Page 66 of His Pride and His Prejudice

“Yes.”

“That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters.”

“My mother would have had no objection,” Elliot said. “But my father hates London.”

“Has your governor left you?”

“We never had any governor.”

“No governor! How was that possible? Five sons brought up at home without instruction! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education.”

Elliot grinned as he assured Lady Catherine that had not been the case. Knowing what he knew of Mrs. Bennet, Darcy did not doubt it.

“Then, who taught you? Who attended to you?” Lady Catherine demanded. “Without a governor you must have been neglected.”

“Compared with some families, I believe we were,” Elliot said. “Indeed, we were left very much to our devices and encouraged by our papa to have the run of the estate. Still, we are omegas and so those of us who wished to learn never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read and to follow as much natural history as we were able.”

“And languages?” Lady Catherine demanded.

“We are all proficient in several,” Elliot said. “Mainly so that papa had others he could speak Greek or Italian or French to as desired.”

Lady Catherine narrowed her eyes, she had not expected that and nor had Darcy. Abruptly, he imagined sharing those languages with Elliot and felt his heart give a decided thud.

It was surprising.

It was expected.

“If I had known your mother, I should have advised her most strenuously to engage a governor or even a governess,” Lady Catherine concluded. “I always say that nothing is to be done in education without steady and regular instruction, and nobody but a qualified instructor can give it. It is wonderful how many families I have been the means of supplying in that way. I am always glad to get a young person well placed out.” She turned to Mrs. Jenkinson and reminded her of a recent good deed she had undertaken for her nieces. Mrs. Jenkinson mumbled something intelligible. Darcy was not actually sure he had ever heard her speak.

“How many of your brothers are of marriage age?” Lady Catherine demanded as she turned back to Elliot.

Elliot put down the dessert fork that had been on its way to his mouth. “Myself and my older brother, Jack.”

“So, the rest are not out in society.”

“We are all out.”

“What, all five out at once? Very odd! And you only the second? The younger ones out before the elder ones are wed! Your younger brothers must be very young indeed?”

“Yes, Louis is only just eighteen,” Elliot said. “I would suggest at times that he is too young to be out in society given some of his antics, but really, ma’am, I think it would be very hard upon younger brothers that they should not have their share of society and amusement because the elder may not have the means or inclination to mate the moment they are of age. It would hardly promote brotherly affection.”

“Upon my word,” said her ladyship. “You give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age?”

Elliot laughed. “As I have said, I am of mating age.”

Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer to her inquiry, and Darcy suspected that Elliot might be the very first creature who had ever dared to trifle with her in such a manner. And his answer…Darcy couldn’t help but reflect on it. To know that Elliot was now of mating age…it was not that omegas could not be mated and married when younger but in polite society twenty-five was considered the correct age for such partnerships.

He sat up straighter and fixed his gaze on Elliot. Elliot looked up at him at the exact same moment. He was still smiling. That smile made Darcy’s chest tighten. Elliot was so handsome and Darcy’s admiration, already significant, grew. Darcy had expected it to, of course. It was after all, the very reason he had come to Rosings.

Thirty-Three

Elliot’s heart was racing faster than he could ever recall it doing so before, including the time he had fallen in the river when building up one of the banks and was rescued a half a mile later by the combined efforts of Louis, Marc, and a substantial branch from a nearby oak tree! His heart had worked quite hard then and it had done so again throughout dinner, which was a worry, as how long could a heart sustain such an increased rate of beats before giving up entirely?

Elliot was not sure.

It was down to Darcy of course.

Elliot would not try to deny that.

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