The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Characters and Places Used in the Story

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Historical Notes

  Other Ulysses Press Books

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  Characters and Places Used in the Story

  The Darcy Household (reside at Pemberley in Derbyshire)

  Fitzwilliam Darcy—the Master of Pemberley

  Elizabeth Bennet Darcy—the former Elizabeth Bennet; Darcy’s wife

  Bennet Fitzwilliam George Darcy—the Pemberley heir; Darcy and Elizabeth’s child

  The Fitzwilliam Household in Scotland (reside at Alpin Hall, near Kirkconnel)

  Georgiana Darcy Fitzwilliam—Darcy’s sister; is married to Major General Edward Fitzwilliam

  The Matlock Household (reside at Matley Manor in Derbyshire)

  Major General Edward Fitzwilliam—the Darcys’ cousin (formerly Colonel Fitzwilliam—received a promotion to Major General at the end of Christmas at Pemberley)

  Rowland Fitzwilliam—Viscount Lindale; Edward’s older brother; resides at William’s Wood in Lincolnshire

  Amelia Le Roy Fitzwilliam—Rowland’s wife

  Martin Fitzwilliam—Edward’s father; Earl of Matlock

  Nora Olivia Rowland Fitzwilliam—the Countess of Matlock; Edward’s mother

  The Bennet Household (reside at Longbourn in Hertfordshire)

  Mr. Bennet—Elizabeth’s father

  Mrs. M arjory Bennet—Elizabeth’s mother

  Mary Bennet Grange—Elizabeth’s middle sister

  Robert Grange—a law apprentice in Uncle Philips’s firm in Meryton; Mary’s husband

  Lydia Bennet Wickham—Elizabeth’s youngest sister

  Lieutenant George Wickham—Darcy’s enemy; Lydia’s husband

  Catherine “Kitty” Bennet—the next to the youngest Bennet sister

  The Bingley Household (reside at Marwood Manor in Cheshire)

  Charles Bingley—one of Darcy’s closest friends

  Jane Bennet Bingley—the oldest of the Bennet sisters; married to Charles Bingley

  Cassandra Elizabeth Bingley—one of the Bingley twins (approximately 18 months old at the beginning of this book)

  Charles Geoffrey Bingley—one of the Bingley twins

  Jackson Benjamin Bingley—another Bingley child (age 2 months at the beginning of this book)

  The Joseph Household (reside in Northumberland)

  Mary Joseph—Elizabeth’s friend from Christmas at Pemberley

  Matthew Joseph—a former clergyman from Stoke in Staffordshire

  William Matthew Joseph—their child

  Ruth Joseph—Matthew’s sister; 17 years of age

  Mr. Edgar Parnell—Mary Joseph’s father; a powerful businessman from Northumberland

  The Winkler Household (reside at Marsh Hall in Dorset)

  Thorne Winkler—Kitty’s intended; holds the living on Darcy’s estate

  Rose Winkler—Thorne’s 22-year-old sister

  Sir James Winkler—Thorne’s father; a baronet from Dorset

  Lady Camellia Winkler—Thorne’s mother

  Bramwell Winkler—Thorne’s older brother; he’ll inherit Sir James’s title

  The De Bourgh Household (reside at Rosings Park in Kent)

  Captain Roman Southland—Edward’s aide

  Anne De Bourgh Southland—the Darcys’ and Fitzwilliams’ cousin

  Lady Catherine De Bourgh—Matlock’s sister; aunt to Darcy, Georgiana, Edward, and Rowland

  The MacBethan Household (reside at Normanna Hall in Ayrshire)

  Dolina MacBethan—the matriarch of the clan

  Aulay MacBethan—the family’s youngest son

  Domhnall MacBethan—Laird of Normanna Hall; the eldest son; the family name is Wotherspoon

  Lilias MacBethan Birrel—the lone sister of the MacBethan family; lives in Knovdart

  Lord Carmichael—Lilias’s husband; heir to a barony

  Islav MacBethan—middle brother; lives in Crieff

  Coll MacBethan—Dolina’s deceased husband

  Maighread MacBethan—Domhnall’s first wife

  Chapter 1

  “YOU DECEIVE NO ONE, Mr. Darcy,” his wife accused lovingly. “You worry for Georgiana’s well-being.”

  “As do you, Mrs. Darcy,” he countered as he lifted three-month-old Bennet from the boy’s crib and supported the child in the crook of his arm. Whenever the child was near, Fitzwilliam Darcy felt compelled to hold his special miracle. He had his heir, at last, and he had spent countless hours just staring at Bennet Fitzwilliam George Darcy’s perfect countenance. “You cannot tell me that my sister’s lack of correspondence has not rubbed against your curiosity.”

  Elizabeth Darcy smiled knowingly. Her husband was a man of honor and of responsibility and of passion; yet, the contentment of holding his son always softened the man’s usually grim expression. “Unlike you, my husband, my curiosity does not paint pictures of invading hordes. I simply wish to share in Georgiana’s happiness. She and Edward deserve this time together, but I admit to being interested in how they have adjusted.”

  Darcy sat in a nearby chair and cradled the child. He peeled the blanket from the boy’s face and traced a finger along his son’s chin line. He thought he had recognized his father’s features in his heir’s countenance, but Elizabeth had insisted it was too early to know for certain. “I should not have allowed her to travel alone,” he chastised himself.

  “Georgiana is long removed from the schoolroom. Our sister is a married woman. She has a husband to protect her. It is no longer your obligation,” she insisted.

  Darcy’s actions spoke of tenderness, but his words possessed a granite resolve. “Georgiana’s safety is forever my obligation. Even Edward cannot usurp my charge.”

  Elizabeth moved swiftly to kneel before him. “No one can sever your bond to Georgiana, and I am not simple enough to suggest that you should ignore your responsibilities. Yet, I shall suggest that we permit Georgiana some latitude. Wellington’s last push to rid the world of Napoleon robbed your sister of the wedding of which she had always dreamed. She and Edward married in a rush before your cousin returned to the battlefields. Georgiana merely wanted time to prepare the Fitzwilliam properties for Edward’s return. She is still discovering what it means to be a wife.”

  “I, Georgiana Cassandra Anne Darcy, take thee, Edward Thomas David Fitzwilliam, to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth.”

  His sister’s eyes had sparked with the devotion she had offered their cousin. Darcy was slow to admit that Georgiana glowed when she looked upon Edward’s weatherworn face. Despite the evidence of the couple’s affection for each other, he had wanted to scream with the injustice of having to gi
ve his Georgiana to any man—even one as perfect as Major General Edward Fitzwilliam. She was his little sister—not old enough to be exchanging her wedding vows and leaving him behind.

  “My mind knows the truth of your words, Mrs. Darcy, but my heart speaks a different language.” He caressed Elizabeth’s neck. “I have fretted over Georgiana for too many years to no longer give a care.”

  “She did send word of her safe arrival,” Elizabeth insisted.

  “That was some three weeks prior,” he contested.

  Elizabeth leaned in for a quick kiss and then stood. “Must I remind you that Edward was expected the week after our sister’s arrival? Do you not suppose that the Fitzwilliams are enjoying their time together? Allowing themselves the opportunity to discover a new love, a new relationship,” she argued. “Oh, my darling,” Elizabeth coaxed, “you must realize that the Major General is coming to terms with the fact that the girl he protected as a child is now a woman.”

  She handed Darcy a wooden dowel that young Bennet preferred as a teething tool. “Christmastide thrust Edward and Georgiana together for a few days here and there, and just when they had thought to marry and create a life together, Bonaparte’s escape from Elba ripped them apart. They had but three days as husband and wife before…” Elizabeth’s voice trailed off. She blushed thoroughly before adding, “Do you not think that the Major General and Mrs. Fitzwilliam are claiming their shared life?”

  Darcy’s frown lines met. “That is not an image in which I care to indulge,” he grumbled.

  Elizabeth laughed lightly. “Cannot tolerate thoughts of Georgiana enjoying intimacies with her husband?” she taunted playfully.

  Darcy rose to place the child on the blanket Elizabeth had arranged on the Persian carpet decorating her sitting room. “I will not entertain such thoughts,” he warned. “Otherwise, I will be on horseback and riding toward Galloway to challenge my cousin to a duel.”

  Elizabeth good-naturedly swatted at him as he passed her. “I am just saying that your sister has other things on her mind.”

  “I will hear no more of such nonsense.” His hand rested on the room’s doorknob.

  Elizabeth smiled mockingly. “Of course, my husband. To refuse to consider Georgiana’s marital state is to make it nonexistent.”

  Elizabeth realized that her teasing had not allayed her husband’s qualms. They had not assuaged her own, so she was not foolish enough to think that it might dissuade the formidable Fitzwilliam Darcy. She, too, had spent countless hours pacing the floor fretting over Georgiana’s lack of correspondence. It was not typical of her husband’s sister to ignore her family. Even with hopes of marital felicity for Georgiana, Elizabeth recognized how out of character this behavior had become. She had teased and taunted her husband to hide her own anxiety.

  Could the major general have been delayed? Worse yet, could the couple have found little in common upon which to base their relationship? Elizabeth had recognized Georgiana’s idyllic admiration for her cousin, and she now wondered if Darcy’s sister had rushed into a “safe” marriage. “If that is so, Georgiana needs to discover a ground upon which to build a successful joining. I shall wait a few days more for word from Mrs. Fitzwilliam before I encourage my husband to seek an answer in Scotland.”

  Leaving his wife’s taunts behind, Darcy closed her chamber door, but even through the thick wood he could hear her soft laughter. Elizabeth did not understand. In fact, in Darcy’s opinion, no one understood. His relationship with Georgiana transcended the expected connection between brother and sister. Despite his father’s last request, or possibly because of it, Darcy had devoted himself to Georgiana’s happiness. He had given her the best education and the best life imaginable. Elizabeth could not comprehend the depth of his feelings for Georgiana—for the small child she was when they lost both of their parents; for the little girl who had clung to him in her grief.

  His devotion to his sister had even played in his choosing of Elizabeth Bennet as his wife. Elizabeth’s affectionate behavior to Jane Bennet while her sister lay ill at Netherfield had formed the basis of his early interest in the second Bennet sister. He had instantly recognized Elizabeth as the type of woman Georgiana needed in her life. His sister possessed an elegant softness, but she lacked a touch of impertinence, the very quality he had discovered in Elizabeth. And his opinions had proved correct. Under Elizabeth’s tutelage, Georgiana had blossomed into the perfect balance of femininity. “I will wait one week more, and then I will to Scotland,” he swore.

  “I do not think this is wise,” Darcy had told Georgiana when she had informed him of her desire to change the date for her joining with their cousin Edward. Darcy had hoped that the longer the couple waited, the more likely he would be proven correct: it was too early for Georgiana to wed. Many in the family thought he had delayed Georgiana’s Presentation because of Elizabeth’s confinements, but, in reality, he simply could not bear the idea of losing her to another man’s attentions. When she finally traveled to London for her Come Out, he would pray that it would take several Seasons before Georgiana found a man she would accept. Then his cousin had returned from the American front, and everything had changed overnight. Now, she wished to speed up her eventual leaving off. The major general had arrived with other family members for the christening of Darcy’s heir and had brought the news of his immediate deployment to the Belgian front. “Why can you not wait for Edward’s return?” he had asked.

  “What if our cousin does not return?” she had replied softly. “What if this is the last time we see him?”

  Darcy’s heart had lurched with dread at the possibility. Although he understood his sister’s worst fear, his own need to protect her had prevailed. It was an unsubstantiated but compelling notion. “All the more reason to wait. I would not see you as a new bride in mourning.”

  “I would mourn our cousin even if the major general and I never marry. I would grieve for Edward for the rest of my natural days.” She touched her handkerchief to her eyes. “Please, Fitzwilliam, you of all people must comprehend my agony. Do you not recall your anguish when you thought to never know Elizabeth as your wife? That is my situation with Edward. I have loved our cousin for well over two years, but unlike in your quest to earn Elizabeth’s love, mine remained unspoken. I could not give voice to my desires. I have waited in the shadows, agonizing over Edward’s safe return to the family. Now, I must snatch my moments with him while I may, before it is too late. Do you not see? If we do not marry before Edward leaves for the Continent, I might never know the happiness that you have found with Elizabeth. Would you deny me this, Fitzwilliam?”

  Darcy slid his arm about her shoulders. He nudged her into his embrace, needing to once again hold the small girl whose world had rotated around him. Suddenly, he had realized his real objection to his sister’s marriage: Georgiana’s joining with Edward would mean that she would no longer require his advice. His protection. Especially with Edward as her husband. If Georgiana had chosen another, Darcy might continue to influence her, but their cousin was as a good a man as Darcy could ever hope for his sister. And, Edward had served as a joint guardian for Georgiana. Together, they had protected and guided her. And now Georgiana would prefer the major general to Darcy. He would no longer play a dominant role in his sister’s life. Despite the real sense of loss choking him, Darcy’s love required that he do the right thing. This is not about my needs, he had chastised himself. “When do you wish to marry?”

  His sister clung to him, and Darcy tightened his grasp. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam,” she murmured.

  With his fingertips, Darcy lifted her chin and kissed the tip of her nose. “No more tears,” he said softly. He had whisked her tears away with his thumbs. “What do you require of me? How may I provide what you desire?”

  “The Matlocks and Rowland’s family shall be at Pemberley tomorrow for Bennet’s naming on Sunday. The Major General and I would marry on Monday. Mr. Winkler shall call the banns for the third time during Sunday’s
services. Edward rides for Hull on Thursday.” A pink tint spread across her neck and face, before she added, “Might we have the dower house for privacy?”

  Despite his best efforts, Darcy frowned. The idea of his sister enjoying the marriage bed bothered him more than he cared to admit. With a deep sigh, he said, “I will see to the details for the breakfast and the dower house. Send Edward to speak to Mr. Winkler.” She had spontaneously hugged him, and Darcy fought the urge to keep her in his embrace forever. “Be off with you now,” he said as he purposely released her. “There are many details and little time.”

  “You are the best brother a girl could ever have.” She kissed his cheek before scurrying from the room.

  Darcy had stood looking after her. “And you are the sun to my Earth,” he whispered to her retreating form.

  “Good morning, Father Bennet.” Elizabeth’s father had returned with them to Pemberley after Mary Bennet’s marriage to Robert Grange in April. The couple had planned to marry in February, but Elizabeth’s Uncle Philips had taken ill, and, as Mr. Grange apprenticed in Philips’s law firm, the family had thought it best if they postponed the nuptials until Grange’s benefactor had recovered. “You were up late.”

  “Good morning.” The man greeted him with the smirk of amusement that Darcy had found so beguiling when Elizabeth had sported the emotion on her luscious lips. His wife certainly had inherited her father’s mannerisms. “Too many books. So little time. If I could take up residence in Pemberley’s library and never leave the room, I would die a well-satisfied man.”

  Darcy chuckled. “The Pemberley library has been the work of many generations. I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these.” He accepted the tea the footman poured for him.

  “I seriously doubt that you have ever neglected any detail of your life,” Mr. Bennet observed wryly.

  Darcy thought of his current neglect of Georgiana’s happiness and flinched as if struck. No matter how often he told himself that there was no reason for concern, he could not shake the feeling there was something amiss. “And you, Sir, are you pleased with this propensity of mine?” Darcy roused himself to make polite conversation. “Keeping in mind, of course, that if it was not so, I would neglect your favorite daughter and the grandson bearing your name.”