One Love - Two Hearts - Three Stories Page 24

  July 21, 1811

  Storrs House

  Ramsgate

  Dear Cousin Richard,

  Please do not be alarmed that I sent this to you via express. You, however, are desperately needed here in Ramsgate for William has fallen in love. I do believe that he is completely unaware of his affliction and is going to bungle it before he can even get started. The lady is most deserving. Miss Elizabeth Bennet has become my closest companion and I long for her to be my sister. She is all that is wise and lovely. Her lively personality would be the perfect complement to Brother.

  Please come, cousin, as I fear that William will fail to know how to proceed without your personable influence. He engages Miss Elizabeth in debates and, while it greatly pleases him, I fear that she thinks him opinionated and stern. Well, as you are aware, he is opinionated and stern, but he has other wonderful qualities that she might not see with him continually giving offense.

  Speaking of offense, I did apologize sincerely to the express rider for requiring his services on a Sunday lest you think that I am unaware of the impropriety of such an occurrence. I believe that your immediate oversight of my poor manners is necessary. Do you not also believe so?

  Have you noticed, Richard, my repeated use of ‘please’? I beg your assistance. Please?

  Your undeserving, but ever hopeful

  Georgiana Darcy

  This he had to see for himself. Having Fitzwilliam Darcy not in rigid control of his emotions was a first for the colonel. Even when his cousin dealt with that scoundrel, Wickham, he typically remained stoic.

  Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was packed and on his way to Ramsgate within the hour. He arrived late that night to find both Georgiana and Darcy in a state of mourning at being separated from their friends. Both were petulant and opinionated about the Bennets having dined with old acquaintances they had met after services that morning. The Gardiners and Bennets would be touring the Kent countryside the next day so it would be Tuesday before they could again be in company.

  “So, tell me about Miss Elizabeth.” Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam knew when to be direct and when to be discreet. His cousin, Darcy, rarely responded to his form of discretion so it was best to get things out in the open. “I have not heard of the Bennet family from Hertfordshire, so I assume she is a country lass, am I correct? He watched Darcy closely to see if there would be a break in his composure.

  “She is a good friend to Georgiana.” That was the full extent of Darcy’s comments about Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

  There was such a lack of emotion at this statement, that both Georgiana and the colonel rolled their eyes. When nothing else was forthcoming, Richard realized that the silence was more telling than if Darcy had expounded for hours. Oh, yes! Miss Elizabeth was embedded deeply under his cousin’s skin. Richard was determined to watch things play out and help his incompetent cousin along.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  It was the seventh day from the colonel’s arrival in Ramsgate that unexpected company arrived. The day after Darcy had rejoined Georgiana; he had recalled an appointment to meet Mr. Charles Bingley at his club to discuss the possible leasing of an estate in Hertfordshire. Bingley longed to join the landed gentry and leave his roots in trade far behind. Darcy quickly sent an express telling Bingley of his sudden removal from London and plans to remain in the coastal town until mid-August with his sister. Apparently, Bingley had taken that as an invitation, for he showed up with his two sisters and his brother-in-law to spend the remainder of time in close company with the Darcys. The only home the Bingleys found available in Ramsgate was farther back from the promenades and much smaller than either the Darcy’s or the Gardiner’s establishments. While Bingley was satisfied with the arrangements, his two sisters were not.

  Miss Caroline Bingley had one goal in her life and that was to become Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mistress of Pemberley. She claimed a superior understanding of how to move in society, how to clothe herself in the latest fashions, and she felt no qualms at declaring herself a truly accomplished woman. Her dowry of twenty-thousand pounds and her brother’s close friendship with Darcy was her bait and Caroline only waited for the time that Darcy would finally take the hook and place her in the position that she endeavored to attain. It had been at her insistence that the Bingley siblings had traveled to Ramsgate. Wherever Darcy was, there was where Caroline wanted to be. Upon arrival, she quickly sent her brother around to extend an invitation for Mr. and Miss Darcy to tea. It angered her greatly to discover they already had plans for that afternoon.

  “What could you possibly mean, Charles?” Caroline’s color had risen in frustration and disappointment and it was not a good look for her with her orange gown and reddish-colored hair. “Mr. Darcy has been in Ramsgate such a short time and we both know that he does not easily make new acquaintances. Who could possibly be here to attract his attention away from us, his closest friends?” Caroline rose from the settee and thrust the newspaper under her brother’s nose. As he drew back in an effort to keep from being swatted with the rolled-up paper, his sister continued her tirade. “The society columns report that nobody of importance is at this particular coastal town. Most of the first circles have gone to Brighton or Bath. Why the Darcys chose not go to Brighton I can only wonder.” Again, she waved the paper at him. “You must find out right now who have imposed themselves on the generosity of the Darcys. Charles, you must.”

  “Caroline!” Her brother had been aware of Caroline’s hopes for several years and knew his friend to be uninterested. It had been impossible to convince her or dissuade her from her attempts to catch Darcy as a mate. “We may live a life of leisure, but Darcy does not. Give the poor man a rest. He is his own master. Should he want to summer in Scotland or anywhere else, he could do so. I have no personal influence over his calendar, Caroline, and neither do you.”

  Charles Bingley was ready to establish his own home, one without the presence of his sisters. He was twenty-three years old and master of his own fate. What he longed for was a pleasant, beautiful wife who would run his household and run him as well. It had been his mother who had taken the lead in his family and Bingley imagined that he would be contented with the same. He watched his sister stomp her foot and quit the room with a swish of her skirts and her nose thrust in the air. Bingley could not help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation. Fitzwilliam Darcy was the last person who needed Caroline Bingley for a wife. He wondered at the Bennet family that Darcy had mentioned. Five daughters unmarried!

  ***

  Also, new to the neighborhood were the Earl and Countess of Mountebank, Lord and Lady Sternhaven and their debutante daughter, Lady Olivia. Lord Sternhaven wore his wealth, prominence, and title tucked closely around him like a winter cloak. His demeanor and attitude of condescension was, to Darcy, an unpleasant reminder of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

  Lady Olivia’s beauty and joie de vie had momentarily caught Darcy’s attention earlier in the season along with a throng of other gentlemen. She appeared to have everything to recommend her as Mistress of Pemberley; wealth, poise, family connections, and a personality that would be an asset to the Darcy siblings. Nonetheless, Darcy was not one to rush into such a permanent decision without first giving it thorough consideration, especially with someone so young and under the influence of a domineering father. He had appeared at several balls and card parties where the Sternhavens had been in attendance and had watched Lady Olivia closely. It would be a match that his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, would approve. Lady Catherine had long considered Darcy to be her future son-in-law, pairing him with his invalid cousin, Anne. Her disapprobation was only to be expected as Lady Catherine was not one for brooking disappointed hopes.

  Miss Anne de Bourgh, as Lady Catherine’s only child, was sole heir of Rosings Park in Kent and it had been a dream of Lady Catherine’s to combine Rosings and Pemberley to make Darcy and Anne the largest land owners in all of England. Power and control were Lady Catherine’s motives. She wou
ld not be pleased to know that Darcy had given thought to someone other than her daughter as his wife, even if the lady came with a title. Lady Catherine would be even more upset to know how often thoughts of Miss Elizabeth Bennet crept into Darcy’s mind, instead of any other woman, including Anne.

  Darcy was aware that it was becoming harder and harder to summon a good likeness of Lady Olivia to his mind. Their calling card had been left while the Darcys were walking with Colonel Fitzwilliam and he seemed to recall that the lady had darkish colored hair and was much shorter than his sister. Other than that, he was unable to remember the color of her eyes or the sound of her laughter. Had she really left him that unaffected? His uncle would be disappointed in him.

  It was also harder and harder to dismiss his fanciful imaginings of Miss Elizabeth next to him at his estate; seated beside him welcoming guests in the main drawing room of Pemberley, discussing estate business in the Mistress’s study, reading together in the library, and sharing the same bed chamber in the family rooms. Those ideas had taken root and his aunt and uncle would be appalled at the lack of effort that Darcy was taking to dig them out. While it had been Elizabeth’s fine eyes that had first attracted him, it was her intelligence and kindness that was reeling him in.

  ***

  It was the next day, a sunny Tuesday, that all of the parties came together while walking along the waterfront. The winds were calm and the sunlight danced on the crystalline sea. Assorted family groups gathered below them on the sandy beach to devour the packed picnic lunches prepared and served to those reclining on colorful blankets under various pastel umbrellas; completely unaware of the drama developing on the boardwalk above them. What looked like a peaceful gathering of friends was anything but.

  Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had been strolling, with Georgiana between them, towards the north shore of the bay. Darcy had arranged with the Bennet and Gardiner families to meet in front of a quaint little shop that sold ices so they might walk along the cove together. Introductions had just been provided to Colonel Fitzwilliam when they were first joined by the Bingleys and the Hursts. Darcy proceeded to extend the introductions when up walked the Sternhavens.

  “Oh, my lord,” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed loudly at the ruggedly handsome colonel arrayed in his red coat and epaulets. She had never gotten over her first love, a Lieutenant in the militia who had worn that same red coat just as well as Colonel Fitzwilliam. Her sigh was quite vocal.

  Not understanding her outburst, Lord Sternhaven assumed that she was speaking to him. “Pardon me, madam, are you addressing me?” The sneer on Lord Sternhaven’s face was off-putting to anyone who had been looking his way. The lady in question had eyes for no one other than Colonel Fitzwilliam. Kitty and Lydia Bennet also were enraptured with the good colonel. Lord Sternhaven balked at being so ignored.

  Darcy watched Elizabeth put her arm through her mother’s and look to Jane for aid. He was shocked to see that Miss Jane Bennet was apparently as enthralled with his cousin as her mother and younger sisters. Richard was the second son of the Earl of Matlock who had risen to his current rank through hard work and regimental leadership skills honed on the Continent. His only option for retiring from the military to the life of a gentleman was to marry an heiress, which Miss Jane Bennet was not. A quick glance at his cousin confirmed that he returned Miss Bennet’s gaze with his full attention and Darcy wondered if Richard had been watching her since their arrival. He had a dreamy look on his face that Darcy had never seen before.

  Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were also watching the production unfold like the first act at the theatre. The movement between the parties was reminiscent of flies being captured in a web. Colonel Fitzwilliam ignored the fluttering of Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, and Lydia and stepped closer to Jane. He took her hand and bowed over it, wanting with every fiber of his being to kiss that hand. Under the watchful eye of her uncle Gardiner, whom Richard knew to be one of the most powerful merchants in London, he wisely chose to abstain.

  Lord Sternhaven was unused to not being the center of attention. He had decided early in the season that it was time to make a move to secure Darcy as husband to his daughter, as Pemberley would be a nice addition to his property holdings. While Darcy would retain ownership, Lord Sternhaven vowed to undertake the management of all property connected, even indirectly, to his name. Lord Sternhaven was willing to overlook Darcy’s lack of title because his priority, like Lady Catherine de Bourgh, was wealth and power. This he would have with Darcy as a son. It had been a source of great frustration when Fitzwilliam Darcy had not come to call on Lady Olivia during those months in London.

  Lord Sternhaven pushed his daughter towards Darcy, whom he did not realize was busy observing Elizabeth’s reaction to her eldest sister. To keep from falling, Lady Olivia stretched out her arms and grabbed onto the only secure surface she could find. That turned out to be the only man giving Lady Olivia his full attention, Charles Bingley. As Bingley stepped forward to catch Lady Olivia before she suffered a terrifying mishap, Caroline Bingley moved to Darcy’s side and clasped his arm tightly, holding on as if it was her balance that had been threatened.

  Lady Olivia Sternhaven looked into Bingley’s blue eyes with wonder. Bingley’s own eyes reflected that wonder as if mirrored. Neither spoke. Though young Bingley was unknown to him personally, Mr. Gardiner had known Bingley’s father for years and knew the young man’s reputation of inconstancy. It had been a concern of Bingley’s father, who had been a longtime supplier for Gardiner’s export business. Lord Sternhaven did not know Bingley at all.

  Gardiner chuckled to himself as he noted the color rising from Lord Sternhaven’s collar. Edward Gardiner was privy to inside information that the Sternhaven fortune had dwindled rapidly due to bad business decisions and a gambling problem. The proud man had himself backed into a financial corner and it was obvious that he had decided that Darcy’s wealth and family name would be his ticket out of that nook. Bingley, the son of a tradesman, would be most unwelcome to shower his attentions on the only child of that arrogant man. In Lord Sternhaven’s society, the daughter of an earl would never marry someone so closely tied to trade. Mr. Gardiner decided that it might be prudent to share some of his knowledge with Darcy, the object of Sternhaven’s interest. He could not see Bingley’s instant infatuation coming to fruition unless something drastic happened between the couple.

  “Charles!” Caroline Bingley, who was still clinging to Darcy’s arm like a bur, had to repeat herself several times before her brother finally turned his head towards her. “Charles Bingley, you are completely remiss in not offering to escort Miss Darcy. She is such a close friend that she should be on your arm. Mr. Darcy is otherwise occupied.” She squeezed his left arm where she held on tightly in spite of Darcy’s efforts to remove her hand. Caroline was convinced that attaching her brother to Darcy’s sister would draw the families together. Where there was one wedding, there is most likely to be another. However, it was a tactical error on her part. When she leaned into Darcy’s side, pressing her chest against his upper arm, Darcy reacted more violently than he intended. Releasing his sister on his right side he peeled Caroline’s fingers from around the crook of his bent arm. Quickly stepping closer to his sister, so as to distance himself, he gave Caroline Bingley his most intimidating stare. Had she not been related to his best friend, Darcy would have given her the cut direct.

  The silence was almost deafening as all of the parties gave their full attention to Miss Bingley. Her audacity at commandeering her brother and her flagrant disrespect for her position in her brother’s household clearly identified her to the newcomers as crass and affected. Darcy watched the red creep up Bingley’s neck and settle on the tops of his ears. He could not help but look down at his sister, Georgiana, and be grateful that she was mannerly. Darcy had repeatedly encouraged Bingley to take control over his own household. This time, in front of so many witnesses who inhabited the very society that Caroline ached to elevate herself into, his sister had overstepped to
such an extent that it was doubtful that there would be any repair. It would do nothing for Bingley’s efforts to move up in society to have Caroline in his home. With that thought in mind, he still fully expected his friend to capitulate, as always. Thus, he was pleasantly surprised at his friend’s reaction.

  “Caroline, I believe that you are looking a bit tired. Possibly the travel from London was too much for you.” While his sister put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to argue her point, Charles requested that his brother-in-law Hurst escort his sister back to their home to rest. Mr. Hurst had been waiting years for Bingley to take a stand with his sister and to have it be such a public venue was a true delight to him. Without pause he chuckled to himself and stepping to Caroline’s side, firmly grasped her elbow to drag her back the way they had come. The others watched in seeming fascination at the spectacle that was departing.

  Darcy had not realized that he had been holding his breath and recognized that he was not the only one when he heard a collective sigh at Caroline’s departure. Again, his eyes moved over the whole group. Richard had yet to move away from Jane. Bingley was still standing close to Lady Olivia, and Elizabeth was whispering frantically to her mother.

  Mr. Gardiner caught his eye for a moment and Darcy noted the raised left brow. He knew that Mr. Gardiner was waiting to see how he would respond. Darcy had closely watched Mr. Gardiner’s involvement in the Bennet family dynamic. He had been impressed at how both of the Gardiners stepped back and allowed events to precede until it was absolutely necessary for them to step in and act. Darcy’s own inclination was to take charge and fix whatever situation he was confronted with, especially Bingley’s. However, it would never do for Elizabeth’s uncle to believe that Darcy was so rigid that he would never allow his niece the freedom to use her wonderful brain when in his company. Darcy felt like this was a test and he was surprised at the nervousness he felt. At that point, he was unconcerned about anyone other than his sister, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and her uncle.