Mr. Darcy: Swoonworthy Collection by Alix James

Author:Alix James [James, Alix]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Winsome Wit Publishing
Published: 2024-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

Darcy

“Escaped. Good Lord.” Campbell sagged in his desk chair, his head resting on his hands and his eyes staring unseeingly at the floor. “And Wellington nowhere near the field. By heaven, he’s still in Vienna, dividing up the territory that Napoleon now means to take back! We’ve lost before we’ve even begun.”

I paced before Campbell’s desk. “So, what is to be done? You were in charge of overseeing him, and you allowed this to happen! Do you realize the repercussions of your negligence?”

He shot to his feet. “Do not forget your place, Darcy. I could have you arrested and questioned! Don’t think none of your actions ever sparked suspicion. I wondered about you from the first.”

“Very well.” I crossed my arms. “Question me. Question witnesses. You’ll learn that on the evening of Napoleon’s escape, I was induced to drink vast quantities of brandy and cognac to keep me quiet. It was only a matter of luck that I was not so intoxicated as Lord Holt believed. I will have my satisfaction there! Did you know he also drugged Miss Bennet?”

Campbell sank back into his seat. “The governess? Why?”

My lip curled. “Because she is more than a governess, and Holt is no fool.”

His eyes brightened. “A spy! But for whom? I knew she was too sharp. Too handsome and intelligent for a common governess. And that night! She was working with you. By heaven, I—”

“Miss Bennet is the well-educated daughter of a gentleman, and very soon, she will be Mrs. Darcy. She is no spy, and I’ll not suffer any harm to be spoken of her. Lord Holt used her as infamously as he did me—and you, I would wager. What ‘sudden ailment’ caused you to race back to the mainland just at the right moment?”

Campbell stared sullenly at his desk. “My surgeon can find nothing. Nothing, I say. And why? Because the symptoms that began approximately a fortnight ago vanished the moment I left Elba.”

I frowned. “You suspect you, also, were poisoned?”

He was silent for a moment. “I have not ascertained that for a fact. Although my surgeon did suggest something called wolfsbane, after reading in his medical books.” He shook his head. “But none of that matters. Who would believe me, anyway? I’m the fool who let the Eagle of France leave his nest.”

I clenched a fist. “Justice must be served. Holt...” My voice wavered with barely suppressed fury. “After everything he stands accused of, you want to wave your hand and say that no one will even care?”

Campbell stared evenly back at me. “Darcy, your anger is justified. But you must understand the complexities of the situation. Holt has connections and allies, even in the highest circles. If we move against him without solid evidence and a veritable army of well-placed witnesses, he will slip away.”

“And what of Elizabeth? Think of her, if not yourself. She could have died. There was nothing to stop her from drinking that whole pot of tainted coffee before it was too late. He was utterly careless of the safety of a lady traveling under his protection.

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