Page 36 of Master of Himself

“The monthly assembly is scheduled for Tuesday sennight, and I shall hope to see you all there,” Sir William said with a merry laugh.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Charles said, to which Darcy smiled and nodded while groaning internally.

He couldn’t imagine what had come over Charles, to make such a statement on his behalf. Assemblies were the worst form of drudgery imaginable. Once he changed back to his true self, he would make his excuses, escape back to town, and avoid the whole lot of them.

Relieved that he and Charles had managed to get through the morning without incident, he boarded the chaise and headed back to Netherfield with his housemates.

“Mrs Bennet was in rare form,” Caroline said. “There’s a matchmaker if I ever saw one.”

Despite having drawn this exact same conclusion, Darcy shot her a warning glance. Thinking it was one thing, but saying it aloud was another.

Caroline ignored his hint. “You can’t deny that she has her eye on you for Jane, Charles.”

“Perhaps, but I am well able to handle any matchmaking mama,” Darcy said. “Every mother of young daughters is the same, and I’m accustomed to appeasing them.”

“Perhaps, but I believe Mr Darcy may supplant you, Charles,” Caroline said with a snide smirk. “He watched Jane most carefully during the entire service.”

Charles fixed an angry scowl on his sister. “Aren’t you clever.”

Undeterred by this remark, Caroline continued. “I’ll not deny that she’s a fetching creature, but I suspect this is nothing but another of Charles’s infatuations. In another week, he’ll likely forget her like he did with Lady Alice and Destiny Haversham.”

“I’ve grown weary of this topic,” Charles said.

Disregarding his similar remarks to Charles during the ride to the Blue Goose, Darcy instantly rose to his friend’s defence. “No, by all means, let’s discuss my interest in Jane Bennet, and Lady Alice, and anyone else who strikes your fancy. Then, perhaps we might next discuss why you haven’t secured a match since you came out to society two years ago. Nearly three, if I’m not mistaken.”

The teasing glint in Caroline’s eyes vanished, replaced by a scathing glare.

“You need not be so unkind, Charles,” Louisa said, prompting an awkward silence.

As usual, Henry grinned like a fool. “Is it just me, or is it a trifle warm in here?”

Not a moment too soon for Darcy’s comfort, the carriage turned into Netherfield’s cobblestone driveway.

He began to hope for rain so he and Charles could go outdoors and execute their plan. They’d had no success without it, and it had become even more evident that the reversal was dependant on the weather.

Naturally, the rain failed to cooperate with their plans.

***

The ladies retired shortly after supper that evening, and the men took the opportunity to escape the house. Armed with lanterns and a bottle of wine, they returned to the brook to fortify themselves and discuss the next phase of the plan. Charles couldn’t help noticing that despite wanting to be master of his own manor house these past two years, he felt more comfortable away from the house than he did inside.

After arranging the lanterns near the bench, Charles drank from the bottle, then passed it to Darcy.

“We carried ourselves off quite well today at church, don’t you think?” Darcy said. “No one suspected anything was amiss.”

Charles shook his head at the memory of the encounter with the neighbours. “It’s no wonder the gods are angry with me, since I’ve been lying through my teeth this past week.”

“The gods wouldn’t punish us for lying since they’re guilty of it themselves,” Darcy said, passing the wine to Henry.

“I still say it’s witchcraft or the dark arts, like an evil wizard or a warlock,” Henry said with a careless shrug.

Darcy sprang up from the bench. “I saw a man like that—twice. Do you remember the ancient hooded man at Vauxhall Gardens, Charles?”

“The crazed man with the flowing white beard? I thought he was dressed as a monk.”

Darcy paced, scattering the fallen leaves. “I first saw him on St James’s Street in August. He warned me that Georgiana was in danger, saying that the wolf was at the door.”

“Sounds ominous,” Henry said, to which Charles heartily agreed.