“I am embarrassed to repeat the conversation,” but with the slightest smile on her lips, she related the hour she had spent in Lord Fitzwilliam’s company. “I have never been in the presence of an earl before, and I did not know what to say. In fact, he told me I was saying ‘milord’ too frequently. He appreciates his rank being acknowledged, but to his mind, a few ‘milords’ are sufficient,” and Ruth Gardiner started to giggle like a young girl. “Actually, he is wickedly charming. I can imagine him getting his way more often than not.”

“But tell me what he said.”

“All right. After all, you are more than twenty years old and not a child. As I said, I did not know what to say to him because of his rank, and so I asked him about his family. He told me that he had two delightful daughters, ten and twelve, who were the apples of his eye. After we had exhausted the subject of his children, I told him that I had met the colonel and asked if there were any other sisters or brothers. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I have two sisters. The younger one thinks I can do no wrong, while the older one thinks I can do no right. The older one actually got it right.’

“That is exactly what he said, but then he went on. ‘My parents had four children, one right after the other, and then no more. I wonder what happened there?’ Well, I blushed from head to toe at the implication that they no longer… Anyway, after he saw me blushing, he said, ‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mrs. Gardiner, I wasn’t thinking of that at all.’”

Lizzy started laughing. “I think he was trying to fluster you as he has a reputation to protect—that of being a rascal.”

“Well, my dear, if he wanted to see me flustered, he succeeded. I will tell you that I shall have Mr. Gardiner beside me throughout the evening, and if he must leave me for even a moment, I shall seek you out.”

“You would do better to find Mr. Darcy. That gentleman was in ill humor when I left him, and I doubt he is in the mood for any of his cousin’s antics.”

Chapter 35

Shortly after Mrs. Gardiner returned to her room, her husband came bounding in after an excellent day of fishing on the River Dove. Although he had been gone since dawn on this his final excursion, he was overflowing with energy and was looking forward to sharing his day at Viator’s Bridge with his wife. Instead, Mrs. Gardiner demanded his immediate attention.

“May I clean up while you tell me about your exciting day in the gardens, Mrs. Gardiner? Certainly, any words that fell from the lips of that laconic Scotsman would be more interesting than anything I had to say about fishing in a spot mentioned in The Compleat Angler.” Mrs. Gardiner was so eager to share her experience with her husband that she entirely missed the sarcasm contained in his remark.

“This is not about Mr. Ferguson but Lord Fitzwilliam, who, by the way, is very handsome and has the same amazing blue eyes as his brother.” When she had finished detailing her interesting conversation with His Lordship, Mr. Gardiner burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing? This man is an avowed philanderer, and everything he says is a double entendre.”

“My dear, this shows that our randy earl has excellent taste in women. I would take his flirting as a compliment as he is known for having affairs with some of the loveliest married women in England.”

“He is an adulterer! Are you not shocked?”

“Yes, he is an adulterer and, from what I understand, quite beyond redemption when it comes to women, wine, and gambling. However, I am not shocked at his behavior as this is quite common among the aristocracy. But did you really blush like a new bride, and you the mother of four?”

“Absolutely! What would you expect me to do when his conversation was replete with sexual innuendo? I shall admit he has a very ingratiating way about him, and I can just imagine a woman looking into those blue orbs and forgetting herself. Of course, I am not referring to myself, and may I state in the strongest language possible that such a conversation rightly belongs exclusively within the confines of the bedroom of a husband and his lawfully wedded wife.”

“Ruth, we are in a bedroom, and I am your husband and you are my lawfully wedded wife,” and with a wicked smile, he asked, “so may I speak of such matters?”

After seeing the look in her husband’s eyes, Mrs. Gardiner started to laugh. “Edward, remember yourself. It is the middle of the day.”

“I shall close the drapes.”

“We must dress and go down for dinner.”

“I shall be quick,” and Ruth Gardiner fell back on the bed laughing, and her husband soon joined her. After they had finished making love, Mr. Gardiner wondered if it would be possible to arrange for his wife to sit next to Lord Fitzwilliam at supper.

“Did you take your bonnet off while you were in the cave, miss?” Ellie asked Elizabeth. “Because it looks as if someone emptied a salt cellar in your hair.”

Lizzy confessed that she had removed the farmer’s hat before leaving the cave. Not only was it ugly, but it prevented her from seeing Mr. Darcy’s face. She knew he had been watching her, and when he had moved closer to her to explain the drawings on the cave’s wall, she felt a growing heat spreading throughout her body. But she could not decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

However, there was no question that telling Mr. Darcy about Mr. Peterson had been the wrong thing. His response was totally unexpected. Instead of his seeing that she was providing him with a graceful exit and relieving him of any self-recrimination, he had become angry when he thought she might have a possible suitor. Good grief! What was she supposed to do? “Get thee to a nunnery”? And what did he mean when he had said he “was trying”? Why was it that a man of sense and education, who had lived in the world, found it so difficult to speak in declarative sentences that did not require an interpreter?

Ellie had already laid out the dress Lizzy was to wear that evening, and she could hardly look at it without thinking she was a character in a fairy tale, the one in which a village maiden marries the prince and lives happily ever after. Shortly after their arrival at Pemberley, Georgiana had shown Lizzy some of the dresses she had worn during the season, all of which had been made by a famous designer who had fled Paris and the Terror in France. One of the dresses was an exquisite russet gown with gold thread woven into the bodice and with gold tassels hanging from the short sleeves.

“This was the dress I wore to the Smythe’s ball a year ago. I had not yet come out into society, and it was something of a practice ball for those girls who were shortly to make their debut.”

“Georgiana, I think it is the loveliest gown I have ever seen.”

“I agree with you, but the color was all wrong for me, but it was my fault as Madame Delaine had warned me I was too fair for such a color. Obviously, I did not take her advice, and as a result, I have a gown I shall never wear again. It would be unfortunate if someone did not wear it, so I would like for you to have it.”

Lizzy smiled at the generous offer. She could not even guess at the cost of the gown, but she could easily imagine that it cost more than she would spend on all her frocks in the course of a year.

“That is most kind of you, Georgiana, but I am afraid I cannot accept it.”

“I thought you might say that, so I shall tell you that if you do not take it, I shall give it to Mrs. Brotherton, who will sell it. This is something I do for her because she does so much for me, but the thought of some stranger wearing this particular gown when I have a friend who would look absolutely stunning in it distresses me.” And there were those big eyes again. Lizzy felt sorry for whomever she married as the man would never win an argument when she could put on such a look.

“Let us compromise. I shall wear the dress tonight, but tomorrow I shall return it to you. May we agree on that?”

“Yes, that is the perfect compromise,” and Georgiana was sure her brother would be glad that she had struck such a deal.

After a decade of handling the reins of a post coach, Mercer had accepted the position of serving as valet to Mr. Darcy. This was not the first time he had served in such a position, but his previous employer had been such an arrogant bastard that he had gladly returned to driving a coach and six. In the five years since accepting the position with Mr. Darcy, Mercer had developed a deep affection for this young man, and whenever he recognized that his master was troubled, he did his best to help him work his way through it. Tonight was such a night.

While soaking in a tub, Darcy had unburdened himself to his manservant concerning the fiasco in the cave. “I know I acted badly, but when Elizabeth said she had been encouraging the attentions of another man, I responded quite harshly.”

“Sir, from what you’ve told me, I don’t think she was telling you that she had encouraged another man. She was saying that you shouldn’t feel bad about not being able to court her because she had a suitor in the wings.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better, Mercer?” He turned around and looked up at him. “Seriously?”

“Yes, sir, ’cause if she had already received the gentleman, then what was she doing in Derbyshire? No, to my mind, she was telling you that, come what may, she was going to be all right.”

Darcy chewed on that for a while and decided Mercer was probably correct because he did not think Elizabeth capable of being unkind, and it would have been a great unkindness if she had used the farmer from Watford as retaliation for his cock-up in London.

“I know, sir, that you do not think it right to say anything to Miss Elizabeth until you have settled the problem with Miss Montford, but I think that if you put on your best face tonight, she might figure out that you are going to do your very best to take care of the matter once you get back to London. And, besides, I know the lady cares for you.”

“How do you know that?”

“I seen it at the Netherfield ball. After I took care of all my duties, I went downstairs to listen to the music and to watch the dancing like I always do, and I seen how she looked at you. I’ve had enough women look at me like that to know what I’m talking about. That was the look of love, sir.”