Page 55 of I Thee Wed
“I assume so, sir. It went up about eight months ago, shortly after the old lord’s death.”
“Very well. Lock the room.”
Darcy walked back to the library deep in thought. Two conclusions were certain. The smugglers were powerful, strong enough to raise a building on Blackwood land without question. And Lady Catherine was almost certainly being paid to turn a blind eye. Relief came in one respect: at least she had not paid to build the barn herself, and the structure was not on Rosings' soil. Yet the matter was far from settled. He must learn whether his aunt had taken any part in the trade, and if so, how deeply she was involved.
Chapter 37: Intrigue
After suffering through a tediously long dinner, Darcy rose and turned to his aunt. “I have a migraine, ladies, and if I do not retire early, it will become more severe. I shall go now and hope to stave it off.”
“I am sorry to hear that, Darcy,” his aunt replied.
Richard then stood and gave a great yawn. “Aunt Catherine, I mean to go to my bed as soon as I have had a walk in the garden. I find that when I spend too many hours in the saddle, my back begins to ache if I do not walk it off. Forgive me, ladies, but I must excuse myself.”
Anne rose from her chair. “Mother, since my cousins are going to bed early, I will too. I may have overdone it when I drove my phaeton today. Would you like a little brandy before I leave?”
“Yes, bring me a snifter of brandy and my book.”
Anne found her mother’s book, poured a generous measure of brandy, and then withdrew.
All three cousins met in the library shortly after.
“What did you discover, Darcy? Was there anything of use?”
Darcy smiled. “I am relieved to report that the barn does not stand upon Rosings' land. It lies well within the borders of Blackwood Park. I also learned that Lord Ashbrook passed away a year ago, and three months later, the barn was built. But his nephew, Hugh Davenport, inherited the estate while he was still fighting on the Peninsula. He sold out of the service only four months ago and has not yet been in Kent. He prefers London.The smugglers have taken advantage of his absence. They are using the tracks across his fields and have had the effrontery to build a barn. I suspect our aunt has been paid to look the other way. I hope her involvement goes no further. I searched her study. There is no second set of accounts there.”
Anne gasped. “You are looking for another set of ledgers? If Mother had any, they would not be kept in her study. My father maintained a private room for valuables, such as jewels, wills, and important papers. I was sometimes taken there when he wished to show me the pieces I should one day inherit. Mother disliked it and often scolded him for allowing me to idle with him instead of attending to my governess. That room lies beyond his study. There is a safe, a large desk, and couches. If anything has been hidden, it will be there.”
Darcy turned to her at once. “Does my aunt seem nervous of late? Have you observed signs of unease?”
Anne hesitated. “I try to remain apart from her, for she is difficult, and my peace is greater when I avoid her company. But, we always dine together, and she appears much the same as ever.” She paused, her brow furrowing. “Well, not entirely the same. In recent months, she has been more irritable. Perhaps it has been fear and not irritation. At times, I have entered a room without her notice and found her staring into space, her face marked with alarm.”
Richard looked at Darcy. “Perhaps she is not complicit but threatened.”
Darcy nodded slowly. “It may be so. She could have been pressed and then offered relief if she agreed to remain silent.”
“In either case,” Richard replied, “we must know if there are other ledgers. That would answer our questions.”
Darcy folded his arms. “If such books exist, Cooper has not seen them. He is too transparent, too incapable of deceit. The difficulty lies in gaining access to the hidden room without my aunt’s knowledge.”
Anne’s voice was steady. “I know the entrance and how it may be opened. You cannot succeed without me.”
Richard glanced at Darcy. “Cousin, can you contrive to occupy Lady Catherine elsewhere? If Anne and I remain behind, we can search.”
Darcy considered, then said, “Yes. I will drive her to the parsonage for a morning call, and if the visit proves too short, I shall carry her on to Hunsford village. If I return by the eastern road, we shall pass the barn. I wish to see her face when she views it.”
Richard frowned. “And what if the smugglers are still in the area?”
“I shall walk to the folly at dawn and survey the place. If there is no movement, I will take her there. Her reaction may tell us more than she intends.”
They spoke for a few minutes longer, and then they parted for the night.
The following morning, Darcy went out at first light with a spyglass. He was surprised when he saw Elizabeth already standing at the edge of the grove, looking up at the streaks of purple and red that filled the sky. He joined her but did not speak until the colors faded.
When it was over, Elizabeth turned and said, “You are early today, Mr. Darcy.”
He grinned. “I would not have guessed that you chased the sunrise.”
“Yes. I like to walk early. Mary keeps me busy visiting parishioners most of the morning, and I will not be free again until early afternoon.”
