"Richard!" Elizabeth hissed, when she finally caught sight of her partner walking the back hallways alone.

One advantage of having to pretend to be engaged was that Elizabeth could approach her supposed betrothed to discuss the particulars of their investigation almost any time. One disadvantage of having to pretend to be engaged was that she hardly knew her suppose betrothed well enough to corner him effectively, since she knew rather little of his personal habits. The fact that Mr. Darcy seemed to follow Elizabeth everywhere, despite his refusal to interact with her in any way that so much as hinted at romance ever since their untimely kiss, made Elizabeth's quest even harder.

A traitorous part of her liked having him around, even if only ever as a friend. His conversation, while limited, was intelligent. And his demeanor was gentlemanly without ever being affected. Even his cousin the baron never acted half as gallant.

Having her heart play somersaults in his presence was an unfortunate secondary consequence and one that she bore patiently in exchange for having him near her at all. At least he hadn't quit Stratsbury Hall altogether. She had been almost certain he would.

Richard keeled to a stop before her. His face looked vaguely concerned and preoccupied. "Yes, madam?"

Elizabeth sighed. She checked their surroundings briefly before tugging the colonel into the nearest open room with her. It appeared to be a sitting room of sorts, with an odd assortment of furniture a decade out of fashion. It was strange how the wealthiest families had more rooms than they had family members.

"Have you received word about Mr. Culham?" she whispered.

Richard's eyes drifted to the door and then back to Elizabeth. She nodded her permission for him to close it, and Richard sprung towards it just as a larger, taller Mr. Darcy marched in.

"Darcy!" both agents for the Crown exclaimed.

"Miss Merivale," Darcy greeted her formally, compelling Elizabeth to respond with a curtsy of her own. His glare at his cousin was remarkably less friendly, as was the way he spat his name. "Richard."

"Darcy." The colonel scrunched his face. Was there some sort of newfound animosity between the two men? Elizabeth had felt the recent tensions whenever the company gathered, but she had attributed it to the rising urgency of solving their case before the house party concluded in another three days. She had never seen the two cousins act with so much open mutual dislike before today. "If you would excuse me, old man, I need to have a word with my fiancée."

"No," Darcy volleyed back, to Elizabeth's surprise.

Richard groaned. "There is nothing wrong with us sharing a conversation."

"Perhaps not." Darcy crossed his arms. "But there is also no reason to share said conversation in a deserted room. Have a care for her reputation, will you?"

Elizabeth did not know to pull her hair out in frustration over Mr. Darcy's unintended impediment upon the investigation or to feel flattered that he cared for her so much despite her apparent declining of his suit.

"I know exactly what I am doing," said Richard.

"Good, please continue."

"I need a private word with Elizabeth."

"Then I shall be happy to chaperone."

The two men glared at each other until Elizabeth sighed loudly enough to break their trance.

"Gentlemen, please, can we not act civilly about this?"

"I am being as civil as I am currently capable of being, Miss Merivale," said Darcy, his eyes still trained on Richard.

Elizabeth didn't know why her friend deemed it necessary to protect her so extensively around a man who was both his dear cousin and her supposed betrothed. It was hardly as if Richard disrespected her the way the lecherous collection of suspects did. But she knew better than to challenge him when he looked so very agitated about it.

"Very well. Richard, can we perhaps have our discussion now?"

"Now? Around him?" The colonel frowned.

"I feel that it may be in our best interest to include Mr. Darcy in our confidence."

"But Elizabeth - "

"I tend to agree with the lady," said Darcy readily. "If there is truly no reason for concern, then there is no reason as well to keep me out of this supposed discussion."

"You have no idea what you are doing, Darce," grumbled Richard.

"On the contrary, I think you have no idea what you are doing."

"I am my own man, and I know full well what I am involving myself in."

"Willingness does not always equate to good sense. Many a man in possession of such confidence has brought ruination upon his entire family."

"I will not ruin Elizabeth."

"Oh? And what an assurance that avowal must be."

"Gentlemen, please!" Elizabeth nearly stomped her foot to stop whatever it was that they seemed to be fighting about. "Mr. Darcy, if you would so kind as to chaperone, the colonel and I would like to have a word on the other side of the room."

She marched to the inmost corner of the sitting room, a good four yards away and raised her brow, waiting. After a mere moment, a resigned Richard joined her.

"So," she whispered once more, "have you had news of Mr. Culham?"

"I have," he said.

Elizabeth breathed in sharply. She almost placed a hand on the colonel's arm but thought better of it under the watchful eye of their scowling chaperone. "And what of it?"

"They believe he is our man. He meets the farmer you saw every three days or so to give his permission regarding shipments. We do not know if the farmer is aware of the nature of Mr. Culham's trade, but he most certainly is a convenient messenger."

"Hence the lack of written correspondence."

"Yes."

"So can you arrest him then? Can we conclude the case and this ridiculous charade?"

Richard pursed his lips. "Morrison wants more."

Elizabeth frowned. "What does Lord Morrison want?"

"From what they know of the circumstances, Culham has placed safeguards for himself. He moves the pieces, but the evidence points to other names."

"So they need further proof."

"In order to guarantee his conviction, yes."

"But how?"

Richard sighed. "Morrison seems to believe that we can maneuver the house party to invoke a confession."

Elizabeth's frown deepened. "We can hardly do anything to invoke such a thing. Mr. Culham, of all the candidates, keeps the most to himself."

"I agree." Richard seemed to swallow before adding, "But when I reported your success in charming the suspects, Morrison seems to believe that we may have a possible chance to expose him."

"I fail to understand you."

Slowly, Richard emitted the sort of sigh that one makes when one was about to have you to relay unwelcome news. "He thinks Culham might be made to speak if you offer him inducement to do so."

"Me?"

Her partner pursed his lips as if he was waiting for understanding to dawn.

Elizabeth gasped. She struggled to keep her voice level. "Surely, Lord Morrison does not intend for me to - to seduce him?"

"Not so much that, no. We have endangered your reputation enough with this case as it is."

Elizabeth nodded, slightly yet not fully relieved.

"But he suggested that perhaps a trifling hint or two of your possible romantic interest just might be enough to make the man talk."

"I highly doubt I have such powers over a man."

Richard surprised her with a laugh. "You sisters are birds of a feather."

"What?"

"You and Jane, you - " Richard looked almost dreamily happy for a moment before he looked back at Elizabeth. "When this is over, when we have found our man and convicted him, may I have your permission to court your sister?"

A flutter of delight spread through Elizabeth. She smiled broadly. "Of course. I had hoped you two would grow in your regard for each other."

"Did you?" The colonel smiled openly now. "I am glad to hear it. Although Darcy here seems to have gotten into his head the idea that I am dallying with a maid while being engaged to you."

"Darcy - oh." A deeper understanding, an a burst of warm regard, welled within her. Perhaps the end to this ruse of an engagement would benefit more than just Richard and Jane. "I see."

"My cousin is a good man, but he can be annoyingly honorable at times."

"Oh yes, I can see that." Elizabeth laughed softly before rerouting her own thoughts back to the case. "As for Mr. Culham, I do not think - "

"Please, do not believe it your responsibility." Richard sighed. "I have avoided providing you the update because I was still negotiating with Morrison about his proposed tactic."

"Thank you."

"Of course. I do care deeply for your well-being, Elizabeth. With any luck, I might be able to call you my sister yet."

She smiled. "I do believe we would all be very glad of that."

"Do slip in a good word for me, would you? Jane seems to think it impossible that I feel sincerely for her."

"Jane is always underestimating her own charms."

"Then perhaps you are too?"

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before meeting his eye. "I do not know if I can bring myself to doing what Lord Morrison suggests. But if the opportunity presents itself, then I might try to do what I can."

Richard nodded. "That is all that we have any right to ask of you."

"Thank you."

"And whatever circumstances you might find yourself in, I would be right beside you. You do not need to face the villain alone."

Elizabeth tried to hide her skepticism. But even if Richard were not present, she knew she could at least count upon Mr. Darcy to be.

"I have a letter to post to Morrison." Richard tapped his chest. "Is there anything else you wish for me to relay to him?"

"Only that I hope the man would be duly caught and tried and found guilty of his crimes."

Richard nodded. "I believe that speaks for all of us."

With another parting nod, Richard left her by the window, circumnavigated his scowling cousin, and left the room - leaving her actually unchaperoned with Mr. Darcy.

It took Elizabeth another half minute to compose herself enough to face Mr. Darcy. She offered him what she hoped was a friendly smile, though it felt weak and tremulous at best, as she approached his station by the door. "Thank you."

He bowed deeply, looking as somber as he usually did these days. It was almost as if the more amiable version of him that she had the pleasure of interacting with during the morning garden walks had been tucked away once more under formality and suspicion.

"I do what I must," he muttered cryptically.

Elizabeth could not help but to send him an arched look. "In most instances, the requirement to chaperone would fall upon a parent, a sibling, or a companion. I hardly think it could possibly ever be construed as a duty of yours."

"Not a duty, no." He exhaled softly, looking slightly more like the man she had come to respect and care for. "But I could hardly, in good conscience, allow you in my cousin's company and to remain under his influence when I know that he - "

Darcy trailed off, his brow furrowing. He looked at her as if he was warring with himself about what he wished to say. Elizabeth eased a hand on his arm. His eyes landed on the spot where they touched, though he made no move to pull away.

"I do not know what you think you know," she whispered gently, "but I consider myself undeservingly blessed to have your concern."

"There is a maid," Darcy blurted, looking grim. "I have seen Richard cavorting with her - "

"Cavorting!"

"No, perhaps not so badly." He grumbled something unintelligible before meeting her eye, his other hand closing over the one she had on his sleeve. "I have seen them - or, at least, heard them - interacting on their own. I would like to think my cousin an honorable man, but when I hear him begging for the affections of a woman so beneath his notice, when he is promised to you, I cannot deny the evidence before me. I know it is perhaps disloyal or even prudish of me to think this way - "

"No, it is not." Elizabeth pulled closer instinctively. How she wished she could coax him to draw her into his arms! She tried to smile. "I am moved greatly by your regard, though I do not know what I could say to alter anything."

"I cannot - " Darcy swallowed visibly. Elizabeth traced the movement with her eyes until the swell dipped beneath his cravat. "I cannot in any way attempt to persuade a woman away from his betrothed and still retain my sense of honor."

"Of course. I understand."

"Do you?" His gaze captured hers abruptly, and the depth of emotions in his eyes arrested her completely. "Do you understand what you are worth - what you deserve? Do you truly know, Elizabeth, that you do not need to settle - not when there are other possibilities for your future?"

Elizabeth sniffed, her chest suddenly tight. "I am extraordinarily flattered, Mr. Darcy, but I - "

"No, do not haunt me with any more of your reasons." He stepped away, and she very nearly followed after him. "I have acted dishonorably enough as it is. I cannot live knowing that you think poorly of my proposal."

"I cannot - I do not - "

Throwing propriety to the wind, Elizabeth reached out and clasped his hands. His large fingers barely fit between her smaller ones, but she clung to them nonetheless. She stepped close enough to look up into his face despite the way he tilted it askance.

"I cannot ever, ever think poorly or you or, for a moment, doubt your sense of honor. If anything, I find shame in the lack of consistency in mine."

"You do not need to comfort me so, Miss Elizabeth."

"No, Fitzwilliam, I do not," she answered. He looked mildly surprised yet moved by her use of his Christian name. "I speak only the truth. And I hope that, one day, when you have discovered for yourself how truly undeserving I am of your regard, that you will not choose to overlook the fact that you had once held me in at least a level of moderate esteem."

"Moderate esteem?" He chuckled softly, but also almost bitterly. "I think you underestimate your charms, Elizabeth."

She smiled back at him before she sighed. "And you underestimate your sense of duty."

He sighed as well. He turned their hands until her fingers rested within his.

"I hope Richard understands how fortunate he is," he whispered.

"I cannot claim to know what he thinks," said Elizabeth, "but I know that I am fortunate to have earned the regard of a man such as you."

It was the closest she had ever come to a declaration, the closest she could ever possibly come given the circumstances. She was glad he did not say more, for she hardly knew how she would react if he did.

Mr. Darcy leaned forward to kiss her brow. Then he stepped back, tugged the door fully open, and escorted them out the room.

A/N: Delicious, delicious angst and romantic tension. I hope you liked this chapter!