Perfidy & Promises Read online

  Perfidy & Promises

  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

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Blurb

  Lizzy and her family arrive at Pemberley to allow Fitzwilliam a chance to court her. Things are off to a splendid start until Lady Catherine invites herself, and Caroline Bingley is clearly intent on causing trouble between ODC. Someone is targeting Fitzwilliam and Pemberley for harassment, but is it the same person who murders the stablemaster during Lizzy’s stay? She and Darcy find themselves at odds over theories of the crime, but will that disagreement keep them from building a future together?

  This is part five of the completed “Crime & Courtship” series. It is 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, then Netherfield, followed by Hunsford, then London, and finally Pemberley. The story arc continues 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

  “I confess I still do not understand why we are visiting Mr. Darcy. The man is most unpleasant,” said Fanny Bennet as the carriage hit another rut in the road that made them all jolt on the seat. “I am perplexed why he would issue this invitation, and further perplexed why you would accept, dear Lizzy.”

  “It is an opportunity for Jane to see Mr. Bingley.” She had no intention of delving into her deeper and conflicting feelings for Mr. Darcy with her mother. If Fanny suspected she had any sort of affection for the man, she would likely be able to overcome her dislike of him in order to plot the best way to ensure a marriage between them. She didn’t trust her mother with that goal.

  “It is kind of you,” said Lydia with a sniff. “I cannot bear to endure Mr. Darcy’s company for that long.”

  “Yet you are here,” said Kitty with a giggle.

  Lizzy wished Jane were in the carriage with her, but her sister had ridden with Charles and Caroline Bingley. She wondered at Jane’s ability to stand being confined to the carriage that long with Charles’s sister, for it would have been a very unpleasant task indeed to Lizzy.

  The Bingleys had traveled with them, since they were visiting Netherfield, and it was completely proper for Jane to be with them, since she had a chaperone. Considering the conversation Mr. Bingley had with Thomas Bennet shortly before they departed on their adventure for Pemberley, no one would object.

  Lizzy’s stomach clenched with nerves as they rounded the corner, and she got her first glimpse of Pemberley. The Lake District in general was splendidly beautiful, but Pemberley stood out as a distinction among all the natural wonders around her. It was the jewel of the crown, and she had a fluttering sensation in her chest as she imagined being mistress of it.

  Of course, she had rejected Fitzwilliam’s proposal so insultingly given at Hunsford, and there was no guarantee it would ever be issued again. She couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed by that. Everything about Mr. Darcy left her feeling conflicted and torn. He was full of pride and arrogance, but there was a softer side to him as well.

  She certainly found no fault with his intelligence, deductive reasoning, or ability to carry on a conversation. He seemed to have withdrawn all objection to his friend Bingley marrying her sister, but she supposed they would soon know if that was true. She doubted he would be able to hide his genuine reaction when he learned the news.

  Deciding to focus on that rather than how nervous she was at seeing him again, Lizzy smoothed her dress and touched the scar on her neck self-consciously. The surgeon had assured her it might eventually fade to be barely noticeable, but it was still visible at the moment, only a few weeks out from when Tristan Nobles had inflicted it upon her. She couldn’t help being insecure about it, and her movement drew her mother’s attention.

  Fanny wailed anew at the sight of it. “Oh, that ugly mark. How you will ever find a husband who will overlook it bewilders me. I cannot believe you allowed yourself to be kidnapped and attacked.”

  Aunt Gardiner winced at her sister-in-law’s words and sent Lizzy a sympathetic smile.

  With what Lizzy hoped was an even tone, she said, “I would have certainly reconsidered had I realized how inconvenient it would be for you, Mama.”

  Kitty snickered as Fanny fanned herself, obviously not detecting Lizzy’s sarcasm. “I do wish you would think things through. You are a bright girl, but far too impulsive.”

  Lizzy’s mouth struggled to form a smile, requiring a great deal of control to suppress the urge. She found it both humorous and the height of hypocrisy to have her mother complaining about her impulsiveness when Lydia, Fanny’s favorite daughter, was the very embodiment of the inclination itself. “Yes, Mama,” she murmured softly.

  Despite her nervousness, she was relieved when the carriage stopped moments later, hoping it would divert Fanny from the topic of her scar and her careless thoughtlessness at allowing it to come about. The door opened, and the groom assisted them down one at a time.

  Lizzy was the second to last to leave the carriage, and when she stepped down, she saw Fitzwilliam waiting for her, along with Georgiana at his side. The Bingleys and Jane already stood waiting, their carriage having arrived moments before the Bennets’, and while Fitzwilliam was greeting Bingley, his gaze remained on Lizzy. That fluttering sensation returned to her chest as she saw the warmth in his gaze, certain it was reflected in hers as well.

  When it was finally her turn to greet Fitzwilliam, he took her hand and brought it to his mouth, holding a second longer than necessary. Even through the barrier of their gloves, she could feel the warmth of his skin, and it sent a frisson of pleasure down her spine.

  “Welcome to Pemberley, Miss Lizzy.” His eyes sparkled as he said the words. There was nothing improper about them, but she couldn’t help recalling how it’d been in the Gardiners’ sitting room weeks before, free to call him Fitzwilliam and him to call her Lizzy without any formalities between them.

  “Thank you for having us, Mr. Darcy.” She almost stumbled over the name, wishing she could use his given name instead.

  After everyone had exchanged a greeting, the Darcys led them into the sitting room. “You must be parched after your journey,” said Georgiana. “Servants will see to dispersal of your items, and Mrs. Reynolds will show you to your rooms after you have had some refreshments.”

  Lizzy sat down, happy to have a seat that wasn’t jolting underneath her. Three days in the carriage, especially with the company she’d kept, had been wearying, and she feared her bottom might remain permanently numb.

  “Jane and I have news,” said Bingley once chatter had died down for a moment. He was squaring his shoulders, and he seemed to be prepared for protest when he said, “Mr. Bennet has given us permission to marry.”

  Lizzy watched Fitzwilliam, holding her breath as she kept her teacup aloft without taking a sip. She was carefully watching every reaction, looking for something to betray his true opinion. He seemed relatively unbothered when he said, “Congratulations are in order then. I am sure you will bring each other much happiness.”

  Lizzy let out the breath she’d been holding and took a sip of her tea,
relief filling her. His objections to Jane and Charles’s union had been the main point of contention remaining between them. Now that he had given his blessing and was no longer meddling, it left Lizzy in the position of having to discover exactly how she felt about Fitzwilliam herself.

  There could be no distraction based on his attitude toward her sister or others. It was thorny, to be sure. In some ways, she was certain how she felt, but hesitations remained. To her disappointment, she had no chance to speak with him alone during teatime. She was tempted to remain behind when the others went up with Mrs. Reynolds, but it wouldn’t be proper.

  Mrs. Reynolds led them upstairs, providing a tour of various items of interest. As they were in the elder Mr. Darcy’s study, where Mrs. Reynolds assured them they could freely help themselves to the library within, since no one used the room any longer, Lizzy was startled to see a painting of George Wickham in his younger years arranged on the mantel of the fireplace alongside Fitzwilliam and Georgiana. She wasn’t surprised the man had commissioned the painting of the younger George, since by all accounts he had been quite fond of him. She was slightly surprised that it remained, and she admired Fitzwilliam’s restraint at not discarding it.

  After Mrs. Reynolds had situated them all in their rooms, ignoring the grumbling protests of Kitty and Lydia for having to share while Lizzy and Jane both received their own rooms, Lizzy decided to take a nap. She hadn’t rested well at the inns where they had stopped, and the bed was luxuriously soft.

  She woke a couple of hours later and realized it was time to prepare for dinner. While she had been having tea, one of Pemberley’s efficient servants had already unpacked her things, so she selected one of the three new dresses her mother had commissioned from Madam St. Croix for her. It had been an indulgence all the girls received, including Mary, though she wasn’t coming along on the trip. Mary had certainly been invited, but newly betrothed, she had chosen to remain at Longbourn with Thomas so she could be near her fiancé.

  After collecting her outfit for the evening, she slipped into Jane’s room. They hadn’t traveled with a lady’s maid, and though Lizzy was certain there was one available at Pemberley if they requested it, the sisters were used to helping each other, so she assisted Jane with her hair before trading places with her so Jane could do the same.

  They assisted each other with their stays, and then Lizzy picked up her dress. She had selected her favorite among the new ones, a simple white dress with embroidered rosettes across the bustline, which was a tad lower than she normally accepted. She considered using a fichu but decided against it. After donning a matching sleeveless robe in the same vibrant pink as the rosettes embroidered across the bodice, Lizzy slipped on her gloves and waited for Jane. When her sister was dressed in a light-blue evening dress that highlighted her eyes, they exited her room.

  They walked down the stairs arm in arm, both quickly getting turned around despite Mrs. Reynolds’s excellent tour earlier. Fortunately, they came across Mr. Bingley and his sister, and though Caroline was clearly dismayed, Charles lit up at the sight of them. To be fair, mainly at the sight of Jane, but Lizzy could hardly fault him for that.

  She relinquished her sister’s arm so Mr. Bingley could take it, and he led them through the house. It was obvious he was familiar with Pemberley, but Lizzy was gratified to see Caroline hesitated at different points, waiting for her brother to lead them.

  That suggested she had been an infrequent guest at Pemberley, which pleased Lizzy. It was no secret Caroline wanted to be Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and though Lizzy had heard for herself directly from Fitzwilliam that he had no interest in assisting Caroline with the aspirations, it was still a relief to know he hadn’t invited the other woman to his home very often.

  Lizzy was disappointed not to get to sit near Fitzwilliam at dinner either. They barely exchanged a few words, and she was frustrated by their lack of interaction. She attempted to pay attention to the conversations happening around her, and at least she was seated beside Georgiana.

  Georgiana was still on the shy side, but she seemed to have gained some new confidence, perhaps because of their previous acquaintance. She seemed to favor Lizzy over the others nearby, including Kitty and Lydia, but she suspected that was simply because she was more comfortable with Lizzy.

  After dinner, the women excused themselves to go into the salon, and Mrs. Reynolds quickly brought in trays of tea. Lizzy was impatient for the men to join them, but she tried to hide it as she sat beside Georgiana on the settee and accepted a cup of tea.

  “He is very happy, you know?”

  Lizzy looked up at the statement. “Pardon?”

  Georgiana smiled. “My brother. He has been happier of late than I recall in a long time, if ever. I do believe he is in love,” she said in a meaningful fashion.

  Lizzy almost smiled in response, but seeing Caroline Bingley in the armchair beside Georgiana, avidly listening without any attempt at subtlety, curtailed the reaction. “How lovely for him,” she said instead in a neutral voice.

  Georgiana frowned. “I do believe he is on the verge of making an offer.”

  Lizzy could have enlightened her that he’d already done so, but she was as eager as Fitzwilliam likely was to forget about the insulting proposal he had issued. The opinions he’d harbored then still stung, but she was hopeful his viewpoint had changed in the intervening months.

  “How have you been, Elizabeth?” asked Georgiana.

  “I have been well. How have you been?” She wanted to ask about Georgiana’s continued recovery from the abduction, but there seemed little need. The young woman appeared to have rebounded from the experience, and there was a new liveliness about her that suggested she bore no long-term trauma from the event.

  “I am fine.” She smiled for a moment before her expression darkened. “Our party is not complete yet.”

  Lizzy arched a brow, wondering who else might be arriving. Even as Georgiana said the words, she realized who was possibly missing, and she found herself fervently hoping Georgiana would say Richard Fitzwilliam’s name.

  Instead, she said, “Lady Catherine and Miss Anne are coming to visit, and they should arrive tomorrow.” There was sympathy in her gaze.

  Lizzy did her best to hide a grimace in her teacup, not missing the way Caroline sneered in delight. There could only be one reason Lady Catherine would intrude, and she must have gotten word from someone there was a possible romance developing between Lizzy and Fitzwilliam.

  Since the woman was determined to see Fitzwilliam married to Anne despite both her daughter and her nephew’s lack of interest in the idea, she would immediately act to forestall any progression of affection between Darcy and any other woman, but particularly someone like Lizzy Bennet.

  Lizzy took a deep sip of her tea, almost wishing it were something more bracing, as she girded herself to battle with Lady Catherine. Of course, it couldn’t be a simple trip to Pemberley that would allow her to just focus on her feelings for Fitzwilliam. At least no one had died, been kidnapped, or blackmailed since her arrival. The odds of such a crime occurring again were astronomical, were they not?

  2

  Lizzy had some time alone with Fitzwilliam the next morning, having risen early for breakfast. It was her natural inclination anyway, but she recalled from their stay at Netherfield that he kept similar hours, and her hope had paid off when she entered the dining room and found him receiving a plate.

  She sat down and placed her order with the maid, who turned to her after delivering Mr. Darcy’s plate, and she waited until they were alone. She was unable to quell the impulse to reach out and put her hand over his. “Finally, a few moments alone.”

  He looked regretful. “That is the difficulty with having a large house party. I would much rather have you to myself.”

  Lizzy flushed at the words, and pleasure suffused her. She smiled at him, and his grin, so open and vulnerable, clearly revealing the depths of his feelings for her, nudged her ever closer to embracing th
e affection she felt for him. “I suppose it would be improper with just the two of us.” She let out a long sigh.

  “Under the current circumstances, of course.”

  Lizzy didn’t look at him as she poured herself a cup of tea, wondering if he were alluding to the idea that if they were married, no one would care if they were there alone. It was an appealing thought, but she was still uncertain.

  “Are you truly accepting of Mr. Bingley and Jane’s engagement?” she asked after the maid had brought her plate and departed.

  He looked up from his dish with surprise, brows furrowing. “I am. Did I come across as insincere?” He seemed troubled by that.

  She quickly shook her head. “No, but I wanted to be sure. I prefer honesty between us. If you still have any reservations—”

  He scowled lightly. “I do not, as I said in London. I suspect you want to hear me say it again, so I will indulge you. I was wrong.”

  Lizzy smiled, admitting part of her enjoyed hearing him say that, but she was mostly just happy from relief. “I am glad you reevaluated your opinion and withdrew your objections, Fitzwilliam.”

  “How could I not when she clearly makes Charles happy, and he seems to make Miss Jane equally happy?” He sipped his tea before saying, “Speaking of happiness, or a lack thereof, I fear I must brace you for something.”

  “No doubt, you refer to Lady Catherine’s impending arrival?” Lizzy was proud of how unconcerned she sounded.

  His eyes widened, and he nodded. “I take it Georgiana revealed the news?”

  “She did.” Lizzy sipped the tea before taking a bite of the excellently poached eggs. “I confess to a lack of enthusiasm, but I shall endure.”