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“Your sister owns expensive jewellery?”

Seeing the suspicion in William’s eyes, she added, “I know what you are thinking, but there is a reasonable explanation.”

“I would like to hear it.”

“Lady Cargile, Lizzy’s employer, came to care for my sister like a daughter. Consequently, she gifted Lizzy some pieces of jewellery that she declared she no longer wore. My sister tried to refuse, but apparently there was no stopping Lady Cargile if she set her mind to something. David has a friend whose brother owns a jewellery shop in Sheffield, and after writing to explain the circumstances, he expressed an interest in purchasing her pieces. David was to negotiate a price and put any proceeds towards the bakery she hoped to buy.”

Instantly Jane covered her mouth. “I forgot! I swore never to tell anyone about Lizzy’s bakery.”

“Well, it seems you have no choice now,” William replied. “Trust us not to tell anyone unless you specifically allow it, but we need to know everything, including the name of the jeweller in Sheffield and the owner of the bakery.”

“David wrote the jeweller’s name on a piece of paper and put it in the top drawer of his desk so that I might have it in case—” Jane could not finish the sentence. At length she added, “As for the bakery, it is called Potter’s Bakery.”

Deciding she must be totally honest with Mr. Darcy, she continued, “Promise me that you will not say anything to Lizzy about what I am going to tell you now.”

Taken aback, William replied, “I am not certain I can promise you that until I know what it is.”

Reluctantly, Jane continued. “It is in regard to my sister Lydia.” William showed no reaction, so she began telling him how Lizzy happened upon their sister in London and all that had occurred since.

Once she had finished, William said, “I am not surprised. It is like Miss Elizabeth to try to fix everything for those she loves.”

“Until just now I had no idea how well you understood my sister,” Jane replied sombrely.

“Where is the bakery?” Richard asked.

“In Lambton. My Aunt Gardiner’s cousin, Mrs. Potter, wishes to retire. I believe she agreed to sell Lizzy the shop if she could provide a deposit and make future payments in a timely manner. The jewellery Lady Cargile has been gifting Lizzy was to be used for this purpose.”

“How was Miss Elizabeth supposed to prove that she did not steal the jewellery?”

“Lady Cargile thought of everything. With every piece she provided a letter notarised by her solicitor which stated plainly that they were gifts.” Jane shook her head. “Sadly, David put the letters in the bag with the jewellery in order to show them to the buyer, so now they are lost, too.”

“Lady Cargile’s solicitor could testify to the content of the letters if the jewellery is found; however, my guess is that they will be pawned at some seedy shop where no one will ask about the source,” William stated. “By the way, has the constable kept in touch with you?”

“All I know is that when Lizzy confronted him a fortnight ago, he assured her that he was doing his best to solve the crime, even though with no witnesses there was little to go on; however, Lizzy insists that he is not doing enough. I fear she may become desperate and press Lord Addison for a loan to conduct her own investigation.”

Upon hearing that name, Richard sat up straighter whilst William’s brows furrowed. “Lord Addison of Addison Park in Kent?” Richard asked.

“Yes. If I remember correctly, that is the one.”

“Why would she turn to him for help?” William asked.

Jane took a shuddering breath. “Lord Addison is Lady Cargile’s nephew.”

“I had no idea that Lord Addison was related to Lady Cargile,” William admitted.

“Well, he is, and not many months after meeting Lizzy, he expressed a desire to court her. Lizzy has adamantly refused him up until now. I fear, though, that if my sister decides to manipulate his interest in her to obtain a loan to fund an investigation, that might be provocation enough for Lord Addison to insist she marry him first.”

Richard let go a low whistle. “I pray she is aware that Addison is not one to be trusted. Everyone who knows the man is convinced he killed his first wife!”

Scowling at his cousin for adding to Jane’s worries, William intervened, “I never liked the man. He is too full of himself for my taste; however, no wrongdoing on his part was ever proved, though it did keep the gossips busy.”

Not deterred by William’s disapproval, Richard declared, “Frankly, I think it plausible. Why else would a handsome fellow like Addison marry someone obese and without a decent feature to recommend her? Her hundred-thousand pounds had to be the only draw, and how fortunate for Addison that she ended up dead less than a month after they married.”

“Though I did not know all the facts, Lizzy did tell me that she drowned on their honeymoon,” Jane said. “Still, Lady Cargile seems to trust him, even encouraging my sister to accept his hand in order to help Lydia.”

“From what my friends who have daughters or sisters say, that cad can be very charming when he wants to be,” Richard added. “Most of them, however, no longer consider him a good match for their loved ones.”

“In any case,” Jane declared, “I implore you to find Lizzy and convince her to let you handle the investigation. Lizzy needs to know that she does not have to rely on Lord Addison.” At this point, Jane’s expression grew even more solemn. Fixing her gaze on William, she said, “I meant to say this before now, but I intend to pay all the expenses you incur by helping me.”