Unforgiving Temper (19 page)

“You certainly are lovely,” she murmured
softly.

“Indeed,” a low, admiring voice sounded from
behind her.

Spinning around, she saw Lord Grissholm
standing in the doorway. Her cheeks flamed anew at the memory of
his biting words and her brow rose archly in response to his open
stare. “You need not worry, your Lordship. The painting is back in
its place and I certainly shall not disturb it or anything else
again.”

“Allow me to apologize for my outburst,
Miss Bennet.”

“I beg your pardon?” Elizabeth blinked,
astonished at yet another reversal of his manners. There was not a
trace of the rage he had just displayed in the library.

“I am sorry for being so abrupt just now. I
was taken by surprise and should not have been so harsh,” he
smiled, coming forward to admire the paintings with her. “You could
not have known the sentiments connected to these pieces nor my
instructions regarding them.”

“I see,” she said, confused even more by his
reverent tone. “Are they the work of your mother or a family
member, perhaps?”

“No, they are the work of another. I am
pleased that you like them, but I ask that you do not disturb them
again.”

“Of course, my lord. Thank you for telling
me.”

Suddenly embarrassed by his too-close
proximity, Elizabeth stepped back without seeing the footstool
behind her. She gave a small cry as she lost her balance and fell
backward. Only Lord Grissholm's swift reaction and solid arms
saved her from a graceless tumble.

“Are you all right?” he looked her over,
breathing in a lovely scent of lavender.

Yes, I believe so,” she replied
breathlessly.

“Quite sure? You did not hurt yourself?” he
asked again, still holding her.

“Yes...I mean, no! I am not hurt. I am quite
well, thank you.” She was mortified at her inelegant fall and
painfully aware of his intimate embrace. “If you will release me,
sir, I shall return to Miss Ballard. We are to go walking and she
must be wondering where I am.”

Setting Elizabeth upright,
Lord Grissholm let go at once and dropped his hands to his
sides, stepping back to let her pass. He watched her hurry out of
the room, wondering to himself at what had just transpired.

He had only meant to follow her and make
certain the painting was restored satisfactorily, but the vision of
her standing there, bathed in sunlight, had captivated him. And
when she stumbled over the footstool, he could not help reaching
for her. He should have remembered himself better; but her skin was
so soft and warm, her scent so enchanting that the immense pleasure
of holding a woman so closely had been too enticing. It was
something he had not done in a very long time.

Realizing the dangerous territory he was
entering, he forced the distracting thoughts from his mind.
Stick to your plan, man. It is Darcy you are after. She is only
a means to an end – nothing more!

* * * *

“At last!” Jane exclaimed joyfully, pulling a
small sheet of paper from the depths of the desk drawer. Leaning
back against the leather padding of her father's desk chair, she
eagerly read the words written in Lizzy's graceful hand. The next
moment, however, brought keen disappointment when she realized it
was not a letter at all, but merely a jumbled collection of names
and distant family connections. The only thing on the sheet
remotely connected to Lizzy was the name of Mrs. Augusta
Whitestone, the relative with whom she was traveling. Dispirited,
Jane gave the page one last reproachful look and let it fall to the
desktop. Now what was she going to do?

Her eyes swept the room searching for an
answer and came to rest on her father's dueling sword hanging above
the hearth; the same one she had taken from the middle of his desk
when she first began her search.
Strange that it should have
been so out of place
, she reflected thoughtfully.
I wonder
why?
In the next moment, her gaze fell to the small pile of
ashes still sitting in the grate below and the sword was instantly
forgotten. Memories of that life-altering day came rushing back,
bringing especially painful memories that were hers alone. As
promised, she had remained silent about the mysterious love letter
that had been destroyed.

The deep, tremulous breath she took did not
relieve the guilt that rippled through her. While it was true Lizzy
did not know the family's difficulty and needed to be told, Jane's
real motive for coming in search of an address was to send a letter
begging Lizzy to come home as soon as possible. It was now more
than a month since that morning when they had bid each other a
tender farewell. They had never before been separated for so long
without the reassuring connection of letters to sustain them, and
the void was becoming too much to bear.

Increasingly, Jane was feeling the weight of
the day to day burdens thrust upon her. Trying to manage the
affairs of an estate with the added burden of her father's illness
and her mother's incessant demands had been difficult but bearable.
It was the agonizing heartbreak of Mr. Bingley's capricious
behavior and the lost expectation of true love that had finally
pressed her spirits so low as to now make even the smallest task
seem insurmountable.

That very morning she had awakened in tears,
traces of a terrifying nightmare still pulling at the edges of her
memory. As much as she wanted to meet the many demands of her
family, she simply could not. She had given her all and it was not
enough. She could no longer manage it on her own and desperately
needed Lizzy's strength to share the burden.

Jane sighed pensively and put the
disappointing paper back into the drawer. Somehow she had to brace
herself for another day, but she did not know how it was to be
done.

At that moment, the sound of carriage wheels
drew her to the window, and her heart dropped even further at the
sight of an approaching gig, the form of Mr. Collins perched
precariously next to the driver.
Oh, no! As if things were not
bad enough!

Knowing it would be impossible to escape the
meeting, she resolutely fixed what she hoped was a pleasant look on
her face and went to greet her cousin.

“Welcome to Longbourn, Mr. Collins. We
did not know you were in the neighborhood. To what do we owe this
unexpected pleasure?”

“My dear Cousin Jane,” Mr. Collins spoke
as if to a small child. “May I offer you my heartfelt sympathies
and express the deep concern I feel for you as you are called to
bear this misfortune; which burden, indeed, has befallen your
entire family. I had hoped to condole with you all. Your mother and
sisters will, perhaps, join us?”

“I am afraid that my mother is still
suffering from the shock and keeps to her rooms. My sisters are
engaged elsewhere at the moment. Your concern is appreciated and I
shall convey your condolences.”

“Indeed, my poor cousin, let me assure you in
the kindest of tones that I feel your family's distress most
keenly. In actual fact, I feel myself called upon by our
relationship, and my situation in life, to sympathize with you on
the distressing condition of your father's unfortunate state of
health, of which we were only yesterday informed by a letter from
Hertfordshire. But I am the bearer of some good news, and you may
well rejoice in knowing that directly upon hearing the news of your
unfortunate circumstances, Lady Catherine, with the most
gracious and generous of gestures, insisted vigorously that I come
at once and offer my assistance.”

“I thank you kindly, sir; but I cannot see
that we are in need of any assistance at present.”

“Why, of course you cannot, my dear. Perhaps
I should explain myself in a way that you might understand more
clearly. As your nearest male relation, and the one to whom
Longbourn is entailed, if I may be so indelicate as to point it
out, I am prepared to take on the affairs of your father's estate –
affairs that certainly would confuse the delicate female mind.”

“Mr. Collins, you are too hasty! We are
quite able to manage as we are.”

“However my dear cousin, you must acknowledge
that my intimate connection with Longbourn naturally places me in
the position to guide its affairs during the unfortunate incapacity
of your father. There is no reason for a young lady such as
yourself to be troubled with the dull business of managing an
estate. It is a fact well known that affairs of business are simply
beyond a female's intellect; and Reverend Fordyce himself teaches
that a woman's natural place is subordinate to that of her husband,
father, or brother. In circumstances such as this, where you have
no close male relation to assist you, it naturally falls to me to
guide your family, and I am certain your father would approve of
your wisdom in knowing the limitations of your sex.”

“My father has always been liberal in his
view of such matters. The affairs of an estate are generally a
matter for men, indeed; but I also believe there to be
circumstances in which a woman may effectively manage an estate, as
in the case of your own Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Does she not
involve herself directly in the management of her own estate?”

“Why, I…that is to say, she …My dear cousin,
you must see that Lady Catherine's situation is vastly
different from your own! Where high birth and noble blood combine
with such elegance and dignity, such grace and intellect, there can
be no doubt of her ability to perform whatever act she deems
necessary in her station!”

“And yet, Mr. Collins, you acknowledge
she is a woman capable of managing a grand estate. May I not then
reasonably expect to look after the affairs of Longbourn, which is
much smaller in comparison to Rosings Park, even for a short
time?”

“I must draw your attention to the additional
fact that a gentle, well-mannered young lady such as yourself would
undoubtedly, in every respect be untried and unaccustomed to the
affairs of an estate, even a small estate such as Longbourn. There
are many responsibilities which the feminine mind cannot begin to
imagine.”

“Your offer is very kind, sir, but I assure
you your assistance is not necessary at this point. I have already
received word from my Uncle Gardiner who is making arrangements to
come. He has sent instructions for the more pressing matters, and I
am confident he will guide us well enough until my father is
recovered.”

“I am glad to hear that you have the
assistance of a man of business, but he may be some time in coming.
And even so, it is the opinion of my noble patroness,
Lady Catherine de Bourgh that at so young an age as
three-and-twenty you must be found quite deficient for such an
undertaking. You should endeavor to occupy your time with pursuits
more suited to your femininity rather than crops and
quarter-days!”

“Mr. Collins, this is but a temporary
condition. My father is ill, but he is growing stronger with each
passing day. Under the circumstances, I think it would be premature
to make the changes you are suggesting in the management of his
estate. Please express my appreciation to Lady Catherine for
her notice, but for now, I am resolved to keep things as they
are.”

“Cousin Jane, may I caution you against the
sins of obstinacy and pride? The noble, unstinting efforts of
Lady Catherine de Bourgh must not be cast aside so heedlessly.
It would be most unfortunate indeed to have her think you
ungrateful of her condescension. You must allow me to satisfy the
spirit of her liberality and be of assistance in some way.”

“Mr. Collins, I am not ungrateful for
your efforts,” Jane replied slowly, searching for some task that
would satisfy them both. In the next moment, she found one. “And I
believe there is another matter in which you may be of some help.
Elizabeth is traveling for the summer with a relation whose
connection we share – a Mrs. Augusta Whitestone. Lizzy does not
know of father's illness, and I thought perhaps you would know of
their travel plans or how I might send word.”

“Whitestone, you say?' he replied with pursed
lips. “My father was one of ten children and I have many excellent
and dignified relations – indeed, my Uncle Josiah Collins
distinguished himself as an invaluable assistant to the coadjutor
of Worcester – but I do not recall the name of Whitestone to be
among them.”

“She is an elderly woman. Sister-in-law to
your father's younger brother, I believe?”

“Uncle Stephen's wife has no sisters. You say
Miss Elizabeth is traveling with this alleged relation?”

No Mrs. Whitestone?
Jane's heart
skipped a beat.
Then who is Lizzy with? Oh, this is awful! If he
imagines any impropriety, there will be no end to his
meddling.

Jane's silence quickly ignited a spark of
suspicion in Mr. Collins and he eyed her narrowly. “Am I to
understand Miss Elizabeth is gone traveling with an unknown
person and cannot be found? This is highly irregular. I pray her
situation is respectable!”

“There is no reason to believe otherwise,
Mr. Collins,” Jane was quick to assure him. “I had been told –
that is, we believed Mrs. Whitestone to be your relation as well,
and now I see that I am mistaken. I am sorry to have troubled
you.”

“My dear cousin, it is no trouble in the
least for now I see where I may be of assistance. This situation is
most assuredly a conundrum that requires elucidation. The effect on
your sister's reputation, and indeed upon your entire family, would
be most severe if anything is amiss. Clearly I must make inquiries
on your behalf! If you would tell me how you came by this name, I
will begin immediately.”

“Please, sir, it is completely unnecessary!”
cried Jane. “I am certain that Lizzy's situation is entirely
respectable. In fact, I expect a letter very soon. I had thought to
write first, but it will not be long now and then I shall be able
to tell her all that has happened.”