Page 48 of Affectations of Candour

“Of course, little hen. Just give me an hour or so.”

Once Miss Darcy departed, Mr Darcy offered Elizabeth his arm, and she wished he might offer her more. Much more. But other matters prevailed.

“May I just say, Miss Bennet, how much I admire your firmness of character. It takes courage to confront one’s antagonist. I was about to say your ‘nemesis’, but it might be debatable which of you two ladies best fits that word.”

“Why is that debatable?”

“The word nemesis can certainly mean an arch-enemy. But Nemesis, with a capital ‘N’, is a Greek goddess, the agent of divine vengeance and punishment for wrongdoing. Miss Wright cannot, will not, avoid inevitable consequences for her actions.”

“Oh dear. Rather than vengeance or punishment, I just wish she would take herself and her schemes somewhere far, far away from me.” As for Mr Darcy, Elizabeth wished he, with his fine person and woody-spicy fragrance, might come closer.

At the end of the passage, he did. He leant in and whispered, “It is no secret that the Wright family face almost certain ruin, and I assure you that they soon will be gone from Strandsmere.” Standing tall and in a louder voice he said, “Now, with utmost regret, I must leave you and speak with Mrs Carter, my valet, John, and Georgiana. I bid you a good night and sincerely apologise for all the unpleasantness you were subjected to this evening.” Gazing deeply into her eyes, he gallantly placed a lingering kiss upon her hand before bowing and walking away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A familiar tap at his study door exacerbated the fierce throb in Darcy’s head. “Come in, Georgiana.”

“You did not have to stand. How many times have I asked you not to do that when it is just the two of us?”

“It was ingrained in me by our father, and I am a creature of habit.”

“I see that another creature was displaced when you stood. Graham must be tired of removing cat fur from your clothing.”

“My valet’s sighing forbearance is a small price to pay for the comfort of a warm, purring creature snuggled upon my lap.”

“Were you to marry, your wife could be the one snu⁠—”

“Georgiana!”

She had the grace to blush and the audacity to giggle.

At that moment, Darcy could not decide which he preferred—the demure little sister she had been or the outspoken woman she was becoming. Removing her from town and from its over-critical beau monde had done her a world of good. Also, with such true, decent friends as Miss Althea, Elizabeth, and Miss Hughes, Georgiana could only continue to mature and reach a mental and spiritual balance characteristic of an adult.

“My apologies, Brother. But you look so weary, and you must agree that a wife, a mistress for your three households, would ease your burdens.” She primly folded her hands upon her lap and crossed her ankles. “Now, so that we may both retire soon, shall we come to the point? Please tell me what has been decided about Molly and John. And, more importantly, what is to be done regarding the Wrights?”

Where Miss Wright and her family were concerned, Darcy had yet to suppress his irritability to an acceptable level. Once he was finished speaking with his sister, he would once again have to confront Mr Wright and issue the man an ultimatum, as had been done with the two domestics involved.

After explaining his plans for the family, he spoke of the kitchen maid and footman. “Although Mrs Carter and I were angry enough with Molly to consign her to the scullery, we instead agreed that she be relegated to chambermaid. Molly has been warned that if she steps out of line once more, she will be dismissed without reference.”

“And her brother?”

“Because Strandsmere has neither a steward nor a butler, Graham has been in charge of the male domestics here. He and I decided that John’s position in this household be reduced to the rank of an under-servant. Henceforth, Molly’s brother will be responsible for polishing boots, carrying coal, assisting in the scullery, and other such menial tasks. Due to their family circumstances, he and his sister have been given one more chance.” Heiress Tottle jumped upon Darcy’s lap again, and he stroked her fur. “Now, what of the Cliff House party?”

“When I returned to the drawing room, the Bakers and Miss Hughes were contentedly playing commerce and sipping sherry. I sincerely apologised for having abandoned them to their own devices, and they were very understanding. When Miss Bennet came in, unaccountably red in the face, I wondered what had been said or done to her to cause such a bloom. But I suppose you would know nothing about that. At any rate, they departed nearly an hour ago.”

If a kiss upon Elizabeth’s hand had caused her to blush, what might a kiss upon her tempting lips provoke? Darcy soon realised that then and there was neither the time nor place to contemplate the woman’s response, for he felt himself growing warm. But perhaps that was merely the heat caused by the sleeping cat curled up on his lap.

Georgiana fidgeted with her pendant watch, exclaimed at the late hour, and finally spoke what must have been weighing on her mind since learning of the Wright family’s fate.

“Brother, if you truly are planning to banish our houseguests, I beg that my friend not be included. As Miss Bennet said to me, Miss Althea is not at all like her father and sisters. We had planned to take our paints and papers to the clifftop tomorrow, and before dinner, I invited the young ladies of Cliff House to join us. I also believe Miss Bennet deserves to know all that transpired here after she left.”

While considering his sister’s plea, Darcy rubbed his temples. Dislodging the cat again, he opened the door and to the footman stationed a short distance away said, “If Miss Althea Wright has not yet retired for the night, please bring her here.”

“I doubt she is sleeping,” said Georgiana. “She stays up late, reading by candlelight, straining her eyes.”

It was not a quarter of an hour later when Miss Althea arrived and was offered a seat on the sofa. “I am glad that you sent for me, Mr Darcy. For days now, my conscience has been at war with loyalty to my family. My conscience has won, and I have much to tell you both.”

Darcy’s desire to learn the truth was so great that he took his chair from behind the desk and placed it in front of the girl. Sitting, he leant forwards, sliding it closer. Eyes intent on hers, he wanted to witness every nuance, every subtle difference in her expression. Great heavens, man, do not intimidate her. He sat back and crossed his legs. “There is no rush. Take your time.” Tell me everything, immediately.