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“What a morning!” Charles said. “Absolutely perfect for riding, and Miss Darcy is one of the few women who can give me a run for my money.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bingley. I learned from my brother, who would not allow me to use my sex as an excuse, and because of that, I had to work very hard,” and turning to her cousin, she asked, “Will you ride with us tomorrow, Lord Fitzwilliam? I know you are a fine horseman.”

“Past tense, my dear. I was a fine horseman. These days the only riding I do is in a carriage,” he said with real regret because there was nothing like a fine mount to make you feel as if you could conquer the world. However, when you were never completely sober, the last place you wanted to be was on a spirited animal, unforgiving of error. But there had been a time when he had ridden like the wind, and even his brother and cousin could not catch him. “What have you done with Darcy? Hopefully, you have not left him lying at the bottom of some chasm in his nice riding clothes.”

“My brother had business in Lambton, Milord, but he will be with us for dinner.”

“Well, I am not waiting for dinner,” Richard said, patting his stomach. “I am starving and Bingley has done nothing but talk of food since we got in sight of Pemberley.”

Lord Fitzwilliam pushed his plate away from him untouched. The thought of eating before noon disgusted him. “Richard, you may have my chair. Mrs. Hurst and I were about to go into the gardens when you arrived, so if you will excuse us,” and Antony stood up and extended his arm to Louisa.

Louisa and Lord Fitzwilliam’s departure was as surprising as the sight of a nun strolling through St. James’s Park with the Prince of Wales would have been, and no one was more surprised than Louisa Hurst. After finding a seat on the bench nearest to the maze, Lord Fitzwilliam told her, “Since I am an earl, I may say things that other people cannot, and you must listen. You are a delightful young woman, but I am afraid, my dear, your sister quite overpowers you, and you defer to her in everything. Last night, you told me you are rarely separated. May I suggest that you go away for a month or two, so that she might have an opportunity to miss you and thus recognize your value?”

It was true that Louisa deferred to Caroline. Because of her sister’s strong personality, she usually found it best to agree with her, even when she really disagreed, as was the case with Jane and Charles. After so many years of bending to Caroline’s will, was change really possible?

“Is there someone you may visit?”

“I have a sister in Ireland, Milord.”

“My dear, it is not necessary to leave the country. Is there no one nearer?”

“My sister Diana lives near the Welsh border.”

“But not in Wales, I hope. The Celtic race was pushed into the corners, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and in the case of the Irish, onto their own island. People who live in corners are always odd and should be avoided.”

“She lives in Herefordshire, sir.”

“Herefordshire will do. As for your husband, ordinarily, I am not a believer in reforming others as change comes from within. However, Mr. Hurst is a young man and of an age when reform is possible. So what can you do to help him? I suspect your husband is a younger son, so you might begin by approaching whoever provides his allowance. Bad habits require money. Or you may dilute the port as Jackson is doing on Mr. Darcy’s orders for me. A bucket of cold water is also known to work. Temporarily. But it did get my attention.”

Lord Fitzwilliam stood up and taking Louisa by the hand suggested that they attempt to navigate the maze.

“Milord, I get lost every time.”

“So do I. But it is a beautiful morning, and we have all day. Although I doubt Darcy would send a search party to find me, I am sure he would send one out for you.”

Chapter 40

When Elizabeth had said the name “Wickham,” it had the same effect on Darcy as a punch to the gut. He had no doubt his intended target was not Lydia but him. Whether he had figured out that Bingley was in love with Jane Bennet or that he had feelings for Elizabeth, Wickham had decided to strike at Darcy through a Bennet sister. The urgency of finding Lydia was such that he had left the woman he loved to be comforted by others, but knowing the bastard had no intention of marrying a young girl with no fortune, he believed he had no choice. Once Wickham had his way with Lydia, he would leave her and never look back.

After seeing the Gardiners’ carriage depart, he sent a rider to Pemberley with a note instructing Mercer to come to the inn immediately and to be prepared to set out for London. By the time his manservant arrived, he had written a letter to George Bingley explaining what had happened and relating everything that was known concerning the couple’s whereabouts. Because George’s investments were so extensive, he had men in London and throughout the country looking after the interests of the Bingley family. If Wickham and Lydia were in London, George Bingley would find them.

In order not to arouse suspicion among his guests, Darcy had to delay his own departure until the following day. He would use his time to acquaint Richard, Georgiana, and Anne with the drama unfolding in London, and he would need their help to entertain their guests and to keep speculation as to the reasons for his departure to a minimum. The fewer people who knew of these events the better, and he most particularly did not want Caroline Bingley to know. He would deny her the pleasure of finding out that the Bennets had once again fallen short, and, in this case, tragically so. Darcy regretted the necessity of this action as Anne had told him the previous evening that the steady drip of venom from Caroline’s tongue had worn her down, and she was beginning to feel the fatigue that plagued her when she was with her mother. After speaking with Richard and asking him to keep his brother under control, Darcy returned to his guests, only to find Caroline venting her intense dislike of Elizabeth Bennet.

“I must confess I never could see any beauty in her. Her face is too thin, her complexion has no brilliancy, and as for her fine eyes, I never could perceive anything extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all,” and turning to Mr. Darcy, she said, “I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty, and I particularly recollect you saying, ‘She a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit.’”

“I did make that comment regarding Mrs. Bennet,” Darcy responded, “and it was a demonstration of how ill-mannered I can be when I am out of sorts. As for Miss Elizabeth, for these many months, I have considered her to be one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.”

This brusque response to one of his guests put Georgiana on alert. She had earlier noticed Jackson speaking to Anne and her departure shortly thereafter, and five minutes after Anne’s return, Richard had left the room. Had something gone wrong when Will went to Lambton to say good-bye to Elizabeth? That didn’t seem likely because it was as clear as day that Elizabeth and her brother were in love. But something must have happened at the inn because it was obvious he wanted to be gone—but why and to where?

After supper, they all adjourned to the drawing room, but before going in, Charles warned his sister, “Lord Fitzwilliam is known to have a razor tongue. Say nothing that will make him turn it on you.”