“But… but…I am not qualified!”
Lady Matlock patted her hands. “Be honest. Do you hate the job? Would you like to go home? I assure you, I trust Robert implicitly. If he says we have the right mistress, I would stake my life on it, and so would Darcy.”
Elizabeth shook her head a few more times, but Lady Matlock was implacable.
“Think about it. The house is in no particular danger, but quite a lot of turmoil, consternation, and confusion. Those villagers are distressed and worried. Everyone in the housealready trusts you. Everyone already knows you understand all that is happening. What would be improved by my taking the reinsyoualready handle so well? If you have no objection, I will ask you to stay in the same capacity for a few more days until things settle a bit.”
Elizabeth met the countess’s gaze. It was one of the times where her courage must rise to the occasion. Of course, rationally, that only meant returning to what she had been doing twenty minutes earlier.
“You will stay and at least help?”
“Of course, but we must make it clear that—how did my niece put it—your word is law.”
“You may have noticed that your niece is prone to fits of hyperbole.”
“Yes, but this time she is right.”
Elizabeth sighed, and wondered how much of her life would consist of simply accepting the inevitable.
Two Sisters
The next half-hour passed in pleasant but mostly forgettable conversation. Georgiana and Margaret took it upon themselves to recount the past few days, while Lizzy tried her best to keep them from exaggerating the tale too egregiously. She even succeeded occasionally.
Footmen and maids entered to solicit Elizabeth’s guidance or deliver notes. Most were minor; she issued orders for their resolution and returned to the conversation.
Naturally, talk soon turned to Mr Darcy. Everyone save Mr Breton seemed aware Elizabeth was brittle on the subject, and avoided mentioning matrimony, or even courtship, in the same breath as Mr Darcy. However, Breton was either unaware or, more likely just felt like poking the bear. He turned quite innocently to Lady Matlock.
“Aunt, do you remember I have been saving so I might afford a wife?”
“I do. A harebrained scheme if I ever heard one. Darcy has begged you to take a salary increase for years. You should be married already.”
“Perhaps we are having a stubbornness contest. At the moment, I lead.”
“We shall see, Robert.”
“On this subject, I am victorious. I finally saved the desired sum. Can you imagine what happened next?”
Lady Matlock laughed. “Very well, I shall take the bait.”
“I asked Darcy to watch for a suitable bride, and he found onewithin four hours! It is the most astounding thing I ever saw in my life.”
Elizabeth, her tongue running ahead of her head gasped in shock,“You would take romantic advice from Mr Darcy… Mr Darcy—of all people!”
Everyone else stared at her, wondering exactly what her qualms on the subject might be. The Wythes knew, of course, but deemed it Elizabeth’s tale to tell or not.
Breton stared before continuing. “I would. He has a knack for it. I should not spread such tales, but he has introduced half a dozen couples I know of… all still quite happy. He does so only among the working class though. Entanglements among the gentry are too complicated for him.”
Elizabeth snorted, but everyone pretended to ignore her.
“He has also occasionally suggested a couple consider the matter seriously, and they sometimes demur. Sometimes they marry anyway, and sometimes not; yet most are eventually happy they took a moment to think things through. He will never do anything beyond an introduction or a suggestion that a couple take a bit of time. Perhaps he might venture aslightlystronger opinion for someone he knows well, or in cases where he knows things about the situation they do not—but not often.”
Elizabeth stared in consternation. “I know for a fact that he gets it wrong occasionally.”
Everyone stared, and Lady Matlock leaned forward. “Do you care to elaborate?”
“I will not. I am however curious, Mr Breton: how does he separate couples? What arts and allurements does he employ?”
Breton scratched his head in confusion. “He has told me of every instance. He merely suggests, if a man is close to raising expectations, that he should be sure of what he is about before proceeding. It is unfair, even cruel, to raise expectations that will not be fulfilled.”
