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“What colour?”
“Cream to match my lace overdress.”
After a knock on the door, Finn poked his head into the room. “The clergyman’s here, sir.”
“Excellent, Finn. Push me into the saloon,” said Darcy, kissing Elizabeth’s hand as he released it to draw on his gloves. “I shall send your uncle to you, Elizabeth.”
The couple performed their vows flawlessly in front of a makeshift altar Finn had set before the huge saloon mirror, allowing the small assembled company to see their faces as they repeated their vows. The champagne was flowing and the croquembouche being deconstructed by the time the earl arrived at the Pulteney on Piccadilly half an hour late.
“Well?” Lady Catherine demanded as the earl was ushered into her suite.
The earl glared at Mr Collins who hastily effaced himself to the hall with a series of low awkward bows.
“I’m afraid you have been misinformed, Catherine,” said the earl. “Darcy is betrothed to a squire’s daughter, quite respectable. I have given my permission for the marriage to go forward.”
“What!” shrieked his sister, her eyes bulging. “How could you? Anne is a far more worthy match!”
“Because this lady is his choice. As for Anne, I have a better idea,” said the earl calmly. “Where is Anne by the way?”
“She retired again after breakfast with a headache.”
“Good! We can speak freely,” said the earl, pacing up and down as he chose his words. “Given that Richard has contracted such a good match, I propose that we marry Anne to Robert.”
“What! I’m not letting that syphilitic reprobate near my daughter!”
The earl ground his teeth before proceeding calmly. “Now, come, come, Catherine. They need not see much of each other. You were willing to smuggle a baby up the stairs if Anne should marry Darcy. We could do the same for Robert. My only stipulation is that it is a daughter. I don’t want some cuckoo inheriting the earldom. They need not even consummate the marriage. Robert can visit a few times in the first year for the sake of appearances, after which he need not bother you at all. He can live in Sir Lewis’s townhouse here in London.”
“Under no circumstances!” spat Lady Catherine.
“What is your objection?” bridled the earl, who had expected more gratitude on offering his firstborn. “Robert is of the nobility! Whatever his bloodline, Darcy is not!”
“Because I can trust Darcy not to ill use my daughter, which is more than I can say for Robert!”
“You are ridiculous!” snapped the earl. “Why would Robert bother to touch your pasty daughter? He will have his mistress in town to keep him occupied!”
“I do not want him drawing on the estate!”
“We can set up a trust to avoid that. You need merely pay him an allowance! Think of it, Catherine! Your daughter will be a viscountess and countess some day.”
Lady Catherine was thinking of it and could not like her daughter succeeding where she had failed. Her daughter to marry a viscount when she had settled for a baronet? Impossible!
“Well...” she said, extemporising, “that might be a solution. I suppose you have your eyes on Anne’s dowry?”
“Of course! You do not think I’m giving my son away for nothing do you?”
“And you expect Richard to produce an heir for the earldom?”
“He certainly seems the better bet at the moment. His son will have European royal blood from the princess’s side.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then I’ll continue to search for a match for Robert amongst the English nobility. There has to be some homely creature somewhere whose parents have given up on a first-rate match and who will be glad to have him. Who knows? He may yet produce the next viscount.”
Lady Catherine appeared to consider for a moment.
“Very well,” she conceded. “I am willing to talk. I intend to go back to Kent this afternoon—this rich hotel food disagrees with Anne. But I will be back next week for the princess’s wedding. It is too bad that you could not accommodate us at your townhouse.”
“Rest assured, Catherine. You are welcome at the townhouse next week. Robert will be vacating his rooms within a matter of days for the Albany. If he wants more congenial accommodation he will need to be more cooperative. I should have a draft document ready by the time you return.”
