Well, perhaps Newhaven? I could wait there?
No, no, it would make better sense to stay put, I told myself.
I thought of going up to Rosings and bursting in on their breakfast. I imagined how Lady Catherine would take that.
Not well, likely.
No, if Will was coming, he’d come when he always did, which was during my morning walk. I could simply be patient and wait for him. He would likely arrive, I thought. There was no reason to worry until he did not.
So, I waited.
And at the appointed time, I went out for my walk.
But Will did not come.
I walked and walked and assumed that Colonel Fitzwilliam would arrive as usual and we would have our talk about rich men not being able to marry where they chose and all of that.
But he did not either.
No, of course! If Will were missing, which he must be, or he would have come to me, then the colonel would be out looking for him.
I should go back to the rectory, and doubtless, someone would come to inquire if we had seen Mr. Darcy.
Except, no one did.
I began to question that, as I wondered if they would be very worried about Mr. Darcy. He was a grown man with a lot of money and could do as he pleased. If he was missing, peoplemight be likely to be annoyed with him for disappearing but not worried over his safety.
I didn’t know.
But we were all to go to tea at Rosings that day, so I decided we would get the right of it then, when we arrived.
We all trooped up the steps outside Rosings toward the front door.
The door opened, but it wasn’t a servant there, or at least it wasn’t anyone in a servant’s uniform, and then I stopped looking at whatever the person was wearing and noticed that they were holding a gun.
Bang.
I gasped.
Maria Lucas’s throat exploded in gore.
Bang.
Pain exploded into my—
fitzwilliam
They dragged me off of her body and tied me up and threw me in a stall in the stable.
I listened as they talked in French over what they would do.
I was to be hung.
Well.
I decided that was likely more convenient, in the end, to be killed as well, because I would wake up in Rosings.
I hoped.
