Chapter Three

T he ride back to Carlisle House was a quiet one after Amelia spilled out all her indignation over the event in the presence of her aunt. Both Lord and Lady Carlisle seemed deep in thought, and Elizabeth did not think it politic to interrupt with protestations that the ball had been lovely once Mr. Darcy had removed himself from it.

"I would not have danced the supper dance with him in any case," Amelia declared as the carriage entered through the gates and turned onto the shallow drive. "Viscount Milton was a far better partner, I am sure."

Elizabeth was grateful that the viscount had come to offer himself as Amelia's partner in Mr. Darcy's stead, for she would not have liked depriving Amelia of a partner for that dance. Besides, it had pleased Lady Carlisle. Elizabeth had spent that dance with Colonel Fitzwilliam and found him a kind man, and humorous, but unwilling to move much beyond pleasantries.

"I did not see Lady Henrietta Fitzwilliam this evening," Jane said tentatively.

"She was circulating with her father," Lady Carlisle said. "I do not believe she danced. "

"There were so many gentlemen, though. We all danced every dance. Was she not asked?" Amelia inquired.

"She made it known at the beginning of the night that she did not intend to dance," Lady Carlisle replied. "Poor girl, I do not believe she is very good at it."

Poor girl? That was not true in any sense of the word. Elizabeth and Jane exchanged a glance.

Lady Henrietta's dowry was enormous, twice what they each had. She could marry immediately if she but said the word. But perhaps she did not wish to—she had a vast fortune, not to mention the protection of a father who was an earl and a brother who would be earl after him. She might not wish to marry either, if the men were all as disdainful as Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth had expected London to be difficult to navigate, even with the help of Amelia's family, but she had not thought she would be publicly humiliated after her very first dance. Having the option to throw up her hands and cease the attempt would be very tempting indeed.

Alas, that opportunity was not available to her.

Mr. Darcy's voice had carried, and they were not the only people to overhear. By the end of the night, she had been required to relive it a dozen times. She had smiled and laughed about it all, excusing the man for being out of sorts, but she could not help but feel the sting of the insults he had laid to her charge.

Who knows what would happen if you shook her family tree too hard? She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to remove the stench of the fortune hunter. Elizabeth had thought she was being playful. Heaven knew the man appeared as though levity was required, so dark was his affect. Yet somehow, she had managed to give offence.

She should not have been so surprised, for he was related to Lady Henrietta.

Oddly, Lady Henrietta's brothers had both been more gentlemanly than their cousin. Elizabeth's dances with them—first the viscount, and then the colonel—had cooled the rumours circulating around the room that she was somehow at fault for Mr. Darcy's departure. She was not foolish enough to believe that it meant the rumours would disappear entirely, but it was good enough for now.

The carriage stopped, Lord Carlisle handed them all out, and Lady Carlisle bade them all a good rest. "I will not be myself until dinner tomorrow, girls. I shall see you all then."

"Thank you, Lady Carlisle," Elizabeth and Jane said nearly at the same time, and the venerable lady smiled.

"Good night, Aunt," Amelia said, and after bidding one another pleasant dreams, the girls left for their own chambers.

After she dismissed her maid, Elizabeth sat in bed with her knees drawn up under her chin. The door to the sitting room creaked as it opened, and soon Jane was lifting the covers to join her.

"You say that you found Mr. Darcy amusing, Lizzy. But your heart is not as resilient as you want the world to believe." She pressed Elizabeth's hand. "I know his words must have hurt you."

Elizabeth laid her head on Jane's shoulder. "They did. But then I realised something important."

"What is that?"

"Mr. Darcy is an idiot."

Jane attempted to squelch a laugh but did not succeed. "Idiot might be taking things a little far."

Elizabeth laughed with her. "I am a fortune hunter, Jane. As are you. We cannot deny that we are here to make financially advantageous matches. But the ballroom was full of unmarried ladies—and men, I must add—who were all looking for the best situated spouse their circumstances will allow. I dare say even the odious Mr. Darcy is seeking a match that will add money to his coffers and more power to wield than he currently possesses. Does that not make him a fortune hunter?"

Jane smiled. "I am afraid I must disagree in regard to you and me. We shall not employ any tricks or stratagems to fool a man into marrying us simply to lift us and our family into a more elevated sphere than the one we currently inhabit."

"Yes, that is true."

"Good." Jane nodded. "Now I will have you admit that you are wrong."

"Am I?"

Jane's laugh was quiet, but it burst from her as though it had taken her unawares. "Yes, Lizzy. It has been known to happen from time to time. A fortune hunter has only wealth and status in mind, not caring a whit for compatibility or character. And that, my dearest sister, is not me and is not you."

Elizabeth took a very deep breath and let it out slowly. "As much as I dislike being proven wrong, I believe you have done just that. Brava, Jane."

"Our parents have made you doubt yourself. Rely upon your strong, generous heart, Elizabeth, and you cannot fail to find happiness."

It was not herself Elizabeth did not trust—not usually. Other than Jane, it was other people she had a difficult time relying upon, for they so often disappointed. Mr. Darcy at least had that in his favour—there was little he could do to make her opinion of him any worse than it was now. If he robbed a stagecoach, perhaps.

Jane was a determined optimist, though, and Elizabeth allowed herself to be comforted.

"I could not do this without you, Jane."

Her sister nodded. "I feel just the same."

"But I must warn you . . . "

"Of?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I shall win our wager."

Jane must be blushing, for she had lifted a hand to her cheek. "Whatever do you mean?"

"A half a dozen men expressed interest in you tonight."

"As they did you. You did not sit out a single dance."

Elizabeth waved one hand. "None of them were interested in me. Not like Mr. Bingley was interested in you."

"It was only a dance, Lizzy."

Mr. Bingley's eyes had nearly fallen from his head when he spied Jane for the first time. "It would have been two dances had you allowed it," she reminded her sister.

"Two dances is too much for a man I have only just met."

"Agreed. But you like him."

"I do not see what there is not to like. He is sensible, good-humoured, lively—"

Elizabeth hummed an agreement. "And unlike his friend, he has excellent manners."

"He does," Jane said, her voice wistful and faraway.

"Handsome, too," Elizabeth added, "which a young man ought to be if he possibly can." In truth, she thought Mr. Darcy the handsomer of the two, even when he scowled. Well, no matter. There were plenty of men in London, and he had made it clear that he was not for her. The only question before them was if Mr. Bingley might be for Jane.

On Friday, Darcy was standing in his uncle's parlour, waiting for dinner to be announced, when the message found him. "What is this?" he asked the butler.

"I do not know, sir. It was forwarded from Darcy House."

He turned the square of paper over in his hand and examined the wax.

"That," Milton said, looking over Darcy's shoulder, "is the Earl of Carlisle's seal."

"I am only surprised that it has taken this long," Fitzwilliam said laconically from where he was seated on the settee, one arm thrown carelessly over the back. "I half-expected you to receive it an hour after you returned home."

Darcy sighed. He had been expecting it too. When no word had arrived by the middle of the day, he had foolishly thought he might have escaped notice. He broke the seal and unfolded the single sheet.

"Summons?" Fitzwilliam inquired.

The Earl of Carlisle requests the pleasure of your company , he read. "Summons," he confirmed.

"Why is Carlisle summoning Darcy?" Uncle Matlock asked from the doorway. "Whatever it is, make your amends, boy, and quickly. I need Carlisle's support in the Lords." He glanced at Milton. "What did Darcy do?"

"He opened his mouth," Fitz said, and Darcy wanted to throw something at his cousin to wipe the satisfied look off his face.

"And said what?" the earl inquired. "It could not have been at the ball last night, could it? I was there and heard nothing. "

"Miss Elizabeth heard it again and again, thanks to Darcy," Milton informed them, and Darcy's stomach twisted. Fitz was still angry with him, and it appeared Milton was as well. They were not wrong to be. He had been ungentlemanly, but how much worse had it been for Miss Elizabeth? He was able to remove himself from the unpleasant scene he had himself created but she had been stuck there the entire evening. No matter that she had been impertinent. She had not deserved that.

"Miss Elizabeth who?"

"Bennet," Milton supplied.

"Bennet." The earl stood quietly for a moment before asking, "Did Miss Elizabeth have a sister with her, a blonde girl?"

"Yes," Fitz confirmed, a lift of his brows expressing his curiosity.

"Quite beautiful, Miss Bennet," Milton said. "I would not be surprised were she to marry very well."

Lord Matlock nodded to himself. "And they come from an estate near London somewhere?"

"Hertfordshire," Fitz said.

"They have finally come to town," he murmured, almost to himself.

Darcy shared a look with his cousins, but they appeared as bemused as he.

"Why were they not introduced to me?" Lord Matlock bit out, agitated.

"Ought they have been, father?" Fitz finally straightened and stood.

The earl sighed. "No, I suppose not, but Henrietta was at school with them. Certainly she would like to see them." He was lost in his thoughts then.

"Who, father?" Lady Henrietta asked as she entered the room. Darcy always used her honorific, even in his thoughts, for she was almost strident in requiring it of everyone other than her father and brothers .

"The Bennet sisters are in town. They were apparently at the Ashfords' ball last night." His uncle stood, his attention far away.

Lady Henrietta's expression was cool. "Ah."

"It was a crush," Milton offered. "Not surprising you did not see them."

"Perhaps they thought being insulted by one member of the family was enough," Fitz grumbled as Darcy tucked his note away.

"Who insulted them?" Lady Henrietta asked, the ghost of a smile flickering upon her lips.

"Darcy here," Milton said with a brusque wave of his hand. "Called Miss Elizabeth a fortune hunter."

"Darcy!" Lord Matlock exclaimed. "Please tell me that is not true."

Darcy remained silent.

"He was right," Lady Henrietta said with a little shrug. "She is a fortune hunter. I happen to know she and her sister have nothing. Her father has an estate, but there is an entail and no son. How they even managed to outfit themselves for the season is beyond me."

"She and her sister have twenty-thousand each, according to the general report," Milton informed his sister. "That may not be the equal of your fortune, sister, but it is quite respectable."

"And they are being sponsored by Lady Carlisle," Fitz added. "I think your information must be wrong, Hen."

Lady Henrietta pursed her lips. "I do not know how they came by so much or have reached so high. Their father had a friend from university who secured their place at school, or so I was informed, and when I knew them, they had no friends in good society and were nearly penniless." Her eyes suddenly shot over to her father, who met her gaze unflinchingly. Her colour was high as she said, "At least the elder one is pretty and knows when to be silent, but the second girl . . . "

"Henrietta," Lord Matlock said, his words tipped with ice, "you will mind your tongue. We owe a great deal to that second girl. At least Miss Hamilton's family seems to appreciate that."

Darcy did not understand his uncle's reference or why Lady Henrietta's expression suddenly pinched, but he did surmise that Miss Hamilton and the Bennets knew one another from attending the same school as Lady Henrietta. It must have galled her sense of superiority to attend with girls who had no titled relations. His interest piqued, Darcy watched the exchange as closely as he had ever observed a match at Angelo's.

"I should like to meet them," Uncle Matlock said. "Perhaps I will call on the Carlisles. Henrietta, will you accompany me?"

It was not an order but a request. His uncle did not know what to do with Henrietta any more than the rest of them. What could they know about raising a girl? Darcy was doing the best he could with Georgiana, but it was not easy.

"I would prefer not to, father."

Lord Matlock frowned.

Darcy himself had at least had the experience of Lady Henrietta to guide him in what not to do with Georgiana. Do not fulfil her every whim, do not send her away to school. He had instead done his best to be fair but firm and had hired masters and a companion to manage her education.

He recalled that he would need to arrange interviews to replace Mrs. Ketterman while in town this season. The older woman had remained in Derbyshire, wishing to spend her remaining years with her own children and grandchildren. Darcy understood, but selfishly wished she would not leave them. She had been with the Darcys since Georgiana was very young and truly loved his sister. Such a relationship would be impossible to replicate, and though rather accomplished for a girl her age, Georgiana was shy. Between their aunt Lady Catherine, her daughter Anne, and Lady Henrietta, he had thought he might be able to find someone to advise him on a girl's needs, but he had no luck there. His youngest cousin had no wish to be bothered, Anne was too ill, and Lady Catherine's advice was to send Georgiana to Kent so that she might mould her into a proper woman.

His idea of a proper woman did not match that of Lady Catherine's.

Sending Georgie away was never going to happen, so he muddled on as best he could, hoping he was offering his sister everything she truly needed. She was here in town with him, for there was truly nowhere else she could stay. He would have a new companion hired soon enough.

"You should accompany Darcy, father," Fitz said with a sly smile. "You can have your meeting with the ladies whilst he is brought to book."

Darcy rolled his eyes, forgetting for a moment that there was a lady in the room.

"Manners, Darcy," Fitz warned him.

"It is only Hen," Milton said. "She knows Darcy is a great rude chap when with family."

"He is a great rude chap in a ballroom with strangers too, it seems," Fitz replied, sending a look at Darcy that dared him to deny it.

"Perhaps he is a little rude," Lady Henrietta said, pulling the bell to signal the servants that dinner was about to begin. "But he is not wrong about Miss Elizabeth Bennet."