Never had she imagined that any other woman could hold such power over him. She turned her gaze upon him and studied him from the thick dark hair that curled at his collar, down over his broad shoulders, his narrow waist, and strong, well-formed thighs to the polished boots that completed his figure. He was beautiful to behold. He had become a man, and his very presence stirred her with longing. His jaw was finely sculpted, his side whiskers neatly trimmed, enhancing the noble lines of his cheekbones. What a man, more like a Greek god than mortal flesh. The realization of her loss struck her keenly, and grief welled up within her for what might have been. At last, she turned her mount and rode away, defeated.
Chapter 42: Trusting Mr. Darcy
As the sound of pounding hooves diminished, Elizabeth turned to look back. The woman was a fine rider. She was beautiful, poised, well-connected, and rode with ease. She could never compete with such a paragon. Her shoulders drooped slightly, and he observed the change at once.
“Do not give her another thought. She is nothing to you, my darling. I loved her once, when I was a boy and did not yet know how to judge character. She has none to speak of, as she has made plain to us today.”
Elizabeth fixed her eyes on his face and waited, listening intently.
He turned away and looked toward the path from which he had ridden. “I was out by the castle, checking the ruins to ensure the area was safe enough for us to host a picnic there. I heard a rider approach and turned, thinking it was Richard, but it was Christiana. She has no shame nor sense of what is proper and good. She knows I am a married man and am no longer available, yet she rode up and dismounted. She pulled my letter from her reticule and waved it, thanking me for inviting her to visit. I was flummoxed, Elizabeth. She was the last person on earth I would have expected to meet on the Pemberley estate. She came at me. Had I not raised my arm to stop her, she would have thrown herself upon my neck again. She is a calculating woman who well knows the power her beauty holds over a man.”
Elizabeth’s intake of breath was audible. Did that woman hold power over Mr. Darcy? She shut her eyes against the thought. She preferred not to know.
“That woman wants you, Fitzwilliam. She knows she cannot have you for a husband, so she is willing to settle and be your mistress.”
He watched as her lovely mouth trembled, and he placed his hand on her face, rubbing his thumb along her sweet lips.
“You have nothing to fear, my darling. I do not want her. I have a wife, and she pleases me.”
Their eyes caught and held, and straightening, she said, “Very well, sir. I will try to put her out of my mind. If this was not a clandestine rendezvous, then the rendezvous meant nothing at all. It is nothing I need fear.”
His hand dropped away from her face, and he too straightened. “Elizabeth, did you and Jane really need my assistance, or was that request merely for show, and to send Miss Ashbrook on her way?”
Her eyes clouded. “Sir, Jane is troubled. Please come with me to the garden for a few minutes and listen to her concern.”
Darcy and Elizabeth walked into the rose garden arm in arm and sat with Jane, who was sipping her tea.
Elizabeth said, “Jane, Mr. Darcy will listen to your concern over Caroline if you care to share it with him. Perhaps between the three of us, we can work something out.”
Embarrassed, Jane glanced at her brother-in-law, then lowered her eyes to her hands as she spoke. “Mr. Darcy, Caroline has asked to spend the London season with us. Charles has already agreed to let her reside in our home and told me of his decision this morning at breakfast. He did not ask whether I was willing to have her as our guest. By the time she moves in, we shall have been married less than two months. I am fearful she will notrestrain herself. Should she forget that she is a married woman and resume her flirtations with other men, I do not believe Charles will be able to control her. She went first to Louisa, but Mr. Hurst refused to receive her, and so she turned to Charles.”
She looked helplessly toward Elizabeth. “Lizzy, she hates the very sight of me. I am so troubled by it that I begin to think perhaps I should delay the marriage altogether. The thought of living with Caroline and her vicious temper through the winter months makes me feel unwell. I quite lost my appetite as he told me of this change in plans.”
Darcy’s expression tightened. “Miss Bennet, have you mentioned how you feel to Charles?”
“No, sir, I was too stunned to discuss it with him this morning, and he and Mr. Hurst were off directly after breakfast to shoot with Mr. Dudley. They mean to learn more about the inner workings of their new firearms.”
“Miss Bennet, it was my understanding that Charles and Lewis are to drive to Hawkhurst Manor with you and Miss Mary today. Is that still the plan?”
Jane looked down at her hands, which were clenched in her lap. “Sir, if Charles is going to bend to every request of Caroline’s, I do not see a way forward between us. Pleasing her and meeting her expectations appear to be more important to him than my peace and happiness. I can never be happy living with Caroline, and I begin to wonder if I should cry off.”
Elizabeth flushed. “But Jane, jilting a man would bring a scandal down on you and our unmarried sisters.”
Jane was weeping now. “I know, Lizzy, and it pains me to consider such an eventuality. I love Charles, and it will break myheart, but I have felt sick since he told me. I do not know what to say to him. If I refuse to have her, will he think me ungracious?”
“Miss Bennet, I will speak to Charles if you will give me leave. He is too amiable at times and does not think things through. I am certain he prefers to be married to you and living in peace in his London townhouse than to be hosting his sister for the entire season. I will remind him how she forgets herself and takes great enjoyment in flirtations and intrigues. I admit, I have thought her past behavior a ruse to make me feel jealous, but she has been on the marriage mart for seven seasons now, and I have learned only too well how she can be. Her behavior brings her to the very precipice between propriety and ruin. Charles may be forgetting what he has suffered in the past, and I will also remind him that even a married woman can bring ruin upon her family. Leave this in my hands and do not fear. Go with him to visit the manor. If it is not to your liking, say so. He will gladly take you to visit the other estates that are for sale because he enjoys nothing more than to spend his days at your side.”
He turned to Elizabeth, who was now smiling.
“Sir, thank you for this. We were both in a quandary as to what should be done.”
Darcy stood. “I will leave you, now, and join Charles at the range. We can discuss the matter there in privacy. I will deal with this immediately.”
He whistled, and his horse lifted its head and came to him. Elizabeth watched her husband mount and ride away. He was a man of his word, a man who took care of his family and those he loved, and he would help Jane because she was his sister now.
Jane placed a hand on her arm and brought her thoughts back. “What think you, Lizzy? Will it all come out right?”
“It will. I have every assurance that it will. By the time you sit down to luncheon, all will be well. Now come, you need to change your gown for your trip to Hawkhurst Manor.”
