Chapter 16 #2
Mary greeted her fellow card players, doing her utmost to not allow any nervousness to show in her face or her actions.
She was not certain she had succeeded. After all, she had promised herself she would avoid Lord Matlock as much as possible, and here she was seated across from him, preparing to play a game that would last an hour at least.
Fortunately, the others that sat down with her seemed to be more interested in the game than in socializing.
Once the game began, Mary fell into her usual focus, counting cards, speculating who would play what, and doing her best to help her partner. In the end, it was an absolutely delightful game. Mary and Lord Matlock had done well, but Lord and Lady Castleton won.
“That was an excellent game, Miss Bennet,” said Lady Castleton as the cards were being cleared up and the final scored was totaled.
“My husband and I have played against Lord Matlock before, and he is a delightfully challenging opponent, but I have yet to meet a lady who can match him in skill. I think you might just be such a lady.”
“I thank you for the compliment, my Lady,” said Mary.
“I can’t think that we will get such a challenge for the rest of the night,” said the Lady as she looked around the room at the other guests.
“There are a few competent players here, tonight, but they mostly favor party games. I suppose that is only to be expected, since that is what Mrs. Darcy prefers.”
Mary looked around as well. There was only one other whist table. The rest of the guests were playing more casual games such as lottery tickets and commerce.
“You know, the four of us make such an excellent combination that I wouldn’t mind simply staying put right here for the rest of the evening,” said Lord Castleton.
Mary was not certain how to respond. It was not entirely polite to not mingle at such a party. On the other hand, it would not do to contradict a baron. She looked to see how Lord Matlock would respond. Since he held the higher rank, it would be completely within his right to object.
“I think that is an excellent idea,” said Lord Matlock, dashing Mary’s hope of escape in the process. “Miss Bennet is a most excellent partner, and it would be a shame to waste such an opportunity.”
His sincere praise made Mary blush, but she kept her face as bland as she could. “Very well. If that is what you wish.”
The four of them played another complete game before pausing for refreshments, though Mary and Lord Matlock lost that one as well.
Despite their losses, Mary was delighted.
Never before had she been required to use all her concentration for such a lengthy time.
As she played, it seemed as though the ideas and patterns of the game simply flowed through her, and the feeling was heady indeed.
With the joy of the game still within her, Mary made her way over to the refreshments to get some lemonade, only to find Lord Matlock at her side.
“You played an excellent game, Miss Bennet,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed whist quite so much.”
“That is only because Lord and Lady Castleton make for such excellent opponents,” she said.
“While it is true that they are quite good at the game, I have played against them before without nearly as much enjoyment. Therefore, it must be you who has made the past three hours fly by as though they were only fifteen minutes.”
Mary’s first instinct, as it had been her whole life, was to brush away the compliment and talk of something else, but something within her rebelled at the thought.
Perhaps it was the memory of Mr. Porter talking of honesty.
Perhaps, it was simply that all her practice and improvements over the last two years were making themselves known.
Perhaps it was simply that she could not be anyone but herself around this man.
No matter the cause, Mary decided to be honest in her reply.
“I will not debate you on your assertion, my Lord,” she said, “but I do believe that I should be the one thanking you. I can honestly declare that I have never had such a pleasant time playing cards. It was both a challenge and a delight.”
Lord Matlock’s face was a confusing mixture of responses. When she called him, “my Lord,” he seemed to wince as if hearing it was unpleasant. As she continued, he seemed both pleased and puzzled at her return compliment.
Before he replied, he seemed to study her intensely, from the top of her head all the way down to her toes, though his gaze lingered mostly on her face.
“You have changed, Miss Bennet,” he said eventually. “Though I think it is not so much that you are different. Rather, it seems as though you are simply more yourself. I am overwhelmingly pleased to see it.”
Mary had barely managed to handle one sincere compliment from him. She could not handle another, and this one so much more pointed and personal. She didn’t wish to ignore it completely, so she simply said, “Thank you, my Lord.”
Again, he winced at the title. “You don’t seem happy to be called by your proper address,” she added. “Is there some other way I can address you?”
“I admit, I don’t particularly like to be called by my titles, mostly because I don’t feel as though they belong to me.
They belong to my grandfather and my father, but I am not big enough or grand enough to fill their boots.
However, most of the time, I simply put up with it.
With you, it is different. Somehow, it feels as though you are pushing me away every time you say it. ”
Mary considered his words. It was true, though she hadn’t considered it before.
She called him, “my Lord,” because she was reminding herself of who he was and just how far he was out of her reach.
It was essential that she remember this, or she was certain to find herself falling into her old patterns of casual and honest conversation with him.
“Then, what would you have me call you?” she asked. “While we are distantly related through my sister’s marriage to your cousin, we are certainly not close enough for me to call you by your first name. Any other form of address would simply be wrong.”
“I do wish you would call me John, Mary,” he said. Hearing her own name on Lord Matlock’s lips was quite a shock to Mary, but the warmth and longing in his expression was an even greater shock. She had only seen such an expression directed at her once before, and that too had been from this man.
She did not know what to do. She still had not forgiven him for withholding the information that he was married.
Additionally, he was clearly still in mourning for his late wife.
Calling him by his Christian name would only force her to think of him more familiarly while she should be maintaining her distance.
On the other hand, she simply couldn’t deny him. Not only was his expression deeply compelling, but he also far outranked her. She could hardly contradict someone like that.
“If you insist, then I suppose I must,” she said. As the words exited her mouth, she realized they sounded almost surly. “I mean that it would be an honor. One that I do not deserve.”
Lord Matlock opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, they were interrupted by another guest coming to greet them both.
Though Mary played at the same table as he did for the rest of the night, there was no further opportunity for a tete a tete between them.