Chapter Nine
M r. Fitzroy quickly fulfilled Elizabeth's wish by escorting Jane to the card room. The tables had been carefully arranged in the library according to Mrs. Houghton's orders. Lizzy had spent her dance with Mr. Fitzroy strengthening his belief that Miss Bennet was the opponent who would soon defeat every self-proclaimed expert in London. She hinted, sweetly smiling, that he would be wiser to avoid sitting down to play her sister. Elizabeth felt it only right to warn him, seeing that he had been her first dance partner of the evening. He was an amiable gentleman and ready to please and be pleased in turn. He had been blessed by both birth and fortune, and his papa had sent him to Town in order to gain a little experience in the polite world. It was a pity, perhaps, that he had not been brought up with a greater sense of caution, for the more that the charming Miss Elizabeth warned him away from her beautiful sister, the more irresistible he found the prospect of pitting his skills against hers.
It was a slow procession into the library, for once the Countess of Matlock had called her nephew over to meet Miss Bennet, Sir Vernon Grant had been besieged by others in the room for introductions. The astonishingly beautiful young woman from Hertfordshire was greatly sought after by the young men present. Some of the more romantically inclined gentlemen even believed that they had fallen in love with the vision in white at first sight. It was a pity, really, thought Lizzy, that her sister was promising dances so politely — there would likely be time for only a single game of commerce, Mr. Fitzroy's preferred game, before she must be led to the floor again .
Shamelessly, Lizzy listened to Mr. Fitzroy speaking with Jane as she followed behind them with her aunt. To be on the cusp of realising part of her hopes for her sister was a heady moment. Looking about her, all Elizabeth could see were duplicates of the rich Mr. Bingley and the odious Mr. Darcy. They were ready and waiting for Jane to take her revenge on the whole set for her humiliation in Hertfordshire.
“I hope,” Miss Bennet's voice was well modulated, “Mr. Fitzroy, that you will forgive me if I do not stake above ten or fifteen pounds in this game — you said that there are others who wish to play, I believe.”
The gentleman agreed eagerly. Mr. Fitzroy thought for a moment that perhaps Miss Bennet's abilities had been overrated by a fond sister and that she was nervous. It would only be gentlemanly, then, to put her at her ease. Regardless of her supposed luck with games of chance, she was uncommonly beautiful .
“I see no difficulty there, Miss Bennet — it is only a little entertainment after all. Miss Elizabeth assured me that you do enjoy the amusement so.”
“I do — very much. Indeed, I find it so engaging that I forget all else when I am concentrating on which card to play next. The only dislike I have is the awkwardness of winning money from one's friends. It would be far preferable to me to play solely for the diversion of it.”
Mr. Fitzroy, whose delight in cards was largely centred around the possibility of winning the pot at the end of an evening, was thunderstruck by this novel idea.
Miss Bennet looked angelic, however, and he did not care to disagree with her. “Yes, quite so. So awkward — that is just the word. Although, you know, Miss Bennet, it is tremendous fun to needle one's oldest friends upon occasion. Why, I took three hundred pounds from my friend Eckworth last Tuesday week and he vowed he would not sit down at vingt-et-un with me again, until old Johnson teased him that he was a spiritless friend to have.”
There was the slightest suggestion of a frown about Miss Bennet's perfectly arched brows. “You will think that I am a very dull opponent, I am afraid, sir.”
“Not a bit of it!” cried Mr. Fitzroy promptly. “I shall be able to boast in my club tomorrow that I had the privilege of being present at your first card game in town.” He thought it would entertain his fellows to hear of the beauty he bested in Mrs. Houghton's house.
“In the interests of honesty, Mr. Fitzroy, I must disappoint you. I have played any number of card games here with my nieces and nephews.”
He laughed loudly at this, thinking her innocence was delightful. Child's play was a different thing from the sport to be had in the clubs. Here was a pigeon ready to be plucked. “A jolly time you must have had.”
“Do not forget that you also won against Mr. Cranshaw, Jane, when you came to Town some years ago,” Elizabeth interjected, not liking Mr. Fitzroy's patronising tone with her sister.
Jane turned and stared at Lizzy with wide blue eyes. “I had forgotten him — how long ago that seems.”
“Oliver Cranshaw?” Mr. Fitzroy enquired.
“I am afraid I do not recall ever being told his first name — perhaps my aunt might know.”
“I was not told either, my dear.” Mrs. Gardiner responded. “In truth, I barely recall his features, but I do remember that he composed a sonnet in your honour. ”
Mr. Fitzroy laughed again. “Poor Mr. Cranshaw then, whoever he may be — I asked only because there was a neighbour of ours in Suffolk who went by the name of Cranshaw — Oliver Cranshaw, of course. He is Lord Cranshaw now. Was your poet a short fellow with dark hair, perchance? It may well be the same chap. I have not heard of his being in town this season yet.”
Jane, a little embarrassed but disinclined to display it, answered vaguely, “I was only fifteen when I met him, Mr. Fitzroy. I do not imagine I would have noticed if he was tall or short. Here we are. Is it not a fine library, Elizabeth? You will likely prefer to browse the shelves rather than watch me play. Which table are we to sit at, sir?”
“By that marble statue over there, Miss Bennet. I see that Mrs. Killett-Trinch is to play as well as her sister, Miss Clarissa Brent. You need not worry, then, that you will be the only lady. A few of my acquaintances mean to play as well. I hope they will not be long. Ladies,” he addressed Mrs. Gardiner and her niece, “shall you like to sit down with us also?”
The two declined, saying that they should prefer to sit down on the scrole sofa nearby and observe the game .
Mrs. Gardiner caught the eye of a servant once she was situated, and he swiftly approached. “I should like, after all, to try a little of the punch. My niece will have a glass also.” Once the liveried man was gone, Mrs. Gardiner turned to Elizabeth. “Now, what are you about, Lizzy? You look as pleased as my little Rachel when she stole half of her sister's apple last month. I do trust that whatever misdeed has occurred is not of a similar nature.”
“On the contrary, Aunt, I am intent upon Jane having as many apples as she wishes to purchase. If I am pleased, it is because my beautiful sister is being given the recognition she deserves. There is no lady more beautiful and certainly none so sweetly natured. It is a dreadful shame that she was so hurt at home. This sort of sparkling event is just what she needs.”
“You are not up to mischief?”
“Aunt! ”
“Precisely. I have been your aunt since you were three years old so I know full well that it is a reasonable question. ”
At Elizabeth's laughter, Sir Vernon Grant, who had been observing, with great admiration, Miss Bennet deal out the cards for commerce, approached the two ladies and begged leave to draw up a chair near them. As he did so, the servant returned with the punch and Mrs. Gardiner sipped it before wrinkling her nose delicately and waving it away .
“No, remove it. It is as I suspected. I ought to have trusted my first instinct. The sherry was quite tolerable, however, so there is that.” His offering thus rebuffed, the servant departed .
Elizabeth murmured. “Perhaps I ought to be asking the same question in return, dear Aunt?”
She was ignored in favour of the auburn-haired baron beside her. “Sir Vernon, how did you enjoy your dance with my niece?”
“Miss Bennet dances delightfully, madam. She is all grace.” Elizabeth's pleased expression in response to his words caught Sir Vernon's interest. He turned toward her. “Miss Elizabeth, you do not possess an envious character, I see. It is rare to see any lady so plainly delighted by a compliment to another.”
“My sister would be greatly distressed to inspire envy. She does not look upon her fellow women as competition. I might also note, I suppose,” she teased, “that she does not see so great a disparity between us as you apparently do, sir.”
Sir Vernon paused, mentally reviewed his words, and subsequently looked apologetic. “I beg your pardon, Miss Elizabeth — I had not meant any insult.”
“Think nothing of it, sir,” she said lightly. “I am by now quite accustomed to being thought an antidote in comparison to Jane.”
“You may cease your hints for a compliment, Lizzy.” reproved her aunt, feeling a little pity for the polished gentleman who was now a little pink in the cheeks. The shade of embarrassment did not suit his hair in the least. Mrs. Gardiner could see that Elizabeth was beginning to enjoy wrong-footing this gentleman for some unaccountable reason of her own .
“I protest I am quite willing to pay Miss Elizabeth any number of compliments to demonstrate my repentance for such clumsiness. How much admiration shall I express and for how long in order to persuade you to dance with me this evening?”
“Consider yourself quite acquitted, Sir Vernon.” His smooth words came a little too easily. This gentleman was nothing like Mr. Darcy, in spite of their shared aunt. “Certainly I will dance with you. I do have not my sister's grace but I enjoy the exercise. The musicians are excellent. You must not mind me — my spirits are high this evening and I hardly know what I am saying. Look,” she exclaimed with excitement, “Jane has knocked first — we shall see if anyone else will now.”
Sir Vernon bowed to demonstrate his gratitude. “That was swift. Miss Bennet must be sure of her cards. ”
Elizabeth did not trouble herself to watch Jane's face; there was nothing to be gained from trying to study it. Instead, she observed the other players with interest. Mr. Fitzroy distracted her from her study a few minutes later by knocking smartly on the table, and thus play ceased.
Seven gentlemen and two ladies stood up from the table each fifteen pounds poorer, but delighted to be the ones to tell their friends that the incomparably beautiful lady in white silk was a very fine opponent indeed. Mr. Fitzroy in particular was loud in his praise. Lizzy crossed to the table .
“I am to congratulate you, Jane. ”
“Poor Mr. Fitzroy,” said Jane with sincere sympathy, “he held a flush with a fairly high point. It was quite reasonable of him to suppose that his hand ought to win it.”
Gleeful and rather less sympathetic, Elizabeth collected the money that Jane handed to her. “But it is you with the flush of success.”
“Very clever, Elizabeth — but no. I was fortunate enough to gain a sequence. I held an ace so the likelihood of Mr. Fitzroy holding the other three in a tricon was slim. At any rate, it was enjoyable. I think, Aunt, that I must dance next with Mr. Manning. Shall you mind? I would not wish to keep you here any longer than you desire.”
“You are considerate, my dear, but I own that I am enjoying myself immensely. Your uncle will like to hear my account of this evening's doings. Let us stand near where they are dancing and Mr. Manning will surely find you quickly. Lizzy, you had better come in too. Sir Vernon claimed a dance, did he not?”
The thing was done. The Miss Bennets, the palely clad mysterious sisters, were launched into high society upon their first appearance. Gossip, being no less efficient in London drawing rooms than in Meryton, was rife. Much of the talk centred around the unknown origins of the newcomers. The eldest Miss Bennet was a true beauty — there could be no contesting that — and a lady clearly destined to become a popular figure. Miss Elizabeth, it was declared, was also a very pretty young lady with a becoming liveliness about her. One had only to observe their gowns to realise that they were well born, and their presence in Mrs. Houghton's house showed that their connections must be excellent. The matrons guessed that their own reputations would be increased should the two ladies be seen at their parties or balls. It always did one's reputation good to be at the forefront with anything new or exciting. Take Mrs. Houghton, for example — she clearly possessed some genius to have been the one to discover them .
Mrs. Houghton heard some of the talk and was amused. She approached Elizabeth later in the evening when she was momentarily on her own, Mrs. Gardiner standing with Jane in conversation with a matron across the room.
“I see that you and your sister are likely to become all the rage, Miss Elizabeth. I have heard you described as a mysterious pair of ghosts by three different people in the room. Mrs. Lambeth is even now approaching your aunt to invite you all to a card party — I vow that the word will fly fast and it will become a squeeze. Will you vanish as quickly as you appeared, I wonder? Take an old lady's advice and keep your mystery — it suits you.”
Elizabeth, whose head was reeling at the knowledge that she carried in her pocket over a hundred and fifty pounds, nodded. Her smile was wide. “It is sound advice, Mrs. Houghton. I should be foolish to disregard it.”
“And you are no fool, I would say.”
“I hope not.”
“There is a touch of the inexplicable about you. Neither you nor your sister simpered over the young men here tonight who were clamouring like beggars to have an introduction. Some of them are rich as Croesus, too, and well-born. Makes me think you have a deeper game in mind than most of our debutantes. Never mind,” she said, when Lizzy made to reply, “keep your secrets. I shall look on quite entertained, which is what I had hoped for. One grows so weary of predictability. I may even call upon Miss Bingley when I have the time. It will be a tedious quarter of an hour, but possibly worth the resulting divertissement. I will look forward to your visit here one morning this week. I am at home tomorrow and Friday, Miss Elizabeth — you will keep me abreast of your doings, I trust.”