“Almost. Grandmother has told me that she would hope I would marry someone whom I would be willing to introduce to the Queen. However, our mother has been introduced to the Queen, so I believe that requirement is only to ensure that the woman I marry is, like my mother, sensible, well-mannered, and able to be made to look and act around the Queen like a member of high society, whether she is or not. In truth, I believe the Queen actually quite likes our mother.”
“Is your mother not shunned by other women of high society?” asked Elizabeth, who had been amazed to learn that Mrs. Dumont was so low born. “Does she not find it difficult to interact with others of the ton?”
“Our mother is rather imperturbable and merely laughs at slights or disparaging remarks. She loves my father, is far wealthier than most of these women, and chooses carefully those with whom she associates. She may not have the status with the Queen our grandmother does when she becomes Baroness, but with our wealth, she does not worry about anything other than keeping her husband and children happy and doing her charity work. She rarely says a bad word about anyone. If she cannot say anything good about someone, she just does not say anything about them and ignores their slings and arrows unless one of them happens to be directed at us, and then she can be a force to be reckoned with. Our grandparents think mother is the best thing that could have happened to our father.”
“She sounds like someone I would enjoy meeting,” said Elizabeth. “Basically, what you are telling me is that in her case, she cares little about what others think about her and does what she thinks best, regardless of what informal rules she may bend or even disobey.”
“Yes, but, again, she is part of an extremely wealthy family. I cannot say how it would be if we were one of the lower status families of this society. It would not cause much of a problem for our family if, for some reason, the barony was taken from us. That may not be the case of a noble of lesser wealth.”
“I believe the point is,” said Darcy, “that an intelligent and determined gentlewoman, regardless of her heritage, can manage quite well in the English upper class if she is adaptable and her husband loves and supports her and cares little for what others think of the marriage.”
“Well said, cousin,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Therefore, Miss Elizabeth, I believe you can set your sights a little higher than you may be doing and find happiness where you may not expect it.”
Once again Elizabeth realized she was the focus of everyone’s attention and that somehow this had become a discussion of Darcy’s pursuit of her. It seemed obvious to her that everyone had determined that he was interested in her and she was resisting because of her preconceived notion about a marriage between one of her class and one of his. When she did not respond, Lord Vollenbrook said, “You do understand, do you not, Miss Elizabeth, that despite his somewhat unsocial attitude at times, Darcy, who is also my cousin in a sense, is one of the best of us and that we have never seen him show the interest in a woman he has shown in you, even though he has tried to be circumspect about it?”
Elizabeth looked at Darcy and saw him looking at her with a look that clearly indicated his feelings for her. Were his friends correct? Was all her worry about their difference in station something that could be overcome if they loved each other and she was as resolute and imperturbable as Mrs. Dumont? She was certainly intelligent. Could she not learn all she needed to know from friends such as these? This group of friends was a revelation to her ‒ something she had not expected to find in the ton. She had no idea Darcy had such a group of friends. Could she not be happy with no more than them and their families to socialize with?
“I know he is the best of men, my Lord. But I fear I am not the best of women.” She stood up. “It is almost seven o’clock, at which time we are supposed to sing. Should we not be going downstairs, Mr. Dumont, Peggy?”
Mark and Peggy stood up, as did all the other men. “You are correct, Miss Elizabeth. I lost track of the time with this fascinating conversation. Grandmother will be looking for us to introduce our performance.” Looking at the others he continued, “I assume you are all going to listen to the performance. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee you.”
Chapter 15: The Grand Tea Party – Darcy Prevails
As Mark predicted, Lady Monttard was looking for them to begin the musical part of the evening. When they approached her, she chastised them for being late and then led them to the piano and harp in the corner of the ballroom, where Lord Monttard was awaiting them. When they reached him, he sounded a small gong sitting on the piano and the room became silent.
“As those of you who have been here before know, this is the time we begin the musical performances and then the dancing. But before I introduce the performers, let me remind you that there are several artifacts displayed in the public areas which have signs on them indicating they are for sale. As always, in front of each artifact is a box with a slit in the top into which you can place a bid on the item. Please, we ask that no one place more than three bids in the box. I understand that as the night goes on you may come to believe you have not bid enough on an item you particularly want and want to submit another bid, but we will only take three bids from any one person or family. Bidding will close at nine o’clock and the bids and artifacts will be taken to the dining room, where the results will be announced when the dancing is over, which should be sometime between 9:30 and 10. The proceeds from this silent auction will go our latest favorite charity, the Hope House for homeless young women, which was founded recently by Mrs. Madeleine Gardiner, who is with us here tonight. If you have not met her and would like to do so, ask my wife and me or Lord or Lady Denby to introduce you to her. You will find her an interesting and knowledgeable lady.”
“Next, I would like to make an announcement which I am sure many of you are expecting. Matthew, Penny, will you please come forward.”
As they were coming forward, footmen with trays holding goblets of sparkling wine were passing among those gathered. Once Matthew and Lady Penelope were standing beside him and most had received a glass of wine, Lord Monttard continued. “I would like to announce the engagement of my grandson, Mr. Matthew Dumont and Lady Penelope Sutherland.” He then raised his glass of wine and said, “Therefore, I offer a toast to the happily engaged couple, and hope you will all join me in wishing them a happy and prosperous life together.”
After several minutes, during which the young couple received the congratulations of many, Lord Monttard sounded the gong again. “Now, as most of you know, we have about a half an hour of performances before the orchestra starts playing for dancing. Usually my three grandchildren and Miss Margaret Farnsworth plus one or two others perform. Tonight, my granddaughter is not here, and as you can imagine, my eldest grandson, Matthew has chosen not to perform. Therefore, we have recruited another performer to perform with Mark and Miss Farnsworth, whom I am sure you will enjoy. I am told Miss Farnsworth will begin with a Beethoven Sonata on the piano; then Mark will sing a tenor solo from a recent opera; followed by a soprano solo, an Irish lullaby, by our newest performer, Miss Elizabeth Bennet; then there will be a harp solo by Miss Farnsworth; and finally, Miss Elizabeth and Mark will sing a duet, which I am assured you will not want to miss.”
If Elizabeth had thought Georgiana was good, she was astonished at how much more accomplished Margaret was. Elizabeth was sure she had never heard anyone play the piano so well. The Mozart aria that Mark sang was done brilliantly, but she knew it would be from practicing with him. She was a little intimidated singing directly after Mark, but Margaret’s harp accompaniment was beautiful and somehow calmed her and allowed her to sing the song as well as she had ever sung it. She knew it was not the quality of Mark’s solo, but she was satisfied that it was good, and that the audience enjoyed it. Finally, they came to the final duet, which she was both dreading and anticipating, but surprisingly, once Margaret started the introduction on the harp; and Mark took her hands and looked reassuringly into her eyes, she suddenly ima
gined that she was singing to Darcy and lost herself in the song, singing with a passion she did not know she possessed. She was almost sad when it ended, and disappointed that it was not Darcy who was holding her hands. She had not even noticed the gasps from the crowd when Mark took her hands and they started sing to each other. When they were done and turned to their audience to hear their appreciation of the song, they bowed their head in acknowledgement and as they straightened, Mark whispered, “Either you are an exceptional actress, or you were singing that song to someone else.”
She looked at him with amazement and said, “Why would you say that?”
“Because you were looking right through me most of the time and squeezing my hands when singing some of the phrases expressing your love. It sounded heartfelt to me, and because I am sure you are not in love with me, I believe you were thinking of someone else, and I suspect I know who. I am very happy for the two of you.”
She blushed as he said it and whispered in response, “You are very perceptive. Remind me not to try to keep secrets from you. And thank you for your good wishes, but please do not say anything until later.”
He squeezed her hand, which he was still holding, as they continued to receive accolades. “I promise; I will not.”
Shortly thereafter, as Elizabeth, Mark, and Margaret were wending their way through the crowd, several saying they hoped this was a duet they could hear often, Darcy appeared in front of them. He bowed and held out his hand. “I do believe the first dance is mine, Miss Elizabeth. May I escort you to the drink table before the orchestra starts?”
She looked apologetically at Mark and Margaret, who both smiled, and Mark said, “Now, why do you suppose I expected Darcy to show up before we were off the floor? However, I believe you have been waiting long enough, Darcy. Good luck and enjoy your drink and dance.”
As they were walking toward the drink table, Darcy said, “I can understand now why Mark told me that when I watched the duet, I would wish it were I that was singing it with you. If I had not known you had just met him, I would have thought he was the love of your life. I find another of your accomplishments is that you are a consummate actress.”
She looked at him and said teasingly, “And how do you know he is not? Perhaps this experience singing with him has made me fall in love with him.”
“Because I happen to know you love me and have finally understood that marrying me would not be a disaster. I suspect you even believe it will lead to a future full of happiness and love, whether you want to admit it to me or not.”
Much to his delight, she put her arm through his. “You are very sure of yourself tonight. What has made you so confident?”
“Seeing you look at me during the conversation with our friends. Do you know that Penny and Vollenbrook told me after you left that they did not think I have to worry? We were obviously in love and meant for each other.”
“They did, did they? And do you always have so much confidence in your friends’ opinions on such matters?”
“I do in this case, because it is the first time they have ever given me such an opinion, and, in any case, they were just confirming what I already knew.”
“I should probably confess something.”
“What is that?”
“I was not acting as I sang. I have a wonderful imagination.”
He looked at her quizzically. “What is that supposed to tell me?”
“I will let you figure that out. I suppose you are still carrying around that ring and those settlement papers with you.”
He chuckled. “I do have the ring, but I did not bring the settlement papers. Since I have already shown them to your father and uncle and have their blessing, I did not think it necessary.” Suddenly he stopped and looked at her and gave her a big smile, showing the dimples which she loved so much. “I believe I know what you were trying to tell me. You imagined you were singing to me.”
She did not acknowledge that what he said was true, but said, “It was very sneaky of you to have father and aunt and uncle tell me to come to this tea party. You knew I would meet your friends and like them, did you not?”
Despite the fact she did not answer his question, he was extremely happy, being certain she had just told him she loved him. To her question, he responded, “I did not have them do it. I just suggested to your father that it might be a good introduction to the ton for you? Are you not finding it so?”
“I am. Your friends have given me a new perspective on the English upper-class. I am sure that they are not typical, but that they exist is… wonderful, unexpected, astonishing, convincing… take your pick. Did you tell any of them ahead of time of your feelings for me?”
“Only Richard, who, I doubt, would tell any of them. As you can see, they are very perceptive and bright people. I am older than all of them, except for Richard, of course, and have watched them grow up because my parents were once part of the Group of Eight of which their parents or grandparents are a part. Also, the Dumonts and Sutherlands are my neighbors. I have a few other good friends whose parents are part of the Group of Eight and one of my best friends is the Earl of Weatherstone, the second son of the Duke of Leister. You will meet them sooner or later, although I am surprised Weatherstone is not here, because he usually likes to sing at these things.”
“What did Lord Vollenbrook mean when he said you were a cousin, in a sense?”
“His father is the Marquess of Willingham, who was married to my aunt. She died, and he eventually remarried, fathering Vollenbrook and Penny. I still think of him as my uncle and he still refers to me as his nephew.”
“I should have remembered that. Mrs. Reynolds showed us the picture of your aunt, Lady Sophia. I am sorry that I forgot.”
“You are forgiven. Now, here we are at the drink table. What would you like?”
“I believe I will have a glass of German white, if they have some.”
Once he had obtained her the glass of wine and chose a sherry for himself, he said, “Now, are you going to let me ask you or do I still have to wait?”
“You cannot ask me here, Will. We are just about to dance, for goodness sake.”
“What difference does that make? I have been proposing to you in so many ways, why not as we are walking to the dance floor?”
She stopped and looked at him. What she saw was a handsome, serious, determined man without whom she now knew she could not imagine living. He filled her dreams at night and every time she saw him, she wanted to be near him. Finally, she sighed. “You are a persistent man. I am of the same mind as my sister. Remember on the walk, when she asked why you put up with me?”
“I do, indeed remember, and do you remember my answer?”
“I do, but it is still hard for me to believe that you feel about me as you do.”
As she was saying that, they suddenly found themselves confronted by Colonel Fitzwilliam and Jane. “I say, Darcy, that looks as if it is a very serious talk. However, the music is about to begin for the first dance. Should we not escort these lovely ladies to the dance floor?”
Looking frustrated, Darcy said, “I suppose we should.”
“By the way, Miss Elizabeth, that duet you sang with Mark almost brought tears to my eyes. If I did not know better, I would have said you two were on the verge of being engaged. You are a very good actress.”
“Or one with an exceptional imagination,” said Jane.
Darcy shook his head and chuckled, “You two are close, are you not? Elizabeth said much the same thing to me when I told her she was a consummate actress.”
They had reached the dance floor, where they put all put drink glasses on a waiter’s tray, and then took their places in the line of dance, side by side. Colonel Fitzwilliam leaned toward Darcy and said, softly, “I heard that Elizabeth without the Miss and believe I know what Miss Bennet meant when she said Miss Elizabeth had a good imagination. Are congratulations in order?”
“Not yet, but soon.”
Darcy and Elizabeth did not sa
y much during the dance, but anyone who was watching them could not have helped but notice the way they looked at one another. Just the fact that Darcy was smiling a smile that went all the way to his eyes would have told anyone who knew him that there was something special about Elizabeth. He, in fact, was lost in the music and Elizabeth’s eyes and was now positive she loved him and would say yes, when she finally told him he could propose to her. She, on the other hand, having finally given in to the feeling she had developed for him long ago, wondered why she had taken so long to see what everyone else seemed to think was obvious. There could be no better man for her.
One of those who happened to be watching them was Lady Alicia Rutherford, Colonel Fitzwilliam’s sister. She was standing, taking with one of her friends, Miss Patricia Langford, when Miss Langford said to her, “Alicia, I do believe that Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who sang with Mr. Mark Dumont and is dancing with Mr. Darcy, is much more than just an acquaintance. I have never seen him smile so much or look at a woman the way he is looking at her. If he were looking at me like that, I would expect a proposal at any time.”
As Alicia watched, she could see Miss Langford was correct. Darcy rarely smiled when he danced with a woman he did not know well. In fact, he rarely danced the first dance with someone he did not know well, because he did not want to give the woman with whom he was dancing any ideas he especially fancied her. Yet it certainly seemed as if he was in love with Miss Elizabeth, and it also seemed she returned that love. How had this happened? She looked around for her brother and saw him dancing with a gorgeous blond-haired woman she had never seen before. Was it a coincidence that Darcy and Richard were both dancing with women she had never seen before? She hesitated to discuss it with her parents, Lord and Lady Matlock, because she was rather certain they would be upset to discover that Darcy was in love with a young woman of unknown wealth and position. She looked back at her brother and saw no particular relationship between him and his partner. She was obviously someone he did not know well, although he seemed to be enjoying the dance. Of course, unlike Darcy, he seemed to always enjoy dancing with a pretty woman, regardless of her status, and the young lady was certainly pretty. She determined to capture either her brother or cousin after the dance to speak with him.
The Lady of the Mount and Patience Rewarded: Two Stories of Darcy and Elizabeth Page 32