Page 21 of Affectations of Candour

Her father replied that dressmakers there in the middle of nowhere must be as scarce as rocking horse droppings.

“True. This has to be the most tiresome place in the entire world, and I thought summering in town would be unbearable. When I am Mrs Darcy, I shall insist that he put Strandsmere up for purchase. In the meantime, you are to write to James at the Albany, as you previously promised you would, and summon him to Strandsmere Park. And do make him understand the importance of remaining mum about his gaming penchant and our situation. Also, my stupid brother does not have the ability to govern himself, so please keep his debauchery in check while he is here. Order him to pursue either Miss Darcy or Miss Hughes, I care not which one.”

Her father repeatedly rubbed his chin. “Darcy’s sister has a dowry of thirty thousand pounds, while Miss Hughes, I am told, has only one third of that amount. However, there is some mysterious connexion there to the royal house of Hanover. Any number of foreign nobles are here in our kingdom at any given time, so I shall endeavour to discover the girl’s kinship.”

Taking a seat beside Hannah, he carefully dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. “If both you and James make good matches, I shall have only two more to marry off, further reducing debt. It will not be easy, however. Beauty and lineage should be sufficient but may not be in Meg’s and Thea’s instances. They have not much to recommend them, save for our trifling connexion to the Wyndhams.”

Having taken neither the time nor initiative to teach her younger sisters how to manage a household, Hannah had a moment of regret. But Margaret and Althea and their lack of preparedness for wifehood were of little consequence. She was the priority, for the age of despair, when her beauty might fade and she be considered a spinster, was approaching.

“As a family, we shall divide and conquer and put a wedge between Mr Darcy and Miss Ben—” Hannah’s scream pierced the air. Jumping to her feet, she flapped her hand at a hovering insect in uncomfortably close proximity to her person. “Wasp! Kill it, Papa. Kill it!”

Gaining his feet, Mr Wright swatted and shouted, “Shoo! Shoo!” The insect darted off towards the flower beds.

“Please do not harm it or scare it away.” Mr Darcy’s deep, rich voice drew nearer. “’Tis probably nothing but a harmless bee-fly. It will feed on nectar and carry away pollen, fertilising as it goes.” Crouching in front of the yellow and orange calendula, he watched the insect as it hovered motionlessly. “Its larvae eat harmful garden insects.”

In trembling wretchedness, Hannah flumped heavily upon the bench and placed a palm over her racing heart, attempting to appear calm and unafraid in front of her future husband. “It definitely looks like a wasp.”

“True, madam, but a bee-fly will never sting you.”

What of you, sir? Will you hurt me? Spurn me as Mr Morley did? Just stay away from Elizabeth Bennet, lest you inflict a painful puncture wound on my pride.

Hannah’s father cleared his throat. “If you will excuse me, I have many letters to write.” With a wink in his daughter’s direction, he left them alone in the garden.

“Will you not sit with me, Mr Darcy? I am all in a flutter.” She inched over.

“I imagine the fly is in a similar state.” Smiling, he sat beside her. “Miss Wright, allow me to again compliment you on that truly extraordinary performance at Cliff House last week.” Turning to catch her eye, he said, “I have been wondering what inspired you to sing that particular aria, one so full of jealousy and rage.”

The gentleman seemed to stare into her very soul, and Hannah could not bear looking into anyone’s eyes for more than a brief moment. She bowed her head in feigned humility. “There is no other lady who so obstinately suppresses her own merit, sir, but I must confess that I wanted to exhibit, for you, my vocal abilities. The piece was challenging, even for one with my talent. Everyone else there seemed to appreciate it, of course.” Looking up, she offered him a deep sigh and a pensive expression. “Poor Miss Bennet, though. Not wanting to play after my performance. I felt for her exceedingly.” Making a point of showing no vulnerability, she watched a robin hop along the lawn and spoke in a carefree tone. “By the by, how exactly are you acquainted with her?”

Mr Darcy replied in the same sort of nonchalant manner. “I met Miss Bennet during the time I spent at Netherfield, Bingley’s place in Hertfordshire. She and I were occasionally in company together at neighbourhood soirées and whatnot.” He scratched an ear. “She, ah, also stayed at Netherfield herself for a few days, kindly caring for an ill sister.”

Hannah’s jaw ached from clenching her teeth, for it was extremely difficult to allay jealous abhorrence. “I seem to remember Miss Darcy mentioning that you were rather taken with the young lady.”

“You must have noticed, madam, that Miss Bennet’s manners have all the recommendations of ease and good humour. She is completely without affectation.”

“How nice.” Hannah turned aside to hide a sneer. Perhaps I can foist the chit upon James. It would serve him right for causing me such hardship. That might work well, in fact. If James distracts Elizabeth Bennet away from Mr Darcy, then⁠—

“Yes, and I hope that during the coming weeks you, your sisters, Georgiana, and the two young ladies at Cliff House will form lasting friendships. You may begin doing so on the morrow, for Georgiana has invited Miss Bennet and Miss Hughes to spend the day here, and they have accepted.”

Hellfire! Was it her imagination, or had Mr Darcy’s voice grown cold? “Far be it from me to speculate on your intentions. But, if you intend that my sisters and I bestow affection rather than mere distant civility upon those ladies—whom we had never even heard of before coming here—then I should like to know more about them. Through you, we already accepted an acquaintance with the Bingleys, who are not of the landed gentry. Which is acceptable because they are moneyed. But what of Miss Hughes and Miss Bennet?” Hannah prayed that the former was a wealthy noble for her brother’s sake and the latter a penniless nobody for her own peace of mind.

To her consternation, when he replied, Mr Darcy sounded vexed. “The morning Mr Baker came to call, he volunteered that his nephew, Miss Hughes’s twin brother, will be master of their family estate upon reaching his majority. As for Miss Bennet, her father is a gentleman whose estate is called Longbourn.”

“Does Miss Bennet”—this paragon of virtue—“have a dowry?” The question was voiced more sharply than Hannah had intended.

“Yes.” Mr Darcy crossed his legs and turned his eyes skywards. “A very, very small one.” He took his time in adding, “After her mother dies.”

Hannah hid a triumphant smile. “You must agree that James must be made aware of such information. A person in our position is best suited to pursue someone from a similar standing as they, themselves, are accustomed.”

“Ah, so your brother is on his way here, is he? And he intends to pay suit to Miss Bennet, a young lady he has never met, does he?”

Drat! “Of course not, sir. I mean, he is expected to come, but he knows nothing of her.” And, evidently, he had much better pursue either your dowry-rich sister or Miss Hughes. “I simply meant that, that⁠—”

Mr Darcy stood. “If you will excuse me, Miss Wright, I have much correspondence requiring my attention. Being away from Pemberley all summer means that considerable time must be spent reading letters from and writing back to my capable steward.” He bowed before striding away towards the villa, shoulders squared and long legs making quick work of the distance.

He had looked at her with such regret. Was it disappointment over having to quit her presence so soon, or was it something more ominous?

Hannah found her youngest sister alone in the library. The room was sunny and airy, with windows open and curtains billowing. “Where is Miss Darcy?” She latched the door behind her as Althea looked up from her book.