by Massey, Beth
His father joined in his son’s laughter. “That is a very good word. Miss Lizzy is indeed scrumptious.” For some reason, at that moment, he felt some optimism with regards their marriage… or maybe his judgment was clouded by the throbbing in his hand. Regardless of the reason, he said rather imprudently in front of his children, “Lewis, I will pray also that Miss Lizzy will agree to marry me.” As Darcy reached down to tousle his son’s hair, he winced with pain.
Bethany noticed his hand and said very gravely, “Papa, what has happened to your hand?”
“I hit it against something disgusting. That word means the opposite of scrumptious. I am sure it will be fine in a few days.”
Bethany gingerly took her father’s hand and brought it to her lips. “There, Papa, that will make it better.”
On his way down from the nursery, he stopped in the billiard room. Richard and Charles were having a game. Neither was playing with much concentration, but both seemed quite buoyant, and there was an air about them that seemed mighty pleased with a job well done. Richard was sporting a very malevolent grin as he said, “I was just telling Charles that one of my brother’s beautiful teeth broke—not to mention his bloody nose—when he recklessly hit your fist. I think you might have fixed it so he will never again be thought of as the dashingly handsome Lord Wolfbridge. You would have made a damn fine soldier after all. Bravo, Cuz!”
Darcy beamed with satisfaction at the Colonel’s praise. Quickly, he remembered to ask about the most important part of Richard’s clean-up detail. He pulled him aside while Bingley was busy sizing up his next shot. Though he kept his voice very low, the seriousness of his question was not lost on his cousin. “Do you believe the Earl grasps the need for secrecy?”
“Yes, I stressed how dishonoured the Fitzwilliam name would be if the depraved details of Edmund’s behaviour became known. I think even a dedicated lecher like my father realizes his scion crossed a line that even the decadent ton might be unwilling to forgive. There is nothing more important to Lord Elderton than prestige—and being known as the father of a son who enjoys trapping, raping and inflicting pain on the underage daughters of gentlemen would not put him in good standing.”
The surgeon was just leaving, when Darcy was informed that Miss Elizabeth had finished with her sister and wished to see him for a moment. He asked that she be brought to him.
When she arrived, she looked around his study with trepidation. He stood behind his desk when she came into the room, and she moved toward him and asked, “Will you sit beside me on the sofa over there. We can pretend we are sitting on the log at Rosings. We had some of our best conversations there, and I favour those memories over the one from this room.”
He wondered if he dare hope that one of the things she liked to recall about their times in the grove was his embrace. Smiling reassuringly, he decided to try to ease her anxiety with some humour. “Should I call for some mugs of tea with milk and sugar… ” His sense of propriety had completely dissipated with the day’s triumph and he was unable to stay his tongue from lapsing into the risqué. His eyes twinkled and he could not suppress a laugh as he added, “… and a blanket?”
He was successful. Her fear evaporated. With a mischievous grin, she answered his tease with one of her own. “I wore the infamous green dress last night to the theatre, but Georgiana loaned me a beautiful shawl with silver threads to cover my assets.”
“I wish I could have seen you. I am certain you looked beautiful. What was playing?”
“Oh Mr Darcy, it was just too perfect. There we were in the theatre’s boxes, halls and refreshment lounge playing out Colonel Fitzwilliam’s perfectly scripted comedy. Our mission was to save the country squire’s daughter from the clutches of the evil earl, and below on the stage, Mr Sheridan’s The School for Scandal was playing out an equally amusing farce. It was not planned, but even Miss Bingley made an appearance—glaring at her brother at every chance. Miss Trent and Sir Gareth were doing their best to participate, but they kept breaking character to make silly love faces at one another. But, I believe your aunt had the best time. She definitely enjoyed distracting Lord Wolfbridge—to keep me safe.”
By the end of Elizabeth’s rendition, Darcy was afraid he might be making one of those silly love faces at her. If he was, she did not seem to mind. In fact, she had a look on her face he had never seen before. After a few moments of sitting in silence, he felt compelled to break the mood they had fallen into. He told her some important information. “Yesterday I sent a letter from me, along with one from Mrs Collins, in an express to your father. We both explained to him all the particulars of why you had hurried off to London. In addition, I sent one to Mr and Mrs Gardiner with similar information. They have accepted my invitation to come to dinner tonight.”
Elizabeth looked at him in awe, but then noticed his bandaged hand. “What happened?”
Darcy answered her with some very masculine bravado, “Lord Wolfbridge said some unsavoury things about you and Bethany, and I planted a facer on his disgusting countenance. He went flying across the room. Richard says I broke both his nose and one of his front teeth. He will not be quite so pretty to young lasses in the future.”
In a gesture reminiscent of her daughter, she brought his hand to her lips and kissed the bandage. He reined his emotions in and began repeating to himself, “I will not act precipitously, I will not act precipitously.”
Elizabeth removed his hand from her lips, but did not relinquish it. She looked quite solemn as she said, “I wish I had been there. I would have liked to kick him once you had him on the floor.” With a thoughtful expression she added, “Do you remember that place where I almost hit you with the bandalore?” When Darcy nodded in the affirmative, she continued. “I would have liked to kick him in that spot.”
Darcy struggled to remain solemn, and choked back a laugh when he asked, “Why that spot?”
Elizabeth looked deadly serious with her reply. “Because Jamie… Dr Wilder told me it would be very painful and would disable an attacker for some time.”
“It would indeed do that. You and I could become a dangerous duo. We could thwart vicious viscounts who threaten young women. I would take away their pretty looks with my punch, and you could make them impotent with your kick.”
They sat for a while—she holding his hand—both looking at each other with silly faces. Finally he said, “We have dawdled long enough. I have added a new commandment to the original ten. ‘Thou shalt not sit idly by.’ I have a confession to make. Bring on the angelic Miss Bennet.”
Darcy arranged the room so that there was a chair placed in front of his desk. When Miss Bennet arrived, he showed her to it. They both looked apprehensive, neither knowing how to proceed.
Darcy began with a very serious mien. “Miss Bennet, I understand from your sister, she told you of the horrific events that took place in this house six years ago, which resulted in the birth of my daughter, Bethany. What she may not have told you, is that Miss Elizabeth was very angry with my family for her violation… she rightly felt she was owed some reparations for her ordeal. She came here to demand money, and I must admit, I thought poorly of her because of what I called at the time her greedy udacity.”
Darcy cleared his throat and realized this confession was more difficult than he thought it would be. “I have always been attracted to your sister. We have compatible personalities… that is, when I am not allowing myself to blame her demand for compensation for my inappropriate thoughts about her.”
Jane was unsure what point he was trying to make. She decided to say nothing and hoped she would eventually understand how his words were relevant to her situation with Mr Bingley. She chose to nod her head occasionally to keep him steady to his purpose. Her hope was that this interview would be brief. She understood Mr Bingley was in the house, and a frank discussion with that gentleman seemed to be needed.
“From our earliest acquaintance, Mr Bingley and I have had a division of labour. I advise him about matt
ers of business and life’s trials and tribulations, and he helps me to be comfortable in social situations. When we were in Hertfordshire, I renewed my acquaintance with your sister and became recklessly enamoured once again. Unfortunately, a man with whom I have had unpleasant dealings, Mr Wickham, was in town. Miss Elizabeth was frightened of him because he is a close friend of Lord Wolfbridge. She was afraid he was in Hertfordshire to expose her secret. I, on the other hand, was insensitive to your sister’s anxiety, and observed her being friendly to Mr Wickham. Her intent was to extract knowledge of his purpose, but I became jealous and fell back to thinking your sister to be mercenary. It appeared they were plotting together against me. My anger with her caused me to think of you in a similar fashion. It took a great deal of effort and most of an hour, but I was finally able to persuade Mr Bingley that you were a fortune hunter who only wanted to be mistress of Netherfield. It is because of my stupidity that he abandoned you.”
Jane gave Mr Darcy one of her nods. She had followed most of his confession, but the part that she heard best was how tough it had been to convince Mr Bingley. The thought brought a smile to her face.
Mr Darcy saw that Miss Bennet’s placid countenance became enhanced by a smile at his latest admission about Mr Bingley. He decided he would, once again, be inappropriate and daring. It had worked with Elizabeth. “Your sister, Mrs Collins, was kind enough to tell me about Master Trent and your relationship to Netherfield. You are a truly commendable young woman. You will, indeed, make a model mistress of an estate. In order to put your acquaintance with Mr Bingley to right, I have just two other things to relate to you. The first is that your niece, Bethany, is a consummate matchmaker. I think she might have inherited that quality from your mother. When she first met Mr Bingley, she thought he looked like an angel. Earlier today, she told me the same thing about you. She thinks you should both pursue marriage based on your heavenly appearances.”
Mr Darcy was rewarded with a giggle from Miss Bennet. He decided to continue to pursue his reckless course. “Oh, and by the way, did you know that Mr Bingley has a dip in his scalp?”
The serene Miss Bennet let out a very unladylike screech… something he would have expected from Miss Lydia. She jumped from her chair and said, “Where is he? Please, Mr Darcy, I must see him immediately.”
That evening the angelic duo announced their betrothal—pending approval by Mr Bennet. Though they promised themselves to each other shortly after Darcy’s confession to Jane, the official story of the proposal was that it had happened during a private meeting sanctioned by Mr Gardiner just before dinner. Their engagement set the stage for the announcement two days later of the betrothal of Sir Gareth and Miss Trent.
51 IT IS THE LAUGHTER WE WILL REMEMBER
Elizabeth remained at Darcy House for a fortnight after the two engagements had been announced. During that time, Mr Bingley and Sir Gareth travelled to Hertfordshire. They were on a mission to receive the respective blessings of Mr Bennet and Sir Walter Trent. Sir Walter had been lonely in Bath during Becky’s absence, and had returned to Longbourn for Easter. Luckily for his daughter’s suitor, he had been reluctant to leave the company of his friends. Mr Bingley gained a companion for his journey, and Sir Gareth had a place to stay. Mr Bingley had alerted the staff at Netherfield to expect his return, even before Jane had accepted his proposal.
Gareth Hughes was a man of average height with massive shoulders, arms and torso narrowing to slim hips and strong legs with a slight bow from the amount of time he spent astride a horse. His ginger hair, sideburns and moustache punctuated a pleasant, strong-featured face with blue eyes and a ruddy complexion. His was the kind of face one expected to belong to the most jovial of characters, and Sir Gareth was not without a sense of humour; but it was his seriousness and sensible approach to life that had won the heart of Miss Rebecca Trent.
Becky had told him how important an elegant appearance was to her father, and he was apprehensive his countenance and body, which spoke of training horses would not suit the dapper tastes of his, hopefully, soon to be father-in-law.
In rank they were equals, with families of similar history. Sir Gareth’s ancestor had been praised for his exertions of loyalty and awarded the dignity of baronet, in the first year of Charles II. Bryn Mawr had been established in Derbyshire at approximately the same time Netherfield had been established in Hertfordshire as the seat of the Trent family.
Sir Gareth confessed his apprehension to his new friend, Mr Bingley, and before they left on their journey, Charles had taken him to his tailor and had him outfitted in a dark blue, double breasted jacket with gold buttons, a striped waistcoat, fawn trousers, and a neck cloth worthy of Beau Brummel. He took him to his barber and had his flaming locks tamed into an elegant coif. The day of his audience with Sir Walter, Mr Bingley saw to it that his friend’s new boots shone like obsidian. Sir Walter was so enamoured of Sir Gareth’s elegant ensemble and hair, that he forgot to notice his ruddy complexion and bowed legs. He accepted his future son-in-law with great enthusiasm.
Mr Bingley’s interview with Mr Bennet was a different story. To the amiable young man it felt as though he was in the dock during their conversation. The particulars of Mr Darcy’s persuasion and his ignorance of Miss Bennet’s presence in London required extensive explanation and numerous apologies. Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst’s hostility to Jane was explored, and the details of his chastisement of his sisters required. Finally, the description of the rescue of Jane from the lecherous Lord Elderton, orchestrated by Colonel Fitzwilliam, at the behest of Mr Darcy, amidst the backdrop of The School for Scandal, brought chuckles to Mr Bennet. Charles decided to tell Mr Bennet of the peculiarities of his scalp, and with a final roar of laughter, he was acquitted and accepted.
One evening while Sir Gareth and Mr Bingley were in Hertfordshire, Georgiana gave a party for the new young ladies of her acquaintance. They were to stay the night, with an early start to a planned shopping excursion the next day as an inducement. The hostess was excited at experiencing what the Bennet sisters had always enjoyed… late night girl talk. Miss Darcy’s greatest hope was that she could persuade Jane and Becky to share the details of their proposals.
Once the ladies were all gathered in her girlish pink bedroom, Georgiana gave Lizzy a very soulful look as she said, “Since I have no sister, it is important you enlighten me. My brother is a poor source of this sort of information. Tell me what is the appropriate reaction of fashionable young women to such a momentous occasion as a gentleman’s offer of marriage… provided one is inclined to accept?”
Becky looked at Jane and signalled to her friend that she would go first. She was quite certain her story was the less interesting of the two. “I have been very fortunate over the years to be an honorary Bennet sister, but unfortunately I was in Bath when Mary accepted Mr Collins. Nor had Jane and I evaluated the particulars of her acceptance of Mr Bingley before Sir Gareth asked Lord Hastings for permission to have a private conference with me. From the bits of information she has shared since, I know my experience was not as filled with heart pounding excitement as was hers.”
Rebecca decided she would begin her tale by relating those details that her father would be most interested in when next they were together. “Of course, I knew what was about to happen; but at the time, all I could think about was what would Papa do? We were allowed to meet in my aunt’s green parlour, and my biggest fear was that the walls would make my complexion appear sallow.”
Becky’s deliberate attempt to find the humour in her very personal memory brought a smile to Elizabeth’s face. The conversation was not to her liking, but she did not want to spoil the obvious pleasure of Georgiana. She knew Mr Darcy did not harbour resentment at her cruel rejection, but all this talk of proposals made her wish her words had not been quite so brutal. She turned her mind from the remorse of that memory and pondered Georgiana’s desire to know. Could she and Jamie be closer to an understanding than Elizabeth had thought?
Becky
was enjoying telling of Sir Gareth’s proposal and her acceptance. “As I said, I was quite certain he was going to propose, but I had yet to hear the words that would make our alliance definite. When it happened, it was much as I had read in novels. He got down on one knee, and he held my hand throughout.” Becky let out a little giggle as she continued. “The only thing unusual about what happened was that he blushed often, and his face became the same colour as his hair, and both definitely clashed with my aunt’s green parlour. I blushed as well, and I know that I must have looked very unattractive given that the colour of my gown was plum… but at least my complexion did not appear sallow.” She waited for the laugh from her audience before she continued in a more serious manner. “He kissed my hand when I said, ‘yes.’ Later that day, we went together to tell his daughter, Sian.”
Though Georgiana laughed at Becky’s description, her thoughts had strayed to her own hopes. Would Sir Gareth’s best friend be as formal? She had imagined Jamie would propose while they were playing a duet on the pianoforte, or perhaps in the midst of an intense political discussion. He was so passionate about both. In her dreams those emotions would spill over and cause him to declare his feelings for her. She hoped it would happen without warning, and it would end in more than a kiss on the hand.
Jane began her description with laughter. “When I first arrived at the billiard room, I was greeted by one of his amiable smiles. His expression allowed me to relax and feel hopeful he would accept my apology. I felt great remorse for my recent rudeness and was anxious to make amends. My forwardness astounds me, and I now realize I have more in common with my sister Lydia than I was previously aware. He agreed to accompany me to the solarium. My hope was that the room would be calming, and allow me to ask for forgiveness with poise.”
Jane’s face reflected the pleasure she felt in remembering what happened next. “Once we were seated next to each other in the solarium, I began by telling him I was sorry for my cut at Lord Colton’s ball as well as my pique with him at the theatre and Lady Elderton’s tea. He then apologized for allowing Mr Darcy to persuade him I was a fortune hunter, and for his sister’s cruel lies. He told me that the two of you,” Jane snickered as she gestured toward Georgiana, “were good friends, but neither had ever been inclined toward affection.” Georgiana smiled and nodded as Jane answered her agreement. “I assured him I knew that his sister’s contention about Miss Darcy to be an untruth, because unlike Miss Bingley, I was privy to your being in Kent with my sisters. After about a quarter hour of apologies going back and forth, he paused and took my hand. The words of his great admiration, ardent love and hope for a brilliant future together came tumbling out. I agreed immediately, and soon after asked if I could feel his head. He looked rather startled, but indulged me. He definitely has a dip, but it was more difficult to feel because he has more hair than Tom.”
