Read Online The Deception at Lyme: Or, the Peril of Persuasion (Mr. And Mrs. Darcy Mysteries) by Carrie Bebris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carrie Bebris
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sewn-on cap that matched her dress. However, Lily had decided that gumming Maggie’s stuffed legs was her preferred remedy for teething pain. After six teeth, the doll looked like the victim of a horrible carriage accident.
As Elizabeth tied the laces of her half-boots, Betsy and Maggie stood on the edge of the dressing table and engaged in a lively dialogue intelligible only to Lily-Anne, who performed it with great spirit. Unfortunately, the conversation took a hostile turn when the dolls shouted “no-no-no” at each other and Maggie knocked Betsy to the floor.
“Lily-Anne Darcy! That is not a nice way to play with your dolls. Pick up Betsy and treat her gently. Maggie should apologize.”
After Maggie delivered the apology, Lily-Anne turned to her mother. “Walk now?”
“Not yet, sweetheart—”
Elizabeth reconsidered. The rain had ceased some time ago; Lily-Anne could come with them to call upon the Harvilles. Surely they would not mind. They had children of their own, after all, and Lily might enjoy meeting the youngest boy. As for their stop at Mr. Elliot’s, Lily-Anne’s presence would provide the perfect excuse to keep the call brief—if they even found him at all.
“Yes, Lily. Let us take that walk now.”
Eight
“I venture to hint, that Sir Walter Elliot cannot be half so jealous for his own, as John Shepherd will be for him.”
— Mr. John Shepherd to Sir Walter, Persuasion
Elizabeth and Darcy’s second visit to the Lion proved equally fruitless; Mr. Elliot still had not returned. They therefore proceeded to the Harvilles’ cottage. By the time they reached the shore, however, Elizabeth regretted her decision to bring Lily-Anne along. While the streets higher up the hill, near their own cottage, had begun to dry following the storm, those closer to the beach were still wet and dirty. As a result, Darcy wound up carrying Lily-Anne most of the way, a circumstance that pleased neither the child who wanted to use her own legs nor the father who had already endured a long day. Darcy bore it with fortitude; Lily-Anne, with better humor than Elizabeth anticipated. All three were grateful to finally reach Cobb Hamlet and the Harvilles’ home.
Mrs. Harville was happy to see the Darcys. She, too, had changed her attire and tidied her appearance since the morning’s exertions. “My husband is on his way to your cottage,” she said. “You must have missed each other en route. We thought you would want to know that Mr. Elliot has returned.”
“Mr. William Elliot?” Darcy asked.
“Yes, the gentleman you brought here earlier. He has been preparing his own lodgings to receive the injured mother and child. Poor man! He took the news of Mrs. Clay’s death very hard.”
“Has Sir Walter Elliot been in communication with you?” Elizabeth asked.
“Sir Walter? Not at all.”
While Elizabeth cast a puzzled glance at Darcy—which he returned in kind—Mrs. Harville bent to meet Lily-Anne’s eyes. “And who is this young lady?”
“Our daughter, Lily-Anne,” Elizabeth replied.
“I am honored to make your acquaintance, Miss Darcy,” she said with exaggerated formality. “I have a little boy not much older than you. Would you like to meet him?”
Lily-Anne looked to Elizabeth. After receiving a nod of permission, she accepted Mrs. Harville’s hand and went inside.
Elizabeth turned to Darcy. “Mr. Elliot means to take the baby?”
“Apparently he is ignorant of Sir Walter’s interest in the matter.”
They entered the house to find Mr. Elliot holding the newborn. The child was well swaddled and sleeping.
“Mr. and Mrs. Darcy,” Mr. Elliot greeted them. “I did not expect to see you again.”
“We tried to call upon you at the Lion,” Darcy said. “That is where you are staying, is it not?”
“For the time being. As soon as Mr. Sawyer assures me the child is strong enough to travel, we will remove to my house in Sidmouth.”
Mrs. Harville was in a corner of the room,
As Elizabeth tied the laces of her half-boots, Betsy and Maggie stood on the edge of the dressing table and engaged in a lively dialogue intelligible only to Lily-Anne, who performed it with great spirit. Unfortunately, the conversation took a hostile turn when the dolls shouted “no-no-no” at each other and Maggie knocked Betsy to the floor.
“Lily-Anne Darcy! That is not a nice way to play with your dolls. Pick up Betsy and treat her gently. Maggie should apologize.”
After Maggie delivered the apology, Lily-Anne turned to her mother. “Walk now?”
“Not yet, sweetheart—”
Elizabeth reconsidered. The rain had ceased some time ago; Lily-Anne could come with them to call upon the Harvilles. Surely they would not mind. They had children of their own, after all, and Lily might enjoy meeting the youngest boy. As for their stop at Mr. Elliot’s, Lily-Anne’s presence would provide the perfect excuse to keep the call brief—if they even found him at all.
“Yes, Lily. Let us take that walk now.”
Eight
“I venture to hint, that Sir Walter Elliot cannot be half so jealous for his own, as John Shepherd will be for him.”
— Mr. John Shepherd to Sir Walter, Persuasion
Elizabeth and Darcy’s second visit to the Lion proved equally fruitless; Mr. Elliot still had not returned. They therefore proceeded to the Harvilles’ cottage. By the time they reached the shore, however, Elizabeth regretted her decision to bring Lily-Anne along. While the streets higher up the hill, near their own cottage, had begun to dry following the storm, those closer to the beach were still wet and dirty. As a result, Darcy wound up carrying Lily-Anne most of the way, a circumstance that pleased neither the child who wanted to use her own legs nor the father who had already endured a long day. Darcy bore it with fortitude; Lily-Anne, with better humor than Elizabeth anticipated. All three were grateful to finally reach Cobb Hamlet and the Harvilles’ home.
Mrs. Harville was happy to see the Darcys. She, too, had changed her attire and tidied her appearance since the morning’s exertions. “My husband is on his way to your cottage,” she said. “You must have missed each other en route. We thought you would want to know that Mr. Elliot has returned.”
“Mr. William Elliot?” Darcy asked.
“Yes, the gentleman you brought here earlier. He has been preparing his own lodgings to receive the injured mother and child. Poor man! He took the news of Mrs. Clay’s death very hard.”
“Has Sir Walter Elliot been in communication with you?” Elizabeth asked.
“Sir Walter? Not at all.”
While Elizabeth cast a puzzled glance at Darcy—which he returned in kind—Mrs. Harville bent to meet Lily-Anne’s eyes. “And who is this young lady?”
“Our daughter, Lily-Anne,” Elizabeth replied.
“I am honored to make your acquaintance, Miss Darcy,” she said with exaggerated formality. “I have a little boy not much older than you. Would you like to meet him?”
Lily-Anne looked to Elizabeth. After receiving a nod of permission, she accepted Mrs. Harville’s hand and went inside.
Elizabeth turned to Darcy. “Mr. Elliot means to take the baby?”
“Apparently he is ignorant of Sir Walter’s interest in the matter.”
They entered the house to find Mr. Elliot holding the newborn. The child was well swaddled and sleeping.
“Mr. and Mrs. Darcy,” Mr. Elliot greeted them. “I did not expect to see you again.”
“We tried to call upon you at the Lion,” Darcy said. “That is where you are staying, is it not?”
“For the time being. As soon as Mr. Sawyer assures me the child is strong enough to travel, we will remove to my house in Sidmouth.”
Mrs. Harville was in a corner of the room,
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