“And that made you cry?”
“No, no, it was…” She dropped her hand and shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing at all. If you will excuse me, sir.”
She curtseyed and nearly walked off but stopped herself, hoping that the suddenness of her enquiry would cause him to be forthcoming. “Doyouhave money on this?”
He tilted his head, a benign smile on his lips like the very picture of innocence. “On what?”
She gave him what she hoped was a withering look. “Onme. And whether I might marry Mr Darcy or…or your brother.”
“Oh!” He grinned at her, perfectly unrepentant. “Yes, I do. Care to give me any hints as to your inclination?”
The easiness of his admission took her aback. “I despise them both, if you would know. I have already told Mr Darcy he is the last man in the world I would ever marry?—”
“Ouch!” his lordship interjected cheerfully.
“—and now your brother may join him there.”
“Why?” He leant on his walking stick. “What have you against Richard?”
“Because he is a part of this,” she said, her anger beginning to stoke itself again. “I could not make him out—he was so determined to put me off in Kent, andthatwas awkward enough—but then to come here and behave in such a…a peculiar fashion! Even more awkward. I hardly knew whether I should be seduced or stupefied.”
“Seduced or stupefied! Miss Elizabeth, you are brilliant.” Lord Saye chuckled. “I cannot wait to tease him with that. He thinks himself such a favourite of the ladies.”
“Perhaps you will gratify my brilliance by helping me understand this scheme. Was it all some farce that would have ended with a broken engagement? The derision of my neighbours?Noneof it was in earnest, that much is certain,” she declared, feeling righteous indignation surging through her.
Lord Saye seemed almost puzzled by her stance. “Why do you think so?”
“Because…” Elizabeth paused, drawing in a calming breath. “Because it was all so strange. The colonel was entirely different than he was in Kent. He came here with some tale of an estate that he seemingly cannot be bothered to go and look at. And you tell me—if this place is so near to Matlock, how has he gone thirty years without ever seeing it? When your own relation livedthere? I hardly knew what to make of such a tale, or of the fact that he seems to be able to make his eyes twinkle on command.”
Lord Saye coughed in a way that sounded like a laugh but said nothing.
“And then to discover all the wagers? So humiliating! I shall be the laughingstock of London Society!”
“Humiliating? Hardly,” he scoffed. “Do you have any idea what is the worst fate that can befall a young woman in London?”
“Ruination?”
“Not even close.”
She sighed, heavily and theatrically. “What then?”
“Oblivion. The greatest fear of anyone who arrives on the doorstep of Society is that no one knows your name or worse—that no one cares. It is excessively difficult to raise the interest of people whose first object is world-weariness, and who are surrounded by wealthy, beautiful, witty people all the time.” He pointed at her. “Your name is already on everyone’s lips. Everyone who is anyone is awaiting your choice with bated breath and they are mad to meet you.”
“That cannot be true.”
“But it is. The only person who really stands to lose face here is, well, the loser.”
Elizabeth raised her eyes to the heavens again. His assurances were assuaging her anger, and she hated that. “But my reputation, my dignity?—”
“Are untouched.” Lord Saye shrugged. “My dear girl, the betting books in the gentlemen’s clubs are absolutelyfilledwith wagers of all kinds. This one is only made more interesting because of the persons involved. Darcy does not make a habit of being a part of this sort of thing. He has never been much of a gambler.”
Now it was her turn to give a haughty sniff. “No doubt Mr Darcy stands to gain a great deal of money in all this.”
“Darcy stands to gain nothing. He did not bet. Too unsure of his own success, poor sod, no matter how much he tried to bluster at my brother. Why do you think we… Well, no. That is a story for another time.”
“Why do I think you—what? That sounds like the very bit I should know.”
“You have told me why you doubt my brother,” he said smoothly, ignoring her, “but why Darcy?”
