Page 156 of The Governess of My Heart
Darcy and Elizabeth felt extremely uncomfortable to be a part of this discussion.
“We cannot allow this to continue; whoever it is, they must pay for it. Philip, I understand how difficult this would be for you, but we must stop this. When did she receive the last letter?”
“I think a week ago. Someone has been placing the letters in the garden, which is how she has communicated with them.”
“Do not worry; we will catch whoever is behind this.”
Just then, Lord Anderson and his brother joined them, and Elizabeth immediately stood.
“Kindly excuse me,” she said and left the room.
Darcy noticed the sadness in Lord Anderson’s face as he watched Elizabeth leave the room.
“I hope you have been updated on recent developments, Mr. Darcy,” Lord Anderson said.
“Yes, it is miserable that our family has to endure something like this.”
“The question is, “What do we plan to do?””
“It may not be difficult to catch whoever is behind this, but whatever we do must be done with discretion as I strongly suspect the culprit is somewhere close to us or even in this house.”
“You are right; if Sophia had the diary with her that night and it went missing later, someone here must have stolen it. We were all there that night of the ball; I still cannot believe how none of us ever suspected anything,” Lord Anderson said.
“Philip, I am sorry to ask you this; when did you last see Sophia that night?” Lady Martha asked her son.
“We retired after the ball, and I remember her leaving the room to see the children, but she returned after some time. She looked worried, and I remember asking her whether the children were unwell. But I am not certain why she left the room after that. All I remember is the housekeeper waking me early in the hours informing me of her death.”
“What time did she return to your room that night?” Darcy asked.
“Maybe half past twelve; I was so tired that day and do not remember anything afterward.”
“Did she have the diary with her? Do you remember?” Darcy asked.
“No, she did not. She might have, but I am not certain. I remember her last words that night; she said the children are well; do not worry. But, wait, I do remember, she was looking for something.”
All in the room stared at Lord Ashton.
“She was looking for a pen. Maybe she did write the letter and end her life; I was with her at that moment and never realized her temperament. I could have saved her,” he cried with regret.
“Please do not jump to conclusions. What time did Lady Isabella say they met in her room?”
“Elizabeth asked her the same; it was around twelve,” Lady Martha replied.
“So, she did return to the room after the argument. What made her venture out to the guest wing again?” Darcy asked.
The rest of them were silent.
“We do not have time to waste; if I am right, Lady Isabella received a letter recently demanding more money,” Mr. Anderson mentioned.
“Yes, I assume she was supposed to leave the money tomorrow night in the garden,” Lord Ashton said.
“We do not have much time, and whatever we plan to do must not raise suspicion.”
“Do not worry, Mr. Anderson, whoever it is will be caught, and they have to pay a price for this horrendous act,” Darcy said with confidence.
Lady Martha left the men as they discussed their plans. Everything was discussed within half an hour, and Darcy could sense that no matter what the outcome was, his friend was unwilling to forgive Lady Isabella. He was impatient to see Elizabeth and headed upstairs, where she sat with the children, helping them with their lessons.
As soon as she saw him, she smiled, and Darcy stared at her with admiration for what she had done the previous night.
