Bingley laughed and slapped his knee.
“I give you leave to offend my sister. If she latches onto your arm, simply remove her hand, and do not spare her feelings by telling her to desist. If she becomes offended, you have lost nothing. If she accepts your strictures, once again, you have lost nothing.”
“Then, I accept your invitation to dine. However, I am uneasy about going to Hertfordshire.”
“Let me know tomorrow evening. I do not leave for another week.” Bingley cocked his head, as though listening to another conversation. He cast a quizzical look in Darcy’s direction. “Are the rumors of a wager concerning you true?”
“Aye. Ashton wagered he could beat me to Pemberley and I was in the lead when Arion lost a shoe.”
“What were the terms?”
“If I lost the race, I had to dance three sets, one of them the supper set, at twenty balls before the end of the year.”
“Your cousin knew to hit where it hurts, and it also explains your attendance at so many events.” Bingley chuckled at the dark look Darcy shot at him. “What do you forfeit if you do not meet the terms of the wager?”
“I must give Arion to my cousin.”
“Ouch. You love that horse almost as much as you love your sister.”
“True, I am very attached to the ornery beast.”
“How many more events must you attend before the year ends?”
“After Lady Addlesworth’s annual Michaelmas ball, three.”
“Well then,” Bingley said quite emphatically. “I shall assist you and whilst in Hertfordshire, as Netherfield Park boasts a ballroom, I will host a ball and help you meet the terms of the wager.”
“For that reason alone, I may attend.” Darcy felt a lightening of his spirit. “No one will know my wealth and connections. I can be just another country gentleman.”
“Who is Lady E?” Bingley asked, out of the blue.
Darcy paused at the memory of the spirited lady who had taken him to task at Lady Montrose’s ball. Strangely enough, she and her fine eyes had begun to invade his thoughts – and dreams – more than once, and it was unsettling. Especially since the debacle at Ramsgate and how a few choice words that Georgiana overheard from Wickham devastated her equilibrium.
“She is a distant cousin on the Fitzwilliam side of the family. Why do you ask?”
“Caroline keeps muttering about an article inThe Tattlerwhere Lady E gave you the cut direct.”
“That was months ago. Why is she lathered up over that?”
“She wants to meet the infamous Lady E and defend your honor.”
“If Miss Bingley did meet the lady and tackle her verbally, your sister would be run out of town by Society. Lady E is not only the daughter of an earl, but also the niece of a marchioness. Lady E’s connections run deep and wide.” Darcy placed his empty glass down. “Advise your sister to worry about her life and find a husband. I am tired of being in her cross-hairs.”
“Next time we are at a ball and this Lady E is in attendance, I would have you point her out to me.”
“I am not likely to see her again. She has returned to her father’s estate and, from my understanding, rarely attends Town.”
Darcywatchedtherollinghills of Hertfordshire flow by in a ribbon of green, gold, and rusty yellow. Autumn was his favorite season with the living color of changing leaves painting the landscape. However, his pleasure in the passing scenery was muted by the grating voice of Miss Caroline Bingley. May the Lord help the man who married her. It most assuredly would not be him, no matter how much she put herself forward. He knew Ashton had a bet on the books the determined miss would have him compromised and leg-shackled before he turned thirty, but Darcy was determined that withthisbet, his cousin would lose.
His thoughts turned introspective. It was not that his cousin had placed the wager that had him disgruntled, it was the number of ‘so-called’ friends who put money on a successful outcome. His and Bingley’s wagers against the bet were the only outliers on the page. Of that, he was glad. If the brother of the anticipated bride was not in favor of her succeeding, his chances to avoid any attempt of a compromise by Miss Bingley were increased tenfold. Regardless, he and his valet would remain vigilant during their stay in Hertfordshire.
His attention was caught by Miss Bingley’s outraged gasp from a conversation she’d been having with her brother.
“And you only now thought to inform me of this assembly?”
“I meant to tell you earlier, but in the rush to get all the paperwork signed before taking over the lease, I forgot. It was as we passed the Red Lion Inn did it come to mind.”
“We are going to a local inn for a ball?”
