His teeth glinted as he smiled. “Aelfric now has three Bakewell Black mares to breed with Sidhe horses. That alone should be worth the rest.”
The gurgle of laughter escaped her tight throat. “Someday you must explain Aelfric’s obsession with horses to me. He tells everyone else about it, but he just scowls at me.”
“He does have a very nice smile when he remembers to use it.”
“I will never understand him. The day Aelfric removed the spell on Miss de Bourgh, he came back to Titania’s bower looking for me. He wanted me to tell him more about my mother crying over his supposed grave. Do you know how very little there is to add to the description of someone crying over a grave? She knelt. Occasionally she would lie on it. And she cried. Her eyes became red, and her face was blotchy. But he kept asking for more. I would have made up some details, but he would have known I was lying. In the end I just kept repeating the story, and that seemed to satisfy him.”
Eversleigh shook his head with a smile. “Aelfric has yet to learn wisdom about certain things. I hope you will not hate him for what he represents. The sins of your parents are not his fault. But what am I saying? This is not the time to worry about Aelfric.”
“Still, I am feeling a little better. Where is Darcy House?”
“Less than two streets away. Come.”
“MISS BENNET TO SEEMrs. Collins,” Eversleigh told the butler at Darcy House. He bowed to Elizabeth. “Until we meet again.”
Elizabeth barely managed a distracted curtsy because she caught sight of a familiar figure that made her heart pound.
As the butler closed the door, Mr. Darcy’s deep voice said, “Hobbes, I will escort Miss Bennet upstairs.” He did not look happy.
“Thank you,” said Elizabeth. “Lord Eversleigh tells me Mrs. Collins is here.” Why was she stating the obvious?
“I offered her a place to stay, since she has a long-standing acquaintance with me and had only just met Eversleigh.” He gestured to the staircase.
“That was generous of you.” She started up the stairs, conscious of his presence behind her.
“Mrs. Collins is also welcome in the public rooms here, but she has expressed a preference for some time alone.” He sounded defensive.
“I have no doubt of your hospitality.” Once she would have, but not now.
He rapped on a carved wooden door. At Charlotte’s invitation to enter, he held it open for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth flew to embrace her friend. “Oh, Charlotte! I am so sorry!”
Charlotte clung to her wordlessly for a moment as the door closed behind her, leaving the two of them alone. Elizabeth stepped back to look at Charlotte, leaving one arm around her.
Her friend looked weary and grim. “Thank you for coming, Lizzy, especially after how badly Mr. Collins treated you. I was not sure if you could ever forgive me.”
“Do not be foolish! I never blamed you for what he did. I know you would have helped me if you could. And now I cannot even hold Mr. Collins responsible for it since he had no choice but to obey Lady Catherine.” At least that was what she wanted to believe. In truth, she did not think she could ever forgive him for sending her away as he did.
“I am glad. I have worried about it, but I was afraid of what Mr. Collins would do if he caught me trying to contact you,” said Charlotte. “Now that no longer matters.” Her eyes grew shiny.
“What happened? Viscount Eversleigh said only that Mr. Collins had changed after the spell on him was gone.”
Charlotte lifted her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “He came in from working in his garden, tossed his gardening gloves on the floor, and announced that he hated gardening and it should be my responsibility. He had always been happy to spend time in the garden before, but I told him I would do it if he wished. At dinner he was silent until I said something about hoping Lady Catherine’s health had improved. He shouted that Lady Catherine was a fool, and he was tired of being her lapdog. I know you never liked him, Lizzy, but he was not an ill-tempered man. This man was a stranger. When he was not back to himself two days later, I asked Mr. Darcy for help.” She buried her face in her hands and sank down onto a wooden chair.
“Oh, Charlotte, how terrible for you! I am so sorry.”
“Viscount Eversleigh came to the parsonage and talked to Mr. Collins, but whatever he said seemed to make no difference.”
“What did Mr. Collins do?”
“The next day he rode off to Canterbury without telling me where he was going and did not return that night. When he came home the next day, he said he wanted to annul our marriage.”
Elizabeth gasped. “Can he do that?”
“The church allows marriages that are compelled by sorcery to be annulled.” Charlotte’s voice broke.
“But that would leave you with nothing!”
