Hugh had disappeared.
Holly closed his bedroom door behind her with an irritated frown. They’d got back from Longbourne twenty minutes ago, where they’d boarded the Darcy family’s docked yacht, the Pemberley, so Hugh could ensure everything was in good nick for next Saturday’s regatta race.
After he’d checked the boat’s lines and ensured the fuel tanks were full, after he’d battened the hatches and lowered the boom – or whatever it was one did to ready a yacht for sea; she had no idea – they’d had a lovely lunch of South Devon crab and oysters and slaw salad in a little restaurant overlooking the bay.
Holly sighed. Who could have guessed that her fiancé was a skilled sailor? Not her. Hugh Darcy was a man of many talents – and more than a few surprises.
He’d gone missing the moment they returned to Cleremont. Now, she faced the daunting prospect of finding her wayward husband-to-be in a house that was three times larger than the average football pitch and filled with more nooks and crannies than a crumpet.
She came down the main staircase, trailing her hand down the balustrade as she wondered where to go next to find her fiancé. Perhaps one of the servants might know where he’d gone.
The front door opened, and Lady Darcy’s spaniels scampered, barking, out of the drawing room, toenails clicking and sliding as they greeted Harry and an attractive young woman with dark hair.
‘Hey, boys,’ Harry exclaimed, and knelt down to scratch behind the dogs’ ears. They rolled on their backs, exposing their bellies as they squirmed in ecstasy. He glanced up at Holly. ‘Oh, hello, Holly.’
‘Hi.’ She glanced at his companion with a polite smile and extended her hand. ‘Hello, I’m Holly James. It’s nice to meet you…?’
‘Emma,’ she supplied, and clasped Holly’s hand briefly. ‘Emma Bennet. It’s nice to meet you as well. I live next door,’ she added.
‘Sorry,’ Harry apologised as he stood up, ‘I was about to introduce you two, but Holly’s got there ahead of me. The Bennets are neighbours of ours.’
‘Bennet,’ Holly said, and studied Emma with new interest. ‘You have a sister named Elizabeth, I believe?’
‘I do.’ Surprise skimmed over her face. ‘Have you met?’
‘No. Hugh mentioned her at dinner last night.’
‘Oh? How extraordinary that he should mention my sister. They haven’t seen each other for yonks. Ten years at least, wouldn’t you say, Harry?’
He nodded and cast a glance at Holly. ‘Eight. And yes, a lot’s happened since then.’
In his glance Holly saw a warning not to mention her and Hugh’s engagement to Emma. Before the Bennet girl could question her any further, Holly said, ‘Speaking of Hugh, he’s gone missing since we got back from Longbourne. If you’ll both excuse me, I’m off to try and track him down.’
‘I can help you with that,’ Emma said. ‘We just saw him coming up the drive in a silver Mercedes. He must’ve gone out somewhere.’
‘Thank you,’ Holly said. How odd. Where on earth had Hugh gone off to in the hire car? And why hadn’t he mentioned it to her? ‘It was nice to meet you, Emma.’
‘Yes, lovely,’ Emma murmured as Holly hurried across the hall with a waggle of her fingers and let herself out the front door.
***
The Mercedes was parked at the bottom of the front steps, keys in the ignition. But there was no sign of Hugh.
By the time she’d rounded the house and made her way towards fields and pastures that sloped away as far as her eyes could see, perspiration began to dampen Holly’s shirt. The late afternoon sun beat down and she wished she’d thought to bring a hat.
She stopped and shaded her eyes to scan the horizon. ‘Hugh!’ she called out, relieved as she spotted him coming towards her. ‘Where’ve you been? I was looking for you.’
He kissed her briefly and thrust his hands into his trouser pockets. ‘Sorry, I should’ve told you before I left. I only drove next door.’
‘Next door? You mean, to the Bennets’ house?’
Hugh nodded. ‘I wanted to have a word with Elizabeth, and tell her that you and I are engaged.’
‘Oh.’ Holly was silent.
‘I wanted her to hear it from me, before someone in the village blindsided her with the news.’
‘Blindsided her?’ she echoed. ‘You make it sound as if she’s in love with you, or something. But you said she’s not.’ Her smile was uncertain. ‘She’s not, is she?’
‘No,’ he said quickly. ‘No, of course not. It’s just that we’ve known each other a long time, since we were children, and I wanted to tell her myself.’
Holly fell into step beside him as they walked, in no hurry, back towards the house. ‘And how did she take it?’
‘Not well.’ He sighed, his expression glum. ‘I know it’s not love on her part,’ he added, ‘because we’ve only ever been friends. I left for London years ago, and so did she. But we grew closer after her mother died. Ovarian cancer.’
‘Oh, how awful,’ Holly sympathised. ‘I’m sorry. Poor Elizabeth, losing her mother like that.’ She reached out and took his hand and squeezed it. ‘And you were there to help her through it, weren’t you?’
‘I tried. Not that there’s much one can do, other than listen, and offer a shoulder or a kind word.’
‘But that’s a lot, Hugh,’ Holly said, and stopped. ‘A shoulder or a kind word when you’re really hurting means the world.’
She remembered how he’d comforted her after she learned the awful truth about Ciaran Duncan. From the very beginning he’d warned her about the actor and told her to stay away from him, but she hadn’t listened.
‘Perhaps.’ He paused and added, ‘I think, for a time after that, Lizzy fancied herself in love with me. But I returned to London, and she got a job at a publisher’s, and we haven’t seen one another since, only exchanged a few emails and texts, until today.’ He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips tenderly. ‘So you see? You have nothing to worry about.’
And although she smiled and murmured, ‘I’m so glad to hear it,’ and although she wanted desperately to believe him, as Holly walked back to Cleremont with Hugh, she couldn’t help but feel a tiny niggle of doubt.