Elizabeth saw his reaction. “If I must lose former connections to keep from embarrassing you, I must. Jane will understand if—”
“Jane is not half so embarrassing a connection as Lydia. More scandalous, but far less embarrassing."
“Oh.” Elizabeth’s laugh seemed to release a nervous tension. “She is my sister, but we never were close — if you wish me to break the connection—”
Darcy shook his head. “I wish you to show every proper respect to your relations. I think neither of us would like to be on intimate terms with Mr. and Mrs. Brown, however I will enjoy occasional meetings. And we shall support the education and careers of their children."
“Will that not make people think poorly of you?”
"Elizabeth, they already will.” He grinned at her. “You shall never — at least not for a decade — receive an invitation to Almack’s, and much of the exclusive set will avoid you. But there are many, starting with my sister and uncle, who shall be our sincere friends. "
“It will be odd to live on such a different scale from Lydia.”
“She is happy, we are happy — and we will waste no more time thinking on it."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement.
“I hope the revelation that marriage to me shall likely not bring invitation to Almack’s does not cause you to reconsider. If so, I shall be heartbroken.”
Elizabeth smiled impishly at him. “It does. It is a hard blow. Have I not told you that my dearest dream was to dance there — and at one of those delightful affairs at St. James? The ones where they make all of the ladies wear those outmoded dresses and watch while everyone goes up one by one go up to dance a cotillion — Sir William has described them in detail.”
“You look far prettier in a modern dress, my dear.” Darcy lowered his voice and leaned his head closer to Elizabeth’s. “The better to kiss you in.”
She blushed and laughed prettily. “And I shall expect you to kiss me often — it is the only consideration which overcomes my disappointment at the loss of Almack’s. Especially since — do they not demand you wear white leather breeches and stockings?”
“They do.”
She looked sideways at him and eyeballed Darcy up and down. “I think it a fine costume.”
“Proper trousers are more comfortable.”
“Aha! It shall be a punishment appropriate for not giving me entrée into all parts of society when I force you to wear them for a private ball.”
At the word private, her eyes flicked down. She then looked away blushing merrily.
Darcy replied, “I shall expect you to wear something improper for such a ball. Perhaps you might dress as Pamela, the housemaid.”
Elizabeth giggled. “And then you shall be the ravishing gentleman. Only this time the maid will be more persuadable, but just barely.”
Darcy laughed. “The month we must wait shall be very long.”
The circle the party was walking in turned back towards the Gardiners’ house. As the walk neared its end Elizabeth’s mood fell. Sensing her tension, Darcy said in a soft voice, “Are you worried about seeing Jane?"
“Yes. I must. I must apologize — she begged me to accept her and still love her, but…but I called her a whore and said she was not my sister."
"She will forgive you, if she deserves your affection, she will.”
“I think she will — my aunt and uncle, you must have realized they care for respectability more than I do. My aunt shall not let me visit her.”
“You have my complete support. I can lend you a carriage, though that would not solve the problem of improper appearances. At least, I can see a message delivered to her."
Elizabeth nodded her thanks.
When they reached the Gardiners’ house, Darcy took Mrs. Gardiner to the side and said, “Elizabeth spoke to me of how distressed she still is by the conversation she had with Miss Jane. She said things she wishes to unsay. I know you do not wish your carriage to call on Miss Bennet, but I could hire a hackney cab for Elizabeth, and if a maid went with her, appearances would be kept up that far. You perhaps plan to cut off all connections, but Elizabeth does not and…”
Mrs. Gardiner glanced at Elizabeth, who was speaking with Kitty and one of her children.
“Perhaps I should speak to my husband first, but…she is to be your wife soon. If you have no objection, I suppose it is not our place. I know Elizabeth has mentioned Jane several times to me. I’ll allow your scheme.”
It was arranged that Elizabeth would call immediately so that she could return before Georgiana planned to call this afternoon, and Darcy left to go to his club.
The previous day Darcy had gone to the offices of Times to have an announcement printed this morning declaring his engagement to Elizabeth and the dissolution of his connection with Lady Margaret.
As soon as he entered the building several gentlemen approached him. A baronet a year older than Darcy was the first to speak. “Abandoning your Lady Margaret for another woman. Very bad form, Darcy, very bad. Not the thing to do.”
Darcy had never liked Sir Thomas at all, but he still nodded and said, “It was terribly bad form. I acted abominably.”
“Hmph. Never would have guessed it of you, Darcy. Never would have.”
Darcy said acerbically, “It is a lesson to the rest of you that even the cleverest fellow can place himself in an awful scrape.”
“Yes, yes. And the story is no one has heard of this new girl. No one at all.” Sir Thomas stamped his foot. “And that is beside the point. One does not jilt a decent young lady. It is not the thing at all.”
Derwent and Richard walked into the group around Darcy. Derwent said red faced, “Damn you, Darcy, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Darcy grimaced. “Are you that terribly angry on Lady Margaret’s behalf?”
“Angry, no. Why would I be angry because you abandoned my cousin to marry a penniless nobody?” Derwent continued in a sarcastic voice, “I was certain Father was funning with me for half his explanation.”
Derwent looked around the group. “Darcy isn’t just stupid, he is pathetic. He asked this Miss Elizabeth to be his mistress months ago. She was raised as a decent gentlewoman, so she refused him. And Darcy just went off with his tail between his legs. Pathetic. He can’t seduce a woman, not even when he’s desperate for the chit.”
Sir Thomas and everyone else laughed. “That’s right,” Sir Thomas said, “Darcy can talk well, but he never drives the point home.”
“I sometimes wonder if he has a point.” Derwent laughed harshly. “Now, Margaret took a shine to Darcy, and he engaged himself to her, but he was so unmanned by the memory of his lady love, that he couldn’t even touch Grettie.”
The group snickered at Darcy. Derwent continued, “I wonder if everything is quite right with him. You’ve all seen Lady Margaret. No normal man would jump away from her if she tried to touch them. Most hilarious damn fool thing I’d ever seen. And I’ve seen a great deal.”
“Derwent, that is enough sport at my expense.”
Richard snickered, and everyone laughed again.
Derwent said, “So then the instant he saw this Miss Elizabeth again, it was entirely by chance, he dropped on his knees and begged her to marry him, never mind that he was already engaged to my cousin. He is a regular Squire Booby. Real men don’t act so. But what is done is done, and Grettie is a damned bit better off without him.”
Darcy drew himself up, towering over the other men. “You’ve had your fun, but any more insults will not be tolerated, Derwent.”
“Margaret is my cousin. If I wasn’t completely convinced you’d been so limp that you didn’t even kiss her, I’d have called you out.”
A wave of snickers went through the group. By now everyone in the front room of the club was gathered round listening, and the story of the conversation would soon pass from here to everyone in London society.
Darcy stalked away and entered a private side room. He ordered a bottle of wine and poured him
self a half full glass.
Five minutes later Derwent and Richard entered the room, and Darcy stood and briskly shook Derwent’s hand. “Thank you; that should keep Lady Margaret’s reputation as clean as possible.”
“Yes.” Derwent and Richard sat down and poured themselves glasses of wine. “I wish I could have done more for your Elizabeth, but there is no way that she will not be seen as a fortune hunter, but hopefully they will see her as a virtuous one.”
Darcy shrugged. “Eventually such matters are forgotten. But Lady Margaret must marry.”
“Yes, yes. The whole matter is a deuced bother. You ought to have seduced her and kept her as your fancy piece. Anyone else would have, and then we would not have this whole mess.”
“I love her too much to not marry her.”
“Nonsense. Hogwash.” Derwent drank all of the wine in his glass and pulled the bottle over to refill it. He turned to his brother. “We’ve always known Darcy was not playing with a full deck. You are the one who really irks me. Why the devil did you convince him to offer for Margaret?”
“Darcy is our cousin! I did not wish to see him throw himself away.”
“The matter is entirely my fault,” Darcy said, recalling the evening where he had realized he loved Elizabeth. “Richard merely helped me realize certain things, and then I acted precipitously.”
“Yes, yes — we all know you’re dreadfully guilty for the one time you acted in a stupid manner.” Derwent glared at Richard again. “We might not be so close to Margaret as we are to Darcy, but she is also our cousin, and moreover a woman. You owed her just as much concern.”
“Marrying Darcy would have been a deuced good thing for her.”
“Not when he was obsessed by another woman!”
Darcy grinned at his cousins’ argument. “I must insist that the entirety of the guilt is mine. Even if Richard was a numbskull.”
Richard exclaimed, “Is this is all the thanks I get for—”
“I ended up so drunk that I had an awful headache for six hours the next morning. I haven’t been so sick since university. Gratitude is not what I feel.”
The door to their private room opened, and Bingley stepped in. “By Jove, Darcy. By Jove. Are you truly marrying Miss Elizabeth?”
“Yes.”
“I am deuced glad to hear it. I can’t say I am that surprised. Everyone is making a joke of you, but I think you’ll find being an object of ridicule bracing, and I’m dreadful fond of Miss Elizabeth. I remember how you two would laugh together and talk endlessly. I know you will be quite happy together. And you have my heartiest congratulations.”
Darcy stood and shook his friend’s hand. “Thank you, thank you. Do sit down.”
Bingley sat down and took the glass of wine immediately poured for him. “Hello, hello.” He half waved at Derwent and Richard. “Everyone told me what you said to Darcy in the front room. That was not kindly done, not at all. Even if you are angry. I’m half surprised Darcy didn’t call you out for insulting him in public that way.”
Rather than replying Derwent sniffed his wine glass and took an aesthete’s sip.
Darcy was delighted to see Bingley, and glad that one of his dearest friends was completely approving instead of barely tolerant. “Derwent came at me in that manner out of arrangement. We wish to keep Lady Margaret’s reputation as unharmed as possible.”
“Oh. Oh, I see. Quite clever of you. Cunning. Draw as much of the scorn on yourself as possible to spare the ladies. Very gallant.”
“Thank you. I thought it was very gallant myself.”
Richard said, “Wait, Bingley, isn’t your new mistress Miss Elizabeth’s sister? That exquisite blonde creature you took to the theater last night?”
Bingley nodded and frowned a little jealously at Richard’s praise of Jane’s appearance.
Richard continued, “That is a problem.”
“Damn!” Bingley pulled at the sleeve of his coat. “I am deuced glad you’re marrying Miss Elizabeth, but it does put me into a pickle.”
Darcy tapped his finger on his glass and took another sip of his wine. The room was a bit dim with the only light coming in from a smallish window and the blazing fire. “I say, Bingley, why don’t you marry Miss Jane?”
“Marry her? But—”
“She will be my sister-in-law, and I’ll put up a substantial dowry. People will say you gulled me, and that you got money, exactly the woman you wanted, and a connection to an earl’s family all at once. I think Elizabeth would be delighted if Jane was settled that way, and we know she loves you.”
“Hmmm.” Bingley grinned and slammed his hands together. “That is exactly what I will do. But we’ll just tell everyone you are giving out such a large dowry. No need to actually transfer the ready. I don’t need more money, but this way Caroline and Louisa will eventually speak to me again. I’ve wished it were possible for me to marry Jane for months, but with her connections…” He sighed. “I suppose I am not so brave as you.”
Chapter 25
The housekeeper who responded to Elizabeth’s knock recognized her from the other time she had visited. The woman drew back with a pursed, sour expression. She frowned at Elizabeth.
“Is Miss Bennet… Jane… The lady present?”
“It was unkind for you to yell at her so last time. The lady is a sweet young thing. There is no cause for you to shout and rail at her again. She knows you disapproved, the poor dear cried for an hour once Mr. Bingley left that night, and I had to pat her back and comfort her. I say Miss Jane is a perfectly good lady — she is gentle bred — and I’ll not have you bother her again like last time.”
“Oh — did she cry so? I’m glad you were there. Please, I wish to apologize to her. I should not have spoken so cruelly, not to my sister.”
The housekeeper who had already developed a quick affection for Jane questioned Elizabeth at length before she was satisfied that her visitor really wished to fix matters.
When Elizabeth was led into the drawing room, she noticed features about the room that hadn’t touched her awareness during the first visit. The couches and chairs were a deep vibrant red, the walls were painted in a soft pink color. It had a small but functional fireplace and chimney. The room was cold so the housekeeper stirred the fire to life and added several pieces of firewood before leaving.
The floor was covered in a thick rug that Elizabeth thought it would be delightful to walk upon in stockings or bare feet.
It looked like you could comfortably sleep on that rug.
That thought gave Elizabeth a sudden suspicion, and blushing brightly, she scooted away from it and settled onto one of the dark red couches, carefully keeping her feet off the rug.
Jane had gone out to pick up a few items from nearby shops, but she should be back within the half hour.
Elizabeth nervously worried at her gloves. She wished she had asked Darcy to call with her. She wished she wasn’t here at all.
Whore, whore, whore.
Jane wouldn’t forgive her. Not this new Jane who would become a man’s mistress. Did she even want to be forgiven? Jane…Jane was not who Elizabeth always thought she was. Elizabeth did not know how close of friends she could be with this different Jane.
The door opened, and Jane entered hesitantly. The dress she wore this time was a decent day dress, with a high lace collar and a wide green ribbon. Yellow curls fell around Jane’s face in a becoming manner. Her skin was clear and there was a warm glow to her that Elizabeth thought came both from superior rouge and nature.
Jane walked slowly forward and she eyed Elizabeth cautiously, as though her sister were an ill-tempered dog who might suddenly begin to snap and bite.
Other than her expression, Jane looked very well indeed.
Elizabeth started up from her seat and stepped towards Jane. For a moment they looked at each other from across several feet, and then the two sisters were in each other’s arms, crying and exclaiming that they were so sorry and didn’t mean what they had said,
not really.
Still holding hands, they sat down.
Elizabeth said, “You are my sister, my dearest sister. I love you no matter what or who you are. I only wish I had realized how you felt.”
“And then you would have tried to stop me. I am happy. Perhaps I should feel terribly guilty, but I do not.”
“Oh. I am glad. I think I am. If I was still so angry at you, it would be hypocrisy, because—”
“Oh!” Jane’s face was concerned. “You did not agree to become Mr. Darcy’s mistress at last? Oh, I shall never forgive myself if my example drove you to make a choice you shall regret.”
“I am not, I have not. I…” Elizabeth realized she was frightened of how Jane would react to the news that she was engaged to Mr. Darcy. The old Jane she had thought she knew would be purely happy for her sister, but might this new Jane react with jealousy?
Jane spoke into Elizabeth’s pause, “I am glad — you should not. I know you hope to marry, and I know you were angry, but I do want to help. Bingley is very generous, and he will put two thousand pounds as a—”
“Jane, I offered to become his mistress. But he, instead he…”
Elizabeth halted again. It was so hard to say something which should be so happy to her dearest sister. The sister whose own wealthy gentleman had not offered to marry her.
Jane embraced her in sympathy. “Oh, Lizzy — due to his engagement he refused? That must have hurt terribly.”
“He asked me to marry him. I agreed. He has ended his connection with Lady Margaret.”
“Oh.”
Jane was silent and frowned. Elizabeth watched her anxiously, hoping that the newly regained bond with her sister would not be shredded.
At last Jane spoke, “That is a great surprise — are you sure?”
“It is hardly a matter on which I would be likely to be mistaken.”
“No… I mean…gentlemen sometimes make promises they do not intend to keep to—”
“I offered to become his mistress only hours earlier! The proposal was made in our uncle’s study, and this morning we arranged with the curate at Gracechurch parish for the banns to be read Sunday. I am quite sure your suggestion is wrong.”
A Dishonorable Offer Page 31