Chapter Fifteen
The gentlemen returned to the parlor just as Elizabeth was considering whether she ought to confess to her friend and sisters that she had wanted to kiss Mr. Darcy in the gazebo. She breathed a sigh of relief at the interruption, but she could not meet his eye.
“We have been invited to a picnic at Trafalgar House,” Mr. Bingley declared, clapping his hands with enthusiasm.
“A picnic! How wonderful,” Jane said serenely.
Charlotte appeared startled. “At Trafalgar House?”
“I have just received word from your excellent husband, Lady Parker,” Mr. Bingley explained. “It seems he and Sir Edward Gardiner have been swept up in some scheme of Mrs. Jennings’ and are eager for our company.”
Marianne laughed. “That is not at all surprising. She is very fond of society and indulgence. I expect she has made it a grander affair than our original plan for something small and simple.”
Mr. Bingley nodded. “She appears to have invited everyone I have ever heard mentioned in Lizzy’s letters to Jane, and a great many people I have not. What fun!”
Elizabeth finally braved a glance at Mr. Darcy, who was scowling at the note Mr. Bingley handed to his wife for examination. Anne de Bourgh would probably be there, and Sir Anthony Denham; she had no wish to spoil such a lovely day by sharing the pleasure of her sister’s company with them , but it could not be helped.
After Jane and her husband looked in on the baby before leaving her in the nurse’s care, the whole party set off for Trafalgar House. The manor was perched atop a cliff on the western edge of the village, beyond the hotel. A large stone terrace behind the house connected to a rocky set of stairs carved into the cliff face, providing access to a small and secluded inlet with a narrow strip of beach, and gentler waves where the water was shallow. It was one of Elizabeth’s favorite places to swim with her friend Charlotte.
A great deal had been accomplished since the original plan had been formed that morning, when Marianne and Elizabeth had exchanged missives over breakfast. Five large canvas tents had been erected along the base of the cliff; four were furnished with rugs and cushions for seating, while the fifth contained a table that had been carried down from the manor, and was laden with a buffet sufficient to feed three dozen guests.
Charlotte beamed at her husband as she waved at him from across the beach. He was helping his oldest son fly a kite, while the rest of his children splashed in the warm, shallow water. “Sir Thomas is a marvel, is he not, Lizzy? Ours was no whirlwind romance, but he is steady and kind, and abundantly resourceful.”
“It was very kind of him to act as host for our picnic; I would never have presumed to ask, but it does seem the ideal location. His spontaneity is just the generous thing I would have imagined of him,” Elizabeth said as she took in the excited crowd of people milling about.
Sir Anthony Denham perceived her arrival and hastened to greet her, his approach timed just as Mr. Darcy and his sister fell into animated conversation with the Knightleys. “Your suitor may have abandoned you, Miss Bennet, but I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival! I hear the notion of a picnic was your idea, and I think it a stroke of genius! Just what I would have supposed of you.”
“I can take very little credit for all this extravagance, though I do intend to enjoy it. I wish to acquaint myself with Mrs. Jennings, whom I understand has been the true mastermind of today’s entertainment,” Elizabeth said, taking a step away from Sir Anthony.
“She is a newcomer amongst us. A tad vulgar, I must say, but I can easily forgive her indiscretions of address, for I have found her to be keenly fascinated by the romantic maneuverings of we young people. I understand she has a very pretty young ward in attendance – perhaps I may pay her my addresses, and arouse in you that same ardor you have inspired in me by entertaining Mr. Darcy’s suit.” He leered at Elizabeth in what she supposed he intended to be a flirtatious manner.
“That will not be necessary. Mrs. Jennings is the intimate friend of my half-sister, a young lady with no thoughts of romance at present,” she said curtly.
Marianne materialized at Elizabeth’s side and sneered at the odious fop. Unabashed and undaunted, he swept into a low bow and reached for Marianne’s hand, but she recoiled. “Will you be so kind as to introduce me?”
“No, thank you,” Marianne said curtly. She linked her arm through Elizabeth’s and led her away in great haste. “What a horrid man! Shall I drown him for you, Lizzy? I cannot imagine anybody in their right mind objecting.”
Elizabeth laughed, and the two women fell into step behind Charlotte and Jane. They entered the tent where Lady Denham was holding court. Mrs. Bevan sat on one side of her, and on the other sat a stout but cheerful looking older woman whom Elizabeth instantly knew must be Mrs. Jennings. Once all the requisite introductions had been performed, Lady Denham commanded a footman stationed nearby to fetch them all an ample selection from the buffet.
Mrs. Jennings wasted no time in lavishing her new acquaintance with praise. “So you are the famous Lizzy! I have been mad to meet you, my dear! And Jane, the great beauty of Marianne’s new family! What darling girls you are. And Lady Parker, you are younger than I expected. What a fine husband you have, so obliging, so eager to transform my humble plan into a grand affair. And Sir Edward, too – he is the uncle to Mrs. Bingley and Miss Bennet, is that right? Quite a brooding beau in his own right! And which gentleman is Mr. Bingley? Ah, he is a handsome one – well done! But I cannot like your beau, Miss Bennet. Lady Denham has been telling me that he is most unsuitable, and he is her own nephew – she ought to know!”
Lady Denham smiled wryly. “I think too well of Miss Bennet to wish any of my ghastly relations on her. If she had a mighty fortune, I may conclude that she would be capable of reforming his lunatic ways, but I believe she may have found a more suitable and sensible match, having only to compete with an insipid and supercilious heiress.”
“Oh, I hope it is this tall, handsome treat for the eyes headed our way presently! Look at that confident stride!” Mrs. Jennings waved eagerly at Mr. Darcy, whose face betrayed a moment of astonishment at the forward greetings she began to shout.
“Go to him ,” Marianne hissed in Elizabeth’s ear. She made a subtle gesture at Mrs. Jennings, tipping her head and rolling her eyes to indicate that her old friend would likely continue on in the manner she had begun, should Mr. Darcy join their little group.
Elizabeth was on her feet in an instant. She hastened to meet him before he had gotten too close to her tent. “It was not very gallant of you to abandon me to the overtures of my other suitor, sir. Impolitic, too, for he was so eloquent in his address that I have come directly to Lady Denham to ask for his hand.”
He sputtered with astonished laughter at her teasing. “Forgive me; Mrs. Knightley is quite taken with my sister. I must remind Georgiana that she is likely to be just as enchanted by Miss Dashwood.”
“Oh, yes, I look forward to introducing them,” Elizabeth agreed, shifting awkwardly as her feet sank a little in the soft sand. “I have just been introduced to Marianne’s friend Mrs. Jennings; I believe I might do you the favor of waiting until she has tired of her indelicate speculations before I introduce you.”
He glanced toward the tent. At twenty paces removed, they could hear every word spoken by the widow, who had a great deal to say about all the young people present, including Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy – especially them.
“She is quite right that we are a fine-looking couple, though naturally I must credit that to you,” he said with a nervous laugh.
“No indeed! You are squinting into the sun most attractively.”
He turned his face, holding it at such an angle that he was not obliged to cover his eyes with a hand at his brow. “As my cousin Anne is present, perhaps a certain handsome couple might take a stroll along the beach?”
Elizabeth forced a smile that she did not feel. After what had passed between them in the gazebo, she could not countenance performing to Miss de Bourgh. She knew she must, but she would have to fortify herself first.
“Might I defer our amorous spectacle until after I have eaten? Sir Thomas has arranged such a great bounty, and I know he will not be satisfied until all his guests have conveyed their compliments to his kitchen.”
“Of course. You must wish to acquaint yourself with the benefactress who has been so kind to your stepsister. I should hardly know what to say to so many ladies all at once, anyhow.”
“I daresay you would hardly need say a word. But yes, I have heard a great deal of praise for her kindness, if not her volume.”
Elizabeth pressed her lips into a wicked smile as Mrs. Jennings’ rather shrill voice carried on the breeze. “She is just as lovely as by dear Marianne, and a lady of fascinating exploits! I would have been happy to make a match for her myself, but she seems to have the matter well in hand, and by her choice I can see that she is a clever one!”
Stifling laughter, Mr. Darcy bowed and then raised Elizabeth’s hand to his lips. He kissed the top of her hand softly and was hesitant to release her as her fingers slid through his. “I shall look forward to hearing what your new champion has to say about that, after you have taken some refreshments.”
Though he was already pink from mortification at the feminine exclamations coming from the tent, Elizabeth took a step closer to Mr. Darcy. “She is not the only person of note observing us.”
Her eyes darted to the distant tent where Miss de Bourgh sat scowling at her mother’s side. And then Elizabeth grinned at Mr. Darcy and stood up on her toes, resting her left hand in the center of his chest as her right hand reached up and smoothed out a tuft of dark hair that had escaped his short curls. She smoothed it out behind his ear and slowly ran her hand down his cheek.
Not to be outdone, Mr. Darcy covered her hand with his own and quickly kissed her palm. She could feel his lips through the thin lace of her gloves, which she had put back on in the carriage.
“There now, you must allow me my intermission before we continue our performance.” Elizabeth winced at her own unintentional bitterness, and she scrambled for something else to say to soften her tone of rebuke. “Is that Sir Sidney walking with Miss Denham? Your cousin must be seething.”
She had meant Miss de Bourgh, who, slighted by both her suitors, stormed away from her mother, leading Miss Lovelace by the hand to the water’s edge. Mr. Darcy, however, searched the little crowd for the colonel, who was still speaking with Georgiana and Mr. Knightley. Mrs. Knightley was stalking toward the ladies’ tent with a curious expression. “I shall go and speak with Richard.”
“Do inform Mrs. Jennings if the colonel decides to search elsewhere for an heiress.” Elizabeth gave him a teasing wink before walking away to rejoin the tent of ladies. She was strangely discomfited; never before had she been so unaware of herself when speaking with Mr. Darcy, and so conscious of what he must be thinking.
Mrs. Jennings and Lady Denham found an easy audience for their matrimonial speculation; Mrs. Knightley was instantly engrossed.
“The niece and nephew that I had with me last summer rather disappointed my aspirations, but I have grasping relations enough that eventually one of them may do me proud, though I have yet to witness either of them behaving sensibly yet,” Lady Denham observed. “My niece Esther is there in the blue gown, walking with – ugh! Sir Sidney Parker! If you have not yet been warned about that wastrel, allow me to tell you now that he ought not be allowed anywhere near your dear Miss Dashwood, Mrs. Jennings. And though you are lately married, Mrs. Knightley, you must be on your guard, as well – the fellow is entirely without scruples! Forgive me, Lady Parker, but you have married the only member of that family with any merit!”
“Certainly Lady Parker is a member of that family with merit.” Elizabeth smiled defiantly at the dowager, who responded by brandishing her fan in a teasing gesture. The two women had reached a peculiar understanding almost immediately, for they were too similar to be easy friends, but they were as fond of quarreling with one another as in uniting to relish the folly of all their acquaintance.
“There may even be hope for the children, if their aunts and uncles could be hauled off to Bedlam where they belong,” Lady Parker drawled.
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Jennings tutted. “What a pity Sir Sidney should be such a waste of a fine figure! He is a credit to his tailor, I will say that much in his favor. He seems to be another Willoughby, my dear Marianne. We shall have to find you some other beau – I hear there is a colonel in our midst.”
“No, thank you.” Marianne flattened her lips and stared contrarily at Mrs. Jennings. “I was promised sea-bathing and sunny promenades in the latest seaside fashions. I shall keep to the company of so many fine ladies.”
“ Brava , Miss Dashwood!” Mrs. Bevan gave a little applause before returning to writing in a small leatherbound journal. “You shall make a fine heroine, for such reluctance to be made love to will make the pursuit of the vicar all the more exciting.”
“Oh, anything but a vicar,” cried Mrs. Knightley. “Vicars are sycophantic creatures; when it comes to getting wives, I find they are far too covetous of what they do not deserve!”
Charlotte nearly choked on the bite of sweetmeats she was chewing, and Elizabeth winced. She was inclined to agree with Mrs. Knightley, though the memory of her cousin Collins’ ill-fated rejection sent a shiver of sadness through her.
“Well!” Mrs. Jenning harrumphed. “It seems to me there are enough unsuitable young people – are there no eligible young ladies or gentlemen? If Marianne will not indulge me, surely my abilities must be wanted by some lovesick swain or swooning miss.”
Mrs. Knightley sat up a little straighter and smiled brightly. “Oh, I am fond of making matches, as well! I did so about a year ago for my former governess, whom I adore. She is well settled half a mile from Hartfield, my former home, with the charming widower Mr. Weston. I tried to make another match, for my dear friend Harriet – Mrs. Martin, now – hence my disdain of vicars. But I suppose that failure does not count, for I daresay she was already unconsciously attached to her Mr. Martin. She refused his first proposal, though he did write her a very fine letter, but he proposed again after she realized what a coxcomb the vicar she admired was. You ought to write that down in your novel notes, Mrs. Bevan!”
The authoress was frequently discovered transcribing what was passing in her diary, and the merry folk of Sanditon were delighted at the prospect of figuring into her future publications. “I should be happy to fictionalize any matchmaking exploits you care to share, Mrs. Knightley. I never tire of intrigue.”
Mrs. Knightley grinned. “Oh, I can unmake matches, too, so you must brace yourself for any number of shocking things this summer. Why, just a few months ago, I convinced a friend – I call her friend now , but for many years I quite despised her – I am endeavoring not to envy those with greater accomplishments than my own, else I should never like anybody. At any rate, my friend Miss Fairfax was secretly engaged to a gentleman who was welcomed amongst everybody in Highbury. He made merry with us all while paying me special attention at every turn, and all the while he was secretly engaged to her , and the poor creature was made to endure it! She must have despised me, too, for he wished to please his aunt by paying court to a girl of fortune, rather than the penniless woman he loved!”
Even Jane was listening with rapt attention. “Did you make amends with her?”
“To please my husband, and my own good conscience, I certainly did. And I persuaded her to think of herself, after such ill-usage. Her beau’s wicked mercenary aunt died, and their engagement might have been made public, had I not saved her from that preening flirt. I told her that fortune appeared to be smiling on her, and she ought to press her advantage. She purchased a lottery ticket, and she won a tremendous sum! It allowed her the independence to decide she had no wish for such a wayward husband.”
Mrs. Knightley triumphantly received their awe and applause. Lady Denham appeared especially interested. “Your friend is now a wealthy woman? I suppose she may wish to treat herself and her guardians to a sea-side holiday.”
Elizabeth made a droll face at the thought of the dowager foisting her nephew on the lady in question. “Having seen the sense of rejecting one accomplished flirt, she may cleverly spot another directly, Lady Denham.”
The matchmaking banter carried on for some time; Lady Denham, Mrs. Jennings, and Mrs. Knightley had unified into a formidable trio. Elizabeth was spared from her share of the speculation that delighted her companions, and she allowed her mind to wander. Though she did not transcribe her observations as Mrs. Bevan did, she nonetheless enjoyed watching the scene unfolding around her on the beach.
Miss de Bourgh and her companion, and Sir Sidney and a few of his friends had waded into the tide, frolicking and splashing one another with such glee that for a moment Elizabeth managed to forget that her rival was such a nasty creature. At present she seemed an ordinary, even cheerful girl.
Sir Edward Gardiner was sitting with the Parkers in the next tent over, apparently supervising his children in building a sandcastle that rather resembled the Tremont. The Parker spinsters were fussing over him and practically feeding him, but he did not appear in want of Elizabeth’s rescue.
Further down the beach, the colonel and Georgiana had also waded into the shallow water with Mr. Marsh, who was hunched over and pointing to something in the tide pool – a scientific discovery that seemed to delight them all. Elizabeth let out a sigh of contentment as a cool breeze caressed her face. The summer was only just beginning, and at present she had every reason to look forward to a joyous season in the coastal paradise she had come to call home.
Her happiness was disrupted only when the matchmaking ladies turned their attention once more toward Marianne. Jane and Charlotte had ambled off to join their husbands, and it was left to Elizabeth to defend her stepsister. “Come now, it has not been six months since her heart was broken; is she not allowed some mourning period?”
“He is such a handsome man; I will own it is a dreadful shame,” Mrs. Jennings admitted.
“Not only that – I understand they saw a great deal of one another and came to share a very deep bond over poetry and music, and such things as are important to Marianne. Everyone who knew them expected a happier conclusion.” Elizabeth glanced over at Marianne, painfully aware that she must have betrayed her anguish at finding herself in such a similar predicament.
“I once said I would never marry, and it is the best thing I ever did,” Mrs. Knightley argued.
Marianne scoffed and then scrambled to her feet before reaching down to haul Elizabeth up off the cushions. “I suppose, as you have already decided my fate, my opinions are not necessary. I would do better to go for a walk, so that my figure appears to best advantage.”
Elizabeth linked arms with Marianne as the two ladies began to stroll down the beach. Elizabeth steered them toward Georgiana, deciding it would be a fine time to introduce her to Marianne. “I would like to present you to Miss Darcy – unless you are still too out of humor?”
“What? Oh, no – I was not angry for myself, Lizzy! But I could hear your distress, and I wished for privacy, so that you can finally confess that you are in love with Mr. Darcy. Truly, it could not possibly be more apparent.”
Elizabeth needed no further interruption to spare her – she was ready to admit the truth. The feelings had taken form so rapidly, and if anybody would understand such a sensation as this, it was Marianne.
Unfortunately, they were interrupted. Sir Sidney Parker swaggered over, his feet bare and his trousers rolled up to the knee and damp from his revels. His waistcoat hung open and unbuttoned, and he had lost his cravat to the sea nearly as soon as he had loosened it. His hair and his flamboyant orange coat were covered in sand, and as he squinted into the sun and drank wine from the bottle, it was easy for Elizabeth to imagine him as a pirate bent on bamboozling them all.
“God Lord, who is that? He wants only a cocked hat and a parrot on his shoulder. It must be Sir Sidney.”
If Marianne had not wished an introduction to Sir Anthony, Elizabeth knew she ought to spare her from a wastrel ten times more odious. “Perhaps if we make haste to the buffet table….”
“No, no, he is plainly coming to speak with us, and his lady is watching him. It must cut both ways – she may be drawn to him out of jealousy, and then you shall have Mr. Darcy. Besides, if Mrs. Jennings sees me speaking to him, my complete disinterest in the male species may seem a better alternative.”
Marianne stepped forward with a bright smile, and Elizabeth performed the introductions. Sir Sidney gave an unsteady bow as he exclaimed his delight in welcoming such a lovely lady to Sanditon.
“Bloody damn, we could print your portrait on the brochures and half the gents in London would be flocking to Sanditon! What a remarkable beauty to adorn our little slice of paradise. And you, too, Miss Bennet. I see you are walking properly, unlike certain persons amongst us who have over-imbibed already.” With a cheeky wink, Sir Sidney pointed to himself.
“You are very kind, sir,” Marianne replied with a smile, still taking her turn at play-acting. “And how kind of you to think of Lizzy – I have heard all about her carriage calamity, and Mr. Darcy’s romantic rescue.”
Sir Sidney took another swig of wine. “Yes, love is in the air, etcetera. But we mustn’t let your Lizzy have all the fun, eh Miss Dashwood? Nobody that pretty is not ready to make men fall at her feet, and I am prepared to answer the call. Tomorrow is the first assembly of the summer, and I am sure I would not be too far into my cups to dance if you promised to stand up with me.”
“If you are capable of dancing the last, I shall save it for you.”
“And endure the whole evening pining for you?”
Elizabeth glanced around nervously; Sir Sidney was beginning to attract the notice of his friends and her own. Miss de Bourgh and Miss Lovelace were walking that way hand in hand, sipping wine more sedately as they studied the scene unfolding. Georgiana was leading the colonel and Mr. Marsh over with a look of concern for Elizabeth, and Mr. Darcy had wandered a few steps away from Mr. Knightley to watch Sir Sidney so intently that Elizabeth feared he would call the cad out.
“By the by, Miss Bennet, have you any more of that excellent elixir? But never mind, I shall do well enough with wine.” Sir Sidney took another long draught from the bottle. “As sobriety at an assembly is quite out of the question, I shall simply have to practice my steps half sprung, if you will oblige me, Miss Dashwood.”
Before Marianne could protest, Sir Sidney dropped his empty bottle and took Marianne by both hands, spinning her wildly as he attempted the footwork of a reel. Despite her surprise, Marianne gave Elizabeth a quick wink before letting out a peal of gay laughter.