Page 28 of The Wager
Chapter Eight
DarcysteppedintoNetherfield’sbreakfast room and only years of training and existing in the fishbowl called theBon Tonhad him continue as though nothing untoward happened. Before him sat Elizabeth, calmly sipping a cup of tea. Across from her was Hurst, who sported the widest grin Darcy had ever seen. He was also sober. A large footman wearing a Longbourn livery stood quietly in the corner.
“Good morning, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said in a cheerful voice.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he replied with a polite nod of the head.
“Do you not mean,LadyElizabeth?” Hurst teased.
“What joke is this?” he countered back and could not help but look at Elizabeth, hoping she did not think he was the one to spill her secret.
“Be at ease, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said. “Mr. Hurst knows who Jane and I are.”
“He does?”
She smiled at his astonishment.
“His youngest brother, Gilbert, is friends with our brother. It took Mr. Hurst some time to piece together that the Earl of Tiverton is also Trenton Hamilton.” Elizabeth’s smile stretched into an impish grin. “Mr. Hurst has offered to keep our secret for the time being.”
From his peripheral vision, Darcy noted that Hurst smirked when Elizabeth said heofferedto keep their secret. More than likely, he would remain awake and sober for the remainder of their visit to watch his wife and her sister make complete fools of themselves.
“You are too kind, Lady Elizabeth…MissElizabeth,” Hurst amended when she frowned and darted a glance toward the half-open door. “My wife and her sister think too highly of themselves and need to have a cold dose of reality poured on their insufferable pride.” He dabbed his mouth with a linen napkin. “By the by, how is your sister? I was told that not only did she react to one of the cakes she ate, but also hit her head quite hard on the floor when she collapsed.”
“She is much better this morning, although the incident has left her feeling exhausted. Thank you for asking.”
“Miss Hamilton took ill?” Darcy asked.
“It was our sister Mary who took ill. She experienced a reaction to the crab in one of the cakes and unfortunately, when she collapsed, she hit her head hard enough to render her unconscious.”
“I am going to assume a doctor was summoned?”
“Mr. Jones, who is our extremely capable apothecary attended her, and has proclaimed she may return home to Longbourn as early as this afternoon, or tomorrow if her headache has not abated to his satisfaction when he checks on her later this morning.”
“Please tell Miss Bennet I wish for her a speedy recovery.” At Elizabeth’s raised brow, Darcy hurried to explain. “Not to see you vacate our presence, but only for the sake of her health and wellbeing.”
He filled his plate and sat next to her minutes before Ashton and Bingley joined them.
“Miss Elizabeth!” Bingley exclaimed. “Good morning. What a delightful surprise to see you here. Did your eldest sister attend with you?”
He looked around with a hopeful glance.
“Good morning to you, Mr. Bingley. And you, Lord Ashton.” Elizabeth waited until both men were seated. “I am here because Mary took ill yesterday during our tea. Nothing serious,” she hastened to explain. “Hopefully we can return to Longbourn this afternoon, tomorrow at the very latest.”
“Is Miss Hamilton upstairs with Miss Bennet?” Bingley asked, clearly eager for the beautiful woman to be close at hand.
“She is not. We all thought it best if I stayed and cared for Mary.”
Bingley looked as though he was about to speak again when Miss Bingley entered the room. He and his brother Hurst remained seated, but both Darcy and Ash rose to give her a proper greeting. For once, she did not simper or flutter her eyelashes. Instead, she glared at Elizabeth.
“Are you not worried about your reputation, Miss Eliza? Alone in a room with four gentlemen, three of them unmarried?”
“I am not,” Elizabeth said with a nod toward the far corner. “My father’s man is here with me.”
Miss Bingley’s gaze flew to the footman and with an inelegant sniff, took her seat at the table. Darcy reassessed the man he’d summarily dismissed as a servant, noting the watchful countenance and lean, muscular build. Now that he thought of it further, the man looked familiar and he recalled that when the Hamilton sisters were out and about, they were usually accompanied by a pair of footmen.
“I am uncertain why you have servants trailing around behind you. It is not as though you are a person of great importance.”
“Pardon my sister’s behavior,” Bingley rushed to say when Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak. “I give you my word she will treat you and your sister with respect during your stay here at Netherfield Park.”
