Page 13 of Kismet

“That is very kind of you, Kitty. I think we have all noticed how much Cedric’s death has affected him. I hope you are able to bring some light into his life,” Elizabeth said before looking up to see a maid entering the room with a tray containing the mail. “Oh, thank you, Jemma.”

Mary and Georgiana bid them all good morning as they entered the room moments later, and after they sat down with their own breakfast selections, Elizabeth announced, “We received letters from Mama and Jane this morning.”

“Do read them to us. I hope the babies are doing well. I still find it hard to believe that little Artie got a cousin and an uncle in the same week,” Lydia said, this time making a visible effort to ensure her mouth was entirely free of food before speaking.

“Mama says…”

Catherine settled more comfortably in her chair, happy to hear some positive news from her mother about her baby brother Matthew. Their lives had been shrouded in sadness, but she prayed her mother's words would bring some much-needed light and cheerfulness.

“I am ever so grateful that you were willing to accompany us to archery practice. I think you will enjoy it,” Lydia gushed, her excitement palpable as they rode in the carriage.

“I have watched you ladies practice archery before.” Theodore smiled at Lydia, clearly enjoying her enthusiasm.

Catherine was happy to see Theodore smile. He needed to smile more. “Yes, but this time you will be able to meet Lady Derby. She is the one that convinced Elizabeth to take up archery,” Catherine said.

“Let me get this straight. Your Aunt Gardiner’s cousin is Countess Derby? So the woman who Miss Bingley was so nasty about was really Lady Derby?” Theodore burst out laughing upon hearing the information. “I love it. How is your Aunt Gardiner connected to Lady Derby?”

“You may not know of a man named Baron Wallace, but he has property about a day's journey from Pemberley,” Catherine explained. “He had several sons and many grandsons, but only two granddaughters. His oldest son had a daughter named Amelia and his youngest son had a daughter named Matilda. Amelia married an earl, becoming Countess Derby. The younger son was a vicar in Lambton and his daughter Matilda met, fell in love with and married my Uncle Gardiner. They shared a special bond as the only granddaughters of Baron Wallace and spent much of their childhood together. They are still close friends.” Catherine was fond of her aunt’s cousin. Her exalted position did not diminish her kindness and strength, qualities which she shared with her beloved Aunt Gardiner.

“It was probably a good thing Miss Bingley did not know who she was insulting.” A warm smile spread across Theodore’s face.

When they arrived, there were already several other ladies gathered, spread out between the various targets. The targets were closer than at Pemberley, but the goal was to hit the center every time with a tight grouping of arrows. Here they focused not on distance, but close-range accuracy.

Lady Derby saw them escorted in by the butler and hurried to greet them. Giving both the girls a hug, she cheerfully welcomed them. “I am so happy you could make it. When Elizabeth told me something had come up with one of her charities, I was afraid I would not see you. I see you managed to find someone to bring you instead.”

“Lady Derby, may I present Colonel Theodore Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock. He is Mr. Darcy’s cousin,” Catherine introduced the two. “Colonel Theodore, may I introduce Lady Amelia Stanley, Countess of Derby.”

Colonel Theodore bowed and upon rising said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. You have done remarkable work encouraging the Bennet ladies to learn archery. It has done wonders for them.”

“Oh, I simply enjoy the sport so much I cannot imagine anyone else not benefiting from it.” Turning to the girls, she encouraged them to a spot at the end of the line. “I saved a target for you at the end there. Go on and start warming up. Maybe later we can show off for the earl if I can steal him away from his duties.”

Lady Derby watched the Bennet girls head to their spot at the end. They were wonderful girls, and she was proud of the outstanding women they were becoming. When Madeline had told her that she had inherited five nieces with her marriage to Mr. Gardiner, Lady Darby had wondered about who the girls would be. Now she hoped that her own two daughters would grow up to be as strong and self-assured as they were proving to be.

Turning to her guest, she looked him over. He was dressed appropriately but not in any of the foppish styles of the day. He was a colonel, though, so that would explain some of the simpleness of his attire. The black arm band showed his mourning status as well as his black cravat. She was most intrigued, but the grimace that he had displayed when she had called him earl spoke volumes. “I want to offer my condolences on the loss of your brother. As someone who has lost a sibling myself, I know the agony that you must be experiencing. I can only imagine how hard it must be to take up the mantle of earl unexpectedly while dealing with that grief.”

His eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by her comment. “Thank you. Losing my brother was a shock indeed and it has been a struggle every day since. I was raised for the military, not the earldom.”

Lady Derby considered him, her heart aching for the young man. “Though it might be presumptuous, I have some hard-earned advice. Take it as you will. Do not let your grief or your need to take up this mantle cut you off from people who care. I know there are people who care for you—the Bennet ladies, for example, and your cousin Mr. Darcy as well. Let them be there for you and, when necessary, seek out advice. When you have estates that need help, ask Mr. Darcy. He can help you there. You have problems figuring out the finances, ask someone for help. By the by, my cousin Mr. Gardiner has extensive experience and expertise in the realm of finance and investments. I am sure he would be willing to help,” she said, offering him a small smile. “John Donne got it correct when he said, ‘No man is an Island,’ Colonel.”

Theodore looked away for a moment and rubbed his eyebrow before responding. “I must admit that I have been, for lack of a better word, floundering. That is good advice. Thank you.”

“Well, now that we have had our talk, let us join the girls. While I know they are becoming remarkable women, I sometimes think I will always see them as the little girls I met all those years ago. It happens that way when you do not always see what is in front of you because you only see what was in the past.” Walking over to the Bennets, she smiled as the colonel fallowed her. Looking at this man, she had one of her strange intuitions, a strong feeling about him. He would be a very good husband to one of the Bennet girls once he found his way and was able to see what was right in front of him.

As Theodore approached Catherine with Lady Derby, she looked up and smiled mischievously. Eyes twinkling, she held out her bow to him. “Now it is your turn to practice.”

“I thought I was here as an observer only?” Theodore managed to smile back at her, his lips curving into a gentle grin.

“No, that is how I got you here, but I have often wanted to see that you learn. Besides, the closer targets should make it easier for you. It is perfect for your first attempt.” Taking the hand he held up in front of him in some form of defense, she placed her bow in it.

“Alright, I suppose I can go along with your plan. Though I will have you know I had some of the best aim in my regiment.”

With an infectious grin, Lydia held out an arrow and gestured for him to step forward. “I would love to see your display.”

Stepping forward as if his ability to shoot the arrow was automatic, he put the arrow in place as he had seen and pulled the string back. After a moment, he let go, expecting the arrow to shoot forward and embed itself in the target, only the arrow did not obey his silent command. It had fallen oddly at his side, eliciting a round of giggles from all the ladies present. “That is not what I expected to happen.”

Catherine's lips twitched, as if she was trying hard not to burst into laughter at his expense. “Yes, well, you did not ask for advice, so we let you do what you thought was best. You were holding the arrow wrong. It was not notched correctly.”

The next hour flew by with Catherine, Lydia, and Lady Derby teaching Theodore the basics of archery. Catherine smiled as one of his arrows finally made it to the target. “There you go. You hit the target.”

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