Page 50 of An Accidental Meeting
“Mr. Darcy has eight beautiful carriages, Aunt Gardiner,” she explained.
"Rather expensive hobby," Uncle Gardiner murmured.
Elizabeth smiled. “Eight carriages and one black, unremarkable buggy.”
“Which of course you remarked upon,” Uncle Gardiner said affectionately.
“Of course. It was so different than the others.”
“More different than I knew,” Mr. Darcy added. He motioned that they should sit, and Aunt Gardiner joined her on the settee while Elizabeth’s uncle sat in a chair facing them. “It belongs to my cousins, who are yet in France.”
“I will not ask how it comes to be here,” Uncle Gardiner said, though he was in fact doing that very thing.
Mr. Darcy explained it all quickly, and then fetched the box containing the pouches, setting it down beside the table. “I wished for you to be here, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, because it would draw too much attention to open this anywhere else in the house, and Miss Bennet wished to witness it. However, for the sake of privacy I am required to shut the door. In the library that might not matter, for anyone may wander in, but in my study . . .”
“Enough said, Mr. Darcy,” Uncle Gardiner said with a nod. “I think we are all sufficiently curious about what you have discovered to warrant a quick unveiling.”
Aunt Gardiner squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “This is so exciting.”
Mr. Darcy set a silver tray on the table that sat between the settee and two chairs, then picked up one of the bags. “This one is rather light,” he said. He took it over to a tray, moved a decanter to the side, then loosened the drawstring and turned the little sack over.
Something spilled out, but it was not anything that Elizabeth recognized as treasure.
“Seeds,” Mr. Darcy said. “As we expected.”
“Are they at least unusual or unique seeds?” Uncle Gardiner asked.
Mr. Darcy examined them. “Common barley, I believe.” He returned to the box and began to lift one bag after the other out, separating them into two piles.
“I expect the lighter bags were placed on top of the heavier ones,” Aunt Gardiner said.
“Of course, to hide them,” Elizabeth replied. Her aunt smiled at her.
“So that if someone working for the French government had found the box, there was a chance he would not look any farther than the lighter bags on top?”
Mr. Darcy shook his head. “It seems unlikely that such men would go to the trouble of finding contraband and then not sort through it thoroughly.”
“Depends upon the man, Mr. Darcy,” Uncle Gardiner said. “It might even be that your cousin had friends in important posts who might have helped speed the way.”
“May we open the other bags now?” Elizabeth inquired.
Mr. Darcy chuckled. “Will you do the honours, Miss Bennet?” He handed her one of the heavier pouches.
Elizabeth took it eagerly. The material was rough to the touch. She pulled the strings apart and reached in, her fingers touching something cold and hard. “My goodness,” she said.
“What is it, Lizzy?” her aunt asked.
She leaned forward to pour the contents out over the table. Perhaps thirty gold coins, and three small, rough stones. “Are those quartz?”
Mr. Darcy picked one up. He pressed his lips together. “You have your treasure, Miss Bennet,” he said. “For this is a diamond.”
Uncle Gardiner glanced up at Mr. Darcy, silently asking permission. He received a nod in reply and picked up the othertwo stones. “These are uncut, but of an excellent size. Your family must have been wealthy indeed.”
“They are, sir.”
Elizabeth noted the correction.
“Surely, Mr. Darcy, if your family was unable to leave France during the year of peace . . .” Uncle Gardiner stopped and shook his head. “I beg your pardon.”
