Georgiana’s hand shook when she introduced her brother. “Miss Kent has been so kind to visit with me while you have been at Rosings.”
Darcy bowed slightly in response to Miss Kent’s slight curtsey. She lifted her head, and he was able to discern the likeness to her brother; both had dark hair and an olive complexion. They shared the same features—high cheekbones, prominent nose, and deep-set brown eyes. Her emerald green silk dress was fashionable and suited her. She stood upright with her shoulders back and her chin high, a look of defiance. Yes, she is Kent’s sister in every way.
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Kent. I hope I did not disturb anything important.”
“Not at all. Georgiana was playing a new piece.” Sarah Kent said. “It is one she wishes to play for my brother.”
“I would not wish to keep her from practicing, but I did have a desire to speak with her… about my trip.” Darcy remained standing until the two girls said their good-byes and Miss Kent left.
Georgiana turned around, and with a newly discovered resolve, asked sharply, “Why did you speak so brusquely with my friend.”
“Why did you not tell me you had met Miss Kent?”
“Must I receive your permission?”
“Yes!” Darcy glowered. “You are too young to choose the right associations. Miss Kent is…”
“She is a lovely lady. She is most kind and has wonderful stories. Why can I not choose my own friends?”
“Because sister, I will never again take my role as guardian as lightly as I did last year. All social activities must first be approved by me!”
“You treat me as a child!”
“You are a child, and I am responsible for you. I cannot, and will not, let you fall into another schemer’s trap.”
“She is not a schemer! I am not the same foolish girl. I will speak to Richmond.”
“Do not think you can hide behind his uniform. He will be more adamant than I am. We spoke about your growing attraction with Mr. Kent, and we have agreed to put an end to it. You kept your acquaintance with his sister a secret, and that is reason enough for me to end your friendship with her.”
“You speak of my attraction to Kent? Humph. You do not know what you speak. I knew you did not trust me! I… I… I hate you.” Georgiana sobbed and ran from the room.
***
Darcy raised his head and glowered at Kent when he rushed into the study. “I demand to know what your intentions are towards Miss Darcy.”
Kent took a step backwards. “I will not answer you when you speak to me in such a manner. I am not Bingley, who you have reduced to a cowering, simpering fool.” He took a few steps forward. “I am not afraid of you.”
“You will leave my sister alone. I will never permit any courtship between you two.”
“Why would I want her?”
“You are a social climber, a sycophant. I will not let you latch on to my world through her.”
“Latch onto your world? Bah. You may keep it. I have grown to despise everything about your world. The upper class is comprised of lazy, rich men who prefer to squander their days in meaningless activities. If we were to sit around all day drinking, gambling, and in seductions with women of ill-repute, this country would cease to exist.” Kent took another step closer. “We are the ones creating its wealth these days. We will be the ones creating the future. We will look down upon the likes of you.”
Before Darcy could react, Kent moved another step closer and shouted, “You are a self centered cur. You are arrogant beyond reason. You are not an aristocrat, such a Blake, and you are not as wealthy as I will be in two years. You have no cause to treat me as one would treat dirt beneath their fingernails, solely because I prefer not to be a gentleman farmer!
Darcy opened his mouth to speak.
“No, I shall interrupt you this time. You do not get a chance to speak until I have finished my thought.” When Darcy nodded, Kent continued. “You think everyone is after your money or your good name. Well, keep it. I would not have it if you forced it upon me. You will scare away every man that seeks Georgiana’s favor. She is doomed to a spinster’s life unless, of course, you write a contract with an idiot with a title and his own money. You do not care for your sister.”
“Do not speak to me about my sister.”
“I will speak to you any way I want to. I am one man you cannot control and manipulate to your desires.”
“I do not manipulate, Kent.
“Bah! You are a fool, as Rawlings once charged if you truly believe that. You manipulate everyone that crosses your path.”
“For example?”
“Blake.”
“Blake? How the hell did I manipulate him?”
“You never told him the truth about Mrs. Bennet.” Kent tapped his own chest. “Yes, I know all about the balcony scene. I was there, off to the side. I had gone out for fresh air, after a long evening in hot, sticky clothes. Blake and Miss Elizabeth soon appeared, and before I could say anything, they spoke in terms I should have not have heard. I could not embarrass them by showing myself then.” He stepped closer. “So, you see, I know what you did.”
“And what, pray, was that?”
“You never told Blake about Mrs. Bennet only hearing a part of his situation, the part where you accused him of being penniless. In fact I believe you mentioned his financial situation only after you noticed Mrs. Bennet standing at the door. I noticed the glint in your eye and the smirk upon your face when she appeared. That is when you decided to use her to help keep her daughter away from him. Had Blake known who was listening behind him, he might have acted differently the next day.”
“How do you know how he acted? You were in already in London.”
“There are many things shared outside of your ears. I will not tell you how I know, but be aware that I know all about it. You never set him straight. I assumed that it was because you wanted her for yourself. Jealousy does make for unsound judgments. You managed the entire mess.”
Darcy opened his mouth to speak until Kent raised his open palm.
“Again, I will not let you interrupt me.” Kent paused until Darcy gave him the signal to continue. “I doubt you even know that you interrupt others. Humph! Did you know you utter that sound whenever you are not pleased with the conversation? Nevertheless, I digress. Shall we discuss Bingley now? Shall I explain how you manipulate him?” He waited until Darcy nodded. “You call him your dearest friend, and yet you ruined forever his chance for happiness.”
Darcy pressed his lips tightly together.
“You talked him out of his plans to marry Miss Bennet. She loved him; that I know. I tried to talk sense into him, but, unfortunately, only your judgment was valuable to him. Rawlings tried too. I have no idea if Blake and Bingley ever commiserated with each other. Two men, destroyed by you. Well, Rawlings was only fortunate that his wife died, otherwise he would still be living in hell because of your selfish actions.”
“You heard something about Margaret Stevens and me?”
“It is a gossipy place, London. Everyone talked about it. You are so vain you do not think anyone can be smarter than you are. Miss Bingley heard what happened, and when you did not return her attentions, it was not long before London knew. She has been busy since we left Netherfield. I tried to convince her it would not be wise to meddle with a Darcy, but she is, as they say, a woman scorned. All the particulars are hazy, but it is understood you allowed another supposed good friend to live with your mistake.”
“This time you have gone too far, Kent. You are only correct in that you do not know the whole story.”
“Perhaps, but I know enough to realize why Rawlings was included in the alliance. He had nothing to bring. I am not a fool.”
“Humph.”
Kent shook his head in a slow motion until Darcy realized he had uttered his familiar grunt.
“I suspect you treat your cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, as an underling as well. Did he have to wait until you were r
eady to return? Georgiana mentioned he had made plans with her. Did you even bother to tell him you were delaying your trip? When you extended your stay, you did not send word to me.”
Darcy sucked in a quick breath.
“Oh! You forgot our plans to go north? Or did you deem the trip as unimportant? You still think my kind and I are beneath you, so much so, you cared not what my Aunt had prepared for you. The Kent family is not up to your status; we are not your kind. Yes, Darcy, my kind. When you attended the Lunar Society Meeting at Bingley’s, did you show any kindness to my sister?”
“I was not introduced to her.”
“I arrived late and assumed you had been introduced. Bingley would have done so if you had asked. But you never asked for any introductions to any lady attending. See? We are not worth your trouble. Well, I am rich, and on my thirtieth birthday, I will be extremely wealthy; so rich, in fact, there has already been talk of knighthood. And if all goes as planned, I will be Sir to you, and then you would be required to walk behind… me!”
“Then you will be a member of that horrible upper class you said you so despise. Even as a knighted man, I would not permit your marriage to my sister.”
“Poor Miss Darcy. She has no chance.”
“Not with you, Kent. I will never allow it.”
“See, you have jumped to a conclusion that has never existed. You once accused Miss Elizabeth of willfully misunderstanding everyone, but you must own to that particular trait. She may do so as well, but not out of malice, only inexperience. You assumed, just because I was friendly to your sister, I wanted her fortune.”
“I learned about your pending wealth at Bingley’s dinner. Money has nothing to do with my decisions for my sister. But what is your agenda? You have one, and I have believed it for a long time now.”
“You want to know the truth?” Kent waited.
Darcy nodded.
“First, it is true I attached myself on to you as closely as a leech would affix itself to a dying man. Bingley and I were friends long before we attended Cambridge together. Once there, I did manipulate events for the sole purpose of ingratiating myself with you. Yes, I do have an agenda, and I am also skilled at manipulation; but it is not about you, your fortune, your name, or even your sister.”
Hearing Darcy scoff, Kent pointed to the chairs, inviting him to sit.
Darcy sat down, crossed his arms, and waited.
“I have been in love with Lady Victoria ever since the day I saw her visiting you at Cambridge.”
“Victoria?” Darcy dropped his jaw and uncrossed his arms.
“Yes. Everything I have done, I have done to win her. Fortunately for me, I had moved into the house before you and Rawlings had invited Blake to join us. He would never have allowed me to live there. Another reason I despise him. He never went long without holding his superiority over me. You and Rawlings were much the same.”
“He is superior, Kent. He is a Marquess and one day he will be a Duke. But if his attitude disturbed you, why did you stay?”
“I would not have had I not seen Lady Victoria. But by then, all I wanted was to find a way to be meet her and be near her. You do not know how difficult it was for me when she never returned to Cambridge. I kept waiting.”
“Her brother had graduated. So all this time you stayed just to catch a glimpse of her?”
“Yes. But I decided I would have to wait until I could gain an introduction from you at a ball or party in town. I believed my association with you would be the simplest path to gaining her hand. Surprisingly, it was not you, but your sister who helped me meet her. Miss Darcy is adept at spotting angst in another person. She called me on it right away.”
Darcy wondered if she had revealed her past with him, but he feared asking.
“Your sister is a sensitive soul, and one day I will challenge you to treat her in a more deserving fashion. I have grown fond of her, as an older brother or cousin would. She is a sweet child.”
“Yes she is.”
“Your sister delivered a rose to Lady Victoria for me once, and I admit this is not exactly honorable, but I sent Lady Victoria letters through my sister. Sarah sent them to Miss Darcy, who in turn snuck them to your cousin. And before you bark at me, yes; I did secretly introduce my sister. They have become friends. It is obvious that you would never let her associate with a tradesman’s daughter. Remember, you did not bother to speak to my sister at the Lunar Society dinner. I am surprised you spoke to any of the attendees.”
“I admire the people that attended that dinner. And I would not keep her from friendship with your sister as long as I am confident the purpose is not for deceitful reasons. I have no problem associating or socializing with the Kent family.”
“Not true; you cut me one evening. You cannot imagine how I felt when you, Miss Darcy and Lady Victoria left for the theater when we first returned from Netherfield. You left me behind without so much as a by-your-leave. From that moment, I despised everything about your kind. You take what you want and then ignore us.”
Darcy leaned forward and pointed his finger at Kent. “To willfully misunderstand is another trait we share. You have done the same.”
“How so?
“That night my uncle requested I take Lady Victoria to the theater, and demanded none of my friends attend with us. I suspect he was trying to protect her from Blake, but I agreed. So, you see, you are also culpable of misunderstanding the situation, and are guilty of assuming the worst.
Kent shrugged. “You could have told me. I would have understood. I would have helped you keep those two separated.”
“You did not give me the benefit of doubt.”
“And you could have given me the benefit of the doubt. There never was anything beyond friendship with Miss Georgiana. I tell the truth. She is a child, Darcy. I seek a woman.”
Darcy puzzled over a thought. “So your antagonism to Blake was—”
“Because of the cruel way he treated Lady Victoria. How I hated him. How I hate him still. I have tried to put it all aside, but I cannot. I do not know if you are aware that he has moved on to another lady, a Miss Godwin. They would make a good match. She has standing and money. I do not believe she has a heart either.”
“About Blake. You are not aware of the whole story with Victoria. He is worthy of your respect. I cannot divulge a confidence, but I ask that you trust me in this regard. I know you find that hard to do today; I implore you to try.”
“To use your word... humph!”
Darcy opened his mouth, shut it, and then opened it again. “Kent, my uncle will never allow a connection to his daughter with a tradesman’s son. Whatever you thought my beliefs were, they are multiplied tenfold with him.”
“It does not matter; she is of age. He will come around, I suspect, if my plan works. I doubt he would choose to disown her, once my place in society has been gained.”
“I warn you, he is not easily swayed. I have never succeeded on any subject.” Darcy twisted his signet ring around his finger as he contemplated a new concern. “Will you be leaving the alliance?”
“Of course not. Regardless of any disagreement subsisting between us, I always honor my signed contracts. And, I will proceed with my plan for knighthood. The alliance will speed it up; two years is a long time to wait to start the process.” Kent laughed as Darcy smiled. “We are much alike, I think. We own many of the same faults.”
“Oh?”
“We are stubborn men who expect everyone to accept us without reason.”
A World of Expectations_Book 2_The Confrontation Page 31