Free The Darcy Code by Elizabeth Aston Page A

following in her wake.
    Anna didn't pause at the entrance, but sailed into the building. She found herself in an impressive entrance hall, with polished floors and marble pillars. There was no sign of Mr. Darcy, although there were two or three clerks hurrying backwards and forwards who gave her startled looks.
    The porter's assistant, looking out from his cubbyhole, saw the two of them. "Cor blimey, what are them two females doing here?"
    The porter looked up, then sallied forth to eject them.
    Anna didn't give him a chance to speak. "I must see Mr. Darcy, at once."
    The assistant porter was by now was muttering about light skirts, hussies. The porter ignored Anna's hatless state as he took in the quality of her dress and her air of authority and said, quite politely, that no Mr. Darcy worked in this office.
    "Perhaps not, but I saw him come in here," Anna said. "Pray find him for me immediately. It is extremely important and urgent that I see him. Don't look at me like that. I am Miss Gosforth, Lord Gosforth's daughter, and I need to see Mr. Darcy upon most urgent business."
    At that moment, Mr. Vere came down one of the several corridors that led out from the main entrance and stared in disbelief at Anna and the shrinking Henrietta.
    He hurried forward, "Miss Gosforth, what in heaven's name –"
    "I have something to say, regarding that memorandum." She looked around, they had attracted quite a little crowd, and went on, "but I am sure we should not be talking here."
    Mr. Vere didn't move, but said, "My dear Miss Gosforth–"
    "Do not patronize me and do not look at me in that way. I have not taken leave of my senses, I know where that memorandum is, and you must hurry or you will lose the chance to get it back."
    Mr. Vere hesitated, and then said to the porter, "Don't worry Mr. Greeve, I will attend to Miss Gosforth and to – Miss Portway is it not?"
    "Henrietta knows nothing of this, she had much better stay here," Anna said.
    Leaving an apprehensive Henrietta perched upon a stool that the porter provided for her, looking as though she would rather be anywhere on earth than there, Mr. Vere escorted Anna through a door to the rear of the entrance hall.
    "I should blindfold you, you really should not know where you are. I will simply have to trust you. We go through here."
    They left the first building, crossed a small courtyard and entered another one. More corridors, more stairways and, even in her state of anxiety, Anna was a aware of bustle and a feeling of urgency: men passed them at almost a run, doors opened and closed, snatches of conversation came through open doors.
    As though reading her thoughts, Mr. Vere and said, "You have come at a busy and difficult time, I am afraid, Miss Gosforth. The news from France is alarming and our ambassador is leaving the capital as we speak."
    For a moment, Anna thought of Harriet, but she put that out of her mind as something to be dealt with later. What mattered now was passing on what she knew to someone who would act upon the information.
    Another corridor, more hurrying men, all giving Anna quick, puzzled glances, and then Mr. Vere stopped outside a polished wooden door somewhat larger than the others. He knocked and when a voice inside responded with a "Come", opened the door and ushered Anna into the room. Mr. Darcy was there, sitting behind a table covered in papers. He was talking earnestly to a young man; heavens, she knew him, it was Mr. Jordan , surely the idlest of young men, whatever was he doing here?
    Mr. Darcy did not look pleased at the interruption. Cold eyes surveyed Anna from head to foot and she was suddenly acutely aware of how ramshackle she must look.
    "I trust you have a good reason for this intrusion, Vere," he said.
    "I hope so too, sir. Miss Gosforth, with whom I believe you are acquainted, says she has something relating to the stolen memorandum to tell us."
    Mr. Darcy put down his pen, pushed his chair back a little way, gestured to Vere to bring