“You would do better to find Mr. Darcy. That gentleman was in ill humor when I left him, and I doubt he is in the mood for any of his cousin’s antics.”
Shortly after Mrs. Gardiner returned to her room, her husband came bounding in after an excellent day of fishing on the River Dove. Although he had been gone since dawn on this his final excursion, he was overflowing with energy and was looking forward to sharing his day at Viator’s Bridge with his wife. Instead, Mrs. Gardiner demanded his immediate attention.
“May I clean up while you tell me about your exciting day in the gardens, Mrs. Gardiner? Certainly, any words that fell from the lips of that laconic Scotsman would be more interesting than anything I had to say about fishing in a spot mentioned in The Compleat Angler.” Mrs. Gardiner was so eager to share her experience with her husband that she entirely missed the sarcasm contained in his remark.
“This is not about Mr. Ferguson but Lord Fitzwilliam, who, by the way, is very handsome and has the same amazing blue eyes as his brother.” When she had finished detailing her interesting conversation with His Lordship, Mr. Gardiner burst out laughing.
“Why are you laughing? This man is an avowed philanderer, and everything he says is a double entendre.”
“My dear, this shows that our randy earl has excellent taste in women. I would take his flirting as a compliment as he is known for having affairs with some of the loveliest married women in England.”
“He is an adulterer! Are you not shocked?”
“Yes, he is an adulterer and, from what I understand, quite beyond redemption when it comes to women, wine, and gambling. However, I am not shocked at his behavior as this is quite common among the aristocracy. But did you really blush like a new bride, and you the mother of four?”
“Absolutely! What would you expect me to do when his conversation was replete with sexual innuendo? I shall admit he has a very ingratiating way about him, and I can just imagine a woman looking into those blue orbs and forgetting herself. Of course, I am not referring to myself, and may I state in the strongest language possible that such a conversation rightly belongs exclusively within the confines of the bedroom of a husband and his lawfully wedded wife.”
“Ruth, we are in a bedroom, and I am your husband and you are my lawfully wedded wife,” and with a wicked smile, he asked, “so may I speak of such matters?”
After seeing the look in her husband’s eyes, Mrs. Gardiner started to laugh. “Edward, remember yourself. It is the middle of the day.”
“I shall close the drapes.”
“We must dress and go down for dinner.”
“I shall be quick,” and Ruth Gardiner fell back on the bed laughing, and her husband soon joined her. After they had finished making love, Mr. Gardiner wondered if it would be possible to arrange for his wife to sit next to Lord Fitzwilliam at supper.
“Did you take your bonnet off while you were in the cave, miss?” Ellie asked Elizabeth. “Because it looks as if someone emptied a salt cellar in your hair.”
Lizzy confessed that she had removed the farmer’s hat before leaving the cave. Not only was it ugly, but it prevented her from seeing Mr. Darcy’s face. She knew he had been watching her, and when he had moved closer to her to explain the drawings on the cave’s wall, she felt a growing heat spreading throughout her body. But she could not decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
However, there was no question that telling Mr. Darcy about Mr. Peterson had been the wrong thing. His response was totally unexpected. Instead of his seeing that she was providing him with a graceful exit and relieving him of any self-recrimination, he had become angry when he thought she might have a possible suitor. Good grief! What was she supposed to do? “Get thee to a nunnery”? And what did he mean when he had said he “was trying”? Why was it that a man of sense and education, who had lived in the world, found it so difficult to speak in declarative sentences that did not require an interpreter?
Ellie had already laid out the dress Lizzy was to wear that evening, and she could hardly look at it without thinking she was a character in a fairy tale, the one in which a village maiden marries the prince and lives happily ever after. Shortly after their arrival at Pemberley, Georgiana had shown Lizzy some of the dresses she had worn during the season, all of which had been made by a famous designer who had fled Paris and the Terror in France. One of the dresses was an exquisite russet gown with gold thread woven into the bodice and with gold tassels hanging from the short sleeves.
“This was the dress I wore to the Smythe’s ball a year ago. I had not yet come out into society, and it was something of a practice ball for those girls who were shortly to make their debut.”
“Georgiana, I think it is the loveliest gown I have ever seen.”
“I agree with you, but the color was all wrong for me, but it was my fault as Madame Delaine had warned me I was too fair for such a color. Obviously, I did not take her advice, and as a result, I have a gown I shall never wear again. It would be unfortunate if someone did not wear it, so I would like for you to have it.”
Lizzy smiled at the generous offer. She could not even guess at the cost of the gown, but she could easily imagine that it cost more than she would spend on all her frocks in the course of a year.
“That is most kind of you, Georgiana, but I am afraid I cannot accept it.”
“I thought you might say that, so I shall tell you that if you do not take it, I shall give it to Mrs. Brotherton, who will sell it. This is something I do for her because she does so much for me, but the thought of some stranger wearing this particular gown when I have a friend who would look absolutely stunning in it distresses me.” And there were those big eyes again. Lizzy felt sorry for whomever she married as the man would never win an argument when she could put on such a look.
“Let us compromise. I shall wear the dress tonight, but tomorrow I shall return it to you. May we agree on that?”
“Yes, that is the perfect compromise,” and Georgiana was sure her brother would be glad that she had struck such a deal.
After a decade of handling the reins of a post coach, Mercer had accepted the position of serving as valet to Mr. Darcy. This was not the first time he had served in such a position, but his previous employer had been such an arrogant bastard that he had gladly returned to driving a coach and six. In the five years since accepting the position with Mr. Darcy, Mercer had developed a deep affection for this young man, and whenever he recognized that his master was troubled, he did his best to help him work his way through it. Tonight was such a night.
While soaking in a tub, Darcy had unburdened himself to his manservant concerning the fiasco in the cave. “I know I acted badly, but when Elizabeth said she had been encouraging the attentions of another man, I responded quite harshly.”
“Sir, from what you’ve told me, I don’t think she was telling you that she had encouraged another man. She was saying that you shouldn’t feel bad about not being able to court her because she had a suitor in the wings.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better, Mercer?” He turned around and looked up at him. “Seriously?”
“Yes, sir, ’cause if she had already received the gentleman, then what was she doing in Derbyshire? No, to my mind, she was telling you that, come what may, she was going to be all right.”
Darcy chewed on that for a while and decided Mercer was probably correct because he did not think Elizabeth capable of being unkind, and it would have been a great unkindness if she had used the farmer from Watford as retaliation for his cock-up in London.
“I know, sir, that you do not think it right to say anything to Miss Elizabeth until you have settled the problem with Miss Montford, but I think that if you put on your best face tonight, she might figure out that you are going to do your very best to take care of the matter once you get back to London. And, besides, I know the lady cares for you.”
“How do you know that?”
“I seen it at the Netherfield ball. After I too
k care of all my duties, I went downstairs to listen to the music and to watch the dancing like I always do, and I seen how she looked at you. I’ve had enough women look at me like that to know what I’m talking about. That was the look of love, sir.”
“You and Lord Fitzwilliam with all your women,” Darcy said, laughing. “At the moment, I have two women in my life, and it is one too many.”
“Speaking of Lord Fitzwilliam, I know how he gets under your skin, and forgive me for saying so, but it shows on your face. Whenever you are in his company, you furrow your brow, and it stays that way.”
“You sound like my mother. She often said the same thing. Apparently, I was born frowning.”
“What you’ve got to do, sir, is keep Miss Elizabeth in the front of your head all night and ignore His Lordship.”
“Ignore His Lordship? That is like saying ignore that cliff up ahead.”
“But you can do it, sir. I think you have to because this might be the last time you see the lady for a while. Even if everything goes well in London, it’ll be several days coming and going from town before you will see her again, so it is very important that you leave Miss Elizabeth with a good memory of you. And smiling would help.”
“All right, Mercer. I shall keep in the forefront of my mind the memory of our time together at the ball at Netherfield. You say that she looked at me as if she were in love. Well, I can assure you that one of us definitely was.”
It had occurred to Darcy to ask Antony to comport himself in a manner befitting a peer of the realm. But that would be the same thing as asking a leopard to change its spots, and so he had said nothing. In any event, he had witnessed how expertly Elizabeth had handled Caroline Bingley at Netherfield Park, and he hoped she was up to the unique challenge of conversing with Lord Fitzwilliam. Hopefully, Georgiana had warned her about him because she had them sitting together at supper. His sister was probably correct in thinking he was more likely to be on his best behavior with an unmarried woman than with Mrs. Gardiner. Despite Georgiana’s youth, rumors of her cousin’s reputation had reached her ears.
Darcy was waiting at the bottom of the staircase for his guests, and from the look on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, it appeared that each had had a good day—he at Viator’s Bridge and she in the gardens with Mr. Ferguson—because they were both obviously in a stellar mood.
After greeting the Gardiners, he stood waiting for Elizabeth. After pulling on his waistcoat, tugging at his neckcloth, and checking his cuffs for the tenth time, he looked up to see Elizabeth descending the stairs, and the sight took his breath away.
“Miss Elizabeth, you look exceptionally beautiful tonight.” Although she was wearing her hair up, some of her curls fell softly on the back of her neck, and the effect was perfect. And he too felt something stir, and he hoped it would go away quickly.
“Thank you, sir. Your sister was kind enough to allow me to borrow her dress.” Surely, it was all right to acknowledge she was wearing Georgiana’s dress. After all, he had paid for it.
“An excellent decision. My sister was perceptive enough to realize how lovely it would look on you.”
“We have come a long way, Mr. Darcy, since the Meryton assembly when you were of a different mind.”
“Yes, but you know me well enough to know that I praise only that which I truly admire.”
At that point, Colonel Fitzwilliam came into the foyer, and he looked glorious in his brilliant red regimentals. The colonel truly was—what was the best word to describe him—oh, yes, gorgeous, and a smile came to her lips. She could easily imagine women stopping and staring at him whenever he came into a room.
“Miss Elizabeth, you are absolutely luminous tonight,” the colonel said, bowing. “‘She doth teach the torches to burn bright.’ You see, I am not as guarded in paying compliments as my cousin here. When I have such beauty before me, I do not pick and choose my words. I announce it to the world.”
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, I can see the influence spending an afternoon with Lord Fitzwilliam has had on you, but your praise is appreciated.”
“I admit that it is a Fitzwilliam trait to speak freely, and it is one of the few things Antony and I have in common.”
“However, with regard to Mr. Darcy,” Lizzy said, “since he is so judicious in his use of compliments, I would find myself quite flattered to have earned even one.”
“Did I hear my name mentioned?” Antony said as he joined the party. Lizzy quickly judged His Lordship to be quite handsome, but was surprised to find him out of fashion as he was still wearing the colorful jacket and waistcoat of the fops who had preceded the fashion followers of Mr. Beau Brummel. She wondered if the reason for his out-of-date attire was that he had not paid his tailor.
Taking Mrs. Gardiner’s hand, His Lordship kissed it, and he kept his lips pressed to her ungloved hand for so long that she had to gently pull it away.
“Did you have a pleasant afternoon, Mrs. Gardiner? Did your husband regale you with his fish stories, including the big one that got away, or was he able to catch it?”
“Milord, I was very pleased with my catch,” Mr. Gardiner answered, and when Lord Fitzwilliam left their company to seek an introduction to Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner whispered to her husband, “Do you see what I mean? He is scandalous.”
“Well, my dear, I am not going to say anything to him.”
“Because he is an earl?”
“No, because I am in his debt,” and he said this with a gleam in his eye, and Lord Fitzwilliam, having seen it, winked at him.
After they were seated at the dining table, Antony complimented Darcy on his company. “With so much beauty in Derbyshire,” he said, bowing his head in the direction of each of the three ladies, “I have no reason to go back to London.”
“Please feel free to make yourself at home, Antony. Unfortunately, we are all departing tomorrow,” Darcy said.
“Surely, not on my account.”
“Believe it or not, decisions are made every day that do not require taking you or your whereabouts into consideration.”
“Really? Well, I shall then take every opportunity to enjoy the time we have together.”
Antony behaved himself all through supper because he knew that Darcy could hear everything he said. There were few people whose presence gave him pause for thought, but his dour cousin was among them.
“Miss Bennet, are you positive we are not acquainted?” the earl asked as soon as they had removed to the drawing room.
“Quite sure, milord. I only know you from the newspapers and magazines.”
“Ah, The Insider. My reputation has preceded me.”
“I was referring to the more serious London newspapers. They have written extensively on your call for an accounting of the money spent on the war.”
“How boring. I would rather you have read The Insider.”
“I do read The Insider, milord, but it is not reliable. For example, you could not possibly have been at White’s and Boodles and Mrs. Arbuthnot’s salon all at the same time.”
“I have a reputation as a rapscallion to protect, and I fear you are damaging it.”
“If that is the case, you are already too late. My aunt shared some of your conversation from this afternoon in which you spoke so affectionately of your daughters. I cannot believe a man who told such tender stories about his children can be a complete rascal.”
“Miss Bennet, you have found my one weakness, my darlings, Sophie and Emmy.”
“I consider myself to be an optimist, milord, and if there is one good thing about a person, surely there are others.”
Standing up, Lord Fitzwilliam said, “I must quit your company immediately, my dear, or you will have me down on my knees at the altar of the Abbey repenting like Henry II, which I do not want to do. I can assure you it is much more fun to be a sinner than a saint. But let us have some music. My cousin has opened the ballroom for our pleasure. Perhaps we may convince the talented Miss Darcy to play something so that we m
ight dance.”
Upon entering the ballroom, Lizzy gazed in wonder at the crystal chandeliers and polished wood floors, and when she looked at the marble fireplaces, the flames made the cherubs carved into the mantle look as if they were dancing.
Mrs. Gardiner offered to play so that the others might dance, and Darcy was about to ask Elizabeth for a dance but found the colonel was quicker on his feet. Darcy shot his cousin a withering look, but the colonel paid no notice. He liked beautiful women, and he liked to dance. Darcy would have to bide his time.
After waiting his turn, Darcy first apologized to Elizabeth in case Lord Fitzwilliam had said anything offensive during supper or in the drawing room and offered a preemptive apology in the event he should embarrass her at any time during the remainder of the evening.
“I suspect his reputation is exaggerated,” Elizabeth answered.
“I am not sure I can agree with you, as he has worked hard to deserve it.”
“Can a man who is so fond of his children be all bad?”
“No, of course not. But he could be so much better. It is a point of irritation for me to read in The Times an excellent speech that he had made in the Lords, with everyone praising him, and then to learn that following his oration, he headed straight for the gaming tables. But you are right in one thing. He is devoted to his daughters and quite a different person in their company. Like Sophia and Amelia, there are those who have such power over the hearts of others.”
Lizzy looked into his eyes, and they were the beautiful green she had discovered on that long-ago morning when he had come to Longbourn to apologize. In his elegant suit, he was so handsome, and he had her heart beating faster than was comfortable. She looked away so that he might not see what she was feeling.
Lord Fitzwilliam was an excellent dancer, and after stepping lively to a number of the more familiar tunes, he suggested they all try something new.
“There is a lovely dance called the waltz, which is very popular on the Continent.”
A Wife for Mr. Darcy Page 16
