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Suddenly the door opened, and a well-dressed, older man entered with the assistance of a cane and a footman. As he sank into an upholstered chair, he murmured, “Thank you, Barnett.” The servant nodded and left the room, closing the door.

At that point, Mr. Gardiner focused on Richard. “Pray forgive me for taking so long to come downstairs, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I have been having trouble with my back for months now, and I rarely get dressed anymore.”

“You owe me no apologies. In fact, I should apologise for not insisting I come upstairs to speak to you. There was no good reason to have you dress and come down.”

“Actually, I am pleased to be back on my feet again. Now, as to your reason for coming, my wife informs me that you met our Lizzy when she was staying with her friend Charlotte Collins in Kent, and that you wish to speak with her now.”

“Yes, I had the honour of making Miss Bennet’s acquaintance in Kent. As to why I am here, Lady Morgan asked my cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy, to warn her sister against personally investigating Lord Morgan’s death. She fears questioning the locals may end up tempting the murderers to confront Miss Elizabeth should she get close to the truth.”

“That makes perfect sense to me, for I know my niece’s penchant for trying to solve every mystery,” Mr. Gardiner replied. He changed the subject when he continued, “I have known of the Darcys for years—my wife grew up in Lambton, you see, and she told lots of tales regarding that family … all of them good. But I must ask, why is a man of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s prominence involved in Lady Morgan’s affairs? And if she asked him to contact Lizzy, why are you here?”

“Lord Morgan and Darcy were longstanding friends, and he asked Darcy to be the executor of his will a short time ago. I will likely be involved in the investigation of his death at some point due to my work with General Lassiter. The general is often called upon to investigate highwaymen who commit murder during their robberies. Because my cousin has so much on his shoulders at present, he asked me to locate and speak to Miss Bennet.”

“I see.” Mr. Gardiner sighed. “I can only imagine how upset Mr. Darcy must be to be called upon to act so swiftly on Lord Morgan’s behalf. Morgan proved an excellent husband and father to my niece and their child—in fact, he was an asset to all our family. He will be greatly missed and not easily replaced.”

“Darcy is grieved. He and Morgan had become closer in recent years, and his death has taken a toll on my cousin.”

“Do not take me wrong, I am pleased to learn Mr. Darcy is involved. From what I have heard, he is an honourable man … one whom Jane can trust.”

“Darcy is the most honourable man of my acquaintance, and I would say the same even if he were not my cousin.”

“That is good to know,” Mr. Gardiner replied. “Now, as for Lizzy, I fear you are too late to engage her here. She has already left our home, taking what things that were here, saying she needed to call on Lady Cargile. She has been working as a companion for the countess for over a year. Though lately the countess had been ill, Lizzy understood that she had returned to London, and she hoped to resume her position.”

“If you do not expect Miss Bennet to return, I suppose I should go directly to Lady Cargile’s townhouse to see if I might speak with her there.”

“That would be my suggestion.”

Richard stood. “Thank you for your time. If you would, when next you speak to Miss Bennet, please confirm whether or not she has spoken to me or to Mr. Darcy. If she has not, tell her we wish to speak with her and that she may contact either of us at Darcy’s townhouse in Mayfair.”

“I would be happy to do so, though I must be honest. Lizzy is stubborn and adheres to her own counsel … especially if the advice goes against what she believes is right. If she feels your only aim is to direct her course ...” His voice trailed off as he lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

Richard smiled. “Lady Morgan said something similar. Still, we must try to make her see reason.”

“No doubt.”

London

Lady Cargile’s Townhouse

As Elizabeth entered Lady Cargile’s residence through the servants’ entrance, she was taken aback to see someone she did not recognise sitting at a table in the kitchen.

“Have you taken Mrs. Black’s place?” she asked, referring to the previous cook.

The woman, who did not appear friendly, replied, “No, I am Mrs. Cartwright, and who might you be?”

“I-I am Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Cargile’s companion. Lord Addison sent me a letter saying I should meet him here today to receive last month’s pay and speak of future employment.”

“Humph!” the woman snorted. “I do not know why someone who is dead would have need of a companion.”

Tears filled Elizabeth’s eyes. “Has Lady Cargile died?”

“If what I heard is correct, she passed away shortly after her arrival in Brighton.”

Elizabeth pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and began to dab at the tears now rolling freely down her cheeks. “Then why would Lord Addison not say as much in his letter?”

“I cannot say why he does anything,” the dour-looking woman answered.

“And Mrs. Grant? Is she still here, by chance?”