by Alexa Adams
Kitty watched nervously from the corner of her eye as Sir James advanced upon their party. Focusing on greeting Mr. Brooks and paying Georgiana’s beau the attention he warranted, she tried to ignore the nervous flutterings that filled her person. Elizabeth, perceiving her sister’s unease, touched her shoulder in concern. “Is it too warm in here for you, my dear?”
“No, but I am afraid I may have inherited my mother’s nervous condition. I think I must be having palpitations.”
Elizabeth concealed her humor. “Are you able to dance?”
Kitty steeled herself. “I think so,” and as Sir James made his bow, she responded creditably, allowing him to lead her towards the forming set.
“Rather like sending her off to face the lions, was it not?” commented Mr. Darcy.
“She turned a sickly shade when he approached, did you notice?”
“I certainly did. I also observed Sir James. Elizabeth, I have known that man all his life, and he barely had two words for me in greeting. He must be besotted! Could it have been a case of love at first sight? I certainly began to esteem you the very moment we met.”
“Esteem, yes, but as I recall it was some weeks before you equated that sensation with love, and that was with the aid of my convivial companionship. Kitty could not bring herself to even look at him the other morning, let alone charm him with her manners.”
“Yet she does not appear to be at a loss for words now.”
It was true. Kitty and Sir James were engaged in as intense an exchange as the intricacies of the dance permitted. They had begun the set in silence, Sir James first forays into polite conversation being met with definitive rebuttals. As Kitty could not pretend to pleasantly discuss the weather, she tried to focus all her attention on the dance, forbidding her mind to notice what an excellent performer Sir James was, how handsome he looked in evening dress, or the slight scent of sandalwood she could just detect whenever they met. Her policy seemed to be working when he changed his tactics, eschewing small talk in favor of the direct approach: “Tell me, Miss Bennet, is it your habit to seek to entrance susceptible young men by throwing yourself in front of their horses, or am I your only victim?”
Kitty blushed fiercely but kept her composure. “You know very well, Sir James, that it was through no fault of mine that we suffered our late encounter.”
“Accountability aside, do you deny your triumph? I am quite overcome by your charms, you know.”
She glared at him suspiciously, “I have grave doubts as to the nature of your susceptibility.”
He laughed, “Now I see the fiery young lady who terrified my horses! Your unaccustomed silence had me wondering if I wasn’t mistaken in your identity, and Miss Bennet, sister to Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, only bore a striking resemblance to the apparition that spooked my horses, right in the middle of one of Bath’s main crossings.” She glared at him, and they parted in the dance.
“I had begun to wonder if it wasn’t an encounter with Artemis I had experienced,” he resumed, “quite like a Greek hero, and I cannot tell you how pleased I am to have all such fears laid aside. Here you are, in the flesh!”
“Oh, yes, here I am! Delight in this opportunity of ridiculing me further as much as you like, for I can easily perceive that you had not near enough of the treat the other day.”
“I’m not sure I would attribute my delight to ridicule, as you term it, but I cannot deny that I am inordinately pleased to spar with you once again.”
“You enjoy making young ladies uncomfortable?”
“Uncomfortable? Surely not! I can promise you, Miss Bennet, that if that has been my affect, it was entirely unintentional. I am something of an eccentric, you know, but I can assure you I have no wish to do anything but see to your happiness.”
“This is a very unusual conversation, sir!” she declared, as they again parted.
“I know I have been a bit abrupt, Miss Bennet, but I thought it best to speak frankly to you, as we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
“Rather an understatement, don’t you think? You nearly killed me!”
“Thank goodness I did not!” he declared with such intensity that she laughed.
“You cannot be serious, can you?”
He looked at her with bewildered amusement. “Never have I been more so!”
“I see you are prone to exaggeration! I’ll have you know, Sir James, that I am familiar with eccentrics, having been reared by one, and I will not be bamboozled by you, so you need not even try,” she said with finality, as if the subject were quite closed.
“But I am sincere, Miss Bennet, I assure you!”
“Do you not see how impossible that is to believe?” she replied, and the set came to an end.
As he led her from the floor, he whispered, “Then I shall just have to strive to convince you.”
Returning Kitty to her guardians’ custody, Sir James shared a few words of camaraderie with Mr. Darcy before asking Georgiana to dance. Mr. Brooks, in turn, claimed Kitty’s hand, and the Darcys, who had sat out the first, also joined the forming line. Having gotten past the dreaded dance with Sir James, Kitty felt she could relax and enjoy herself, and eager to make up for her neglect of Georgiana’s interests, Mr. Brooks was left to wonder how his partner could be the withdrawn creature he had met earlier in the week. Kitty was a ready conversationalist; though she lacked Elizabeth’s quick wit, she was able to speak easily on a variety of subjects. It was not long before Mr. Brooks was able to discern those qualities that both Miss Darcy and Sir James valued in this surprisingly unassuming young lady. It was he who introduced the subject of houses, knowing only that Longbourn was a small estate, and was charmed by the candid naivety with which Kitty discussed her family’s circumstances, as well as her own prospects. A sister of Mrs. Darcy need not broadcast her almost portionless state, but Kitty frankly acknowledged the predicament, stating truthfully: “So you see, Mr. Brooks, I have little to recommend me but my charm, and though I have a smaller share of that commodity than most of my sisters, I am certain that I do have more than Mary, and even she made a very good match, though I admit to hoping for something better than Mr. Collins.”
“Is Mr. Collins so very bad?”
“Not so very bad, I suppose, for a Rector.”
He laughed. “Is there something very wrong with marrying a Rector?”
“My sister Lydia thinks so, but I disagree. She says she would not have had him, had it been she he had proposed to, but I think I must have accepted him, were it me, as Longbourn is entailed to him,” she sighed. “But I am very happy to not have been asked. He and Mary are quite perfect together, you know.”
“No. I did not.”
She nodded seriously, “They are, I assure you, and a lady really must not be forced to marry when she is so disinclined as to not be able to persuade herself to the notion. And if Mr. Collins were to have been rejected, it must have been very unpleasant for my family, but I think we would have somehow carried on regardless, don’t you?”
“Most certainly!” he smiled.
“But we are fortunate that was not the case. With the birth of Master Bennet-Collins late last year, we all now have the comfort of knowing the estate will remain in the family. My mother is quite relieved. But I mustn’t run on so about myself! Mrs. Rivers would be appalled. Please tell me what Cornwall is like? Miss Darcy has been telling me all about it. I think it must be beautiful, but in an unreal, almost intimidating manner, like a fairytale. One would not wish to live in such a place. Do you like it?”
“Very much!” he laughed. “The scenery is dramatic and prone to play upon the senses, but I have never encountered anything sinister or monstrous, I assure you. The people possess the same superstitions as all others do, telling their tales of local enchantments, but it is all nonsense. I think Turnley the most wonderful place in the world, except perhaps Teggington.”
“Teggington?”
“Sir James’ estate. I spent as much time there as in my own
home when we were growing up, and it is the only place to which I will even consider ceding preference over Turnley.”
She looked thoughtful, and Mr. Brooks expected her to ask more about Sir James’ estate. That she did not, he thought admirable, but as he was unsure of what it portended for his friend’s chances with the lady, he continued to pursue the subject, sharing a few boyhood reminiscences intended to cast Sir James in the very best light. Kitty smiled, seeming content to listen to his stories, and Mr. Brooks enjoyed sharing his fond memories until their set ended.
Chapter 8
Kitty proved a great success. A pretty lady, having been seen dancing with two highly eligible bachelors, as well as being known as a sister to the Darcys, ought to be a success, and while rumors of an insignificant dowry caused a few interested parties to turn away, it did little to stem her popularity. Perhaps this was because she displayed no shame about it, but more probable was the conviction that Mr. Darcy, if Miss Bennet were to make an advantageous match, would sweeten the deal.
Sir James counted himself lucky to secure her hand for the last dance, especially as she could have so easily sat it out had she wished to avoid him. Little did either know that Mr. Bingley had intended to dance with his sister, he being a great one for dancing and Jane having tired of the exercise long ago, but upon seeing a proper suitor approach, he tactfully hung back. Kitty was in excellent humor: the first time Sir James had yet seen her so, and her conscious blush as he took her hand reassured him ten-fold that he had found precisely the right lady for him. As images of her established at Teggington began to form in his mind, she disarmed him by saying: “I understand from Mr. Brooks that you are quite in the habit of hazarding the life and limbs of your innocent victims, Sir James. My encounter with you was thoroughly unexceptional.”
“He told you that?” he replied, taken aback.
“Most certainly. He related to me, in great detail, the circumstances in which you trapped him in a hole in the ground, dug specifically for that purpose, resulting in a broken leg.”
“But he was the French infantry, and I had to stop him from charging the hill!” he exclaimed in his defense. “Besides, the fall did not break Simon’s leg.”
“No, he said he broke it on a ladder fashioned by you to extricate him from the trap.”
“Well, yes, but it was very good of me to think of providing such a thing, even if I failed to execute the construction very well. I was only nine, you know.”
“Old enough to know the repercussions of dangerous games.”
“And it was I who ran to get help!”
“I should hope so! Mr. Brooks seemed to think the story rendered you a very good chap indeed, but I think it a sorry tale of rescue when the so-called hero causes all the trouble in the first place.”
He blinked, disbelievingly, and then flashed her one of his most charming smiles, “You think me a scoundrel, Miss Bennet?”
She would not look at him directly. “I think you are trouble, Sir James, and for whatever reason you have alighted on me as your next target.”
His smile faded. “You will not be convinced that I am truly interested in your welfare.”
“I cannot imagine why you should be,” she asserted.
“Can you not?”
She blushed and looked away again. “I beg you, sir, to not make me the object of your teasing.”
“And I, again, assure you, Miss Bennet, that I am in earnest. Why not turn to Darcy for an account of my character? You surely will believe his good report of me.”
“I would, if he had one to give. Both he and Miss Darcy speak of you fondly, Sir James, there is no doubt of that, but they also both describe you as an oddity. You yourself admitted your eccentricities.”
“I will not deny them,” he said vehemently. “I was never one to quail at the notion of being exceptional. In fact, I have always rather relished the notion.”
“But you cannot deny that such behavior is calculated to make those around you uncomfortable!”
“Indeed, I do deny it! Nor has anyone ever suggested that my company is anything less than excellent. I have always made friends easily.”
“A more telling question would be if you kept them.”
He was thoroughly nettled, which was a most uncommon state for Sir James. “Do you not have the evidence of your own eyes to attest to that fact?”
“Oh, I cannot count family friends. They are quite a different matter.”
“Miss Bennet, you are determined to cast me in the worst possible light!”
She looked surprised. “No indeed! I am only attempting to persuade you not to trifle with my feelings.”
“And I am trying to persuade you that I have no intention of the sort,” he declared, throwing caution to the wind. “On the contrary, Miss Bennet, I would like to court you!”
She laughed uncomfortably, studying her feet. “This is precisely what I mean!”
“How so?”
“Why would a gentleman like you be interested in an impoverished young lady, only just emerged from the schoolroom? I am not considered as intelligent as my sister Elizabeth, nor a learned as Mary, but I hope I am not such a fool.”
“Perhaps you will explain to me, Miss Bennet, why a gentleman, such as myself, would make sport of a lady in the guardianship of my friend. Such behavior is unheard of!”
“But you are an eccentric, Sir James! You choose not to allow such rules to regulate your conduct.”
He knew not what to say to such illogical assertions as Miss Bennet was casting his way. Never before had he encountered someone so determined to dislike him, and though he was tempted to represent the evidence in his favor, as well as provide some instruction on deduction, instinct told him his explanations would not be received kindly. As Kitty had only become increasingly heated throughout the course of their conversation, he let it lapse into silence and tried to just enjoy dancing with her, but his mind insisted upon brooding. It was clear he would need to employ more unusual means than a mere declaration to convince Miss Bennet of his honorable intentions. Though they were an outrage to reason, he did not begrudge her her doubts. In fact, after being long accustomed to almost every young lady he met taking any friendly overture as a precursor to a proposal, Miss Bennet’s reluctance was a refreshing change. He fancied she did not, in truth, think so very ill of him as she professed. To quote the bard, “The lady doth protest too much,” but whatever her deeper feelings might be, he was determined to change her expressed opinion, and as he said to Mr. Brooks later that evening, “When she does look upon me with affection, I am sure to be certain it is sincere, and not just the maneuverings of a fortune huntress.”
“Indeed, she does not seem to be one concerned with wealth at all. She made no attempt to conceal the very small nature of her dowry, and when I brought up Teggington, she pressed me not a bit for those details which would determine its size and status.”
“But she did inquire into my antics as a child?”
Mr. Brooks looked confused. “Not at all! I shared with her a few stories, but only those that showed you in the best light.”
“Like my digging a trap for you to fall into?”
“I spoke of how you came to my rescue when I had broken my leg!”
“Which she interpreted as an example of lifelong foolishness.”
Mr. Brooks said consciously, “I did not mean it in such a manner. I am sorry, James.”
“I know you did not, Simon. You always mean well. Nevertheless, I am now confronted with something of a predicament. How am I to convince her I am in all seriousness, when she will not believe her own senses? Perhaps I will speak to Darcy, for he may know the way to win her. After all, he succeeded with her sister, did he not?”
“Yes, but he is Darcy, after all. Can you imagine the lady who would reject him?”
Sir James laughed. “I don’t know; if he had made a muddle of a first impression upon his wife, as I have on Miss Bennet, then perhaps his gentlemanly status would
have undergone similar attack.”
Chapter 9
A ball – once the music stopped, the champagne consumed, and the guests dispersed – lives on in the conversations of those who attended. Such events cannot be complete until thoroughly discussed. It carried on that night in Curzon Street, Georgiana and Kitty waiting only until they had rid themselves of excess finery to meet, by appointment, in the private parlor adjoining the latter’s chambers, neither lady having the slightest inclination for sleep. Kitty was effusive in her praise of Mr. Brooks, more than compensating for her earlier lack of attention by regaling Georgiana with a precise account of anything in their conversation that could possibly be of interest to her, but never once did she mention Sir James. Georgiana listened attentively, as Kitty passed from Mr. Brooks to the decor, expressing her admiration for the flowers, and then drifting from this or that lady’s gown to the fare, all without once touching upon the subject of greatest interest to her audience, until finally her patience expired.
“Yet what of your partners, Kitty? You danced every set, and twice with Sir James, and yet you say nothing of him?”
Kitty blushed, “I was fortunate to have many amiable partners.”
“Many amiable partners!” repeated Georgiana, disbelievingly. “Is that all you have to say, when one of the most eligible bachelors in town paid you such particular attention?”
“Is he?” she asked nervously. “I assumed he was well to do, but I know nothing of his fortune. Surely he is not as rich as Mr. Darcy?”
“I do not know for certain,” replied Georgiana, musingly, “but I imagine he is similarly situated. Teggington is not as valuable an estate as Pemberley – about 7 or 8,000 pounds a year, I believe – but he has rather vast shipping interests. He was always intrigued by such matters, and Fitzwilliam says he has amassed quite the fortune.”