Lady Alexandra's Hunt Chapter 10, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Loved your comments. Thanks.

Dear guest who pointed out that I got my titles wrong… again. Thanks. I'll try to work out what name/title to use.

btw I felt Lady Alexandra sounds so much nicer than Lady Herne. Then it would be Lady Herne's Hunt. That seemed a bit over the top… 😊

Also, Lady A wants to meet people who like her for herself, so she is not always very forthcoming with her title. Of course, that attitude helps to create confusion.

~~H~~

Worthington Ball

Lady Beatrice was in her element. It was a delight to catch up with old friends. Since it was Alexandra's second season, she was already acquainted with their hosts and did not need an introduction.

Lady Cordelia Worthington was pleased to see Alexandra again. 'How delightful that you could make it to our ball, my dear. We have invited some interesting young men, whose company and conversation you might enjoy. I hope you find their company agreeable.'

'You are most considerate, Lady Cordelia. I am exceedingly flattered that you invited me,' Alexandra answered honestly. She had met the lady on a number of occasions and appreciated her company. Her hostess was a lovely and sensible woman who at times delighted to pretend to be scatterbrained. Only her closest friends knew better than to believe the façade she presented to society.

They chatted amiably for another minute or two until the next guests arrived, whereupon Lady Beatrice led Lady Alex into the ballroom. A number of guests were already assembled when they made their entrance.

One gentleman, who had arrived early to ensure he would be able to request the supper dance from Lady Alexandra, was watching for her arrival. He was pleased to note that when her eyes swept the room, they connected with his own. He was even more encouraged when she smiled as she recognised him.

He approached the ladies and bowed to Lady Alexandra, 'My Lady, it is a delight to see you again. I trust you have been well?'

'Good evening, Sir Marcus, I am well and pleased to renew our acquaintance. Thank you for asking,' Alexandra responded to his open smile before turning to her companion to perform the introduction. 'Aunt Beatrice, I would like you to meet Sir Marcus Scott, Baron of Vintington. Sir Marcus, this is my aunt, the Countess of Marven.'

'I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Sir Marcus. I heard many good things about you from my late husband.'

'I am delighted to meet you at last, My Lady. Your niece has spoken much about her wonderful guardian. But I am flattered that your husband mentioned our brief acquaintance to you, and even more so that you would remember such a trifling episode.'

'It was no trifling matter to my husband or to myself that a gentleman would be concerned with the safety of someone else's staff.' Lady Beatrice replied, pleased with her first impression of the young man. 'But I am certain you are not here to discuss old times,' she smiled and nodded at the queue forming behind Sir Marcus.

'Although I would be delighted to discuss anything your heart desires, I admit that I had hoped to request the supper set of your beautiful niece,' Sir Marcus smiled at the older Lady before turning to her niece. 'Please tell me that you have that set available and that you would honour me with those dances, Lady Alexandra.'

'The answer is yes to both,' Alexandra agreed with a smile. 'I shall look forward to dancing with you and having your company for supper.'

'Thank you, My Lady. I shall be the envy of all the gentlemen to have the opportunity for elegant discourse.' Sir Marcus bowed to the ladies and reluctantly made way for the other gentlemen who had come to request dances from Lady Alexandra.

Soon Alexandra's dance card was full and she had to disappoint several of the gentlemen.

~~H~~

To Alexandra's delight, Lady Cordelia had indeed invited several interesting gentlemen. Although none of these intrigued her as much as Sir Marcus, she had an enjoyable time not discussing the weather.

While they were waiting for the music to start, Lord Bassington asked politely, 'Lady Alexandra, are there any topics you particularly enjoy?'

Alexandra was surprised by the directness of the question, but happily replied, 'I am happy to discuss many things as long as they do not include the weather or the latest fashions.'

That quip caused Lord Bassington to chuckle, 'I admit, the only time I am interested in the weather is when it affects our tenants' ability to grow their produce.'

'I agree, flooded fields can be a problem. We had to improve our drainage system last year or our wheat-fields would have been washed away. We did not wish to risk being unable to deliver the supplies to the army. It would not do, to give Mr Bonaparte any advantages.'

Now it was Lord Bassington's turn to be surprised. 'You are interested in logistics?'

'I am interested in many things which are not usually considered to be in the purview of young ladies,' replied Alexandra.

That comment opened the floodgates for the gentleman. While he could converse on the latest fashions or the on dit, he had no true interest in those subjects. When he discovered his current dance partner had similar disinterests, he thoroughly enjoyed the conversation as well as the dance.

Alexandra's dance partner for the next set was Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, a young man who appeared to be about her own age or perhaps a year older, and who seemed rather tongue tied at the start.

Alexandra decided that it might be helpful for both their sakes to follow the example of Lord Bassington, she therefore suggested, 'Mr Darcy, would it help you if I mentioned that I enjoy conversing about books, travel, politics and philosophy. Maybe even some history?'

Mr Darcy looked startled and blushed furiously, but answered with a relieved smile, 'that is indeed extremely helpful, My Lady. Personally, I have always preferred reading the plays of Mr Shakespeare rather than watching them in the theatre. In this fashion I can imagine the characters as I wish them to be, rather than being confined by the interpretation of the actors.'

Delighted that she had managed to break the ice with Mr Darcy, Alexandra spent the rest of the set in animated discussion of the relative merits of Mr Shakespeare's comedies versus his tragedies.

~~H~~

At last the supper set commenced and Sir Marcus arrived to escort Alexandra to the dancefloor.

Sir Marcus complimented Lady Alexandra. 'You have made quite a conquest tonight. I have never before seen Fitzwilliam Darcy so animated.'

Alexandra laughed. 'All I did was to suggest some topics of conversation which appeal to me, which excluded the weather, ladies' fashion and malicious gossip.'

'This might seem a simple thing to you, but I happen to know that Mr Darcy often finds it difficult to speak to ladies. Which made your suggestions invaluable to him.'

'I am most pleased that I was of assistance. Once he started to speak, he was a delightful conversationalist.' Alexandra was pleased to have been helpful. 'Now, what about you, Sir. Do you wish me to give you a list of topics of conversation to choose from, or do you already have a topic in mind?'

'We had absolutely splendid weather today, did we not?' Sir Marcus suggested cheekily. When Alexandra glowered at him, he laughed. 'I read in the paper today about a discussion in the House of Lords…'

Lady Alexandra and her partner had an enjoyable half an hour dancing and discussing politics.

When supper was announced, Marcus offered Alexandra his arm and escorted her to a table. After asking her preferences he fixed plates for both of them and joined her for more conversation.

They had been chatting for a few minutes, when Sir Marcus recalled a conversation from the previous evening. 'Unless you are even more exceptional than I thought, my friend, Lord Robert Flinter, was very confused last night. I believe he was a little under the weather when he called you "the contrary Countess",' Sir Marcus teased his companion.

Alexandra's face lit up. 'Lord Robert? I have not had the pleasure of his company in an age. Is he well? Other than being under the weather, of course.' Alexandra was pleased to hear that this pleasant young man had the good taste to be friends with Robert Flinter.

'He appeared in good health but was disappointed that he would miss tonight's ball. He had been invited but could not accept since, as a new lieutenant in the army, he had to join his unit this morning,' explained Marcus.

'That is most inconsiderate of his superiors. I would have enjoyed seeing him again. It has been too long since we had a chance to visit.'

'Do you know him well?' Marcus was curious.

'I met him and his brother in Cambridge the year before last.' Alexandra chuckled at the memory. 'We made a pact to rescue each other from fortune hunters and tedious conversations. Although, I am happy to say, today I do not need rescuing.'

'Considering what I saw at our last meeting, I do not believe you ever need a gentleman to rescue you,' Sir Marcus complimented her. She had admitted that her instruction in self-defence had come from their butler, rather than her father the "expert exterminator". Marcus felt that all women should be allowed to learn such skills to ensure they would be treated with respect rather than as chattel.

'Only from conversations about the weather,' Alexandra smiled impishly. 'You are a remarkably able rescuer.'

'Thank you for your vote of confidence, My Lady. I must admit that you are also a very capable guardian of my sanity. I wish I had had you to converse with the one time I attended Almack's.'

'I also attended only once, last year. But I could not bear the atmosphere of almost frenetic pursuit.' Alexandra shuddered.

'I detest the marriage mart,' she continued. 'Partners are chosen by how suitable they are financially and social rank. Very little, if any, consideration is given to how suitable the couple are. It is worse for ladies than it is for gentlemen. If a man is poor, or relatively so, he can still earn a living without the social stigma which makes women considered to be unmarriageable because they have held a position.'

'Society is not fair, I agree. I admit that I am grateful that I have no family to dictate how I must marry. What about you? Will your father allow you a choice? Or will he negotiate a marriage for you and present you with a fait accompli?'

'The head of my family will choose my husband,' replied Alexandra evasively. She was curious that Sir Marcus was asking such a specific question on such short an acquaintance.

'I hope for your sake that your father will at least consider your preferences,' Marcus was concerned that such a vibrant young woman could be shackled to some indifferent old nobleman, purely for financial or political gain to the family. Or worse, to the dissolute son of such a nobleman.

'My father passed away four years ago. He will not be making the choice,' Alexandra admitted, but still drawing out the time to admit her real situation.

'Your brother then?' Sir Marcus continued his questions. For some unfathomable reason he could not stop himself, he needed to know who would determine the lady's future.

Alexandra sighed, 'I have no brother.'

'A cousin or uncle then?'

'No cousin and no uncle, and I have to point out that you are exceedingly persistent.'

'I always like to understand, and yet I do not understand your situation,' Sir Marcus was puzzled. 'You said your father was the Earl of Herne. Which means he was the head of your family. Am I correct?'

'That is the case.'

'Since you said your father has passed away, who inherited the title and became the head of your family?' the gentleman persisted.

Alexandra gave up her prevarication. 'I did,' was the simple answer.

'You did what?'

'I inherited the title and at the termination of my aunt's guardianship, I am the head of the family. It is a very small family of two. Three, if you count my aunt, although she has very independent means.' Alexandra shrugged and smiled self-deprecatingly. 'That is why Lord Robert calls me the contrary countess.'

Sir Marcus was stunned and dismayed. While he thought the enchanting lady was the daughter of an Earl, their stations in society were not so far apart that he might be considered an eligible match for her. But as a Countess in her own right… She could never marry a lowly Baron. She would be expected to marry a man of similar rank to her own.

Damn. Why could she not have a brother. Why was the one woman, whose conversation and company he enjoyed, so far out of his reach. He knew the law well enough to know that her husband would not share in her title. She would probably be best advised to choose the second son of an Earl or a Duke…

That thought gave him pause. Of course, he was a fool. She was friends with Robert Flinter. As the second son of a Duke he was perfect for her. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Very well, she was out of his reach, but he could still be friends with her and enjoy her conversation.

'In that case, Countess, I hope you make a choice that pleases you.' She appeared not to have noticed the delay in his reply.

'My Aunt, Lady Beatrice, advised me to take my time to find the right partner.' She smiled a little sadly. 'I might rail against society's expectations and restrictions of women. But it is for others of my sex that I am dismayed. I am in the enviable position to have enough rank, wealth and independence to make my own choices without being dictated to by some more or less well-meaning male.'

Marcus chuckled, 'and you have enough skill to enforce your refusal.'

'Will you always remind me of that unladylike behaviour?' Alexandra mourned. 'Truly, I only use it in the most dire of circumstances. But society would consider me terribly risqué if it became common knowledge.'

'I beg your pardon. I had not meant to distress you, but only tried, apparently clumsily, to compliment you,' Sir Marcus reassured her.

'I accept your apology.' Alexandra now decided to change the subject. 'Last week, you complained that I like puns. I must tell you that I come by this trait honestly since it runs in my family.' When Marcus looked intrigued, she explained, 'when he was granted the earldom, my ancestor was allowed to choose a name for it. Since our family name is Hunt, he chose Herne. I assume you have a classical education?'

'Herne the Hunter. Oh dear,' Sir Marcus chuckled. 'I grant that I cannot blame you for a family trait.'

Having overcome their awkwardness of Lady Alexandra's confession, they returned to their pleasant conversation with renewed enthusiasm.

~~H~~