The Darcy Cousins (6 page)

That evening two young men arrived at the invitation of Mr Darcy to make up a card party. Georgiana saw them from the stairs as they strode towards the library. One was Mr Gatley, though all she caught of him was a glimpse of broad shoulders and dark hair coiling above a night-blue coat. She had never seen the other gentleman.

She had the impression of a lithe form with an easy stride, merry blue eyes under a fashionable sweep of ash hair, and refined features.

He nodded to her as he passed by, acknowledging her presence.

The party was intended for the gentlemen alone. Lady Catherine, however, had no intention of allowing the men to disappear from under her jurisdiction for a whole evening.

"Where are you taking that table?" she said to the hapless footman who was carrying a card table that way. "Is that the table from my parlour? Why are you not setting it up in the living room?"

"Mr Darcy requested it, your ladyship. He specifically mentioned the library."

"Nonsense. They cannot intend to neglect the ladies when it is only nine o'clock. They may have their own card game later.

Gentlemen keep late hours, in any case. It can be no great sacrifice to postpone their own party until after they have played with us."

Under other circumstances, Georgiana would have been delighted with the opportunity to mix with gentlemen that were unknown to her. But she was wary of Mr Gatley. Something about him put her on the alert--or on the defensive, she was not quite certain which--and made her wish to avoid him. She was quite at a loss to account for it, for she could not put her finger on any particular cause. She had the feeling that he was a person who was quick to judge others and who was only too ready to find fault with them.

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It was with some hesitation, therefore, that she agreed to join them in a rubber of whist. Her instincts told her she would do well to excuse herself and retire to her room.

The attraction of mixing with two handsome young gentlemen is a temptation few young ladies can turn resist, however. Georgiana told herself she ought to at least discover what it was about Mr Gatley that disturbed her. And she unquestionably wanted to meet the other gentleman.

So, despite the qualms that whispered at the back of her mind, she allowed herself to be persuaded.

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Chapter 5

If he had known they were to spend the evening with Lady Catherine, Gatley would never have accepted the invitation. He had dealt with Lady Catherine more than he would ever have wished. Since he had returned from the war to take over his inheritance two years ago, he had come to realise that nothing could be accomplished in the village of Hunsford without Lady Catherine's express approval. As self-appointed magistrate of the parish, nothing was beneath her notice and nothing beyond her interference.

It was the way of things, of course. Sir Lewis de Bourgh's family had held sway in Hunsford for generations. And now Lady Catherine in her own right claimed ascendency. She was the only titled person in the area, and her rank had its privileges. Still, it did not mean he enjoyed his enforced association with her.

His worst encounters with her--and he admitted that his patience threshold was not very high--were at the parish meetings, where the landowners of the area met to discuss common problems.

He had quickly realised that the only way to avoid confrontation was to avoid speaking to her ladyship. It was not the best solution, by any means. But he had no other recourse. She was so very MONICA FAIRVIEW

determined to have her way that it was impossible to convince her to change her mind about anything.

Naturally, he could not avoid meeting her socially, and on such occasions, he came prepared to be polite.

But he had not come expecting to see Lady Catherine tonight. He regretfully abandoned his vision of brandy, cigars, cards, and good company, and resigned himself to an evening wrought with tension.

He was tempted to tell Darcy he had remembered a previous engagement. But he did not think there was any way to do it without causing offence. He could hardly be impolite to Darcy about his aunt. But the fact was, he could not think of a less pleasurable way to spend the evening.

He was not in the best of moods, therefore, when he entered the drawing room.

Darcy's sister immediately caught his eye. Her light wispy hair floated around her face, and her large hazel eyes stared out at the world like a curious kitten. She was really quite beautiful, in a quiet, ethereal kind of way. In the church, with the light of the stained glass windows on her, she had looked almost otherworldly.

Unfortunately, she had the self-effacing mannerisms that afflicted young chits new out of the schoolroom. She did not meet one's gaze head-on, or if she did, she looked away quickly, as she was doing now. Of course, she was still young--not yet out in Society, he would wager. Very likely she would improve, once she had been through her Season and lost her hesitancy. He hoped so, for he was not one of those men who delighted in blushing young innocents.

Her cousin--Cassandra or Clarissa, he could not remember which--also made a pretty picture. But where Miss Darcy gave the impression of tranquillity, her cousin gave the impression of sharpness. She smiled and laughed but there was an edge to it all--the 48

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edge of a blade, well-honed. He sensed that she was unpredictable, and he himself preferred balance too much to find that engaging.

Since they were condemned to an evening with the ladies--and he still resented it, feeling he had agreed to come under false pretences--it was remarkably easy to choose whom he would prefer to spend it with. He strolled over to Miss Darcy and took a seat next to her.

Georgiana was delighted to meet the new gentleman, Mr Channing.

His manners were carefree and pleasant, and he gave every sign of being more than happy to spend an evening with the ladies. It surprised her to discover that he was Mr Gatley's cousin, since he did not resemble that daunting gentleman in the least.

As for Mr Gatley, he entered the drawing room with a scowl on his face. She resolved to be civil despite his coldness, reminding herself that she had already been guilty of ill manners in the churchyard. Her determination, however, proved unnecessary. He came over to her as soon as he entered, and she found nothing to fault either in his greeting or in his conduct afterwards. If he lacked the sparkle of his cousin, he could hardly help it. Not everyone could be animated and compelling.

Georgiana secretly decided that he was a little dull.

Meanwhile, Mr Channing expressed an eager desire to learn all about America from Clarissa and Frederick.

"You have to tell me all about it," he said. "It must be quite a change to come to Kent from Boston."

Frederick snorted. "Very different indeed!" But he was little inclined to continue the conversation, and wandered off to talk to enquire of Elizabeth what book she was reading.

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"From Boston, yes," replied Clarissa, "for I have never lived in the country. I grew up in town, so it is quite new for me to be in a country environment."

"In that case, you must find it doubly tedious to be here."

"Not at all, Mr Channing. I have discovered a whole new family over here, and I am very glad to become acquainted with them, at least for now." She smiled impishly. "You will have to ask me a year from now, if I continue to live in the country, and then my answer would perhaps be quite different."

"A woman after my own heart!" exclaimed Mr Channing. "For I will admit that I find town living far superior to country living.

But then Gatley here will disagree, I am sure."

"For each its season," said Mr Gatley. "I enjoy London for a time when everyone flocks to London. But then when I tire of it, I am more than happy to retire to the country and forget about London entirely."

"How can one forget London?" said Mr Channing. "It is far too amusing. I must tell you, Miss Clarissa, that you will quickly tire of being here."

"What about you, Miss Darcy?" said Mr Gatley. "Which do you prefer?"

Georgiana thought of many lonely hours spent alone in Pemberley, walking through the hallways, staring at the pictures of her ancestors, and feeling like a wraith.

"To me town is infinitely preferable."

"Huzzah, Miss Darcy! So you see, Gatley, you are the odd man out here."

Mr Gatley smiled. "If you hope to make me change my mind because of that, I should tell you from now--you will not. I am certain that when you have reached my age, you will all be in agreement with me."

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"So he speaks from the grand old age of twenty-six! With what gravity you must see the world from that lofty vantage-point!"

The young ladies laughed. Mr Gatley merely smiled and insisted that he would remind them of this in the future.

"A wager!" said Mr Channing. "I smell a wager."

"You do not smell anything," replied Mr Gatley, "for I will not wager on a certainty."

It was easy to like Mr Percy Channing. Fortune had bestowed on him everything that could please a young lady, but for Georgiana, he had an ability she longed to have herself and always appreciated in others: the ability to put people at ease. Before she knew it, Georgiana was talking to him as though she had known him all her life.

"I cannot comprehend why we did not meet before, Miss Darcy. I know your brother well, but I never became acquainted with you."

He almost certainly knew the most recent reason for her absence from the neighbourhood. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth had incurred Lady Catherine's wrath when they married against her will. It was only the birth of little William Lewis--the new Darcy heir--that had softened her towards them. She was grateful to him for not referring to it.

"I was at school until recently and only used to visit at Easter.

Afterwards, I settled in Derbyshire. I have not visited my aunt for some time."

"In that case, you must grant me the opportunity to show you and your cousins around the area. You may know it a little, perhaps, but I am sure your cousins will be eager to discover it."

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"I am sure they would be delighted," she said sedately, not wishing to sound too eager for his company.

"And you? Would you be delighted?"

She was pleased that he asked.

"Thank you, I would."

"Then we will arrange for something very soon. I wish the weather would settle soon. It is so difficult to arrange outings at this time of the year."

Georgiana agreed. The recent snow had cast a damper on everyone's hopes for a warm spring.

"And we will endeavour to find some amusements for you in the neighbourhood."

His use of the plural made her curious.

"May I ask why you keep saying 'we'? Do you have sisters or brothers?"

"No, I am an only child. I was referring to Gatley as well as myself."

"Are you and your cousin close friends then?"

"In some ways. We deal together very well. We spent the early part of our childhood together, so he is much more like an elder brother to me than a cousin." He lowered his voice to confide in her. "Though sometimes, I will admit, he is difficult to be with. He demands perfection in those around him, and woe to you if you do not measure up to his ideal."

This was so close to Georgiana's own impression that she gave a little laugh.

"Is he always like this then?"

"Not always," said his cousin, "for how would I then tolerate his company? No, he can be very agreeable when he sets his mind to it, but one never knows when the mood will strike him."

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Georgiana turned her head to survey the young man occupying the chair next to her. He was talking to Clarissa, a half smile on his lips. Apparently, he was prepared to make himself agreeable, for a while at least.

"I hope I have not given you the wrong impression," said Channing anxiously. "I should not have spoken as I did, for I am very attached to my cousin."

Georgiana assured him that he had not said anything she had not already observed in Mr Gatley, and Channing gave her a look of relief.

"In any case, you need not worry about that, for even a stickler such as my cousin would find nothing to fault in your behaviour."

Lady Catherine's voice broke unceremoniously into their conversation.

"The card tables have been set. We can now commence our play.

Darcy, you may join our table. And Mr Channing. Mr Frederick, you may join Mr Gatley at the other table. I suppose, Mrs Darcy, as usual you prefer reading to card playing?"

"Most definitely," said Elizabeth, her eyes twinkling.

"Or perhaps you would prefer a game of backgammon?"

said Robert. "I have a mind to play one myself if anyone would join me."

"I will join you," said Elizabeth. "But I warn you I have every intention of winning this time."

"That remains to be seen," he replied, taking up the challenge.

Meanwhile, Channing rose with exaggerated reluctance from his seat and threw Georgiana a regretful glance, managing at the same time to express his comic distaste for having to sit with Lady Catherine. Georgiana pressed her lips together to prevent a laugh from escaping.

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But a moment later her laughter disappeared when she realised that, while she was paying attention to Channing, she had been assigned a partner--Mr Gatley.

Though by no means outstanding, she was generally a compe-tent player. Tonight, however, she played badly, making the wrong call several times, and growing more and more flustered as the evening wore on.

"I take it you do not like cards, Miss Darcy?" said Mr Gatley.

Georgiana--who was on the verge of saying something similar in order to excuse herself and retire--now was provoked into asserting the opposite.

"I am very fond of card playing, Mr Gatley. What gives you the impression that I do not like to play?"

He could not, of course, answer by saying she played badly. She waited to see what he would come up with.