“Once again, we find George Bingley in the mix,” Lord Fitzwilliam said, patting Caroline’s hand. “He is like the London fog—everywhere—and unavoidable. That is a good-sized townhouse, Miss Bingley, so from that, I can deduce that your brother has been more generous with his beautiful sister than he was with me.”
Darcy was on his feet, fearing this line of conversation would lead to Antony’s request for a loan. “I have asked Jackson to set up card tables in the blue room, and we are ready to go in. We shall all be playing a friendly game of whist,” he said, looking directly at Lord Fitzwilliam.
In deference to his rank, Lord Fitzwilliam was the first to sit down, and Anne and Georgiana immediately sat down at the same table.
“Oh, I see how it is. My female relations have boxed me in. Anne, please tell me you are not going to scold me. It would bring back terrible memories of your mother.”
Placing her hand on Antony’s, she said, “I have missed you, my dear cousin. I want to hear all about your lovely daughters.”
“Ah, my daughters,” and looking at Charles Bingley, who made up the fourth, said, “If I am to be given credit for anything in this world, it will be because of Amelia and Sophia. At this moment, they are in the capable hands of my mother because their mother has been otherwise engaged of late.”
“Milord, may I ask you to please deal the cards,” Anne said, fearing her cousin might launch into a discussion of his wife and her lover.
While Anne was seeing to Lord Fitzwilliam, Richard was entertaining Caroline Bingley. It was the least he could do considering that it was he and his brother who had disrupted Darcy’s plans for the evening. The colonel found Miss Bingley to be a beautiful, intelligent lady. It really was too bad he knew her true nature, or it would have been very tempting when one considered the size of the dowry she would bring to a marriage. He would have to give it more thought.
As the evening progressed, Lord Fitzwilliam, who was on his best behavior since Anne’s warning, changed tables, and his new partner was Louisa Hurst.
“Milord, I read the speech you delivered in the House of Lords regarding the cost of the war.”
“I am so pleased, Mrs. Hurst. That means at least two people are acquainted with its contents,” and addressing Mr. Gardiner, he explained, “I questioned the wisdom of deliberately antagonizing our American cousins by having our frigates in their territorial waters. We do not want, nor can we afford, a war with the Americans as well as with the French.”
“My brother-in-law is Edward Hurst of the Exchequer, Milord,” Louisa continued, “that is why I read your speeches, although I must confess that I do not understand them, Milord.”
“Then you are in good company, Mrs. Hurst, as most members of the House of Lords can make the same claim, and you need not address me as Milord after every pause in a sentence. It will be sufficient if you sprinkle a few of them here and there.”
Mrs. Hurst smiled. She was always happy when she was able to engage in conversation without fear of being humiliated because she was uninformed or did not understand the subject or said something silly. Unlike her sister, she was quite pleased with how this holiday was going.
When the partners changed for the final time, Elizabeth and Darcy moved to Lord Fitzwilliam’s table.
“Darcy, please introduce me again to this beautiful creature.”
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn Manor in Hertfordshire.”
“Do I know your family?” Lord Fitzwilliam asked Elizabeth.
“No, Milord. My father is a gentleman whose farm is about five miles from Watford on the London road.”
“Please allow me to say that whatever your father’s farm produces, it can be nothing in comparison to his fair daughter.”
Darcy groaned and made no attempt to hide it. He loathed this type of exchange, and although Lord Fitzwilliam had heard the groan, he proceeded nonetheless.
“You may have been born in Hertfordshire, Miss Elizabeth, but I suspect your ancestors lived nearer to the coast. With your beautiful dark eyes, I believe you must have some Spanish blood in you, possibly as a result of the Armada.”
“There is nothing in family lore that speaks of Spanish ancestry, and the Armada broke up on the coast of Ireland, not England.”
Lord Fitzwilliam started to laugh. “My goodness. A woman who speaks her mind. You would not do well in London society, Miss Elizabeth, where no one ever tells the truth.”
“But to pretend I do not know something, Milord, when I do would benefit neither of us. I would have to feign ignorance, and you would be deceived.”
“Good Lord, Darcy!” Fitzwilliam said, sitting back in his chair. “What a jewel we have here. A beautiful, intelligent, and witty woman, completely without guile. Where were you a dozen years ago, my dear?”
“Apparently, she was sprouting from the soil of Hertfordshire,” Darcy said, pushing his chair back from the table.
As much as Darcy wanted to be in Elizabeth’s company, he was at the end of his patience with his cousin. Lizzy had noticed his souring mood and had suggested they play only one more round, as she had an early departure.
Darcy looked at her with longing and regret as this was a most unsatisfactory ending to their time together in Derbyshire.
While waiting for the carriage, Georgiana and Anne engaged Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner in conversation in the hopes that Will could have a few words with Elizabeth. Despite Anne’s best efforts, events beyond her control had sabotaged her plan to bring Elizabeth and Will together.
“Mr. Darcy, may I thank you for your hospitality. I shall remember with great fondness our visit to Pemberley and the Peak. I only wish we had had more time.”
“Can it not be arranged? I understand that your uncle must return to London, but would it not be possible for Mrs. Gardiner and you to remain?”
“That is a very tempting offer, Mr. Darcy. However, Jane has been with the four Gardiner children for weeks now, and it would be unfair to her to lengthen our holiday. Besides, my father has also written asking that I hurry home.”
Darcy moved to Elizabeth’s side, and using Georgiana and Anne to block the Gardiners’ view, he took her hand and said, “Elizabeth, may I visit with you in the morning?”
“We are to be on the road by 9:00,” she said, squeezing his hand gently.
“Then, I shall call at 8:00. I would also like you to know that Bingley has decided to reopen Netherfield Park, and it is my intention to visit.”
Lizzy smiled and told him she was looking forward to seeing him in the morning and in Hertfordshire, and it was only when the carriage arrived that Darcy reluctantly let go of her hand.
Chapter 38
Jane and Kitty were staring at Mr. Nesbitt’s latest gift because they were not quite sure what it was they were looking at. It appeared to be a golden-brown stone with a bee in the middle of it.
“It is amber, a fossilized resin,” Mary said, easily identifying the exhibit. “When it was still in its liquid form, it trapped the bee.”
“But why is he sending an insect to Jane?” Kitty asked. This token of Mr. Nesbitt’s regard followed a tin of ginger that he had sent earlier in the week. Apparently, “Ginger” was his mother’s pet name for him.
“Is it not obvious? It is a B as in Bennet.”
“Ah, very good, Mary. I had not thought of that,” Jane said.
“That is because you do not understand Mr. Nesbitt,” Mary said in a harsh voice that caught her sister off guard. “He has been excessively attentive to you, Jane. But he is not very handsome nor does he say all those sweet things young men are supposed to say when courting a lady, so you show no enthusiasm for him.”
“Mary, calm yourself. We did not know what the object was. That is all.”
“No, I will not calm myself because you are just like Lizzy with Mr. Collins. She did not appreciate him either, and he has made Charlotte a fine husband. And you will never love Mr. Nesbitt because you do not recognize his value. But I do. Of course, he would never look at me because I am so very plain, but if he did, I would let him know how fortunate I was to have such a fine man as a suitor.”