James sighed. ‘I can hardly ask him directly about his involvement with the man forging my father’s work. A little subterfuge is called for. I shall discuss the matter with your brother and we will decide between us how best to proceed.’ He sensed Miss Darcy’s indignation and knew he had said the wrong thing. ‘I cannot involve you.’ He grasped her shoulders, refusing to let her shake his hands off. ‘Think about it, sweet Susie,’ he said, unconsciously using her given name. ‘This could be dangerous and could also involve Porter, a man whom you are friendly with. You can’t follow either of them without drawing attention to yourself or placing yourself in harm’s way.’
‘Yes but, I have—’
‘The subject is not open to debate.’ He removed one hand from her shoulder and gently stroked the curve of her face. ‘I cannot permit that. You have already done more than enough.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You cannot allow it?’
‘Absolutely not.’
He lowered the hand still touching her face and gently traced the line of her upper lip with the pad of his thumb, deliberately provocative. ‘You ought to know that there is little I would not do to keep you safe.’
‘You should not say such things to me.’ Her voice sounded distant and he could see the confusion swirling in her eyes, even in the dim light that illuminated the terrace through the open doors leading to the drawing room. He understood it because he was equally confused by his own behaviour, which was as instinctive as it was inappropriate. ‘You have obligations elsewhere.’
‘And yet there is nowhere else I would prefer to be.’
Her lips parted but no sound emerged. James, continuing to follow his instincts, lowered his head and briefly covered her lips with his own. He withdrew them again before she had time to react to what he had done and object to his presumptuous behaviour.
‘Oh!’ She blinked up at him and this time she did manage to make a sound, but her reaction was one of curiosity rather than indignation.
‘Come,’ he said, standing and offering her his hand. ‘We had best return to the drawing room before I forget myself completely.’
Susie placed her hand on his sleeve and James was not surprised when she demanded to know why he had kissed her.
‘Because I wanted to,’ he replied simply.
‘Do you always kiss ladies who attract your interest?’
He chuckled and patted her hand. ‘You are the first.’
She cleared her throat, clearly fighting embarrassment. ‘About Mr Porter,’ she said. ‘Spence and I think it best that Papa knows nothing of our suspicions until we have more definite proof.’
‘He will not hear it from me.’
‘Thank you. Mr Porter and his father before him have caused endless problems for Papa and he has shown great generosity of spirit in employing Tobias. I would prefer for him not to know his trust might have been misplaced at this point in time.’
‘Absolutely. I understand perfectly.’
‘Then we are…’ She broke off as they re-entered the drawing room and, smiling, raised a hand in greeting at a lady who had just entered the room. ‘That’s my cousin Emma. I wondered what had become of her. But I don’t know the lady with her.’
James did, and stopped dead in his tracks, gawping at her.
‘James, who is that you are with?’ the lady asked.
‘Beatrice,’ James said at the same time, dropping his arm and Susie’s hand with it. ‘What the devil are you doing here?’
ᴥᴥᴥ
Susie watched the scene enfolding with open astonishment, as did almost everyone else in the room. Most conversations had ceased and avid attention was focused on the exotically beautiful newcomer. So this was Miss Fleming, Susie thought, her lips still burning from the brief contact with James’s. She roused herself from the stupor that simple kiss had thrown her into and felt a slow, burning anger course through her body. He had known his intended was in the district but still felt he could dally with her affections. She had not thought him quite so depraved as that.
‘Goodness.’ Emma joined her and gave her a hug. ‘You look lovely.’ She glanced at James and Miss Fleming, who had taken their dispute to the side of the room and were talking in exaggerated whispers. ‘That, I assume, is Mr Tyrell. He is every bit as glamorous as Miss Fleming implied.’
‘How did you come to bring her with you? I was not aware you were acquainted.’
‘We’re not, and I’m sorry if I interfered with whatever you and Mr Tyrell were up to on that terrace,’ Emma said mischievously.
‘We were not up to anything,’ Susie protested, her face hot with embarrassment. ‘We were simply talking.’
‘Of course you were.’ Emma linked her arm through Susie’s as they strolled around the periphery of the room. ‘A lot of “talking” has taken place on that terrace over the years. I know Lewis and I took advantage of it on more than one occasion. Anyway, you were asking about Miss Fleming. She is a close friend of our neighbours, the Frobishers. Mrs Frobisher paid a call this afternoon and introduced me to Miss Fleming. I mentioned that my aunt was holding a soiree in Mr Tyrell’s honour this evening and how much we were all looking forward to making his acquaintance. Miss Fleming naturally mentioned their friendship and rather invited herself along.’
‘Friendship?’ Susie elevated one brow, telling herself she wasn’t the slightest bit jealous about the beautiful woman’s appearance. ‘I heard it was a little more than that.’
‘Well, he doesn’t look very pleased to see her,’ Emma said, nodding in James’s direction. He was indeed scowling at Miss Fleming, whereas she had a hand on his arm and was smiling up at him with avid devotion.
‘He was not aware she’s in the district?’
‘Seemingly not. Miss Fleming is travelling with her maid. She’s on her way to visit relatives in Yorkshire and broke her journey to spend a few days with Mrs Frobisher. She said she was bored with London at this time of the year—’
‘The season is still in full flow.’
‘But Mr Tyrell is not there.’
‘Even so.’ Susie continue to ponder upon the newcomer’s appearance. ‘She doesn’t look like the insecure type to me.’
‘Perhaps she wants what she cannot have. I have met people like her before. I’m sorry if her presence here is an inconvenience to you, Susie.’
Susie shrugged. ‘It makes no difference to me whatsoever.’
‘I could hardly not bring her, given her connection to Mr Tyrell. Besides, she is not the sort of lady one would find it easy to deny once she sets her mind on something.’
‘Well, she has obviously set her heart upon Mr Tyrell and they make a very handsome couple.’ Susie dredged up a smile that felt brittle. ‘Now, enough of that. What do you have to tell me about my godson’s progress?’
Emma beamed and went into an elongated explanation about her baby son’s antics.
‘He will soon have a playmate,’ Emma said, placing a hand protectively over her stomach.
Susie expressed her delight and listened with half an ear as Emma continued to extol the virtues of married life.
‘Which is all fine and good if one is fortunate enough to find a husband as loving and attentive as yours. Bella, Naomi and Ellie have managed to do so as well. So has Rosie, which rather uses up the family’s quota of luck, don’t you think?’
‘Nonsense!’ Emma squeezed Susie’s arm. ‘None of us, your sister, your other cousins or me, will rest easy until we see you as happily settled as we are.’
‘Then alas, you are in for an uncomfortable wait.’
Emma sent her a knowing look. ‘We shall see. Oh, is that Miss Stoughton on Spence’s arm. Simon won’t like that.’
‘No, I don’t suppose he will. But then again, he’s not even looking at them.’ Susie’s gaze focused upon Simon, who was gaping at Miss Fleming with his mouth all but hanging open. ‘I rather think that Simon has found a new focus for his affections,’ she said, rolling her eyes at the futility of his a
mbition.
Emma laughed. ‘So it would seem. I would like to meet Mr Tyrell but I don’t have the courage to interrupt his rather intense conversation with Miss Fleming.’
‘Come and get a cup of peach ratafia. You look hot and it will refresh you.’
ᴥᴥᴥ
‘What on earth are you doing in Derbyshire?’ James asked in a thunderous undertone, managing to hold onto his temper—just—by the sheer force of will.
‘Are you not pleased to see me?’ Beatrice asked in a childish tone that he had once thought endearing but now found profoundly annoying.
‘Answer the question.’
‘You do not own the county, you know.’ Beatrice tossed her head. ‘You left London, refused to take me with you—’
‘And so you followed me.’
‘You left the capital and it seemed unamusing suddenly, so I decided to pay a visit to my old governess in Yorkshire.’
James narrowed his eyes at her, making it clear that he didn’t believe a word of it. ‘And just happened to stop in the same part of the country as me.’
‘Isn’t that a lucky coincidence!’
‘How did you know I was at Pemberley?’
James asked the question as a matter of course, but he already knew the answer. Beatrice would have visited his father, pretended to know where James had gone and the old man would have confirmed the more exact particulars. She was nothing if not conniving.
‘I did not,’ she replied with an expression of wide-eyed innocence that was almost convincing. ‘Imagine my surprise when I stopped for a few days with my friend Mabel Frobisher, and she introduced me to her neighbour, Mrs Darcy’s niece, who mentioned she was coming to Pemberley tonight to meet you. Naturally, I accepted an invitation to join her.’ She pouted at James, another gesture that had once enthralled him now left him unmoved.
‘I am here on my father’s business,’ he replied with exaggerated patience, ‘and cannot afford distractions.’
‘Other than those supplied by the rather plain girl in turquoise with whom you were promenading on the terrace.’ Beatrice narrowed her pretty eyes, the jealousy and suspicion reflected in them rendering her almost ugly.
‘I don’t have time to devote to you, Beatrice. Besides, you can’t call at the house I occupy. I don’t have a hostess to act as chaperone.’
Beatrice flapped a hand in casual dismissal of the proprieties. ‘Our relationship has gone beyond that point, surely?’
‘I will see you when I return to London, and not before.’ He fixed her with a look of steely determination. ‘Keep away from me in the meantime. It’s for your own good.’
‘You are involved with something dangerous and fear for my safety.’ She grasped onto the possibility with a desperate need to salve her wounded pride. He didn’t have the desire or energy to set her straight.
‘Precisely so. Leave Derbyshire immediately, Beatrice. I can’t worry about you along with everything else.’
James walked away from her and avoided her for the rest of the evening.
Chapter Seven
As the last of their guests took their leave, Lizzy congratulated herself upon a successful soiree. All of her neighbours were delighted to have made the acquaintance of such an eminent artist’s son. Mr Tyrell handled the demands for his attention with a display of elegant manners, suave sophistication and compelling charm. Even so, Lizzy sensed underlying tension in his behaviour—presumably a result of his reasons for being in the district and his need to look upon one or more of her guests with a suspicious eye.
That tension had been exacerbated when Miss Fleming made her grand entrance. Lizzy and Will had exchanged an astonished glance when Emma introduced the young lady, wondering why Mr Tyrell had not warned them to expect her. The answer to that question became obvious when Mr Tyrell was barely able to contain his fury at the sight of her. It was obvious that he had not expected her and wasn’t especially pleased to see her in Derbyshire.
Now, after midnight, the family was left alone with Mr Tyrell. Lizzy took a seat beside Susie, concerned about her daughter’s reaction to events. Her prolonged sojourn on the terrace with Mr Tyrell had not escaped her notice. Nor had Miss Fleming’s reaction to the sight of them together. Miss Fleming, despite her radiant beauty and confident manner, was clearly not equally confident of Mr Tyrell’s regard for her. Lizzy found that interesting. She had not spoken with the young lady for long but the few words they had exchanged were sufficient for Lizzy to decide that she didn’t care for her society. Experience had taught her that it was often thus with exceptionally handsome members of either sex. They seemed to think their exquisite looks made them superior to lesser mortals, who were not deserving of their attention.
‘Thank you so very much, Mrs Darcy.’ Mr Tyrell’s smooth voice recalled Lizzy’s wandering attention. ‘You went to a great deal of trouble on my behalf this evening, and I am most grateful to you.’
‘It was entirely my pleasure. But the question is, did it have the desired effect? Did you learn anything that might help you to identify the forger?’
‘Actually, yes.’ It was Spence who replied. ‘I mentioned Bevan in passing to Miss Stoughton and she recognised the name.’
Lizzy glanced at Susie, suspecting that Spence’s revelation came as no surprise to her or Mr Tyrell. Her daughter seemed distracted and showed no reaction to it at all. Was that distraction caused by Miss Fleming’s arrival or was it the result of her own tangled emotions? Lizzy vowed to have a private conversation with her daughter as soon as the opportunity arose. A little sage motherly advice as she confronted the pitfalls littering the path of transition from girl to woman was long overdue.
Lord above knew, Jane and Lizzy would have benefited from wise guidance at Susie’s age but unfortunately their own mama’s head seldom held more than one sensible thought throughout the course of an entire day. Lizzy had determined that none of her own children, her daughters especially, would suffer for want of astute guidance. She had steered Bella on the right path when she was filled with self-doubts and would take pleasure in performing the same service for her younger daughter.
‘What more could Miss Stoughton tell you?’ Will asked.
Lizzy was shocked when it became apparent that Mr Covington could somehow be involved.
‘Why would he do such a thing?’ she asked in a bemused voice. ‘To the best of my knowledge, the family are comfortably situated and I cannot persuade myself that Mr Covington has any reason to behave so dishonourably.’
‘Miss Stoughton seems to think that they returned from Italy for reasons of financial necessity,’ Spence said. ‘Covington would not be the first gentleman in desperate straits who has been persuaded to equally desperate means of recovery.’
‘Can’t see it myself,’ Marc said pensively.
‘If we assume Miss Stoughton is in the right of it,’ Will said. ‘It begs the question, what do we intend to do about it?’
Susie, Lizzy noticed, continued to idly pluck at her skirts and stare sightlessly ahead. She had no suggestions to make and that was unusual enough to increase Lizzy’s concerns about her wellbeing.
‘My difficulty is that I can hardly approach a man I barely know and ask him if he is acting as an agent for my father’s forged artwork,’ Mr Tyrell remarked.
‘How did Covington seem when you conversed with him?’ Will asked. ‘It would take a cool head to act normally if he is involved with the man forging your father’s work.’
‘Unfortunately I never spoke with him alone. I spent more time trying to single Sir Robert out. He was very affable and didn’t seem the slightest bit alarmed to make my acquaintance. Quite the reverse, in fact.’ Mr Tyrell rubbed his jaw in a contemplative fashion. ‘If Bevan was a guest in his house and used the opportunity to pass off forgeries to one or two of his other guests, than I am firmly of the belief that Sir Robert knew nothing about it.’
‘I am pleased to hear you say so,’ Will replied. ‘I found it hard to believe t
hat a respectable person whose society I have enjoyed for years would stoop so low. His reputation means a great deal to him and he simply wouldn’t take the chance.’
‘You didn’t bring Bevan’s name into your conversation with Sir Robert?’ Spence asked.
Mr Tyrell spread his hands. ‘There was no opportunity to do so convincingly since I have no idea who the man is, or what his connection is to Sir Robert.’
‘Because everyone was anxious for your attention and you were not permitted to speak with him alone,’ Lizzy said, smiling. ‘I should have anticipated that possibility. Still, it seems Spence obtained the most helpful information, even though I refuse to believe it until I receive definitive proof.’
‘You will be surprised what lengths people will go to when desperation calls,’ Will said, smiling at Lizzy in the particular manner than he seemed to reserve just for her and which still had the ability to reduce her to a quivering mass of desire.
‘Perhaps he didn’t do so willingly, but is being coerced somehow.’
All heads turned to look at Susie. It was the first contribution she had made to the discussion, and she did so with a decided lack of animation in her voice.
‘It’s highly possible,’ Marc said. ‘But all the speculation in the world won’t get us any further forward. Action of some sort is called for.’
‘I thought I might pay a private call on Sir Robert tomorrow,’ Mr Tyrell said. ‘Now that I am as sure as I can be that he has no direct involvement, I see no harm in mentioning Bevan to him in passing. I’ll perhaps say that I heard it mentioned somewhere that they were acquaintances and wondered if it was the same Bevan known to my father.’
‘An excellent idea,’ Will said. ‘That way, we needn’t try to delve into Covington’s affairs until we are better informed.’
Lizzy, aware that Will was reluctant to do so for fear of upsetting her friendship with Verity Covington, smiled her gratitude.
‘Then that is what I shall do.’ Mr Tyrell stood. ‘But it is late and I have kept you from your beds for too long. Once again, my thanks to you, ma’am,’ he said, bowing over Lizzy’s hand, ‘and to you, sir, for all your efforts on my behalf.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I apologise for Miss Fleming putting herself upon you uninvited.’
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