Lady Alexandra's Hunt Chapter 9, a pride and prejudice fanfic

~~H~~

London Seasons 1804

In her second season, she met again Frederick, the Earl of Marven. By that time he had sold everything he could, to cover his debts and was now desperate to find a wife. Any wife. He needed a well-endowed woman, based on finance, not physical attributes.

When he had no luck in the circles which he usually frequented, he decided to try for his cousin, who, due to her tender age, should be unable to resist him – one way or another.

He thought that luck was in his favour at last, when he encountered Lady Alexandra at a ball without her aunt in attendance. Apparently, Lady Beatrice was feeling unwell and had deputised her companion, Mrs Hodges, to chaperone her niece.

Events did not unfold how he had envisaged.

'No, Cousin Frederick, I have no interest in the view from the balcony,' Alexandra said firmly.

When he ignored her protest and tried to pull her to the balcony by her arm, she said, 'I repeat, I have no interest in the view from the balcony and if you do not unhand me this instant, I will remove your hand.'

'Come now, Cousin, do not make a scene,' Frederick said while trying to drag Alexandra toward the balcony.

Lady Alexandra said with a saccharine smile, 'I am not making a scene, I am making an example.' Then she moved in ways unexpected by the Earl.

'F*# '

'Is there a doctor in the house?' asked Alexandra. 'It appears my cousin has injured his wrist.'

~~H~~

'Congratulations, I have wanted to do that for years,' said a quiet voice in Lady Alexandra's ear after Frederick he been helped out of the room by two servants.

She turned around to look at the speaker. She saw a young man of about five and twenty, of medium height and build, with light brown hair and grey eyes. He looked at her with admiration and an amused smile.

'I thank you for saving me the trouble of stepping in and making a spectacle of myself. You handled yourself, and the Earl, beautifully. I doubt anyone else noticed. You have no idea what a delight it is, to see a damsel dealing out distress.'

'I do not believe we have been introduced,' Alexandra said cautiously.

'Since your cousin, who could have introduced us, is hors de combat at present, would you allow me to introduce myself?' At Alexandra's nod he bowed and said, 'I am Sir Marcus Scott. At your service.'

'Lady Alexandra Hunt. I am pleased to meet you… I think.' Alexandra curtsied. 'I gather you know my cousin?'

'Will you take it amiss if I say I had the misfortune to meet him?'

'I may not take it amiss if you can tell me the circumstances.'

'It was at a house-party where… I am sorry, I am not certain if I should disclose such a distasteful tale to a lady.' Sir Marcus suddenly seemed to realise who he was speaking with.

'Let me guess. Housemaid?'

'Parlourmaid. I hired her the same day, when I left the house-party because the host fired the girl for having the misfortune to be molested by one of his guests. She is an excellent parlourmaid. My housekeeper was very happy with the addition to her staff.'

'Pray tell, how it came about that you were in company of a man who would not protect his staff?'

'I went to school with my host's younger brother who is decent enough. Unfortunately, he is dependent on his brother. May I ask, how close a cousin is he?'

'He is a cousin of my aunt's late husband.'

'The previous Earl of Marven was your uncle?'

When Alexandra supplied, 'he was my uncle by marriage', he continued. 'I only met him once, but I found him an interesting conversationalist. Some of his ideas were quite singular.'

'I believe he also rescued a parlourmaid or two in his time,' Alexandra smiled, remembering the stories told, by some of the maids her aunt had sent to Herne Hyde after her uncle's death.

'That was what I found interesting about him. A man of rank who felt it was incumbent on him to act like a true gentleman.' Sir Marcus smiled at his own memories. 'May I now be a gentleman and fetch you some refreshments after your exertions?' he offered.

'A glass of hock would be most welcome,' Alexandra requested.

'You prefer a dry wine to a sweet punch?' Sir Marcus said, surprised.

'The punch they serve here packs too much of a punch for me,' she quipped.

'Oh dear. I thought you were perfect. Now I learn that you like bad puns. But you shall have your wish, and I will gird my loins and fight my way through the crowds to retrieve the beverage of your choice.' Marcus smiled as he went on his errand.

Alexandra watched him saunter away. She was bemused. Although Sir Marcus had affected manners, he moved with the smoothness of a fighter. She also noted with appreciation the exquisite fit of his costume, which was elegant, rather than ostentatious, and enhanced a trim figure.

He returned speedily with two glasses of wine. 'It appears that most people prefer the punch. There were no crowds for me to fight.'

'I shall enjoy the wine all the same,' replied Alexandra as she accepted her glass and took a sip.

'Would you care to sit down?' Marcus indicted a small table with two chairs at the side of the room near a window, but in full view of the room. 'I believe it might be a little cooler there.'

Alexandra was happy to agree. This gentleman seemed to have more conversation than the usual run of the mill peers.

'Would you satisfy my curiosity and tell me how you became so proficient in dealing with pests?' Sir Marcus was intrigued by this young lady, who appeared demure despite her ability to deal with unwanted attention.

'Would you believe my father was an expert exterminator?' Alexandra could not resist the tease.

Over the course of the next hour, she found that Sir Marcus could converse on a variety of subjects and apparently enjoyed a lively debate.

That night, after returning to Hunt House with Mrs Hodges, for the first time in her life Alexandra fell asleep while thinking of a pair of warm grey eyes, a mischievous smile and a wicked sense of humour. Unbeknownst to her, while she slept, a soft smile graced her features.

~~H~~

'How was the ball last night?' asked Lady Beatrice at breakfast the next day. She was recovering from the stomach upset that had plagued her for the last two days.

'It was interesting, to say the least,' Alexandra smirked.

'Anything I should know about?' her aunt was curious.

'Cousin Frederick was at the ball…' Alexandra replied in an off-handed manner to peak her aunt's interest.

'I did not think that the Carstairs would invite him, considering they have two daughters.' Lady Beatrice replied in surprise.

'I think he arrived late, with a group of friends.' Alexandra was still dragging out her story.

'I get the feeling that something happened. Pray tell, what did he do?'

'I believe he was determined to get engaged last night,' Alexandra shrugged carelessly.

'Who did he think would be stupid or desperate enough to want to marry him?' Lady Beatrice chuckled until a thought struck her. 'Wait, you said he was determined to get engaged. Are you telling me that he tried to compromise a lady?'

'I suspect that was on his mind when he insisted that I should admire the view from the balcony.'

'He tried to compromise you?' Lady Beatrice was aghast. She studied her niece carefully. 'Since you appear quite cheerful, I gather he was unsuccessful?'

'He tried to drag me outside when I refused to go voluntarily, and he was most upset when I injured his wrist,' Alexandra smirked. 'Please remind me to send a letter of thanks to Mr Martin. His instructions were most efficacious.'

'Did anyone notice what happened?' Although Lady Beatrice was pleased that the Earl had been unsuccessful and her niece was safe, she was concerned about potential negative gossip.

'Only one gentleman noticed because he apparently was just getting ready to rescue me. He was most complimentary about the fact that I was no damsel in distress,' replied Alexandra with a slight blush.

Her aunt noticed the blush and became very curious indeed. 'Who was this remarkable gentleman?' she asked.

'He is Sir Marcus Scott. He was not on my list, but I believe he knew your husband.'

'A Baronet, hmm? I do not recall your uncle mentioning him at the moment, but he had many acquaintances.' Lady Beatrice was intrigued. 'I am afraid the list I provided to you stopped at Viscounts. It appears we have to extend our criteria,' she mused. 'What was he like?'

'He seems intelligent and well read, and appears to enjoy elegant discourse. He has a quirky sense of humour. I would guess he is about five and twenty. While he is not classically handsome, he is pleasing to look at. We did not dance but I noticed that he moves with grace… the grace of a fighter,' Alexandra told her aunt.

Lady Beatrice hid her amusement when she noticed the enthusiasm in Alexandra's demeanour. 'Are you likely to see him again?' she asked.

'Since we both have invitations to the Worthington ball next week, I expect to see him there.'

'He was invited by the Worthingtons? That speaks well for him. They are very particular about their guests.' Lady Beatrice said in a thoughtful voice. 'Now tell me more about this Baron who has you so interested on such short an acquaintance.'

'What makes you think I am interested?' Alexandra protested.

'Because for the first time you are saying nice things about a man…'

'I have said nice things about Lord Denmere and Lord Robert,' Alexandra interrupted.

'True, but neither of them made you blush.'

Alexandra raised her hands to her hot cheeks and said, 'Oh'.

~~H~~

Alexandra retired early to give herself the opportunity to consider her aunt's words about Sir Marcus. Although she needed no special time to think about the gentleman since he had never been far from her mind all day.

Her aunt had said that speaking about Sir Marcus had made her blush.

She admitted to herself that she had found his company enjoyable. He had treated her with respect and listened to her opinions, even when he disagreed with them. Or appeared to disagree with them. She suspected that he had voiced opinions that were not his own, to see whether she would try to refute them.

Was that because he liked women who had opinions of their own, or was he trying to find out if she was prepared to argue with him, to avoid her in the future. Because he, like other men, wanted a woman who would always be agreeable and subservient.

On further consideration, she did not think he was offended by her speaking her mind. Had he not congratulated her on her handling of Cousin Frederick?

Apart from his conversation, she also liked his looks. Although Sir Marcus was not as tall as some men, only a few inches taller than she was, the way he moved lent him a stature that most other men seemed to lack.

He moved with a purpose which seemed to be missing in most other young men of her acquaintance. She supposed that having the responsibility of managing an estate thrust upon him at an early age, had matured him.

When he had first addressed her, she had immediately noticed warm grey eyes, full of humour and, she thought, admiration. Later, as he handed her the glass of wine that he had fetched for her, she saw that his hands were well shaped and cared for. Although he had calluses which indicated he handled more than just eating utensils.

Overall, he cut a fine figure in his elegant, but understated, clothes.

She realised with chagrin that for a man, whom she had only known for an hour, she had noticed a great deal about him.

And that tingly feeling, even through the gloves she had worn, where he kissed her hand, when they said farewell, was a new experience for her. On top of that, what was that fluttery feeling in her stomach every time she thought of him? Could it be…

~~H~~

The self-same gentleman was musing about the young lady he had met the previous evening.

When he had noticed the Earl of Marven trying to manhandle the young lady towards the balcony, Sir Marcus was outraged. He had a passing acquaintance with the man, and knew him to be a rake and heavily in debt. He assumed that since the young lady did not seem to be willing to accompany the Earl, Marven was trying to compromise the girl to force her into a, for him, advantageous marriage.

Marcus had started to move in their direction to interfere in Marven's plans, when the young woman seemingly flicked a fly off her wrist and moments later was calling for a doctor, while Marven was holding his injured wrist.

Although he abhorred violence, especially against women and children, he was quite prepared to use it, if circumstances forced his hand. His father had been a great believer in the scholar warrior model for a gentleman's education and Marcus found that the role suited him.

Marcus did not even have to think about it, he had to meet this remarkable lady. Against all propriety, he had addressed her and she had allowed him to introduce himself.

She seemed cautiously amused by his compliments.

He had been so surprised that she was related to that rake, that, when she enquired about his acquaintance with Marven, he started to tell her about his brief acquaintance with the man, without considering the propriety of the tale. Fortunately, he caught himself before he went too far. It would not do to shock a sheltered young Lady with such a sordid tale.

He was the one to receive a shock when she suggested "housemaid".

The simple statement raised her and her parents in his estimation. Even though she looked perfectly demure, her parents had obviously done her the favour to educate her about the dangers some men presented to women.

He was pleased to note that she was concerned about the welfare of the maid, rather than dismissive, as many Ladies would have been about a servant.

When she accepted his offer of refreshment and had requested a glass of hock rather than sweet punch, he had nearly floated to the refreshment table. Despite the fact that he had complained about her pun, he had been amused by her wit.

The following hour spent in conversation had been the highlight of not only the ball but his entire visit to London.

In retrospect he realised that she was exceedingly attractive. He had noticed that initially when he saw her with Marven. Once they started to speak, her personality had eclipsed her looks until he forgot that she was a lovely lady physically as well as mentally.

She was moderately tall. Only about three inches shorter than himself. She had shiny auburn hair and sparkling hazel eyes. Her figure was slim, and, although delightfully rounded in all the right places, appeared to be quite trim. Unlike some of those flabby debutants he had met recently.

She had been a little reticent about her background. Considering she had called herself Lady Alexandra, she must be the daughter of at least an Earl. That was a little off-putting because he did not wish to appear to be a fortune-hunter, which he was not. Although he was not in the same league financially as some Earls or Dukes, he was very comfortably situated indeed.

At the same time, if she was the daughter of an Earl, her rank was not that much greater, so that he might have a chance. Particularly if she had older sisters. She had not mentioned any sisters, but she might have one or more.

He caught himself when he realised the trend of his thoughts. For goodness sake, Marcus, he chided himself, get a grip. You have only known her for an hour. It is much too early to even consider the future. After all, she might not even like you…

~~H~~