Page 17 of Love Among the Shadows
“I am sure. Who else could have a vendetta against me?” Darcy’s said, his voice laced with frustration. “When I arrived here, there were no deaths connected to me. It wasn’t until that first ball—after we had been here for a week—that the first man died.”
Fitzwilliam’s brow furrowed in thought, and he leaned forward, clearly interested. “You didn’t know Wickham was here before then?”
“No,” Darcy said sharply. “I had no idea he was even in Meryton. The last I heard, he was in London. And then suddenly, he appears here, and people start dying.”
Fitzwilliam raised an eyebrow. “That’s... curious. But what of the balls? Did Wickham attend either of them?”
Darcy frowned as he tried to recollect the events. “No, I don’t believe he was there. I don’t remember seeing him at either ball, though there were militia members at both.”
“Hmmm,” Fitzwilliam said again, clearly lost in thought.
“Richard, what does that ‘hmmm’ mean?” Darcy asked impatiently. “You must tell me what you’re thinking.”
Leaning forward, Fitzwilliam met Darcy’s eyes. “Let us suppose that there is indeed a killer, someone targeting people you’ve argued with. For that to make sense, this killer would have to be close enough to see these quarrels take place. But if Wickham wasn’t at the balls—”
Darcy’s eyes widened as the realization struck him. “Of course! Wickham couldn’t have seen the arguments if he wasn’t present.”
Fitzwilliam’s expression remained thoughtful. “Exactly. But if he has an accomplice—someone in the militia, or perhaps someone else at the ball—then it would be possible for him to know.”
Darcy was quiet for a moment, processing the implication. “That means the suspect pool just expanded.”
Fitzwilliam nodded, his gaze steady. “Yes. If Wickham has help, the killer could be anyone who was at the events. Or, we could be wrong, and it isn’t Wickham at all.”
Darcy’s tone darkened. “It is Wickham. He’s the only one who would have had a reason to target me.”
“And it could also be someone else entirely,” Richard said, his voice low. “Perhaps a maniac who has latched onto youas the object of his fascination. You do stand out in a crowd, Darcy.”
Darcy grimaced at the thought. “I hope it’s not that.”
Fitzwilliam stood up. “I’ll begin by speaking to Colonel Forster.”
“Forster was at the events too. I think he’s a good man, but—”
Fitzwilliam raised a hand to silence him. “I know the Colonel. He’s not our killer. But this is his turf, and respect demands that I inform him of what I’m doing. You said in your letter that you spoke to him.”
“Bingley has a good rapport with the Colonel. We’ve had luncheon with him before. I believe he respects me.”
“If he respects you, as you say, he will want your name cleared.”
Darcy nodded, but still looked troubled. “You won’t mention Wickham to him just yet, will you?”
“No,” Fitzwilliam replied firmly. “I’ll handle that carefully. Colonel Forster is a regiment leader, and he’s protective of his men. However, he is also a man of integrity. If we find evidence, he’ll be the one to lead the arrest.”
Darcy sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. “And the constable? The magistrate?”
Fitzwilliam sat back, considering the matter with his characteristic thoughtfulness. "I shall need to speak to the magistrate and the parish constable, as you suggested. If they have a list of suspects, I would like to see it. Also, I want to visit the hosts of both balls—though, you didn’t mention who hosted the first. The second you mentioned happened here, so Bingley I suppose?."
“Yes, Bingley hosted the second ball. The first was a more public affair, a community gathering. However, Sir William Lucas would know who was responsible for that one."
"Right," Fitzwilliam said, settling back into his seat. "In any case, I will want to know who attended, especially those who were in close proximity to you at both events. We can eliminate those who couldn't have been involved—such as the elderly, the infirm, and so forth—and then cross-reference the remaining names with those who had the opportunity to be near you during these quarrels."
Darcy felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him, but a sense of direction was beginning to take form. "You think this will bring us closer to the truth?"
"Precisely," Fitzwilliam answered, his gaze sharp. "If we can narrow the list down, it will give us a clearer suspect pool. We may still be off the mark, but we’ll be one step closer."
Darcy’s eyes darkened, and he set his jaw. "I trust you, Richard. How soon can we begin?"
"First thing tomorrow," Fitzwilliam replied, rising from his seat. "I intend to see Forster first. Being the man in charge of the regiment, it's only right that he should know what we're investigating. I can’t proceed without his support."
