Darcy stood at the entrance of the ballroom and braced himself for another evening of insipid nothingness. The music for the first dance filled the air before he slowly made his way into the room. The Matlocks had arrived earlier and were now conversing with the hosts and their daughter. The ball that evening was to celebrate her debut in society.
Walking along the out wall away from the dancing, Darcy noticed it was not the crush he had feared. He passed a group of middle-aged ladies who were chatting together in an excited manner, and their topic of discussion made him pause mid-step.
"I have been wondering what Sir Frederick was doing in Cheapside," Lady Sophia's eyes were large as she leaned in towards the other women, "Just imagine, what business could he have had in that part of town. With all the ruffians crawling around, it is no surprise he was killed."
Lady Maria smirked a little and asked, "Have you ever been to Cheapside, Sophia?"
Lady Sophia exclaimed indignantly, "Of course not! I would never set foot in that place. But I do not understand why Sir Frederick was there."
"My husband told me Sir Frederick was in Cheapside to visit his lover. He was shot only a few steps from the entrance to his house." Mrs. Flynn replied.
The ladies continued gossiping about Sir Frederick's murder, and the identity of his secret lover, but Darcy was no longer paying them any attention. The news was startling, especially since the incident occurred close to the Gardiners' home. He saw his cousin, Richard, speaking with Lord Yarmouth, and he crossed the room to inquire if they had any details of the murder.
"Sir Frederick passed away a few hours ago. There are three witnesses; one of them is a twelve-year-old boy, and another is a young servant girl. The third witness is a solicitor," Sir Richard explained.
Sebastian inquired, "Are there any suspects in the shooting?"
"The young boy said he saw a man running dressed in black with a hat after he heard the bang of the gun." Sir Richard replied with a sigh. "However, the testimony of the young servant describes it quite differently. She claimed it was an old man who shot Sir Frederick, she had never seen him before." Sir Richard replied.
"And the solicitor, what did he say?" Sebastian asked.
Sir Richard shook his head, "The third witness has not been located. He likely fled out of fear of being murdered himself or did not want to testify."
Darcy asked curiously, "Does anyone know what Sir Frederick was doing at Cheapside?"
"It is not known with certainty, but the on dit is Sir Frederick was there for a liaison with his lover." Sir Richard sighed. "Several well-known families are disturbed by what happened and are afraid to leave their respective homes, which explains the scant attendance this evening."
The ball progressed without any further incidents. Darcy danced twice; once with his host's daughter and once with a pleasant lady, who engaged him in polite conversation. He could not help but compare her unfavourably to Elizabeth. In his mind, no one matched her wit, intelligence and captivating manner.
Darcy left the ball before it ended and went straight home to retire for the night. His mind, however, would not stop thinking about the information he heard at the ball. The murder of Sir Frederick left him with a sense of foreboding, as if it were a sign of the uncertain and perilous times that lay ahead. Darcy wondered if Bingley had learned of that man's demise and if so, how he was coping with the news. But most of all, his thoughts lingered on Elizabeth Bennet.
Georgiana would be disappointed, but for safety reasons, he will not allow her to visit the Gardiner's house, for the foreseeable future. Their home was too close to where the murder took place.
When he finally fell asleep, it was to restless dreams. He was walking in a beautiful park and spotted Elizabeth sitting on a bench, engrossed in a book. Smiling, he walked towards her, but before he could reach her, she abruptly stood. He heard a loud bang, and he ran the last few steps to catch her before she fell. Only after he gently lowered her to the ground did he notice the red stain of blood growing on her dress.
Darcy's eyes popped open, and he gasped 'Elizabeth'! He sat up and looked around seeing he was in his bedroom. Running his hand through his hair, he blinked his eyes quickly to dry up the wetness. Just a dream, it was just a dream, he muttered to himself, but it had felt so real, and his heart still hammered in his chest. Taking a deep breath, he willed his body to calm, but the dream left behind remnants of loss and anguish.