Extortion & Enmity Read online

  Extortion & Enmity

  A Pride & Prejudice Variation Mystery Romance Series

  Abbey North

  Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  About the Author

  Blurb

  Lizzy arrives at Hunsford to visit Charlotte, having mixed feelings to discover Darcy is in the vicinity to see his aunt, the formidable Lady Catherine. They are inevitably thrown together, and she starts to see a different side to him. When Miss Anne becomes the victim of an extortion scheme, Lizzy volunteers to help identify the blackmailer. She is surprised when Mr. Darcy volunteers his assistance, seemingly accepting the situation and his cousin’s actions. It leads to a new accord between them, but with Darcy unchanged, how can she even consider, let alone accept, an unexpected proposition after they find the extortionist?

  This is part three of the “Crime & Courtship” series, which will be five books, intended to be read in order, and follow roughly the same timeline and location as J.A.’s masterpiece. The first mystery takes place in Meryton. The next will be at Netherfield, followed by Hunsford, then London, and finally Pemberley. The story arc will continue throughout all five parts, compromising one long read broken into five sections. A mystery is central to each installment, so you could call this a cozy mystery sweet Regency romance.

  While Abbey sometimes writes sensual JAFF, this series is strictly SWEET.

  1

  The trip to Hunsford passed without remarkability, and Lizzy and Maria Lucas arrived that afternoon. It was several days past the events at Netherfield, and her sister Jane was already on her way to London, the process hastened by Fanny insisting she take the carriage once her mother had learned why Jane wanted to go to London early. She was hardly surprised by that, indeed thinking her mother would have carried Jane on her back herself if it meant getting her closer to Mr. Bingley and the possibility of matrimony.

  The Lucas’ carriage, which Lord Lucas had offered upon learning Jane was using the other one and Maria wanted to visit as well, drew up outside the Hunsford Rectory, and Lizzy saw Charlotte waiting for her. Mr. Collins stood slightly behind her, and a small shudder went through her as it did each time she saw him after a separation.

  She couldn’t help remembering his unwelcome proposal, hardly waiting to give her a chance to say yes or no before he started laying out the details of their life together. It had been a nasty confrontation when she’d spoken up harshly and told him she would never marry him. Though three years in the past, each time she saw him after long absences, it was immediately at the forefront of her mind.

  As he greeted her stiffly moments later, she couldn’t help thinking it was the same for Mr. Collins. No doubt, he recalled his humiliation at her hands each time they met again, but inevitably, they would both adapt in the next few days and manage a modicum of civility.

  They both did it for Charlotte, and she was relieved to see Mr. Collins seemed to genuinely adore his wife, though she wasn’t as confident of Charlotte’s feelings. Charlotte seemed quite content though, especially with her burgeoning belly, and Lizzy couldn’t help reaching out a hand to touch it. “Congratulations, Lottie.”

  “Thank you, Eliza,” said Charlotte as she hugged her. “We are quite excited.”

  “Indeed, for what man does not look forward to expanding his family? Indeed, I was just telling Lady de Bourgh the other day that—”

  Lizzy allowed Mr. Collins’s meandering words to flow over her, giving a polite nod every few moments as he pontificated about the subject for far longer than was necessary. It was long enough to take them into the house, provide a refresher for how everything was arranged, though Lizzy hadn’t forgotten in the six months since her last visit, and instill her in a room.

  Mr. Collins was still discussing the topic when Charlotte gently shut the door in his face and followed her into the room, hugging her again. “I have missed you, Eliza. How are you?”

  Lizzy sighed as she sat down on the bed. “That is a complicated question, my dear. I fear we shall need at least two pots of tea to make sense of everything that has happened.”

  Charlotte’s lips twitched. “In that case, I shall order them immediately. Mr. Collins will eventually lose the passion for his current topic and wander off.” She sounded indulgent.

  Lizzy’s looked at her closely. “Are you happy, Lottie?”

  Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Of course, Lizzy. I am most practical, and marriage has been exactly as I anticipated. Though I did not enter the union with starry eyes and the expectation of deep love, Mr. Collins does grow on one, and I find our marriage quite tolerable.”

  “I am happy for you.” Lizzy struggled not to betray any hint of sadness for her friend. It seemed to her that marriage should be much more than tolerable, but she also understood Charlotte had been left on the shelf for too long and was prepared to take a less-than-satisfying union by the time Mr. Collins had proposed to her. At that point, she had been four-and-twenty and already deemed a spinster by all those around her. Unlike Lizzy, Charlotte had not been amenable to that thought.

  They left her room a short time later, finding Maria in the hallway, looking practically trapped as Mr. Collins told her in excruciating detail the difficulty of keeping the roses Lady Catherine’s gardener had provided clippings of alive in the persnickety soil of the garden bed he’d chosen. Maria seemed relieved to see them, and Lizzy could hardly blame her.

  The four of them adjourned to Charlotte’s sitting room, and Lizzy knew from previous visits that Mr. Collins rarely intruded there. He sat down to join them for a cup of tea, and he dominated the conversation, as they all expected. She was relieved when he realized the lateness of the hour and declared he must work on the Sunday sermon.

  He paused to look at Maria and Lizzy, beaming at them. “We have a special treat, my dears. Lady de Bourgh has invited us for dinner tomorrow evening, and I am certain you are swooning at the opportunity. It is what can only be the highlight of your visit for the times we are condescended by Lady de Bourgh to be allowed in her presence.”

  “Indeed, it is one of the main reasons I come to visit,” said Lizzy with complete seriousness. Since Charlotte wasn’t facing her husband, she was free to grin like mad, which made it difficult for Lizzy to maintain her solemn expression.

  Apparently, Mr. Collins didn’t pick up any sarcasm, for he nodded in an enthusiastic fashion. “Indeed, indeed. She is the most benevolent patroness. Did I tell you what she has done for us of late? Why just last week, she was having her fences whitewashed, and she sent her crew over to do ours as well.”

  “Most generous,” said Maria in a soft voice. Her lips were trembling, and Lizzy imagined she was having a difficult time not laughing either. She didn’t know Maria nearly as well as she knew Charlotte, for the sisters were a good ten years apart in age, and this was Maria’s first trip alone to visit her sister, save with Lizzy, but she was happy to see Maria might share a similar sense of humor to Charlotte.

  Before he could start pontificating yet again, Charlotte cleared her throat. “My dear, your sermon will not write itself.”

  He put a hand on her shoulder, patting gently. “Of course. You do keep me on track, my dear.” He bent to press a kiss to Charlotte’s cheek, and then he stood. “I shall see you ladies at dinner, and of course, we can discuss more about Lady de Bourgh then.”

  “There are no words to describe how much I look forward to that,” said Lizzy with what she hoped was passable sincerity.

  For just a moment, Mr. Collin
s blinked, as though he was on the edge of realizing she was mocking him slightly, but then the expression flitted away, and he beamed at her. “Indeed. It is a topic of which I never tire.”

  “I can certainly vouch for that,” said Maria. “Upon my last visit, I do declare Lady de Bourgh was the most dominant topic of conversation.” She sounded almost admiring of that, but her twinkling eyes gave her away.

  Mr. Collins nodded at her in a benevolent fashion. “Quite right. My dear, Sister Maria, and Cousin Eliza, I shall see you all at dinner.”

  Finally, he departed. They waited for a moment, and Lizzy wondered if the two sisters were also holding off discussing anything more important while they paused to see if Mr. Collins would actually depart, or if he would return with yet another insightful statement about his patroness.

  When it seemed like he was gone for now, Charlotte refreshed their teacups and leaned back. “Do tell me everything, Eliza.”

  “It is quite a long and involved tale.” She shot a glance at Maria, who was just now coming out into society, so she wasn’t perhaps familiar with everything that had occurred. “We had a thief in Meryton.”

  “Miss Eliza was instrumental in discovering the identity,” said Maria. “Mr. Darcy helped, did he not, Miss Eliza?”

  She nodded as Charlotte’s interest piqued. “Who is this Mr. Darcy? Do you have a beau, Lizzy?”

  Before she could cull the impulse, Lizzy snorted. “I would rather be courted by a donkey in a bonnet than by Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Indeed, both are asses, but I fear the prospect of spending time with Darcy over the donkey would be more unendurable.”

  Charlotte’s lips twitched. “He sounds most unpleasant indeed. You must tell me about him.”

  “He is tall and handsome, with dark hair and dark eyes. He has an income of ten thousand per year, and he must most assuredly be in want of a wife, at least according to common gossip.” Lizzy sipped her tea, noting the quality. “This is an excellent blend.”

  Charlotte nodded. “Mr. Collins has ordered a pleasing selection from India of late. I believe it is because I crave cardamom so heavily, and it is frightfully expensive.” She rubbed her stomach in an indulgent fashion. “Perhaps he or she is the one craving cardamom.”

  “It is superb.”

  “So, the gentleman is handsome and rich, and yet you would prefer to be wooed by a donkey in a bonnet? He must have something dreadfully wrong with him,” said Charlotte.

  “He is most insulting,” said Maria. She sipped her tea before adding, “He gave great offense at the Assembly ball, and though he was helpful in discovering Wickham was the thief, people generally hold him in low opinion in Meryton.”

  “It is true,” said Lizzy. “He did make a deplorable impression upon all, but when his sister was abducted at the Netherfield ball, I was pleased to see how many of our townspeople rallied around him and offered to help find her.”

  Charlotte’s eyes widened. “A kidnapping after the thefts? Oh, my. I see what you mean about needing two pots of tea.” She rang the bell beside her, and the housekeeper appeared moments later. “Mrs. Tesh, would you please ensure we have a new pot of tea and more of those delicious raspberry cakes?”

  “Of course, Mrs. Collins,” said the woman with a bow before she disappeared once more.

  “Miss Eliza helped find his sister too. She is quite the hero of Meryton.”

  Lizzy’s cheeks flushed as she pondered whether to share with Maria how much she disliked the diminutive Eliza. Realizing Maria and Mr. Collins would both take their cues from Charlotte’s usage of the nickname, she decided not to bother. “I assure you, it was not by design. I had merely stumbled across Wickham’s hideout earlier in the day, and he had stayed close to it when he took Miss Georgiana.”

  Charlotte stiffened suddenly. “Did you say Fitzwilliam Darcy and Georgiana Darcy?”

  Lizzy nodded. “Indeed. Why?”

  Charlotte smiled. “I do know the gentleman in question, and his kind sister. Mr. Darcy visits Lady Catherine at least twice a year, and Georgiana has been an infrequent visitor along with him.” She frowned, appearing trapped in consternation. “The very same Mr. Darcy was the one who helped to solve the mystery and retrieve his sister? I can hardly credit the idea. The man is so reserved and prideful. I do not believe I have spoken more than a dozen words to him in the three years of my marriage.”

  “That does sound like Fitzwilliam Darcy. You can see how unbelievable it was that he and I managed to work together to identify a thief, and then to find Miss Georgiana.”

  Charlotte’s lips lifted into a smile. “I believe I might see why you would prefer a donkey in a bonnet, dear Eliza.” The three ladies giggled at that, and then conversation switched to something else.

  Lizzy felt relaxed and better than she had in a while to be in the presence of her dear friend, though she wished the image of Mr. Darcy would stop plaguing her. Even when she thought she was thinking about something else, his face would surge into her mind, or she would recall a snippet of conversation, or perhaps an ugly moment when they had exchanged acrimonious words on more than one occasion. It was as though the man was haunting her, and she was ready to exorcise him permanently.

  The following evening could not be delayed or put off, but Lizzy had hoped for some sort of calamity to prevent it. She had been a reluctant guest at Rosings Park for dinner many times, but she’d never looked forward to it. Lady de Bourgh was condescension itself, along with being full of strong opinions one did not dare go against. The few times Lizzy had voiced an opposite opinion, she had been thoroughly chastised for the ignorance of youth and the failure to see Lady de Bourgh’s wisdom.

  Dinner there was exhausting, but at least there was a bright spot. She did look forward to seeing Miss Anne, Lady Catherine’s daughter. The other woman was a few years older than Lizzy, and she was generally regarded as a spinster due to her ill-health. She didn’t speak much, but when she did, Lizzy usually found her words insightful, and the woman had a calm presence about her that invited others to be restful too. The only people who seemed impervious to that were her mother and Mr. Collins.

  They had visited for a while in the salon before coming through to the dining room when the butler announced it was time for dinner, and now Lizzy found herself seated across from Maria and beside Charlotte, with Anne on her other side. Lady de Bourgh was at the head of the table, and Mr. Collins sat beside Charlotte. There were several chairs that remained unused, since the dining table was exquisitely long.

  “Tell me about your life, Miss Bennet,” said Lady de Bourgh.

  Lizzy clenched her teeth, having had this conversation at least once per visit. She couldn’t be certain if Lady Catherine simply couldn’t be bothered to remember any details about her, or if it were a means of reminding her how inconsequential she was.

  She briefly considered changing the tale of her life, wondering if she could scandalize Lady Catherine by implying her parents were circus performers, and she had a sister with four arms, but she decided against it, though the amusement allowed her to flash Lady Catherine a brighter smile than she could’ve otherwise. “There is little to tell, Lady Catherine. I come from a humble family, and we have five daughters altogether, but no sons.”

  “How distressing for your poor father. Who will inherit your property?”

  “Mr. Collins,” said Lizzy too-sweetly. “The entailment dictates the property must go to the next male heir. I am certain you are familiar with such arrangements.” She struggled not to sound bitter that neither she nor her sisters could be deemed worthy of inheriting Longbourn, with or without a husband.

  She understood the advisability of not splitting up an estate among multiple siblings, but she saw no good reason why Jane couldn’t be the one to inherit Longbourn, since she was the eldest child. It shouldn’t matter if she were a woman, or if she were unmarried. That was the way of society though, and there was little Lizzy could do to change it.

  “Oh, that is the property yo
u expect to inherit someday, Mr. Collins. Very good.” Lady de Bourgh looked at her rector with a fond smile. “I know you must long for that day.”

  Lizzy clenched her teeth again, wanting to call Lady Catherine on her insensitivity, but she knew there was no point. The woman was either deliberately insulting, or obliviously insensitive. That was almost worse than the first.

  “Indeed, it will be quite a splendid day when we take Longbourn. I have many plans for it, you see.” Mr. Collins started to launch into them, but Charlotte cleared her throat.

  “It will be a challenging time for Eliza’s family when that happens, Mr. Collins,” she said with a repressive note in her voice. “Perhaps we should discuss something less upsetting.”

  “Nonsense,” said Lady Catherine. “I am certain Miss Bennet is up to the conversation. After all, it must linger in her thoughts a great deal that her circumstances will change beyond recognition once her father dies.” Lady de Bourgh turned her gaze on Lizzy again. “Tell me, dear, have any of your sisters made smart matches?”

  Lizzy clamped her lips together for a moment, trying to draw a deep breath to keep from blurting out something rude. “We are all young, and Papa is in good health, so I confess it is not a thought on many of our minds.” She didn’t bother to mention her mother’s obsession with the thought, for indeed, though she occasionally mocked her mother and was certainly embarrassed by her behavior, she refused to expose her to gossip or cutting comments from someone like Lady Catherine.

  “Such a lackadaisical attitude to take toward the matter. If I were you, young lady, I would focus on getting a beau and turning him into a husband quickly. You never know how fate may change from one day to the next. After all, my dear Lewis died unexpectedly, and your dear papa might do the same at any moment.”