Chapter 2 An Extraordinarily Popular Guest #5
“Oh no, no. Whilst I am on holiday, I shall not carry out my usual work. Others will act in my stead. I made the acquaintance of a great many ladies this afternoon at the Hound and Hare, and I believe this individual will welcome my company.”
The Hound and Hare? Elizabeth had never mentioned the inn. “Why did you stop there?”
He fluttered his hand in a dismissive style. “We went in for a bit of tea and cake. Elizabeth grew uncomfortable when the ladies present stared at us, so I invited them to join our table.”
“Indeed?”
“Yes.” Graham’s head lolled back. He gazed at the ceiling wearing a foolish grin as though moonstruck. “I met quite a few charming ladies at the inn, but none caught my attention so well as did Mrs. Mead. I knew upon my first sight of her that she would welcome a friend such as me.”
I choked on my sip of brandy and had to cough several times.
Mrs. Mead had lost her beloved husband, Mr. Nicholas Mead, in a carriage accident five years ago.
Mr. Mead had left his wife heart-broken though not without means—she inherited four thousand pounds and a small farm within the town of Lambton.
Mrs. Mead’s friendship with Elizabeth had begun soon after our marriage, and the two shared a cordial bond. Like many others of the local gentry, the lady often assisted my wife in various charitable projects.
I wiped my mouth with my handkerchief. “Mrs. Mead is a respectable widow. What do you intend to do?”
He adjusted to a straight position, and a significant sheen flickered within his piercing eyes. “I shall not return to my former existence without sampling all the pleasures that gentlemen enjoy on earth.”
The unconscionable fiend. Fever shot up from my neck. “What you propose to do is barbarous. You will ruin Mrs. Mead’s reputation. And what if she becomes with child?”
“One advantage to my being an angel of death is that I am incapable of making a woman enceinte. If necessary, I shall employ my powers to ensure Mrs. Mead’s reputation remains intact.”
“But if you use your powers to make her agree—”
“That will not happen.” He raised his hand to his chest. “I have no wish to take unfair advantage of her or anyone else. She will consent, without any undue influence from me, or I shall find another who will.” Graham set his empty brandy glass down and stood.
The corners of his lips lifted in a sly manner.
“You are gallant, Darcy, to express such concern for a lady to whom you have no connexion, but your worry is misplaced. I shall leave Mrs. Mead happier for having met me.”
I pressed my fingers into my nape. “I cannot be comfortable with the idea of your using Mrs. Mead in such a way, no matter how you attempt to justify your actions. What of the promise you made minutes ago to behave as a gentleman?”
“You know very well that most English gentlemen partake of the carnal pleasures as a matter of course. This is an open secret in your society. Now then, I shall take my leave and see you in the morning.” Graham bowed and left the room.
My rapid breaths slowed as his footsteps continued down the main hall towards the front door. Despite my aversion to his intentions for Mrs. Mead, I should rest easier with Graham away from Pemberley.
Nevertheless, the accursed rapscallion had left me with a dilemma: What, if anything, should I tell Elizabeth concerning her friend?
Elizabeth
At the sound of approaching footfalls, I closed my book and set it aside. Fitzwilliam entered the drawing-room alone.
I shifted towards him. “Where is Graham?”
He stopped in a stiff bearing. “I am sorry to disappoint you, but he has gone to Lambton.” I recoiled at the sharpness in his speech. He had no call to snap at me!
A pert retort came to mind, but he pressed his knuckles to his mouth—at this indication of his distress, I chose a more measured response. “This is unexpected. Why did he go there now, and why did he not mention this at dinner?”
He shrugged. “Graham is often subject to his whims.” His attitude remained rigid.
Perhaps the two of them had an argument. “It does not seem as though you welcome Graham’s presence, for you have not been yourself since his arrival. Is there anything about him I ought to know?”
“No, not at all.” His rushed reply did not convey assurance. He shifted his weight and toyed with the cuffs on his sleeves. “I suppose it will take time for me to become reacquainted with his…habits after all these years.”
“Oh, I see.” I resisted the impulse to enquire further. My husband appeared to be touchy on the subject of his friend. “What would you like to do? Shall I play a few songs for you?”
The hint of a smile enhanced his mien. “Yes, I should like that.”
We adjourned to the music room where I played a couple of his favourite pieces on the pianoforte and, upon his request, sang several Scotch airs. By the conclusion of my performance, no trace of his former petulance remained.
Darcy
After having endured an interminable, maddening day that at times evoked desperation, fear, and jealousy, I needed Elizabeth like never before.
I soon became lost to her and the expression of my love, unleashing the emotions suppressed throughout the day.
Not until I found my release, did I recover a firm hold upon my sanity.
Afterwards, I held her to my chest and ran my fingers through her sleek ebony locks. The pulse of her thundering heart against my skin further soothed me.
“Fitzwilliam, pray tell me what is bothering you.”
I froze. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you seemed agitated before and…different somehow.” Her soft voice slowed, her intonation hesitant. “You have never been quite so fervid before.”
Good God, what have I done? A spasm stirred within my chest, an icy blast of dread demolishing my earlier calm. “Have I…hurt you?”
“No, not in the least.”
The breath I had held rushed out. Thank goodness.
“Yet I am concerned for you, for I know you are not at ease.”
Could I speak of this? Would revealing this source of my qualms make them worse, give them more life? At any rate, I had alarmed her and should not refuse her request.
“You must know it bothers me that you are so attracted to Graham.” Sentiment affected my speech, hindering my clarity.
She raised up upon her forearm to view me in the fire-light. “No, I am not.”
That cannot be true. “There is no point in denial. I observed you after I introduced him today, and you could not take your eyes away from him.”
She returned to a reposed position. “Ah, I see what you mean. Yes, I stared at Graham then, and that mortified me. His appearance is extraordinary. I should compare the experience to discovering a new, colourful species of butterfly.”
“Then you admit you are attracted to him!”
Her hand raised to my heaving chest. “No, my love. Graham is remarkable and singular—unlike any other man I have met, but it does not follow that I am attracted to him. As it happens, I am quite partial to your looks and the various inner qualities that make you unique. You are my love, my husband, and the father of our beautiful child. You are the one who elevates my spirits and owns my heart.” She took a trembling breath.
“In my eyes, no other man can hope to compare to you.”
How I loved her! Her words wiped away much of the anxiety I had harboured today. With Elizabeth at my side, nothing—not even Graham—could trouble me. I pulled her against me. “I love you so very much.”
Illuminated by the waning flames from the fireplace, her skin acquired a mystical shine. “And I love you, my darling Fitzwilliam.”