When he looked at his sons and nephew, Matlock could see that the warning had been suppressed for his sons’ amusement.
After the game Elizabeth sat next to Miss Darcy, who barely whispered replies, until they began to discuss music. The more they did, the more animated Miss Darcy became.
Watching his sister become comfortable with a new acquaintance so quickly engendered much gratitude from Darcy. Miss Elizabeth was being solicitous, and by not fawning, she treated them like anyone else. He remembered Hurst’s words and looked across the room at Miss Bennet with Andrew nowseated next to her, while his aunt, Mrs Bennet, and the older Mrs Hurst were deep in conversation. Miss Bennet was rather serene, but Darcy saw it in her eyes. The feelings were deep and mutual.
He would have to thank Hurst. He had truly stopped Darcy from putting his hessian in his mouth and possibly causing a schism in the family.
Fitzwilliam did not know if it would go any further, but he did feel like Miss Lucas was a lady he would like to get to know more. She was exactly as Hurst had described her. As his friend was as excellent at sketching characters as he was at drawing people, Fitzwilliam was not surprised by that fact.
The party from Hurst House departed an hour later with promises to see one another soon.
Chapter 19
Holcomb was preparing his master for the day, as he did as part of his duties—when he was not otherwise engaged—when he handed over the latest report on the one the master called the parasite.
This was the Thursday that his mother was sponsoring the presentations of Mrs Bennet, Lizzy, and Charlotte. Bennet would travel back to Longbourn on the morrow after dancing the first set with his newly out in London daughter to a ball at Matlock House. It was not an official coming out ball for Lizzy, but she was to be honoured there. His thoughts went to the page in his hand.
Hurst read the report and did not see anything with which to be concerned about. The parasite was still leeching off Miss Younge on Edward Street. There was nothing illegal there that would trigger his holiday at King’s Bench or Marshalsea. He was working for the solicitor in Cheapside, doing the bare minimum to maintain his employment. It was little wonder that while other clerks moved up on their way to becoming solicitors themselves, Wickham had never gained a single promotion.
The report said he was still a bad gambler, also not a crime. He had so far not left any unpaid debts, which would keep him out of debtor’s prison for now. Every now and again he would come up with some hare-brained scheme to make his fortune, but to date he had never executed any of his plans. More importantly, he had not ruined any maidens for some years now.
No sooner had he locked the report with others in the special safe in his bedchamber, the same one his late father used, than Arthur and Tisha burst into the room. Louisa was following behind them with a huge smile on her face.
“Me go with Lizzy,” Tisha demanded.
“Can Lizzy stay home and tell us stories?” Arthur chirped. “She tells us the best stories. Sorry, Papa.”
Hurst knew it was nothing but the truth. Like she was loved by her Gardiner cousins, the two Hurst children had been drawn to Lizzy, mainly thanks to her storytelling ability. Whether it was one from a book or one she made up—she had a very good imagination to go with her faultless memory—the children were spellbound when she told them a story, especially with the way she used different voices for each character.
He remembered a conversation he had with Lizzy two days ago, where, thanks to her pristine memory, he had needed to reveal more to her than he desired.
Jane had been speaking with Hilldale while Charlotte was being entertained by Fitzwilliam when Lizzy had approached Hurst.
“Harold, there is something I have been meaning to ask you,” Lizzy had begun.
“What is it, Lizzy?” he had replied.
“Your mother presented Jane, correct?”
“You know that to be true, Lizzy. What are you asking?”
“Before I came to London to prepare for my presentation, I read some books. One of them wasRules of Presentation, and the other was,The Role of the Lady/Matron. There are very specific rules about who may sponsor a debutante or married woman who was never presented previously.”
Hurst always felt that her perfect memory would discover something they had kept hidden for many years. “And what did you read? More to the point, how is it germane to this conversation?”
“Anyone who has been presented to the Queen may sponsor…except[6]when said lady was not gently born. The only exception is if the lady is titled. I remember a conversation soon after Mamma began to become your mother’s friend, where Aunt Leticia told Mamma she too had not been gently born. That means that Aunt Leticia must be titled, but we have never heard of that, and there is no entry inDebrett’s. So how is it that Aunt Leticia is allowed to sponsor us?”
“This is the problem when you remember everything. I will tell you the truth, but I must have you swear you will not repeat this to anyone,” Hurst had demanded.
“As long as it is not something which would hurt another, you have my vow of silence,” Lizzy had promised.
“My late father was a baronet, so Mother is Lady Hurst.” If he had hoped it would end there, he had been mistaken. She had asked if the title was hereditary and when he had replied, she now knew that he and Louisa were Sir Harold and Lady Hurst. “Lizzy, do not ask me why we do not use the title yet. I cannot tell you other than to say there is a very good reason.”
Thankfully she had accepted the answer and left him to begin a story for the children.
The children’s insisting they must have a story before Lizzy left the house, brought Hurst back to the present and out of his memory of the conversation. He grinned to himself. He was not sure he remembered every word, but had he asked Lizzy, she would have been able to recite it word for word.
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