Pickering stood up unsteadily, leaning heavily against the table.
“Darcy must not go. It is not appropriate. If his wife has been suspected of treason, someone must go there and arrest her. We have wasted enough time on this. Let us be done with it. I am going to the library.”
Pickering hauled himself with painful slowness out of his chair, walked to the door, and let himself out.
Chapter 18
The closing of thedoor as Pickering walked out was followed by an eruption of sound. Matlock was forced to use a walking stick to bang on the table and ask for silence.
“We cannot arrest Mrs. Darcy on suspicion of treason until we have investigated the circumstances. We cannot treat her as a criminal unless the charges are proven. We do not even know if Mrs. Darcy is actually in the cellar. We are not savages. We will conduct ourselves in a civilized manner.”
He turned to Darcy. “Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, do you give your word of honor that you will take charge of your wife and keep her from leaving Netherfield until the investigation has been completed?”
“Or what? You will throw her in the cellar with de Riquer? Do you realize that my wife could bedeadright now?”
Darcy had reached his limit. If he did not go down now to discover what had happened to Elizabeth, he would go mad.
“She cannot be dead, Darcy.” Devereux’s self-righteous tone made Darcy see red. “The note explicitly said they heard Mrs. Darcy talking to the mage.”
“The note may have been written some time ago.” Darcy knocked his chair backward and stood up. “I am going to discover what has happened to my wife. If anyone tries to stop me, I will not answer for the consequences.”
“I will come with you,” said Sudbury.
“And I,” said Lady Ashcombe.
Darcy threw her a look of surprise. She was not trained to fight. She would not be able to fight if they were forced to free Elizabeth from the mage’s clutches.
Lady Ashcombe caught his skeptical look. “If she has been injured in some way, she will need a Healer.”
Darcy nodded. It was the most practical proposal so far. He looked to Grayson.
“Are you coming?”
“I already said I would.”
Devereux stood up. “I would not miss it for anything.”
