Chapter 14 #2
She appeared shy and uncomfortable in company. Though she lacked the striking beauty of her elder sisters, she possessed a quiet prettiness, and there was something about her that reminded him of Lady Campbell.
After several minutes, he turned to her.
"Miss Mary, would you do me the honour of standing up with me for the next set?"
Mary stared at him in astonishment.
"You wish to dance with me?"
"Indeed I do," Christian replied with a smile.
“I do not know, my Lord…” Mary looked helplessly at her sisters.
"Mary," Jane said gently, "Lord Blackwood has done you a great honour. You should accept."
"You will enjoy it," Elizabeth added with an encouraging smile. "Besides, if he proves to be a dreadful dancer, you may blame me for persuading you."
Mary laughed softly despite herself.
Mrs Gardiner placed a reassuring hand on her arm.
"My dear, there is no reason to be afraid. Lord Blackwood has asked because he wishes to dance with you, not with anyone else."
Mary hesitated for another moment before looking back at Christian.
"If you are quite certain, my lord... I should be pleased to dance with you."
"The pleasure is entirely mine, Miss Mary," Christian replied, offering her his arm.
Mr and Mrs Gardiner also joined the dancers, leaving the Bingley sisters with an opportunity they never willingly neglected.
"I must confess," Caroline observed sweetly, "Miss Mary seemed remarkably surprised by the invitation. Although, I suppose she is not the first Miss Bennet to show a preference for officers."
"No," Elizabeth replied pleasantly, "but she is the second Bennet sister, after me, to dance with an officer who also happens to be a viscount."
"A viscount?" Caroline asked in surprise. "Then why is he serving in the Army like an ordinary younger son?"
"I believe that is a question you should put to Lord Blackwood, Miss Bingley," Elizabeth answered.
At that moment, she noticed her aunt standing at the refreshment table in what appeared to be an awkward conversation with General Sinclair.
Without a second thought, she said, "If you will excuse me, I believe I shall have some punch."
Leaving Jane alone with Mr Bingley and his sisters, Elizabeth made her way towards Eleanor.
Jane felt rather uncomfortable but remained silent.
Taking advantage of the moment, Mr Bingley turned to her.
"Miss Bennet, might I call upon you at your uncle's house the day after tomorrow? I am entirely at liberty, so I shall gladly come at whatever hour is most convenient."
Caroline and Louisa exchanged anxious glances. They both knew they had to intervene.
"Charles, do not be so importunate," Caroline said lightly. "Perhaps Miss Bennet already has other engagements."
"Indeed," Louisa added. "You cannot invite yourself to her uncle's house without first receiving an invitation."
Jane looked at Mr Bingley with her customary gentleness.
"I believe your sisters are quite right, Mr Bingley. Besides, I am already engaged."
It was the most direct thing Jane had ever said to anyone.
She sincerely hoped the Bingley sisters would finally understand that she had no wish to encourage their brother and that they would at last leave her in peace.
She longed to tell them that Mr Andrews de la Garza had already begun courting her. However, everything had happened so recently, and her father had not yet given his formal consent, that she thought it wiser to remain silent.
"I understand," Mr Bingley said quietly.
He persuaded himself that Jane merely wished to avoid an awkward scene while his sisters stood beside them, pressing him to leave her alone.
Surely, if he could find an opportunity to call upon her without their knowledge, she would receive him more favourably.
Caroline and Louisa exchanged satisfied smiles before resuming their conversation. For the moment, at least, their brother was safe.
Marcus and Eleanor walked in silence towards the refreshment table.
Once there, Marcus poured a glass of punch for Eleanor before helping himself to one as well.
Eleanor drank almost at once.
Her throat had gone dry, and she needed something—anything—to steady her trembling hands.
Marcus also raised his glass, and for several moments they occupied themselves with drinking rather than speaking.
Each was carefully weighing every word before daring to break the silence.
At last, Eleanor spoke.
"There is a large park not far from my house where we may talk in private. If it is convenient for you, we could meet there tomorrow at noon."
She secretly feared that Marcus might insist on calling at her house instead.
She wanted no one to discover that they had known one another long before that evening. She could neither reveal the truth nor bear to invent further lies.
She therefore described the exact location of the park.
Marcus recognised it immediately.
It was the very park where he had met Elizabeth.
For a fleeting moment, he was disappointed that Eleanor had not invited him to her home. It seemed she still wished to keep him at a distance. He concealed the feeling as best he could.
"I know the place," he replied quietly. "You may depend upon me. I shall be there tomorrow at noon."
Neither of them noticed that Elizabeth had approached the refreshment table and, quite unintentionally, overheard their conversation.
She hesitated only a moment before remaining where she was. The General and her aunt were arranging to meet in secret the following day.
That alone was astonishing enough.
But what she heard next startled her even more.
"Why does Miss Elizabeth believe you are merely her father's cousin?" Marcus asked in a low voice. "Why have you never told her that you are Thomas Bennet's sister?"
Eleanor lowered her eyes.
"You know better than anyone what kind of man my brother can be. But I would rather not speak of that tonight. Tomorrow I shall answer every one of your questions."
After a brief pause, she added, "I must return to my nieces now. Good evening, General."
Before either Marcus or Eleanor became aware of her presence, Elizabeth quietly slipped through the French doors leading into the garden.
Once outside, she leaned against the stone wall, struggling to make sense of what she had just heard.
Who was this mysterious aunt who had appeared so unexpectedly in their lives?
Why had she concealed that she was her father's sister?
And how could she speak so harshly of the man Elizabeth had always believed to be kind and honourable?
The questions crowded relentlessly through her mind.
For the first time since arriving in London, Elizabeth longed to return to Longbourn.
On many occasions—sometimes subtly, at others quite openly—Lady Campbell had attempted to make Elizabeth question her father's character. If she intended to harm him in any way, she would have to answer to Elizabeth first.
Perhaps that was the true reason she had insisted upon hiring a steward.
Whatever Lady Campbell was planning, Elizabeth no longer wished to remain under her roof. She needed to return home and discover the truth that everyone else seemed determined to hide from her.
Lady Emma was exceedingly displeased with her daughter.
She had hoped Claire would devote the evening to Mr Darcy.
Instead, the girl had happily spent the last set dancing with Colonel Fitzwilliam, a younger son with little prospect of inheriting a great estate.
The moment the dance ended, Lady Emma led Claire towards Lady Helen and Lady Samantha, who were conversing with Lord Matlock and Mr Darcy.
"Good evening, Mr Darcy," Lady Emma said pleasantly. "You have scarcely danced at all this evening. Surely there are many young ladies here who would be delighted to stand up with you."
As she spoke, she gave her daughter a meaningful glance, hoping Claire would encourage the conversation.
"Good evening, my lady," Darcy replied with a polite bow. "I must apologise, but I rarely dance. If you will excuse me."
With that, he withdrew and made his way into the garden.
He had noticed Elizabeth leave the ballroom only moments earlier and found himself unable to resist following her.
Within two days, he would be leaving London. He was determined to enjoy whatever time remained to him in Elizabeth's company.
Watching her dance with Lord Blackwood had unsettled him far more than he cared to admit. If only for a few moments, he wanted her all to himself.
Richard had intended to join Lady Claire and ask her to stand up with him again. Before he could do so, however, Lady Helen claimed her son for the next set, leaving Lady Samantha alone with Lady Emma and Claire.
Lady Samantha remained exactly where she was.
She knew General Sinclair would sooner or later come in search of his niece, and she had no intention of missing the opportunity to intercept him.
Mr Darcy stepped out into the garden and, after glancing around, noticed Elizabeth standing alone beneath the shadow of an old stone wall, completely absorbed in her thoughts.
"Miss Elizabeth, are you quite well?"
Startled by his sudden appearance, Elizabeth looked up at once.
"Perfectly well, thank you, sir. I merely wished for a little fresh air."
"I am glad to hear it. You seemed so thoughtful that I feared something might be troubling you."
After a brief pause, he asked, "Have you enjoyed the ball?"
"Very much indeed," Elizabeth replied. Unwilling to dwell upon everything that had unsettled her that evening, she added with a smile, "And you, Mr Darcy? If I remember correctly, you are not particularly fond of dancing."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Not especially. Though I find I do not always dislike it."
He held her gaze.
"It depends entirely upon my partner."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then, almost before he realised he had decided to ask, he said, "Do you intend to remain in London long, Miss Elizabeth?"
"No. I shall return to Longbourn in two days."
In truth, after everything she had learned that evening, she wished she could leave the very next morning.