The Deception at Lyme: Or, the Peril of Persuasion (Mr. And Mrs. Darcy Mysteries) by Carrie Bebris Page A

even during war?”
    “I have served on numerous ships,” St. Clair said, “and been appointed to them at the will and convenience of the Admiralty. Some of the transfers occurred in foreign ports; on other occasions my new ship was leaving so soon upon the arrival of my former that there was no time for shore leave.”
    “You must be grateful, then, to finally stand on English soil once more,” Elizabeth said.
    “I am, indeed.” He set his wineglass on a side table. “Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Miss Darcy—I appreciate your kind interest in my history, but no doubt you would much rather examine the accoutrements of Lieutenant Fitzwilliam’s career than politely endure an account of mine.”
    “I assure you, our interest is not feigned,” Elizabeth said. “But if you have another engagement…?”
    “I am entirely at your disposal, madam.”
    “Then I beg leave to quiz you awhile longer, for we have no other acquaintance in the navy, and are intrigued by that life.”
    “I shall do my best to offer intelligible replies. However, my society has been limited to shipmates for so long that I cannot guarantee conversation worthy of such fair company.”
    “You have acquitted yourself perfectly well thus far,” Elizabeth assured him. “Now, do present duties bring you to Lyme, or are you here by choice?” Though Lyme boasted a shipyard, it was not a naval base. The navy, however, maintained a presence along the entire south coast. Lyme appeared to have a higher naval population than Darcy had anticipated; he had also seen a number of marines.
    “I expect to remain here until joining another ship.” St. Clair glanced at Gerard’s sea chest. “And when I do, I imagine I shall feel strange not bringing that chest aboard with my own possessions. After traversing the world together, at least one of us is finally where it belongs.”
    “I can scarcely comprehend the distances you have traveled,” Georgiana said. “Lyme is as far as I have ever journeyed from home.”
    Darcy regretted the truth of that fact. His sister’s life had been more circumscribed than he would have wished for her, and as her guardian he felt keenly this gap in her education. Georgiana longed to see more of the world; for that matter, so did he. However, circumstances beyond any individual’s control had prevented fulfillment of that desire. Though the rest of Europe stood but a brief sail across the Channel, politics had created a vast gulf that made travel difficult and dangerous. England had been at war with France for most of Darcy’s life and all of Georgiana’s, and the hostilities had encompassed other countries, as well. Gone were the years when a young gentleman’s Grand Tour marked his coming of age, or when a lady might visit Paris to acquire the latest fashions. While a few intrepid individuals yet traveled for pleasure, most foreign journeys were undertaken by necessity, as Darcy’s rare trips had been.
    Napoleon’s recent defeat, however, had made the seas safer and travel possible once more. He hoped, after the political climate stabilized further, to take his family to the Continent. Elizabeth and Georgiana both possessed natural curiosity and strong intellects that would be stimulated by exposure to the art, music, and culture of other countries, and even Lily-Anne, young as she was, would benefit.
    “Now that England is at peace, perhaps we shall travel abroad,” Darcy said.
    “Truly?” Georgiana’s eyes lit at the prospect. Elizabeth, too, appeared very pleased by the suggestion.
    His sister was still smiling when she turned back to Lieutenant St. Clair. “My brother knows how much I would enjoy that. I have long wanted to visit other places, to see people and landscapes and buildings I have only read about. Has your naval service taken you to the Continent?”
    “Which one?” he asked in good humor. “I have seen more of the American continents than ‘the’ continent of Europe. Most of my time in the New