Mr and Mrs Darcy 02 Suspense & Sensibility Read Online Free PDF Page A

to her. "If
she will so honor me."

Three

    To wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect.

    - Sense
and Sensibility, Chapter 4

    The
expectation of one thousand pounds was all Elizabeth had brought to her
marriage, all Jane had brought to hers, and all Mr. Bennet could afford to
dower upon each of his remaining two unwed daughters. Elizabeth and Jane had
made such advantageous matches that they had been willing to give up their
shares to improve their sisters' chances, but their father had checked their
generosity. "You are marrying good men whom I trust to take proper care of
you," he had said. "But I want you to have something of your own."
Lydia's scandalous elopement had required a larger settlement - to which Darcy
had contributed considerably - to buy back her respectability. Fortunately,
Kitty and Mary were not inclined to increase their dowries at such cost to
themselves. Unfortunately, that left Kitty with a settlement one-thirtieth the
size of Georgiana's.
    As gentlemen's calling cards piled up in the silver tray on the hall
table the day after the Middletons' ball, Elizabeth couldn't help but wish that
at least one of them had been left for Kitty "There
are some here for you," Elizabeth told Darcy as she fanned the
cards out to examine the names. "Including one from Lord Hartford."
    Darcy grimaced. "An hour proved insufficient for him to complete
his foxhunting saga. He promised to call upon me to share the remainder."
    "What a pity you were out. Now you shall have to hear it during the
shooting party"
    "I have no doubt of the full version being repeated then, too."
    Elizabeth set his cards aside and glanced at the others. The one she
most sought was not among them.
    Mr. Dashwood had promised to call that afternoon. After the revelation
of Kitty's true identity, he had spent the remainder of the evening proving
himself as attentive a gentleman as propriety allowed. He danced two sets with
Kitty and had no other partners save his cousin Regina, with whom a promise to
his aunt had obliged him to dance one set. Elizabeth had no idea what Kitty and
Mr. Dashwood talked of while on the dance floor, but she could see that he drew
many smiles and occasional laughter from her sister. When he was not dancing,
his conduct toward both Kitty and Elizabeth had been utterly charming.
    For her part, Kitty had spoken of nothing but Mr. Dashwood for the entire
carnage ride home, and she seemed to have risen from her bed with his name on
her lips. Breakfast had been spent recalling his every look and gesture. That Kitty
had danced with two other gentlemen, she seemed to have forgotten, though she
did pause often enough in her adulation of Mr. Dashwood to compliment Georgiana
on the handsome looks and manners of Miss Darcy's many partners. Miss Darcy,
however, had not been taken with any one of them to the extent that Mr.
Dashwood had captivated Kitty.
    Yet Georgiana's entourage had found their way to the town-house this
afternoon, while Mr. Dashwood had not. And Elizabeth could not help but reflect
on why.
    She sighed. "The rest of the cards are for Georgiana."
    Darcy, who waited for a servant to bring his greatcoat, picked up the
stack of cards left for Georgiana and shuffled through them.
    "Do any of those names meet your approval?" Elizabeth asked.
    He frowned at two cards. "Mr. Sutton and Sir Harvey are ridiculous
coxcombs." He tossed their cards aside and looked at the next. "St.
Germain is a hothead - he has been in two duels this year alone." The next
card also fell to the pile. "Wybourn drinks too much."
    Dairy's man appeared with his coat. She took the remaining cards from
her husband while he slipped his arms into its sleeves. "Sir Reginald
Pemngdale. Who is he?"
    "A widower with seven children looking for a third wife."
    "So much for him." She moved to the next. "Lord Tyndale
seemed nice."
    "He is indeed quite pleasant. He is also up to his neckcloth in
debt."
    "Lord Highcroft?"
    "A notorious rake."
    "Lord Ashton?"
    "A