Chapter 17 Wednesday, You Dreadful Day #4
Elizabeth understood her perfectly. It seemed Mrs. Bennet was not the only mother who had a favorite child she would allow to get away with anything, no matter how egregious the action.
Dessert was brought out as soon as Lord Winters was settled, and Elizabeth could only be glad the meal was coming to a close.
“My son has high spirits, Miss Elizabeth. You mustn’t mind him,” declared Lady Hopewell with an indulgent smile for her son.
“I understand perfectly, my lady. My mother feels the same for my youngest sister. She is in possession of a similar disposition.”
Mr. Darcy’s head shot up from his study of his dessert and their eyes met for a moment. Elizabeth felt an odd desire to smirk at him, like she would have done before they were friends, before she had come to know him better. Before they were courting.
She restrained herself and focused on finishing her dessert so that they might leave this wretched dining room as soon as possible.
Finally, after what felt like an interminable amount of time to eat a fruit tart, Lady Hopewell rose to lead the ladies to the drawing room.
Poor Jane was bright red and clumsy, first knocking her fork to the floor with a clatter, then catching her skirt on her chair as she turned to go.
Lord Winters leaned down and released it for her, and she stammered an apology as he watched her walk away with a wide smile.
“Darcy, what on earth are you thinking?” cried Winters once the ladies had departed.
“Pardon me?” he replied coldly.
“Miss Elizabeth is lovely in her own way, I’m sure, but how can you even notice her when her sister is in the room? Have you lost your mind, man?”
“Miss Bennet is an attractive woman, but she does not suit me as Miss Elizabeth does,” said Darcy succinctly.
“Attractive woman! Are you blind? She is Aphrodite herself!”
“You are drunk, Albert,” said Darcy in disgust.
“I am not!” This was followed by an untimely hiccup.
“You cannot blame him for noticing a beautiful woman, Darcy,” defended Lord Hopewell.
“Noticing, no, but commenting crudely and making her uncomfortable, yes.”
“She was not uncomfortable!” cried Winters.
Darcy shook his head. “I believe Miss Bennet would disagree with that assessment.”
“Darcy, you have little experience with women and would not know how to flirt with a lady if the fate of Pemberley depended on it.”
Darcy merely looked heavenward and mentally counted to ten. There was no talking to his cousin. Why would he not go back to his apartments and leave them be? Darcy did not want him around Georgiana, and he really did not want him near Elizabeth. He might scare her away entirely.
“Gentlemen,” said Sir Daniel, his sonorous voice filling the room. “Miss Bennet is here to support her sister and meet what will likely become her future family. Let us attempt to make a good impression, shall we?”
“Thank you, Uncle,” said Darcy quietly.
Lord Hopewell looked away, a bored expression on his face. Lord Winters was not so easily silenced.
“Is Miss Bennet engaged?” he asked.
“No,” Darcy bit out.
Winters waggled his eyebrows. “Then the field is open.”
“You do not mean you would truly pursue her?” Darcy cried in frustration. “Do stop being ridiculous!”
Winters straightened his coat and pulled at his lace cuffs. “I might do.” He winked at his father.
Darcy grit his teeth. “Miss Bennet is soon to be my sister and as such, you may consider her under my protection. If you harass her, you must deal with me.” Darcy turned to his uncle. “And why did you not speak to her at all throughout dinner?”
“These upstarts must be made to understand their place, Darcy. I was doing you a favor,” said Lord Hopewell with his nose high in the air. “They must understand they are not to importune us if you continue on this foolish path.”
Darcy took in a deep breath and clenched his fists. “Miss Bennet is a gentleman’s daughter and a guest in your home. Furthermore, she is a worthy lady in her own right.”
Lord Hopewell looked doubtfully at Darcy. “Minor gentry, Darcy. They are hardly of the first circles.”
Winters laughed, at what nobody knew, and leaned back in his chair, looking more inebriated than he had when he arrived.
“I will rejoin the ladies,” said Darcy in disgust as he passed by his cousin and uncle.
The ladies fared only slightly better. Lady Hopewell was clearly enamored of her son, foppish boor though he was, and she insisted on regaling them with stories of his “adventures.” Elizabeth rather thought they sounded like stories of a foolish young man with no regard for himself or others, but her ladyship would only see him as a hero.
Lady Clara came and sat next to Elizabeth, sighing heavily.
“He is dreadful, but Mother will not see it. She thinks everything he does is merely the high spirits of youth. He is five and twenty. His spirits must come down some day.”
Elizabeth smiled. “My mother says the same of my youngest sister. She is only fifteen and I fear she cares little for rules or anything she deems not enough fun.”
“She sounds like Albert. Perhaps we should introduce them?”
“Perhaps,” she said with a teasing smile. “They might grow irritated with one another enough to see a reflection of their own behavior.”
Lady Clara looked thoughtful for a moment. “I doubt it, but it might be fun to observe.”
Elizabeth could not help the laugh that bubbled out of her at that pronouncement.
“I heard you met my cousin in Kent?”
“I did see him most recently in Kent, yes, but I met him the first time in Hertfordshire last autumn. Mr. Bingley rented an estate near my father’s and Mr. Darcy was his guest.”
Lady Clara nodded. “Did you meet Colonel Fitzwilliam while you were in Kent? He usually travels with Darcy.”
“Yes, I did meet him. He is an amiable gentleman,” Elizabeth answered with a bright smile.
“Were you in company with him often?”
Elizabeth did not have four sisters for nothing. She could recognize the signs of a lady interested in a gentleman. “Yes, I saw him nearly every day. We became quite good friends.”
Lady Clara flushed and looked at her hands. “Oh. He is such good company, he is always attracting attention.”
“He is excellent company, that is true. If I had had an elder brother, I would have wanted him to be just like Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
Lady Clara looked up with a bright smile and Elizabeth knew she had said the right thing. Why the lady would think Elizabeth was interested romantically in the colonel when she was there as Mr. Darcy’s guest she did not know, but sense and infatuation did not always travel together.
“Will you stay in Town for the remainder of the Season?” asked Lady Clara.
“No, I will return to my father’s estate in less than a fortnight.”
“Do you plan to attend many gatherings with the Fitzwilliam family?”
“I do not know. I imagine I will meet them at some point, and I would like to know Miss Darcy better, but I have no fixed plans at this time. The arrangements are up to Mr. Darcy.”
“Of course.”
Elizabeth looked to where Jane and Miss Darcy were speaking quietly across the room.
She wondered if she should join them, but they seemed to be getting on well and she did not wish to leave Lady Clara on her own.
Mrs. Gardiner was speaking to Lady Hopewell and the conversation did not look pleasant.
From the few words Elizabeth heard, it sounded like Lady Hopewell was lecturing her aunt on how to behave with such elevated personages as herself.
Heaven help them! Was Mr. Darcy’s entire family comprised of Lady Catherines?
Elizabeth caught her aunt’s eye and smiled gratefully at her. Mrs. Gardiner smiled tightly in return.
“Mother is not all bad,” said Lady Clara. “She has a rather high opinion of herself and her title, but when she is in company with people of her own rank, she can be excellent company.”
Elizabeth raised a brow, thinking it sounded very like the way Mr. Wickham had described Mr. Darcy when she first knew him—rude to the general masses, but perfectly agreeable when in company of those he considered his equals.
“Oh, I am sorry, Miss Elizabeth!” said Lady Clara. “I meant no disrespect towards you or your aunt.” She seemed genuinely distressed as she wrang her hands in her lap and her cheeks flushed in mortification.
“It is all right, Lady Clara.” Thinking she would speak about something the lady clearly wished to discuss, Elizabeth said, “How long have you known Colonel Fitzwilliam?”
Lady Clara’s face flushed a deeper shade of red.
“I met him a few times when we were children, of course, though he was much older than me. When I came out three years ago, I was so very nervous, but Colonel Fitzwilliam was very gallant. He danced with me and put me at ease, and he did not tease me when I took a wrong turn and stepped on his shoe.”
Elizabeth was not surprised. She had seen him put Maria at ease in much the same manner, and Mr. Darcy had said he behaved similarly with Georgiana. “I can easily believe it of him. He has a great talent in social situations.”
Lady Clara leaned towards her. “I had thought he would come to visit Georgiana, but he has not, not even once.”
“He has only just returned from Kent, and he must have many demands on his time.”
“Yes, of course.” Lady Clara looked to her feet, clearly embarrassed. “Miss Elizabeth, if your schedule permits, would you like to come for tea later this week?”
“I would be delighted, Lady Clara,” said Elizabeth with a smile. She did not know how much Lord and Lady Hopewell would like it, but she would not refuse the invitation. “And we would like to see you on Gracechurch Street if you would like to call.”
Clara beamed back at her. “Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. I would like that.”
It was clear that Lady Clara carried more than a small torch for Colonel Fitzwilliam.
He had told Elizabeth he needed to marry with some consideration for money—surely Lady Clara had a large dowry?
As the only daughter of an earl, she could hardly be penniless.
She was not the most beautiful lady in Town, but she was not entirely plain, and she seemed to have a sweet disposition.
Perhaps Elizabeth could help bring them together.
She would never be a matchmaker in her own right, but she could assist Lady Clara with her goal if it was within her power.
Of course, after this evening, she was not certain how much power she would wield.
Before Elizabeth was able to speak to Miss Darcy, whom she had been hoping to get to know, the gentlemen rejoined them, minus Lord Winters.
Darcy came to stand next to Elizabeth, but before he could speak more than a greeting, Lady Hopewell entreated her daughter to play for them.
When she finished, Miss Darcy shakily took to the instrument and played a beautiful concerto.
As soon as the applause died down, Mrs. Gardiner thanked Lady Hopewell for a lovely evening and said they must be returning home for they had an early appointment the following morning.
Everything proper was said, and soon they were boarding Mr. Darcy’s carriage and trundling toward Gracechurch Street, relief the strongest emotion by far.