Page 46 of Ashes and Understanding
That would not happen.
He had no illusions that Elizabeth required his protection—she had more than demonstrated her ability to take care of herself. But that did not mean he would allow her to be subjected to unjust scrutiny without an advocate present.
His mother had once told him that a gentleman’s duty was not only to act with honor but to ensure that others were treated honorably in his presence.
Lady Anne Darcy would not have stood idly by while a woman of integrity was questioned alone by a man who did not deserve such trust.
And neither shall I.
Darcy followed Elizabeth into the music room, bracing himself for the battle ahead.
Chapter 11
Elizabeth took her seat in the music room, smoothing her skirts as Mr. Smithson removed a small notebook and pencil from his jacket. His movements were deliberate, methodical—everything about him struck her as coldly efficient, which seemed at odds with his type of employment.
I had expected someone more… rough; coarse, even.
Darcy sat across from her, his back rigid, his gaze locked onto the insurance agent with a barely concealed disdain radiating from his tense posture.
Smithson flipped to the middle of his book and poised his pencil above it. “Miss Elizabeth, I would like you to tell me—in as much detail as possible—about how you became aware of the fire for the first time. I understand it was the middle of the night?”
Elizabeth met his gaze steadily. “Yes, something woke me up during the night, and I could smell the faintest aroma of smoke, so I decided to investigate.”
“What caused you to awaken?”
“I have not the slightest idea.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Really? Then you just… awoke and smelled smoke before anyone else in the household?”
She bristled at the disbelief in his voice. “Yes, really.”
“You are quite certain?”
“Of course.”
“Why do you believe that is?”
She resisted the urge to sigh. “Because I am particularly sensitive to scents. It is something of a family joke, in fact. My younger cousins and I play a game where I attempt to identify our dinner courses by smell alone before they reach the table. I can show you if you would like.”
To her surprise, Smithson did not ask her to prove it. He barely acknowledged the statement at all. Instead, he simply nodded and continued writing.
Elizabeth tilted her head.How very odd.Most people, upon learning of her peculiar ability, expressed either curiosity or disbelief—and almost uniformly requested her to display her talent. Yet this man was utterly uninterested.
“After you smelled the smoke, what did you do next?”
“I walked around the house to see if a candle had been left burning, or if a fireplace had been left to smoke. I discovered nothing, so I began to return to my room. Then I looked out the upstairs window and saw the flames in the distance.”
“And then?”
“Then I woke my uncle and showed him. He told me to wake the servants while he collected my aunt and our various belongings.”
Smithson made a small noise and scribbled something down. “And from there?”
“We attempted to cross the bridge, but the sheer number of people had made it impassable. It was a bottleneck, with people fighting to get through. We turned back and headed toward Hyde Park, believing it to be a safer option.”
And left them all to die.
The sentiment went unspoken, but the heaviness of the loss of life hung in the air. Smithson cleared his throat. “It seems like it was the sensible thing to do. Between the smoke, the flames, and the crowds, hundreds died.”
