William had disapproved of him since they were children, and it was never going to change, no matter how much Theo tried to be a loving brother, no matter how much he changed his life. It would never be enough for William. He should just accept it.
He was in no mood to deal with his aunt’s furious demands about Anne’s medication, nor Anne’s cold fury on discovering her years of illness had been avoidable. Lady Catherine would never approve of him either, so why should he even try? Let her torment William instead. He deserved it. Theo derived great satisfaction from telling his aunt that William was the best person to answer her questions, then stalking from the room, the effect somewhat marred by his limp.
He threw himself down in the ridiculously ornate chair in his bedroom. How could his aunt possibly spend so much money on a chair that was so uncomfortable? Theo blew out his breath between his teeth. There was no point to this. His family was his family. Georgiana and Richard liked him, and that would have to be enough.
Time to think of something more cheerful. He pulled out the letter from Monty that had been waiting for him and broke the seal. Inside a page of Monty’s scribbles was another letter in different hand.
Frowning, Theo opened it and began to read.
*****
Theo found his brother and sister in the salon, William pacing the floor and Georgiana looking too cowed to say anything. If William was going to be in this much of a temper until Miss Bennet recovered, Theo was just as glad he would not be there to suffer through it. William would likely be pleased to see him gone as well.
“I have had a change of plans after receiving a letter,” he announced. “Unfortunately, my presence is required in London tonight, so I will be departing Rosings as soon as possible.”
William glared at him incredulously. “You are leaving with no warning, just like that?”
Theo shrugged. Why should he give William the satisfaction of knowing that his displeasure hurt him? “Business calls,” he said lightly.
“Business?” William’s eyes narrowed. “Permit me to guess. The letter was from your dear friend Monty, telling you of some absolutely not to be missed event. What is it? A horse race? A prizefight? A new gambling hell? Or is it a woman?”
“Perhaps it is all of those, and more.” There was no point in defending himself. William would believe the worst of him anyway.
“How dare you even think of your little pleasures when our family is in disarray?”
“What better time to take my leave?”
Georgiana said, “William, Theo, please. Has there not been enough quarreling today?”
Theo’s righteous fury melted away at his sister’s miserable expression. “I apologize, Georgiana. You are quite right. I will write to you.” He kissed her forehead, then nodded coolly at his brother. “William.”
Not trusting his temper enough to bid Lady Catherine farewell, Theo left the house. The horses were still being harnessed to William’s carriage. That would be another thing for his brother to be furious about, that Theo had taken the carriage without his permission, but it would be back in the morning. With his ankle shooting pain through his leg with every step, riding was not an option.
He paused to look back at Rosings. So much had happened here, and he was leaving with so much undone. He hoped Georgiana would somehow convince Miss Bennet to marry William, since she was probably his only hope to ever have a civil conversation with his brother, but at the moment he sympathized with her dislike of William. He had not even had the opportunity to say goodbye to her, since that would require entering the bedroom, and William would never approve of that. Of course, that had not stopped William from doing so, even though he was always blaming Theo for flouting propriety. Apparently it did not count when he did it himself.
Oh, devil take it! Why was he still trying to please William? Turning to the driver, he said, “I have forgotten something. I will return presently.” He hobbled back into the house, using the banister to support himself as he climbed the stairs. He hoped whatever Garrow had in mind for him in London did not involve much walking.
*****
The door was open to Georgiana’s suite, so Theo passed through the small sitting room to the bedroom where Miss Bennet sat propped up with pillows. “Pardon me, Miss Bennet. I know it is quite improper for me to be here, but…”
“But you knew I was desperate for someone who could explain how in the world I came to be shot,” Elizabeth replied promptly.
She could still make him smile. “Do you recall my telling you about the gamekeeper who is all but blind? Someone must have forgotten to switch his gun for one with blanks, and you, along with my hat, have suffered the consequences.”
“Yes, of course! Old Mr. Watling. The poor man must feel terrible about what happened! I hope he will not be dismissed for it.”
“Never fear; he cannot be dismissed, and even my brother is not unreasonable enough to place blame on him for something he could not help, though I doubt he will be permitted to carry a gun again. I would not, however, wish to be the man who failed in his responsibility to give him the proper weapon.” No, William was only unreasonable in his blame when it applied to his brother. “But the reason I am so daring as to approach you now is because I will be leaving for London presently, and I wished to bid you farewell and to thank you for making my stay at Rosings Park much brighter than I had expected.” He bowed extravagantly.
Her face fell. “So soon? I am sorry to hear it. I hope nothing is the matter.”
Theo grimaced. “Nothing is the matter, at least not for me. It is a favor that has been called in. A gentleman who has served as my mentor has a case in Old Bailey very soon that he wishes me to handle personally. While you are enjoying a well-deserved rest here, I will be up all night reviewing the case with him so I can make a decent presentation to the Judge tomorrow.”
“I wish I could see that! I imagine you must make a fine barrister. Well, under the circumstances, I will have to forgive you for abandoning me here.”
If only William could have such an attitude! “I hope I will have the pleasure of your company again soon. And, on that subject, Miss Bennet…”
She arched an eyebrow at his teasing tone. “Yes?”
He bent down to whisper in her ear. “If you do not do the honorable thing in regard to my brother, Miss Bennet, I will see to it everyone knows how you compromised him by insisting on him carrying you all the way here.”
She spluttered with laughter. “I insisted upon it, did I? Odd, that is not how I recall the event!”
With a broad smile he said, “I stand by my story, so you see, I do expect we will meet again.”
The humor on Elizabeth’s face disappeared abruptly. Theo followed her gaze to the doorway, where William stood with a black expression. “Dear me,” Theo drawled. “I seem to have overstayed my welcome. Pray remember what I said, Miss Bennet!” Theo did not permit himself to favor his sore ankle at all as he brushed past William without a word.
*****
Elizabeth sighed. What was Mr. Darcy angry about now? Had she done something, or was he angry at his brother or someone else entirely? And what was she to do about Mr. Theophilus’ strange assumption she would be marrying his brother? “Do come in, Mr. Darcy.”
He hesitated, then took the seat beside the bed. “I hope my brother was not imposing himself upon you.”
Was that the source of his anger? “No, not at all. I was glad to see him.”
“I saw him whispering to you, and you looked embarrassed afterwards. Theo, I am sorry to say, has been known to be quite improper in his speech to ladies. I apologize that he subjected you to that.”
Elizabeth’s eyes flew open. “Not at all! Truly, there was nothing improper in what he said to me.”
“May I ask you what he said, then?”
Her cheeks grew hot. Mr. Darcy was the last person in the world she could repeat those words to! “It was just a bit of silliness. Nothing of any importance.”
Hi
s jaw tightened. “It is kind of you to attempt to excuse my brother, but your blushes are testament to the impropriety of his remarks. You may be assured I will have strong words for him on the subject, and you will never be subjected to it again.”
“No! Indeed, it was nothing of the sort!” But he would never believe her unless she told him some sort of convincing story, and she was in too much pain to think of a credible one. She covered her face with both hands to shut out the sight of him, ignoring the stab of pain in her injured shoulder, then said in a strangled voice, “Very well, if you must know, I will tell you, and you will see why I did not wish to do so. He was teasing me, saying I had compromised you by forcing you to carry me here.” She could not bear to look at him. In fact, the idea of never uncovering her face again had great appeal.
“He said that you… but you did not….”
Neither of them noticed the soft snick of the outer door to the suite closing, nor the click that followed it. Outside the suite, Anne de Bourgh smiled in satisfaction as she tucked away a key ring.
*****
With Darcy and Elizabeth safely trapped in the bedchamber together, Anne hurried down the stairs to the front door, her original plan quickly succeeded by her actions. She only hoped she was not too late, for she had heard Theo give the order for a carriage to be brought round earlier and needed to catch him before he left. His presence was critical to the success of this sudden opportunity to bring Darcy and Elizabeth together. Locking them in the room alone and unchaperoned was only the first step. For the rest, she would need Theo’s help. He had always been one to enjoy a practical joke and though this was a serious matter, she knew he would enjoy the subterfuge involved.
Not a moment too soon. The footman was just about to shut the carriage door when Anne managed to intercept him.
“Wait, Theo. You cannot leave yet.”
“I assure you, Cousin,” said Theo. “I am needed in London most urgently.”
“You are needed here most urgently. Your brother’s future happiness depends on it.”
“I am not certain I care about my brother’s happiness at this particular moment. In fact I would rather see him as unhappy as possible. Let him wallow in his own misery. Let him fairly drown in it for all I care.”
“You need not turn sullen on me, Theo. You have obviously quarreled with him, again. However, I know you will not fail me in my hour of need.”
“I fail to see how Darcy’s happiness qualifies as your hour of need, Cousin,” he said.
Anne fished for the key ring in the folds of her clothing and shook the keys back and forth like church bells.
“Darcy and Miss Bennet are as good as engaged,” she announced.
“No,” exclaimed Theo. “You would not be so wicked as to—?”
Anne raised her brows.
“Good Heavens, Cousin Anne, I would never have thought you had it in you! Perhaps my trip to London can wait, after all, if only to see the expression on Darcy’s face if your plan succeeds.” His gaze narrowed. “Tell me, how could you anticipate such a chance arising?”
Anne shrugged. “I did not! I had intended to express interest in finally marrying Darcy myself, to pique Miss Bennet’s interest.” Then, she pulled a face. “I am relieved I did not have to go through with it!”
Grinning, Theo stepped out of the carriage, gave her an exaggerated bow, took her hand and settled it into the crook of his arm. Anne noticed that he had to lean on her so as not to put too much weight on his ankle.
“Have you considered carefully?” he said, as they stepped back into the house. “You know there will be the devil to pay.”
Anne gave a haughty sniff.
“Extreme measures are required. My mother lives in hope of writing up the marriage settlement between me and Darcy any day now. Miss Bennet is so prejudiced against your brother; she will not learn to appreciate him unless she is forced to deal with him. As for Darcy, he is so torn with indecision it would take an earthquake to get him moving. He is too concerned about stepping on your toes or harming Fitzwilliam to stake his claim on Miss Bennet. A fine mess you made of that aspect of it. Whatever made you decide that making Darcy jealous would be useful? All he does is growl.” She paused. “Besides, it is too late to express any doubts. The deed is done, and we must now follow it through to its natural conclusion, but we must make haste.”
Theo let out a loud guffaw. “You are in fine mettle, Anne. I think I shall enjoy this plan of yours, if only to see what you make of it. Tell me what you need me to do.”
“The only thing I have not worked out is how to prevent the servants from answering the bell if Darcy or Elizabeth were to pull it.”
“That is easy,” said Theo. “Just inform them that she has taken a strong dose of medicine which might render her delirious, and that she must not be disturbed under any circumstances.”
Anne snorted. “Is that really all you can come up with? It seems a very poor reason to prevent them from obeying a summons.”
“Not if I tell them,” said Theo. “People are generally more likely to believe what is implied rather than what is said. Watch and learn, Cousin.”
As it turned out, Anne had to admire his technique. By the time he had finished explaining the matter to the staff, even she was convinced that, somehow, it would be extremely improper to enter Miss Bennet’s bedroom no matter how often she rang the bell. There were meaningful nods and exchanged glances. Anne fancied she saw one of the footmen wink.
She was not entirely happy about the conjectures that would inevitably follow, and the moment they were out of earshot she let Theo know it.
“I hope you were not implying that you were planning a tryst with Miss Bennet, Theo. I also hope you do not resort to such methods very frequently.”
Theo stiffened. For a moment, he looked almost like Darcy. “I assure you, Cousin Anne, I do not resort to such methods, as you call it. Must everyone persist in thinking the worst of me? Even you?”
He sounded both angry and hurt. Anne felt sorry for thinking such a thing, but she really did not know him very well. The illness that had befogged her mind for so long had prevented her from forming a clear perception of the people around her. It had been like walking through a dream world.
“I am not your brother, you know. You do not have to account to me for your behavior. I was simply confused about what it was you were implying.”
“That is entirely the point, Cousin. Even I am confused about what I am implying. It is up to everyone to think whatever they choose.”
She still did not like it. She did not want to encourage speculation of any kind about Miss Bennet. It was too late now, however. The damage was done.
“Very well,” she said, deciding to let the matter drop. As long as her purpose was fulfilled, there was no point in dwelling on it. There was no time. They had to move ahead with the next step of the campaign.
“If you will find the Colonel,” she said, “I will collect Georgiana and galvanize my mother. Then the assault can begin.”
*****
Elizabeth’s conversation with Darcy—which after the initial embarrassing questions had turned into a rather strained exchange of civilities—came to an abrupt end when Darcy stood up and began to walk around the room in an agitated manner.
Elizabeth looked on in bewilderment. Was it possible Charlotte and the others were right and Mr. Darcy did feel some affection for her? It was difficult to believe, if one took into regard his thunderous expression at the moment. At one point he stopped, stared at her closely, and looked as if he would ask her something, but then he turned away and resumed his pacing.
Finally, he came to a standstill and stood by the side of the bed, his hands clutched behind his back like a little boy reciting his lessons.
“It is presumptuous of me, but I cannot hold back any longer. I must ask you this, Miss Bennet. Do you entertain any regard for my brother?”
“That is certainly a presumptuous question, Mr. Darcy,” said Eli
zabeth. “If you mean by it, do I find him agreeable, then I can safely say that I do.”
Really, Elizabeth, this was no time to tease the man. She knew very well what he was asking, and the truth was that she liked Theo. As she liked Colonel Fitzwilliam. They were both charming gentlemen and she found them stimulating company. She did not think herself, however, attached to either of them, though her experience in these matters was limited. The closest she had ever been to falling in love was her connection with Wickham.
She realized with surprise that it had been some time since she had given Wickham any thought or even remembered him in passing.
Meanwhile, Darcy was gazing at her so intently that she had to look away.
“I have no special attachment to him,” Elizabeth acknowledged, with a small smile.
Darcy’s eyes blazed with a particular light. She shifted in the bed, conscious for the first time that she was alone with a man in a bedchamber, unchaperoned. She had not really noticed it before, but now she felt an unexpected flush of heat run through her. Turning self-conscious, she drew the sheet up all the way to her chin. When she tried to tuck in the sides, however, her injured shoulder protested with a sharp stab of pain and she gave out a small moan.
“Oh, you are in pain!” said Darcy. “Allow me to do that, Miss Bennet.”
He rose and tucked the sheets carefully under the mattress, covering her injured shoulder and taking immense care not to jostle her.
It embarrassed her to see the grand Mr. Darcy serving her. What would her mother say if she saw it?
He leaned forward to straighten the cover over the bed. As he did so, his hand brushed against her forearm.
She drew back, startled at the way her skin tingled in response. She was at a loss to explain her reaction. Perhaps her nerves were shattered after being shot. Or perhaps it was Mr. Darcy’s close proximity in a closed chamber. No wonder respectable young ladies were forbidden from entering gentlemen’s bedchambers.
The Darcy Brothers Page 17
