Then he made the descent to the tunnel leading to the open field south of the main house, along the turnpike road. The fertile Peak District land surrounding the Darcy holdings left the steps damp from seeping groundwater. He guarded his footfalls, the moisture and mold making each bricked landing and each set of wooden steps dangerously slippery, but he knew these tunnels like the back of his hand. As a child, he often hid here when he should have been attending to his studies. It was Pemberley’s maze that had taught him that he was a creature of the night. In these passageways, he played pirate and highwayman. He had seduced his first conquest in one of the lowest levels, a girl too afraid of spiders and the possibility of snakes to go more than a hundred feet into the tunnel.

Now, he traversed the area to rid Peter Whittington of his latest mistake.The man—a boy, really—pretended to have impeccable manners, but in James’s estimation, all the man-child truly possessed was a nasty temper and a skewed sense of morality. “Needs a good tumble in the sack,” he said aloud as he pushed aside the boarded-up opening, hidden quite effectively by a natural waterfall, now frozen solid, of course. He moved along the rock face and into the open.

A nearby copse of trees was his destination—the woman’s weight and the deep snow combined to slow his progress. He posed Lucinda against a tree. Both he and MacIves had flirted with the girl when they had openly moved about Darcy’s house. James even thought about taking his pleasure with her. “His God Almighty Lordship should have lost himself in the heat of your sweetness, my pretty, instead of crushing your lovely neck.” He reached into his pocket, brought out the silk stocking left from Peter’s foray into Mrs.Wickham’s room, and tied it tightly around the woman’s neck. “Rest well, sweet Lucy,” he said as he kissed each of her eyelids. Slowly, he rose and returned to the passage. “A few more days,” he murmured, noticing the melting snow and the accumulating slush in the crevices and ditches.“A few more days and this will be over.”


“How might I serve you, sir?” Darcy swung the door to his study wide and strode confidently into the room.

The man scrambled to his feet and offered a bow. “Mr. Darcy, I am pleased to have your acquaintance at last.” He offered his hand in greeting.

Darcy took it briefly and then gestured for the man to return to his chair. “It is rather late for a social call, sir, and I am surprised to receive anyone under the current weather conditions. I was unaware that travel was possible.”

“You know of me, Mr. Darcy?” the visitor asked cautiously.

“You have presented your card, sir, so I am aware of your name. If you ask if I am familiar with your relationship with other members of my family, I assure you, Lieutenant, there is little that transpires in the Fitzwilliam family of which I am uninformed.” Darcy sat back in his chair and tried to appear relaxed and in control.

The lieutenant took pleasure in observing Mr. Darcy. The man held a reputation as a shrewd negotiator. Harwood had spent the better part of a week learning everything possible of Darcy before he had appeared on the man’s doorstep.“Then I am to assume, Mr. Darcy, that my intended has taken refuge at Pemberley?”

Darcy’s stomach tightened. “Your intended, Lieutenant? Am I to offer my good wishes?”

“Is Anne here?” Harwood ignored Darcy’s attempt at changing the subject. “I traced Her Ladyship’s carriage to the area before I recalled your connection to the de Bourghs. I prayed Anne sought safety from the storm in your home.”

“May I ask, Lieutenant, how you managed to travel in such extreme conditions?”

Harwood allowed the diversion this time; he had anticipated having to answer such inquiries when he decided to make a Pemberley appearance. “Actually, Mr. Darcy, your part of Derbyshire took the brunt of the storm. Only the last ten to fifteen miles were treacherous. Cheshire is wet and a bit slippery, but it can be traveled by horseback, although carriage travel is still quite limited.”

The fact that this man had compromised his cousin upset Darcy. Originally, he had hoped to welcome the man to Pemberley, but the lieutenant’s flagrant disregard for Anne’s reputation made Darcy wary. Plus, Harwood called at Pemberley late at night when Darcy would have no choice but to extend an invitation to remain with them. Darcy did not like such manipulative behavior. “I see.”

Darcy made no other comment. He had found that a pause at an unexpected time would throw an opponent off balance. Tonight, the strategy worked perfectly. Harwood waited through a few strained moments before he stammered, “I-I will ask a-again, sir, if Miss de Bourgh is at Pemberley?”

“If you are truly my cousin’s fiancé, then you must be aware, Lieutenant, that Her Ladyship and I have come to a parting of the ways.”

“Anne shared no such confidences, but your cousin, the colonel, left the issue quite open to interpretation.”

Damn! Darcy had hoped to trip up the man by introducing the subject of the family feud. Although he had just met the lieutenant, the man’s sincerity did not ring true, and Darcy had learned over the years to listen to his instincts.

The officer forced a smile and asked nervously,“Am I to assume, sir, that your cousin has not taken shelter with you? If so, I must press on, and I do not wish to dally with guessing games. I will seek your cousin’s estate in Matlock instead.”

Darcy smiled enigmatically. “I am not a man who shares confidences with complete strangers. Suppose you tell me why you seek the de Bourgh party, and I shall respond accordingly.”

Harwood’s own smile faded with Darcy’s reticence. “I am unsure, Mr. Darcy, of the depth of your knowledge of my relationship with Miss de Bourgh, but I will summarize it by saying that Anne and I developed an affection for one another during my short stay at Rosings Park.When I recently left for Liverpool, I implored your cousin to accept my proposal, but instead, Miss de Bourgh accepted Lady Catherine’s estimation of me and refused my hand. Dejected, I returned to my post and my duties, but as luck would have it, Miss de Bourgh experienced a change of heart and followed me to the seaport. There, I secured lodgings for her and made inquiries regarding having the banns called. Unfortunately, while I made arrangements for the ceremony to make Miss de Bourgh my wife, your aunt arrived and removed Anne.”

“Then, if my cousin chose to leave with Her Ladyship, may I ask why you think Anne might now seek your company? It would appear that the lady spoke volumes when she agreed to accompany her mother to Kent.”

Harwood took note that Mr. Darcy still did not confirm what he knew. He had done reconnaissance before presenting himself this evening. A carriage bearing the Rosings livery rested in one of Pemberley’s stables. “We are both aware, Mr. Darcy, of Miss de Bourgh’s timidity when it comes to her mother’s approval. Any decision Anne might make under Lady Catherine’s watch is likely to be in Her Ladyship’s best interests rather than in her daughter’s.”

Darcy heard the unspoken words. “I am under the assumption that my cousin is of age, and her decisions are all her own. I am not sure, Lieutenant, that you give Anne enough credit. Or perhaps you overestimate my aunt’s influence!” Darcy knew where this conversation would lead—had known it before he entered the room. Now, he maneuvered the man into revealing his true nature.

Harwood blustered,“I assure you I offer no offense, Mr. Darcy. I realize that the de Bourghs are your family. My comments are based on personal observations only, and they may be in error, of course.”

“Of course.” Darcy twirled a pen aimlessly, giving the impression of boredom. After another pregnant pause, he turned on the man. “I return to my previous question, Lieutenant Harwood. If my cousin left of her own free will, why do you deem it necessary to chase her across an ice-covered Peak District?”

Harwood squirmed in his seat. “I have sought Miss de Bourgh in an honorable manner, Mr. Darcy, because many in Liverpool know of her presence at the Salty Sailor. An unmarried female in such an establishment is under close scrutiny, and despite our discretion, word of your cousin’s abrupt departure has dramatically increased the rumors. I seek Miss de Bourgh so I might renew my proposal and save the lady’s reputation.”

“Let me see if I understand you, Harwood.You played on my cousin’s vulnerability at Rosings, making her believe that you found her your perfect match. Foolishly, Anne followed you to Liverpool; at which point, you took advantage of her naïveté by finding her quarters in an unsavory establishment, where you openly called upon her, making sure others were aware of your clandestine relationship. Now, you feign a concern for extricating Anne from a situation of your own design. Something along those lines, Lieutenant?”

Harwood sprang to his feet. “I have never—”

“Of course, you have, Harwood.” Darcy’s mouth turned up at the corners. “Now, have a seat and let us be honest with each other.” Darcy gestured to the chair Harwood had just vacated.

Fuming, Harwood sat. He would play out the hand he had been dealt. “Then Anne is at Pemberley?” he repeated.

“My cousin dwells under my protection, Lieutenant Harwood.” Darcy did no more than raise one eyebrow, betraying no emotions.

“Then I am to present myself to you, Mr. Darcy, instead of Her Ladyship.”

“We return to your second proposal. Am I correct, Lieutenant? As my aunt has no knowledge of the first, I am unsure which you mean.”

Harwood sat up straight, attempting to convey honesty and dependability. “I am willing to marry Miss de Bourgh and give her the protection of my name, if that is what you mean, Mr. Darcy.”