Page 90 of Triumph at Pemberley

Granny held up a hand to quiet him. “What did the French tell you to do?”

“To report to them about Darcy,” he said wretchedly. “What I said before, about them losing interest in him, it was only partly true. Darcy, one of their informers in the militia saw you arrive on dragonback in Captain Jack’s encampment and treat him like an old friend. They do not care about you, except you know Captain Jack and can lead them to dragons. I had no idea then who Captain Jack was, I swear it!”

Darcy could not even bear to look at his former friend. “Pray ask him what he has told them,” he instructed Granny. He needed to be sure the answer was true.

“What have you told them?”

Bingley opened his mouth, but no words came out. He rubbed his lips, tried again, and then gave up. Defeatedly he said, “Only what I had to. Just that you and Elizabeth have dragons, and there is a Nest here. Nothing about you, Darcy. I would never betray you!”

As if he had not done exactly that. He had put a target on the backs of Coquelicot and the other dragons.

“And about Captain Jack?”

“I am so sorry, Darcy! I did not want to!”

Slowly, with each word distinct, Granny spat out, “What did you tell them about Captain Jack?”

“That he is your brother, a powerful land mage,” he said wretchedly. “And standing on iron reduces his power.”

Darcy inhaled sharply. Thank God he had not told Bingley about Jack’s parentage or the King’s Bond! It had been more a matter of Jack’s privacy, rather than distrust in Bingley, but now he was grateful for the small mercy.

Elizabeth’s voice quavered. “Did Jane agree to this?”

Granny waved her aside and repeated her question.

“Jane knows nothing of it. I said I paid a ransom when they captured her. She believes the War Office told us to go.” He caught a breath that was half a sob. “She will never forgive me for this.”

As well she should not! “How are you contacting them?” he asked.

Before Granny could even step in, Bingley said, “Letters addressed to my sister Caroline.”

“Is that true?” Granny asked.

Bingley nodded.

“Say it aloud!”

“Yes, I contact them by sending letters to my sister,” he said bitterly, as if he resented being forced to tell the truth.

Darcy had never thought to restrict Bingley’s access to the outgoing post, or to anything else. And he had not wanted to put him under one of those hated bindings.

“Have you done anything to help them apart from sending letters? Have you harmed anyone or anything? Stolen anything? Read anyone’s mail or stopped it from being delivered? Or any other thing that might be considered harmful?” Granny asked, like the seasoned inquisitor she was.

Again he struggled for words. Finally he said, “I tried to look over Darcy’s shoulder when he was writing a letter, but I could not make out anything. I asked a few servants about Jack, but Darcy must have glued their mouths shut. Nothing else.”

Granny nodded sharply and then turned to Darcy. “I would not trust his parole. There is a certain lack of steadiness in his answers. He could mean it completely now, but not be able to resist temptation later.”

Worse and worse. A gentleman’s word was his bond, and he would have blindly believed Bingley if he gave it. With a sour taste in his mouth, he said, “A lock and key, then. Granny, I want to put together a list of questions about this capture of Mrs. Bingley and the condition of his sisters. May I request your services again when that is complete?” He could not even think clearly now through the fog of this betrayal.

“Must you tell my wife?” Bingley begged.

Elizabeth said coldly, “I intend to do so as soon as we are done here. She deserves to know.”

“And I will be writing to the War Office once I have found somewhere to keep you,” Darcy said. And to Jack. He needed to know his secrets had been betrayed.

Elizabeth sent away Jane’s maid and closed the door behind her. Oh, how she wanted to soften this blow for her sister who always believed the best of everyone! But she would be doing Jane no favors by allowing her to continue to trust Bingley’s lies.

“I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I must ask you to brace yourself. We just discovered your husband has been spying for the French. He lied about the attack on Longbourn. There was no letter from the War Office. It was all a pretext to come here to discover our secrets.”