The Darcy Code (2 page)

"My dear, do not be harsh upon him. He is a man with some responsibilities, and someone in his position has other things on his mind than dining and conversation."

"Oh, do not be talking of war again. That is all over, is it not, Mr. Vere?"

Vere's reply was non-committal, "Time will tell." Then he added, "Who, by the way, is the pretty creature so engrossed by what Standish is saying?"

"That is my cousin, Miss Anna Gosforth."

Vere frowned, thought for a moment and then said, "Ah, Gosforth's younger daughter. She should have a care, it would not do for her to lose her heart to a man like Standish."

Mrs. Rufforth lifted her brows. "Lady Gosforth is well able to take care of her daughter, she is in no danger. Come and meet her; no, I insist."

She led Mr. Vere over to the sofa where Anna and Mr. Standish were still deep in conversation. He bowed, said he was glad to have the honour of making Miss Gosforth's acquaintance, exchanged some civil commonplaces as to how she was enjoying her
London
season and drew away.

He shook his head at Mrs. Rufforth, said he would be detained no longer, kissed her hand, murmured his thanks, and then made his unhurried way from the room, bowing to friends and acquaintances. At the door, he turned to cast a last look at Anna and Standish, gave a slight shake of his head and was gone.

Anna was unusually quiet in the carriage on the way home, and her mother inquired with some solicitude as to whether she was feeling all right. "You are normally such a chatterbox. I wonder if you have been gadding around too much, it will not do for you to get tired and worn out so early in the season."

"Oh, I am not in the least tired Mama, just thoughtful. All those people there, talking in such a clever and serious way about such solemn things. Two of the gentlemen were speaking about
France
, saying there will be war again. Is that true, so you think? What would become of Harriet if we have to fight the French again?"

Lady Gosforth had just noticed a slight stain on the bodice of her gown and she rubbed at it with her finger. "War? Oh, my dear, do not be thinking about such things as that. It will quite spoil your enjoyment. But in fact things are not too good, your father said the same thing. However, I am sure that Harriet will be safe. Mrs. Carteret is a worldly woman, she knows how to take care of herself, and I'm sure if there is any suggestion of trouble she will come straight back with Harriet. Do not be in a fret about her."

How could she not be worried about Harriet, her cousin and a dear friend?

She had been instrumental in Harriet's going to
France
as a companion to Mrs. Carteret, and would never forgive herself if war did break out again before Harriet returned to
England
.

However, although this was sufficient reason to satisfy Mama as to the cause of her unusual pensiveness, the real reason lay elsewhere. She had never felt so powerfully attracted to a man as she did to Mr. Standish, but did he feel the same way about her? If only she were more experienced, to know whether his sitting beside her and his conversation meant that he felt any attraction to her, or whether it was simple good manners.

Warning herself to appear calm and not too interested, she broached the subject with her mama. "It was agreeable talking to Mr. Standish. He did not seem full of all the serious things that everybody else did, he is an amiable companion."

Lady Gosforth was still attending to her gown. "New on today, it really is too tiresome. Mr. Standish? Well, he is too much the gentleman to talk about serious matters with such a young lady as you, my love, but he is a man that people speak of as being destined for a successful political career. He made a fine speech in the House the other day, so your father told me, and I believe he has an important post in some government office or other. I forget which, if I ever knew, which I probably did not, because your papa, who knows about such things, is always so vague."

There was a silence, and then Anna ventured, "He is very handsome. I wonder he is not married."

"I daresay he will be, soon enough; he has reached the stage in life when a man must take a wife, particularly if he is to get on. He is quite eligible, he is an elder son and will come into a good estate, he will marry into one of the political families, you may be sure of it. He probably has his eye on some young lady already."

"Henrietta has said that before he went abroad he broke someone's heart."

"Did he? Oh, I know who you mean, Amelia Norton. Yes she went into quite a decline, it looked as though everything was going on for an engagement, and then quite suddenly he went cold on her. It was distressing, but she got over it, as you young girls do."

Anna longed to ask her mother why, if Mr. Standish were so eligible, he was not included among those young men that Mama was keen for Anna to know. She wasn't a fool, and could have written a list of the men that Mama had in her eye as possible matches for her. Not that it mattered, since she hadn't felt any particular attraction for any of the men that she had met so far, and certainly nothing like the fascination that Mr. Standish was exerting over her.

What was it that she found so irresistible? Her attention had first been drawn to him by his handsome features and his fine figure and an air he had about him. Now she had been introduced, she was enchanted by his engaging smile and the attention he paid her, as though there were no one else in the room. She sighed, and then hastily turned the sigh into a yawn.

"You are indeed tired, my pet, and you shall go to bed the minute we get home. Tomorrow is a busy day, and you need to feel and look your best, because it is the Wellcomes' ball, and that is certain to be one of the highlights of the season.

Lord Gosforth, unusually for him, was in when they got home, and he came strolling out of his library to greet his wife and daughter. "Well, young lady, did you have a good evening?"

Lady Gosforth told him who had been there, but the only one that Gosforth expressed any interest in was Mr. Vere. "Vere was there, was he? I wonder why, I shouldn't have said it was his kind of party at all."

When Anna, now genuinely overcome with yawns, had taken a candle and gone upstairs to her bedchamber, Lady Gosforth said to her husband, "One or two people were speaking of
France
, and the likelihood of war, and Anna is worried about Harriet."

Gosforth said, "Did Vere mention war?"

"No, he didn't."

"I would be surprised if he had, but I've been thinking about that myself. There couldn't be a worse time for the girl to go to
Paris
, and so I said to that pompous brother of hers. However, there is no way of expecting such a man to listen to sense. Though Anna need not worry, I am sure Mrs. Carteret will see to it that Harriet comes to no harm. It may be quite difficult for them to make the journey back to
England
if war is declared, perhaps they will have to come via
Switzerland
, but I do not think Harriet is in any danger, no one is in expectation of seeing the excesses of the Terror re-enacted."

"Good gracious, I should hope not indeed," Lady Gosforth said.

Mr. Standish seemed to be everywhere that Anna was, at soirées and drums and balls. He came to Almacks, looking, she thought, extremely elegant in knee breeches and a flesh-coloured waistcoat, and stood up with her for more than one dance. He was even there, wonders of wonders, at a concert of ancient music, to which she had reluctantly gone with her mother, who loved music. As it was, the music, the musicians, the company - all became more than tolerable in the presence of Mr. Standish, "a very Apollo in form," she whispered to Henrietta – who cast her eyes heavenwards and breathed into Anna's ear to have a care, not to cast herself so wildly into love.

Henrietta had a new beau of her own, a steady, well-mannered sort of man; indeed Anna believed him to be a most amiable person, but he could not hold a candle to Mr. Standish. How could any woman set eyes on Mr. Standish without falling violently in love with him? She watched with jealous, suspicious eyes every woman to whom he talked or with whom he danced. But she could tell that he did not fancy any of them, and with none of them did he have that smile on his face or that look of pleasure and fun as he did when he spoke with her, chatted to her during dinner, danced with her, rode out with her on an expedition to Richmond or sat across from her at the card table.

He discovered her passion for riding, and they rode together in the Park, properly accompanied by a bored groom. Anna, dressed in her new riding habit, knew she looked her best, her colour a little high from the exercise, her slender figure upright, her seat good. As for Mr. Standish, astride a fine bay, he was handsomer than ever in his black coat and gleaming boots. He was a keen rider to hounds, and he spoke of his enjoyment in hunting while she, who hated hunting, hung upon every word, so pleased to be with him and to listen to what he had to say; he could have recited one of Fordyce's sermons and she would have been enthralled.

At home, her happy mood, her joy and zest for life were evident to everyone.

Her father commented upon it, "My word, it is amazing to see our little Anna blossom like this."

"Blossom nothing," said Lady Gosforth crossly. "She has fallen in love, and it is with a man who is not worthy of her affections."

Lord Gosforth looked at his wife in surprise. "You do not mean to tell me that she has taken up with a rake, or some half-pay soldier after her fortune? How could you come to betray your maternal duty in such a way? Why have you not sent the impudent dog packing?"

"My dear, the young man in question is not an impudent dog, he is Rowland Standish, an unexceptionable young man of good family, as you well know."

"Standish? Well, you are right, there is no question of Anna making him any kind of a suitable wife. It is not a matter of family or background, as you say he is a perfectly well bred young man, but he is destined for political career and no one could be less suited to that than my frippery daughter. Besides, she's too young for him."

"As to that, I think she would be well-suited with an older husband, but not Mr. Standish. He is flirting, he enjoys the company of a pretty girl, but that is enough to break her heart when he moves on to some other fancy."

"You had best warn him off, ma'am. I will not have him trifling with Anna's affections, wasn't there are some scandalous affair attached to his name, before he went abroad?"

Anna would have been horrified if she had known what her parents were saying, for surely Mr. Standish was simply waiting for the right moment to make his proposals. Why should he not? He danced attendance upon her, he sent her posies and Henrietta, when she could spare attention from her own courtship, warned her that she was setting tongues wagging, that if she truly believed he was going to propose, then the sooner the better. "People are talking, they say it is too bad of him, that it will be like Amelia all over again, he will drop you and you will go into a decline. My mama says that even Mr. Vere, who has no interest in gossip, has mentioned that he goes too far. Mr. Standish works for Mr. Vere, you know."

"Oh, what an objectionable man that Mr. Vere is. He dislikes my friendship with Mr. Standish; you should see how he looks at me when I'm dancing with him. He stands by, looking down that haughty nose of his." Anna, dressed for a ball in a gown of pink gauze, shrugged a white shoulder. "I care nothing for that man, he may disapprove of me as much as he pleases. I love Mr. Standish, and I'm sure that he feels all the most tender passion for me that any young woman could wish for."

She danced till dawn at the ball and came home in a dream, tumbling into bed with the first light of the morning, reliving that ecstatic moment when Mr. Standish had drawn her to a secluded vestibule and kissed her, his lips caressing hers in such way that she felt overwhelmed with passion for him. Yet, she reflected when she woke much later in the day, despite that, despite his words of love, still no proposal had been made. Why was he holding back? He loved her, there could be no objection to the match on grounds of family or fortune; oh, why did he not say the words?

That evening she was going to a ball with both Mama and Papa and she dressed for it with especial care. The ball at Langthorpe House would be one of the most important of the season, all her friends would be there, everyone who was anyone would be there. Most important of all, she knew Mr. Standish would be among the guests, because he had mentioned it to her.

In her best looks, full of expectation and excitement, Anna skipped out of the house and into the carriage where her father and mother were awaiting her. They were to dine at Langthorpe House before the ball, and Anna was eager to know who would be there.

Her father pursed his lips. "Do not expect to find many of your young friends at dinner, for mostly they will be older people, of a political bent. It is civil of them to ask you to dine before the ball, and it is only because Lord Langthorpe is a connection of ours that you have been invited."

This slightly dampened Anna's spirits, although Papa father always a severe gloss on everything. But when she was announced with her mother and father and went into the great drawing room, a blaze of candlelight, and looked around to see which of her particular friends were there, she was dismayed to see none of them. In fact, the only person who appeared to be anywhere near her own age was Cousin Freddie. He was a distant cousin, and a young man who, although of pleasing looks and agreeable manners, was inclined to be rather more attentive to her than she cared for. However, this evening she was glad to see him as he came over to her with a smile and a graceful bow.