Scotch and Sirens

Chapter Fourteen

 

Brougham, freshly returned from his journey and after a brief stop in the kitchen to acquire a bite to eat, strolled into the library munching on an apple, where he found Darcy sitting by the small writing desk, his brow in deep wrinkles, and obviously concentrating hard on the proper formulation of a letter in front of him.

“Darcy!” his Lordship exclaimed and flung himself down in the nearest chair. “Here you are. Did you miss me dreadfully?”

Darcy sat back in his chair and looked at Brougham.

“Not really. I am glad you are back of course, but I was well entertained in the meantime. I spent some time fishing and riding. I must say your fish proved not to like whistling as much as you wished them to. I also read some of your books. I decided to give Burns a second chance.”

“Excellent choice! All this sounds very wholesome, indeed! But you must give me an account of your communions with other than fish, horse and poets. How was your evening with the bewitching Tourniers? I cannot say I am too jealous for reasons of self-preservation, but I am curious all the same.”

“Oh, the evening was excellent. I had a very good time, indeed. Both Tournier ladies proved to be engaging women. Mrs. Tournier hoped you would pay her a visit. We talked a little about you and Miss Tournier. And Mrs. Steele invited us for dinner.”

“I tell you Darcy, my social life here was non-existent before you showed up! Never thought your presence would entail such a whirlwind of engagements and acquaintances for me. And since we are on the subject of dinners and acquaintances, how did you and Miss Bennet get along? You talked about Miss Tournier and me, did you? Hmmm. But apparently the verdict was favourable and the exchange civil, since you managed to get me invited to another dinner. When is it?”

“I do not know. You should find an invitation among your post soon. I did not talk about you with Miss Bennet. It was Mrs. Tournier’s curiosity. From what I understood her daughter is a very nice lady, only you are very far from her ideal of a man.”

Brougham gave a chuckle and threw the apple-core in a perfect nine-foot curve straight into the fire.

“That, my friend, does not surprise me one bit. It does not grieve me excessively either, I must confess, as long as she does not insist upon expressing her disappointment in my character at every given moment.”

Just then Mrs. McLaughlin came in with a tray and Brougham got up and rubbed his hands in anticipation.

“Excellent! Thank you Mrs. McLaughlin. Did you have lunch already, Darcy?”

Darcy nodded and added, “I would not take it to myself if I were you. She seemed displeased with me as well. I think Mrs. Tournier wanted to let me know that the standard Miss Tournier holds of her father will put every other man in shadow. However, I am still perplexed as to why she thinks the standards we hold should resemble her own.”

Darcy returned his friend’s amused look, and tried to remember what else he was told. “Ah, and of course her opinions are as strong as her mother’s, but I assured Mrs. Tournier that we both have nothing but sincere admiration for opinionated women. Was I wrong to do that?”

Brougham’s mouth being full of meat and bread, he could at first only direct a quizzical glance at his friend. When he had swallowed his food, however, he wrinkled his brow.

“Fond of opinionated women? Well, as true as that might be, I shudder to think that would encourage Miss Tournier to indulge in even more of her already abundant opinions. If that is the case I cannot say I am happy about your assurances.”

He then smiled and took a sip of his tea. “But all is not lost! If she is so in awe of her father I dare say I shall have a good chance of winning her eternal affection by being at least as opinionated myself, do you not think?”

“I have never doubted your abilities to win her affection, however, I still doubt your willingness. As far as I am concerned it will suffice if you remain civil around her. I would not wish for you to strain yourself on my account.”

Brougham grinned at the quip. “Darcy, can you enlighten me on who Mrs. Steele is and what she has to recommend herself?”

“I cannot tell much about her except that she lives in your neighbourhood and has two daughters. The elder is named Anne and the younger Lucy. I had the pleasure of conversation with Miss Lucy.”

“Good, good. A lot of nice ladies all around then. Very pleasing, indeed. Well, I will take that delightful Mrs. Tournier at her opinionated word and go and pay my respects to her first thing tomorrow morning. Today, however, I do not want to see the tail of a horse to save my life. Had enough of that scampering across the country all day and yesterday in foolish ignorance of health and reason. I am going to enjoy my food and my fire and, if you will permit me, my well-earned afternoon nap.”

 

 

The next afternoon Holly and Lizzy were again sitting in the parlour, each with her mind and hands occupied with different things. Holly wondered if she should bring up last night’s events, but then she wondered what she would say on the matter.

She had thought Mr. Darcy’s actions toward her cousin reflected some interest on his part, until she saw his actions toward Lucy Steele. He was polite and charming to Lizzy, he was polite and charming to Lucy and he had been polite and charming to herself as well. Maybe he was just a polite and charming man, nothing more, but according to Lizzy’s story this was very different from how he had acted before.

Tired of the silence and wondering over Lizzy’s feelings, she began as mildly as she could. “Mr. Darcy was universally polite and charming last night, do not you think? Is he often so talkative?”

Lizzy had been wondering when Holly would bring up Mr. Darcy. She did not dread it, but she did not know what to reveal about the conversations she had had with him. It was not that she did not trust Holly. She trusted her as she trusted Jane, but still, she had not even revealed her unrest about that man to Jane.

When she had arrived here, she had thought the matter was over. She felt sure she would not see him again and that it was safe to share some of her folly as a way of putting it behind her. She had not expected the issue, the man himself, to be residing only five miles away and to be thrown in his company once again. She wished now that she had not shared as much as she had with her cousin. Not because she did not trust Holly, but because she felt such a fool inside and such confusion. If she did not know her own feelings as she had thought, as was clear by her inner turmoil last evening, then how could she share them with another?

“He is a polite and charming man for the most part, Holly. You will remember that I misjudged him at first. He has his limits and faults of course, but in essentials he is not a bad person. While he was more talkative when in Derbyshire among his family and friends then he had been before that, I would say he did show a slightly different side of himself last night.”

Noticing her cousin’s very careful choice of words in her answer, Holly put down her pencil and looked at her plainly.

“I watched him last night and I can see that Mr. Darcy is a very hard person to read; I fully understand how one might misjudge him. Lizzy, I would not for a moment force you into a shared confidence, but you do not seem easy in your mind. I would be happy to listen if you would like to sort out your feelings aloud. I will understand also, if you would not.”

And with that, she took up her pencil again and resumed work on her illustration of Sir John’s air pump experiments.

Lizzy looked at Holly, pretending to attend to her drawing so diligently. She knew her cousin was respecting her feelings by attempting to hold her own curiosity in check. Holly was all that she could expect in a confidant and more, yet Lizzy felt she could read her like a book – all of her emotions and thoughts right at the surface.

“Oh, Holly. I know what you are doing. Do not think you fool me for a minute. You are worried for me. You want me to talk it out, yet you will not force me to it. You are too good to me, for you know that if the situation were reversed I might not be so easy on you!”

She laughed at the look on Holly's face and smiled at her. She then grew serious, her decision made.

“Ask me anything you want to know about last night, anything at all, and I will answer truthfully," she said, and then added with a laugh, "You may not get another chance like this for a while, so you had better make the most of it!”

Not expecting such an open invitation, Holly thought for a long moment trying to decide what she should ask Lizzy. Even then, it took her quite some time to get to the point.

“Lizzy, as I told you before, I observed Mr. Darcy's behaviour very keenly. His conversation with you seemed so... but then he was speaking to Lucy as well, and quite friendly, and I could not tell...

“Let me come to the point! I watched not only Mr. Darcy, but you as well. What I want to know, and what I think you should consider, is whether you might be in any danger of feeling more for him than he feels for you. I can see that you enjoy his company very much.”

Lizzy took a moment to gather her thoughts. She had told Holly she would answer truthfully, and so she would. Looking down at her needlework, she began to speak.

“When I saw Mr. Darcy in Derbyshire, I saw him in a different light. I began to care for him more than I expected.” She looked up at Holly and said, “When he came upon me after I had just received the news of Lydia, and left me so abruptly, I could not help but feel badly that he would be in the world thinking ill of me. It not only mattered that he would leave me like that, but also that I would not see him again. I worried much over what I had lost and the mistakes I had made in misjudging him. I have been struggling to forget him ever since, faulting him for leaving me as if it were a defect in his character and not what circumstance demanded,” she paused before continuing, looking down into her lap again.

“Holly, last night he told me he desired nothing but friendship with me. It was not until then that I realised I must have unknowingly held out hopes for more, even though I knew it was impossible. I know it is irrational to have wanted it, but the desire was there all the same against my better judgement and wishes.” Looking at Holly once more, she finished, “I will endeavour to be friends. I will accept that there will be no more, and I will guard myself accordingly.” She looked directly into Holly's eyes now and held her gaze with her own. “Will you help me?”

Holly sat thoughtfully for a moment. She could not understand Mr. Darcy. She herself had spent enough time among young women of fashion and fortune to know the worth of her cousin. Could he not see what was before him? What kind of snobbery was it that would lead him to turn away from a girl of beauty, principle, humour and honesty--it could only be her lack of money.

Snobbery it must be--but she had not seen any snobbery in his behaviour. If he had not always seemed perfectly at ease, he had always attempted to be polite and friendly. What a puzzling and infuriating man! However, he had spoken plainly to Lizzy. He desired only friendship. So he is rich, handsome, charming, puzzling, and stupid!

But Lizzy had asked her a question and was waiting for the answer. Holly crossed the room to sit at her side. With her arm around Lizzy's shoulder, she said, “Obviously, Mr. Darcy is a fool, and I will do anything I can to keep you from attaching yourself to a fool. What would you have me do?”

Lizzy’s eyes twinkled with mirth as she answered, “Just help me to not be alone with him for too long if it is possible. I am not safe when free to converse openly, for you know my impulsiveness is a danger to me and I might say something I should not. Oh, and remind me of what you have just said if I appear to forget!” she laughed. “I think both of those things ought to do it!”

After a few moments she added, “Now, what can I do to help you and your propensity to hate his friend? If you are constantly arguing with him I do not see how you will ever have time to accomplish the tasks I have set for you regarding myself.”

Holly giggled. “You can be sure that I will discharge my duties with all my strength and will. You shall never be without me by your side whenever we are in their company. By the way, why must we be in their company any more at all? I think both sides have repaid their obligations, so I do not anticipate many, if any, more meetings.

“As for his friend, if we do meet again, I promise to be courteous to him. His flippant style annoys me, but I will not let that make me lose control of my temper again. Neither of them is worth one more moment’s worry to us.

“In fact, why do we not put down our work and take a walk to the village. I have to drop this sketch into the post anyway.” Seeing the dubious smile on Lizzy’s face, Holly laughed, “There are no streams, I promise you. We will stay fully clothed and dry the entire time.”

After an invigorating walk to the post office, they had strolled and visited with neighbours along the lanes of the village. Stopping to take tea at the house where two lonely widows resided, watching a group of children play tick on the green, and checking in with the bookseller to see what were his latest offerings were the makings of a delightful and refreshing afternoon.

When Holly and Lizzy returned home, only a little bit late for dinner, their cheeks were pink, their eyes bright and their spirits restored. Each of them remembered why they appreciated the companionship of the other. Men were forgot – at least for a time – and they enjoyed quiet conversation with Mrs. Tournier for the rest of the evening.

 

 

This story is written by Laura and Sylwia, and they own full © copyrights to it.

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