‘Nonsense,’ Lizzy replied. ‘My niece brought her along, which means she was invited, indirectly. Besides, it was a pleasure to make her acquaintance.’
‘I had no idea she was in the county.’ His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched. ‘But rest assured, she will not be here for long. I was not aware she knew precisely where I was but she definitely doesn’t know what business has brought me to Derbyshire and I would keep it that way, if at all possible.’
‘It is to your credit that you wish to protect her from this sorry affair and she will not hear of it from any of us,’ Will assured him.
Lizzy didn’t think that protection was his precise intention but refrained from saying so.
‘Thank you, sir.’
Mr Tyrell took his leave of Marc and Spence. He then turned to Susie, his smile softening as he shook her hand. But Susie, Lizzy was perplexed to notice, barely looked at him and wished him goodnight with the minimum of courtesy.
As soon as Mr Tyrell was gone, Susie was the first of her children to take herself off to bed. There would be no immediate opportunity for Lizzy to quiz her daughter on her disgruntled mood. Perhaps a good night’s repose would prove to be all that was needed to restore her habitual good spirits and Lizzy need not probe into her personal aspirations after all.
‘Another triumph, my dear,’ Will said, joining Lizzy through the door that connected to his own seldom slept in bedchamber the moment her maid had been dismissed. ‘I am at a loss to understand how you do it.’
‘I have told you many times, I do very little. The servants ought to take the credit.’
‘For the food and service, certainly, but you are the most charming and gracious hostess in the county and the credit for that is yours alone.’
She laughed up at her husband as she slid between the sheets. ‘Thank you, but you’re biased. Besides, if I am gracious, it is very easy to be so when one is mistress of such a grand estate and the wife if its even more impressive master.’
The mattress dipped as Will climbed into bed beside Lizzy and slid a protective arm around her shoulders.
‘Well then, now that we’ve established all of that, perhaps you’d care to tell me what troubles you.’
She sighed. ‘I never could cut a sham over you.’
‘I know you too well and care too much about your happiness not to notice the slightest change in your demeanour.’
‘Well then, Miss Fleming would be a good place to start. What did you make of her?’
‘A ravishing beauty who turned the heads of every male member of your party, with the exception of your husband, naturally.’
‘Oh, naturally.’ Lizzy gently rapped Will’s torso. ‘But one other amongst us was immune to her charms, I think, and he is the person she most wanted to impress.’
‘Whatever can you mean?’
‘Mr Tyrell was not pleased to see her here.’
She sensed Will lifting a brow. ‘Was he not? He seemed awfully anxious to protect her from the business that brought him to the district.’
‘Oh, Will! For an observant man you sometimes don’t see what is beneath your very nose.’
Will chuckled. ‘When it comes to amatory matters, which I assume is what you refer to, I leave the observations and speculation to you ladies. You—all of you—excel at it.’
‘Then you will not be interested in what I observed and speculated upon,’ she replied playfully.
‘You wish to tell me and, as you are well aware, I would never deliberately deny any pleasure of yours.’
‘Mr Tyrell was not nearly so pleased to see Miss Fleming as she was to see him. She obviously made it her business to follow him here, made herself known to Emma and invited herself to my party.’ Lizzy smiled into the darkness. ‘It’s unfortunate that she happened to arrive just as Mr Tyrell escorted Susie in from the terrace.’
‘Good heavens! I had no idea she was out there alone with him.’
‘For a considerable amount of time, and she has been very withdrawn since Miss Fleming’s arrival.’
‘Do you suppose that Tyrell has—’
‘Stop worrying.’ She tapped Will’s chest for a second time. ‘He is a gentleman. I have no idea what they were talking about for so long but I am satisfied that Mr Tyrell didn’t cross any boundaries. He probably followed her out there in order to enjoy a respite from the ceaseless demands for his attention.’ Lizzy paused. ‘Even so, as I say, Susie now seems out of spirits, which is most unlike her. I think she is too sensible to harbour unrealistic expectations, but still, I shall take an early opportunity to talk with her about the matter if her mood doesn’t improve.’
‘Why should her expectations, if she had developed any, be unrealistic?’ Will demanded to know. ‘Our daughter is a delight. She would grace the home of any gentleman fortunate enough to secure her affections.’
‘Perhaps her expectations are not unrealistic, always supposing she had developed any, but Susie lacks confidence in her appearance. She is always comparing herself to her cousins and finding herself wanting. I know how she feels because it was the same for me when compared to Jane. I could not hold a candle to her, and well I knew it. She will have taken one look at Miss Fleming’s lovely face and decided that she can’t compete with her remarkable beauty.’
Will harrumphed. ‘Nonsense! Not all men are swayed by a pretty face.’
‘You certainly were not.’
‘On that score we will always disagree.’ He gently kissed her brow. ‘You seem to think she has developed an interest in Tyrell.’
Lizzy lifted the shoulder not resting on Will’s chest. ‘It’s a natural conclusion to reach. He’s a very handsome man. Witty and entertaining, too. He would turn most girls’ heads.’
‘Susie is intelligent, lively and, like her mother, not afraid to challenge his opinions. I cannot imagine whose example she has followed all these years.’ Will’s teasing earned him another rap from Lizzy’s knuckles. ‘Tyrell will find our daughter’s forthrightness a refreshing and infuriating change, I dare say. I know nothing to Miss Fleming’s disadvantage but in my experience exceedingly beautiful women are often vain and self-obsessed creatures who require constant attention. One would soon weary of their demands, I should think.’
Lizzy chuckled. ‘She spent the evening glaring daggers at Susie one minute and looking perplexed the next. As though she couldn’t fathom how Mr Tyrell could possibly favour our daughter over her.’ Lizzy snuggled into a more comfortable position, using Will’s chest as a pillow, and yawned. ‘However, I am probably reading too much into the situation and it will transpire that Susie was preoccupied about something else entirely. I shall find a way to ask her tomorrow.’
‘I will be sorry if it transpires that Covington is involved with the forger. I know you value his wife’s friendship.’
Lizzy sighed. ‘I don’t want to believe it but, having had time to reflect, I cannot discard the possibility either.’ She leaned up on one elbow. ‘By the way, it seems our son has decided to take over when Simon has left off.’
‘I don’t understand you.’
‘Of course you do not.’ Lizzy shook her head. ‘Jane’s son has been mooning after Amelia Stoughton for months now, but without noticeable effect since she doesn’t seem to return his regard. But tonight I noticed a marked alteration in Simon. He didn’t single Amelia out at all. In fact, he seemed totally besotted with Miss Fleming and spent more time at her side than Mr Tyrell did. Spence, on the other hand, devoted almost all his attention to Amelia, who didn’t seem to mind at all.’
‘Go to sleep, Lizzy,’ Will said with an exasperated sigh, ‘and leave our children to fathom their own romantic affairs. They will not thank you for interfering.’
‘I never imagined that Spence would be the first of the boys to break ranks,’ Lizzy said, smiling to herself. ‘However, if he settles upon Amelia I shall be delighted.’
She glanced down at Will, expecting a further reprimand, but could tell from the evenness o
f his breathing that he was already sound asleep. As she too drifted into sleep she told herself that she wasn’t interfering, merely taking a mother’s natural interest in her children’s intentions.
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Susie dismissed Mary and slid into her bed. Extremely tired, she was also appalled by what she had done she knew sleep would be a long time coming. Had she run completely mad, confiding James’s problems to Tobias, the one man in the area who was most likely up to his neck in the business? He must be, since Amelia had seen him talking with the mystery man, Bevan. Susie felt hot with embarrassment at her lack of judgement, and then cold with remorse as she continued to berate herself for her own stupidity.
She would have to admit to James what she had done, unsure where she would find the right words to justify her appalling indiscretion. She would lose his respect, the only aspect of his admiration she could ever hope to inspire, and he would cut her out of the investigation completely when he learned of her lack of judgement. How could she explain that she had badly wanted Tobias to be a reformed character and actually trusted him? What a fool! Tobias would get word to Bevan if he was still in the district, he would disappear and James would be no nearer discovering the whereabouts or identity of the forger.
And it was all her fault.
What could she do to set the matter straight? Should she confront Tobias, tell him she knew of his connection to Bevan and ask him what business they had together? What was the likelihood of him telling her the truth, even if she were to embarrass herself to that extent? If it was an innocent acquaintanceship, why did they conduct their conversations in a quiet side path where they were least likely to be seen together? Why not tell her immediately she mentioned the man’s name that he was known to him?
Facts had to be faced. Tobias’s involvement with Bevan was damning, and confronting him about it would make matters worse. So too would attempting to follow him in the hope of intercepting his next meeting with Bevan—since it might never take place. The man could be already gone from the district. Even if he was not, Tobias went into Lambton and Denton on estate business on a regular basis. She could trail after him for a week and not be any the wiser. Tobias had survived on his wits for months and would know he was being followed, no matter how stealthy she attempted to be. Besides, stealth when dressed in feminine attire would be near impossible.
If confronting Tobias was out of the question, only one alternative was left to her. She swallowed down her anxiety as she contemplated the excruciating necessity of telling James the complete truth. She had already alerted him to Tobias’s possible connection with Bevan, but had not revealed her impulsive decision to break James’s confidence. She accepted that she must do so without further delay. She was no coward, had made an error of judgement and must now do what she could to put it right. The loss of the respect of a man whom she would likely never see again once he left Derbyshire was nothing compared to the lasting damage it would cause to her conscience if she failed to own up to her folly.
She would visit him in the morning at Hillgate House. Yes, that was what she would do. She would think of an excuse to ride out alone, which would require her to indulge in a small untruth, and make him aware of her stupidity before he called upon Sir Robert. Her heart quailed at the prospect, then palpitated as another thought struck her, causing her to jerk upright in bed. What if Miss Fleming also called upon him? That lady had spent the evening sending Susie angry and incredulous looks, as though she couldn’t quite understand why her intended would waste a second of his time with someone as unremarkable as she.
Susie thumped her pillows, turned over and wallowed in a moment’s self-pity. Miss Fleming possessed a wild beauty that had turned the heads of every gentleman in her mother’s drawing room. But Susie consoled herself with the thought that she did not possess an equally lovely disposition. She had obviously followed James to Derbyshire and it was equally clear he wasn’t happy that she had done so. Presumably because he didn’t want to place her in danger. Be that as it may, Susie would take the chance and ride to Hillgate House in the morning. And if Miss Fleming was there, Susie would deal with that problem when the time came.
Thus resolved she felt into a restless sleep that was invaded by recollections of the kiss James had far too fleetingly bestowed upon her welcoming lips. She tried not to dwell upon the fact that he would definitely not be moved to kiss her for a second time—not when he learned what she had done.
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‘How was it?’ Dawlish asked as he drove James home.
‘Beatrice made an entrance,’ James replied, scowling.
‘So I heard. Talk of the servants’ hall, so it was.’
James rolled his eyes. ‘I can well imagine.’
‘How did she find you?’
‘How does she ever do anything? Anyway, forget about her. We have more immediate problems.’
Dawlish guffawed. ‘Only you would refer to the most beautiful heiress in the country as a problem.’
James ignored Dawlish’s implication and went on to tell him about Covington, Darcy’s steward’s connection to Bevan and his belief that Sir Robert was innocent.
‘Blimey.’ Dawlish removed one hand from the reins and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘What you say tallies with what I learned. I asked Sir Robert’s groom about him, all casual like, and received a glowing response. Other ostlers were around and the general consensus of opinion is that he’s a bang-up cove. That don’t mean much in itself, other than that servants have a knack for knowing when something ain’t quite right. Sir Robert enjoys the best of everything, including horseflesh. I saw his team and they’re first rate. Anyway, what I’m saying is that if he’s involved in this business it ain’t because he’s short of blunt.’
‘Spencer Darcy’s valet’s been asking casual questions about him in the tavern at Denton and came up with the same responses.’
‘It’s safe to assume that Sir Robert’s an innocent pawn then?’
James nodded. ‘What of Covington? I know I didn’t ask you to enquire about him but I wondered if you formed an impression.’
‘Can’t say that I did. There were a lot of grooms loitering about but I don’t remember meeting Covington’s man.’
‘Odd,’ James replied pensively. ‘Much as I was the centre of attention above stairs, I would assume curiosity, if nothing else, would put you in a similar situation below.’
‘True enough. Almost everyone came to shake my hand and ask questions about you. Can’t recall Covington’s man doing so though.’
‘This is not looking good for Mrs Darcy’s friend. She is greatly attached to Mrs Covington and knows nothing to that family’s detriment.’
‘Sounds as though you have someone inside the household, this Miss Stoughton, who might be able to come up with more concrete evidence of their circumstances.’
‘Possibly,’ James agreed as Dawlish swung the curricle into the grounds of Hillgate House. ‘But I would prefer not to put her in that position. I have agreed with Spence that I will speak with Sir Robert first about his connection with Bevan. Once I hear what he has to say, I’ll return to Pemberley and decide where to go from there. Can’t see Spence being happy about involving Miss Stoughton though. He seems keen on the chit. Besides, her half-brother is married to his cousin, so she has a loose connection to the family, making the Darcys feel protective of her interests, no doubt.’
‘What will you do about this steward person?’ Dawlish asked as he brought the conveyance to a halt and James jumped down.
‘Not sure yet. Miss Darcy is friendly with him but I don’t like involving her any more than I must.’ He walked into the house through the side door and divested himself of his hat and gloves.
‘Sounds to me as though it’s too late for that.’ Dawlish followed James into the drawing room. ‘Still, it’s probably as well to keep her away from Miss Fleming.’
James walked to the sideboard, poured two substantial measures of brandy and handed one t
o Dawlish. The two men took the chairs on opposite sides of the fire and savoured their drinks. ‘Miss Fleming is continuing her journey into Yorkshire tomorrow,’ James said with determination. ‘We agreed as much this evening.’
‘And you think she’ll do it? Go, I mean.’ Dawlish curled his upper lip. ‘If she thinks you want her to leave the district, she will most likely develop an imaginary illness that prevents her from travelling until you’re ready to escort her back to London.’
James drained his glass, put it aside and stood. ‘Not if she knows what’s good for her,’ he said, scowling.
Chapter Eight
Despite the lateness of the hour when she retired and her inability to sleep, Susie still rose early, roused by a guilty conscience. She sat up and stretched, feeling lethargic. A headache threatened. Before she could use it as an excuse to delay the call she knew she must make, she rang for Mary.
‘Are you quite well, miss?’ Mary asked when she answered the summons. Susie’s wan complexion and the dark circles beneath her eyes had doubtless caused her maid’s gasp of dismay. ‘I did not expect you to wake for several more hours yet. No one else has risen, as far as I know.’
‘Bring me some breakfast, please,’ Susie said in an unusually sharp tone that discouraged further conversation.
‘Right away. I expect you forget to eat much last night, just like you always do at these affairs. Hunger has prevented you from sleeping well, I shouldn’t wonder.’
Mary scurried away to do as she was asked. Susie wasn’t hungry, and suspected that anything she did attempt to eat wouldn’t get past the lump in her throat. But if she didn’t ask for breakfast her mother would hear about it and demand answers that Susie would prefer not to give. Little escaped Mama’s attention, especially with regard to her children’s wellbeing. If she even suspected that something was troubling Susie, she would not rest until she discovered what it was, so it was vital to behave normally.
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