Amanda Grange & Jacqueline Webb (25 page)

Sir Matthew continued to stare at the painting.

“You know,” he said standing back at last and addressing himself to Elizabeth and Darcy, who were left standing with him, “the contrasts of light and dark are very dramatic, but at the edges there are certain greys which I believe can be just as striking and even enigmatic.”

Elizabeth looked at him for a moment before exchanging a brief glance with Darcy.

“What is it that you see, Sir Matthew?” she asked evenly.

“Well, dear madam, I am not entirely sure, but here in this corner by the entrance to the tomb, just in the flickering play of the candlelight, I thought for a moment I caught the suggestion of a woman's face. It seems to have gone now, but…”

“I believe it will come back, Sir Matthew, when you are not looking for it,” Elizabeth said with equanimity.

Sir Matthew looked at her.

“Ah, you have seen it too.”

“Only in certain lights,” Elizabeth confirmed.

“When the sun is upon it,” Darcy added, “or when one holds a candle at a particular angle.”

“Or one can hold it at the same angle and not see it again. And not everyone sees it,” Elizabeth added. “And Paul swears he did not paint any face there, and I believe him.”

“Does Miss Margaret see it?” Sir Matthew enquired with interest. He was staring intently at the painting, but there was nothing there to see and he knew he would find nothing. The face would find him if it wanted to be found.

“I believe not,” Darcy said. “She much prefers the painting over there with all the monkeys at the market in Cairo. Although I have once or twice caught her suddenly looking back in this direction as though in response to someone calling her name. But she never says anything, and the gallery holds no fear for her as it might if a child feared ghosts.”

Sir Matthew nodded. “No, I imagine it wouldn't.” He said nothing for a moment or two.

“What face do you see, Sir Matthew?” Elizabeth enquired at last. The older man smiled at her.

“Why the same as you do, I would imagine, my dear Mrs Darcy: a woman who has finally found peace after many centuries of wandering. But of course, it is all nonsense. Fairy stories for children and simple nomads who know no better.”

“Of course,” Elizabeth agreed.

Darcy nodded. “Come, Sir Matthew,” he said. “Would you care for a glass of canary?”

“That would be most kind,” the older gentleman said as his hosts led him down the stairs and out of the gallery, the last of their party following them. Elizabeth waited until all her guests were out of the chamber before gently shutting the door. Just as she did so, she fancied she heard once more the faintest hint of a laugh, much as she had done that afternoon back at the tomb. She smiled.

“Good night, Aahotep,” she said softly.

***

All too soon, it was the end of the holidays. The Darcys stood in the hall as the carriage was brought round. Beth was looking elegant and graceful, carrying herself with a new maturity. Her hair was dressed in adult style, coiled into a chignon instead of tumbling around her shoulders, and her dress no longer stopped at her calves; it reached the floor. Everything about her showed that she was a young lady and no longer a little girl.

William, standing beside her, was so much like his father that Elizabeth caught her breath. He had all the dignity and assurance of the Darcys, and he seemed to be growing every day. He was surely half a head taller than he had been at the start of the holidays, and he was closer to being a young gentleman than a boy.

John, who was striding around the hall, checking the trunks with military precision to make sure that nothing had been forgotten, was still reassuringly boyish in looks. But the Egyptian adventure had increased his confidence, and he was a more capable and experienced boy than he had been before they had all set out.

The butler announced that the carriage was ready and Elizabeth embraced her oldest son, feeling him stiffen slightly as he allowed her embrace rather than enthusiastically returning it. She sighed, sorry that he was too old now for such shows of affection, and turned her attention to John. He saluted and then held out his hand for her to shake, but she ignored it and hugged him close, pleased to find that he returned her pressure. She kissed him on the cheek and then turned her attention to Laurence.

Laurence was still refreshingly impish and looking forward to going to school for the first time. He had spent the morning asking constantly if it was time to go, running up and down the stairs, and generally getting in everyone's way—that is, when he was not whooping with delight and teasing Jane for being left behind.

Elizabeth gave him a hug, which he returned impatiently, and then stood back so that he could take his leave of his papa. He held out his hand in a grown-up fashion and Darcy shook it, but then Laurence launched himself at his papa and gave him a tight squeeze. Darcy picked him up and smiled into his eyes then set him on his feet again and gave him some last-minute fatherly advice.

And then it was time to go. They all went out to the carriage. The boys climbed in excitedly, Laurence riding on the box next to the coachman, while William and John climbed inside, and then they were off. Elizabeth and Darcy stood and waved until the carriage was lost to view.

Elizabeth stifled a sob as it turned the corner of the drive, and Darcy put his arm around her shoulders in silent sympathy. But the boys had been so happy that she could not be sorrowful for long. She put her arm around her husband's waist and they went back inside, with their daughters beside them.

Beth sailed indoors with the grace of a swan, but it was Jane who caught Elizabeth's eye. She was already more demure now that Laurence had gone. She was leading Meg by the hand, instead of running around and hollering as she would have been if Laurence had still been at home.

The girls were claimed by their governesses and Elizabeth and Darcy went into the drawing room.

As she looked around the familiar room, with its graceful furniture and its panoramic views of the glorious grounds, Elizabeth thought how lucky she was. She had a beautiful home, a wonderful family, many good neighbours, and a wide circle of friends. Her children were happy and growing up into fine men and women. And her husband… she looked at him with a lift of her heart. Her husband was the love of her life.

Bestselling author Amanda Grange was born in Yorkshire, England, and spent her teenage years reading Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer while also finding time to study music at Nottingham University. She has had over twenty novels published, including six Jane Austen retellings which look at events from the heroes' points of view. Her short stories have appeared in a number of anthologies including
The
Mammoth
Book
of
Regency
Romance
.

Woman
magazine said of
Mr. Darcy's Diary
: “Lots of fun, this is the tale behind the alpha male,” while
The
Washington
Post
called
Mr. Knightley's Diary
“affectionate.” The
Historical
Novels
Review
made
Captain
Wentworth's Diary
an Editors' Choice, remarking, “Amanda Grange has taken on the challenge of reworking a much loved romance and succeeds brilliantly.”
Austenblog
declared that
Colonel
Brandon's Diary
was “the best book yet in her series of heroes' diaries” while
Austenprose
made
Henry
Tilney's Diary
a top ten pick for 2011. Her paranormal sequel to
Pride
and
Prejudice
,
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
, was nominated for the Jane Austen Awards.

Amanda Grange now lives in Cheshire, England. Please visit her website at
www.amandagrange.com
or follow her on Facebook.

Jacqueline Webb has published two acclaimed historical romances,
The
Scarlet
Queen
, set in Egypt and London, and
Dragonsheart
, set in London and Northern Africa. She is a French/English teacher. She lives in Merseyside, England, with her husband and two sons.

Wickham's Diary

by Amanda Grange

Enter the clandestine world of the cold-hearted Wickham…

…in the pages of his private diary. Always aware of the inferiority of his social status compared to his friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, Wickham chases wealth and women in an attempt to attain the power he lusts for. But as Wickham gambles and cavorts his way through his funds, Darcy still comes out on top.

But now Wickham has found his chance to seduce the young Georgiana Darcy, which will finally secure the fortune—and the revenge—he's always dreamed of…

“Grange, an obvious Jane Austen fan, has given an amusing and totally believable account of a wastrel's life.
Wickham's Diary
takes its place among her previous diaries of Jane Austen heroes.”—
Historical Novels Review

“A short, fast read that is just plain enjoyable, double if you are an Austen fan to begin with!”—
Fresh Fiction

For more Amanda Grange, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com

For a celebration of all things Jane Austen, visit:

www.austenfans.com

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre

by Amanda Grange

A test of love that will take them to hell and back…

My dearest Jane,

My hand is trembling as I write this letter. My nerves are in tatters and I am so altered that I believe you would not recognise me. The past two months have been a nightmarish whirl of strange and disturbing circumstances, and the future…

Jane, I am afraid.

It was all so different a few short months ago. When I awoke on my wedding morning, I thought myself the happiest woman alive…

“The romance and mystery in this story melded together perfectly… a real page-turner.”—
Night Owl Romance
Reviewer Top Pick

“Amanda Grange has crafted a clever homage to the Gothic novels that Jane Austen so enjoyed.”—
AustenBlog

For more Amanda Grange, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com

For a celebration of all things Jane Austen, visit:

www.austenfans.com

Mr. Darcy's Diary

by Amanda Grange

The only place Darcy could share his innermost feelings…

…was in the private pages of his diary. Torn between his sense of duty to his family name and his growing passion for Elizabeth Bennet, all he can do is struggle not to fall in love. A skillful and graceful imagining of the hero's point of view in one of the most beloved and enduring love stories of all time.

“A gift to a new generation of Darcy fans and a treat for existing fans as well.”—
Austenblog

What readers are saying:

“Brilliant, you could almost hear Darcy's voice… I was so sad when it came to an end. I loved the visions she gave us of their married life.”

“Amanda Grange has perfectly captured all of Jane Austen's clever wit and social observations to make
Mr. Darcy's Diary
a must read for any fan.”

For more Amanda Grange, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com

For a celebration of all things Jane Austen, visit:

www.austenfans.com