by Wells, Linda
“Yes, it is. While I understand Aunt’s concern, it really is not her business anymore. I think, I hope, this is just a woman used to being in charge unhappy with her lot. Rather like your mother.”
“She married off her daughter and now her son-in-law is in charge.” Elizabeth said thoughtfully. “I wonder if Aunt Catherine would appreciate the comparison.”
“Do you really wonder at that, dearest?” Darcy smiled and played with her hair.
She smiled. “No, not really, but …” Her brow creased. “It is not happening again, is it? I thought that with Anne by his side he surely is not gambling. He is in Kent … I mean, Brighton is not far away, but I cannot imagine them trusting him with any excuse to go visit friends or … Oh, my.”
“I have to agree with you, dear. Anne has him now. She will not let go.”
“Do you feel that she loves him …?”
“Oh, no!” His eyes widened. “Love? Fond, perhaps … I am the wrong man to ask. I can only draw on the looks she sent to me.” He shuddered. “What a fate that would have been.”
“She wanted you.” Elizabeth whispered wickedly. Darcy shot her a look. “She thought about you unclothed. She wondered what lurked beneath that tightly buttoned coat and your well-tailored breeches.”
“Elizabeth.”
“She thought about coming to your rooms …”
“Elizabeth …”
Tiptoeing her fingers down his chest she tapped over the fall of his breeches. “Every night …”
Darcy struggled to push her away. “Enough! Do you wish to give me nightmares?”
“I apologize.”
“I do not believe you.” He muttered while watching her hand moving between his legs and over his thighs. “Scaring me to death like that, after I kindly read you that letter …”
“How can I make it up to you?” Her hand moved back up and over him. Feeling something jump under her palm she held his eyes. “Was that an answer?”
The sound of maids clearing away the breakfast things stopped her caress and she bent to retrieve the letter and sit up beside him. She primly smoothed her skirt and touched her hair before holding up the pages to read. Darcy sat staring at her. Elizabeth made a point of not looking at him, but could not ignore the rather prominent mast rising from his lap.
“Put that away.” She hissed.
“And how precisely do you propose I manage that?”
“I am certain that every flourish you have ever experienced has not been gratified by a woman’s touch. You know what is to be done.”
“Well, I could take care of it with my touch. It has been a long time, but I am willing to have a go at it …”
“Fitzwilliam!” She gasped and looked at the door.
“I am jesting, Lizzy.” He closed his eyes. “Read your letter and I will endeavour not to think of your ruby lips and tender kiss.”
Elizabeth looked at him and smiling at the thought, she read Lady Catherine’s letter. It was all there, everything that was mentioned except for one item. “Oh Will, she really does expect us to come. She said that you looked after the books at Rosings for all of those years after your father died. She does not trust her brother’s advice because he nearly destroyed Matlock by not controlling Albert, and Richard may eventually be the heir, but he has no experience at all. So it falls to you to solve her problems and she demands your presence immediately. This is more than expressing a little concern and asking for a visit. Did you read that part?”
“Of course I did.” He said softly. His eyes were still closed. “I read it and dropped the letter to the ground. If we had been near a fireplace I would have burned it.” Not hearing a reply, he looked at her. “I will not be ordered about by my aunt. We are finally home, Georgiana will be back in days and you and I both know that she is very fragile. She will finally be separated from Hope and Mrs. Annesley is not yet in her life. We cannot drop everything because Aunt is not willing to believe in Albert. We are staying home. We need and deserve to be home.”
“I agree, but why would you not want to tell me of her wishes? I have to respond to them.”
“I guess that I was feeling contrite about laughing at your hesitation to open her letter.” He shrugged when her eyebrows rose. “I know, I know. There are just certain letters you know that you do not wish to open. But you must.” He fell into thoughts of Wickham and started when he heard Elizabeth’s voice.
“But you do not have to respond to them as the writer demands.”
“That is true. I certainly have done that very thing.” Darcy slipped his arm around her shoulder and drew her close to his side. Again the letter dropped to the ground. “Now, I have a response to your teasing that I would enjoy having addressed …”
“Do you?” Caressing her hand over his thigh she smiled into his eyes. “Shall we take a walk?”
“Where?” He asked and kissed her softly.
“Somewhere private. Surely we can find a corner somewhere on this tiny property? Perhaps behind a bush or a hillock?” Elizabeth stood and held out her hand. Darcy took it and while rising, picked up the letter and put it into a pocket in his coat. “You are keeping it?”
“I thought we could fold the pages into boats and watch them sail about the lake from a pleasant spot I know. A very private spot. A very comfortable, very pleasant, very private spot.” Tucking her hand over his arm, he smiled with the delighted grin she wore. “Let’s go.”
“CAREFUL COLONEL. If you destroy my clubs, you will be purchasing me a new set.” Mr. Kelly said seriously.
“I would take great pleasure in breaking the lot of them and tossing them into the sea!” Richard growled. “Who finds pleasure in this torturous game, I ask you? Would not your time be better spent practicing your shooting? At least at the end there would be the possibility of food on your table, rather than gray hair from arguing with a tiny ball! I thought that cricket was a useless incomprehensible pastime, but this …?” Furiously, he swatted at the golf ball and watched it dribble off the tee. “That is all. I forfeit. I will watch you fools play, but it will have no more of my good humour.”
“Good humour!” Robert laughed and setting up his ball, took a swing and hit it straight and true. “Ahh, there she goes.”
“Nicely done.” Harding smiled and set up his turn. “It has been years, but …” He swung and the four men watched as it sliced nicely into the trees.
“Bad luck, that.” Mr. Kelly nodded and watched two boys dash away to retrieve the balls.
“At least I hit it.” Harding smiled at Richard who muttered some curse under his breath.
“You know, Colonel, Sophie is very good at this game. She has her own set of clubs …” Robert winked at his father.
“Does she?” Richard considered the point and how she would look striking a ball.
“She loves a good competition … Of course, you will have to lay in quite a chocolate supply if you ever played because I assure you, she would beat you every time.” Robert laughed.
“Do you wish to feel inferior to your wife, sir? That is if you are ever engaged to marry a girl.” Mr. Kelly said pointedly.
Harding stepped close to Richard. “Do not feel pressure to propose.”
“You consider that pressure?” He snorted then raising his voice addressed Sophie’s father. “Engaged? Well, that is certainly a desirable circumstance; however it is a difficult one to achieve when I am separated from the object of my desire and forced to participate in this wholly unnecessary courtship of her parent. Should not my time be spent in Miss Kelly’s lovely company, sir? Why was she not asked to join us? Perhaps my performance would improve with her presence?”
“I did notice her shooting daggers at you, Mr. Kelly, when you suggested our outing.” Harding added.
“She was, Father.” Robert admitted.
“I was fending off the ones from your mother.” He murmured.
“Then are we in agreement? May I please return to Miss Kelly?” Richard looked between the me
n. “I hereby put in for some time of privacy between us as well, with your permission, sir.”
“Privacy? How private?”
Richard sighed. “A corner of the room where no Kelly is within earshot. Will that do, sir?”
Reluctantly, he agreed, “I suppose.”
“If you want the man to propose, you will have to leave them alone sometime, Mr. Kelly.” Harding smiled slightly. “No man wishes for his most vulnerable moment to be observed by anyone but his choice. Even if the match was a foregone conclusion.”
Picking up the clubs and bags, they made their way back to the house. “Was your marriage arranged, Judge Darcy?” Mr. Kelly asked.
“In a way. My mother selected my wife, but I never knew it.” He smiled with the memory. “She met Mrs. Darcy and she just knew that she was the girl for me. Of course, she was absolutely correct.”
“She is glowing with youth, sir.” Mr. Kelly smiled. “This child in your life is a delight. Will Mrs. Darcy be so well when the father returns for her?”
“I have a feeling that this father will abdicate his claim of his child.” Harding glanced towards Richard. “He has not the resources to hire the necessary staff to look after her and acknowledges she is better off in our home.”
Richard said nothing as he walked ahead of the group. Robert caught up to him. “Do you object to this arrangement? Your uncle …”
“He is not my uncle.” He said sharply.
“I am sorry, I … Of course.” They walked silently together and Robert shot looks at the scowl on Richard’s face.
He finally managed to contain his feelings and waved at the house. “You will inherit this?”
“Yes.” Robert nodded.
“I hope that you take the time to appreciate your forefather’s work and do not waste it. I hope that you are working to learn from your father how to take over its operation should something happen to him, and I sincerely hope that you do not behave as an entitled fool and spend your time playing games when you should be working.”
“What are you implying?” Robert demanded.
“Nothing. I am giving you warning. You have stated that you admire my cousin Darcy? Good, he is an excellent example of what you as the first born should be. I will give you another example. That man walking with your father was the younger son, just like me. By timing of birth order, he lost out on a magnificent estate. He let it eat at him. He made something of himself, but he let that anger build so that when the day came and he was faced with a horrific heartbreak, he had nothing inside of himself to draw upon. He was empty and it had nearly tragic consequences.”
Glancing back at the judge, Robert whispered, “Is he unwell?”
Richard stared ahead. “He is recovering. I tell you this because my brother, the first born, allowed entitlement to lead to dissipation and it nearly ruined our family. I tell you this because your brother Stephen is a second son and I see bitterness rearing in his rhetoric. I do not believe that he is happy with his lot. Think about it, he is at work in an office while you are playing games.”
Robert became defensive, “What can I do about it? Give up my birthright to him?”
“No. But I suggest that you praise his efforts to do well, and aide him, where practical, to find his own life.”
“Your brother did nothing for you.”
“Well, he is trying now.” Richard relaxed and gave Robert’s shoulder a rough squeeze. “When will you marry?”
“Do not start on me, please.” He sighed.
“I have a sister …” He received a glare and Richard chuckled. “No, I would not wish her on you, either.” Arriving at the house, they dropped off their clubs and joined the ladies in the drawing room.
“That was swift.” Sophie dropped her sewing and stood. “What happened?”
“Notice how she does not ask if we did well, or enjoyed ourselves.” Robert said in a low voice.
“She assumes the worst.” Richard noted.
“I do nothing of the sort.” She looked him up and down. “Well?”
“I was magnificent and the others bowed to my superior play, begging me to release them from the drubbing they were receiving.” He declared.
She placed her hands on her hips and Richard admired the curves that were exposed with the gesture. “Why do I not believe you?”
“I have no idea. Gentlemen?” He turned. “How did I do?”
“I have never seen such play before.” Robert smiled.
“His swing was quite powerful.” Harding added
“I have no doubt that you will come away with a new perspective on the colonel when you play together one day, my dear.” Mr. Kelly kissed his wife and nodding to Susan, took a seat. “Colonel … that seems to be a fine corner for your purpose?”
“Ah yes, thank you.” He nodded and approaching Sophie, he took her hand. “Shall we, my dear? We have been granted privacy.”
“Oh.” She looked at the men and feeling the tug of his hand, followed him to the corner. Mrs. Kelly bent to her husband while Susan leaned forward to listen to Harding. Sophie glanced at the others and then looked at Richard suspiciously, “Why do I think there were some liberties taken with that story?”
“I have no idea.” Richard grinned and settling next to her on a sofa, he drew a letter from his coat. “I do, however, have this.”
“What is it?”
“A surprise.” Handing it to her, he nodded. “Go on and read.”
4 June 1812
Rosings Park
Kent
Dear Richard,
I was glad to hear of your courtship commencing with Miss Kelly. That any woman would consent to you is mind-boggling. As you did not tell her of my situation until after you captured her attention, I cannot make the supposition that she is merely marrying you; forgive me, considering you, for your excellent prospects, although now that she does know, I am certain that she is relieved to know marriage to you does not entail close proximity to your former comrades. As willing as she seemed, I somehow doubt that the expectation of entering a lottery for the honour of following you into battle to cook and wash was high on her priorities. Do they still share wives on those missions?
“Share wives!” She cried. Richard shushed her and smiling, waved at the family across the room.
“Never mind, a joke from the viscount.” He nodded at their stares and laughing, looked back to her. “Are you trying to make trouble?”
“I … I want an answer!”
“I have no idea.” He sighed and tapped the letter. “Please read.”
“Your brother is a … not a gentleman.”
“Actually, he is.” Tapping the letter again, he nodded. “Please read.”
Glaring at him, she returned to the letter.
I am sorry, I could not resist. If you love her as I suspect you do, you will be reaching for your sword to behead me for that comment. There are times that I wish you would do just that.
“Oh, Richard …”
“He is not well.” Richard said gently.
“You love me.” She looked at him and surprised at the happiness he saw, Richard blushed. Nodding shortly, he again tapped the letter. After a few moments of studying him, she returned her attention to the note.
I have spoken with Anne and have determined that it is ridiculous to make you wait to marry or become engaged at least, simply because I emptied Gladney to support my habits, so, now that my debts of honour are paid, I have raided the coffers of Rosings and give you the enclosed bank note. I trust that you know precisely what needs to be done.
Sophie turned over the piece of paper that was enclosed and gasping, put her hand to her mouth. “Oh my!”
“It is … it is a ridiculous sum.” He took it from her hand before it tore and then pointed at the letter. “Did you see this?”
“He says that he has discovered that … although he is surprised by the feelings that have developed between him and his wife, that … he is unable to act upon it like a man should, a
situation that both of them find extremely frustrating.” She whispered and blushing, she read on, “And … He … He said that he … he admires your determination to preserve my dowry for … our children.”
“So he matches it.” Richard smiled. “I can easily … we can easily refurnish Gladney with this. And then …” He shrugged. “Well, we can begin.” Sophie was staring at him and he glanced at their audience and muttered, “Why did I not ask to do this outdoors?” He took her hand. “Say something!”
“I would have come to you with not a stick of furniture in the house.”
“I would never allow that to happen.” He said determinedly. “But I … I was under the impression that you wished to court for a significant time before I proposed.”
“I used to think that was necessary.” Sophie smiled. “But not now.”
“Why?” He looked down.
“You put up with my brothers and parents.”
“That is no trial. You have yet to meet my family.” He smiled.
“You care for my future and our children’s futures.”
“Of course.”
“Not of course, Mr. Fitzwilliam. I have seen enough examples of men who do not to know the truth. I imagine you have, too.”
“I have examples of the good and the bad.”
“The Darcys?”
“Unquestionably the good.”
“The … Matlocks?” She sighed when his eyes closed. “I am glad that you understand the difference.”
“I am glad that you seem to trust me. Miss Kelly … I do not want to be an earl. I do not. But if one day I am … I would be honoured and grateful if you will be my countess.” He held her eyes. “Will you?”
“Oh my.” She blinked back the tears in her eyes. “This is it, this is the proposal.”
Richard laughed. “I am afraid so. It is the best I can do, considering the audience.” He shook his head. “All the magic is gone from …” Sophie threw her arms around him and squeezed tight. “Miss Kelly … Sophie!” He gasped and laughed harder, she had his arms pinned to his sides. “Is this your yes?”
“Is it not obvious?” She said against his coat.
“By the way your father is holding back your brother; I suppose that it is obvious to some.” Chuckling he wriggled his arms free. “Yes?”
