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Williamson’s chin came up, though he smiled. “I have done nothing to earn such praise, but this dear boy,” his gaze softened as he regarded William, “has restored my faith in humanity. Not only was he willing to take Lizzybet into his home, he was willing to lay down whatever future he might have envisioned for himself in order to give her freedom and a life of her own choosing. Now, he is here to rescue her once again.”

William coloured as he added, “We are all here to rescue Elizabeth.”

Seeing William’s unease, Evan declared, “Then let us get started! I shall meet you in a quarter-hour in the dining room.”

A small dining room

As Evan closed the door, everyone was reaching for one of the plates of food the inn had provided—everyone except William. The table was laden with hearty fare, and Richard sat a plate of food in front of his cousin.

“I cannot eat anything, Richard!”

“Come, Darce! You like beef stew, and there is plenty of fresh baked bread! Eat! You will need your strength for tomorrow.”

“I do not understand why we are waiting!” William exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table and rattling the dishes. The room got quiet as everyone stopped to look in his direction.

“Blame me, Cousin. I did not tell you that Lieutenant Marbury and several of his men left London a few hours behind us. I was not sure he would be able to arrive in time, given the bad weather. Nevertheless, this was waiting at the desk when we came down.” Richard held up a post. “Marbury and four of his men will be here tonight. Not being sure of how many men Stefano has, I feared that we might have need of them. A good officer always makes sure he has enough men to do the job. And when this fight starts, I wanted to know we could finish it!”

William nodded glumly so Evan spoke up, commanding everyone’s attention. “Let me begin then by explaining what has transpired since we arrived. I assumed that if Cecile brought Elizabeth to this seaport, it must be with the intention of taking her out of England. Thus, I started with the ships—their scheduled arrivals and departures. I learned much, including the fact that one sailed for Italy this morning and another is to leave port for Spain tomorrow. There are—”

William interrupted. “Are you aware that a man and a woman were last minute additions to the passengers on the ship bound for Italy?” If not for the look of anguish in his eyes, one would think William was unruffled.

Evan had been gathering his thoughts, hoping to tell his brother and cousin everything slowly ... deliberately ... without raising false hopes, should his assumptions prove incorrect. However, he now recognised that the longer he delayed sharing all his news, the more Darcy suffered. “Forgive me. I thought to wait to the last to tell you—to caution you—not to get your hopes up. But it seems I should just come out with it.”

William grew more worried. “Out with what?”

“We may have located Cecile. If we are correct, she is staying at a villa just outside town.”

William’s jaw tightened, and his hands formed fists as he began to rise. Evan watched Richard place a calming hand on his back. After they exchanged glances, William sat back down.

“Patience, Darcy! Mr. Watson here,” Evan nodded to the man on his right that William knew well, “was not entirely convinced that the woman he saw entering a carriage was Cecile, but he was concerned enough to bring it to my attention. He also learned that two women had arrived in town recently and were in the company of a man who is staying at this villa. By this afternoon, two of my men and two from Pemberley were already in the woods surrounding the place, trying to get an idea of the number of people who populate it. Two of them are still there on watch.”

Evan then addressed Mr. Watson, “Did you learn anything more about the owner of the villa?”

Mr. Watson swallowed a large bite of stew, before answering, “Yes, sir.” He cleared his throat. “A maid at the Landmark told me that it belongs to a Lord Stanton. She says he has owned it for nigh onto thirty years or more, and she told me the name—Tuscany.”

As Watson began to answer Evan’s question, William’s eyes found Richard’s, and he took a big gulp of air, remembering his promise to regulate his feelings. They were on the right trail!

Richard jumped into the fray, peppering questions at those who had been at Tuscany that day, asking about the number of guards, the lay of the land and the design of the manor. William listened intently, too affected to speak. The fact that their men were successful at getting onto the property and near the house, spoke volumes. Perhaps Stefano did not have as many men with him as they had feared.

Mr. Judson, the farrier for Pemberley, spoke up. “Other than about eight men who looked like guards, I saw plenty of servants, old and young men, and an equal number of women. The servants were easy to discern by their lack of weaponry.”

William finally found his voice. “Thank you, Mr. Judson, for joining us. I have always been able to count on you.”

Just then, Mr. Watson declared. “Tell Mr. Ingram what you saw, Avery.”

A younger, red-haired fellow turned as crimson as his hair when every eye fell on him. Evan encouraged him, “Speak up. I need everyone to tell me what they observed. No matter how insignificant it may seem to you, it may help us. “

Avery swallowed. “Well, sir, I managed to get next to the house—at a window, precisely. When I looked inside, I saw this young lady sitting in a chair right in my view. I could hear some man shouting as though he was mad or arguing, though I could not see him. About the time his voice got real loud, as if he was near the window, someone came around the side of the house. Naturally, I had to move back to safety.”

William leaned forward, his hands now resting on either side of his plate. “What did the woman look like?”

The look on Mr. Darcy’s face made Avery a bit nervous. “She—she was right pretty, for all I could tell, only seeing her from the side. She had dark brown hair, and she was tiny.” William’s quizzical brow made him continue nervously, “I—I mean that she looked mighty small in that big chair—or short, you might say, not tall like Mrs. Ingram.”

A sudden knock on the door caused everyone to jump. Being at the head of the table, Evan pushed back his chair, stood, and opened the door. There, looking very worn, stood Lord Stanton. Evan opened the door wider, and he stepped into the room.

“Do not look so surprised. I left London before you. Because my servants packed only my necessary items in haste, I missed most of the storm and have hidden at a friend’s home, awaiting your arrival.” Every eye studied him as he looked around the room.

“I have friends in all the seaports and shipping houses. Just after we parted in London, I learned that Stephen had booked passages for several people on the ship that left this morning for Italy.” His eyes locked on William. “But he did not board that ship.” William exhaled audibly as his eyes briefly closed. “He cancelled those bookings and bought passages on a schooner leaving for Spain in the morning. I believe he is taking Miss Elizabeth with him. He knows he can go to Spain and then over land to Italy, which might throw a lesser man off his trail.”