by APRIL FLOYD
When the ladies came to the final verses, Miss Dumont joined them. She leaned against Mr. Darcy as she sang.
Oh love be handsome and love be kind
Gay as a jewel when first it is new
But love grows old and waxes cold
And fades away like the morning dew
* * *
Must I go bound while you go free
Must I love a man who doesn't love me
Must I be born with so little art
As to love a man who'll break my heart
* * *
When cockle shells turn silver bells
Then will my love come back to me
When roses bloom in winter's gloom
Then will my love return to me
Elizabeth thought Miss Dumont terribly bold and most ungrateful to her hosts to flirt with male guest in such a manner.
Mr. Darcy, for his part, left to join the men before the song was done and soon the three of them left the drawing room for the library. Elizabeth could not blame him for wishing to escape the company of Miss Dumont, but she was sad to see him go.
As the ladies quit the piano forte to take their tea, Miss Dumont mentioned that St. Valentine’s Day was but a week away. “I had thought we might host a ball, ma chérie. We might tell all of London about your babe. It would be lovely, non?”
Jane did not know what to think. It was not a thing she had thought of before. She looked to Elizabeth. “Do you think Charles might agree? I suppose a ball at Bingley House would be a way to christen the home, so to speak.”
Elizabeth saw Miss Dumont as a scheming lady but she could not argue against a ball. It would be lovely to meet their neighbors and share a festive evening before Jane became heavy with child. “I suppose it could be wonderful to meet everyone and open Bingley House. Let us find what Mr. Bingley thinks of the matter before making plans.”
“Nonsense,” said Miss Dumont, “men know very little of planning a ball or even thinking of such an undertaking. We shall only have to speak with Cook and arrange for flowers, which may be difficult in Town this time of year. But, hundreds of candles will do if they are all we have.”
Elizabeth looked to Jane and shrugged. Her sister was the mistress of Bingley House and all things social were in her realm to decide.
“To think of it now, I am most excited.” Jane smiled and reminded Elizabeth to write to their mother inviting her and the remaining Bennet sisters to Town.
Miss Dumont thought of another gambit to entice the men of the house. “We shall have a dinner the night before the ball with Mr. Darcy, and Miss Darcy,” she said smiling brightly at the young lady, “you must come as well with your cousin the colonel if he is in town.”
Jane could not object to something as simple as a dinner and so she listened intently to the plan Miss Dumont laid out.
“We shall exchange valentines that night in the spirit of the day. It is a custom in our home to hold such a dinner and invite our friends. Some matches have been made at our dinner table on the night before St. Valentine’s Day,” she finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
Elizabeth wondered if Miss Dumont meant to make a match with Mr. Darcy or if she were setting a plan so that her brother, Mr. Dumont, might seek a match with her.
“Would it not be uncomfortable for those of us without a husband or sibling present? I would agree to a dinner before the ball, but this dinner seems contrived.”
Miss Dumont waved away Elizabeth’s doubt. “It is only in good fun, Miss Bennet. If you do not wish to write a valentine, no one will think the worse of you.”
The ladies began to plot the ball and draw up a menu for the dinner. Elizabeth rose and went to look out the window onto the street.
Did she dare write a valentine to Mr. Darcy? She surely would not write one to Mr. Dumont for she did not like him in the least.
Elizabeth was certain that Miss Dumont would write to Mr. Darcy. What if he was drawn into Miss Dumont’s arms and she missed the opportunity to tell him her feelings had changed where he was concerned?
Two weeks later, on the eve of the Valentine dinner, Elizabeth paid close attention to her hair and dress. She had decided to write a valentine to Mr. Darcy after all for the events of the past weeks revealed that she must in order to counter Miss Dumont.
Miss Bingley had come to visit with Mrs. Hurst and the argument that ensued between Miss Dumont and Caroline Bingley had been most contentious.
Before Mrs. Hurst had been able to remove her younger sister from the drawing room at Bingley House, Elizabeth and Jane had heard that Miss Dumont had set her cap for Mr. Darcy some years back and had shamelessly thrown herself at him before one and all.
Elizabeth imagined the behavior must have been much worse than she had witnessed since the woman’s arrival in London. The idea caused her cheeks to burn and sympathy for both Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley filled her heart.
Though her lack of admiration for Miss Bingley continued, she despised Miss Dumont’s flirtatious nature and thought Miss Bingley had rightly been hurt by her cousin’s betrayal. It seemed Miss Dumont had known how mad her cousin was over Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth’s thoughts turned to the day before when she had met Mr. Darcy in the park while she strolled with a footman following behind.
Mr. Dumont had gone with Mr. Bingley on business and Miss Dumont was with Jane in the parlor making certain every last detail of the ball had been seen to by the servants.
She had taken the opportunity to walk unaccompanied by either Dumont and rushed out of the house. Mr. Darcy had joined her on her second circuit around the park.
When he appeared by one of the stone arches marking the entry, she had smiled and left the path to greet him. “Mr. Darcy, what a lovely surprise! I had not thought to see you today.”
He took her hand and placed it carefully on his arm. Elizabeth admired the greatcoat he wore for the way it made his shoulders appear broader. The scent of orange and cedar had mingled as he brought his arm up and she inhaled deeply.
“Miss Bennet, I saw your footman and hoped you were here alone.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I escaped Bingley House with only the footman to accompany me. I believe I winded the poor man with my rush to arrive here without anyone coming along.”
Mr. Darcy walked with her and was silent for a moment. “Pardon my curiosity, but do you not find Mr. Dumont dashing and handsome enough to tempt you?”
She recalled those words, how Mr. Darcy had said as much about her the first time they met at the Assembly in Meryton many months ago. “His sister is insufferable and he is a seducer. His insincere words fall on my ears with such frequency, I am nearly driven to run away home to Longbourn. If Jane did not need me here, I would go.”
Mr. Darcy made a sound in his throat and Elizabeth knew her words had caused him to regret asking his question. “I would speak with Charles if you wish. I do not like the idea of Mr. Dumont cornering you as though you were his prey.”
Elizabeth had assured Mr. Darcy that she was capable of defending her honor and that the Dumonts would soon return North before asking her own question. “I imagine you find Miss Dumont handsome enough to tempt you? She is very beautiful.”
Mr. Darcy had stopped and turned to her. “Beauty is a fine thing for a woman to have in her favor, but it is also ruined by calculation and scheming. I prefer a woman of intellect and curiosity. One with a natural beauty and capable mind.”
“And have you ever met such a woman as the one you describe?” Elizabeth asked the question before she might think better of it and dropped her gaze when she realized how bold she had been.
Mr. Darcy tilted her chin up with one gloved finger so that he might look into her eyes as he spoke. “Truthfully, I have. But I wounded her pride most foolishly and wronged her sister. I do not know if she would wish to align herself with me now.”
Elizabeth held her breath and looked earnestly into his eyes. The footman passed them and she turned away from Mr. Darcy. Not once more did they s
peak of the matter as they made another circuit of the park’s path.
Now, as she dismissed her maid and pulled a sheet of stationary from her writing desk drawer, Elizabeth sat thoughtfully staring at the parchment.
She smiled as the words came to her. Elizabeth dipped her pen in the ink bottle and began to write carefully.
To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
She signed it with a lovely, bold E at the bottom and rose to allow the ink to dry before folding the paper. It was not forward nor demanding of Mr. Darcy, only playful and lighthearted.
Elizabeth hoped he might know her feelings from the playful, unassuming note.
Her stomach knotted with anticipation of the evening ahead. Miss Dumont had laid down rules in a letter sent to each dinner guest, including those who resided at Bingley House. They were allowed one valentine each to give to the person they admired most. The note must consist only of poetry and nothing more, and they might only sign with the initial of their first name.
A knock came at her door and Elizabeth startled. She rushed to the writing desk and carefully folded her one note. On the front she swiftly wrote the initial F, the first letter of Mr. Darcy’s name, and willed her hand not to shake. Blowing upon the letter, her heart sang to know Mr. Darcy would understand her feelings by the time the evening was done.
She went to the door and found Jane outside patiently waiting. “I am sorry, my dearest sister. I had to allow the ink to dry on my valentine.”
Jane tried to spy the initial Elizabeth had written on her valentine, but her sister was quick to tuck it into her skirt pocket.
“I believe I know who may receive your valentine this night, Lizzy. Won’t you tell me or will you make me guess?” Jane attempted a pout but Elizabeth only laughed.
“You will know soon enough! We may not spoil the surprise nor give away our secrets. If my valentine is not inclined to reply in the same manner, then no one will be hurt. If they do respond in kind, then all will rejoice.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “You sound like Papa! I never could stand waiting, you know.”
7
The dining room of Bingley House was most intimately decorated with candles and jasmine flowers from Mr. Darcy’s hot house. Their perfume lent a romantic air to the room.
Elizabeth took her seat across from Mr. Darcy and next to Mr. Dumont. Mr. Bingley sat next to her at the head of the table and Jane was at the other end with the colonel and Miss Darcy.
Miss Dumont sat between Mr. Darcy and his sister. Certainly Elizabeth could see that Miss Dumont had made the seating arrangements to keep Mr. Darcy and his conversation to herself.
In the parlor before dinner, Elizabeth had been introduced to Colonel Fitzwilliam and noticed he seemed very protective of Miss Darcy, who stayed by his side from the moment the Darcy party arrived at Bingley House. The girl seemed smitten with her cousin and Elizabeth thought they must have written valentines to one another.
Miss Dumont had collected all the valentines before they left the parlor and placed them in a silver decorative bowl from the table beside the dining room door. The bowl now sat in the center of the table and Miss Dumont had said they would each be given their valentine before dessert was served.
Elizabeth’s stomach was unsettled the whole of dinner but she made an effort to speak with the colonel more than Mr. Dumont. The expression on Miss Darcy’s face at this transgression made her finally turn to speak with the man she least favored in the room.
When the arrival of dessert was imminent, Elizabeth ran her palms over her skirt beneath the table in anticipation of receiving her note.
Miss Dumont rose and took the bowl from the table as the footmen were instructed to hold the service of dessert until after she had finished passing out the notes.
She circled the room searching the bowl as she stopped before each guest. With Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, she teased them before handing each their valentine.
The guests laughed along with her good humor and even Elizabeth could not fault the woman for the fun she brought to the event.
When Miss Dumont came to Elizabeth, she paused and peered closely into the bowl before drawing out a valentine that bore a lovely E upon the front.
It was done in a most elegant manner, but overly ornate and flowery. It was certainly her brother’s hand. She gave it to Elizabeth and smiled. “True love awaits, Miss Bennet! As we are among the unmarried ladies this evening, we must have nothing less.”
Miss Dumont moved on to her brother with the valentine Mr. Darcy had intended for Elizabeth still in the bowl. There were two valentines addressed to F and again, Miss Dumont knew her own hand and so gave Elizabeth’s letter for Mr. Darcy to her brother instead.
Finishing at last with Mr. Darcy, Miss Dumont kept his valentine to Elizabeth for herself. She and Mr. Dumont had discussed how best to trick Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and the plan had gone as designed. Mr. Darcy was given his valentine from Miss Dumont.
Dessert was brought as the guests unfolded their valentines around the table. Since the notes were supposed to contain a poem and nothing more besides the initial of the sender, each guest was encouraged to read their note aloud.
Mr. Bingley’s had been sweet and full of heartfelt sentiment while Jane’s was funny and a little bawdy which surprised her sister and Mr. Bingley. Laughter from the men and blushes from the ladies circled the room.
The colonel held Miss Darcy’s gaze as he repeated his poem from memory, its lines speaking of love awaiting maturity. Miss Darcy could only blush and smile at her older cousin, for she was deemed too young by Mr. Darcy to participate in the game.
The guests gasped as the colonel stood suddenly and went to Miss Darcy, kneeling by her chair. When he proposed and she sweetly accepted, the party rose as one to congratulate them, clapping and giving their best wishes for a happy union.
Mr. Bingley slapped Mr. Darcy on the back. “Did you know, Darcy? But of course, you would. We shall announce their engagement at the ball tomorrow if it is Miss Darcy’s wish.”
Mr. Darcy nodded and held up a hand. “Allow me to speak with my sister and the colonel. There is much to plan and we would return to Darcy House if Mrs. Bingley does not mind. I do hate to break up this wonderful dinner party, but I had not expected my cousin to propose so soon.”
Jane congratulated the couple and assured Mr. Darcy he was right to take them back to Darcy House. “I am honored to have hosted such a romantic occasion. I do hope the colonel and Miss Darcy will dine with us again when they have made their vows.”
Elizabeth was disappointed that Mr. Darcy and his party would leave the dinner before the rest of the valentines had been read.
On second thought, she did not wish to follow the romantic spectacle of a proposal with only a kind note asking for a friendship. Colonel Fitzwilliam had set the bar high for expectations.
Miss Dumont seemed most upset as she passed by Elizabeth on her way to the parlor. She held her valentine tightly in her hand until the paper creased and bent.
In the time it took Miss Dumont to disappear inside the parlor, Elizabeth realized that Mr. Darcy must have given his note to Miss Dumont as Mr. Dumont would not have written a valentine to his own sister.
Elizabeth had not watched when Miss Dumont gave Mr. Darcy his note for she was far too nervous. He ought to have two, the one from her and the one from Miss Dumont.
Her cheeks flamed a bright pink when she realized he would open her silly poem and think her a child when held against whatever romantic thing Miss Dumont had written him.
When Elizabeth looked down at her own hands, she dreaded opening the carefully folded paper. Elizabeth Bennet did not wish to have a valentine from any man other than Mr. Darcy.
“Ma cheríe,” Mr. Dumont said too close to her ear, “was it not a most romantic gesture the colonel made in the dining room?”
&n
bsp; His breath was warm against her ear and Elizabeth moved away just as Mr. Dumont took hold of her elbow. Pulling her arm free, she pushed him away and hurried into the parlor, angered by the liberty he took with her when no one was nearby.
All through the evening in the parlor, Miss Dumont sulked and Mr. Dumont watched Elizabeth as a cat stalking a poor mouse. No matter whether she sat beside Jane or went to the piano forte to play for them, he was there watching her.
At one point, he asked her what her valentine had been and she showed him the still folded parchment. “I have not read it, yet. Perhaps before I go to sleep, I will open it and see what silliness was written.”
Mr. Dumont smiled. “The desires of my heart are sincere, Miss Bennet. I would never write them if they were not.”
Elizabeth rose and moved away from him again, but he would follow her with his eyes no matter where she went. In no mood to play cat and mouse all the evening, Elizabeth went to stand beside him at the fireplace and whispered her dislike of his behavior.
He only laughed and whispered back how very eager he was to see whether she was as spirited when alone with him.
Elizabeth thought of slapping him then, but she would not embarrass her sister and brother by marriage in such a manner. Instead, she looked into Mr. Dumont’s eyes, moved closer to corner him against the mantel, and hissed at him. “You shall never know. The only man I would ever be alone with has left this house to return to his own.”
With that she turned away and stalked from the room stopping only to say her good nights to Jane and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth did not bother to speak to Miss Dumont as the lady sat at the piano forte and played something melancholy.
Mr. Bingley turned to Jane as Elizabeth quit the parlor. “Let us retire my dear, it seems my cousins and your sister are most unhappy with tonight’s turn of events. I would have thought the colonel’s proposal to Miss Darcy might have kept them gossiping for at least another hour.”