Joshua nodded. “I recall something about that.”
“In return, the Maroons agreed not to harbour runaway slaves but to help catch them. They were actually paid a bounty of two dollars for each returned slave, which was the start of a lot of tension between rival black communities.” Asquith ran a hand across the back of his neck. “To summarise, another war recently ensued. Some Maroons remained neutral and were left alone, others were viciously hunted down and deported. Tensions were running high, and still are, hence the reason for a lot of British settlers selling up and leaving.”
“Yes, I can see the attraction of the place would be on the wane. A lot of people in this country have been made anxious by talk of abolition.”
“Mainly because they don’t want to pay the slaves,” Asquith said with a cynical snort. “Now that the place is in chaos, they are claiming they were in the right of it. Anyway, where was I?”
“Deportations.”
“Right, well, of those left behind, a large enclave of rogue Maroons occupied the hills close to Sheffield’s plantation. They could see he had a decent crop but no manpower to harvest it. They struck a deal with the Sheffields, or to be more precise, with Percival. They would pick the crop and make sure it got refined and exported without the necessity to pay the usual taxes. In return they wanted half the profits.”
“That was highly illegal, I take it?”
Asquith shrugged. “And also highly profitable. It is not an uncommon practice, especially in these anarchic times when slaves are starting to organise themselves and make demands.”
“How do you know it was Percival’s idea?”
“I overheard him on one occasion, talking to the Maroons and assuring them he would talk his brother round.”
“Ah, I see.” Joshua would give a great deal to know what hold Percival had over his older sibling. It must have been something vital to persuade Albert, who had been described to Joshua as a methodical and cautious man, to go along with such a risky scheme. “What happened to the slaves who lived on the plantation?”
Asquith shot Joshua a look. “What do you think?”
“Percival left them to fend for themselves?”
“Exactly, but in so doing, he miscalculated badly. To this day I don’t know how they managed it, but they went off somewhere in the hills, were taken in, and recovered their strength. Then they were on the lookout for revenge, against the Maroons, but more especially against Sheffield, whom they blamed for making them homeless.”
“It was they who destroyed the plantation?”
“Yes, but here’s a question for you, Colonel. Was Mrs. Sheffield’s husband killed trying to save his property? Did his former slaves finish him off, or—?”
“Or did Percival see an opportunity to take everything for himself?”
The two men locked gazes and neither spoke for several moments as the full implication of Asquith’s suggestion struck Joshua.
“Quite so,” Asquith said, breaking the brittle silence.
“You really think Percival Sheffield is capable of fratricide?”
“I assume you haven’t met him?”
“No, I have not had that pleasure.”
“If you had, you wouldn’t have asked the question. He is perfectly charming, a great favourite with the ladies, but cunning as a fox, totally ruthless, and doesn’t possess a single moral in his entire body. Both brothers were that way, but Percival had an added something about him that made him especially dangerous. If you pressed me to say what it was, I would have to guess that he enjoys cruelty.”
Joshua’s blood ran cold at the thought of this man having anything to do with Celia Sheffield. “As I already told you, he is trying to claim Mrs. Sheffield’s property here in England as his own, saying he had a written agreement with his brother to that effect.”
Asquith shook his head. “I wouldn’t believe a word of it if I were you.”
“I can assure you that I do not.”
“There is nothing he would like more than to have Mrs. Sheffield beholden to him.” Joshua scowled at having his suspicions confirmed. “I saw the way he used to look at her with such hunger in his eyes, but she never wanted anything to do with him and it infuriated the man. He wasn’t used to failing with the fairer sex, you see.”
“I am certainly beginning to form a very disagreeable picture of the cove.”
“So what will you do about him?”
“What can I do?” Joshua lifted his shoulders, feeling better informed but just as helpless as he had been at Briar Hall. “I don’t suppose you have any way of confirming what you have just told me?”
“Unfortunately not. It is all speculation and conjecture. As you can imagine, it was pretty confusing at the time. Sir Marius’s plantation was some distance away from Sheffield’s. By the time news of the fire reached us and we dashed over to see if we could help, the damage had already been done. Even so, we thought it rather odd that while both brothers supposedly fought to save their home, Albert perished in the attempt, but when we got there Percival barely had a singed whisker.”
“Hmm, that does seem rather odd. Perhaps Mrs. Sheffield knows more. Presumably she was there.”
“No, she was visiting ladies on an adjoining plantation that afternoon. I have always wondered if Percival had some say in the timing of the attack and ensured it occurred when Mrs. Sheffield was not at home.”
“Or she might have been hurt too?”
“Exactly, and if my suspicions about Percival wanting her for himself are true, then he would not have taken that risk.”
Joshua fell to thoughtful contemplation. Asquith left him to ruminate for several minutes before speaking again.
“Sir Marius would probably agree to give a sworn statement regarding events but that would take a long time to reach us here in England. Besides, he can only relate the facts, much as I have just done. He cannot swear under oath that Percival murdered his brother because of course none of us have anything other than our instincts to persuade us that he did.”
Joshua stood up and paced the length of the room, mulling this latest intelligence over. “Why did you pretend not to know Mrs. Sheffield when she dined here the other night, and then treat her almost with disrespect, Asquith?”
“I behaved very badly and regret it.” Joshua watched Asquith closely as he answered and had the satisfaction of seeing him look abashed. “I shall apologise when next we meet. It was just that seeing her here brought all those awful memories back. It was not a happy time, and many other people besides Sheffield died in that fire, a lot of them slaves who found themselves trapped when the blaze spread far more quickly than they had anticipated. I know the slaves were the ones who started it, but they had good reason to feel aggrieved, and—”
“Excuse me, but I overheard the two of you speaking privately in this very room. She thanked you for not giving her away. What did she mean by that?”
Asquith now looked ashamed and shifted awkwardly in his seat, failing to meet Joshua’s gaze. “I knew she did not much like her husband, and I couldn’t blame her for that. But he was her husband, and she showed little remorse at his demise.”
Joshua scowled. “She didn’t pretend a grief she did not feel, and you blame her for that?”
“Well, yes. Several people were shocked by her attitude.” Joshua snorted. He had never been one to conform and he applauded Mrs. Sheffield’s refreshing honesty. “She also made little secret of the fact she hated Jamaica and couldn’t wait to return to England.”
“But you just mentioned a lot of other people felt the same way.”
“True.” Asquith inclined his head. “To her credit, she also had endless battles with her husband and his brother about the appalling manner in which they treated their slaves. She didn’t try to hide her disgust from the rest of us, but it did her no good because the Sheffield brothers adamantly refused to do the right thing by them. So all Mrs. Sheffield could do was spend time with the women and children, doing what she co
uld for their illnesses and sneaking food to them when she was able.”
“And you hold that against her?” Joshua asked, feeling his temper rising.
“No, I applauded her efforts, but…excuse me, I did wonder if she encouraged her slaves to rise up against her husband and the Maroons who moved in. They would do absolutely anything she asked of them, you see.”
“Careful!”
“I was wrong, I know that now, but you must see how it looked. She got what she wanted, which was release from an unhappy marriage, return to England, and financial independence. She wasn’t to know that Percival would try to claim her property.”
“I am very glad you did not spread false rumours about Mrs. Sheffield’s character,” Joshua said, narrowing his eyes at his cousin’s tutor.
“I would never do that.”
No, Joshua thought, perhaps not. But he would not have imagined the young man he thought so well of being capable of jumping to such erroneous conclusions either. Joshua might be in love with Mrs. Sheffield, and therefore justifiably considered biased, but it must be obvious even to the slowest-witted, she was incapable of such duplicitous behaviour.
“I assume Mrs. Sheffield is aware of what you thought about her.”
“Things were said in the heat of the moment that I now regret,” Asquith replied evasively.
“Apologise when next you see the lady, throw your support behind me in my efforts to restore her property to her, and we will say no more about the matter.”
“Thank you, Colonel. That is very generous of you.” Asquith paused. “Now we have cleared that matter up, will you permit me to ask you a personal question, sir?”
Joshua sighed, suspecting he knew what was coming. “Ask away.”
“Miss de Bourgh. Er, Lady Catherine told me why she wished to come to Pemberley, and why you are here also.” He cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but you obviously have a personal interest in Mrs. Sheffield. Where does that leave Miss de Bourgh?”
Damn the man’s impertinence! “Anne and I would not suit,” he replied shortly.
Asquith elevated both brows. “You would pass up the opportunity to be master of Rosings?”
“Apparently so.”
“Have you told Lady Catherine of your decision?”
“Not yet, and nor shall I for a few days more.” Joshua slapped the younger man on the shoulders. “That ought to give you time.”
“Me?” Asquith laughed. “If Lady Catherine even suspected—”
“I have watched you and Anne together. She is clearly besotted with you and deserves to be happy. You have done a great deal to bring her out of herself. I hardly recognise her anymore.”
“It is what I am paid to do.”
“Anne is no longer quite so afraid of Lady Catherine, thanks in part I think to your opening her eyes. If there is something she wants enough, my impression is she might even defy her mother in order to get it.”
Asquith shook his head. “Lady Catherine would disinherit her.”
“I doubt that very much. Lady Catherine likes you. She has softened greatly since I saw her last.” Joshua paused. “There is something in her attitude when she looks at you, especially when you mention Sir Marius.”
“They knew one another when they were younger.”
“I suspect my aunt liked him, which accounts for her taking you on as Anne’s tutor. The question is, do you return Anne’s feelings?” Joshua waved a hand. “I don’t expect you to answer that. It’s none of my damned business. All I would ask is that you do not excite her expectations if that is not the case.”
“I am very fond of her, but she will never believe I have anything other than the acquisition of Rosings in mind if I tell her so.” Asquith expelled a long breath. “She told me once she will never know if anyone really likes her for who she is, simply because of the material benefits that she holds within her gift. She looked so sad when she said it I felt very sorry for her.”
“Be that as it may, she knows she must marry soon to someone of her mother’s choosing.” Joshua grinned. “Someone like me. You have to be a better alternative. You make her happy, that much is very obvious.”
“Only if she can be made to believe I like her for herself, and how the devil am I supposed to convince her of that?”
“Well then, you have some work ahead of you.”
The two men shook hands at the door to the room and went their separate ways. Joshua was unsure what he had just set in motion, and where the repercussions might lead. All he knew was everyone, no matter what their circumstances, deserved a chance of happiness. If he could achieve that for his cousin by encouraging Asquith to think the unthinkable then so be it and the devil take the consequences.
Chapter Twelve
Painting huge areas of sheeting to resemble a garden was exhausting yet exhilarating work. Within half an hour, Anne had almost as much paint on her as she had managed to apply to the sheet, but she was enjoying herself too much to mind. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually got dirty, or if she ever had. Games in the garden that normal children enjoyed had been denied to her because she was too frail, and chances could not be taken with her health. It never once occurred to her to question her mother when she insisted Anne had a sickly disposition. Mama always knew best.
When Sir Lewis had died and Mama showed no inclination to remarry, she made it clear Anne would be her heir because the de Bourghs did not discriminate against female succession. What she failed to mention was that Anne’s life would never be her own from that point onwards. The slightest sniffle might develop into influenza, and so Anne was required to take to her bed for a fortnight, just as a precaution. If she coughed the doctor was immediately summoned. If she cut herself it put the entire household into an uproar. Anne had become so accustomed to the fuss made of her that it became ordinary, and she began to assume all young ladies of consequence were similarly cossetted.
Being here at Pemberley with Georgiana and Kitty, Anne started to realise what she had missed all these years.
“You have paint on the end of your nose, Anne,” Georgiana said, laughing.
“We all have paint on our exposed parts,” Kitty pointed out. “It is fortunate these pinafores cover our gowns or they would be ruined.”
Georgina stood back to examine the rose garden she had just painted. “It looks more like a rambling jungle,” she said, screwing up her nose in disgust.
“Oh no, Georgie, it looks fine.” Kitty examined Georgiana’s efforts with a critical eye. “Don’t forget, Mr. Asquith explained when the sheets are lining the walls, they will look very different. Something about perspective, I think he said.”
“Dim lighting would better serve,” Georgiana replied, grimacing.
“Or else we will put on such a dazzling display of acting no one will notice the scenery,” Kitty suggested hopefully.
“Unfortunately, there is more chance of our scenery appearing realistic than of that happening.”
“When we put the scenery up in the music room, I think Mr. Asquith said something about having potted palms put in front of it,” Kitty remarked.
“Ah, so he anticipated our miserable efforts.” Georgiana flashed a rueful smile. “How very wise of him. How are your trees coming along, Anne?”
“About as well as your roses.” Anne stood up and stretched. “Where is Mr. Asquith, by the way? I thought he would be here to advise us.”
Anne noticed Georgiana and Kitty share an amused glance. “I think he was detained by Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Kitty said. “Don’t worry, Anne. He is devoted to you and I am sure he will not neglect you for long.”
Anne felt heat invade her face. “You misunderstand me. I simply wanted to ask him something about the trees.”
“Of course you did.”
“It’s all right,” Georgiana said. “We are only teasing you, even if we can’t help wondering what the two of you find to talk about when you are closeted together for so many hours at a time.”
“That is so sad,” Georgiana said. “I am very glad you now have someone to share your…er, passion with, and we promise not to tease you about it anymore.”
“Thank you.” Anne actually giggled, something else which she couldn’t recall ever having done before. Mama did not approve of young ladies who giggled. Come to that, there were a lot of things Mama did not approve of.
“You are entirely welcome.” Georgiana smiled before turning her attention to Kitty. “Talking of passions, has Captain Turner said anything more about his duty visit to his father?”
“No, surprisingly little.” Kitty pouted. “All he said was that the meeting with his father had not gone well, and he would not be marrying the lady his father wishes him to.”
“That is a good thing, surely?” Anne couldn’t understand why Kitty seemed to glum. “It is obviously you he wants for his wife.”
“I wish I shared your optimism. He has not said a word, or done anything to suggest a preference.”
This time it was Georgiana and Anne who shared a laugh at Kitty’s expense.
“You goose,” Georgiana said affectionately. “The captain adores you. Whenever you are in the same room together, his gaze seldom leaves you.”
“You exaggerate.”
“Indeed, she does not,” Anne said. “Even I have noticed.”
“I think he does like me,” Kitty agreed modestly. “But he has never said a word about his feelings or tried to…well, anything.”
“I should hope not.” But Georgiana laughed as she said it. “My brother would skin him alive if he behaved inappropriately.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam's Dilemma Page 13