The Choices Series: Pride and Prejudice Novellas

by Leenie Brown

  “Forgive me,” said Darcy. “This is Mrs. Darcy, and seated next to Anne is Mrs. Darcy’s sister, Miss Bennet.”

  “Soon to be Mrs. Fitzwilliam.” Richard smiled proudly. “And I am no longer a colonel but happily a mere mister.”

  “Congratulations to you both,” said Alex. He had, of course, heard from Lord Brownlow, at whose house he and Mr. Lester were staying, the full story of each of the gentleman’s now happy circumstances.

  “What brings you to town?” asked Richard.

  “Business,” he said with a glance toward Anne. She would be most displeased if he were to mention just what sort of business he had in mind, and the thought nearly stopped him from revealing it ─ nearly. “I am, in fact, here to marry Miss de Bourgh.”

  Anne’s eyes grew wide, and she gasped. “You cannot.”

  “Oh,” he said with a smile, “I think I can.”

  “But you are not titled or wealthy,” she protested.

  He shrugged. “Yes, well that is what we shall have to discuss at our meeting tomorrow when I call on you.”

  Anne rose to her feet. “You are not to call on me. I will not be home to you.”

  “Not home to a friend? How very odd.” He turned back to the two gentlemen who were both looking at him with concern. “I assure you, gentlemen, that my intentions are entirely honorable. In fact, it is not the first time I have sought to marry Miss de Bourgh, but she was not ready to…” he glanced at Anne, “How did you put it? Oh, yes, she was not ready to sign her life away at that time.” He grimaced slightly at the memory of her cutting remarks about his being wholly unsuitable due to his connections, lack of wealth, and plans for his future. “However,” he continued, “according to the paper, she is now ready, and so I am here to present my suit.”

  “You have read her requirements, have you not?” There was a tone to Darcy’s voice that spoke to his concern for Madoch’s mental faculties.

  “Oh, I have,” Alex assured him. “And Miss de Bourgh is correct when she says I do not meet all of them.” He chose his words carefully so as not to be false but also so that they were not revealing of his true standing. If she were to choose him, he was determined it would not be for his wealth or position. “I think you gentlemen would agree that there are more important things than title and money to consider when choosing a marriage partner.”

  “Well, of course, he must be pleasant and of good moral character,” said Anne again before her mind could censor the remark.

  Alex tipped his head to the side and stared at her for a moment, taking the time to learn the little changes that had occurred to her features due to the passage of time. It had not changed her beauty. If anything, it had added to it. Hers was a face he could watch for hours. “That is true,” he said at last, “but I spoke of the heart.” He continued to look at her as she bit her lip and schooled her face not to reveal the emotions that shone in her eyes.

  “One must not be ruled by one’s heart,” Anne said softly.

  He nodded. “That is where you have always been wrong.” Though the comment was spoken so softly that it was barely heard, the message of the words was not lost on Anne or the others watching the exchange. He drew a breath and released it. “I have stayed long enough. I just wished to assure myself that Miss de Bourgh was well and had not suffered any ill effects from her encounter with Mr. Blackmoore.” He turned to leave after getting a response from her that she was indeed well. He bowed and muttered a greeting to Lady Sophia as she entered the library.

  Lady Sophia dropped onto the settee next to Anne. “Where have you been?” She wrapped her arms around Anne’s shoulders and drew her close. “I have been so worried about you.” She pulled back a bit so that she could look at Anne’s face. “Do you know how hard it is to keep a step ahead of your mother? Imagine if she had asked me where you were, and I did not know.” She pulled Anne close again. “I should be furious,” she said gently as Anne apologized. “Tell me what made you seek an escape.”

  “Mr. Madoch,” Anne whispered. “I saw him and did not wish to speak with him, so I decided to come to the library.” She continued to tell her aunt of Mr. Blackmoore’s stopping her and Mr. Madoch’s rescue.

  “Well,” said her aunt, “you may have put yourself in a very precarious position.” She glanced at Darcy and Richard. “If Mr. Blackmoore were to make it known that he was in the garden with Anne…”

  Anne’s eyes grew wide, and she shook her head.

  Lady Sophia shrugged. “Gossip has power.”

  Anne was on her feet. “I will not marry that man.” She turned to her cousins. “He has a mistress, you know.”

  They both nodded.

  “What else can be done?” asked Lady Sophia. “A lady’s reputation is a fragile thing, and once damaged, it is nearly impossible to restore.” She patted Anne’s hand. “But, we are worrying before it is needed. I believe you are engaged for the last set of the night, so we should make sure you are there to fulfill your obligation.” She stood and held her hand out to Anne.

  Anne dutifully stood and allowed her aunt to return her to the ballroom. She was not in a mood to dance. She was not in a mood to be pleasant. She wished to find a corner in an empty room and have a good cry ─ first, for her stupidity in sneaking out, and then, for the broken bits of her heart that she had thought were healed until she had seen him. She sighed as she took her place across from Lord Brownlow. If only Alex had not shown himself, she could have married for advantage without the renewal of the pain of sending him away. Now, she feared she was going to have to feel that pain anew, for there was no way she could marry him. He was not titled. He did not have wealth, and without those things, she would not marry any man, including him. Her heart faltered for a moment, and for a few steps of the dance, she considered that perhaps a title was not necessary, as long as there was money enough. She smiled and replied to the question Lord Brownlow asked and then slipped back into her thoughts. No, a title, a position that made it difficult for others to bend your will was an absolute necessity. That decided, she turned her attention more fully to the dance and her partner. Alex had neither wealth nor position. He was an unacceptable choice, no matter how much her heart might protest the fact.

  As the dance ended and Anne curtseyed to Lord Brownlow, a lady to her right bumped her lightly.

  “I beg your pardon,” said the lady.

  Anne nodded her acceptance of the apology and was about to move on when the woman spoke once again. “You are Miss de Bourgh, are you not?”

  “I am.”

  “Miss Ivison.”

  The lady would have taken Anne’s arm after introducing herself if Anne had not pulled it away. Such forwardness was never acceptable in Anne’s opinion.

  “I have heard of you,” Miss Ivison continued stepping close to Anne. “You put an advertisement in the paper for a husband, did you not?” She smiled coyly before looking toward the door as if trying to locate someone. “I wonder how cool it will be in the carriage on the way home. Did you find it cold in the garden? Or did Mr. Blackmoore keep you warm enough?” With a triumphant look, she curtseyed and made to move away, but Anne’s hand on her arm stayed her.

  “Where have you heard such tall tales? Me? In the garden? With Mr. Blackmoore? Indeed!” She shook her head as if the idea were completely preposterous.

  Miss Ivison picked Anne’s hand up off her arm and let it drop as if she were removing a piece of lint. “I have had the story from Mr. Blackmoore himself.” She gave Anne an appraising look. “At least his tastes are better than I had thought. He was rumored to be considering Miss Bingley, of all people. She is invaluable to me for her connections to soirees such as this, but do consider, a man of rank marrying a lady from trade?” She chuckled. “Congratulations for preventing such a travesty.” Her left eyebrow flicked up, and her lips curled into a smug smile before she left Anne.

  Anne was sure her heart had stopped. She stood in shock for a moment and watched Miss Ivison walk away; however, sh
ock did not take long to turn to anger and anger to fury.

  Her eyes darted about the room searching for her prey. Finding whom she sought, she began a very determined walk across the room. People were bidding each other good night and filtering out doors as she reached her quarry. She stood for a moment behind him, listening to the tale he was telling.

  “She was quite willing,” he whispered, “had the night not been so cool…”

  The gentleman to his left cleared his throat just as Anne tapped Mr. Blackmoore on the shoulder. His eyes grew wide as he turned and saw her.

  “Darling,” he said smoothly, covering his surprise.

  “I am not your darling,” Anne replied coolly. “Nor will I ever be the darling of a man who spreads rumours about me.”

  He chuckled. “They were not rumors, darling.”

  She stepped closer to him. “Let me repeat myself. I will die an old maid before I would ever consider you.”

  His eyes narrowed. “A ruined old maid,” he muttered. “I would consider my offer carefully unless you wish to remove yourself from society in such disgrace after what we shared.”

  Her eyes narrowed and had she not been so intently focused on the man in front of her, she might have noticed the gentleman, who had earlier cleared his throat at her approach, now frantically waving to Lord Rycroft. “I assure you, sir,” she spat the words out as if they were capable of slapping the gentleman, “that I would rather live in disgrace than tie myself to a man who throws his money away on card games because he is too stupid to know he is a poor player, just as I would I ever consider a man who keeps a mistress.” She smiled as his eyes grew wide for a moment. “You thought I did not know about your gaming?” She shook her head. “Then you are far more stupid than even I supposed.”

  She would have continued, but a hand on her arm stopped her.

  “Blackmoore.” Rycroft’s voice was dangerously gruff. “We are done here. Completely.”

  Anne looked up at her cousin, who was shaking his head in disgust.

  “Do not darken my door,” Rycroft continued, “and if I arrive at our club while you are there, you shall do yourself a favour by leaving, or I shall have you removed and banned. Do I make myself clear?” He shook his head again. “What were you thinking? I accept you back after the scheme you attempted on my wife, and you return the favour by importuning my cousin at my house?” He cast a look around the group of men that stood with Blackmoore. “If you wish to keep my acquaintance, I suggest that whatever tale was told is never repeated.” Satisfied by the eager nods of heads, he turned back to Blackmoore and motioned toward the door. “Go.” Then he turned before Blackmoore could say a word and with Anne’s hand on his arm, strode away quickly.

  “Do not look back, ” he cautioned his cousin in a low voice. “The cut must be clear.” He slowed his pace a bit as they reached the edge of the ballroom. “I am sorry. I should not have invited him.”

  Anne shook her head. “It is I who am sorry. Had I not slipped out that door onto the balcony, you would not have had to cut off a friend.”

  Rycroft laughed softly. “I fear we may argue a long while and never be satisfied with where the blame should fall.”

  She smiled. “You would be correct.”

  “You are well?” he asked quite seriously.

  She nodded. “I am. Thank you.”

  “Then,” he said with a smile, “allow me to remedy that and escort you to your mother.”

  Anne could not help the laugh that escaped her. She glanced back once at the ballroom. It was nearly empty now, save for servants. Her first ball was over, and at present, she was not sure she ever wished to attend another. Indeed, she wondered if she would ever be invited to another. Perhaps Mr. Blackmoore and his friends would not speak of the rumors, but what of Miss Ivison? She shook herself slightly. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about such things. At present, what she really wanted was a warm bath and a soft bed. Dancing had been enjoyable, but her body and mind were more weary than they had ever been.

  Chapter 3

  “Miss de Bourgh?” The butler stood close to her chair and spoke in a soft tone that would not draw attention from the other occupants of the room. “Mr. Madoch refuses to leave until he has seen you.” He glanced cautiously toward Lady Catherine, who had insisted that today she would join Anne and Lady Sophia to receive callers. “He has taken up a position on the front step with a newspaper and a flask of what I will assume is tea, and he is greeting each person who arrives.” He cast one more anxious glance toward Lady Catherine. “It is only a matter of time before someone mentions him and your mother…” His voice trailed off.

  He did not need to finish the statement for Anne to understand its meaning. If Lady Catherine became aware of such things, it would be very unpleasant not just for Anne but also for Mr. Harrison. There would be accusations of negligence, harsh words of incompetence, and whatever other loud and critical utterings her mother chose to hurl. And then, Lord Matlock would be drawn into the discussion, and poor Harrison would bear the unpleasantness with unwavering silence. Anne sighed and motioned to her Aunt Sophia. “Harrison needs your assistance,” she whispered.

  Lady Sophia gave Harrison a questioning look.

  “A suitor, my lady,” he whispered.

  “He is not,” Anne added.

  Lady Sophia’s eyes grew wide at the comment. “I shall see what can be done,” she assured Anne.

  “He is on the step and refuses to leave until he has seen Miss de Bourgh no matter how many times I have said that the lady is not home to him.”

  Lady Sophia chuckled. “It sounds as if he would be a good choice for my niece. So many of the other gentlemen seem far too willing to please, and you know Anne is not shy about putting her desires forward.” She shook her head. “She needs a man of strong character.”

  “Indeed, I would not know.” Harrison’s lips curved ever so slightly upward giving lie to his words.

  “Indeed,” said Lady Sophia with a chuckle. “Please show the gentleman to the music room.”

  “As you wish, my lady.” Harrison opened the door, nodded to Madoch, and made a small sweeping motion to invite him in. “Lady Sophia has agreed to see you.”

  “Not Miss de Bourgh?” Alex pretended to be disappointed. He was, in fact, pleasantly surprised that he would gain entrance to see anyone. He had expected to spend the whole of the calling hours on the step at Matlock House until some footman or groom was sent to forcibly remove him. While the thought of being given an audience with the lady whom he knew had been appointed as Anne’s advisor was pleasing, he was not so trusting as to believe it impossible for Lady Sophia to simply walk him through the house and out the servant’s door. Still, he was hopeful that at least in the few moments that he might have to speak to her, he might be able to present his suit.

  “I am afraid not, sir,” said Harrison. “If you will follow me. Lady Sophia will see you in the music room.”

  Alex kept his hat in his hand and his paper under his arm as he followed the butler.

  “Mr. Madoch to see you, my lady,” said Harrison stepping into the music room ahead of Alex.

  Lady Sophia thanked Harrison and rose to greet her guest. “A bit of tea, please, Harrison. A warm cup would be much nicer than whatever you have been partaking of from your flask, would it not?”

  “Indeed, it would,” agreed Alex.

  “You may put your coat and hat there,” Lady Sophia motioned to a straight-backed wooden chair that sat near the door. “I promise that you shall not be removed from the house without them.” She smiled as she made the comment and motioned for him to take a chair near where she had been sitting. “I gather from your presence here today that you have a desire to marry my niece?”

  “I do,” said Alex, making himself comfortable. He casually crossed one leg over the other and rested his elbows on the arms of the chair. “However,” he continued, “I fear I do not meet all the stated requirements.”

  Lady Sophia
’s eyes narrowed a bit. The confession both startled and intrigued her. “You do not?”

  He shook his head. “I have no title, and I am a second son.”

  Lady Sophia nodded slowly. “But your financial papers are well in order?”

  His smile was self-assured. “Very well in order, my lady, although I do not have them with me, nor will I be presenting them to Miss de Bourgh for inspection until she has accepted my offer.”

  Lady Sophia could not help the smile that spread across her face. She was not sure exactly what it was about this gentleman, but she liked him. A small prickle of excitement danced up her spine just as it had when she had met Mary. Unless she was gravely mistaken, she was looking at the man who needed to be her nephew, and until she was proven wrong in her supposition, she would do her part to make it so. “You are very confident to be coming to a meeting knowing you are lacking in some areas and refusing to prove you are not in others.”

  “Foolishly confident?” he questioned. He needed to know her thinking before he revealed too much of himself.

  “That remains to be seen,” she responded. She rose to pour him a cup of tea as the tea service was set up. “Ah, Brother, have you had enough of the conversations in the drawing room?”

  Alex stood and bowed to Admiral Fitzwilliam.

  “Madoch?” the admiral said in surprise. “What brings you to…” He smiled and clapped his hands together once. “Do not tell me. You are also here to marry my niece.”

  “He is,” said Lady Sophia, “and though my acquaintance with him has been of only a few moments, I would second the notion.” She smiled as she handed Alex a cup of tea. “I believe you will find this better than what you had been drinking.” She lifted a brow and gave him a stern look.