Simon Bingley's Resolve, page 7
‘Mrs Rochdale, Mr Bingley’s sister, will be joining our party as a guest,’ Mrs Darcy said. She addressed the comment to Mr and Mrs Gardiner, but spoke loudly enough for the entire room to hear her.
Nadia could see that she was putting a brave face on matters. Conversations resumed as Mrs Darcy’s three sons headed in their mother’s direction, still talking amongst themselves. Sophia followed their progress with a wistful gaze, but mercifully didn’t try to intercept them. Nadia wondered if Simon would approach her again, but he appeared distracted and joined his three cousins as they spoke with their mother in hushed tones.
Silence again fell when Mrs Bingley and Mrs Rochdale re-entered the room. Nadia watched Mrs Rochdale with undisguised curiosity, wondering why she felt wary of the lady when she had done nothing to harm Nadia. They had not been introduced and had yet to exchange a word. The woman looked at Mr Darcy in a calculating manner, then averted her gaze again, probably before anyone else had time to notice. Whatever she was doing here, whatever her purpose for foisting herself upon the Darcys, Nadia sensed she was out to cause trouble.
She watched as Mrs Rochdale bore down on Simon, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
‘Simon, we really must…’
Whatever she said to her nephew was lost in the murmur of conversation surrounding Nadia. She saw momentary confusion in Simon’s eyes, but of more immediate concern, she also noticed her sister eyeing Simon with determination. It had not taken her long to lower her sights and transfer her attentions, Nadia sensed, and she was not about to put up with it.
‘Mr Bingley,’ she said, smiling as she cut across the aunt’s flow of words, earning disapproving scowls for her trouble from both the aunt and her sister. ‘If you have forgotten our engagement to walk around the lake, then you can be sure that I shall excuse you given the circumstances.’
Simon’s fleeting hesitation preceded a grateful smile that lit up his handsome features. ‘I have not forgotten, Miss Dayton. In fact I have been looking forward to keeping the engagement.’ He proffered his arm and Nadia placed her hand on it. ‘Have the goodness to excuse me,’ he said to his aunt, turning Nadia away from her without having introduced them.
They left the room through the open terrace doors and strolled away from the house at a leisurely pace. If Simon sensed the curious gazes that followed them, he made no mention of it. Nadia noticed her scowling sister at the periphery of her vision. Mercifully, she didn’t attempt to join them. Nadia wouldn’t have put it past her, since Sophia would not consider Nadia an impediment to her ambitions. Which would be true soon enough, Nadia reflected. If she did not marry Molineux, and every fibre of her being protested at the possibility, she would be cast out by her family and likely never see any of these fine people ever again. Grand ladies and gentlemen did not entertain governesses, which would be the only course of action open to Nadia.
‘Thank you,’ he said softly, after a minute or two’s reflective silence.
‘You looked ready to commit murder, so I thought it best to remove you from temptation’s path.’
‘How very thoughtful of you.’ Another smile broke through his preoccupation. ‘I must confess that I don’t ordinarily harbour murderous thoughts, but it seems that even I have my limits.’ He chuckled. ‘My cousins will be astonished to hear it. They all consider me to be hopelessly obliging.’
They strolled on in silence towards the lake, settling on the first bench they reached to enjoy the view of the water, rippled by a gentle breeze. A line of punts was secured to the bank, waiting for those brave enough to take to the water. The reeds swayed and sunshine reflected off the lake’s surface, making it possible to see one or two fish lurking in its depths.
‘It is far too nice an afternoon to be melancholy,’ Nadia said. ‘We both have justification for our introspection, but we owe it to your aunt Darcy to overcome it.’
‘I am poor company, I know, and I expect you regret rescuing me.’ His smile was wide and uncontrived this time. ‘Whatever must you think of me?’
‘Your cousin Bella told me that the mystery guest is your estranged aunt. Her arrival clearly came as a considerable shock.’
‘The more so for my parents and my aunt and uncle.’ Simon kicked at the grass. ‘I knew of her existence, but not the reason why we never saw her. I hadn’t met her before today.’
‘I am not prying, if that is what you suppose. I didn’t…well, force myself upon you in order to extract an explanation. I just thought you looked like you needed rescuing.’
‘If you forced yourself upon me—which I don’t accept—then it doesn’t follow that your company is unwelcome.’
‘Thank you. I am glad you don’t think I am as desperate as my sister to make an impression, because I can assure you that I most emphatically am not.’
‘The possibility had not occurred to me.’ He gazed across the surface of the lake, but Nadia was convinced his mind was elsewhere and that he was incapable of appreciating the glorious view. ‘My aunt did something before I was born that caused considerable trouble for the Darcys. I am not at liberty to reveal the particulars, but she was subsequently deemed insane and sent to London for treatment.’
‘Insanity is a useful excuse for poor judgement.’
‘She married her doctor and is now supposedly cured.’
‘She is not.’
Simon’s head jerked around and Nadia was assured of his complete attention. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘She is not cured. It shows in the eyes. The vacantness I detected—and I will admit I only caught a brief glimpse of her eyes—is a result of prolonged dependence upon medication. I worked with freed slaves on my father’s plantation in Jamaica. Some of them had been driven mad during their years of enslavement, and we had a very advanced doctor who prescribed various forms of cannabis to ease their symptoms. It worked more often than not, although the recipients often become addicted. I was told more than once that for them the world moved at a much slower speed, and they had that same vacant expression I saw in your aunt’s eyes. I recognised the very distinctive signs in her expression, and although I haven’t conversed with her, I am willing to wager that she speaks quite slowly.’
‘Yes, actually she does…You suppose she is addicted?’
‘If she is, then it’s the height of irresponsibility for her to be let out alone. Although I don’t suppose she drove herself to Derbyshire. Her servants will have taken care of her.’
‘You imagine that she has come here with the intention of causing mischief?’
Nadia lifted one shoulder. ‘Since I don’t know the particulars of the incident that caused her to be banned from Pemberley, it’s impossible for me to speculate. Her objective could be entirely innocent, but if she is an addict then her behaviour will at best be unpredictable.’ She looked up at his handsome profile, at the worry lines that creased his brow, and instinctively touched his hand. ‘I’m sorry. I know that isn’t what you want to hear, but I believe in speaking the truth. Addicts are notoriously unstable. I heard of a freed slave who threw himself off a roof because he was convinced he could fly.’
‘My father is attempting to find her husband, Dr Rochdale. He will come and collect her and take her home. There isn’t much harm she can do in a few days.’
‘She is fixated upon Mr Darcy.’
‘Good heavens!’ Simon’s brows disappeared beneath his hairline. ‘Whatever makes you say that?’
‘I saw the way her gaze focused upon him on both occasions when she entered the room. Oh, and she frowned whenever Mrs Darcy came into her line of vision. Only momentarily. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but I was watching for her reactions.’
‘You are a student of human nature?’
Nadia smiled. ‘In Jamaica I made it my business to look after the people who worked on our plantation. That wasn’t without risk, and one learns to judge characters quickly in situations that are not always safe.’
‘You have a kind heart.’
‘I deserve no such praise. I just cannot abide suffering or injustice.’ She chuckled. ‘But my desire to make myself useful inevitably led me into trouble.’
He grinned, his good humour restored. ‘Now it is I who am filled with curiosity.’
‘Which I don’t have the least intention of satisfying. Allow me a little mystique, Mr Bingley.’
‘Simon,’ he replied softly, taking her hand and squeezing her fingers. ‘You are far too easy to talk to, but you are also an enigma. You have problems of your own, yet—’
‘Good heavens!’ She flapped a hand and gave a nervous little laugh. ‘Whatever made you say that?’
‘I am very good at observing what people don’t say. Even so, you have put aside your own concerns out of compassion for mine. That is rare.’
‘You give me too much credit,’ she replied, deciding against extracting her hand from his. It felt very comfortable where it was, and she enjoyed the reassurance of his firm grasp. ‘It clearly has not occurred to you that I am focusing on your problems in order to distract myself from my own. There is nothing noble about such an aspiration. Some might even call it selfish or intrusive. Your affairs are not my business.’
‘It’s my turn to say that I don’t intend to pry, but a problem shared…’
He spread his free hand as his words trailed off. Nadia hadn’t intended to tell him, to tell anyone, about her father’s plans for her. As long as she didn’t talk about them, they remained one step removed from reality—or so she tried to convince herself. Simon Bingley, with his penetrating gaze and obvious empathy, brought home to her just how much of a sacrifice she would be making if she agreed to marry Molineux. Not that Simon would ever offer for her, but that was beside the point.
‘My father is arranging for me to be married,’ she surprised herself by saying, gazing out across the lake.
‘Ah, and you are not keen on the man he’s chosen for you?’
She shuddered. ‘I find him odious, since you ask. He’s old enough to be my father and we have absolutely nothing in common. I haven’t encouraged him—quite the reverse—and I am at a loss to know why he is so keen on the match. He is wealthy and could have more or less anyone upon whom he settles his interest.’
Her words, so long held back, tumbled over themselves in their anxiety to be spoken. Now that the floodgates had opened, it seemed Nadia would have trouble closing them again. His sympathetic expression encouraged her to express herself, as did the increased pressure of his fingers on hers. It was sufficient for Nadia to continue articulating her feelings. Feelings that she’d been unable to share with anyone else, since no one in her family would understand or sympathise. Even Sophia, she suspected, would have taken Molineux, if only because he was so fabulously wealthy.
‘In any event it doesn’t signify, because I shall not marry him. I dislike the thought of disappointing my parents, but since Papa didn’t even take my feelings into account before entering into the arrangement on my behalf, he only has himself to blame. He knows very well that I am not biddable, or even especially dutiful, which is probably why he didn’t consult me first, I suppose.’ She tossed her head. ‘I shall take a position as a governess somewhere rather than submit to that vile man’s advances.’
‘Who is he? Would I know him?’
‘I doubt it. I think he comes from a reasonably good family, but he married a servant when he was a young man, which saw him thrown out. He went to Jamaica and made his fortune through his wits, I’ll give him that much. But I cannot approve of the way he treats his workers. His slaves have not been freed and their conditions are appalling. Anyway, his name is Molineux. Samuel Molineux.’ She sighed and twitched her nose. ‘Papa is in London now and I think he is agreeing terms, using Molineux’s desire for me as a bartering tool. Papa will be here tomorrow and will no doubt deign to tell me what has been agreed.’
‘Have you not already told him of your disinclination for the match?’
‘Of course, but he won’t listen. There are…well, reasons why he is determined to see me married off. That’s all I can say on the matter. And I suppose I do owe it to him to make amends for my past mistakes.’
Simon laughed. ‘Whatever you have done, I’m sure it can’t be so very bad.’
Nadia made a huge effort to put thoughts of Molineux from her mind. ‘We shall not dwell upon such gloomy speculation on such a lovely day. Oh!’
‘What is it?’
‘I have been trying to think where I heard the name Rochdale recently. Bella said I might be confusing it with the name of the town but I know that wasn’t it.’ She looked directly at Simon. ‘Now I remember. I was listening at my father’s study door. Not a very dignified admission to make, I’ll grant you, but he was in there with Molineux. I assumed they were discussing me and naturally I was keen to know what was being said.’
‘Naturally,’ Simon replied, smiling. ‘I am not averse to a little eavesdropping myself when the occasion calls for it.’
‘Well anyway, I distinctly heard them mention the name several times and I am sure it was in connection with a person. Annoyingly, I heard my mother approaching so I had to run off before I could hear anything else.’ She widened her eyes as she again looked directly at Simon. ‘Could they have been discussing your aunt’s husband—and if so, why?’
Chapter Six
The afternoon gathering broke up, and the guests returned to their chambers to rest before changing for dinner. Nursemaids herded the fractious and over-excited children back to the nursery floor and peace prevailed. Spence lingered with the rest of his brothers, his sisters and their husbands at his father’s request.
‘Are you going to tell us what’s going on?’ Marc asked. ‘Why has Mrs Rochdale’s arrival caused my aunt and uncle so much anguish? You and Mother seem discomposed by it, as well.’
Spence watched his mother take a seat, looking uncharacteristically pale, and nodded his agreement.
‘Why exactly is my uncle’s sister unwelcome here?’ Bella added in support of Marc, too impatient to wait for their father to gather his thoughts. ‘What did she do and why have none of us ever met her before?’
‘I am about to tell you,’ Father replied, standing in front of the fireplace, his expression forbidding, his hands clasped behind his back. Marc’s dog whined and moved away from him. ‘I had hoped it wouldn’t be necessary for you to know, or for the matter ever to be spoken of again, but Mrs Rochdale’s arrival has forced my hand.’
Spence shared a shocked glance with his siblings as their father proceeded to explain. Lord in heaven, no wonder Mother looked so distracted!
‘The nerve of the woman!’ Luke cried indignantly. ‘Showing her face here after what she tried to do. Why on earth would she risk it, sir? She must realise that the passage of time wouldn’t have made her welcome, especially since my aunt and uncle don’t have anything to do with her. That much was obvious since I could tell that Simon and his sisters didn’t know who she was.’
‘Are you all right, Mama?’ Bella asked, moving to the chair beside their mother and taking her hand.
Spence and his brothers had instinctively taken stances at their father’s side in a visual display of familial support. Aware of just how comprehensively their father adored their mother, Spence couldn’t begin to think why the then Miss Bingley imagined that she would be able to break that bond—or why she would risk attempting to.
‘It seems that my behaviour encouraged Miss Bingley to imagine I had some sort of amatory interest in her,’ Father said in response to Spence’s unanswered question. ‘Nothing could have been further from the truth.’
‘But even if you had thought along those lines, Father,’ Marc said, ‘you did not declare yourself, and subsequently married our mother…’
‘For which we are eternally grateful,’ Spence said, making them all smile and lightening the mood.
‘Marc makes a valid point,’ Susie said. ‘You had made your choice, Papa, and Miss Bingley’s pride should have encouraged her to forget her aspirations and put her disappointment behind her, especially if she still wanted to be admitted to Pemberley.’
‘She thought your father had married beneath himself,’ their mother explained, ‘that he had made a terrible error of judgement, and she felt duty bound to save him from his own impetuosity.’ A wry smile graced their mother’s lips. ‘It seems I bewitched your father with my “fine eyes”.’
‘You still do,’ Father assured her, sending her a loving smile.
‘She sounds unstable,’ Bella said, twisting her lips disdainfully as she echoed Spence’s own thoughts.
‘Your uncle Bingley was very close to his sisters before his marriage,’ Father said. ‘They were virtually inseparable. Your uncle, as you all know, has a very easy going nature, which people have sometimes attempted to exploit, to their regret. Caroline discovered her mistake after what she attempted to do here.’
‘It beggars belief,’ Chris muttered. ‘The lengths some women will go to never fails to astonish me.’
Bella sent him a speaking look and Spence knew she must be thinking about the efforts Chris’s mistress had made to separate him from Bella before their marriage.
‘You were not fooled, Papa,’ Susie said confidently, ‘not even when you found Mama in such a compromising position.’
‘He was not,’ their mother answered, ‘but I didn’t know it at the time, and feared the worst. He looked so grim, so angry, and I thought that he actually believed I would really…’
‘Hush, my love.’ Father sent her an intoxicating smile. ‘Not for a single moment did I imagine you capable of having anything to do with the man. I suspected Caroline’s hand behind it all, so it suited my purpose for her to think I had been duped—at least until we got her to admit to her crime.’
‘We did not tell Charles at the time,’ Mother said, taking up the story. ‘Louisa took Caroline back to London and promised to care for her. Jane was expecting Emma, they had just purchased Campton Park and it was a happy time for them. We had no desire to spoil things, and we assumed Caroline would have the good sense to stay away from Derbyshire. She knew she would not be admitted to Pemberley and that it would upset Charles if she was turned away. But after Wickham’s death the truth couldn’t be kept from them and I have never seen Charles so angry and upset. Or Jane, for that matter.’ She sighed. ‘And now Caroline has turned up on our doorstep and stirred up the past.’
