Page 11 of Lord Lonbourn's Daughter
Elizabeth smiled widely at Mr Darcy, who looked stunned, and hoped she had not frightened the gentleman from his suit by her impertinence. It had not escaped her that his eyes had rested for a long moment on Jane in the reception line before Lady Matlock’s dinner.
Elizabeth was engaged to dance with her father for the next set; however he was of a mind to sit one out, so she accompaniedhim to the refreshment table for some sweet ratafia, infused with fruit and spices, before they sat down at a table by themselves.
“What fabulous set-down did you offer Mr Darcy?” her father enquired. “Your parting words horrified him.” He grinned.
“I did not! I merely informed him that roses are Jane’s favourite flower, should he be of a mind to call on her on the morrow.”
Her father chuckled but refrained from commenting.
Elizabeth danced the supper set with Viscount Melbourne. He was a charming dinner companion but a married man of some years. They knew each other from his home in Hertfordshire, Brocket Hall, where Elizabeth had visited his sister, Emily, on occasion.
He had been but little in Hertfordshire as he had spent the last few years in town since he took his first seat in the House of Commons in the year four. He wished to know the gossip from Hertfordshire while he regaled Elizabeth with the goings-on in the House.
#
“But…we had a sound system for putting away and retrieving the coats and shawls of each respective guest. I do not understand…”
Elizabeth was distraught. This was an absolute disaster, and on their first event of the Season. Nothing they had accomplished so far would matter one iota when all the guests would remember was the havoc at the conclusion of the evening. Neither flame throwers nor fireworks would be spoken of; it was in every way horrible. Goloshes and gloves had beenmismatched in addition to the fact that none of the garments had been left in its rightful place. It would take hours to find the correct owner of each item.
Elizabeth looked about at all the disgruntled guests who would most certainly turn into a growling herd in no time at all. Her eyes rested on a woman who did not seem as vexed as she would have expected. No, she had a gleam of merriment around her eyes.
Elizabeth needed to think of something—something quick and entertaining. “Do we have any more champagne?” she enquired of her father.
“A little but not enough to please the flock of discontented guests,” Lord Longbourn replied discouragingly.
A gentleman stepped forwards.What now?resounded in Elizabeth’s mind.
“I have a couple of crates in my cellar. It could be easily fetched. What did you have in mind?”
“A champagne auction. Not to auction off the champagne but the muddled garments in the ballroom. I shall serve as an auctioneer and try to make a few jests to lighten the mood. It is an endeavour to bring all together around me in a less cramped space and try to pair each garment with its rightful owner. The champagne is simply to drink, and I hope to get everyone too foxed to remember ever setting foot in Bennet House.”
“I shall send one of your servants to retrieve it. Meanwhile, we should move the garments into the ballroom. Instruct footmen to move a few tables into the middle, then keep bringing it all in until we have finished.”
“Thank you, Mr Darcy!”
Elizabeth called everyone’s attention and shepherded the guests into the ballroom. Flutes of champagne were handed out while Elizabeth instituted raising hats, canes, and shawls in the air—the goloshes and gloves needed to be paired first. Thankfully, Mr Darcy had requested every obtainable hand at Darcy House to come to Bennet House promptly to aid the distressed servants.
“Who is the owner of these perfectly matched bays?”
Elizabeth held a pair of reddish-brown shawls in the air. A pair of giggling sisters came forward to collect the items.
“Silver hound of foul temper?”
She held up a cane with a silver wolf handle an elderly lord claimed.
“We cannot see you! Could you not step up onto the table?” a female’s raised voice suggested.
Elizabeth would not disgrace herself in such a way, but the guests were too many to all be able to stand at the front of the circle that surrounded her. The suggestion was valiant, though distasteful.
“Let me hold up the items,” Mr Darcy offered.
“Yet again, I find myself beholden to you, Mr Darcy. You must stop rescuing me before I am indebted to you for life,” Elizabeth whispered. She turned back to the crowd and smiled mischievously.
“I have acquired the aid of this handsome and very tall assistant. The lucky lady who has not yet found her garmentsat the end of the auction may win a lovely stroll in Hyde Park at the most fashionable hour with one of our most favoured gentlemen.”
“That will be you, Lady Elizabeth,” Mr Darcy whispered in her ear as he grabbed the pelisse from her hand, not at all as perturbed by her brazen suggestion as she had foreseen.
He was right, of course, since she had no outer garments in the anteroom. She blushed crimson and offered him an apology and a retraction of her impertinent offer of his escort, but he would not allow it.
