He ran his hand down his lapel. “Mrs. Cooper was my neighbour, so I am familiar with the circumstances of her death. How could your mother-in-law have committed this crime without being seen?”
“Her past visits to the home, both as a young lady and as an adult, made her familiar with the house’s configuration. And she disguised her appearance by wearing an old cloak that belonged to one of her maids and the scarf covering her head. If challenged by one of the servants, she would have made an excuse and fled, but no one noticed her. She entered through the kitchen and departed by the front door.” Mrs. Collins’s eyes grew wide. “Oh yes, and my mother-in-law took a small porcelain vase before she departed the house. According to her diary, the vase belonged to her and had been stolen by her erstwhile friend.”
“Where is the vase now?” asked my husband.
Mrs. Collins pointed behind us. “It is there, on the mantel.”
He rose and walked to the fireplace for a better view of the sapphire vessel. “This fits the description of the vase taken on the night of the murder.” He returned to his seat.
With a shudder, I edged closer to him. “It is difficult to imagine any woman committing such a dreadful act.”
“Yes, I know.” Mrs. Collins wrung her hands. “However, I do not doubt the veracity of my mother-in-law’s written account. She returned from London at the end of August a different person from the composed, confident one I had known. She had become nervous, timid, and laconic. She suffered from insomnia, drank to excess, and shunned her friends and neighbours. Less than three months later, she succumbed to apoplexy. It seems the guilt weighed upon her and hastened her death.”
Mrs. Collins closed the journal and relinquished it to Fitzwilliam, betraying a slight tremble in her hand. “I have asked my father to find a modest room to let in another shire. With your indulgence, I shall remain here until I have arranged for suitable lodging.”
My husband looked up from the diary. “Will you not move back to your family’s estate?”
“No, I cannot.” She averted her gaze. “Once my mother-in-law’s crimes become common knowledge, the scandal could damage my family. I hope to shield them by distancing myself.”
But that is not fair!My stomach writhed at the notion of Mrs. Collins relegated to a dreary boarding house, forsaken and forgotten by her friends. “I think you ought to stay at Longbourn House.” I glanced at Fitzwilliam, who gave me a slight nod. “Assuming there is no legal impediment, and the estate will become mine, you may remain for the foreseeable future. I hope to have children, but it may be five-and-twenty years before I have an heir old enough to manage Longbourn.”
She rubbed her temple. “Are you offering to hire me as a housekeeper or perhaps a caretaker?”
I pressed my mouth flat. “No, for I should not want to lower your standing.” I turned to Fitzwilliam. “What do you think? There must be a better way to handle the situation.”
He held his knuckles to his lips, as he often did in contemplation of a problem. “My understanding is that Mrs. Collins has long been making the decisions with regard to the estate.” His sight shifted to her. “Is that the case?”
“Yes, upon my marriage to Mr. Collins, I took the responsibility over from my mother-in-law. My husband never took an interest in estate matters.”
“Let us assume all goes as expected, and Mrs. Darcy takes ownership of the property. I propose we sign a lease agreement stipulating that you will run the estate in lieu of paying rent, and you will receive fifty percent of the net income. Over time, you will accumulate a modest fortune.”
I beamed at him. “That is a splendid idea!”
Mrs. Collins, though, shook her head, her brown eyes shiny. “That is exceedingly generous of you, and I wish I could accept. But I cannot remain in the neighbourhood. If I did so, I should be…shunned.”
That poor woman!“This fate cannot be inevitable, for that would be an outrage! You are innocent of any offence. Furthermore, many in your placewould have burnt the diary and ensured no one ever learnt the revelations within. Instead, you proved yourself to be honest and noble.” I touched Fitzwilliam’s arm. “You and I may be able to prevent the damage to Mrs. Collins’s reputation, may we not?”
“Indeed, I believe we can.” He gave me a winsome smile, and it took all my powers of restraint to keep from kissing him. I settled for a subtle caress of his upper arm.
“Pray do not suppose that I am ungrateful.” Mrs. Collins’s voice cracked. “But I do not think there is any hope of keeping the sordid details of this scandal from being known.”
“No doubt that is true.” Due to the illicit nature of the late Mrs. Collins’s actions, the story would spread like a wildfire through the community. “Whilst we remain in the area, my husband and I shall reveal the late Mrs. Collins’s crimes whilst we praise your integrity and declare you to be our friend. I fancy others will follow our example. Your state of mourning limits our ability to appear with you in public for now, but we shall invite you to our home in town when you are able to accept.”
“Yes, that sounds like an effective plan.” Fitzwilliam closed the journal and placed it on his lap. He gestured to Mrs. Collins. “If anyone casts aspersions against you within our hearing, we shall contradict them.”
“My goodness, I am speechless.” Her words came out in a whisper. “I should be honoured to accept your offer, and you both have my heartfelt thanks.”
“You are welcome.” I beheld Fitzwilliam in an admiring gaze. “And you ought to know that when he wishes to be, my husband can be a formidable object. I doubt any of your friends and neighbours will have the temerity to oppose him.”
Once ensconced within the privacy of the coach, I did not hesitate to reveal my thoughts to Fitzwilliam. “Bless me, what an astonishing visit! Mrs. Cooper’s murderer has been revealed, and my childhood home may be restored to me.”
“Indeed. Upon our return to Netherfield House, I have letters to write. I must notify Mr. Notley, the Bow Street runner, of the late Mrs. Collins’s confession. Based on the journal and the written statement I received from the abigail, I shall direct my solicitor to initiate a lawsuit in your name claiming the rightful ownership of Longbourn.”
I took in the staid state of his profile as he stared out of the window. “You appear a bit sombre. Do you doubt that we shall prevail in court?”
“No. I am indignant on your behalf. You have suffered the past mistreatment from Mr. Barton, and this business with Longbourn is yet another malfeasance perpetrated against you. You ought to have grown up secure in the knowledge that you had an estate to your name.”
“Pray do not be offended on my behalf. Even if granted the power to change the past, I should decline rather than risk altering the circumstances that brought you into my path. I could not be happier with my lot in life.”
