Page 24 of Without Pride and Prejudice
Winnifred clucked her tongue and skirted off, while some women oohed and aahed. Several of the men walked out of the costume room, including Tony, who looked enraged to see us together. That was my cue to lead Monroe toward the stairs.
“We really need to talk,” Monroe whispered as soon as we were away from the group. “Lady Roberts,” she said formally, “said some things. Harsh things,” her voice hitched.
“What things?” I seethed, having a good idea of what Winnifred might very well have said.
We took a few steps down the grand staircase.
“Things we both know are true.”
Internally I winced, knowing full well how wicked Winnifred’s tongue could be. And while she had never come right out and told me she despised Monroe, she’d delicately danced around it, fearing my reaction if she pushed it too far.
I wanted to ask Monroe what Winnifred had said, but the insufferable Lady Catherine wannabe waltzed up the steps. “Now, now, we must stay in character.” She ripped Monroe from me. “Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy would not be so comfortable around one another just yet. Every player must behave accordingly. Remember, this is no place for romance, except for the sake of our characters. We all must give them their proper due.” She pursed her lips so tightly, her entire face folded in on itself.
Monroe gave me a pained look as Lady Catherine whisked her away down the stairs.
Tony looked up at me from several steps below and sneered. What an arse.
The man playing Mr. Bennet—I believed his name was Davis Gray—patted my back. “Tough break, man. That Lady Catherine is something else.” He didn’t even attempt to hide his Boston accent.
I nodded in agreement.
“I’ll tell you this—she won’t stop me from any romantic pursuits with my wife.” He nudged me playfully.
As much as I didn’t need to hear that piece of information, it got me to thinking. “You and your wife are lodging in the Longbourn house on the property with all the Bennet sisters?”
Davis grinned as if he knew what I was thinking.
“Perhaps,” I spoke low, “I could trouble you to help Monroe take a late-night stroll with me.” It was imperative that we talk, and maybe Monroe would find it romantic if I slipped a note to her and asked her to sneak out. I had a feeling Lady Catherine would do her best to keep us apart today, just like she had in the story, so I needed a plan of attack.
“It would be no trouble at all.” He winked.
“Excellent.”
“Let me know if you need any help with that Wickham guy. Something about him doesn’t seem right.”
No doubt Davis had heard the row between Tony and me. I should have been more discreet, but the git needed to be put in his place. He had no right to be here. “I agree with you,” I replied. It was unsettling that he had shown up here after cutting off all contact with Monroe and never even hinting at a desire to reconcile.
“Well, good luck.” Davis dashed down the stairs.
I had a feeling I was going to need more than luck. With all the obstacles in our way, it was going to take a miracle for Monroe and me to ever be together.
“To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.”
MONROE
I STARED ACROSS THE BALLROOM at Fitz during our etiquette lesson, unable to take my eyes off him. If I’d thought he was dishy before, I’d been sorely mistaken. The man was officially a demigod. Sadly, that evil Lady Catherine was determined to keep me away from him. She refused to even let him sit across from me at lunch, even though Fitz tried to insist that Mr. Darcy’s silent fascination with Elizabeth and her fine eyes would certainly make him want to sit across from her. The argument did not persuade her. In fact, she sat Fitz and Winnifred at the opposite end of the table from me, while the miserable woman sat at the head of the table, doing her best Lady Catherine impression. Which meant she placed Mr. Darcy right next to her, as he was the highest-ranking guest. Winnifred cozied up right next to him and whispered continuously to him throughout lunch. Well, that was when Lady Catherine didn’t steal his attention. I could only imagine that both women were doing their best to point out all my flaws. It was funny, or maybe not so funny, how thePride and Prejudicestory mirrored my life. If only I could channel my inner Elizabeth, assuming I had an inner Elizabeth.Please, let me have an inner Elizabeth.
With Fitz’s attention being diverted elsewhere, that left me trying to ignore my ex-fiancé leering at me from across the table, all while I tried making polite conversation with those sitting next to me, including Mr. Collins, who seemed so bored to be there. Not once did he mention the excellent potatoes or pontificate about James Fordyce’sSermons to Young Women. The latter I was more than grateful for, especially because all I could think of was running my fingers through Fitz’s dark mussed hair, styled after Colin Firth’s beloved version of Mr. Darcy. These thoughts scared me, considering what Winnifred had said in the dressing room. I couldn’t make Fitz a social outcast. That was, of course, if he truly wanted to be more than friends. He was sure acting like it. His beautiful line about always seeing me as a woman had me all sorts of fluttery. And don’t even get me going about how I wanted to live out every Mr. Darcy fantasy I’d ever had with him. Fitz had to be the most beautiful Mr. Darcy there ever was. Sorry, Colin.
“A lady must always speak with elegance and propriety,” Lady Catherine expounded, shaking me out of my torrid thoughts, as she walked between the rows of chairs that separated the men from the women. Oh yes, she refused to let the men and women sit together during this portion. It was weird, considering we’d sat together during lunch. I had a feeling she was doing it purposely to keep the duke away from me.
“To add to that, a lady must never force a man to pay attention to her.” Lady Catherine’s commanding voice reverberated through the grand, opulently adorned ballroom, filling the air with an authoritative tone. The room itself was a sight to behold, adorned with intricate decorations, everything from Chinese porcelain vases to solid gold candlesticks. The air was heavy with the scent of fresh flowers, the smell of rain, and polished wood.
“That’s hypocritical of her to say,” I whispered to Jane next to me, “considering all she did during lunch was force Mr. Darcy to pay attention to her.”
Jane giggled, and Lady Catherine whipped her head in our direction, her face so pinched that her wrinkles pleated. It was even scarier than when she’d scolded me earlier for letting Calliope, a.k.a. Mary, wear one of my dresses. Of course, that kind gesture on my part had ended in disaster. The dress I’d given her, and assisted in tying up the back, came loose—let’s just say it mortified the poor woman.
“As I was saying, a lady must never do anything that would give rise to gossip,” Lady Catherine pitched her voice higher.
