The dining room of Bingley House was most intimately decorated with candles and jasmine flowers from Mr. Darcy’s hot house. Their perfume lent a romantic air to the room.
Elizabeth took her seat across from Mr. Darcy and next to Mr. Dumont. Mr. Bingley sat next to her at the head of the table and Jane was at the other end with the colonel and Miss Darcy.
Miss Dumont sat between Mr. Darcy and his sister. Certainly Elizabeth could see that Miss Dumont had made the seating arrangements to keep Mr. Darcy and his conversation to herself.
In the parlor before dinner, Elizabeth had been introduced to Colonel Fitzwilliam and noticed he seemed very protective of Miss Darcy, who stayed by his side from the moment the Darcy party arrived at Bingley House. The girl seemed smitten with her cousin and Elizabeth thought they must have written valentines to one another.
Miss Dumont had collected all the valentines before they left the parlor and placed them in a silver decorative bowl from the table beside the dining room door. The bowl now sat in the center of the table and Miss Dumont had said they would each be given their valentine before dessert was served.
Elizabeth’s stomach was unsettled the whole of dinner but she made an effort to speak with the colonel more than Mr. Dumont. The expression on Miss Darcy’s face at this transgression made her finally turn to speak with the man she least favored in the room.
When the arrival of dessert was imminent, Elizabeth ran her palms over her skirt beneath the table in anticipation of receiving her note.
Miss Dumont rose and took the bowl from the table as the footmen were instructed to hold the service of dessert until after she had finished passing out the notes.
She circled the room searching the bowl as she stopped before each guest. With Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, she teased them before handing each their valentine.
The guests laughed along with her good humor and even Elizabeth could not fault the woman for the fun she brought to the event.
When Miss Dumont came to Elizabeth, she paused and peered closely into the bowl before drawing out a valentine that bore a lovely E upon the front.
It was done in a most elegant manner, but overly ornate and flowery. It was certainly her brother’s hand. She gave it to Elizabeth and smiled. “True love awaits, Miss Bennet! As we are among the unmarried ladies this evening, we must have nothing less.”
Miss Dumont moved on to her brother with the valentine Mr. Darcy had intended for Elizabeth still in the bowl. There were two valentines addressed to F and again, Miss Dumont knew her own hand and so gave Elizabeth’s letter for Mr. Darcy to her brother instead.
Finishing at last with Mr. Darcy, Miss Dumont kept his valentine to Elizabeth for herself. She and Mr. Dumont had discussed how best to trick Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and the plan had gone as designed. Mr. Darcy was given his valentine from Miss Dumont.
Dessert was brought as the guests unfolded their valentines around the table. Since the notes were supposed to contain a poem and nothing more besides the initial of the sender, each guest was encouraged to read their note aloud.
Mr. Bingley’s had been sweet and full of heartfelt sentiment while Jane’s was funny and a little bawdy which surprised her sister and Mr. Bingley. Laughter from the men and blushes from the ladies circled the room.
The colonel held Miss Darcy’s gaze as he repeated his poem from memory, its lines speaking of love awaiting maturity. Miss Darcy could only blush and smile at her older cousin, for she was deemed too young by Mr. Darcy to participate in the game.
The guests gasped as the colonel stood suddenly and went to Miss Darcy, kneeling by her chair. When he proposed and she sweetly accepted, the party rose as one to congratulate them, clapping and giving their best wishes for a happy union.
Mr. Bingley slapped Mr. Darcy on the back. “Did you know, Darcy? But of course, you would. We shall announce their engagement at the ball tomorrow if it is Miss Darcy’s wish.”
Mr. Darcy nodded and held up a hand. “Allow me to speak with my sister and the colonel. There is much to plan and we would return to Darcy House if Mrs. Bingley does not mind. I do hate to break up this wonderful dinner party, but I had not expected my cousin to propose so soon.”
Jane congratulated the couple and assured Mr. Darcy he was right to take them back to Darcy House. “I am honored to have hosted such a romantic occasion. I do hope the colonel and Miss Darcy will dine with us again when they have made their vows.”
Elizabeth was disappointed that Mr. Darcy and his party would leave the dinner before the rest of the valentines had been read.
On second thought, she did not wish to follow the romantic spectacle of a proposal with only a kind note asking for a friendship. Colonel Fitzwilliam had set the bar high for expectations.
Miss Dumont seemed most upset as she passed by Elizabeth on her way to the parlor. She held her valentine tightly in her hand until the paper creased and bent.
In the time it took Miss Dumont to disappear inside the parlor, Elizabeth realized that Mr. Darcy must have given his note to Miss Dumont as Mr. Dumont would not have written a valentine to his own sister.
Elizabeth had not watched when Miss Dumont gave Mr. Darcy his note for she was far too nervous. He ought to have two, the one from her and the one from Miss Dumont.
Her cheeks flamed a bright pink when she realized he would open her silly poem and think her a child when held against whatever romantic thing Miss Dumont had written him.
When Elizabeth looked down at her own hands, she dreaded opening the carefully folded paper. Elizabeth Bennet did not wish to have a valentine from any man other than Mr. Darcy.
“Ma cheríe,” Mr. Dumont said too close to her ear, “was it not a most romantic gesture the colonel made in the dining room?”
His breath was warm against her ear and Elizabeth moved away just as Mr. Dumont took hold of her elbow. Pulling her arm free, she pushed him away and hurried into the parlor, angered by the liberty he took with her when no one was nearby.
All through the evening in the parlor, Miss Dumont sulked and Mr. Dumont watched Elizabeth as a cat stalking a poor mouse. No matter whether she sat beside Jane or went to the piano forte to play for them, he was there watching her.
At one point, he asked her what her valentine had been and she showed him the still folded parchment. “I have not read it, yet. Perhaps before I go to sleep, I will open it and see what silliness was written.”
Mr. Dumont smiled. “The desires of my heart are sincere, Miss Bennet. I would never write them if they were not.”
Elizabeth rose and moved away from him again, but he would follow her with his eyes no matter where she went. In no mood to play cat and mouse all the evening, Elizabeth went to stand beside him at the fireplace and whispered her dislike of his behavior.
He only laughed and whispered back how very eager he was to see whether she was as spirited when alone with him.
Elizabeth thought of slapping him then, but she would not embarrass her sister and brother by marriage in such a manner. Instead, she looked into Mr. Dumont’s eyes, moved closer to corner him against the mantel, and hissed at him. “You shall never know. The only man I would ever be alone with has left this house to return to his own.”
With that she turned away and stalked from the room stopping only to say her good nights to Jane and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth did not bother to speak to Miss Dumont as the lady sat at the piano forte and played something melancholy.
Mr. Bingley turned to Jane as Elizabeth quit the parlor. “Let us retire my dear, it seems my cousins and your sister are most unhappy with tonight’s turn of events. I would have thought the colonel’s proposal to Miss Darcy might have kept them gossiping for at least another hour.”
Jane worried for her sister, but knew Elizabeth would confide when she was ready. “It was an eventful evening. If the ball is half as interesting, we shall have made Bingley House the talk of London.”
The next morning, Elizabeth entered the ballroom with Jane and Miss Dumont. The floors gleamed from the efforts of the maids and candles were placed around the room, ready to be lit.
Jasmine and moss roses filled vases around the room and Elizabeth knew they came from the Darcy hot house. She wondered when they had been delivered, but knew Mr. Darcy had not brought them himself. Servants would have been dispatched for such a task.
She wished to see the man again, to find whether he had read her valentine. Before bed the night before, Elizabeth had opened her valentine to find foolishness written by Mr. Dumont. Things Mr. Darcy would never have written that made Elizabeth blush to the roots of her scalp. Mr. Dumont was vulgar and bawdy and Elizabeth had wept to receive such a horrid note.
Now as she walked around the room with Jane checking that all the decoration was complete, she regretted she had kept the note and carried it now in her skirt pocket.
She meant to tell Mr. Dumont that his valentine had been completely insulting and not a thing any young lady of substance should have been offered as a romantic gesture.
Her opportunity arose as Mr. Bingley and Mr. Dumont strolled into the ballroom. The two men seemed happy about something.
Elizabeth was astonished when Mr. Dumont came to her and took both her hands. From the corner of her eye, she could see Mr. Bingley joining Jane with a satisfied smile.
“Miss Bennet, I have spoken with my cousin. I am certain you have read my note and are aware of my intentions. I have fallen in love with you and care not that you are the poor daughter of a country gentleman. I wish you to be my wife.”
Elizabeth had not expected to hear such a proposal given before her sister and Miss Dumont in the ballroom of Bingley House. She simply could not accept it, not when it came from a man she could not respect, and who did not respect her.
“Mr. Dumont, since you have chosen to ask me in front of everyone in the house, I feel no regret in answering your plea here and now. I cannot marry you as I hold so little regard for you and only suffer your presence so as to honor Mr. Bingley and my sister and not cause them a moment’s pain.”
The room was silent for a heartbeat before everyone began talking at once. Mr. Bingley approached his cousin with questions as to why Elizabeth might dislike him so plainly. Jane went to her sister’s side and took her hand, leading her away from the men.
Miss Dumont attempted to soothe her brother who was now indignant and yelling at Elizabeth. “I ought to have known better than to propose to a cold fish of a girl like you. You belong in the country, not in the city amongst gentlemen you might falsely lead along.”
Elizabeth broke away from Jane and pulled the hideous valentine from her pocket and thrust it at Mr. Bingley. “Read this, Brother, and see why I could never marry him. He is a seducer and a reprobate.”
Mr. Bingley took the note and read its contents quickly. His countenance darkened and he threw it into the fire. He grabbed his cousin by the collar and hauled him from the room with Miss Dumont running behind them, wailing that her brother was only crazed by the rejection of Miss Bennet.
Elizabeth watched in utter fascination as Mr. Dumont twisted in his cousin’s grasp in an attempt to yell at her again. Instead, Mr. Bingley’s fist crashed into his mouth and nose. Blood spurted and sprayed across a display of jasmine and moss roses and Jane pulled Elizabeth close against her side.
The butler and two footmen arrived and hauled Mr. Dumont to the front door and out onto the steps. Mr. Bingley ran his hand down the front of his coat and breathed deeply. “Take him to my club and instruct them to give him a room on my account. His things will be sent over shortly.”
To Mr. Dumont, he said. “You are never to darken this doorstep again. Lizzy is my sister and you have disgraced yourself and your family and embarrassed her. It is a wonder Emilie may stay. Off with you!”
Miss Dumont grabbed Mr. Bingley’s arms but he kindly removed her hands and waved her towards the upstairs. “Go to your room until I decide your fate. Or you may follow your brother wherever he goes.”
Instead of going upstairs, she raised her hand to slap Mr. Bingley but he caught her by the wrist. He ground out his last words for her as Jane called for her lady’s maid. The woman came, with the housekeeper, and removed Miss Dumont from the premises.
Mr. Bingley closed the door when his servants had come back inside and ordered the butler to bar it to keep Miss Dumont out. “Mrs. Osborne,” he said to the housekeeper, “have her things, and Mr. Dumont’s, packed and sent away with Miss Dumont in one of my carriages. She will find lodging among her friends here in Town.”
With that, Mr. Bingley returned to the ballroom and called for a maid to remove the bloodied flowers and clean up the mess. He strode quickly to Jane’s side to be certain she was well. “I am sorry to have displayed such violence before you, my dear. I could not allow him to hurt Lizzy even more than he already had.”
Jane laid her head against her husband’s chest and thanked him for protecting her sister. “I dare not ask about the contents of the note for I know you would never have hurt him if it was innocent.”
Elizabeth hugged herself and rocked back and forth on her heels. “I must also apologize. I should not have allowed him to bait me with his proposal. He is wicked and not worthy of notice.”
Mr. Bingley held out an arm for Elizabeth and Jane pulled her into their embrace. The three of them laughed nervously after a long hug.
Mr. Bingley wiped a tear from Elizabeth’s cheek. “You owe us no apology, little sister. I had no idea how wretched he was, and I am sorry you had to endure his odious behavior. If ever a guest in my home, our home, behaves in a way that causes you discomfort, you must come and tell us.”
Elizabeth agreed and the trio continued to see to preparations for the ball. Jane had not thought of it before, but she turned to her husband and asked the question Elizabeth had already worried over. “Do you think they shall come tonight and make a scene, Charles?”
“I will set two footmen at the steps and have them watch for Ferris and Emilie. They will not enter this home again, I assure you.”