Page 89 of The Long Road Back to Yesterday

Wynn appeared to see it, for he did not continue the comparison. He asked after her health, received her assurance that she was well, and turned the conversation to Pemberley.

After dinner, Mr. Radcliff drew Darcy into a discussion of the illness among his sheep. The problem had spread no farther, but several animals remained weak, and Mr. Radcliff was considering whether another pasture ought to be used before the winter weather set in.

Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy bend his attention to a paper upon which Mr. Radcliff had recorded the number of affected animals.

He asked about the condition of the pasture and when the flock had been moved after the first sheep showed signs of illness. Elizabeth had once thought of Pemberley chiefly as a great house belonging to a very wealthy man. The more she knew of Mr. Darcy, the less possible it became to separate the house, land, tenants, servants, farms, and people who depended upon the estate from the man responsible for them.

He looked up and found her watching him.

Elizabeth lowered her eyes to the book before her.

That would teach her to study Mr. Darcy instead of William Camden.

Dr. Wynn had followed her to the table.

“What have you there, Miss Elizabeth?”

“Antiquarian works, sir.”

He examined the books spread before her. “You have enough of them.”

“I am beginning to think there can never be enough, Dr. Wynn.”

“That is a dangerous opinion for a woman who likes books.”

Elizabeth laughed.

He drew out a chair. “Maddie wrote that you have studied under your father’s tutelage.”

“From the time I was ten, sir. Papa allowed me to read almost anything I could understand and a good many things I could not. When I failed to understand them, he made me discover why.”

“What did you study?”

“History, philosophy, poetry, natural history, the ancient writers. Whatever interested one of us generally interested the other before long. During the last months of his life, we had begun antiquities, folklore, ancient monuments, and local traditions.”

Wynn rested a hand upon Brand.

“You were close to him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Elizabeth looked at the books.

“I was his favorite daughter. I know fathers ought not to have favorites, or at least ought not to admit to them, but Papa and I understood one another. We could spend an entire evening with our books and consider it excellent company.”

“And these were the subjects you meant to study together.”

“Yes. I want to finish what we began.”

It was not the whole truth, but it was true.

Wynn regarded her for a moment before asking, “What are you hoping to find?”

Elizabeth opened her notebook.

“Old beliefs, unusual events, missing persons, stories of fairies or enchantments, and anything connected with Arbor Low. I found three accounts of people disappearing there. All three vanished on December twenty-first.”

“On the eve of the winter solstice.”