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“If only I had had any inkling of how soon—”

“If you had known, would you have accepted?”

“No.”

“Therein lies the answer. I believe you were not only Morgan’s choice, but the Lord’s, as well.”

“I pray He will do His part to help me.”

Whilst they conversed, William was examining the letter. Just before he broke the seal, he realised that Pemberley’s address had been written in a decidedly feminine hand. Moreover, as he prepared to read, he noted it was dated several weeks ago and the ink was smeared in places by what appeared to be drops of water. A single thought came to mind: Tears?

Dear Mr. Darcy,

Forgive me if this letter is perplexing, for I find that I am not myself since my dearest husband was killed during a robbery on his journey to Morgan Manor just days ago. I have no way of knowing if you are cognizant of the tragedy, for I recall David saying you were soon to travel to Scotland and, if you did, you may remain ignorant of it until your return.

In any case, I am thankful that David was pleased when you agreed to be the executor of his will, and I am writing to you today in that capacity. I cannot but believe that, given your wife’s recent death, you are overwhelmed with your own affairs; however, I have no choice but to appeal to your kindness by asking you to come to Netherfield Park as soon as may be.

I need your advice on many pressing matters, one of which is our sudden loss of income, according to David’s half-brother, James. Unfortunately, I have no head for business, and I was quite overwhelmed when he stated his reasons for discontinuing the disbursements we receive every month from David’s father’s trust. I am in immediate need of advice on what steps to take.

All I ask is the favour of a reply so I will know whether to await your help or to seek advice elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Jane Morgan

After he had read the letter twice, William slid it across his desk to Richard, who had resumed sitting in his usual chair. The colonel picked it up and began to read.

“Killed during a robbery!” he huffed. “That makes no sense. It has been my experience in dealing with highwaymen that they had rather abscond with money and jewellery without risking the army being brought in to help catch a murderer—which is nearly always the case when a peer is killed. In addition, they invariably choose their victims—men and women flaunting their wealth—by observing them at one of the inns along the highway and following them until they find a good spot for a robbery. Morgan’s party would not have fit that description.”

“Neither would the man I know risk his life, or anyone else’s, for money,” William stated. “David would gladly have given them what they wanted rather than risk leaving Lady Morgan a widow.”

Still shaking his head at the absurdity, Richard continued, “Morgan’s death certainly leaves her in a precarious state, does it not? How many children do they have now?”

Having rested his elbows on the desk and propped his chin upon his tented fingers, William appeared deep in thought. At length he replied softly, “They have a daughter who is less than a year old, and Lady Morgan is pregnant again.”

“A damned shame they were killed, for it will be hard to find the culprits unless there were witnesses,” Richard replied. “Admittedly, though, if by any stroke of luck there were witnesses, most often it is hard to get them to admit what they saw. People are too afraid to get involved, lest the culprits come after them.”

William remained silent, so Richard continued. “Knowing your sense of honour, you are already planning how swiftly you can leave for Netherfield. Am I correct?”

“I not only agreed to be his executor, but I also swore to take care of Lady Morgan and their children, as well as her family, should anything happen to him.”

“I think it odd that Morgan asked you to look after the Bennets, knowing how much all of them dislike you.”

“We discussed that very thing when he begged me to take the position. He managed to refute my objections.”

“How so?”

“He believed that by the time he died, all of Jane’s sisters would likely be wed, and their husbands would be responsible for them.”

Richard smiled wryly. “And what about Mrs. Bennet?”

For the first time since their arrival at Pemberley, William smiled. “I asked David the same thing, and he said I could push her off on Miss Kitty or Miss Mary, but not on his wife!”

Richard stood and walked over to the liquor cabinet to pour himself another brandy. Holding up the bottle, he asked, “Will you join me?”

“No, thank you.”

Taking two large swallows of the amber liquid, Richard said, “I hate to suggest it, but this may be the perfect time for you to make the love of your life another offer. After all, knowing that you are wealthy enough to keep her entire family from the hedgerows might induce Miss Elizabeth to accept you now.”