If there had been any uncertainty in Allstone's regard for Margaret before Wallis's accident, he no longer found a trace of it in any part of his soul. Lady Catherine was not pleased when Allstone finally made clear his intentions, but after observing Miss Dashwood and after learning of her nature from her mother, Lady Catherine knew Margaret was too much of her own mind for marriage. She could see, however, that Margaret did care for her nephew, but after the ghastly show she put on during Wallis's accident, Lady Catherine knew there was no way such a determined creature would ever be tamed.
Miss Maxwell felt differently. Margaret was unlike any woman she had come across in her life and Allstone was not the average gentleman. She feared that he would find Margaret's unconventionally gallant behaviour charming and exciting. Of course, no one could avoid excitement after the events of that day, but this did not put Miss Maxwell's mind at ease. Allstone needed to understand that Margaret would never fit in to his world and that understanding began with turning the minds of his guests against Miss Dashwood.
In the drawing room, before dinner, Miss Maxwell, along with Mrs. Ashby and Miss Grey, led the other ladies of the party in the disapproval of Margaret.
"Did you see the way she ripped her hem?
"She mounted a horse with no assistance and without a side saddle."
"Blood covered her sleeves and she barely noticed."
"She is little more than a savage, is she not?"
Across the room, however, against Miss Maxwell's plans, Ashby led the gentlemen in praising Margaret for her quick actions even though she did step outside of the bounds of a lady's place.
The Dashwoods remained in their room until the last possible moment to join the rest of the party. They knew there would be gossip and possibly ridicule and wanted to avoid as much of it as they could.
Allstone waited until the doctor left Wallis to join his guests in the drawing room. He was the last of the party to arrive excluding the Dashwoods.
"Allstone," Lord Maxwell's deep and hearty voice called as he entered. "How does Wallis do?"
"He is sleeping," Allstone replied, "But the doctor said he should be awake by morning. He expects him to recover quickly."
"Thanks to Miss Dashwood from the sound of it," Lord Maxwell declared. "I am sorry I was not there to witness it."
"Indeed, Papa," Miss Maxwell said before any of the other gentlemen could begin again their praises for Margaret, "It was quite a sight. I do worry for Wallis, however. Miss Dashwood is no doctor and she's probably done more damage than the horse. She was very lucky Wallis sustained no injury besides his leg."
"I wonder, Miss Maxwell, how you could know of any damage Miss Dashwood inflicted as you are no more a doctor than she is," Allstone said, his voice low and heavy.
"I'm only saying that a lady must never behave in such a manner. In this instance, it was quite dangerous and not to mention uncomely."
The ladies surrounding Miss Maxwell agreed with fervour.
Before Allstone could respond Mrs. Dashwood entered, followed by Miss Dashwood, and then Roberts, who announced dinner.
Miss Maxwell rushed to Margaret's side and took her arm in the same manner she'd taken it that morning at breakfast.
"I hope you are quite well, Miss Dashwood," she said as the party walked through to the dining room.
"I am, thank you," Margaret said.
"Not at all fatigued, I hope, from such an eventful day."
"I am not, but I'm afraid Mama is, however," Margaret replied. "We plan to leave in the morning."
Miss Maxwell gasped. "Oh, Miss Dashwood, you mustn't go."
Miss Grey, who had been following close behind added, "We do not leave for another two days. You must stay at least that long."
"You must," Miss Maxwell agreed. "Mrs. Dashwood wouldn't mind taking the journey back to Barton Cottage alone, would you Mrs. Dashwood?"
Mrs. Dashwood was not tired, quite the opposite. She felt invigorated after seeing how well Margaret handled a difficult situation. Before then, she worried endlessly during the days between letters from Margaret, afraid she'd fallen into some misfortune. Now, she truly understood that Margaret was capable of taking care of herself.
Margaret had invented her mother's fatigue as an excuse to leave before she embarrassed herself any further. She should have never gone to Brightonshire. Even if it would've been rude to stay away, and even if her mother insisted, she should have remained safely tucked away from society until she could be free of England again.
Margaret answered for her mother. "I would not feel comfortable if she were alone."
Allstone had been listening to every word of the conversation and was disheartened to learn Margaret was planning on leaving early.
"Further," Margaret continued as she took her place at the table, "I must prepare for my own journey. I leave in a little less than a week."
"Well, that is lovely news," Miss Maxwell replied. "Did you hear that Allstone?"
Allstone nodded. He'd known for some time that Margaret had plans to leave. He'd hoped her stay at Brighton Manor would ease her into the idea of staying in England, but he was afraid his relations may have reaffirmed that she must do everything in her power to be out of the country.
"Where will you go, Miss Dashwood?" Mrs. Ashby asked.
"India," Margaret replied.
The word sent the room spinning into how unsuitable India was for any Englishman that was not in the military. Though annoyed the party was so against her plans, Margaret felt relieved that the attention was no longer on herself, but on the jungles of the place to which she planned to travel.
Margaret chanced a look at Allstone, who had been engrossed in conversation with Lord Maxwell. Miss Maxwell noticed and immediately grabbed Margaret's attention.
Miss Maxwell engineered the conversation for the remainder of dinner, steering it to subjects of which she knew she was an expert and of which Margaret would be ignorant. And, certainly, the table was enthralled by her charms, for Miss Maxwell was all charm and grace when it suited her. But, no matter how hard she tried Margaret remained unmoved. She only politely responded when she had to and never became flustered. Miss Maxwell hadn't anticipated this strength in character and she was thoroughly irritated by it.
After dinner, the gentlemen remained in the dining room and the ladies retired to the drawing room. Margaret made her excuses, left her mother with Lady Catherine, and made her exit. She'd had enough politeness to last her for years in the one day she had spent in Brightonshire and she was reminded why she boarded her first ship without any hesitation.
She began to ascend the staircase, when she heard someone call her.
"Lord Allstone," she replied.
"I thought I'd find you escaping."
"I do apologise, sir. I'm not feeling my best and…"
"There's no need for that," he said. "I know you are well. You've just had more than your share of my family and friends."
She laughed. "I'm sorry I am not good company."
He nodded. "It was a mistake to ask you here."
"A mistake?"
"Yes," Allstone said. "Your family made me feel so welcomed at Delaford. And, forgive me if I am mistaken, but you were happy there."
"You are not mistaken. I love my family very much and I am happy you were comfortable there."
Allstone closed the gap between the two of them so, if he dared, he could reach out and take her hand.
"I endeavoured to recreate that experience here. I wanted you to see that you could have that same happiness in Brighton Manor, but I'm afraid my relations do not benefit from the same openness of spirit as yours do. So, the mistake wasn't in your being here. Indeed, your place on any part of this earth is never a mistake. No, the error is in the situation I created without considering the possible, negative outcome. The error was in my blind eagerness to have you with me again."
Margaret had been too preoccupied with trying maintain her manners to realise that there was an underlying reason for her invitation - her personal invitation - to Brighton Manor. Had she not been focused on everyone else and her own fears and her own insecurities, she might have seen Allstone invented the entire party for her.
"You are aware that I will leave for India. There is nothing that will stop me."
He smiled. "I am, but I will not be deterred."
"My lord." Roberts appeared from the shadows. "You are wanted in the dining room."
"Thank you, Roberts."
Allstone turned back to Margaret, whose face had become flushed.
"I was born late in the year," Allstone said, "So I was always a little smaller than my companions. My aunt tells me that is why I'm always prepared to fight for what I want."
"What you want," Margaret replied, "May be unsuitable for a man in your position. Other things are better groomed and more polished and younger. You should consider your options carefully before making a rash decision."
Allstone was strangely pleased with this response. He knew Margaret well enough to know that if she wanted to reject him, she would have done so immediately.
"As the great Mayhew Dishworth has written, 'A decision, I must make, so I choose the journey to the treasure. For, even though it will be arduous and I am likely to perish, to remain in my current place would produce no happiness. And to not live life in the pursuit of happiness is the only true failure.'"
Margaret felt her heart leap after her hearing her words come from his mouth, but she did her best to not outwardly show her feelings.
"Pray, in which year were you born so late?"
Allstone bowed. "The answer to your real question, I believe, is yes. You are older than even I am. Now please excuse me, Miss Dashwood. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
Margaret stood alone in the corridor for longer than she should have thinking about what Edward had said to her that first night in Delaford. She would remember to thank him in her next letter to the Ferrarses.