. Miss Hall, is this your first season?'

  The girl laughed. 'I don't believe in any of that nonsense, madam, I'm here under sufferance. I much prefer to be in the country looking after my horses. We have a successful stud, you know. My brother and I run it together.'

  'I share your dislike of large social occasions, Miss Hall, but I am on a mission. Colonel Fitzwilliam, my cousin, is hoping to set up his nursery and has asked me to find him a selection of young ladies from which to choose. Would you care to be included on the list?' She said this with a straight face and someone less intelligent might have taken her seriously.

  To Lizzy's astonishment Miss Hall nodded. 'I would indeed, Mrs Darcy. If I have to be married one day I would much prefer it to be to a soldier. I believe I could enjoy following the drum.' She drew Lizzy to one side. 'What sort of man is he? Do you think we would suit?'

  This was an extraordinary conversation to be having with a young lady she had only just met but Lizzy answered without hesitation. 'If Cousin Hugo is genuine in his desire to find a wife then I think you would be ideal. He is in his thirties, above average height and although not as handsome as Mr Darcy in my opinion, they are often mistaken for brothers.'

  'I am not considered a beauty, but neither am I bracket-faced. Is he looking for an heiress? If he is then he will be disappointed as I have no more than a modest dowry. My maternal grandfather is a baron – but my mama is considered to have married beneath her.' The girl smiled and when she did so her face changed from plain to beautiful. 'There, you have the whole truth. Do you still wish to add me to your list?'

  'I certainly do. We are having a house party in three weeks' time which I would like to invite you and your family to. However, I think it would be best if you met the colonel before you decide if you want to come.'

  'We have no invitations to any events at which he might be present. We are not part of the same social strata as yourself, Mrs Darcy.'

  'I shall make it my business to have an invitation to the Rochester ball sent to you. I know that my cousin will be there to see if he approves of my choices. Would it be in order to send it to Lady Sinclair then you can be sure that you will be attending the event with a family that you are already familiar with?'

  'That would be absolutely splendid. Annabel Sinclair is a friend of mine and her brother Richard is a crony of my brother Thomas. By the by, my given name is Jennifer in case you wished to include this on the invitation.'

  The fifteen minutes allowed for a morning call had passed too quickly. Lizzy would have liked to get to know this lively girl a little better. She hated to deceive her, but at least the family would have the opportunity to mix with the ton and who knew where that might lead.

  Sally had little of interest to report which gave Lizzy time to reconsider her plans. She banged on the roof of the carriage and it rattled to a halt. A face appeared at the window.

  'I have changed my mind and need to return to Grosvenor Square immediately.'

  The under-coachman touched his forehead and disappeared. There was no need now for her to visit anywhere else and make meaningless conversation with complete strangers. She had accomplished her task. All that remained was for her to explain to Cousin Hugo that he must ensure he danced at least once with Miss Hall at the ball.

  *

  Darcy listened with growing incredulity to his cousin. 'Let me get this straight – not only am I to hold a house party in order to allow you to investigate these two families but also to host a private meeting for those in favour of the war effort at the same time?'

  'You have understood perfectly. Sir Robert and Hall will think the event a cover for this meeting and not suspect the real reason.'

  'Do these men know they are being invited as a ruse to trap the traitors?'

  'No, they do not. Only you, the Prime Minister and I are aware that Sir Robert and Hall are suspects. I require these guests to be kept separate from the rest – is that possible? Those that I am inviting would expect to be private and not part of a social gathering.'

  'I see. This whole t
hing is becoming deucedly complicated. I'm fairly sure that anyone who knows you is aware that the last thing you need is a wife in tow. The Prime Minister told me he is concerned that he's losing support to the naysayers.'

  'Our thinking is that the two suspects won't be able to resist spying on us. I do actually intend to discuss the problems facing our soldiers on the Peninsular. The committee needs to have a united front in Parliament; coming up with a strategy should be a deal simpler away from the distractions in Town.' His cousin seemed uncomfortable as he explained his reasons. No doubt this was because he had added a dozen extra uninvited guests to the house party.

  Hugo showed him the list of names. 'We have more than enough invited to fill Pemberley to bursting. Make sure you arrange for the letter, supposedly from Pemberley calling us home, brought round to us the morning after the Rochester ball.'

  'I shall contact these people myself, if you have no objection.'

  'They can go in the West Wing – the ground floor can easily accommodate half a dozen visitors and their servants without impinging on the main part of the house.'

  The colonel departed leaving Darcy with much to think about. This whole charade was becoming more involved by the day. A proportion of the guests, those with eligible daughters, were coming in the hope that his cousin might select one of them to be his bride. Those from the army thought their presence was required for a secret meeting. The family were the only ones that knew the truth.

  This was a recipe for disaster. He vowed this would be the last time he allowed himself to be involved in such matters. His family home had suffered from ghosts, scandal and now spies. If he had got things straight in his head then Hugo and he would be spying on Sir Robert and Hall; these two would be spying on the war committee. No doubt the interested mamas would also be spying on each other to see which of the young ladies present was likely to be chosen.

  He was interrupted in his letter writing by the arrival of his wife. He tossed aside his pen and went to greet her. 'My love, I did not expect you home for another hour or so. Is something wrong?'

  'Not at all, but I have something pertinent to tell you and saw no need to make further calls.' She explained about her meeting with the Hall family.

  'That's excellent news, Lizzy. My cousin was unable to scrape an acquaintance with Hall at the prize fight so you have done his job for him.' There was something else she wasn't telling him and he was determined there should be no further secrets between them.

  'What are you keeping from me?'

  She looked a little disconcerted but then smiled. 'I've decided that Miss Hall is the perfect match for the colonel. It matters not if her father is involved in something nefarious…'

  'Stop right there, my love. However delightful this young lady is my cousin can never marry her once her father is exposed as a traitor. They will no longer be received in Society – they will be tainted by association.'

  Her expression told him she was unconvinced by his statement. 'In which case, Fitzwilliam, let us hope that Cousin Hugo has mistaken the matter and neither family are sending secrets to the French.'

  There was little point in saying that his cousin wouldn't be going to such lengths if he wasn't already certain of his facts. He explained about the extra guests.

  'What a muddle! And don't forget, my dear, that added to this volatile mix will be my parents and my sister Mary. All we need is for Caroline Bingley to return and cause more trouble and this will be a house party remembered for all the wrong reasons.' She shook her head. 'Despite the size of our home I cannot believe that the presence of the military gentlemen will remain unnoticed by the other guests. How are we to explain their presence?'

  Chapter Thirteen

  Colonel Fitzwilliam was to travel with them in the carriage to the ball. Lizzy had insisted because, unless he was firmly at her side, she thought he might renege. She was determined, whatever her husband said to the contrary, to promote a match between Miss Hall and Cousin Hugo.

  She wouldn't ostracise a family because one of their members was a traitor, so neither should anyone else. It would be punishment enough for the relatives to lose their loved one in this way without being obliged to moulder in the country for the rest of their lives.

  In her opinion there were too many rules governing Society. Another thing that she thought wrong was that if the head of the household committed suicide this was enough to ruin the reputation of the rest of the family. Indeed, it would seem that if a person did anything beyond the pale then all their relatives were obliged to suffer as well.

  When her sister Lydia had run away with Wickham and lived with him without the benefit of clergy her mother had fallen into a decline. Only when her sister's marriage had been arranged by Fitzwilliam was mama's health restored. Papa had been reluctant to receive his daughter even though she was now respectably married and he had never really forgiven her. Wickham was now dead and Lydia a merry widow in far off India.

  Lizzy had made a special effort this evening and was wearing a new ball gown in yellow silk with a gold chiffon overskirt. Her hair was dressed formally and she was wearing the Darcy parure. She had only had the opportunity to wear this once before and was looking forward to seeing her husband's reaction when she appeared dressed like a queen.

  'Sweetheart, you look staggeringly beautiful. I don't recall seeing that ensemble before.'

  She curtsied. 'Now you know why I requested that you wore your gold waistcoat. With this tiara and my heeled slippers I am almost as tall as you tonight.'

  He had his white gloves in one hand and with the other he cupped her face and kissed her. 'You will outshine them all, my love. Hugo is waiting downstairs and he's wearing his dress regimentals. I was almost blinded by the plethora of gold frogging on display.'

  Sally held out the matching evening cloak and Fitzwilliam took it. He swirled it around Lizzy's shoulders and they were ready to leave.

  With her gloved hand resting on his arm he escorted her down. The carriage was already outside and it did not do to keep the horses waiting. The colonel was resplendent in red jacket, skintight white breeches and black boots.

  'You look wonderful, Cousin Hugo, you will be surrounded by eager young ladies – for there's nothing they like better than a man in uniform – especially one as handsome as you.'

  He snapped his heels together and bowed, his shako clutched to his chest. 'Thank you, ma'am, I aim to please.' He grinned, making him look even more attractive. 'Might I be permitted to say, Cousin Lizzy, that splendid as I am, I am outshone by yourself.'

  Fitzwilliam snorted inelegantly. 'If you two have stopped ogling each other, shall we get on? The sooner this wretched business is over the happier I shall be.' He looked down his aristocratic nose at her, but with a twinkle in his eye. 'No doubt you will expect me to stand up with you tonight.'

  She couldn't prevent her giggles escaping. Hardly a suitable reaction for a woman married for several years and the mother of two children. 'At least tonight you cannot turn your nose up at me for being less than attractive. I well remember overhearing your rude remarks at the Meryton assembly several years ago.'

  'Baggage! I thought you promised never to mention that regrettable occasion again. I shall honour you with three dances but do not suggest I parade around the floor any more than that. No doubt you will not lack for partners.'

  'I've no desire to dance with anyone else but you.'

  Cousin Hugo interrupted their conversation. 'That will not do at all; you must stand up with me. It will raise my position in the eyes of the ton to be seen with the most beautiful woman at the ball.'

  'Very well, I agree to dance with you, but no one else.'

  It hardly seemed worthwhile taking the carriage as the journey was no more than ten minutes, but the wait to disembark three times as long. Eventually they negotiated the welcome party and made their way into the ballroom.

  'Fitzwilliam, can you see Mrs Hall and her daughter? I must introduce your cousin immediately.'
>
  From his prodigious height he was able to scan the chamber. 'They are at the far end, close to the quartet. There are still empty chairs by them so it will not seem odd that we make our way there.'

  Lizzy made the introductions and watched closely to see if either Hugo or Miss Hall seemed interested in each other. He bowed, she curtsied. Then she overheard him invite the girl to stand up with him in the first set and she accepted.

  'Mrs Hall, are your husband and son not with you tonight?'

  'They are to join us later. I must thank you for arranging our invitations as I know we would not have received one but for your good offices.' She gestured to the splendid floral decorations that festooned the walls. 'I must own that we have never attended anything so grand. It will be something to remember when we return to our home in the country.'

  'Sir Robert and Lady Sinclair have also been invited. I look forward to renewing my acquaintance with them too.'

  Fitzwilliam was becoming restless and she touched his arm affectionately. 'My dear, why don't you escape to the card room? I doubt there will be any dancing until all the guests have arrived.'

  He nodded at Mrs Hall and smiled at her. 'Remember, Lizzie, I shall return to lead you out when the first set is called.'

  His cousin and Miss Hall were no longer in sight. This was a breach of etiquette and would do neither of them any favours. She glanced around and her fists unclenched when she spotted them no more than a few yards away and both behaving impeccably.

  Mrs Hall had seen her staring. 'Colonel Fitzwilliam is a fine figure of a man, Mrs Darcy. My Jennifer was beside herself with excitement at the thought of meeting him tonight.'

  Lizzy smiled inwardly. She hoped Cousin Hugo would fall in love with the girl as she was perfect for him. He must know that for him to be showing his partiality his companion could only draw one conclusion – that he was genuinely interested in her. He was an honourable man, like her husband, and would not deliberately mislead this young lady.