“They’ve all already seen the gallery, Georgiana.” Darcy looked at me like he worried my concussion was worse than he’d realized.
“I know. But it’s worth a try.”
“We’ll try, but I’ll have our security team on alert as well.” Darcy muttered mostly to himself. He must’ve been in a mood because he gave me a stern look. “You’re not planning to involve Lizzy, are you?”
“Of course not.” I frowned, wondering what in the world Darcy was so worried about. “It’s nearly 7:00. We should get down to the dining hall.”
“Why did Lizzy say she was visiting Pemberley?” Henry whispered as we were descending from the second floor. He offered me his arm so I wouldn’t trip in my heels.
“I think she was here with relatives and also doing an article on the historical art.” I shrugged.
“What kind of historical art?” Henry asked."Could she be a suspect?"
Darcy must've been listening to our conversation, because he turned back toward us. “No. She was with me."
"He's right. The historical art is a collection of fae in this area going back about three hundred years.” I stopped walking and stared at Henry. “You’re a genius.”
“I’m really not.” He shook his head. “I was just trying to think of questions. No idea how that’s related to anything.”
“That’s what we need to figure out.” I resumed my careful steps downstairs. “I think we need a plan to catch them at their own game.”
“I don’t know that Darcy will like that,” Henry said, glancing at my brother, who'd made it all the way downstairs, and was shaking hands with a few guests.
“He will if it protects Lizzy,” I responded. “I wonder if she would mind if we used her, well the fact that she's writing an article on the artwork for her article, as bait.”
“Absolutely not!” Darcy whispered to me outside of the main dining hall when I suggested my idea. "How could her article possibly be related to the murder?"
"It's not directly related. But if she's doing an article, it's possible she's uncovered some secret the killer doesn't want released. Like the value of certainpieces, or something.” I persisted in hushed tones to avoid being overheard. "We'd just ask her to talk about her article to the group."
“Georgiana, I love you to the moon and back. But please don’t ask me to risk her. I can’t.” Darcy's eyes were soft, scared even.
“I understand.” Though I wasn’t ready to admit it to my brother, I already felt similarly about Henry. “We’ll find another way.”
“Honestly, I’d rather you did nothing. Why not just allow the police to deal with the killer tomorrow? I doubt whoever did it is a threat to anyone right now,” Darcy said.
“Well, if Lizzy is reporting on our historical art, it may put her in danger tonight,” I warned my brother."We probably shouldn't wait."
Anger flashed in Darcy’s eyes. “If anything happened to her, it would be a serious mistake on the killer’s part.”
Chapter 11
Beforedinner,weinvitedour guests into the music room, where I performed a classical arrangement ofGreensleeveson the harp. This gave our staff time to finish setting the dining hall for the perfect Christmastime feast.
When Oscar gave us the all clear, we ushered our guests into the room. Rows of candles were the only source of light aside from the glowing fireplace, and soft orchestral music played from the sound system. Pine cones and sprays of evergreen garnished a red and white floral display in the center of the table, and each place setting was comprised of matching ivory china with a gold holly and ivy trim.
Before saying grace, Darcy started off dinner with a greeting. “I hope you all feel welcome at Pemberley this evening. I’m sorry you’re stuck here, but ask that you please let us know of any needs you might have. If the calculations are correct, officials believe all roads shouldbe plowed and drivable by 11:00 tomorrow morning. We serve a buffet-style breakfast at 8:00 a.m.”
“What hospitality!” Mr. Arnold praised Darcy. “I’m so blessed to have such kind neighbors.”
The rest of the group murmured similar sentiments. Under the table, Henry reached for and took my hand, then gave it a little squeeze.
My spine tingled, wondering what was in store for our future.
During the first course, Waffles snuck into the room and hid underneath my chair. I slipped her a few scraps of unseasoned chicken, and Henry scratched her head when he noticed her. Daphne and Bradford were seated across from us and were quickly engaged in conversation.
She seemed to be taken in by his elf-like features and golden curls. "And you're writing a book on the genealogy? How fascinating."
"Well, the art really tells us the stories. I'm just putting them into words." Bradford attempted humility, but it didn't quite fit. "Georgiana can probably tell you all about any of the pieces you're interested in."
