“Caro, do you really think Mr. Darcy did not know of our roots before Charles mentioned it? As much as I too do not like being reminded, it is not a secret. His cousin referred to it in his introduction, and I would wager Mr. Darcy was aware of our antecedents before he arrived here today,” Mrs. Hurst reasoned. “Mayhap it is time to set your sights lower. Both you and I were warned off Mr. Fitzwilliam and he told you, more than once, before his cousin arrived he would not appreciate being hunted.”
“Just because you married that lout of a husband of yours and settled for much less than you should have, does not mean I will ever accept the same!” Miss Bingley stamped her foot to emphasise her point. “It seems I will have to be a little more patient and allow Mr. Darcy to see all of the advantages I bring to a match. How many women can say they have twenty thousand pounds for their dowry?”
Louisa Hurst knew full well that among the upper ten thousand such a dowry was nothing exceptional. She was also aware her sister’s dowry would be seen as having the stink of trade attached to it, making it far less attractive unless a man was desperate for funds, something Mr. Darcy was not.
“Even so, Caro, if you push our brother too far he will send you to live with Aunt Hildebrand, and then where will you be?”
“I cannot allow that to occur! I will have to be more circumspect, will I not?” Mrs. Hurst nodded her head emphatically. “As soon as I compose myself, I will make my apologies. In the meanwhile, I will bide my time, but Mrs. Darcy I shall be, even if I have to affect a compromise!”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
None were more surprised than Bingley when a calm and collected Caroline rejoined them before dinner and apologised for her behaviour from earlier. Richard and Darcy, being gentlemen, could do nothing else but accept her contrition as genuine even if they would not relax their vigilance.
For the remainder of Darcy’s visit, although she always watched him and made sure she was in his company as much as possible, Miss Bingley did nothing which could be construed as misbehaving.
Bingley decided as long as she behaved reasonably, he would not send his sister north to their aunt.
Chapter 15
April 1808
Elizabeth had just been presented to Her Majesty at the Queen’s Drawing Room. Hate was too mild a word, as far as Elizabeth was concerned, for the hooped dress and the rest of the ensemble she had to wear in which to offer her curtsy to Her Majesty.
Thankfully they were on the way back to Matlock House in one of the Earl’s comfortable coaches. Elizabeth was seated next to Jane on the rear facing bench sitting opposite Aunt Elaine and their mother! That had been a massive surprise to Elizabeth. She had not been aware her mother had been prepared to be presented as well this day. It seemed everyone knew about the fact her mother was to take her curtsy, except for Elizabeth.
“Jane, how could you have not told me,” Elizabeth asked softly in an accusatory tone.
It was her mother who responded, she had not spoken as softly as she thought she had. “Lizzy, if you are to be upset at anyone, then aim it at me,” Fanny stated in a conciliatory tone. “I wanted it to be something we shared. The ball this evening, however, will be for you alone.”
“Mama I am not upset because you were presented. It is quite the opposite, I am well pleased,” Elizabeth replied as she reached across the space between the benches to take her mother’s hand. “If I am agitated, it is with myself. I was so caught up in my preparations I did not see all the clues, which in hindsight, were rather clear.”
“You have nought for which to be disquieted,” Fanny assured her second daughter. “I know from Jane’s preparations—not to mention my own—how all-consuming it can be before one takes her curtsy. Of course, there are concerns over your coming out ball, which I did not have to worry about for myself.”
“You know Lizzy, your propensity to be so hard on yourself is similar to my nephew, Giana’s brother,” Lady Elaine related. “Just like you do, he berates himself about things over which he has no control.”
“It would be nice to finally meet this Mr. Darcy we have heard so much about,” Elizabeth observed without commenting on what Aunt Elaine had said.
“William shies away from London and the huntresses of theTon. He actually would have attended your ball, but his steward who served at Pemberley since before his father’s passing, was called home to God less than a month ago,” Lady Elaine responded. “My nephew will not mourn him officially, but he will remain at Pemberley until the end of the summer. The late Mr. Wickham was a link to William’s father which is now broken.”
“Did Giana not say the steward had a son?” Jane remembered.
“He did, named George, and he turned out very wild…” Lady Elaine related what she knew about George Wickham’s propensities and lascivious lifestyle.
“To try and sow discord between father and son!” Jane exclaimed. “That shows a very black heart.”
“Brava, Jane. That is the most unforgiving speech I have ever heard you utter,” Fanny stated proudly. “Good girl! It would vex me, indeed, to see you be the dupe of one like this Mr. Wickham about whom Elaine has told us.”
“Where is this libertine now?” Elizabeth enquired.
“From what we know he was traced to Town, and thenfrom there we know not,” Lady Elaine shared. “If you ever have the unfortunate luck to meet the man, it will be easy to tell when he is dissembling.” Lady Elaine smiled as she saw the questioning looks from Jane and Lizzy. “His lips will be moving.”
All four ladies in the coach descended into laughter.
Lady Elaine looked at the young ladies opposite her. Even if their reputed dowries were almost non-existent, she would not mind if one or both of them became her daughters-in-law.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Anne, how I wish you would be able to dance at the ball tonight. My deepest desire would be for it to be a ball for both of us,” Elizabeth told her best friend after she had changed out of the hideous hooped gown she had worn to the Queen’s Drawing Room.
