Page 48

They had been riding in a group when they saw a flat field ahead with a stand of about a dozen silver birch trees at the far end.

Lydia had challenged Elizabeth to a race, and she had of course broken into a gallop before her eldest sister could respond.

She needed any advantage she could get because Jamil was much swifter than the cob on which she was mounted.

Elizabeth allowed her five seconds before digging her heels into her mare’s flanks, sending her into a gallop. Within a hundred yards she had caught and passed Lydia. She leaned down, almost resting on Jamil ’s long neck, and allowed her to fly.

Imagine her surprise when an unknown man, dressed in gentleman’s riding attire, appeared ahead of her, blocking her path to the trees.

She pulled hard on her mare’s reins and brought her to a halt some feet from the man on the big black stallion who was looking at her with sharp disapproval.

He had a very haughty, disdainful look on his face.

Within seconds Lydia was next to her. The two guards who had been riding off to the sides were galloping towards her.

She sensed she was not in danger, so she shook her head, and the two men slowed their geldings to a walk.

“How dare you ride in this unladylike fashion? Who allowed you to be on the Duke of Hertfordshire’s land? His Grace will not be happy when he learns of some young girls trespassing on his land,” William said haughtily. “Have you no sense of decorum?”

“And who are you to censure us? Has His Grace authorised you to act on his behalf?” Elizabeth bit back.

William had expected the little Miss to be cowed, apologise, and leave the property, not to challenge his authority.

“Unlike you, I am an invited guest, and as such, it is only right that I look after the Duke’s interests.

I am certain he would not have given his permission for one such as you, of no consequence to ride here.

You are barely tolerable to look at. You are one who should rightly be slighted by men of discernment How dare you ride in that scandalous way or be on his land?

” As he spoke, he looked at the one who had spoken.

She was anything but tolerable; in fact, she was rather beautiful, and those eyes…

His musings were interrupted by a voice he knew well but had never heard with so much force.

“ brOTHER !” Georgiana yelled with more volume than she had intended. She and the rest of the riding party had arrived in time to hear William’s arrogant and insulting speech. “How dare you? Do you know who you are insulting?”

Having centred his concentration on the impertinent Miss on the…

he noticed for the first time she was riding a thoroughbred, not just any, but an Arabian.

William began to wonder if he had just, as Rich liked to accuse him of, inserted his riding boot into his mouth.

He looked around and saw other young ladies on horses, Anna among them, some footmen, two of them rather enormous, and Barrington.

If the Duke’s heir presumptive was here, then who was this person he had decided to take to task?

Suddenly he remembered the Duke’s words when he had been welcomed.

William felt a cold shiver travel down his spine telling him he had erred greatly.

“I always knew you were an arrogant arse, Darcy, but to insult the woman who will be mistress here when she marries my uncle, and you, a guest, to have the temerity to question her right to be here. What unadulterated gall!” Anthony’s voice cracked like a whip.

“Y-you are Lord Hertfordshire’s betrothed?” William asked as the enormity of his mistake began to sink in. “I did not know…”

“That did not give you the right to attempt to stop me riding, nor did it give you the right to be rude and insulting,” Elizabeth interjected. She turned to Anna. “I assume this is your brother?”

Georgiana gave a chagrined nod, ashamed to admit the fact that she was related to William at that moment.

“Anna told me that Aunt Anne and Uncle Robert permit her to ride astride at Pemberley. Do you attempt to override your parents’ authority and stop her from riding astride there?” Elizabeth demanded, sounding every inch the future duchess.

All William could do was to shake his head.

“Then pray tell, what gave you the right to interfere with mine and my sister’s race here?

” Elizabeth looked at the, admittedly very handsome, man with disdain.

“Just who do you think you are? Even were I not soon to be a duchess, like you are the son of one, I am the daughter of a gentleman. In that we are, for the nonce, equal. Please explain what makes you think you are superior to anyone when, from what you have displayed, you do not even behave like a gentleman?”

If the spitfire on the Arabian had been slapping him, it would have hurt less than the hammer blows as her words landed, almost knocking him off his stallion.

As he looked around, his eyes rested on Anna, and the look of disappointment he saw was breaking his heart.

He had always attempted to be a good older brother, and the look he was seeing told him he had failed miserably.

It struck him when he had been missish on the way to Hertfordshire; he had seen the same look on his parents’ faces and not recognised it for what it was.

Anna looked away and would not even allow her eyes to rest on him anymore.

He saw disgust written on the faces of the rest of those in the riding party.

“I need to…” William began to say when the raven-haired beauty raised her hand.

“There is no need for insincere apologies now that you know you have made a great faux pas . Return to the manor house; we will enjoy the rest of our ride, carrying on as if your ill-mannered, pretentious interruption had not occurred. However, when we return, I have a feeling you will be hearing from Archy , among others,” Elizabeth stated.

She looked at Lydia and simply said, “Go.”

Lydia had the cob thundering towards the trees; within a second or two Elizabeth applied pressure to Jamil ’s flanks and was soon flying after, and catching, her youngest sister.

William sat on his horse, his head hung in shame as the rest of the riding party passed him, none, not even his sister, acknowledging him. When the grooms and footmen were beyond where he stood, he wheeled Zeus and began a slow, plodding, and contemplative ride back to the stables.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

As he was contemplating the self-inflicted wounds, William, who after changing out of his riding clothes was seated in a wingback chair in his private sitting room, came to a realisation.

Starting with his parents, he needed to admit what he had done before Miss…

he had not got her name, well before the Duke’s fiancée and those with her returned and reported on his actions and atrocious behaviour.

She had asked him who he thought he was.

That was indeed something he needed to answer for himself.

There would be time for that; first he needed to seek out his parents.

After some inquiries William found his parents in the sitting room attached to his aunt and uncle’s suite. He requested permission to speak with both couples. Four pairs of eyes looked at him with interest.

“I am afraid I may have made an inexcusable error,” he admitted.

“I took a ride…” He told all. Although his parents, aunt, and uncle did not disturb him while he reported, with absolute honesty, what he had done, there was no missing the looks of horror and disgust on their countenances.

When the tale was told, William stood with his head down, waiting like a condemned man for the sentence to be carried out.

“ YOU DID WHAT !” Darcy yelled angrily. “He would more than likely not do that to the son of a friend, but do you have any clue how badly Hertfordshire could ruin you if he chooses? That is immaterial.” Darcy looked at his mortified wife, and then to his Fitzwilliam brother and sister.

“We should have stepped in long ago; we saw what William was becoming. It was only after the wedding we were going to demand that he make changes.”

Darcy looked at his son again. “You used the attempt the late George Wickham made on your life to become a selfish being.

In practice, and indeed, in principle. As a child you were taught what was right, but for some reason, the lessons to correct your temper were not learnt.

You were given good principles, but you followed them in pride and conceit.

Unfortunately, as you were an only son—for many years an only child—to a certain extent, your mother and I spoilt you.

We tried to show you the example of goodness and, particularly, to be benevolent and amiable.

“We never allowed, encouraged, or taught you to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond your family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with your own.

“All of this we may have corrected had we decided to do so sooner. Now we must see what the consequences of your actions will be.”

“Oh, William, where did we fail you that you would behave in such a way? Do you not see that you have brought dishonour to the Darcy name?” Lady Anne demanded of her son.

“I know not what to do. I need help,” William responded as his voice cracked.

“Your father and I will seek out Hertfordshire. You insulted him by doing so to the woman he loves to distraction, and by attempting to usurp his authority on his property. If, and only if, you deliver sincere apologies to him and his betrothed, you may have a chance of mitigating the terrible consequences you deserve to suffer. You could not have chosen a worse time to exercise your improper pride. Richard has likened your attitude to my sister, Catherine. He said it half in jest, but he is not wrong. Just like her, you have no cause to think too well of yourself,” Matlock stated.

“Go to your suite, and remain there until summoned,” Darcy ordered his son.

“Yes, Sir,” William responded with his head hung low. He could not look at those in the room, especially not his parents, as he knew he would see something similar to what he had seen from Anna. With shoulders slumped, he returned to his suite.