The Darcy Code Read Online Free PDF

Mr. Standish, but Mr. Vere is a man of twice his fortune and consequence."
    Anna gave a toss of her head. As if she was going to set out to make herself pleasing to a man simply because he had a large fortune and was considered important. Yet good manners prevailed, and she forced herself to be agreeable company to Mr. Vere. She felt that he found her amusing, which annoyed her, and that he was laughing at her which annoyed her even more. He quizzed her about her reading. "Are you a keen reader, Miss Gosforth, have you read any exciting novels recently?"
    "You intend to despise me; I know what you men think of women who read novels. But I will tell you that I have just finished the third volume of The Haunted Henge , and I enjoyed it extremely."
    "Indeed I do not despise you," he said promptly. "I just finished it myself, my sister recommended it. I consider it an excellent story."
    Both his courtesy and his taste in books surprised her, but now she felt they had exhausted that topic and didn't know what else to talk about. On an impulse she said, "My cousin Freddie was telling me that everyone is talking about France . You must know, why is that the topic of the moment?"
    He looked surprised. "I would have thought in your house, Miss Gosforth, your father would have spoken of it."
    "He never speaks of such things, not to me."
    "He considers you are too young, or maybe he doesn't wish to spoil your enjoyment of your season."
    She felt a sudden spurt of anxiety. What could possibly be happening in France that would be bad enough to have any effect on her season? And then, with more anxiety, in which case, what of Harriet?
    "Things with regard to France are at the moment exceedingly serious. It is clear that the peace that was agreed at Amiens a year ago is about to be broken, not by us but by the French, and by that ill-fated man Napoleon. He is determined to plunge his country into war again, and to run riot all over Europe once more.
    "But we are not Europe , are we?"
    "We like to think not, but indeed only twenty-three miles of sea that separates us from France , and it seems likely that Bonaparte has drawn up invasion plans to cross the Channel. We would dearly like to know what his plans are, but it is obvious that given the chance, he and a large number of soldiers would be prepared to land in England ."
    Anna frowned. "You cannot be serious. England has never been invaded, not since William the Conqueror."
    "There have been one or two other incidents, the Dutch sailed up the Thames in 1667."
    "I know, and I know of the Barbary pirates’ raids, but that is quite different to a French army coming in. Why, what would they do?"
    "Take over the government of the country, as they have done in several other places. How is your French, Miss Gosforth? You may have need of it sooner than you think."
    "Impossible. We have an army, we would never be defeated by the French, and they would never dare to cross the Channel and land on our shores, surely?"
    "We have been doing what we can to prepare our army. And, thank God, we have the navy. That is, realistically, our only protection against the French. But they have been building ships furiously; good ships, fast ships, better than ours, I have to say. Sometimes it is easier for a nation that has a single man who has but to say, Do this and Do not do that, to prosper in war in comparison to a country where everything depends on arguments in a Parliament where there are all kinds of opposing factions and men with differing views."
    "Surely when there is a question of war, everyone must agree that we have to defend ourselves and put any French invaders to flight."
    "You would think so," he said somewhat dryly, "but in fact it is not the case. There are those in parliament who would like us to come to some agreement with Napoleon. An agreement that would probably be disastrous for us."
    Anna was out of her depth, and knew it. "Men would do deals with the French? Such persons would