Unforgiving Temper (39 page)

Elizabeth quickly made her way across the
room, and Darcy was compelled to follow at a slight distance,
wanting to assure himself that she truly was not in need of his
assistance. At that moment, the dance ended and an exchange of
partners for the next dance sent a rush of people to fill what
little distance there was between Darcy and Elizabeth, pushing them
further apart. Suddenly Elizabeth paused, looking back over her
shoulder and when her eyes met his across the room, she gave him a
brief, unobtrusive smile. With a slight rise of her brow, she then
turned and continued on.

Darcy kept moving forward, noting with
frustration that the crowd only seemed to grow between them. He
pressed on, keeping the retreating vision of pale blue and silver
in sight until he was abruptly halted by a piercing cry of
indignation.

“Watch where you are going, young man! You
nearly trampled me!”

Darcy looked down briefly to see a
richly-dressed matron fanning herself frantically, her face flushed
with annoyance.

“I do beg your pardon, madam. I assure you I
meant no offense. Please, excuse me!”

Darcy offered a quick bow and looked back to
Elizabeth, only to find her gone. Ignoring the older woman's
continued tirade on the abominable manners of the younger
generation, he moved in the direction he had last seen her.

Gaining the top of the main staircase, Darcy
caught sight of Elizabeth two flights down, descending with a man
and another young lady. He reached the entrance to Hartley Park
just as she entered a waiting carriage. The gentleman accompanying
her followed her in and Darcy paused at the sight. He had not seen
the man's face, but there was something oddly familiar about
him.

* * * *

Outside in the glowing lanterns that lined
the steps, Lord Grissholm hid his anxiety as he shot one final
look up to the ballroom windows before hastily handing Rebecca and
Elizabeth into the waiting carriage. Following them in, he settled
into the shadowy darkness across from the two ladies and allowed
himself a small sigh of relief.

It had been an unwelcome surprise to find
Darcy at the ball and dancing with Elizabeth. He wanted them to
meet, yes; but not here and not now. He had yet to secure
Elizabeth's regard sufficient to deal the crushing blow he wanted
Darcy to feel. From his observation of the two, there had been very
little conversation, especially on Elizabeth's part. He felt sure
the boy he had sent to retrieve her from the corridor had
intervened before any real damage had been done, and for once,
Elizabeth did not choose to argue the point when he announced his
intention to leave immediately.

Now searching for a plausible explanation for
their precipitous departure, he exclaimed cheerfully, “Well,
ladies, I do apologize for ending the evening so early; but it
seems I have received some news from London and we must be off
first thing in the morning.”

“London!” Elizabeth cried anxiously. “So
sudden? Is something wrong, my lord?”

“Not at all, Miss Bennet. There is no
need for alarm. It is only that I finally have news of a certain
party,” he said, directing a meaningful glance towards Elizabeth,
“and time is short. If it is inconvenient, I could travel
alone.”

“Oh, no, my lord! It is not inconvenient in
the least. I am happy to leave any time you wish.”

Rebecca squeezed Elizabeth's hand in the
darkness. “London! I have never been to London. I think I shall not
be able to sleep a wink thinking about it!”

From the pale glow of the carriage lantern,
Lord Grissholm could see the same anticipation in Elizabeth,
although he was certain hers was not for the same reasons. Regular
doctor's reports that had given assurances of her father's
well-being, although utterly fictitious, had allowed him to delay
their departure to London much longer than he had thought possible.
The extra time had done wonders in furthering his relationship with
her.

The more time he spent with Elizabeth, the
more he was sure of what he wanted. She was not Catherine, of
course – no one would ever replace her – but Elizabeth was spirited
and charming; and winning her affection would be a challenging
accomplishment. Something that only enhanced the anticipated
pleasure of Darcy's keen disappointment.

The ball tonight had been a critical test and
she had passed with flying colors. He had watched her closely,
admiring her natural grace and ease in company. Society did not
intimidate her nor diminish her spirited nature. Yes, she would do
very well.

Things were moving along nicely, but Darcy's
unexpected arrival in Cumberland called for a definite change of
plans. The unfortunate meeting tonight necessitated moving the
timetable up a bit. It was not a huge setback; however, the last
thing he wanted right now was for Fitzwilliam Darcy to be anywhere
near Elizabeth. He needed to get her away from Everton as soon as
it could be arranged. Even if it meant the servants would spend the
entire night packing, they would be well on their way to London ere
the sun topped Dent Fell.

At least Elizabeth and Rebecca will be on
their way
. He thought to himself in the darkness.
I have
some business to attend with Darcy before I join them in
London.

Standing apart from the other men who were
actually enjoying their brandy and cigars, Darcy absently swirled
the amber liquid in his glass, drinking very little. Driscoll's
dinner party was proving to be informative, but not in the way he
had anticipated. Already anxious at Elizabeth's failure to meet him
in the park, Darcy had hoped to see her again tonight. When she did
not appear, the evening had begun a long, downward spiral that was
only to be endured through sheer willpower. Not only was Darcy
keenly disappointed by Elizabeth's absence, but other worries began
to surface as Grissholm's solitary appearance quickly became the
favorite subject of endless speculation among the other guests.

With a head full of unanswered questions,
there was little else Darcy could think of except the whispered
comments he had overheard at dinner.
Miss Bennet has
certainly made an impression at Everton Manor…even if she is a
friend of Miss Ballard's, no one knows anything about her…What is
Lord Grissholm thinking?…quite surprised she is not here
protecting her interest..
. The references to Elizabeth and the
persistent connection to Grissholm's name had only served to
increase his concern. Could there be an attachment?

He allowed himself to consider the
possibility for a brief moment, and then the memory of Elizabeth's
scathing assessment of his own unintentional arrogance and conceit
stabbed at his heart. It seemed inconceivable that she would
welcome the attentions of a man of Grissholm's disposition; a man
who was never seen to give the least consideration to anyone
beneath his social sphere unless it suited his interest. The only
exception was Catherine Monroe, and her sudden disappearance from
Cambridgeshire their last year at university had done nothing to
improve the crestfallen viscount's temperament.

Grissholm's evident interest in Elizabeth
made no sense; but then, after the events of the past several
months, nothing made sense any more.

All through the evening, Darcy's quiet
observations had assured him that time had not changed Grissholm in
the least. His jaw tightened defiantly. No, he would not believe
Elizabeth's affections could be engaged by such a man, not until he
heard it from her own lips.

“Darcy, strange that we should meet so far
from London; and in my own little corner of the kingdom,”
Grissholm's smooth voice intruded upon Darcy's thoughts. “To what
do we owe this rare honor?”

Darcy turned to Grissholm with cool civility,
still feeling the old resentment for the unfounded suspicions
regarding Catherine Monroe. While the two men had never been
more than passing, obligatory acquaintances before their years
together at Cambridge, they were now even less; evidenced by the
smoldering undercurrent of animosity that instantly filled the air
between them.

“Grissholm. Last I checked, one is allowed to
travel about the country without being required to explain oneself
– or am I mistaken?”

“Not at all, not at all!” Grissholm smiled
with little enthusiasm. “I just wondered that you would choose to
be sightseeing so far north this time of year.”

“And I wonder that you would concern yourself
with my travels at all.”

“Only when they result in you dancing with a
particular lady.”

“Ah, Miss Bennet, you mean. And when has
my dancing partner ever been your concern?”

“It is my concern when the lady is under my
protection.”

“Your protection? Is there a connection? Are
you a relative perhaps?” Darcy probed.

“No relation – yet. I am feeling generous
this evening, Darcy, so I will tell you she came to us as a new
acquaintance. My young ward was desirous of female companionship
and Miss Bennet was kind enough to oblige.”

“Hertfordshire is not an easy distance. I am
surprised that you would know Miss Bennet at all.”

“It seems that you are well-acquainted with
the lady,” Grissholm countered. “I did not know you enjoyed country
society outside of Pemberley.”

“We met when I was assisting Charles Bingley
with some property. Have you been to Hertfordshire, sir?”

“Not at all. My ward and Miss Bennet
were introduced through a mutual friend this past year and the girl
was so insistent I thought I had better extend the invitation. Mind
you, I was not entirely amenable to the idea at first, but now I
confess I find Miss Bennet to be quite delightful. I have had
the pleasure of her company for some time now and she is an
intriguing piece of femininity. Would you not agree?”

Darcy forced a smooth, unruffled expression
to his face. A tiny twitch of his eye was the only evidence that
Grissholm's ill-mannered words had found their mark.

“I am not in the habit of discussing a lady
in those terms and I will ask you not to speak of Miss Bennet
in that manner.”

Grissholm smirked. “If you like. But I will
say that for all her independence, she does have a certain
vulnerability and she has come to rely upon me in many ways. So you
see, I take a personal interest in the company she keeps. One
cannot be too careful, you know – especially at a ball. She may
very well find herself forced into a most uncomfortable
situation.”

“If you are referring to my dance with
Miss Bennet, I can assure you she was not forced into
anything. I know the lady to be quite capable of choosing whether
she wishes to dance or not.”

“I did observe a measure of persuasion on
your part, Darcy; and a man of your stature – how could she
refuse?”

“You may be surprised. I think you
underestimate her strength of mind.”

“Actually, I am well-acquainted with her
strength of mind, along with a number of other very charming
qualities.”

“The question is how well is she acquainted
with
your
qualities.”

“If one did not know better, one would think
you had a particular interest in the lady,” Grissholm peered at
Darcy with obvious relish.

“Only as a previous acquaintance. Nothing
more,” Darcy replied tightly. He knew Grissholm was provoking him,
and the continued discussion of Elizabeth was eating at his
restraint. “If you will excuse me, I would have a word with
Driscoll.”

“Very well, I can see you are finished with
our conversation. It has been most enlightening,” Grissholm
smirked. “I see now why she chose me over you.”

Darcy froze in mid-stride and turned, his
restraint finally slipping. “What?”

“The messenger at Sir Henry's ball? I offered
Miss Bennet a means of escape by requesting her company. As
you have implied, she possesses a somewhat independent nature. She
could have waited until your conversation was finished, but she did
not.” His lips curled into a malicious grin. “A very prudent choice
on her part, I must say.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I have not forgot Cambridge. Young
ladies have a habit of disappearing around you, Darcy; and she was
wise enough to leave when she did.”

“That is utterly ridiculous!” Darcy sneered
disdainfully. “I say now what I said then. I had nothing to do with
Catherine Monroe leaving you. I barely knew the girl. You were
the one – ”

“You can say what you will when there is none
to refute you, but I know better. As for Miss Bennet, I felt
it my duty to do what I could to keep
her
safe, and – ”
Grissholm paused to give his final words their full weight, “ –
evidently she agreed with me!”

It took every ounce of self-control Darcy
possessed to turn and walk away from Grissholm. He would not
dishonor his friend, Driscoll, in front of the other guests nor
would he give Grissholm the satisfaction of knowing he had provoked
him beyond measure.

Catching sight of Driscoll and his brother
standing near the windows, Darcy quickly moved toward them, missing
Grissholm's perverse look of triumph that followed him.

The rest of the evening became an
excruciatingly difficult exercise in forbearance. Grissholm's
unusual display of high spirits, which Darcy knew to be for his
benefit, only deepened his resentment. Driscoll's subtle attempts
to smooth over the obvious discord between the two had no
effect.

Therefore, at the exact moment it was
acceptable to withdraw without offending his host, Darcy retreated
to his rooms, not making any effort to hide his deep disappointment
when he saw Denham waiting. A heavy silence reined as the valet
assisted him out of his evening clothes.

After a time, Darcy finally spoke, his voice
quiet and somber. The words seemed to be directed more to himself
than the valet.