Mr Darcy Requests the Pleasure Page 12

  She looked so wretched that Sarah felt even more sorry for her. “What about Mr. Collins? What does he here?”

  “Oh, he had accompanied Lady Catherine to London and she insisted he come with her, although I do not see why she needed to bring him.”

  Sarah said, “Well I wish she had not done so, he is the most tiresome man.”

  That elicited a slight laugh from Miss Hawes. “Yes, he is a funny one.”

  Sarah said, “I wonder why, Miss Hawes, if you are Lady Catherine’s goddaughter, we have not met before.”

  “I wish you will call me Lucinda, Lady Sarah.”

  “Then let’s have no more of Lady Sarah, since we are obviously destined to be better acquainted.”

  “I live in the north of England, I have never been to London. I am to be married in the spring and–and I have not been quite well, and so my father thought a change of air would do me good. So he sent me to Kent to stay with Lady Catherine.”

  “Well, let me wish you very happy. Who is the fortunate man?”

  “Sir Philip Langton.”

  “Sir Philip Langton!” Sarah burst out in astonishment, and then recollected herself. “I am sorry, I did not know he was to be married. But surely, he is a great deal older than you are?”

  “Yes, indeed–” a long sigh. “He is twenty five years older than I am.”

  “And a man of great wealth, I believe.”

  “Yes, and considerable political influence.”

  Lucinda brought this phrase out as though repeating a lesson.

  Political influence, yes, Sarah said to herself. And this poor creature is being sold by Lord Hawes to Sir Philip because of it. What a dreadful fate for her to marry Sir Philip, a rake if ever she knew one. He was urbane and charming, and never safe to be alone with if he took a fancy to you.

  Tindall came in, assured Miss Hawes that she would see to having her things unpacked, brought water for her to wash after her journey and then said to Sarah, “You’d best go downstairs, my lady, Lady Catherine is asking what keeps you so long. And you too, miss.”

  On their way downstairs, Lucinda whispered to Sarah, “Are you frightened by Lady Catherine? I fear she is angry with you.”

  “She is certainly come to rebuke me for my conduct and to abuse me, but I’m quite used to that, she has been doing so for years.”

  This time, Elizabeth could do nothing to prevent Lady Catherine’s outburst. Her ladyship pounced on Sarah almost before she was through the door.

  “There you are. Come in, do not dawdle there, I demand that you give me an explanation of your extraordinary behaviour. What is this about the measles? You had them when you were six years old, I remember it perfectly, for you gave them to Anne. No, do not fob me off pretending you had forgotten, for I shan’t believe you. And you never told your mother that you were expecting Lord Winterbourne to pay a call, no doubt to pay his addresses to you. No, instead you made up this story about the measles, and went dashing off to Pemberley in this unseemly and inappropriate fashion. Apart from the bad manners of turning up on your cousin’s doorstep without an invitation–”

  Which was exactly what Lady Catherine had done, Sarah murmured rebelliously to herself.

  “–it has put me to the extreme inconvenience of coming here to reason with you. Your stepmother is much distressed by your actions, and the whole family must disapprove of such behaviour. I demand that you return with me to London upon the morrow and we will hear no more of this avoiding Lord Winterbourne, what must he think of you? Who knows what harm you may have done to your chances with him?”

  Elizabeth intervened. “None, Lady Catherine, I assure you. For Lord Winterbourne broke his journey north to visit us here at Pemberley and is our guest.”

  Lady Catherine looked at Elizabeth with deep displeasure. “Why did you not mention this to me?”

  Elizabeth said, calmly, “You would have discovered it for yourself at any moment, for here is the shooting party returning, and you may see for yourself. There is Lord Winterbourne walking beside Mr. Darcy.”

  Lady Catherine swept out on to the terrace and looked across to where the gentlemen were just crossing the ha ha. She stiffened. “I see Mr. Darcy, and I do indeed see Lord Winterbourne, and there is Mr. Bingley, but who, pray, is the fourth gentlemen?”

  Elizabeth said, “That is Captain Hyde, who was staying with the Bingleys and came with them to Pemberley to join the shooting party. He is a naval officer.”

  Mr. Collins, who had been taken into Lady Catherine’s confidence when she had put an end to any intimacy between Sarah and Captain Hyde, and was well aware of the contempt she felt for that gentleman, said in reproving tones, “You should be more careful, Cousin Elizabeth, whom you receive into this house as a guest.”

  “Any serving officer in our navy will always be a welcome guest at Pemberley, Mr. Collins,” Elizabeth said.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Octavius could not dislike Lord Winterbourne. In fact, he thought him a most agreeable man. But setting his own inclinations aside, for his former feelings for Sarah were returning in a disturbing way, he could not think that Lord Winterbourne could ever be the right husband for her. He was obviously prejudiced in this, but Sarah’s liveliness and independent spirit would surely unsettle and alarm Lord Winterbourne, and the closeness and stresses of married life must inevitably drive them apart. Winterbourne needed a gentler creature than Lady Sarah. Someone to cherish and watch over, and that degree of care and attention would, he was pretty sure, irk Sarah.

  Octavius told himself he was a good judge of men. No successful sea captain could be anything else. On every voyage he had under his command officers and men who suffered all kinds of domestic delights and delusions, and his experience with them did not incline him to take a sentimental attitude towards the married state. Then he laughed at his sophistry. His reasoning was nothing of the kind, being based on strong emotion. He could not bear to think of Sarah married to any other man. even one possessed of as many sterling qualities as Lord Winterbourne.

  It was a good while since Octavius had taken out a gun, and he felt his eye was out. Charles Bingley was quick to reassure him. “It is a skill that will quickly return. And you have been used to handling far bigger guns to a much greater purpose, a sporting gun is not to be compared to a cannon, I believe.”

  Lord Winterbourne was interested to know exactly how guns were fired at sea, and as they strolled back to the house, a good haul in the game bags and a sense of well-being in each of the party, they pressed Captain Hyde for details of how gunnery aboard ships worked. Cannons and carronades, the virtues of different kinds of powder, the necessity for rigorous practice to keep the gun crews in fighting trim and the timing and execution of a broadside brought them to the ha ha.

  At which point Mr. Darcy stiffened, and shading his eyes with a hand said, almost to himself, “Who are those people on the terrace?”

  “The ladies, surely, enjoying the mild air,” Bingley said.

  “I think you have visitors,” Octavius said. His eye might be out for shooting, but he had keen sight and that man was certainly a clergyman. And that, if he was not mistaken, was his nemesis, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. “And I think, he added, “your aunt, Lady Catherine, together with another young lady.”

  “The devil it is,” muttered Mr. Darcy. “And why has she brought Mr. Collins with her? As to the young lady., I never saw her before.”

  Octavius was surprised to see that Lord Winterbourne’s countenance had undergone an extraordinary change. Astonishment and delight mingled in his expression as he said in a quiet voice. “That is… yes, if I’m not mistaken, that is Miss Hawes.”

  “Hawes’s daughter? Now, why?” said Mr. Darcy, quickening his stride. “We should make haste, my aunt does not look to be in a good mood and Elizabeth should not have to deal with her on her own.”

  Octavius liked Mr. Darcy for his concern, although he felt that Mrs. Darcy was well able to deal with any number of disagr
eeable aunts.

  Then they were up the shallow flight of stone steps and on the terrace. Mr. Darcy wore an air of reserve. Polite, courteous, dutiful; but no one could be under any illusion that he was pleased to see his aunt. There had been a reconciliation after the marriage to which she had been so strongly opposed, but she had said things at that time that not even an angel could have forgiven. He knew that it vexed her still when she came to Pemberley, to see Elizabeth there as its mistress.

  Introductions; civilities. Lady Catherine greeted Lord Winterbourne with effusiveness, ably seconded by the obsequious Mr. Collins, bowing and smirking at her side. She bestowed a fingertip handshake upon Mr. Bingley with a faint smile, but even that tepid acknowledgment was warmth itself in comparison with the coldness and hostility when it came to Octavius.

  He was not in the least disconcerted by this behaviour; he expected nothing else. To her, he was still the younger son of a family of no particular wealth or importance who was trying to make his way in the world as best he could. He was no different from the young man hoping for promotion who had visited her at Rosings those years ago.

  Mr. Collins pursed his lips and looked disapproving as he was introduced to Captain Hyde, and Octavius was hard put not to laugh at his mixture of sleek pomposity and deference to her ladyship. He caught Sarah’s eye and saw that she was also trying to suppress a laugh. How delightful it was to share a sense of the absurd with another human being. And with a flash of insight, he realised that even when she was only sixteen, an age at at which young ladies were often self-conscious, she had always been ready to be amused by what was ridiculous and pretentious, to share a good joke and, rarest of all, laugh at herself.

  With all this going on, Octavius had not taken much notice of the other member of the party. Miss Hawes seemed to be a shy young lady, and not at all the kind of female to take his fancy. She was pretty enough, with her big dark eyes and a look of slight apprehension. She was so very young, like a flower whose petals had not yet unfurled. Time would take care of that, and she might have more character than showed, since she was evidently cowed by the presence of her formidable godmother.

  Unlike Lady Sarah; she hadn’t been cowed by her aunt when she was sixteen.

  Then he happened to glance at Lord Winterbourne and saw his eyes resting on Miss Hawes with a look of such warmth and affection that he was quite taken aback. At that moment Miss Hawes, whose gaze had been fastened somewhere around her feet, looked up at Lord Winterbourne and smiled at him, a smile that transformed her from a rather insipid girl to a glowing young woman.

  He looked across at Sarah. She, too had noticed those looks, that smile, and she was keenly interested by what she saw. Now it was their turn to exchange a glance, one of perfect understanding. It was quite clear to him and, it seemed, to Sarah, that there was some attachment between Lord Winterbourne and Miss Hawes; a strong feeling much far beyond that of mere acquaintances.

  And much too strong for a couple in their situation: the lady actually engaged and the gentleman in the midst of his own plans to marry.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jane said to Elizabeth, drawing her slightly aside, “Why does not Lady Sarah tell Lady Catherine that Lord Winterbourne has indeed proposed to her and that she intends to accept him?”

  Elizabeth spoke in a low voice, “It would be much better if no mention is made of that for the present. I doubt now that Lady Sarah will ever say yes to Lord Winterbourne.”

  “She told you she had made her mind up, and indeed I am impressed by him, so considerate, so well-informed, so amiable. ”

  “Even so it is best that nothing is said about it.” With a keener perception than her sister, Elizabeth was aware of the strong attraction between Sarah and Captain Hyde and she, too, had noticed Lord Winterbourne’s eyes resting on Miss Hawes. Well, there was nothing for him there. The girl was engaged, even if in Elizabeth’s eyes it was a sad affair. Sir Philip, apart from being so much older than his bride-to-be, was a man whom Elizabeth neither liked nor respected. She said as much to Mr. Darcy when they went upstairs to dress for dinner.

  He raised an eyebrow, “I dare say you are right, you generally are about such matters. I notice that Winterbourne appears to be anxious to avoid any kind of a tête à tête with Sarah, which seemed odd to me. Still, it is not for us to interfere; we must let these affairs follow their course. However strongly Lady Catherine feels upon the subject–and it is clear that she is more than eager for Sarah to marry Winterbourne–she will not be able to force Sarah into such a step against her will. And of course it is really none of her business.”

  “Everything is Lady Catherine’s business.”

  “Unfortunately, that is true, my love. As for Miss Hawes, there are happy marriages made between couples where there is a great disparity of age. Perhaps Miss Hawes is one of those young ladies who will be happy with a fatherly kind of husband.”

  “You have eyes in your head, so you must see how it is with her, she is in love with Lord Winterbourne and he with her. Lord Winterbourne might well be the very husband for her, for just the reasons why he is not the right husband for Sarah. Oh, what a muddle it is.”

  Mr. Darcy said, “In this orgy of matchmaking and mis-matchmaking, what destiny do you see for Sarah? It is clear that there is some history between her and Captain Hyde, and I would say that he is a man well on the way to being very much in love. I cannot speak for the lady’s sentiments. Sarah seems to be showing uncommon good sense and not allowing herself to reveal anything about how she feels about anybody. Well, I must change, here I am still in my shooting coat. So much for my peaceful house party; so much for a tranquil weekend. We shall have the house crammed full if people keep arriving at this rate.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sarah scribbled a hasty note which she pressed into Tindall’s hand; from her it passed to the servant waiting upon Captain Hyde and was delivered to Octavius as he was arranging his neckcloth. He glanced at it, scrunched the paper into a ball, finished dressing with extreme rapidity and a few minutes later was downstairs and on his way to the library. His heart sank when he saw a figure clad in back evening clothes standing at the foot of the stairs.

  Mr. Collins, smiling, complacent, determined to talk to him. He stepped forward to stand in Octavius’s way, and said, “We are early down, are we not? We are previous, you might say.”

  Octavius said, unwisely, “I am just on my way to the library. And then, to give a reason, added lamely, “I wish to find a book.”

  Mr. Collins said, “I will accompany you. It is an excellent library, although there are many volumes in there which as the young ladies of the household grow up must be removed or at least put on higher shelves. There are some books there that I consider should not have a place in any gentleman’s library where the ladies might find them and be tempted to read them. I often spoke to my esteemed cousin, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Darcy’s father, about the way he permitted his daughters use his library as they wished; a most unwise course to take.”

  Octavius was amused by this clerical prudishness, and might at another time have asked what books in particular offended Mr. Collins’s moral sense of what females should and should not read, but he had other things on on his own mind at the moment. Damn it, he was not going to be able to shake off this tiresome clergyman.

  Why this sudden desire of Mr. Collins for his company?

  A moment’s reflection might have informed him of the reason, for Lady Catherine had instructed Mr. Collins to see that Sarah and Captain Hyde were not alone together. “You must be down before the others, in case they try to sneak away before dinner. He is a sly fellow, you can tell that merely by looking at him.”

  “Your ladyship need have no worries on that score. I shall make it my duty to ensure they have no chance of any private conversation.

  Octavius was annoyed. More than annoyed. Sarah wanted to speak to him and it must be some urgent matter for her to send him a note in such a way. Now she would be
in the library, waiting for him, while he was detained by this tiresome cleric. She would think that her note hadn’t reached him, or that he had failed her.

  He had missed his chance. The others were beginning to come down and soon Sarah joined them, coming into the drawing room from the library. She sent Octavius an enquiring glance and with a slight shake of his head, and eyes shifted towards Mr. Collins he intimated where the problem lay.

  With quick apprehension, she took his meaning, gave an expressive shrug and then went over to talk to Miss Hawes.

  Sarah had a definite feeling that Lord Winterbourne was not exactly avoiding her, but was anxious not to be alone with her. Lady Catherine attempted to contrive that they should sit together at dinner, but Sarah cunningly foiled this plan by ushering Miss Hawes into the seat beside him. She then sat herself, with what she considered great nobility, next to Mr. Collins. She recalled a very dull sermon she had heard preached a few Sundays ago, and with her retentive memory was able to recollect some of its points and so encourage him to launch into an extremely boring and she was sure, ignorant, disquisition on the text in question. She pitied his parishioners in Kent. She had had to endure some of his prosy sermons while a guest at Rosings, but the inhabitants of Hunsford were obliged to listen to his preaching Sunday after Sunday. They must have a fine sense of holiday with him away from his parish.

  After dinner, when the ladies of the party sat in the drawing room, Lady Catherine held forth on topics of interest; interest to her, that was, since she cared not a jot for what others might want to talk about. There was general sense of relief when the gentlemen came in after not too long a delay. Music was suggested, and Lady Catherine was quick to command Sarah to sing. “And you have the reputation of being an accomplished musician, Lord Winterbourne. You may accompany my niece.”