Story excerpt

This is a scene from a historical novel I am writing, set in the Regency time period. I always wanted to have a character that was very impudent.

Miss Anna Elfwood sat alone on a cold bench. Having misplaced her party, she was vainly hoping that they might remember her existence. But the Elfwoods were a distracted race in general, and Lady Georgine Elfwood especially. The only one of her children that she noticed was Olivia, whose voice was naturally too loud. Sir Marcus Elfwood was senile, and was probably asleep, and as for her siblings—Anna did not count on them at all.
Well, now she was alone and without money at Berkland Park, and she felt too shy to go look for the housekeeper, who could be anywhere in the large house by then. But a half hour changed her mind, and she had just stood up when a young man rode up to the house in a curricle. She recognized him as her eldest brother’s oldest friend: Sir Anthony Darbury.
“My goodness!” he said, quite shocked to see her. “Has not your party left? I saw the carriage. Without you?”
Despite the slight impropriety of his surprised speech, he seemed kind enough to be concerned.
“I am afraid I am left behind. But what are you doing here, sir?”
“I was going to tour the house, but now I shall escort you home. That is," after a pause "if it pleases you?"
Anna did not at all mind Sir Anthony, for he was a cheerful intelligent man, even if his speech seemed rude sometimes. His smile was quite kind, too, and she warmed under bright presences like his, but for a moment she was shy, and only said:
“Only if it is not very inconvenient.”
He leapt down and offered his arm to her with an innocent smile that contradicted his next words:
“Nonsense! Everything you ask is inconvenient.”
She smothered the impulse to laugh at his quizzing, and responded almost gravely:
“Your impudence has probably denied you many advantages.”
He looked serious as he responded:
“Has it? I have never thought of that. Which advantages?”
Wondering if she had hurt him, she was emboldened by his former manner to her, all teasing, and responded frankly:
“You are disliked by women, ignored by men, and will never be promoted.”
“But I am confused. Those are advantages?”
Now she laughed. “Then you must be the only man I know who does not desire to be liked by women!”
“I must confess that I dislike women.”
“In general?”
“No, the entire race! Save my mother.”
“Rogue!”
“And any other woman I confess this to,” he said with a self-deprecating sigh.
She glared at him, “Mm? And why?”
“They are ignoble.”
“Nonsense! Explain yourself!”
She couldn’t see his eyes, for he was watching his horses, but his voice had that quiver that always accompanied his brotherly teasing of all young women:
“At first I thought it was nonsense, too, for it confused me. You see, women are always talking about others: men, unmarried daughters, rivals, suitors—"
“Suitors are the same as men!”
“But two different subjects, my dear Miss Elfwood!”
“But how does this make women ignoble to talk of others?”
“Well, I have known for an interminable while that it is truly noble always to talk of oneself.”
Deciding that it was more entertaining to encourage him, she responded with a little sigh:
“I wonder that I tolerate you!”
“I do not wonder that.”
“Even when you knowingly say such shocking things?”
“Even so.”
“How can you not wonder then?”
“Because I have a handsome countenance and vast resources of charm, my dear Miss Elfwood.” And with this remark, he flashed her a charming smile.
“As well as incorrigible conceit.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately indeed! You do not mean that!”
“How well you see through me! Oh, but I should not compliment you. Your head might grow too big.”
“I pity your mother.”
“So do I.”
“Can you be good enough to do so?”
“Yes, for to be burdened with a genius for a son is—most unfortunate.”
“I shan’t speak to you again," she said, but not seriously, and turned her head away from him.
“Women always say that. You shall, of course.”
“No, I shan’t.”
“My dear Miss Elfwood, you just did.”
Anna humphed but didn’t say anything, and watched as the incorrigibly confident Sir Anthony was suddenly having to watch his horses. There was a smile in her eyes as she watched his normally bright countenance tighten with concentration. There was no real unkindness or coarseness in him, she knew, but his teasing was so completely masking that most people wouldn’t stay with him for more than a few minutes to notice anything else.
The horses were quickly settled, but he did not put his old manner back on.
“Do you dislike me, Miss Elfwood?”
“Almost. If I did not know that you were only quizzing with every word, I would dislike you greatly. But you are not as conceited as you appear. It is only a mask to keep the world at bay.”
“Possibly,” he said with a mischevious smile.
“Do you have family, sir?” she asked.
“Ahem,” he coughed, and she sighed frustratedly. “Sir” sounded so chilly, it was no wonder he thought she disliked him. But she wasn’t feeling shy anymore, and asked:
“Well, what shall I call you! Sir Andrew?”
“’My lord’ would suit me,” he said in an unusually haughty and almost silly tone.
She laughed. “No, indeed, I shall not call you that!”
“'Your majesty'?”
“Fool!” she chided almost gravely.
“Well, then, 'Darbury' is what I am normally called. Not 'Mr. Darbury', but just 'Darbury'.”
“’Tis improper,” she said.
“And so is 'Andrew', which is the only other name I will tolerate.”
Anna sighed at his impudence.
“Very well, then, Darbury.”
“How sardonically you say it. Should I call you Miss Elfwood?” he asked with a drawl.
“If you do, I shall slap you,” she said warningly.
“Would you?” he said, and smiled mischeviously again.
”You dare not try!”
“Well, I should hate to look ill when you are returned your family, so I shall refrain. For now.”
Anna said “Thank you,” quite neatly, and then they were silent until they drove up at her house.
“Well, Miss Anna, I hope I did not bore you,” he said as he helped her down.
“No, but you were very shocking.”
“Would you like me otherwise?”
“Yes, for you are quite rude, but you would not be so—entertaining when you were serious.”
“Ah, then, I shall save my ‘otherwise’ manner for when you wish to be bored.” He tipped his hat, and mounted and was gone before Robert had come.
“There you are, Anna. Was that Darbury? Were you left behind? I was sure I saw you get in behind Sarah! Well, I suppose he talked your ear off, so I won’t.”