The Choices Series: Pride and Prejudice Novellas

by Leenie Brown

  “That it is,” Lady Sophia agreed. “Perhaps you should expand your search to include those without a title? It is not the title that brings the security of a stable home and finances.”

  “But it brings power. It means that the man in possession of that title has sway over another merely because of his title.” She thought of many of the arguments she had overheard as a child. How many of them had ended with “but you must remember who my brother is,” followed by her father doing whatever it was that he had not wished to do simply because it would not do to offend the Earl of Matlock. She had seen the sadness in his posture and the dimming of the light in his eyes. She felt that it was what had led to his finally succumbing to illness.

  Lady Sophia tapped her fingers on the table quietly as she considered her niece, looking at her with a new understanding. “You are not wrong,” she agreed. “A title can give power, but it is not the only thing that can, my dear.”

  Anne lifted her arm and peeked at her aunt.

  “A lowly man with no title can become quite powerful when he has the one thing that is needed by many ─ be it money or safety or food. A great man can be controlled by those to whom he owes money. A man of little feelings for anyone save himself can be powerful due to his cruelty. A person who possesses knowledge of that which you fear most can sway you with little effort.” She shook her head sadly. “We cannot guarantee that another will not at some point try to bend us to his will no matter our standing. Remember what happened in France to those who were of the aristocracy.”

  Anne shook her head. How was she to find safety and security when so many things threatened?

  “Do not look at their title, my dear niece. Look at their character. A man with little worldly possessions but with integrity is better than a king with great wealth and no conscience.” She smiled at Anne. “Do not be alarmed, but I am going to agree with your mother and suggest you have a short rest. We have a musicale to attend, and I would not wish for you to fall asleep during the performance.” She stood, walked over to Anne, and extended a hand. “Come. You need a proper rest. Lying here in such a position will only give you a stiff neck and a foul mood.”

  Anne took her aunt’s hand and rose to her feet.

  Lady Sophia drew her into her embrace before allowing her to go to her bedchamber. “I think you are wise to see to your financial future, but promise me you will consider what I have said.”

  Anne squeezed her aunt close and nodded against her shoulder. “I will,” she promised.

  Chapter 6

  Admiral Fitzwilliam stood while Lady Sophia and Anne took their seats among the other guests at the Hamiltons’. “These two chairs,” he indicated the two next to Anne, “are not to be given away.” He raised a brow and gave both his sister and his niece a hard stare.

  Anne, finding the request a bit odd and the glare somewhat severe, nodded slowly as Lady Sophia smiled and added her comments about being quick or she and Anne would not be responsible for giving the seats away if a handsome young man or two needed them. “This is my first musicale of the season.” Lady Sophia’s excitement at the thought could not be contained. “If only you played, it would give you quite the stage to draw attention from the gentlemen.”

  “I do not like performing,” said Anne quickly. “So many eyes and most of them looking to find fault with you.” She shook her head. She had had enough flaws found and pointed out by her mother over the years. She did not need to allow strangers to so. “I would not play even if I could.”

  She looked around the room. It was filling quickly. Gentlemen stood about the edges of the room watching as the ladies and their chaperones arrived — watching, she supposed, for the best choice of listening partner. She laughed to herself and wondered if it was much like this, minus the finer evening clothes, when the gentlemen gathered at Tattersall’s. Well, she thought as she surveyed her surroundings, the furnishing and carpet are far finer than what she would expect to see at a horse auction.

  The room was beautifully arranged. Rows of chairs with tufted cream coloured cushions faced a large rounded alcove where a pianoforte stood next to a harp. Both instruments had a deep reddish hue and had obviously been carefully polished for they both shone beneath the light of the large chandelier that hung overhead. If one had to embarrass themselves with a performance, Anne was certain there could be no place more beautiful for doing it. She was just glad that she was not among the debutantes that would be called on to entertain.

  She was so caught up in looking at the people and splendour of the room that she nearly missed her uncle’s return with the friend for whom he had been waiting. She glanced to her left as the admiral took his seat and had just returned her eyes to the painting above the fireplace when her mind grasped who it was that had joined them. Her eyes grew wide at the thought, and her heart thumped loudly beneath the ruffles of her dress.

  “Aunt Sophia,” she leaned closer to her aunt and grasped her arm firmly, “he is in the pile of unacceptable choices.”

  “No, he is not, my dear. You have not received his portfolio.”

  Anne glared at her aunt. “For good reason,” she muttered.

  Her aunt patted the hand that gripped her arm. “Smile and be polite, dear. There are many from the acceptable pile who will be watching. It would do you no good to be thought of as cold and aloof. Besides, he is a friend of your uncle, and I am sure you would not wish to offend your uncle.”

  “Then, might I switch seats with you, so that I do not?” asked Anne.

  Lady Sophia laughed and bent to look around her niece. “It is a pleasure to see you this evening, Mr. Madoch. Is it not, Anne?” She gave her niece a pointed look.

  “Indeed, it must be if my aunt says so,” Anne replied, turning to greet Alex. Oh, he was handsome in his blue coat, and he smelled of cinnamon mingled with other spices. He had always smelled of cinnamon.

  For the longest time after she had refused him, every cup of mulled cider, every spiced cake or biscuit had caused her stomach to knot and clench with regret. No, no, she told herself, it was not regret. It was…she tapped her finger on her leg trying to think of the best way to describe it to herself so that she would not think of her refusal as anything more than what should have happened. He was not acceptable because… she looked at him as he spoke to her aunt. He did not look like a poor, ne’er-do-well. He smiled that smile at her again, just as he had on the balcony of Rycroft Place, and she felt her resolve slip again just as it had then. He is unacceptable, she reminded herself, because…because he is, she concluded. She would spend time later listing the reasons he was to remain off her list of marital candidates. Had he just complimented her?

  “I said you look lovely this evening, Miss de Bourgh. That shade of pink has always been well-suited to your complexion.”

  He had complimented her and so sweetly. Gentlemen were not supposed to know if a colour suited your complexion, were they? She narrowed her eyes at the thought. Perhaps he was just saying what he thought should be said.

  “I have always told her so, myself,” said her aunt, using her elbow to give Anne’s side a light tap.

  It was true. Not only had her aunt Sophia complimented her on the dress, but both Lord and Lady Matlock had as well. She sighed. He was not given to pretense, she knew this. “Thank you, Mr. Madoch.” Her aunt’s elbow poked her side again. “You also look well this evening.”

  He shrugged slightly and gave himself an appraising look. “I do know how to clean up, I suppose.”

  She rolled her eyes without thinking. He always did have a certain amount of swagger about him. He had never been one to over or understate himself. Well, perhaps he had inflated his value when he claimed that the king would one day look to him for advice, but, beyond that, he been quite accurate in his assessments of his abilities. “I was not aware that you were a friend of my uncles,” she said by way of conversation and accusation as she gave her aunt a displeased glare. Her aunt had said very little about the conversation she
had had with Alex. She had wished to ask about it but had been afraid of showing too much interest in the man, something that she now realized would do her no harm nor good since he was a friend of her uncles and was bound to be both a topic of conversation and a frequent annoying presence.

  “To be entirely accurate, the admiral is a friend of my uncle’s, and I have the good fortune of being my uncle’s nephew and so earning me the coveted spot of a friend of Admiral Fitzwilliam.” There was a twinkle in his eye, and the comment received the response Anne was certain it was designed to elicit as the admiral guffawed and slapped Mr. Madoch on the back.

  “Do not let him fool you, Anne. He has been as much a friend to me as his uncle has. You can’t find a better man to speak all things horse to you, you know. And even an old sailor like me wants a reliable mount when he is on land.” He shrugged. “No one knows more than Madoch, and he is always good for a friendly game ─ no wagers allowed, however. Not one to part with his money unnecessarily.”

  Anne noticed a faint blush creeping above the edge of Alex’s cravat. The sight of it surprised her. He was not one to be embarrassed. The tone of his voice in expressing his thanks for the kind words was also new to her. It seemed that he truly cared what her uncle thought of him. It clashed with the often brash persona he had demonstrated when she knew him before. But then people change, she reminded herself, and it had been six years.

  “You are not performing?” asked Alex in a whisper as a young lady sat down at the pianoforte and began a short piece intended to call them to order. “I know you do not play, but you sing quite well. I have missed the tunes you would sing to the horses. My horse does not enjoy my renditions as much as he did yours.”

  Anne gave him a small smile but said nothing as the programme was beginning. As Miss Hamilton began to play and sing an Irish air, Anne’s thoughts were filled with his words. He had missed her. His words had said it almost as much as his tone. The thought did nothing to comfort her. In fact, it increased that knotting of her stomach caused by something that was definitely not regret, although she had yet to decide on what it was.

  Young ladies played and sang. Some did so with great enjoyment, glowing in the applause that followed and reluctantly returning to their seats while others performed as if it was something that was a necessary task but one that held very little, if any, enjoyment. This second group of ladies would take their places quickly, begin with no more than a glance at the audience, and as soon as the last note faded, wasted no time in returning to their chairs. Some performances were delightful while some were truly painful. By the end of the evening, Anne’s cheeks were sore from smiling as she politely clapped for each performance and as she spoke about the weather and this dress and that with the various people around her. She was delighted when, at last, she was able to exit the Hamiltons’ and make her way to Lady Sophia’s coach.

  “Miss de Bourgh,” said Sir Hugh, approaching her. “I had hoped to see you here tonight, but alas I was delayed and by the time I arrived, the intermission had passed, and, with was such a crush of people, it was impossible to make my way to you. I am very glad that I have not missed you entirely.”

  Anne pulled her tired facial muscles into another smile. It was not that she did not wish to see or speak to Sir Hugh, but she was tired, and her nerves were feeling the effects of the evening. “I am glad you were not disappointed.”

  Having gained Anne’s welcome, he turned to the others in her party, greeting first her aunt and then her uncle. “Madoch,” he said with a tip of his head. “I had heard you were in town. Are you enjoying the season?”

  “I have enjoyed the two soirees that I have attended.” Alex did not have a desire to speak with Sir Hugh on the best of days, and he particularly did not wish to speak to him now. Nor did he like the way the man was smiling and talking to Anne or how Anne was returning his smile.

  “You know each other?” asked Anne, her eyes blinking rapidly at the thought.

  “Oh, indeed,” said Sir Hugh as if the question were one that had a quite obvious answer. “Not many a fellow does not know Madoch if he has an interest in horses ─ and who of the gentry or nobility do not have such an interest? In fact, the horses that will take us through the park tomorrow on our drive, I purchased on his recommendation. A handsome pair they are, too.”

  Alex did not miss how Anne’s brows furrowed, and he was certain that she was attempting to piece together what she had heard with what she knew of him.

  “But Mr. Madoch is in Brighton. Do you often travel to the coast just to learn about which horses to purchase?” Anne asked Sir Hugh.

  “I am not always in Brighton, and there is always the mail,” Alex replied before Sir Hugh had a chance to utter a word.

  “Yes, quite right,” agreed Sir Hugh. “I admit that I met Mr. Madock once in Brighton a few years back, but when it came to buying my horses, I merely wrote to him for advice.”

  Anne tilted her head to the side and looked at Alex with her brows still drawn closely together in confusion. “How can anyone recommend a horse through a letter? Do you not need to see the creatures to know if they are good or not?”

  “I had seen them,” said Alex. “And the breeder is reputable. There was no need to doubt that they had been well cared for between when I last saw them and when Sir Hugh sent his inquiry. I had facilitated sales from the seller before with pleasing results.”

  “Indeed?” Anne’s brows rose in surprise. “Were they purchased by your uncle?”

  “No. Someone else.” He shifted uneasily. While he was pleased that she now knew he was held in high esteem by some, she did not need to know that the horses he now spoke of were numbered among those of the riding school at Brighton. Knowing he was an esteemed businessman would not be enough to make her consider him merely for his position, and he was still determined that she choose him because her heart demanded it, not because he met some ridiculous standard of acceptance.

  “Who?” The question escaped Anne’s lips before she could think better of it. Silently, she chided herself. She was not supposed to be showing interest in anything related to Alex.

  “Not all my sales are a matter of public record, ” Alex answered as coolly as he could, hoping that his tone would put an end to this conversation. It was true that not all of his sales or purchases were a matter with which society need be concerned. The ones about which he was refusing to talk, however, had been made known publically.

  “Of course.” Anne’s smile was tight. “Forgive my impertinence.” She made a show of shivering slightly. She had no desire to stand about and be pleasant any longer this evening, especially if one of the gentlemen in the conversation was going to use such a scolding tone.

  “Miss de Bourgh, you must not catch a chill,” said Sir Hugh, extending his hand to help her to her carriage.

  “Very true,” said Lady Sophia. “You have a busy schedule of outings and soirees. I would not wish you to miss them on account of standing outside in the night air for too long a period.”

  Anne hesitated only a moment longer before accepting Sir Hugh’s assistance. Her reluctance to take his hand had surprised her. She found him interesting and handsome as well as a likely candidate for marriage, yet something inside her had held her back. It was a feeling very similar to that twisting of her stomach that she had yet to figure out, and this new instance of its occurrence was not aiding her in understanding it. However, she kept a smile on her lips as she dipped a small parting curtsey to Alex and allowed herself to be escorted to and handed into her carriage.

  “You’ve got her confused,” said the Admiral in a soft voice as he made a show of saying his farewells. “I understand a ride in Hyde Park around five in the evening is the time to see and be seen, or so my sister tells me. I may venture out there myself tomorrow to test her theory.” He gave Alex a wink and then, chuckling, turned toward the carriage.

  Alex shook his head at the admiral’s meddling. First, he had flattered Alex in such a way as t
o tell his niece of Alex’s dislike of gambling and his seriousness in considering finances. Now, Admiral Fitzwilliam was suggesting a bit more subterfuge in creating a meeting in the park. He chuckled as he went to find his horse. It seemed Lady Sophia was not the only matchmaker in the family.

  “Have you made any inroads?” Jonathan sat on his horse next where a groom held Alex’s.

  Alex swung up onto his mount before motioning with his head for his friend to follow him. “Why have you come looking for me?”

  “I am curious.”

  Alex laughed. “No, you are not. You are the least curious person I know. So why?”

  “I heard something.”

  Alex slowed his horse and drew closer to his friend. “And this something should be of importance to me?”

  “It seems that someone has talked the termagant into leaving her lair and going for a ride.”

  Alex nodded. “I know. Sir Hugh mentioned it this evening.”

  “You know he cheats.”

  “Yes, I am aware of that fact. It is why I do not play with him unless I can help it and have money to lose.” He sighed. “Why are you telling me things that I already know?”

  “He wants her money.” Jonathan said it softly and slowly and then just let the idea hang in the air without adding to it.

  Alex closed his eyes as the facts fell into place. He had never liked Sir Hugh. Yes, Alex had given him advice about some excellent horses, but that was business. It profited Alex and kept the scoundrel from seeking ways to harass him as he had done others. “How?”

  “That was not agreed upon by the gentlemen I heard. Some think he will force her hand, while others think he will either buy off or spread misinformation about any other suitor who might be a threat. But they knew of no other suitors, so the wager has fallen, for the moment, on his ability to charm her.”

  It was the answer Alex had expected. Sir Hugh was not only known for making a nuisance of himself among his peers, but he was also a well-practised charmer of the ladies. It was something that Prinny found to be to his benefit. Sir Hugh was sure to attend any function with some pretty lady on his arm and could usually be counted on to lure along at least one or two friends of the lady with whom the prince would flirt while Sir Hugh, through sleight of hand, lined his pockets with the crown’s money.