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O sborne looked up at the Cheapside house as he descended from the coach, and nodded at his steward. “Get the coach out of view at once, Mr. Abbott.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” The man nodded, well used to his master’s strictures on the matter.

The front door opened as he climbed the steps, and the footman bowed. “Your Grace.”

Osborne handed over his outerwear, hat and gloves, and turned to Gardiner, who’d appeared in the doorway of his library.

“Thank you for staying back from your business, Gardiner. Might we talk privately for a moment?”

Gardiner bowed. “Of course, Your Grace.” He turned and led the way into his library. “A whisky? Or shall I call for coffee?”

Osborne grimaced. “Perhaps coffee, as I believe I shall have to keep my wits about me when we talk to the ladies.”

Gardiner chuckled. “I believe you’re right. I have to say that Lady Elizabeth was vexed to be summoned so summarily to town.”

Osborne’s eyebrows went up. “I thought she liked staying here?” His heart sank. “Has she discovered a reason for preferring the country?”

She could not have. All he’d heard was that she was embarrassed by the family. Not a young man. Please God, I hope she has not found her heart engaged unsuitably .

“No, it was because she was staying with her elder sister who had been taken ill while dining nearby, and Bennet said she could not stay another day, even, but must come to London at once.”

“He’s a good man,” Osborne murmured. “Tell me it wasn’t at …” he hesitated, trying to recall the name, “… at Netherfield?”

Gardiner looked surprised. “I did not know you knew of it, sir. It was at Netherfield. A man called Bingley has leased it to learn to be a gentleman. He seems an amiable young man, if a trifle flighty, and my brother Bennet believes he is enamoured of Jane.”

Osborne sighed and was glad when the coffee arrived. “I had thought I could avoid explaining to Elizabeth in detail why I believed her not to be safe any longer in Hertfordshire. But if she was staying at Netherfield, I can see my explanations will have to be far more explicit than I would like.”

Gardiner looked surprised. “Bennet never gave me any reason to believe that Bingley might not be trustworthy.”

“It’s not Bingley.” Osborne sat thoughtfully, staring at his cup.

It was as well he had been warned, and could begin to marshal his thoughts together to explain himself.

But there was the unexplained sighting around this house yesterday, too.

Was the net closing more tightly around Elizabeth than he had thought?

Gardiner was a good man. He didn’t make unwanted conversation, but sat quietly, waiting to be spoken to, allowing Osborne time to think and set out his intentions.

Elizabeth would need to come to Osborne House.

It was the only way to keep her properly safe, he supposed.

But it was not the right way to introduce her to society, with no planning.

And he needed to appoint a companion for her.

That ought not to be done in a hurry. Bother Darcy!

He had forced Osborne’s hand by that wretched letter.

But then, if he’d not been in the habit of writing, Osborne might not have known Darcy was near her, and might have discovered who she was.

He sighed, and placed down his cup. “Well, I suppose she is curious and wondering what we are talking about.” He rose to his feet, and Gardiner followed suit, smiling easily.

“She knows you’re here, sir, and the longer she waits, the more discomposed she will be.”

The footman opened the door, and Osborne entered, seeing the ladies rising to their feet and curtsying. He nodded at them and extended his hand to Elizabeth, who came towards him.

He bowed over her hand. “Elizabeth.”

She was still rather shy of him, and he regretted it, but she had learned by now not to call him Your Grace .

“Good morning, Father. I have been curious about the reason for my summons here.”

He grimaced. “Yes, I’m sorry. Perhaps I have been precipitate, but it is good for us to meet in any event.”

Mrs. Gardiner filled the silence. “You’re welcome, Your Grace. Permit me to order tea?”

He nodded. “Thank you, madam.” He sat on a nearby chair, and nodded Elizabeth onto the sofa opposite.

“Well, my dear, how have you spent the time since I last saw you?” How long had it been? Several months, he supposed. She looked so much like his Althea that it was still painful to let his gaze linger on her.

Elizabeth’s laugh was infectious, and he found himself smiling in response. “Oh, Father, very little happens in Meryton — although we do have a new neighbour.”

He raised his eyebrows questioningly. Perhaps he’d understand better what to say when he knew how long this Bingley fellow had been in the country.

“Yes. They came to Netherfield Park before Michaelmas, and we met the party at the assembly in October.” She smiled happily.

“Mr. Bingley is very taken with Jane, and his sisters pretend to be nice to her, though you can tell they feel themselves much superior.” Her eyes flashed at him.

“But they are not half so bad as that Mr. Darcy.”

Her words gave Osborne the opportunity. “What has the man done to raise such ire against him?”

Elizabeth tossed her head. “Oh, he is so high and mighty. He disdains everyone and looks down his nose at us all.” Her amusement warmed Osborne’s heart.

“We met them at the assembly, and Mr. Bingley was at once entranced by Jane.” She made a face.

“Mr. Darcy wouldn’t be introduced; he just stalked around the edge of the room, looking as if there was a bad smell under his nose. ”

“I imagine that would not please the local matrons.” Osborne was amused.

“No, indeed.” Elizabeth’s eyes flashed. “At one point, Mr. Bingley tried to persuade him to dance. I was sitting nearby, and I heard them. He said I was Jane’s sister and very pretty too, and he would ask Jane to introduce me.” Her eyes sparkled with mirth. “Can you guess what he said?”

Mrs. Gardiner interjected. “Elizabeth, it is not really lady-like to talk like this about someone who is not here.”

Osborne nodded. “I understand, madam. But in this case, I should like to know. It is about Darcy that I am here.”

Elizabeth turned to him with interest. “Is he the reason you think I am not safe? He cannot have guessed who I am — he looks down on us all as utterly beneath his notice.”

Osborne smiled. “I should like to hear how he responded to the young man’s attempt to persuade him to dance with you.”

She jumped to her feet. “I can remember it exactly, Father.” She squared her shoulders and stood up very straight, her chin in the air, and looked down her nose at him with a sour expression. It was a fair imitation of an arrogant young man.

“ She is tolerable, I grant you, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. ” Then she collapsed into laughter.

“I went and repeated it to some of my friends and we were amused by it, and he looked even more haughty.”

“Did he?” Osborne felt grim. How dare the young man make such an offensive comment? He looked up. “Why would he think you were slighted by other men?”

She looked surprised. “There is always a shortage of men who will dance, Father. We take turns to sit out.”

She knew how to mollify him, of course, despite not knowing him well.

“You must not forget, Elizabeth, that he apologised to you when you allowed him near you again.” Mrs. Gardiner still sounded slightly reproving.

Osborne glanced at the woman. It was as well she’d had a hand in Elizabeth’s upbringing.

While nobody would ever have thought he would have placed his daughter in such a family as the Bennets, and he knew that decision had kept her safe, she did need to have grown up an accomplished and well-mannered young woman, and the Gardiners had managed this exceedingly well.

He smiled. “So, tell me how he apologised, my daughter.”