Mr Darcy Requests the Pleasure

by Elizabeth Aston

  Sarah was having none of it. “I am sorry to disoblige you ma’am, and the company, but I really cannot sing at the moment. I have had a cold and my voice is not as it should be. However–” she turned with a smile to Lucinda, “perhaps Miss Hawes will sing for us.”

  Elizabeth seconded the request. Miss Hawes could not but comply and she rose from her seat. In a moment, Lord Winterbourne was at her side, ready to escort her across the room to the piano. After a instant of hesitation, a blush, a smile of thanks, she laid a hand on his arm and went to stand by the instrument. She sang charmingly, with a surprisingly full voice for so slight a creature, and her performance was applauded and more songs called for.

  At the conclusion of a pleasing ballad, with Miss Hawes’s contralto and Lord Winterbourne’s tenor mingling delightfully, Lady Catherine, who was not at all musical, announced that they had had enough music. She interrupted her niece, who was talking to Mr. Bingley, and said, “Elizabeth, you may have the card tables set up.”

  Sarah’s hopes rose. Lady Catherine was a keen card player, but intolerant of those who played less well than she did. She had frequently abused Sarah for her inadequacies at cards and she knew her aunt would not want such an indifferent player to make up her four at whist.

  Lady Catherine arranged the players to suit herself, announcing she would play with Mr. Darcy, Lord Winterbourne and Mr. Collins. Another table was to be made up of Elizabeth, Mrs. Bingley and Captain Hyde, “If he plays. You do? Well, Lucinda may make up the foursome, she plays tolerably well. Sarah does not play, so she may sit with us and watch the games so that her game may benefit from the example.”

  Elizabeth did not care for whist, and nor did she care for Lady Catherine’s summary disposition of her guests. She said, with a charming smile, “I think a game of speculation would be more interesting for us, and then Sarah is not left out.”

  Sarah would rather have been able to find an opportunity to talk to Octavius, but she knew that Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins would be keeping an eye on them. So she resigned herself to speculation.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was Octavius’s turn to contrive to pass a note to Sarah before the party broke up for the night. Tomorrow promises fine weather–pray come to the maze first thing, before breakfast.

  Sarah went to bed happy, after giving Tindall instructions that she was to be woken early. Tindall gave her a knowing look and pursed her lips, but she made no comment.

  Sarah woke before Tindall came into her bedchamber the next morning, and she was soon up and dressed and heading down the stairs. But she had barely reached the landing when she came face to face with Lady Catherine’s maid, Nacre, a sourpuss of a creature who had been in Lady Catherine’s service for ever and took a great deal too much upon herself, in Sarah’s opinion.

  “Her ladyship requires your presence in her chamber, my lady. Right away, if you please.”

  “As it happens, I am just going out to take the air. Pray tell her ladyship I will wait upon her a little later. There can be no hurry, it is still very early.”

  Nacre said, “Her ladyship was most definite.”

  “I’m sorry for that,” Sarah said. She had almost to push past the maid, who seemed inclined to stand her ground. Once outside, she ran toward the maze, only to find that the person standing by the entrance to the maze wasn’t Octavius, but Mr. Collins. The ubiquitous Mr. Collins, how was he to be shaken off? Why had he chosen to be here, given the acres of grounds that Pemberley afforded a visitor?

  He greeted her with pompous and insincere bonhomie. “Ah, like me, you are out for an early walk, Lady Sarah. I saw you hastening out of the house and felt sure you would not say no to a companion on your walk. The air here at Pemberley is so fine, and I consider an early morning walk most beneficial for the constitution.” He flourished a piece of paper. “I took the trouble to obtain for myself the key to the maze from the butler. Pray do come in with me, although you will not need a key, you will be well acquainted with its ways and turns.”

  Exasperated, Sarah said, “I do not intend to walk in the maze this morning.”

  “Perhaps others are before me in the maze,” Mr. Collins went on, taking no notice of her refusal. “I believe I did see a figure walking among the hedges.”

  Sarah was at once certain that Mr. Collins had followed Octavius, who might even now be waiting for her at the centre of the maze. Were they never to have a chance to talk?

  At that moment, from the corner of her eye, she saw Octavius slide out of the maze. She must distract Mr. Collins. “Why, is that not a heron I see flying over there?”

  “A heron? Where? Mr. Darcy will not care to have a heron after his fish. I see no heron.”

  “There, Mr. Collins, just behind the oak. No, it is gone out of sight.”

  By this time, Octavius had dashed along the hedge and, like the non-existent heron, had vanished out of sight.

  While trying not to laugh, Sarah’s attention was caught by a prim little figure coming along another path, batting her hoop along in front of her. She said to Mr. Collins, “I have changed my mind. I will walk into the maze with you, but I see Letty over there. I shall just have a word with her and then I will join you. Pray go in, I will catch up with you.”

  The second Mr. Collins was inside the maze, she darted to where she had seen Octavius duck behind the hedge. He was still there, looking impatient. “That wretched Mr. Collins is following me. What is to be done? Can we contrive to be rid of him?”

  “I promised to accompany him into the maze and sent him on ahead. I sincerely hope he may get lost, although he says he has the key. Quickly, then, I know another place where we may be private.”

  “The shrubbery?”

  “No, Mrs. Bingley often takes her children there before breakfast. Let us go to the hot houses, no one will be there at this time.”

  They walked rapidly away from the maze watched, Sarah noticed, by Letty, the Darcys’ eldest daughter and not a favourite of hers. Never mind, the child could do no harm. She led the way into the larger of the two hot houses and swiftly threaded her way through the dense foliage to the far corner. The strong scents of recently watered plants hung on the air and drops of moisture slid down from lush leaves.

  “A paradise,” Octavius said admiringly, then stopped and looked down at Sarah. They stood, gazing at each other’s for a long, long moment; hearts, eyes, feelings joined as one. Octavius took a step forward, and Sarah was about to fall into his embrace, when they heard the door of the hot house open and close and Letty’s clear voice saying, “I saw them come in here, Mr. Collins.”

  They sprang apart and Sarah said, “That wretched child. She is one of those girls who cannot tell a lie, and she does not have the sense to see that it is better never to say anything at all to Mr. Collins. Oh, lord, what a fix we are in!

  Octavius looked around and his eye fell on a group of three large plants with broad leaves which were planted in huge pots. Seizing Sarah’s hand, he pulled her behind them, and they knelt on the wooden slats of the walk-way.

  They could hear Mr. Collins’s heavy breathing–had he come here at a run?– and his even heavier footsteps.

  Then another girl’s voice said, “Good morning, Mr. Collins.”

  Letty said, “What are you doing here, Camilla? You should be practising the piano.”

  “I had learned my piece so well I was let off the rest of the practice.”

  Letty said, in disbelieving tones, “You little liar.”

  “What are you doing in here, Mr. Collins?” Camilla asked. “Are you looking for something?”

  “I’m looking for your cousin, Lady Sarah.”

  Camilla said, “Oh, Cousin Sarah isn’t in here. I came through the other hot house, and she was in there a moment ago.”

  “Alone?” said Mr. Collins.

  Camilla said in tones of perfect innocence that Sarah knew concealed inner laughter, “Quite alone, Mr. Collins. She was admiring the jasmine. Its Latin name is G
ardenia jasminoides, are you familiar with it?”

  “You made that up,” said Letty.

  “I did not, Papa told me.”

  Sarah could see that Octavius was about to say something, but she laid a finger on his lips to prevent him. He caught her hand and pressed her palm to his own lips. They sat with bated breath while the footsteps died away, Mr. Collins saying, “If she is alone, then there still may be time for me to prevent what would be a wholly inappropriate meeting.”

  Camilla’s voice piped up, “My governess always uses the word inappropriate, Mr. Collins. Pray tell me what it means.”

  The further door closed, and Octavius slid down almost to the ground fits of helpless laughter. He said, “Camilla will go far, bless her. I can easily see that she is related to you.”

  Sarah was laughing too, and this time, as they both stood, she did fall into Octavius’s arms. Time stopped as their lips met and his arms enfolded her, embracing her so tightly she could barely breathe.

  After a while, Sarah pushed him away, brushing the dust from her gown. “I did not want to meet you for this, delightful though it is. No, I wanted to speak to you about Lord Winterbourne and Lucinda. You see how he looks at her. I swear he is head over heels in love with her.”

  “I am glad of it,” Octavius said. “Since I shall not permit him to marry you, and I think he deserves a good wife. Although she seems very young to be a wife to anyone.”

  “She is quite old enough to stand up to her father, but of course she won’t. I gather he is a stern paterfamilias who demands complete obedience from his daughters. And so she is engaged to Sir Philip Langton. It has been in the Gazette.”

  “I suppose it is difficult for her to cry off.”

  “Oh, impossible. Do you know Sir Philip Langton?”

  Octavius said, “I know of him.”

  “He is not at all an agreeable kind of man. And this engagement will come as a great shock to Mrs. Paxton.”

  “Who is Mrs. Paxton?”

  “She is a widow, still a young woman, barely thirty. She comes from near here, her family live at Wynersh, she told me. I am sure there was a liaison between her and Sir Philip and from what I have heard, she expected him to marry her. I suppose he finds Miss Hawes a tastier morsel.”

  “I am sure you should not say such things, nor be so knowing.”

  “I am one and twenty and have done three London seasons, Captain Hyde, I think I may be expected to know my way around the polite world.”

  “Polite?”

  “So called. I have a great feeling for Lord Winterbourne–no, do not quiz me like that, he is an old and dear friend. He would be happy with Lucinda, I know he would. But how is it to be managed?”

  “If only she weren’t betrothed to Sir Philip it might not be so difficult, and I wish it were so. You do see, dear heart, that our situation would be better if Lord Winterbourne no longer wanted to offer for you?”

  “As to that, there can be no question of it, everything of that kind between us must be at an end. He is no fool, he must already aware that I have fathomed his secret and know that what he feels for me is no more than a tepid affection in comparison to his feelings for Lucinda. You and I must put our heads together, something must be done.”

  “I do not see how. An engagement is binding.”

  “I do not know, either, but we shall think of something. And as to the engagement, well, as the saying is, Necessity knows no laws.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Mr. Darcy came late into the breakfast room and only Sarah and Elizabeth were still there, enjoying a second pot of coffee. One look at her cousin’s face told Sarah that Mr. Darcy was seriously annoyed. His was not a countenance that showed his thoughts, let alone his feelings, but there was a chill in his eyes and a severity to his mouth that spoke of strong emotion.

  Elizabeth glanced up and said “My dear Mr. Darcy, whatever is wrong?”

  Mr. Darcy sat down and asked her to pour him a cup of coffee. “Oh, it is no such great matter, but I have to confess I am greatly annoyed.”

  Sarah pushed back her chair and made to get up from the table, saying, “I’m sure you wish to be private,” although she was consumed with curiosity as to why Mr. Darcy was so cross.

  “No, no, Sarah, do not feel you have to go. It is a family matter after all. Our aunt, Lady Catherine, has taken it upon herself to invite Sir Philip Langton to Pemberley. It turns out that his estate is a mere thirty miles or so from here and Lady Catherine has decided that it would be a very good thing for him to come while Miss Hawes is with us.”

  “Good heavens,” Elizabeth said. “But will Miss Hawes wish for such a visit?”

  Sarah said, “How unfortunate, and what a piece of interference. I do not think for a moment that Miss Hawes will welcome a visit from Sir Philip.”

  Mr. Darcy, his temper somewhat restored by the coffee, said, “Explain yourself, Sarah.”

  She smiled at him. “Do not pretend, cousin, that you have not noticed the affection that exists between Lord Winterbourne and Miss Hawes.”

  Mr. Darcy said, in a dry voice, “I cannot keep up with all this. Lord Winterbourne is supposed to be your suitor. It seems improbable that a man should switch his affections so swiftly from one young woman to another, and to Miss Hawes, who, I remind you, is engaged to another man. I thought Winterbourne a man of more honour and sense than that.”

  “And indeed, he is. He is not in the least fickle,” Sarah said. “As I told Cousin Elizabeth, his proposal to me was not done out of any profound feeling, and it now turns out that he has long been in love with Miss Hawes. Well, for at least a year, I imagine. It is no sudden attraction.” Sarah felt safe in asserting this, for surely Miss Hawes was the past love Lord Winterbourne had spoken of to her.

  “How came they to meet, how and when was this attachment formed?” Elizabeth asked. “It is obvious to anyone who has eyes in their head that they have a strong preference for one another, but she is not yet out, she has been kept most carefully guarded at home, according to Lady Catherine; hardly allowed to take part in even small, private parties. A schoolroom miss.”

  Sarah had also been thinking about this. “The Winterbournes and Hawess are neighbours. But while he was a mere Mr. Cranleigh, Lord Winterbourne had no expectation of inheriting–it was all quite sudden, you remember– and so he would not be considered a suitable match for Lucinda. So he went off abroad on his military duties and–well, she happened to became engaged to Sir Philip.”

  “Nonsense,” said Mr. Darcy. “No young woman just happens to become engaged. She must have accepted Sir Philip in the usual way. Her father approved, the announcement was made, the engagement notice sent to the Gazette, everything settled.”

  “So it was,” Sarah said. “However, Lucinda is not happy. That is obvious, just as Elizabeth has noticed. Now Lucinda has met Lord Winterbourne again, she realises that–oh, let us simply agree it would distress her greatly to have Sir Philip be at Pemberley just now.”

  Mr. Darcy frowned. “I am afraid she will have to put up with his visit. Lady Catherine having issued the invitation, without asking me, it cannot now be rescinded. She tells me, with considerable triumph, that Sir Philip will be here this afternoon.”

  “So soon?” cried Elizabeth.

  “Yes. At this rate we shall have half of England turning up at Pemberley,” Mr. Darcy said.

  “It really is too bad of Lady Catherine,” said Elizabeth. “She has no business to have done such a thing, and to do so without consulting you. Is she now mistress of Pemberley, pray? No, do not answer, Lady Catherine considers herself mistress of wherever she may happen to be. Were she to find herself staying at Windsor I daresay she would issue royal proclamations. But, as you say, it is done and we shall have to make the best of it, however awkward it will be. Finish your coffee, my love, and go and stir up your guests to get ready to go out with the guns. You will not be able to make a long day of it, but you should get some sport.”

 
; Mr. Darcy said in a discontented tone, “It’s not even as though I liked the fellow, because I don’t. He makes quite a noise in the party, but he is an intriguer and a schemer. An ambitious man, who makes no effort to put the interests of the party before his own concerns.”

  Elizabeth said, “You are very severe upon him, but are not all political creatures cut of the same cloth?”

  Mr. Darcy said, “Not all. And I suppose that is what lies behind this engagement. Hawes is another one who is always energetic about his own business, and I believe there is some matter of a rotten borough within Sir Philip’s control that is promised to Hawes’s elder son. Well, we shall see how things turn out. But you are right, Elizabeth I shall gather up the gentlemen and we shall go shooting.”

  Elizabeth said, striving to keep a straight face, “I believe Mr. Collins intends to join you this morning.”

  Mr. Darcy was rendered momentarily speechless by this information, but he recovered and said, “Mr. Collins to take out a gun? Surely you are not serious.”

  Elizabeth nodded.

  Sarah said, “And I’ll tell you why, cousin dear. It is because our aunt has officiously arranged for Mr. Collins to keep an eye on Captain Hyde. He dogs his every footstep.”

  Mr. Darcy said, “That’s another question, Sarah. How do things stand between you and Lord Winterbourne and Captain Hyde?”

  Sarah said, “Do not ask. I am in command of the situation and everything will sort itself out, you will see.”

  “Well, do not tell me any of the details, but I pray that you will do nothing to put Lady Catherine into an even more disagreeable mood than she is already. Mr. Collins take out a gun, indeed.”

  He stalked out of the room, leaving Elizabeth and Sarah laughing heartily.

  “I cannot imagine Mr. Collins hitting anything; how ridiculous that man is,” Elizabeth said as she rose from the table. “How I should love to run quietly out and observe the shooting party, to see how he carries on.”