Page 38 of One Night with Mr. Darcy
She attended, but she did not go to the graveside, for she’d had difficulty holding in her emotions at the funeral itself, and she thought she would never be able to keep herself under control while Lady Catherine was lowered into the ground.
However, the entirety of the Matlock clan were predictably dry-eyed, so they were all there, and Mr. Darcy and his sister attended without any troubling difficulty with emotion either.
She did not host a dinner that evening.
There was a tea, with heavier foods than might be typical, though there were still plenty of sweet offerings to balance the savory. Later, a supper was brought to separate bedchambers, this with lighter fare, simply something to tide her guests over until they broke their fast in the morning. She put William down, and then stayed awake, for she was aware that the carriage containing Charlotte and Jane was due late that night. It was the only time that the carriage could be spared from Lucas Lodge.
Half-past eight o’clock, they arrived.
She greeted them, sent them off to their rooms, and had suppers sent to everyone.
Jane was wan and pale but all smiles. She embraced her sister tightly, happy to see her, overjoyed to be in her presence again. All was right in the world if Jane were here, she thought.
Jane didn’t eat much, but consented to be tucked into bed right away.
Then Elizabeth went to check on Charlotte.
Charlotte had just finished eating with her father and was retiring to her room. She was awed at the size of the place as Elizabeth stood in the doorway to Charlotte’s bedchamber.
“You are mistress of all this, Lizzy!” said Charlotte. “I can hardly wrap my mind around it.”
“Oh, neither can I,” said Elizabeth, shaking her head. “I wake up and remember it all, and I feel as if I’ve tripped sideways into some dreamworld. And not necessarily a pleasant one either, I must say, Charlotte.”
Charlotte laughed softly. “Oh, Lizzy, what could be unpleasant?”
“I don’t mean to sound as though I am ungrateful, but it is quite a lot of responsibility,” said Elizabeth. “Also, wait until you meet Lady Matlock.”
Charlotte laughed. “I shall keep my eye out for a gorgon at the breakfast table, then.”
“Indeed.”
“Of course, I suppose I shouldn’t look directly at her, if she really is a gorgon.”
Elizabeth let out a snicker. “Yes, wouldn’t want to be turned to stone!”
“No, I would not.”
The women clutched each other, laughing, too loudly. It had not been that funny of a joke, Elizabeth didn’t suppose. They were happy to see each other, that was all.
Elizabeth pulled away, looking at Charlotte. “You’ll help me.”
“Is that why I’m here?” said Charlotte. “Yes, I shall help, of course. I could not repay the kindness of letting me stay with you instead of burdening my family any other way, after all.”
“It’s not a transaction, Charlotte.”
“When you are as poor as I am and as old as I am, everything is a transaction,” said Charlotte.
“Stop it,” said Elizabeth. “I won’t hear such things.”
“All right, we’ll pretend it is not so,” said Charlotte with an impish grin. “I would not mind that, I must say.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MR. DARCY HADno notion of his aunt’s status as a gorgon being discussed, but the next morning—at any rate—there was no meeting between Charlotte and Lady Matlock, because the earl and his wife left at dawn, with a picnic basket of breakfast foods packed by the kitchens. The viscount left too, but Colonel Fitzwilliam was left behind.
He spent all of breakfast flirting readily with both Elizabeth and her new friend. But then, Mr. Darcy knew his cousin flirted with everyone and everything.
And then suddenly, he had an idea.
