“Because a man does not change his character,” she said firmly. A small prick from her conscience reminded her of her recent revelations to herself—that she had notunderstoodhis character, but she ignored it.
“Perhaps not his character, but he may change his customs,” Lord Saye replied. “Darcy will always be given to some amount of pride, perhaps some tendency to self-centredness—but we all have our defects. It is the desire to overcome them that is truly remarkable, andthathe is most certainly wanting to do. For you.”
“If you mean to tell me that Mr Darcy came here with an earnest wish of winning my hand, then I shall say…” She trailed off, reason suddenly asserting itself. Anger at being tricked, blind anger, had overtaken her, so much so that she had not really thought about Mr Darcy’s motives in all of this. Did she actually have reason to suspect it was his doing? It was not his sort of thing, not by half. Anger left her in a sickening rush, leaving dismay in its wake.
“He loves you and you love him,” Lord Saye informed her. “Pray do not shake your head. I know I am right.”
“What makes you think I am in love with Mr Darcy?”
Lord Saye frowned in thought but at length said, “Miss Bennet, you look untidy, and I prefer women with blonde hair. Moreover, I think your sisters are too young to be out.”
She drew back, nose and brow wrinkled. “Thank you. I am sure I am well-pleased to take your strictures under advisement,” she said sarcastically.
“Does that injure you? That I should think so?” He seemed strangely enthusiastic at the prospect.
“No. Perhaps vexed me a little.”
“Did it injure you when my aunt was insufferable withheropinions? That had to cause some embarrassment. Richard said she was positively ghastly, even for her.”
“I did not enjoy it but no, it did not injure me.”
“Ha! See there!” He clapped and then pointed at her gleefully. “Thank you—my point is proved!”
“What point is that?”
“Darcy’s opinions were more powerful because you cared what he thought.” Lord Saye leant back, a satisfied smirk on his face and one hand on his hip. “If you did not have some feeling towards him, you would have felt just as you did when I insulted you. By the bye, I think you very pretty, perhaps even beautiful, when you are not out thrusting yourself through hedges.”
“You are a madman,” she said with a weak laugh.
“You would not be the first lady to say so,” he agreed amiably. “But here is the material point. There is a game afoot, it is true, but it is not Darcy’s game.”
“But—”
“I assure you, he disliked it heartily. He would not involve himself in such a thing for money and certainly not for revenge. No, there is but one thing that would induce him to participate in such an escapade, and I daresay we all know what that is.”
Love.Elizabeth dared not say it aloud, for suddenly she felt like crying, laughing, or perhaps vomiting.I did it again.Shehad, once again, gone off into a fury at Mr Darcy, believing the worst and knowing the least. Again, she had been blind, prejudiced, partial, and absurd. Again, she had thought the worst of him. Again, she had spoken in anger, her tongue unbridled and fierce. If anyone’s character was unchangeable, it was hers.
“He really—” she said in a voice that emerged hoarse. She paused and cleared her throat. “He truly had no hand in the wagers?”
“It began between himself and Richard and, if I am honest, Richard rather goaded him into it. Said he could have you a million times over before you would ever look at Darcy.”
“That was excessively cruel.”
“Butnecessary. Pray do not think Richard undertook it lightly. Darcy was on the verge of leaving to go and propose to our cousin, such was his despair. We had to stop him.”
“Propose to Miss de Bourgh?” Elizabeth exclaimed, but Lord Saye kept talking over her, speaking quickly.He does not wish me to stop and think about the fact that the colonel was being purposely goading, purposely cruel to Darcy. Why?
“Events thereafter spun beyond his control. Darcy had commissioned a carriage, and Richard said if he won, it was his, and then Alfie Hurst showed up and my friend Sir Frederick, who never looks away from a chance for easy money. Gentlemen do love to gamble—as do your own sisters, I might add.”
“My sisters?”
“I was passing by that youngest one with Captain Carter earlier. Evidently there are some shoe roses up for grabs if someone can make you kiss Darcy.”
Which I did! And now he will absolutely, positively despise me. There is no return from such as this. Once was a mistake. A second time is an unredeemable shade in my character.
“Now if you will excuse me, I must be off. Racing about the countryside myself in a manner most indecorous, if you must know. What you women do to us all!” He touched the brim of his hat and sauntered off.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
