The dowager's deliberate voice rang out above them. "Mr. Paxton. I begin to have serious concerns about the quality of persons you permit in this house."
Paxton laughed. "But their breeding is impeccable, your ladyship. Not a penny of their money comes from trade."
With a gasp. Elizabeth pulled away from Darcy, wishing she could disappear, or at least hide behind him until she determined whether it was, in fact, possible to die from embarrassment. Fortunately, the attention of the newcorners seemed to be centered primarily on the couple below them.
Edward released Lady Mary from his embrace, although his arm remained around her in a quite improper way. "Grandmama, I would like to present to you my betrothed, Lady Mary Huggins, the daughter of Major Hug —" He winced before continuing. "The daughter of the Earl of Alford."
The dowager turned back to Paxton. "Perhaps it is something in the air here. This has become an epidemic of betrothals."
"Ours is not new," Edward said. "Lady Mary agreed to be my wife earlier this year. We decided not to announce it until my return to England."
Darcy strode down the stairs to shake Edward's hand. "Congratulations. Lady Mary, I give you my very best wishes. He will make you a fine husband."
"Thank you," she said calmly, her affection for Edward clear in her every look.
A few minutes later, the dowager herded them all upstairs once more. After another round of congratulations were made, Elizabeth asked, "How did this come to pass? You said nothing of it at Bentham Park."
Lady Mary said, "Edward wished to tell his family himself. When my parents and I were invited to Bentham Park, I assumed he must have done so. After I discovered his family knew nothing of it, it seemed wisest to keep it to ourselves.
"But how did you meet?" Eleanor asked. "Edward has been in Portugal all this time."
"And I was there for much of it as well!" said Lady Mary with a warm smile. "My father was Edward's commanding officer until he unexpectedly inherited the earldom. My mother and I travelled with him wherever he was posted."
"I came to know her after I was wounded at Alba de Torres," Edward said. "She and her mother visited all the injured officers to improve our morale. I was quite taken with her, and she seemed to enjoy my company, but she was always careful not to favor any one of the officers over another. Most of us were half in love with her. Then, when the old Earl died and Major Huggins inherited, they returned to England, and that was the last I saw of her for almost two years."
Eleanor asked, "Were you in contact all that time?"
"No, I never expected to see her again. When her father came to Portugal this winter to confer with Wellington, she travelled with him, having missed the simplicity of her old life in the camps. I had just taken a bullet to my leg." Edward slapped the side of his thigh to indicate the spot. "As before, she came to visit the wounded, and seemed glad to see me. We spent hours talking and laughing together, and this time I definitely fell under her spell, but she knew me only as Captain Edward Huntingdon, a gentleman's son with no prospects beyond the Army, while she was an Earl's daughter and an heiress. I considered telling her the truth, but at that point, I thought there might still be a noose waiting for me in England, so Viscount Huntingdon was an even worse prospect than Captain Huntingdon. The situation looked quite hopeless to me. Then I took a fever and was delirious for several days. When I finally came to my senses, I discovered she had stayed by my bedside each day, wiping my forehead and talking to me as I raved - and that the other patients were looking at me oddly." He smiled at Lady Mary.
"When I came to see him the next day, he told me that he could remember little of those days, and he hoped he had not said anything too embarrassing in his delirium." Lady Mary held out her hand to him.
"And she said - completely calmly, mind you - 'Not at all. Mostly you begged me to marry you.' I was mortified, and started to stammer an apology. She put her finger to my lips and said, 'Do you not wish to know what my response was?' That was when I realized the others had gone silent and everyone was watching us." He tightened his hand on hers.
"Well, boy, what did you do?" the dowager demanded.
"What else could I do? I could not understand why she did not simply pretend it had not happened. It seemed unlike her to humiliate me with a public refusal. Since there was nothing I could do about it, I said, 'Lady Mary, I would be happy to hear anything you wish to say to me.' And she leaned close to me and said quietly, 'I said yes, so I hope you meant it.' At that point I decided I must still be delirious, and that I should enjoy it while it lasted, so I said. 'Oh. I meant it!' And then, since I knew it was not real, I kissed her."
Darcy laughed. "I hope her father did not hear about that part!"
"Of course he did. He had been our commanding officer, so no one, including me, would have dared to keep it secret. Fortunately, he found it amusing, and he was surprisingly pleased with the match."
"There is nothing astonishing about that," Eleanor said. "You are one of the most eligible bachelors in England."
"Except he did not know that! He believed she would be happier with a plain Army officer than a noble with connections in the ton. So then I had to ask her if she would still wish to marry me if I were the heir to a wealthy Marquess. And she said she would, but that she was very glad I was not a Marquess's heir. I had never imagined that I might have to apologize to my future bride for being the heir to Bentham Park!"
"You did apologize quite nicely, my love," Lady Mary said with a smile.
"Lord Alford did not take the news of my true identity as well at first, since it meant I had lied to him about it for years. Fortunately, Richard Fitzwilliam, who is his superior officer, told him it had been his idea in the first place, and he vouched for my character. So once I was well enough to travel, I sold out, and here I am."
The dowager raised a cup of tea in his direction. "And we are very glad of it."
"Indeed we are," said Eleanor.
They talked pleasurably for some time. Darcy himself was in excellent spirits. He was engaged to Elizabeth, who was proving to be every bit as passionate as he had hoped, and Edward was back. The world was a fine place. Even the tight look on Edward's face had disappeared since Lady Mary's arrival.
It reappeared, however, when Symons returned once more, actively frowning this time. "The Marquess of Bentham is here, and he demands to speak to Mr. Darcy. I showed him to the sitting room.'' He glanced backwards over his shoulder as if fearing he would find Lord Bentham in pursuit.
'"He demands?" Paxton raised an eyebrow to Darcy. "Shall we go see what he wants?"
Scowling, Edward said, "Do not tell him I am here. I am not ready to speak with him."
Darcy nodded, then left with Paxton. In the passageway, Paxton said, "And to think my parents wanted nothing more in life than to have even one of the Carlisles cross their threshold! Now I am unable to keep them away."
Darcy chuckled. "At least they can no longer pretend to be mere acquaintances!"
Lord Bentham prowled the sitting room like an infuriated tomcat, while Admiral Worthsley relaxed by the fireplace. "What is going on here?" the Marquess demanded at once. "Darcy, you were supposed to send me word this morning about Eleanor. Instead, Charles came storming home looking as if he had been in a prizefight, insisting that my mother, of all people, was here. Then Worthsley puts in an appearance and claims you have something urgent to tell me, but refuses to explain himself. What the devil is all this nonsense?"
"I am sorry I did not send word. I was preoccupied by being on the other end of the prizefight, as well as a few other things." Darcy flexed his hand, wondering if Elizabeth's megrim magic would still work while his hand was swollen. Hopefully there would be no need to find out.
Paxton took a conciliatory tone. "In fact, I was just writing to you with an update of Lady Eleanor's condition. The Dowager Marchioness has indeed honored me with her presence, and she is with Lady Eleanor at the moment. Symons, pray inform her ladyship of her son's a
rrival, and that we would be delighted if she chose to join us here. And welcome to Hillington Hall, my lord." His manners certainly could not be faulted.
Darcy interposed himself before an explosion could occur. "As for the other matter, my lord, I discovered this morning that your family has been under a misapprehension about the events leading up to Edward's ill-fated duel. That is no doubt what Admiral Worthsley was referring to." Interfering old buzzard! "With your permission, I would like to tell you the truth of what happened that day."
With a scowl, Lord Bentham snapped, "I already know what happened, and I do not wish to hear it again!"
"I beg your pardon, but if you believe your son cheated in a race, then you have been sorely misled."
Darcy met his gaze evenly. "I can call witnesses to attest to my version of the affair."
Lord Bentham snorted. "So what is your version, then?"
With what Darcy felt to be admirable restraint, he repeated the story of the race and the duel once again.
A visibly shaken Lord Bentham opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Finally he said, "Are you certain?"
Darcy exhaled a deep breath. "I am completely certain."
"Why did that man think Edward had cheated?"
"Piper was a poor loser. He had boasted all over London about his new team, how much he had paid for them, and how he would finally best Edward in a race. The horses were nothing extraordinary, of course. Edward did not wish to humiliate him, so he did not use the full speed of the greys, just enough to win by a small margin. It could have been much larger, had he so chosen. No one else present at the race - and there were a number of spectators - felt there had been any cheating. Edward thought the duel would be a formality to allow Piper to save face, but Piper shot to kill, and Edward had no choice but to do the same."
Symons attempted to announce the Dowager Marchioness, but she loftily swept past him. "I cannot believe," she declared to the room as a whole, "this ridiculous muddle."
Darcy was tempted to ask which muddle she had in mind. "I have just been telling Lord Bentham about the events at the race."
"I would like to get to the bottom of who started that story about Edward. If no one else believed he did anything improper, how did everyone here come to believe otherwise?" She studied her son with sharp eyes.
Lord Bentham shook his head in bewilderment. "Everyone said it was true."
"You were here at Bentham Park at the time. I believe. Did you receive letters about it?"
"I cannot recall."
The dowager frowned at her son, then turned back to Darcy. "Now, what is this about Edward returning to England?"
Darcy glared at her. If she wanted to force the issue of Edward's presence into the open, she could do it herself. "Several years ago, after Edward nearly died while fighting in Spain, Richard Fitzwilliam and I persuaded him that enough time had passed that he could safely join the British forces without being recognized. I purchased a commission for him in Richard's regiment under the name of Mr. Edward Huntingdon. He was injured again in January in the fighting at Ciudad Rodrigo, and Richard arranged for his convalescence in a private villa. He improved somewhat during that time, but his doctor recommended a protracted rest for him to recover his full strength. We felt a return to his native soil would be the best medicine."
"Why did you not tell me this until now?" asked Lord Bentham sharply.
"Everything I told you when we first spoke was true; I simply omitted the part about his return. Part of my reason for travelling to Yorkshire was to assess whether Edward would be welcomed back by his family. After meeting with you, I judged that the answer was no, so I instructed my solicitor to make arrangements for a small house in the country suitable for a quiet gentleman named Edward Huntingdon. You would not have crossed paths with him."
The Dowager Marchioness said impatiently, "What of the charges against him? Is he not in legal jeopardy?"
"That is a curious point. I had my solicitor look into it, planning to reach a private settlement with Piper's family. It turns out no charges were ever made. Edward has spent four years fighting on the continent for no reason."
The sound of the clock ticking was the only interruption to the silence that greeted this statement. Lord Bentham was staring at the floor, looking more defeated than Darcy had ever thought to see him, and even the redoubtable Dowager Marchioness appeared lost in her own reflections. There was no triumph for Edward's vindication in this moment, only regret.
When Lord Bentham at last looked up, he said tiredly, "You will tell me what sums you have laid out on my son's behalf."
Darcy chose his words with unusual care.
"With all due respect, sir. I must decline. Everything I did was done out of affection for my friend, and it was not more than I could afford. He would have done the same for me."
"I can and must repay you!"
What a foolish argument to be having at this juncture! Darcy was about to refuse again, in stronger terms this time, when a better idea struck him. "I have no need of repayment, but if it would ease your mind to do something in recompense. I would ask that you do me the favor of listening to what my friend Paxton has to say." Darcy watched Lord Bentham closely, knowing this had the potential to backfire.
From his sudden pallor, Paxton had clearly not been expecting this, but he managed to rise to the occasion. "My lord, I believe Darcy has already told you that I love your daughter, although no one can express my devotion to her. I know I am not what you have hoped for in a suitor for her, but as you can see, I am well able to provide for her; and if you were to be so generous as to grant your consent to our marriage. I can promise you I will devote my life to making her happy. I have no need of her dowry, so I would ask that instead you use it to help reestablish Viscount Huntingdon to his rightful place in society." He paused to take a deep breath, and when he was not interrupted, he said, "I would be remiss if I did not add that in the process of rescuing your daughter last night, I could not avoid the appearance of compromising her, although nothing happened between us that was not required by the circumstances. I can only hope that you will allow me to make matters right by granting your permission for our marriage."
Darcy said, "The apothecary said she would not have survived had Paxton not found her. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for that." And to Elizabeth, who had been the one with the presence of mind to tell Paxton to look for her.
Lord Bentham looked bewildered, as if he had no idea what to do in this situation. "But her place in the ton..."
His mother interrupted him. "Personally, I would advise you to keep Eleanor as far from the ton as possible. Eleanor is a great deal like me. Your wife has somehow managed to bring her into line, but once she is married and no longer under your control, she will revert to being the same wild Eleanor she used to be. She proved that last night. She will end up undoing all your wife's work to reestablish your family in the highest circles. I say you should marry her to Paxton where she can do you no harm - and before word gets out as to what she did yesterday."
Lord Bentham looked from his mother to Darcy, then at Paxton. "If that is what Eleanor truly wishes," he said heavily, "I will give my permission."
Paxton stood stock-still for a moment, as if he could not believe what he was hearing. "Thank you, my lord. I will never give you cause to regret it."
The Dowager Marchioness bustled into Eleanor's room. "Do you still have that laudanum?" she asked Elizabeth.
"Yes, it is on the bedside table."
"Well, Eleanor, you can drink it now. I have agreed to stay here as your chaperone until you are well enough to return to Bentham Park."
Eleanor's eyes brightened. "Thank you, Grandmama! I cannot thank you enough. Is he very angry?"
"Not now - and it seems the epidemic of betrothals is not yet over. He has given your Mr. Paxton his permission to marry you."
"What?" Eleanor half-shrieked. "Is it true? Tell me you are not teasing me!"
"
Yes, my dear, it is quite true, and your young man is absolutely incandescent with joy. I suspect Darcy will have to tie his feet to the floor to keep him from floating away like a hot-air balloon."
Elizabeth reached down to hug her friend. "I am so very happy for you."
To her surprise. Eleanor burst into tears. "I never thought it could happen," she sobbed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"I may have struck the killing blow on your behalf," her grandmother said briskly, "but Darcy is the one who deserves your thanks. He put your father in a position where refusing his permission would have looked downright churlish. It was very clever of him."
"Darcy did? I must thank him!"
"What you must do, young lady, is drink that laudanum!"
"Of course, Grandmama. Whatever you say." Eleanor immediately drank off the cup Elizabeth handed her, for all the world as if she had not been fighting it for hours. "May I see Geoffrey?"
"I imagine he will be in later, but not while your father is in the house. By the by, you should tell your young man to keep better track of his property." The dowager plucked a gold cufflink from the counterpane and dangled the damning evidence in front of her granddaughter.
Edward rose from the windowseat where he had been conversing quietly with Lady Mary. "Well? What did his lordship want?"
"Your father? Somehow he heard that Darcy knew something important about you. Charles, probably. Darcy told him about the duel - repeatedly, I might add, at your father's request. I left during the third iteration, at which point I was expecting your father to demand to know how many blades of grass were in the field and the pattern of the waistcoat you wore."
"Did he believe it?"
"Yes. Of course Darcy was quite forceful on the subject, and insisted on telling him the name of every possible witness, as well as everything anyone ever said about it to him. It was fortunate he had so much evidence, since that boy is the worst liar I have ever seen. Young Paxton had to rescue him several times when your father asked about your whereabouts. He wants to see you - your father, that is, not Mr. Paxton."
Mr. Darcy's Noble Connections: A Pride & Prejudice Variation Page 27