Elizabeth laughed. "Oddly enough, I also have a spendthrift father and no brothers, but I would rather live in genteel poverty than marry a man without affection and respect. She is welcome to both Lord Charles and Mr. Darcy."
Lady Mary patted her hand. "I am glad to hear it. I agree with you, but not all women are as brave as you. I do not know whether I could make that choice."
"You do not appear to be hunting a husband," Elizabeth said boldly.
"No, I am not, but that is because I have the good fortune to have an inheritance of my own. I have no need of a husband to support me, but I still feel sympathy for those young ladies who are less fortunate. If they do not marry well, they will be poor; and if they are poor, they will lose all their friends in the ton. It is a hard choice to make. At least Miss Elliot does not resort to trickery to win a husband; that is a point in her favor."
"Trying to warn me off does not count as trickery?"
"Oh, no, my dear. I speak of the sort of woman who tries to lure an eligible gentleman into a position that appears to be compromising, then demands a proposal to restore her honor."
Miss Boyd, who had taken Miss Elliot's place, joined in the conversation. "It is true. Some women have had great success using that method." Her eyes flickered to the head of the table where Lady Bentham was conversing with the Earl of Alford. Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. Eleanor had never mentioned anything of the sort to her. "Surely a beautiful young woman would have no difficulty attracting the interest of a man old enough to be her father, even without trickery."
"A widower with three sons has little impetus to remarry, since there are many beautiful young women in the world who do not insist on a wedding ring as the price of their favors; however, there is a grave shortage of eligible titled gentlemen, especially ones who have not wasted their fortunes away, and a great many ambitious young women. Some are cleverer than others," said Miss Boyd.
"You seem very knowledgeable of all this."
Miss Boyd lowered her voice. "We came out during the same Season, and it became apparent she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She first had her sights set on Lord Bentham's eldest son, who was an even greater prize than his father, but he was so heavily pursued that he was always careful to be chaperoned by one of his friends to avoid such entrapments. As I recall, Mr. Darcy was often one of those chaperoning him."
Elizabeth laughed. "I imagine Mr. Darcy would strike terror into the hearts of those entrapping females!"
Miss Boyd gave her an odd look. "Mr. Darcy often needs someone to protect him as well."
Elizabeth could not imagine that, but she had come to some of her own conclusions about Mr. Darcy after their dance. Since she could not confide to Eleanor that he was the ill-tempered man who had proposed to her, she would have to make every effort to be polite and amiable to him. It would be uncomfortable, but if he could be civil after all that had passed between them, so could she. She just hoped they never had to waltz together again.
Darcy had dreamed of Elizabeth the previous night. It had been inevitable, he supposed, after the shock of seeing her the previous day. They had not been pleasant dreams; when Elizabeth had not been berating him for all his sins, both real and imagined, he had been struggling in vain to reach her as Lord Charles Carlisle mercilessly used her passionate nature to destroy her. If Carlisle so much as said a word about her today, Darcy feared his reserve would break. But, just as in his dream, there would be nothing he could do. He could not confront Carlisle over his intentions toward Elizabeth without questions being asked about his own relationship to her. His attempt to protect her could just as easily ruin her.
Of course, Elizabeth wanted nothing to do with his protection in any case. She had made that clear enough. He ought to just walk away, as he had wanted to do when he first saw her at the dance. But the idea of Carlisle using his well-honed seductive skills on Elizabeth made his gut chum.
The solution had seemed obvious. He would do his duty and warn her against Carlisle, and then he would leave Bentham Park and never return. On discovering the last dance was to be another waltz, he decided to extend his protection one last step by dancing it with her. It was the only way to make sure Carlisle did not have the opportunity to paw her again.
His plan had one terrible flaw. Despite starting the dance still furious with Elizabeth, he had failed to foresee the effect of gazing into her fine eyes and holding her pleasing shape in the near-embrace of a waltz, his hand resting intimately on the curve of her waist. In the space of a few minutes, he was back under her spell. Her power held him captive.
Still, he might have been able to free himself if she had not apologized. The genuine sadness in her eyes had crumbled his defenses. By the end of the waltz, there was no doubt he was every bit as much in love with Elizabeth Bennet as he had been two months ago.
Explaining the acquaintance to Paxton was no easier. The last thing Darcy wanted was for his friend to connect Miss Elizabeth Bennet with the woman who had refused his offer of marriage, so his encounter with Elizabeth had to appear to be a pleasant surprise. It would have been hard enough in any case, but with Paxton waxing eloquent about what good fortune it was that Darcy had a previous acquaintance with her, and how much this would facilitate spending time as a foursome, it was well-nigh impossible.
One thing was for certain. Darcy intended to employ every tool at his disposal to make certain Elizabeth was never alone with Carlisle. He preferred not to think about the nights when he would be three miles away. With his elder brother absent, Carlisle was heir apparent to Bentham Park; surely it would not be impossible for him to obtain a key to Elizabeth's room, and then.... Darcy swore under his breath. If he let his thoughts stray in that direction, he would go mad.
Darcy and Paxton arrived shortly before the party was to set out for the ruins. The pretense of participating as one of the group made it impossible for Darcy to approach Elizabeth immediately. Naturally, Carlisle was by her side, whispering in her ear. Blood pounded through Darcy's veins. Fortunately for the sake of his sanity, Lady Eleanor deliberately interposed herself between her brother and Elizabeth.
Darcy could not face Carlisle directly until his blinding fury was under control. Pretending to attend to the conversation around him, he kept stealing glances in Elizabeth's direction. He stiffened when Lady Bentham requested Lady Eleanor's presence, thus leaving Elizabeth unguarded again, but almost immediately the fashionable Miss Elliot was there, laying her hand flirtatiously on Carlisle's arm. Relief swelled through him. Miss Elliot might be vain and self-centered, and was no doubt simply trying to attract Carlisle's notice herself, but if she kept him away from Elizabeth, Darcy was prepared to be beholden to her.
"Darcy, there you are," a deep voice boomed from behind him.
Initially annoyed by the familiarity, Darcy revised his estimation when he turned to see the corpulent figure of his host approaching him. "Lord Bentham," he said, hoping this interruption would not distract him for long from observing Elizabeth.
"I want to hear more of what you have been doing these last years. You may ride with me in the curricle to the ruins. It is a fine stroll for all these young people, but my old bones prefer to let the horses do the work!"
Darcy nodded his acquiescence, but inwardly his frustration continued to mount. How could he make certain Elizabeth was safe from Carlisle when he was trapped listening to Lord Bentham's stories?
The day was warm and sunny, just as Lady Bentham had said it would be. No doubt her ladyship had commanded the weather in her prayers, Elizabeth thought. It was easy to imagine Lady Bentham giving orders to the Almighty. That idea might amuse Mr. Darcy after some of his aunt's eccentricities in that regard.
Darcy did not prove to be among the party of young people walking to the ruins, which unsettled Elizabeth. Mr. Paxton was there, so where was Darcy? Had he decided to remain behind at Mr. Paxton's estate to avoid her presence? It was likely just as well if he did, since Lord Charles seemed determined to s
tay by her side, despite Miss Elliot's fluttered eyelashes and hints that they could go ahead of the crowd. Since the crowd consisted only of Eleanor, Mr. Paxton, and two other couples, it could hardly be thought to comprise a crush.
The amused glances Lord Charles gave her suggested that he was perfectly aware of the cause of Miss Elliot's requests. Elizabeth supposed that he, like Mr. Darcy, was accustomed to being pursued by beautiful young ladies. She was the one in an unaccustomed role, being noticed by the two most eligible gentlemen despite her lowly status compared to the other guests. At least she did not have to worry about Mr. Darcy's intentions being dishonorable.
They paused for a few minutes where a break in the trees allowed a picturesque view of the abbey ruins, stone arches towering above a winding silver river. While Miss Boyd and Lady Mary chose to rest on the stone benches provided there. Elizabeth took the opportunity to inquire of Mr. Paxton whether his friend would be joining them today.
"He is here already." Mr. Paxton had to tear his gaze away from Eleanor to respond. "I believe he is driving down to the ruins with Lord Bentham. I imagine we will see him there."
So Mr. Darcy preferred the elevated company of the Marquess to that of the rest of them! No. that was not fair. Given that he did not see himself as too grand a personage to befriend Mr. Paxton or Mr. Bingley, she could not accuse him of looking down on the company. If he was avoiding them, it was because of her. She could hardly blame him for that, but it made her stomach clench.
Lord Charles sidled closer to her. "You seem very interested in Darcy."
"Only in his absence. I tremble with fear that Lady Bentham will discover that we walked all the way to the ruins with an uneven number of ladies and gentlemen. We must be prepared with an excuse if we hope to win her forgiveness any time in the next decade." she said solemnly.
He laughed. "I see you have learned the rules for survival at Bentham Park! Never fear. I will tell her that I counted for two gentlemen."
She raised an eyebrow. "You are ambitious, sir."
His slow smile was an invitation. "Are you only just discovering that, Miss Bennet?" he said smoothly.
What an incorrigible flirt he was! Fortunately, Eleanor's preoccupation with Mr. Paxton did not cause her to miss the interchange. Elbowing her brother in the ribs, she said, "That is enough, Charles! Lizzy, will you walk with me? Mr. Paxton is asking how we met, and I am sure he would like to hear your side of the story."
"Sisters," said Lord Charles mournfully. "I suppose I should thank God that I was only cursed with one of them."
Elizabeth, already turning to join the others, looked back over her shoulder. "I have four sisters myself, but I have been accustomed to consider them a blessing." Most of the time, at least, when they were not flirting with officers or otherwise embarrassing her.
Mr. Paxton gave her an amused look and said, "So, is it true that Lord Bentham tried to buy you when you were eight years old?"
Eleanor said indignantly, "That is not what I said!"
Paxton grinned at her. "No, but I have my suspicions all the same.'
Elizabeth laughed. "Lord Bentham meant well, truly. Eleanor had been in a serious decline. The doctors said it was likely consumption, which had caused her mother's death, and there was nothing they could do. Of course, she was not ill at all, simply lonely and grieving. Then I appeared quite by accident, told her not to be stupid and to get out of bed and play, and I challenged her to try - well, something acrobatic and quite unladylike. Eleanor never could resist a dare. The rest is history."
Her friend shook her head with a smile. "You are leaving out the best parts! My nurse raced in, frightened by the loud thumps coming from my room, only to discover me rolling around on the floor, wearing a pair of breeches I had pilfered from my brother's room. Horrified, she called for my father, who was frantic when she said something was wrong with me. When he found us sprawled on the floor and laughing, I said, 'Papa, see what Lizzy taught me to do!' Then I did a somersault."
"Oh, the expression on his face!" Elizabeth shook her head at the memory. "I thought I was in the most dreadful trouble. Instead, he marched me down to the sitting room, full of callers in mourning clothes, and he said, 'Who does this child belong to?'"
"And when her aunt claimed her, my father said. 'I would like to keep her.'" Eleanor added.
"My poor aunt is still mortified by this story! There she was, faced with the Marquess whom everyone said was crazy with grief for his wife, with no idea why he was demanding to keep her niece. She barely knew him, and he probably would not even have recognized her as one of his fifty-two cousins, so she dared not argue with him. Instead, she suggested a compromise whereby she would bring me back the next day to visit. Eleanor overheard this somehow, came flying out and threw herself at her father, sobbing, 'Don't let them take Lizzy away! I'll die if she goes away!'"
Mr. Paxton snorted. "That sounds like you!" Eleanor elbowed him. "It had the effect I desired. Her aunt said she could stay overnight, so I took her hand and we raced off to make more mischief. In the end, she stayed for a week before her aunt absolutely insisted that she had to leave. I cried, crawled back into bed, and stayed there."
Elizabeth took over the story again. "On my return home. I told my family all about my new friend Eleanor, but neglected to mention that she was Lady Eleanor, since that hardly mattered to me. A fortnight later, my father was utterly bewildered to receive a letter from no less a personage than the Marquess of Bentham, formally offering me a place in his household." When Mr. Paxton shook his head in apparent disbelief, she added, "You must understand that it made perfect sense from Lord Bentham's point of view. If there had been a doll he could buy to lift Eleanor's spirits, or a medicine that would have helped, he would have acquired it instantly, even if it cost more than diamonds. Since I had four sisters, he assumed my parents would be perfectly happy to give him one of their daughters." He had been correct as far as Mrs. Bennet was concerned. Elizabeth still remembered her mother's raptures over the invitation, and the arguments between her parents over it. Eventually Mr. Bennet had been persuaded that it was unwise to displease such a powerful man and agreed to a one-month visit.
"How typical!" Paxton said. In a quiet voice he added. "Lord Bentham seems to have difficulty discerning that other people might not agree with his wishes."
"Oh, he understands they might not agree," said Eleanor. "He just assumes that it is only because they lack his greater understanding of what is best for them, and that if he insists on having his way, they will thank him for it later."
"In this case, I am happy he insisted," said Elizabeth. "I loved the time I spent with you." One month had grown to two, the first of a series of long visits to Bentham Park and occasionally to the London townhouse where they had first met, till she was spending almost as much time as part of Eleanor's household as her own. Apart from some homesickness at first, she had been content with the situation. She took lessons alongside Eleanor, whose tutors opened new realms to her, and she was fascinated by the wider world open to the daughter of a peer.
Unbidden, a memory arose of Mr. Darcy saying, "You cannot have a right to such very strong local attachment. You cannot have been always at Longboum." How surprised she had been that he could discern, even so many years later, that she had once spent time in a different world! But even she could not deny that it had left its mark. When she first met Eleanor, Elizabeth had been as wild as Lydia later turned out to be, though with somewhat better judgment. She had learned greater control from observing the mannerly adults at well-organized Bentham Park, so different from the chaos of Longboum.
"You were a regular visitor here for a time, were you not?" Lord Charles had come up from behind them and now walked beside her. Apparently he had been listening to their conversation.
"Yes, for six years," she said lightly, as if it were not a painful subject. "I would come here when you and your brothers were at school. In fact, the same carriage that took you to Eton each term would t
hen collect me and bring me to Bentham Park, with the process reversed at the end of the term. Other children I knew were sent off to school; I was fortunate enough to be sent to Bentham Park instead." She had rarely caught glimpses of Lord Bentham or any of the ton during these times since she kept to the schoolroom with Eleanor, who was still too young to be in company.
"I would far rather have stayed here than going to Eton! But that would explain why I do not remember seeing you after your first visit. Why did you stop coming here? Did your family wish to keep you at home?"
A flash of old pain stabbed at her. "Your father remarried."
"Oh. I am sorry. I should have realized it." A shadow passed across his face.
She should have stopped there, but the words spilled out of her mouth. "Apparently she persuaded your father that it was a degradation for the daughter of a Marquess to keep such inferior company, and that my presence would damage her good name and act to her disadvantage as she entered society." She made no attempt to disguise her bitterness. Both she and Eleanor had assumed their arrangement would last for years. Eleanor had talked about their first Season as if it were a given that Elizabeth would be sharing it with her. Instead, suddenly there were no more long trips to Bentham Park, only a plan for a brief visit when Eleanor came to London, and not even that during Eleanor's first Season. Elizabeth knew about that year only from Eleanor's letters.
Lord Charles curled his lip. "How very like her. And how very convenient for her that it left Eleanor without an ally."
Her brows furrowed, Elizabeth shot him an odd look. She was not certain what he meant, but he was making too much of it. Lady Bentham simply did not wish to associate with those who were beneath her, and it had cost Elizabeth dearly.
It had been a bitter loss at the time. Although she loved her family and Longboum. being deprived of Eleanor's company and the greater stimulation she received at Bentham Park had left Elizabeth bereft. Her mother's constant agitation and the antics of Lydia, Kitty and Mary, which had seemed amusing when she had the opportunity to escape them, now grated constantly on her nerves. Even her dear Jane could not soothe her, for despite Jane's sweet nature, she lacked Eleanor's daring and could not offer Elizabeth the kind of stimulating partnership she enjoyed with her friend.
Mr. Darcy's Noble Connections: A Pride & Prejudice Variation Page 6
