Page 17

AN ALTERATION OF SCHEMES

T wo days after their tête-à-tête about Lady Catherine’s suitor, Elizabeth and Darcy visited Himdale House.

He suspected they looked a bit dishevelled after a rather naughty carriage ride from Darcy House, but Lady Matlock did not bat an eye when she rose to meet them in the morning room where she, Georgiana, and Anne were waiting.

Darcy greeted his sister with a kiss on the cheek, bowed to his aunt and his cousin, and made his excuses as he squeezed his wife’s hand before leaving them to their own devices.

He returned to the entrance hall, where Fitzwilliam awaited him.

After his own call at Mr Gardiner’s offices—where he learnt little more than what Elizabeth had told him—the two cousins had been up late the evening prior, discussing their next steps to unravel the mystery of Lord Cadbury.

Fitzwilliam had drunk enough of Darcy’s best brandy to conjure up elaborate theories of financial losses from poor bets on dog fighting and horseflesh, but he appeared less imaginative this afternoon.

Darcy, unable to set aside his instinct to learn all he could of the man, had asked Fitzwilliam to arrange an excursion with Lord Cadbury where they could see how he managed his purse. “Have you spoken to your father?” he asked.

“Aye, we shall meet at Tattersall’s. Cadbury has a subscription there as well.” Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes. “Which speaks well of him, though again warns me that we are in for a dull afternoon.”

“His subscription speaks well of his connexions, but it remains to be seen whether he is an intemperate gambler.” Tattersall’s had been Darcy’s idea, his intention to examine precisely this point.

Fitzwilliam, however, was an army man who valued horses less for their beauty and speed than for their sturdiness under fire.

“Pah! If he bets on the horses, all we learn of him is that he has no stomach for a real contest. We should change our destination and visit Gentleman Jackson’s for a boxing match today instead.

Fist meeting flesh! That is how one determines the worth of a man! ”

“The earl is a tad elderly for fisticuffs, and I prefer to judge a man by his character,” Darcy replied drily. “And in any case, it is too late to alter our plans.”

“Wed for mere weeks and already you are less interesting,” his cousin replied. “The only violence you enjoy encourages those love marks peeking out from your cravat,” he said, gesturing to a mortified Darcy’s neck. “I dare not imagine seeing you in a fencing bout for another year or two.”

Darcy, his cheeks flushed, chose silence.

“Darcy? Nephew, is that you?” Lady Catherine appeared in the doorway. The two men stared at her, made speechless by the sight of their excessively powdered and painted aunt. “ Nephews , I see, although again without poor Abington. You never included him in your games.”

After a long moment, the colonel managed a reply.

“My elder brother had little interest in our boyhood frolics.” Fitzwilliam glanced from the ceiling to the floor and then to Darcy, seemingly keeping his gaze averted from Lady Catherine.

“After he dared Darcy to climb up a trellis at Matlock that broke away from the house, knocking Darcy senseless and breaking his arm, my aunt and uncle refused to allow him to play with their son.”

Lady Catherine raised a darkly painted eyebrow and adjusted the faded fox that had died to adorn her shoulders. Her great, tall wig is the least fashionable part of her costume, but it is in the best repair. How peculiar , mused Darcy.

“Abington is no longer in town,” he added, annoyed that he felt the need to assure her about his cousin’s absence.

“Perhaps, but no one wishes to be left out.”

It was an odd response, not quite her usual indifference to feeling.

Then Darcy recalled Lady Catherine had written a letter to him at the time, enraged over the incident and the danger in which Abington had placed him.

It was the first of many enraging letters she would write to him over the years, most of them centred on his lack of attention to her and to Anne.

She had never much liked Abington, so why she was now displaying some sympathy for him was odd. Not as odd as her face paint, however.

“You will recall the viscount and his family have removed to her parents’ estate,” he said. “Now, you must excuse us, madam. You caught us as we were leaving.”

“Young men in a hurry should slow down. Come, Darcy, I must speak to you.” Lady Catherine turned, clearly confident Darcy would obey her directive. “Fitzwilliam, you may escort Anne to the conservatory. She wishes to pluck an orange.”

Darcy watched his cousin stroll away in search of Anne before he dutifully turned to his aunt .

“I believe you are known to Lord Cadbury,” she said.

“As of the other evening, I am.”

“You know of him, of course. He was acquainted with your mother.”

Unable to determine what she wished him to say and ill-at-ease as her expression softened and her voice caressed the name of the portly, bewigged upstart, Darcy shrugged. “Oh?”

“Yes, the earl is an old friend of my brother’s and was often at Matlock and Himdale House. I believe you must extend the courtesy of hosting him for dinner at Darcy House.”

“What? A dinner? Elizabeth and I are newly married. The knocker is off the door and we are not entertaining. Our time is spent only with close family.” And most unwillingly at that . Darcy could scarcely restrain his impatience. “We are to leave town in a few days.”

“A foolish notion, leaving your family so soon after polluting the?—”

“I beg your pardon?”

Lady Catherine lifted her hand, waving it lifelessly as if to dispel the cloud of anger she had stirred up within her nephew. “When you have yet to introduce your wife to society, and to the museums and such.”

“That has been your purview, since Elizabeth so graciously deigned to accept your tutelage. As she has proved herself worthy by whatever estimation you employ, it is past time for us to leave for Pemberley.”

Darcy watched his aunt turn, her tall figure moving slowly towards the window and thankfully shielding him from the full display of her strangely distorted visage.

“She has indeed. Tell her I wish to speak to her about the dinner. I know she will do well as a hostess, and it will serve as her final test.”

“Your demands have gone too far, Lady Catherine.” A flash of green caught his eye, and glancing at the door, he saw Elizabeth peeking in, obviously listening to the goings-on.

She looked at him and nodded vigorously, parting her lips to mouth ‘yes’.

Ah, his lovely wife was in agreement—Lady Catherine asked too much.

He would protect her from this final unreasonable demand.

Tossing a brief smile to Elizabeth, he turned back to his aunt.

“Mrs Darcy has neither inclination nor need to subject herself to another of your tests. Hosting a dinner?—”

“Would be our pleasure, Lady Catherine,” came Elizabeth’s voice, speaking sweetly as she swept into the entry hall.

“Our travels to Pemberley cannot be further delayed, but perhaps we could host a dinner Monday next, if Mr Darcy is amenable.” Elizabeth’s arm slid into his in a deviously successful attempt to calm him while she knocked him off his high horse and threw them both to the lions. Imp!

“Wonderful. I shall call at Darcy House tomorrow at one o’clock to inspect your china and review the dishes you are planning to serve.

You must not include prawns. They frighten Anne.

Lord Cadbury is fond of any dish with celery sauce but is averse to duck, as I recall.

” An almost tender expression fell over her countenance before Lady Catherine appeared to remember she was in company and announced, “I must be off now—a busy day ahead.”

Glancing at Darcy, she shook her head. “And do mind your posture, young man. One may slouch in one’s dressing room when half-undressed, but Fitzwilliams and Darcys do not shrug in company. Try promenading with a book on your head. Such exercise has done wonders for your wife.”

Unconsciously, Darcy stood a little straighter.

“Barnes, where is my carriage? I have places to go!”

The tapping of Lady Catherine’s walking stick and the firm click of the front door roused Darcy from his stupor, and he turned to stare at his wife. “Mr Darcy is not amenable to hosting a dinner so that Lady Catherine may swoon over her suspicious swain. He would prefer?—”

“He would prefer to sequester his wife in their rooms, but that wish must wait until we are at Pemberley, fully away from family and all their fulsome requests for our company.” Elizabeth leant up to press her lips against his cheek.

She stayed there, her sweet fresh scent of soap and vanilla enveloping him, tugging him into a fog of desire.

“Do not worry, my love,” she whispered. “She says I have proved worthy, and by the look of things, Lady Catherine has moved her attentions away from me and now requires our assistance.”

Darcy shook his head in disgust. “I wager her ‘busy day’ consists of planning an assignation with Cadbury. You saw the powders? The ill-placed beauty mark? She looks like a ridiculous trollop.”

He was pleased Elizabeth had to bite back a smile.

“Love makes one ridiculous,” she replied before conceding, “I shall seek out her maid and offer some guidance. And of course, I am open to providing whatever instruction and advice Lady Catherine may need to succeed in her quest for one man’s approval. ”

“No longer the student, but the teacher.” Such delicious irony could not overcome Darcy’s concerns. “We do not know whether Cadbury is a fortune hunter or a scoundrel.”

“No, but the mystery behind such an infatuation is highly diverting,” said Elizabeth. “We shall meet tonight in your chambers after conducting our respective investigations.”

She nipped his earlobe, straightened his cravat, and smiled at the colonel, who was leaning against the doorframe and smirking at them. She stepped towards him and in a merry voice, cautioned, “Do not slouch, sir. You are a Fitzwilliam.”

Then she disappeared, laughing aloud, down the hall.