She found the haggard woman in the nursery, cradling the child against her and bouncing him as she paced by the windows.
“Let me take him,” she offered. “Wrap him up well and I will take him out to the gardens. The spring air and sunshine will be good for him.”
The grateful woman hastened to do as she asked. Within ten minutes, Kitty found herself in her own spencer, cradling the baby as she walked the garden path. Her bonnet lay rejected inside in deference to the pounding headache that still held her captive.
The combination of the fresh air and warmth from the sun’s rays seemed to work a miracle on the little boy. Fifteen minutes of walking had calmed him and very nearly put him to sleep. His little body had relaxed into hers and Kitty was murmuring soft nonsense to him when a commotion up the drive drew her attention. Two riders were approaching the parsonage.
She changed her direction to meet them at the gate, not wanting the visitors to disrupt the household while they were finally enjoying a well-deserved respite.
As they drew nearer, Kitty recognized Colonel Fitzwilliam, but the identity of the second rider continued to elude her. He wore his hat low over his face, preventing her from getting a good look at his features.
“Good morning!” Colonel Fitzwilliam called out, drawing his mount close to the garden gate. He dismounted to approach her, throwing the reins of his mount to his companion to hold.
“I trust your morning has been pleasant, Miss Bennet,” he said agreeably.
She acquiesced, holding her voice to low tones in order to prevent waking the babe. She wondered that he did not introduce his friend; but there were many in the Fitzwilliams’ circle of friends that would consider her beneath their notice.
“I have come with instructions to invite the household to dinner. My wife and her mother desire the company of your party this evening.”
“I shall inform Mr. Collins, sir.” Normally outgoing, Kitty dreaded the idea of being in company that evening. But the obsequious Mr. Collins would never refuse an invitation from his beloved patroness. She would be obliged to attend.
“Very good then.”
His companion’s horse whinnied loudly as Colonel Fitzwilliam’s mount strayed too close to it.
Kitty’s startled gaze rose to meet the stranger’s blue eyes as he studied her intently from under the brim of his hat.
For one long moment, Kitty could not look away from him, lost in the intensity of his gaze. Then young William let out an earsplitting wail of complaint at being woken so rudely. Immediately, her attention shifted to the baby she held, and the Colonel bid her a hasty adieu, mounting his horse and trotting rapidly down the lane.
The stranger watched her unnoticed as she headed back down the path towards the house, cooing to the baby and bouncing him, before turning his mount to follow his friend.
*****
Nathaniel Watson was not a man who tolerated idiocy. He ground his teeth in an effort to control himself as Lady Catherine began another of her long-winded discourses. When he had accepted Colonel Fitzwilliam’s offer to visit him and his new bride, he had not expected to have the mother-in-law in constant attendance also. One would think the woman would accept that her rightful place was in the dower house!
The occupants of the drawing room seemed to accept her presence as matter-of-course. He desperately needed a distraction, but their dinner guests were not expected to arrive for half an hour yet. In an attempt to assuage his temper, he allowed his mind to wander to the expected guests.
He had jumped at the chance to accompany Fitzwilliam to the parsonage in order to extend the invitation. The fresh air had whisked away the vestiges of the dank drawing room and invigorated him. Even his high-spirited mount seemed pleased to have escaped the confines of his stall, surging and shying at any movement, eager for a good run.
They had approached the gates of the parsonage all too soon. Enthralled with the joy of the ride, he did not notice the woman who came to meet them until they were practically upon her. She studied him curiously as he took Fitzwilliam’s reins, but appeared to dismiss his presence as his companion began to speak.
He had frowned as he studied her. Her dress marked her as genteel, but her hair was loose, cascading around her shoulders in lush, satin waves. She did not wear a bonnet, in utter disregard for the bounds of propriety. And she did not even appear embarrassed to be caught so!
Still, something about her intrigued him. Her features were dainty and feminine, pretty- but nothing extraordinary. A small part of him admired her audacity to appear so carefree in public, and he could not deny that he found her attractive with her tresses flowing free. Still, there was nothing at all about her that would set her apart from the masses of debutantes seeking a title and a fortune.
In his distraction, he had neglected to pay attention to his high-strung mount. Colonel Fitzwilliam’s gentle roan ambled too close to his own gelding, and his mount struck out at the other horse, whinnying loudly in protest.
The young woman’s eyes had snapped up at the interruption. Instantly, he was drowning in her clear, bottle green gaze. Her eyes held a hint of irritation, but any other discoveries he might have made were lost when a baby’s cry split the air. His eyes had been drawn downward to a bundle she had been cradling that he had hitherto ignored.
He had been startled to realize the bundle she held was actually a child. What was she doing with a baby? She certainly did not seem to be old enough for the child to be hers.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had come scurrying back to collect his mount as the cries grew in intensity. Nathaniel had watched the woman as she hurried away. He still could not explain why the idea of the child being hers bothered him so much.
He noted with pleasure that the time had neared for their guests to arrive. Surely now some of his questions would be answered.
As if on cue, the door opened to admit their guests.
“A Mr. William Collins, Miss Maria Lucas, and Miss Catherine Bennet,” the footman intoned drolly.
Nathaniel studied the additions to their party as introductions were made. He was inexplicably disappointed to see that the young lady he had admired earlier had been restored to her proper dress. She wore a simple, yet elegant, gown and her hair was curled and piled on top of her head in the latest fashion. He saw none of the free spirit that had so enthralled him earlier. In their place was a dull, subdued girl that he easily dismissed as unimportant.
*****
Kitty barely paid any heed as the introductions were made. Her mother would have been horrified to note with what little enthusiasm she shared the room with the decidedly single Marquess of Rockingham. Her head pounded fiercely from the myriads of pins that pressed against her scalp, holding up her mass of hair. In her exhaustion, every movement was excruciating, and when she moved it felt as if her limbs were weighted down with stones.
She took a seat next to Maria Lucas on the settee and tried to maintain an attentive air as Mr. Collins greeted his patroness with excessive admiration. Lady Catherine monopolized the conversation, her sharp, intrusive voice pausing only for Mr. Collins’ flattery.
It was with some relief that the entire party went in to dine. Kitty found herself seated, in a surprising move, to Lady Catherine’s left, with the Marquess seated across from her and Mr. Collins to her left. She tried not to allow the shock to show on her face as she took her seat.
It soon appeared that Lady Catherine had engineered such a situation for a purpose. As sister of the despised Elizabeth Darcy, who had upset her long hoped for plans, Lady Catherine was intent on exposing all her deficiencies for the table at large.
“How is your sister, Miss Bennet?” Lady Catherine asked with a smirk. “I hope she is not finding the rigors of Town too challenging.”
“You will have to be more specific as to which sister you are referring to,” Kitty replied. “I have four, as you are aware, two of which are in Town at the moment.”
Lady Catherine sniffed irritably. “I was
referring to Miss Elizabeth. She is the only one of your sisters I am acquainted personally with, although I am aware of your youngest sister and that patched-up marriage of hers.”
Kitty blushed at the insinuation, but ignored the jab and responded mildly, “My sister Elizabeth is enjoying the opportunity to sample the pleasures of Town. There is a stubbornness about her that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. Her courage rises with every attempt to intimidate her. The trait has only grown since she has become Mrs. Darcy.”
Lady Catherine frowned at the mention of Elizabeth’s married name. “She always did give her opinion very decidedly for so young a person. I am sure my nephew will tire of that soon enough. He will turn to those befitting his station before long.”
Kitty lifted her chin. “You will have to excuse me for choosing to believe otherwise. It would hardly encourage sisterly affection if I did not wish the best for my sister in her marriage.”
The lady harrumphed and momentarily applied herself to her meal, allowing Kitty to sigh in relief and attend to her own plate. But the reprieve was only momentary, and soon Lady Catherine was on the attack again.
“I hope that you have applied yourself to becoming accomplished in the areas which your sister neglected. No excellence in music, or any other pursuit, is to be acquired without constant practice. I have told Miss Bennet this several times; she will never play really well unless she practices more.”
Kitty raised a brow at Lady Catherine’s use of her sister’s maiden name. “I believe Mr. Darcy finds Mrs. Darcy’s playing to be quite satisfactory. Exquisite even. I fear I cannot say the same about my own. My sister Mary is said to be quite accomplished at the pianoforte, but I never showed any affinity for the instrument.”
“Do you draw then?”
“Not at all.”
“I never heard of such a thing!” She turned and applied to the Marquess for the first time in the conversation. “Lord Rockingham, surely you have never heard of such a deficiency in a young lady’s education among your circles.”
He met Kitty’s eyes over the table, his expression indecipherable. “No. I have not.”
Kitty lowered her eyes to her plate. She was beginning to tire of this line of inquiry. An attack on her person was not what she had had in mind for the evening’s entertainment, especially in her current state. She had endeavored to address Lady Catherine with every appearance of civility, even when that lady had not shown her the same consideration.
Fortunately, Lady Catherine believed her point to be made from Lord Rockingham’s reply and left off interrogating Kitty in favor of expounding upon her own many virtues. Mr. Collins was eager to support her in this line of discussion and he inserted his own praises on the subject with delighted alacrity.
Kitty could not help but feel her own inferiority at that moment, and lacking the courage that her sister possessed, applied herself to her dinner without an upward glance.
*****
Nathaniel looked forward to the separating of the sexes after dinner with some trepidation. Had Colonel Fitzwilliam been the only other gentleman present, he would have looked to the occasion with pleasure, but the presence of the parson complicated matters. He had the uneasy feeling that he would become the focus of the man’s obsequious manners in Lady Catherine’s absence.
He was right to be so concerned, for upon the ladies’ removal to the drawing room, Mr. Collins shifted his attention to his prestigious person with such flattery and groveling that Nathaniel began to suspect that the parson had put much forethought into arranging his elegant compliments. Colonel Fitzwilliam watched it all with a glint of laughter in his eye.
At length, Nathaniel could stand it no longer, and his suggestion that they join the ladies in the drawing room was met with approval.
They entered the room to find Lady Catherine holding court over the ladies. There was nothing beneath that lady’s attention when it could furnish her with an occasion of dictating to others. He noted that Miss Bennet was again the object of Lady Catherine’s attention and he could not help but pity the young woman her fate.
He purposefully took a seat as far away from the great lady as possible. Colonel Fitzwilliam joined him on the outskirts of the group, while Mr. Collins eagerly sought out a seat beside his patroness in order to further ingratiate himself.
The two gentlemen began to speak in low tones as Lady Catherine lectured.
“Well, Fitzwilliam, how has marriage been treating you? I do not envy you your new relations.”
“Ah, but you forget that they are not new. I have been attending my aunt for many years now.” He smiled indulgently at the thought of his new bride. “I find I am quite enjoying married life. Anne is very accommodating and she makes very few demands on my time. We are content to be in each other’s company.”
“You claim to feel some affection for her, yet you allow her mother to usurp her rightful place in the household. I confess that I am confused by your actions.”
“Anne has no desire for confrontation. My father has offered us the use of one of his estates in the North. We will withdraw there shortly, allowing Lady Catherine to live out her days at Rosings. She could not be happy without some employment to occupy her. Here, she can be most active among the cottagers, sallying forth to settle their differences, silence their complaints, and scold them into harmony and plenty. Our absence will hardly be noted. But hers will be most appreciated in our new home.”
Here, Kitty was dispatched across the room to display her limited skills at the pianoforte for the company. Nathaniel suspected it was an attempt on Lady Catherine’s part to embarrass the young woman further, for she had specifically noted over dinner that she had no affinity for the instrument.
As she began to hesitantly pick out a simple tune, Colonel Fitzwilliam said slyly, “Are you still as confirmed a bachelor as ever? I thought perhaps some young lady had caught your eye earlier. Miss Bennet is thought to be uncommonly pretty.”
Nathaniel turned his head to lazily observe her at the instrument before declaring, “Yes, but so are half the daughters of the Ton. There is nothing extraordinary enough about her to tempt me.”
Kitty faltered at that moment in her playing, her color high, and he thought for a moment that she had overheard their conversation. But he soon dismissed the notion, in favor of the thought that her concentration would by necessity have been fully upon the instrument and not upon themselves. The blush upon her cheeks was easily explained away as embarrassment over the faulty notes.
He gave no more thought to the matter, instead turning the discussion to more agreeable topics.
*****
It was indeed embarrassment that brought color to Kitty’s cheeks, but it was not due to her faulty playing. She knew herself to be unequal to the task of performing, and so had no false hopes that she would be able to complete her tenure at the instrument without mistakes.
Her blush was due to the comments of a certain gentleman, which although not loud enough to carry to those gathered on the other side of the room, were quite loud enough to be overheard by her.
Kitty parted from the company that night feeling very small indeed. She had known herself to lack the wit and vivacity of Elizabeth and to be inferior in beauty to Jane. She had not the knowledge of Mary, neither her ability to play and sing, nor did she possess Lydia’s high spirits. But it was the first time she had ever felt herself to be positively ordinary. She had nothing to recommend her beyond her newly acquired family connections from sisters’ recent marriages.
She wished at that moment for the comfort of her sisters’ arms. She remembered many a time in their youth when they had crowded five to a bed when one or the other of them had suffered some slight or set-back. How she longed for someone to confide in, to ease her wounded spirit!
But she had only a pillow to entrust her tears to, and an empty room to hear her sorrows.
Chapter 2
The next morning dawned bright and cheerful, and with
it it brought a desire to escape that dreadful house. For the moment, young William Collins slept on, and Kitty felt justified in setting off for a short walk in the park in order to sort her feelings from the night before.
Her headache from the day prior had subsided enough that she was comfortable wearing her bonnet, even with her hair in a simple up-do.
She set off down one of the less traveled lanes of the park, hoping for some privacy. It was not to be. She had only traversed a short distance when a rider approached her from behind. She moved to the side of the lane to allow the rider to pass.
Instead, the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves slowed and drew abreast of her. Curious and a little confused, she turned to observe her companion as he reined in beside her.
Her attention was so immediately caught by the superior example of horseflesh before her that she neglected to detect the identity of its rider. A chuckle from above finally drew her attention.
“I am glad to see that Abaccus has met with your approval, Miss Bennet,” Nathaniel said with a warm smile.
“He moves beautifully,” she agreed, casting her eye once more over the tall bay.
“Yes, he has a very smooth gait. A touch too high-spirited, but I would not have a mount any other way.”
“He must be great fun to ride,” Kitty said enviously.
He tilted his head curiously to study her, recognizing the jealous tone in her voice. “Do you enjoy riding, Miss Bennet?”
“I do,” she admitted. “But I do not often have the opportunity. The horses on my father’s estate are mostly for use around the farm.”
He raised an eyebrow sardonically. “A farm horse is a very different animal than a Thoroughbred like Abaccus. I think you would find him to be more than you can handle.”
She frowned at his condescending manner and replied, “I am sure many would agree with you. If you will excuse me now, I would like to continue my walk.” She turned and resumed walking.
Pride and Precipice Page 20