The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy by Regina Jeffers Read Free Book Online Page A

shoulder.
    Darcy frowned in dissatisfaction. “Evidently, we have stepped into a marshy predicament,” he mumbled. Freshening his pen, he said, “Let us create the other list.”
    â€œWe should start with Mr. Stowbridge’s entertainment. The squire said something about your Cousin Samuel’s remarking on the evening’s discussion reminding him of an ancient ritual,” Elizabeth suggested. “Someone should speak to Mr. Drewe and Mr. Mason to determine the source of your cousin’s qualms.”
    Darcy added, “And the type of ritual.” He jotted down their ideas. “Samuel often visited uncivilized societies. Did my cousin base his remark on something one of Mr. Stowbridge’s guests said or on something the gentlemen were creating as part of their authorships?”
    â€œOf course.” Elizabeth’s excitement grew. “I had forgotten that Mr. Stowbridge’s guests are writers. Perhaps, they write a tale of haunted castles and darklings.”
    Darcy smiled easily. “You really must avoid Mrs. Ratcliffe’s tales,” he teased.
    Elizabeth pointed to the list. “No commentary, Mr. Darcy. You are simply the scribe.”
    He winked at her and returned to the page. “We must determine with whom Samuel was disappointed.”
    â€œMayhap your cousin has a journal that would provide us clues to his mindset,” Elizabeth proposed.
    â€œAn excellent idea,” Darcy concurred. “In the past, Samuel kept detailed reports of his expeditions. In addition to those logs providing us with information on the aforementioned ritual, they may also lead us to more personal notes.”
    Elizabeth thumbed through the stack of letters. Her brow furrowed in concentration. “Obviously, we must discover what happened to Cousin Samuel’s body,” she said matter-of-factly.
    â€œWas Samuel ever in the grave?” Darcy asked, and the possibility surprised both of them.
    Elizabeth said, “We have assumed that Samuel Darcy knew a traditional English burial.”
    Darcy shook his head in the disbelief. “At this point, we should avoid making assumptions. There are no assigned parameters in this scenario. And indeed it appears as if Cousin Samuel involved himself in something beyond the normal.”
    â€œI agree,” she said softly.
    As the list grew, Darcy realized how uncommon the events surrounding his cousin’s death appeared. The events of Samuel Darcy’s death went against the norm, and Darcy despised how control had been wrenched from his grasp. He regarded her with a somber expression. “What of the explosion?” he asked grudgingly. “Surely if someone wished to rob a grave, he would not do so by destroying the gravesite.”
    A terrible silence welled between them. “We must discover the reason a Rom would be in a cemetery at night,” Elizabeth observed. “I would think the man might hold with too many superstitions to do so.” Elizabeth’s expression turned thoughtful.
    He said, “I cannot imagine many souls taking comfort in a fresh gravesite, especially not late into the night.”
    â€œWas it late?”
    Darcy frowned. “I assumed so, but perhaps it was not.”
    As if to share a secret, Elizabeth leaned closer. “No one mentioned a shovel, Fitzwilliam. Would not a grave robber require a shovel to do the deed?”
    â€œIf there was no shovel, then robbery was not the Rom’s motive,” Darcy said on a soft sigh.
    Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat. She stared dumbly at the list. Even though not complete, her husband’s second list had filled one page and half of another. “We cannot manage this alone, Fitzwilliam,” she declared.
    â€œI have come to the same conclusion.” Conscious of the incongruity surrounding their efforts, Darcy agreed. “Likely, my first task is to send for reinforcements. My cousin is in London. I