“How do we—”
“I think it simple enough. The denizens of the parsonage and their guests are here regularly enough. We simply watch your brothers the next time they are in Miss Bennet’s company. Neither one of them is so artful as to be able to hide his interest from purposeful observation.”
“You think it so simple?”
“Smitten men are rarely subtle enough to go undetected and Darcy men doubly so.”
“I hope you are correct.”
“Trust me, I am. Now,” he pulled her up. “What shall we do to reconcile you to Fitzwilliam?”
*****
Darcy stalked away and straight out the garden door. He needed air, fresh air and in vast quantities. What had overcome his sweet, gentle little sister? She never spoke to him—or anyone—that way before. How was it she was acting like…like Theo!
He raked his hair and turned down the gravel path that led to the woods. What was happening to his neatly ordered life? Ramsgate, Theo’s dubious career, Anne poisoned by her medicine and Miss Bennet here in Kent! How much could a man endure? What had he done to so torment the fates that they would unleash this upon him?
Reading his post—she had read his post! After all that had taken place at Ramsgate, had she learned nothing? Had she not matured?
He stopped near a large tree and leaned against the trunk. Rough bark bit into his hands. A bright ladybird crawled over his finger and along the back of his hand, tiny legs tickling as it went. Georgiana loved ladybirds, ever since she was a little girl. He and Theo used to catch them for her. She would laugh so as they crept along her apron.
She was not a little girl anymore. Georgiana was a young woman. A lovely young woman. It was so hard to remember that. As difficult as recalling Theo now allegedly had a gainful, respectable career.
The ladybird flew away. Just like Georgiana would someday fly away from him when she married. Or when he chased her off with his ill-temper. She was right; he had yelled at her, just as one might yell at a servant. Perhaps he had treated her as poorly as…as Theo.
He bumped his head along the tree trunk, savoring the sharp pain. Foolish, foolish! When had he become a man his own siblings would choose to avoid?
No, this had to change.
Soon.
Now.
He pushed off the tree trunk and turned back for Rosings. When he cleared the woods, a movement in the garden caught his eye. Georgiana and Richard. He tugged his coat straight and strode to them. No sense in dragging things out.
“Darcy!” Richard waved him over.
Georgiana’s face flushed, and she looked at her feet.
“These gardens never change, do they?” Richard plucked a sprig of leaves.
“I do not think they do. Aunt Catherine’s tastes are nothing if not entirely predictable.” He pretended to smell a nearby blossom.
“Georgiana wishes to speak to you.” Richard pushed her a step towards him.
She glared and stumbled. Darcy caught her elbow.
“I should like to speak to her as well.”
“Excellent.” Richard nodded and trotted off, far too content with the situation. He had all the subtlety of a charging stallion, but perhaps that was helpful this once.
Georgiana tugged her elbow out of Darcy’s grasp and turned her face away.
“You are still angry with me.” It was at best a stupid question, but it was something to say.
“I imagine you are angry with me as well,” she mumbled at the ground.
“Not so much as I am angry with myself.”
Her face lifted and she met his eyes. Why did it hurt so much to see the surprise on her face?
“I should not have spoken to you as I did. And if you are afraid to ask questions of me, then there is something very wrong indeed…with me.”
“I…I…”
“You are surprised to hear me say such a thing?”
She nodded just a tiny bit, almost as if she were afraid to agree too heartily.
“I am sorry for that, too.”
She touched his fingers. “Fitzwilliam, I am sorry. I should not have read your correspondence.”
“I agree, you should not.” He took her hand. “But I can understand why you did it.”
Once more, that excruciating look of surprise. What kind of ogre had he become?
“It was still wrong of me.”
“Yes, it was. But I forgive you. Will you forgive me for driving you to do so?”
She squeezed his hand. “I will.”
“I cannot promise I will be able to change immediately, but I will try. In the meantime, please, stay at Pemberley.”
“I would like that very much. And I will not read your letters or go into your study uninvited again.”
“I am sure you will not.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. If only dealing with Theo were so easy.
CHAPTER 7
The Colonel’s words were prophetic. The following morning, as they broke their fast, Lady Catherine declared her intention of permitting the party from the parsonage to take tea with them at the soonest opportunity, and the following day at three o’clock was soon fixed upon.
It was a remarkably fine day for so early in spring, and the lady of the house lost no time in instructing the servants to lay out the necessary paraphernalia in the conservatory in preparation for the arrival of the guests.
“How are you bearing up?” The Colonel settled on a chair beside Theo whose arm remained strapped, his injured ankle resting on a small stool.
Theo stared longingly at the open door to the gardens. “I suppose I must take comfort—this is almost outside, is it not?” He turned to his cousin, lowering his voice. “Did you manage to unearth anything of interest regarding the Bennets of Longbourn?”
Richard shook his head. “Naught beyond what you told me in your letter: Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a gentleman’s daughter, one of five sisters, with the estate entailed upon Collins. There is no dowry to speak of but the only disgrace against the family seems to be their lack of good connections; the lady has an aunt married to a country attorney and an uncle in trade, albeit very successfully.”
With a grunt, Theo shifted against the cushions. “There are those who would find that sufficient disgrace to discount her, and my brother, I have always assumed, would be one of them. He must be in deep.”
“She must be quite a woman.”
Theo grinned. “Indeed; as you will find directly. Now,” he fixed his cousin with a serious eye. “Georgiana told me she spoke to you about Anne the other day. How did you fare with the medication?”
The Colonel grinned back. “Mission a complete success; did you doubt it?”
Theo grunted. “No!” He looked over to where Anne sat. “Our cousin approached me after breakfast—a rare enough occurrence—chose to sit with me for close to half an hour. She spoke very little, but she fidgeted a great deal! Her words on leaving me were, “I confess I feel a little strange.” He chuckled. “I did not like to say it, but she looked a little strange too—do you not see it?”
He nodded towards Anne, and the Colonel studied her for a moment. “There is some animation in her features and she is, as you said, restless.” Richard frowned. “I hope she bears no discomfort as the effects wear off. I diluted the open bottle with cold tea, but the full bottle behind it on the shelf now contains far less potion and a vast deal of Earl Grey!”
“Then, we shall see a fairly swift alteration. We must hope her recovery is not so rapid as to be detected too soon.”
“If it is, we shall have to consider a diversion.”
“Speaking of diversions—” Theo nodded towards the door where the party from the parsonage were now entering the room.
Keen to finally meet this Miss Bennet, with whom his three cousins seemed entranced, the Colonel got to his feet, amused to note Darcy—who had been loitering near the door ever since they came into the conservatory—had now decamped to the opposite side of the room.
“
Excuse me whilst I accept the inevitable,” he said to Theo as their aunt rose majestically from her chair to greet the visitors, and he walked over to join her.
The introductions were made abruptly by Lady Catherine who, despite having condescended to extend the invitation in the first place, now seemed to wonder at her own generosity and the need to introduce yet another member of her family to such people.
The Colonel had no difficulty in assessing which of the three ladies present might be Miss Bennet even before she was presented, and he enjoyed a few words with her before she excused herself to pay her compliments to the others present. Darcy, he noted from the corner of his eye, remained by the window, the only acknowledgement between him and the lady a distant bow and a brief curtsey in return.
Once the formalities were over, the Colonel was quick to note how soon the lady made her way over to enquire after Theo, and by the time he had managed to conquer the Reverend Collins’ onslaught of complimentary greetings and turned to survey the field, she sat by his side. Theo’s face was wreathed in smiles, his confinement clearly all but forgotten.
Securing a cup of tea for himself and Georgiana, the Colonel walked over to join her, prepared to do as they had agreed and observe the players.
She frowned as he sat down. “What is Theo about? He told me he believed our brother to be in love with Miss Bennet! Why does he persist in showing such interest himself?”
The Colonel grunted and took a swig of tea from his cup. “Perhaps he cannot help himself.”
“Oh Richard! Not you also?” She looked quite dismayed, and he put his cup on the table and laughed.
“Have no fear, my dear. Miss Bennet is an attractive and charming lady, and I can see it would not be difficult to find oneself ensnared without due intent, but this old soldier is made of thicker skin!” He patted Georgiana on the hand. “I think we have sufficient on our hands discerning the interest of your brothers! On which matter, where the devil is Darcy now?”
Georgiana inclined her head towards a corner of the conservatory housing a small collection of books, and the Colonel snorted. “True to type. Skulking in the shadows rather than center stage like Theo. This will not avail us of much.” He turned to Georgiana and grinned. “Though we have a well-chosen observation point here. Well done! We can oversee the entire battlefield and observe each opponent without detection!”
Georgiana bit her lip and looked over to where Elizabeth could be seen helping Theo by adding lumps of sugar to his tea and stirring it, their conversation clearly delighting them both. “I do not think our aunt is happy with Theo paying so much attention in Miss Bennet’s direction.”
Looking across the room, the Colonel observed Lady Catherine’s thunderous expression. “Well, at least it keeps her attention from her daughter for now.”
“But what of Fitzwilliam?”
“She would be even more unhappy if she saw that.” He nodded towards the gentleman in question, whose gaze, despite the book in his hand, was fixed upon Miss Bennet and his brother, his air and countenance conflicted.
“But how are we ever to determine who has the right of it—all we see is Theo’s interest openly displayed, when he claimed Fitzwilliam was the one enamored.”
“You are full young, Georgie, if that is all you see!”
She looked over towards her elder brother, but he had turned to stare out of the window into the grounds.
“How is Fitzwilliam ever to speak to her if Theo demands her attention so—we will discern naught from this!”
The Colonel patted her on the arm and got to his feet. “Perhaps we need a little alteration; leave it with me. Oh—wait! Our aunt has risen!”
Lady Catherine swept majestically across the conservatory to where Theo reclined, and Miss Bennet got to her feet.
“Miss Bennet. Do me the honor, I beg you, of keeping my daughter company. I wish to remove to the garden, and her companion has her day off.”
The Colonel’s gaze flew to the lady’s face to see how she would take such an incivility, but though her eyes flashed, she smiled down at Theo. “Excuse me, Mr. Theophilus.”
“Anne.” Lady Catherine waved her fan at her daughter. “Put on several shawls before you venture out of the door. Miss Bennet will assist you.”
“But what about me?” Theo made to get to his unsteady feet.
“Stay!” thundered Lady Catherine. She jabbed him in the chest with her closed fan and he scowled, dropping back against the cushions and then wincing.
He threw an exasperated look at his brother across the room, but though Darcy had turned to observe the commotion, his visage was without expression.
The Colonel sighed. “Excuse me, Georgie; I need to speak to your brother.”
“Poor Theo! It is so unfair. Why must he stay indoors?”
“Not that brother, my dear!”
Georgiana looked surprised. “Oh—I see.” She glanced over to where Darcy once stood, but he had already stepped outside. “Then I shall remain here with Theo to bear him company.”
Once all of the party, with the exception of Theo—he refused to have Georgiana trapped inside just for his sake and said he would go and rest for a while—were settled outside, and the servants had refreshed cups and plates for those who wished it, the Colonel looked around for Darcy, soon espying him on a stone bench over by one of the ornamental fountains.
He walked over to join him, smirking as he passed Anne and Miss Bennet, the latter of whom was hiding a copious number of shawls under their chairs as his cousin held her face up to the sun, clearly relishing its feel upon her skin.
“Why so distant?” He sat down next to Darcy on the bench.
“You know I have no time for this sort of thing.”
“Yes—we all know. Yet there is some company worth indulging in, surely.” He turned to look over to where Miss Bennet now sat at Anne’s side.
Darcy cleared his throat. “I am not… I do not have a natural propensity for pleasantries.”
“No indeed; your bent is more towards unpleasantries, is it not?”
This comment merely earned him a scowl, and the Colonel laughed. “Come, Man, do not waste this opportunity, for what are we to do in life but improve ourselves. Tell me,” he fixed Darcy with a compelling eye. “How did you become such a master of fencing?”
Darcy glared at his cousin. “How should I know? Lessons? Repeated exercise until it became instinctive?”
“And riding? You are a fine horseman, as well you know. Your performance on the pianoforte, though rarely displayed in public, is almost equal to Georgiana’s, and we are all fed up to the gills of hearing from our aunt about the neatness and evenness of your lettering.”
“To where does all this tend, Richard?” Darcy’s tone was impatient. “All accomplishments must be studied, be they menial or otherwise.”
“Precisely. So what do we ascertain from this? To be certain, you did not emerge from the womb brandishing a sword in one hand and a pen in the other—you were not born a horseman or a musician. All these accomplishments you were prepared to learn and—above all—practice.”
Darcy grunted. “One does not practice making pleasantries—one either has the talent or one does not. It is a tiresome aspect of social commitment.
“Now that, my friend, is where you are wrong.” Darcy, however, refused to be drawn, and the Colonel, deciding it was time to change tactics, got to his feet.
“Well—if you persist in remaining aloof, I shall leave you to it. I have far better things to do with my time.” With that, he left his cousin as he had found him and strode across the lawn to where Anne and her new companion sat.
“Miss Bennet.” He bowed, and then met her amused gaze. “Would you do me the honor of taking a turn about the garden. I am in need of some levity!”
Elizabeth smiled, but then she glanced over his shoulder to where Darcy remained staring into the fountain. “And this you do not find in your cousin?”
“Come,” he tucked her arm i
n his and, excusing them both from Anne, led her to a path bordering the garden which would take him in Darcy’s direct line of vision. “My cousin is many things, Miss Bennet, and has many good qualities, but levity is not one of them. Now, let us enjoy some pleasant conversation before my aunt takes it into her head to move the entire party down to the lake!”
*****
Georgiana looked quite despondent as she and the Colonel made their way along the hallway to the small sitting room where the footmen indicated Theo had been taken to rest.
“I do not see we learned anything from all of that.” Her voice was equally flat, and the Colonel stayed her with his hand.
“Do you not? I must own I disagree. I have no doubt which of your brothers is truly smitten with the enticing Miss Bennet!”
Her eyes widening in surprise, Georgiana let out a small gasp and grabbed Richard’s arm. “Truly? Then which is it?” Then, her countenance sobered. “I fear you are to say it is Fitzwilliam.”
“You fear?”
“Oh, Richard, could you not see? Miss Bennet’s preference is clear, for only one of my brothers receives her smiles and her laughter and the willing presence of her company.”
“I saw plenty to convince me of Darcy’s preference. His behavior is quite remarkable. Despite his displeasure in social occasions such as these, he has the breeding and manners to handle them with finesse. Though he is never quite himself at Rosings as he can be in other places, even you must see his air and countenance are conflicted beyond anything and his distancing himself from the company is almost absurd.”
“Is this sufficient to believe him enamored of Miss Bennet?” Georgiana looked hopeful. “Perhaps Theo is still confused from his fall and mistakes it all.”
The Colonel snorted. “If we are to speculate, Darcy could simply have had enough of the sycophantic parson’s company, but I am confident I have the right of it.” His countenance took on some seriousness. “Did you not see his reaction to my walking with Miss Bennet? I deliberately led us to and fro across his line of vision, and he was ensnared. I have never seen such fixation in his gaze, and…”
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