His Uncle's Favorite (4 page)

“I am sorry to disappoint you, Uncle. I have no interesting news to share and most certainly not about interesting ladies. Unfortunately, I cannot surprise you.”

“Well, I am indeed disappointed, but there is little I can do about the situation. It is quite fortunate that my son here always has interesting news to share, usually involving a lovely smile and beautiful eyes. However, I might surprise both of you tomorrow night as I plan to introduce to you the most interesting young lady I have met in many years. I have to say I was quite taken with her, and I am curious to know your opinion.”

His son laughed. “May I presume I am soon to meet my future stepmother?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Son; she is much younger than Selina. However, you should prepare as it is likely you will meet a woman whose eyes will charm your senses and whose wit will bewitch your mind. I cannot wait to see you lost like a schoolboy.”

His son laughed again, heartily. “I accept the wager, Father. That will never happen unless… Does she have an interesting dowry, too?”

The earl gulped his brandy and shook his head. “We shall see if you ask about her dowry tomorrow night.”

“Uncle, perhaps we should find another subject? I am not comfortable with this conversation. Suppose someone were to speak in the same manner about my sister? Or about Selina?”

“Oh, don’t be so boring, Nephew. I speak with the deepest respect. The young lady I describe is the niece of my late business partner, Edward Gardiner.”

“I see…” both younger gentlemen whispered, and there was silence for a few moments.

“So, I understand you had a pleasant call on Mrs. Gardiner yesterday,” said his son.

“Indeed I had—very pleasant. Her nieces are visiting, and it was a delight to meet them both. Very beautiful girls, though so utterly different…”

“Well, you have me curious and anxious about tomorrow night, I grant you that.”

“Good. What about you, Nephew? Are you curious, too?”

“Not really, Uncle. I am curious to meet Mrs. Gardiner as I know of the high opinion you and Selina have of her; and I never heard you praise a man as much as you did Mr. Gardiner. However, more than anything, I was hoping for a quiet, pleasant, Christmas evening with our family. I really need that after all the turmoil…” His last words were no more than a whisper, and his uncle looked at him with unconcealed curiosity.

“Are you well, Nephew? Is anything wrong?”

“I think he is just worried, Father. As we arrived, he was telling me how he managed to save a friend from a disadvantageous union with a young lady who did not share his affection.”

“Really? Well, well—that is an interesting story indeed. Will you not indulge me, or it is too private for your old uncle?”

“There is not much to say, Uncle. As you may know, my friend Bingley’s heart is…quite easy to impress. He became attached to a young lady whose beauty was indeed remarkable, but it was not enough to outweigh other important aspects—”

“Important aspects? May I inquire of what aspects you are speaking? Am I to understand the lady was beautiful but lacking in behaviour or disposition or good sense?”

“Not really. I could not say she lacked in any of these but—”

“You said she did not share his affection. If that is the case, it is good he has to bear the disappointment now rather than later.”

“Yes, I agree with you. Hopefully, his spirit will rise again soon. He could not possibly bind himself to a young lady whose family was so much beneath him and whose affection for him was questionable.”

The earl gulped some wine while examining his nephew’s face with extra care.

“So her affection was questionable? That would mean you are not certain about it. What is your friend’s opinion? And what is the situation of the young lady’s family that is so beneath him?”

“Uncle, why are we speaking of this? It can be of little interest to you.”

“The matter is of little interest to me, but you are of
great
interest to me, and you seemed preoccupied with the situation.”

“I confess I am preoccupied because I really want to find the best resolution for my friend. His well-being is my main concern, and his sisters agreed with me that—”

“His sisters agreed with you? And you are concerned about his well-being? Come, Nephew; that is quite ridiculous. As far as I know, he is a worthy gentleman, well capable of taking care of his own interests. May I ask what precisely you did for his well-being?”

“I advised him it would be best for everyone that he stay in London for the winter. I am sure you would agree with me if you saw the shocking behaviour of the entire Bennet family—their lack of manners and education. I will admit that the two elder Miss Bennets were beyond reproach in every regard, but the rest of the family—”

“The Bennet family?” The earl moved to the wine decanter.

“Yes, that was the name of the young lady—Miss Jane Bennet.”

The earl stopped in the middle of the room, forcing his nephew to cease his pacing.

A few moments of silence followed until the earl poured himself another glass of wine.

“I see…and Miss Bennet’s father… What does he do for a living?”

“He has an estate in Hertfordshire, but the estate is entailed to a cousin.”

“So Mr. Bennet is a gentleman, and he owns an estate. However, I suspect Miss Bennet does not possess an impressive dowry.”

“I imagine she does not, but that was not the reason—”

“Yes, yes, the main reason was her family’s behaviour. You were appalled by their lack of manners, and in this, you had the agreement of his sisters, whose behaviour and manners are always beyond reproach.”

“Uncle…”

“And your friend? How does he bear the situation?”

“Worse than I anticipated, I am afraid. I was hoping his attachment was a superficial one, but it appears his heart was touched more deeply than I thought.”

“Well, neither he nor his attachment means much to me at the moment if he changed his mind so easily. Perhaps you did the lady a favour after all. And as long as you are preoccupied with his well-being and the lady’s feelings did not equal his, everything is for the best.”

“I hope so. But, sir, you must not blame my friend. You know he is an honourable man.”

“He is honourable; there is no doubt about that. But I do wonder how much of a man he is.” His son laughed.

“What about Miss Bennet’s sisters? You mentioned earlier that the two eldest ‘were beyond reproach.’ Did I understand you correctly? Does she have a sister who is not the object of your complaints?”

Darcy averted his eyes, and his answer was delayed a moment too long. “You understood correctly, Uncle. Miss Bennet’s younger sister—Miss Elizabeth—is one of the most accomplished ladies I have met in a long time.”

“This is quite astonishing; there seems to be something you approve in Miss Bennet’s family! And most accomplished, above all… Well, well…”

“I… There is… I confess I had the chance of being in Miss Elizabeth’s company a few times, and I will not deny that I noticed many qualities that are rarely seen together in a young lady.”

“I see… Well, at least I am relieved to know you and Bingley do not admire the same Bennet daughter. For a moment I suspected you had an interest of your own in keeping your friend separated from the lady.”

“Uncle, you must not—’

“Do not worry; I no longer suspect such a thing. I understand perfectly well that your only concern was your friend’s well-being. Despite Miss Bennet’s many accomplishments, we must not forget their family’s lack of manners—and most likely fortune as well.”

“True! But, Uncle, I have the strange feeling that you are mocking me, and I cannot understand why. You know I dislike it when you take my words lightly”

“Have no fear, Nephew; this time I take your words seriously indeed. Well, well—that was an entertaining conversation. Let us return to our plans for tomorrow evening. I can hardly wait to see my dear niece again. That sweet girl is like an angel who always succeeds in lightening my old heart.”

“We are looking forward to tomorrow night, too, Uncle. I hope we will have a lovely, peaceful family dinner.”

“You may rest assured, Nephew—it will be a lovely dinner, indeed!”

After his guest left, the earl remained near the window, staring at the white streets.

The mischievous smile on his face caused a frown on his son’s, and he demanded an explanation that never came. The younger gentleman continued to insist, with little success, until the earl became weary of his inquiries and dismissed him for the rest of the afternoon.

***

Lord Matlock’s house was everything Elizabeth expected: grand, impressive, lit by hundreds of candles, and crowded with servants preoccupied with accomplishing their duties perfectly. Lady Selina, on the arm of her husband, Lord Brightmore, hurried forward to greet them.

Immediately behind her were two young gentlemen, one of them maintaining a serious—even stern—countenance, the other smiling openly as his eyes instantly met those of Elizabeth. She smiled back at him. Lady Selina performed the introductions to her husband and brothers, the viscount Lord Fitzwilliam and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and for the first time in his life, the colonel was speechless. He vividly remembered his father’s mischievous smile from the previous day and felt deeply sorry for his cousin. Indeed, there would be little peace for him that evening.

The gentlemen’s dispositions allowed the Bennet sisters to recognise which son was which. However, with no little surprise, Elizabeth saw the colonel’s smile vanish from his face when the introductions were made. She had no time to wonder about it as a moment later both gentlemen greeted them in a friendly manner.

“My Lord, Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am so delighted to see you again,” said Mrs. Gardiner.

“The pleasure is all ours, I assure you,” shouted the earl from the doorway.

He offered his arm to Mrs. Gardiner while the colonel accompanied the younger ladies, already bewitched by both of them. The expected shock and distress his cousin would likely suffer in a short time suddenly became of very little importance to the colonel.

***

Elizabeth was pleased with the visit so far. The colonel was delightful company, his easy manners and conversational skills putting even Jane at ease. From the first moment, he declared both the Miss Bennets were more beautiful than his father reported. Since he could not choose between them, he decided to court both, at least for the time being. Elizabeth laughed; Jane smiled and blushed.

Half an hour passed in pleasant conversation. Then the opening of a door and the sound of a well-known voice startled Elizabeth. She turned to her sister and saw her face pale; she feared Jane might faint. The earl left their little group to greet the newly arrived guests, and a moment later from the doorway, he declared with unconcealed amusement:

“Dear ladies, please allow me to introduce to you my favourite nephew and niece.”

Elizabeth silently considered that, if Jane should faint, at least she would not faint alone; the gentleman whom the earl introduced was considerably paler. He remained motionless in the doorway, staring at their party, and his gaze turned to Elizabeth. She breathed deeply, instantly recognising the disapproving glare that always made her uncomfortable, and allowed a satisfied smile to twist her lips.

Holding his gaze, she stepped forward until she was close enough to see his eyes, even darker than usual. Only then did she greet him with perfect politeness.

“Mr. Darcy, such a wonderful surprise to meet again. I never would have imagined how small London is, after all.”

***

Lady Selina embraced her cousins with great affection. Both Mr. and Miss Darcy expressed their pleasure in meeting Mrs. Gardiner, and the lady replied with genuine warmth.

With the Miss Bennets, however, the Darcy siblings showed considerably more restraint, which credited the memories Elizabeth had of Mr. Darcy’s behaviour. Surely, his sister was no different!

Jane appeared unable to look at either of the Darcys, and Elizabeth sensed her distress. How horrible for Jane to be introduced to the girl who was her rival for Mr. Bingley’s affections!

With a small voice and a furtive glance, Miss Darcy finally managed to express her delight in making their acquaintance.

“Miss Bennet…Miss Elizabeth?”

Both ladies turned to face Mr. Darcy; startled by his voice. Jane’s eyes lowered while Elizabeth’s eyebrow arched in expectation.

Darcy stared at them in complete silence for a moment. Lady Selina laughed, but he eventually found his voice. “I wanted to ask whether you have been in London long. It is a lovely surprise to meet you both again.”

“We just arrived three days ago, sir,” whispered Jane.

“I see… Well, this is indeed a lovely surprise,” he repeated, but neither his voice nor his countenance showed any pleasure.

“My sister Jane sent a letter to Miss Bingley, informing her of our arrival. And the day before yesterday, Jane called on Miss Bingley with my aunt. Did they not mention it to you?”