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Chapter 1
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam rode his horse fast and hard, but never managed to keep more than a few feet ahead of his cousin. It was hot, even for August in Derbyshire, and the colonel was drenched in sweat. Suddenly, Pemberley loomed into view. The colonel abruptly pulled on his horse's reins until the horse came to a standstill. He immediately turned to look at his cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy, who had brought his own horse to a stop next to the colonel. Darcy stared at the large stone manor with a grim expression on his face. Although the colonel was used to see his cousin looking dour, especially of late, he was surprised to see such a harsh look on Darcy's face as he gazed at his family home. "Darcy must be worse off than I imagined," thought the colonel, "I must do what I can to liven him up."
The colonel stood up in his stirrups and raised one arm in the air, "To the pond," he cried, "the last one in the water gets to hand Caroline Bingley down from her carriage tomorrow." Darcy looked startled by his cousin's words and actions, but his face lost some of his gloomy aspect and he nodded briefly to his cousin.
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy simultaneously turned their horses' heads in the direction of the pond. The two men raced each other to the water. The colonel got to the water's edge first and immediately began pulling his long boots off. Darcy followed his lead and managed to pull off his own boots, jacket, waistcloth and neck cloth before the colonel had pulled both boots off. Darcy immediately dived into the rather murky water and remained under water for several minutes. When he emerged, he was surprised to see his cousin still sitting on the grass fully dressed except for his boots. "What the devil's gotten into you, Fitzwilliam?" Darcy called, "Why aren't you getting undressed?"
"I have no intention of getting in that scum ridden water." The colonel replied. "I'll just sit here and watch you frolic in the muck."
Darcy looked at his cousin in disbelief for a moment, and then rapidly pummeled his arm on the top of the pond so that a great deal of water splashed up on to the colonel. The colonel jumped to his feet cursing, "You're ruining my coat." He darted away from the reach of the splashing water.
Darcy glared at his cousin. "You're not getting away so easy, cousin. You're coming in the pond, if I have to drag you in myself. On top of that, you must admit that you have lost the wager and will have to hand Miss Bingley down from her carriage tomorrow."
"Very well." Richard took a few more steps back from the pond's edge and picked up his cousin's elegant silk waistcoat and held it up in the air. "What will give you me not to drop this fine waistcoat into the pond."
"You wouldn't dare. You know that's my favorite waistcoat. The pond water would completely ruin it."
"Well, what about my own waistcoat," muttered the colonel, looking down at his spattered clothing.
Darcy made a rather inelegant snorting sound. "Your waist coat is not nearly as fine as mine, and in any event, it is your own fault if it got wet because you neglected to remove it."
The colonel continued to wave Darcy's waistcoat in the air. "I'm serious, Darcy, you have to grant me a favor or I will throw this fine piece of apparel in the pond."
Darcy stood in the water with his hands on his hips. He wiped his wet hair out of his eyes. "Well," he said, "what favor do you have in mind?"
The colonel cracked a devilish grin, "All you have to do is agree to hand Miss Bingley out of her carriage yourself and I will spare your waist coat."
The corners of Darcy's mouth twitched; it wasn't a smile exactly, but it was the closest thing to a smile that the colonel had observed on his cousin in a number of months. "I agree to the bargain," Darcy said solemnly, "but you are a scoundrel and you are damn well coming into this pond."
Darcy started moving in the water towards his cousin. The colonel immediately began pulling his outer garments off. By the time, Darcy had pulled himself out of the water; the colonel had stripped himself down, like his cousin, to only his shirt and breeches. Darcy lunged for the colonel who immediately dived into the pond.
When the colonel's head surfaced out of the water, Darcy was standing at the water's age with the colonel's jacket in one hand and his waistcoat in the other. "I believe you are intelligent enough cousin, to determine what I ask in return for not throwing your waistcoat in the pond."
The colonel groaned. "You win, Darcy." I will assist Miss Bingley from her carriage."
Darcy broke into a grin and dropped the colonel's waistcoat on the ground. "Yes, well, in that case I will spare your waistcoat. There is still the matter of your jacket, however. What is it worth to you to keep it in its present dry condition."
Richard tried to keep from laughing. "You are a scoundrel cousin. Who would have thought the grand Mr. Darcy would be such a rascal?" Richard climbed out of the water and made a lunge for Darcy and his jacket.
Darcy jumped nimbly out of his cousin's reach and raised the jacket in the air. "Right then," he said, "last chance, cousin."
Colonel Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes and dropped to the ground. HE shook his head furiously to shake off excess water from his hair. "Pax. Just give me the bloody jacket and I will do as you wish."
Darcy smiled and handed his cousin the jacket. "You will escort Miss Bingley into dinner tomorrow night."
The colonel groaned loudly. He knew the aforementioned lady well enough to know that such attentions to her would not be pleasant. He was secretly delighted, however, at the gleeful look on Darcy's face. He would never admit it to his cousin, but he would have gladly escorted Ms. Bingley to dinner for an entire week to see his cousin in such good spirits. Moreover, the colonel knew that Miss Bingley's aspirations were so firmly fixed upon his cousin that he need not worry that she would be take such attentions as an invitation to pursue the colonel instead.
The colonel began pulling his long boots over his wet breeches. Darcy did the same. Both men then gathered up their outer garments holding them away from themselves so as not to get them wet. "You look like one of my hounds after he has been chasing the ducks." said Darcy. The colonel made an odd noise, somewhat reminiscent of a quack. "Speak for yourself, cousin," he said.
The men walked over to their horses. They each grabbed their horse's reins with their free hand and walked silently towards the great house. The colonel glanced at Darcy who looked almost light hearted. The colonel was well pleased with himself. "Whatever it is that is bothering Darcy, I believe I can shake him out of it completely by week's end."
When they neared the stables, a groomsman came running out. "Should I take the horses, sir," he said to Darcy. Darcy nodded and walked on towards the house, leaving his cousin to say a few words to the groom about his horse's eating habits. The colonel had instructed the groom to delivering his saddlebag to the house directly.
By the time the colonel dismissed the groom, Darcy was well ahead of him. The colonel had to double his strides to catch up. When he was about five yards behind Darcy, Darcy reached the crest of small hill looking down on his estate and came to an abrupt standstill. Darcy's back stiffened noticeably, but the colonel could not see the cause of his strange reaction. He hurried towards Darcy and when he reached the hilltop, he soon saw the reason for Darcy's behavior. Standing on an incline in front of his cousin, was a dark haired young lady. The colonel instantly recognized as Miss Elizabeth Bennet - a young lady from Hertfordshire that he and his cousin were both acquainted with.
Colonel Fitzwilliam stood transfixed for a moment gazing at the lovely woman before him. A light wind blew the lady's soft curls in the air and the sunlight danced upon her cheeks. In the bright daylight, Miss Bennett's cotton gown was practically transparent. The colonel could see the shape of her comely legs through the sunlit fabric. "My god, she is more beautiful than I remembered, a glorious creature," thought the colonel. He then turned his attention to the halting conversation that was taking place between the lady and Darcy. His cousin asked several times after the health of the lady's family in a distracted fashion. It was clear from Darcy's manner that he was as surprised as the colonel himself by Ms. Bennet's presence at Pemberley.
The lady answered Darcy's enquiries with a slight blush but with admirable composure. She made it clear that she had not expected to find Darcy at home.
"And where are you staying?' The colonel asked eagerly.
Miss Bennet appeared to be startled by the Colonel's question and he realized that she had previously been unaware of his presence behind Darcy. She seemed to stare at the colonel appraisingly for a few moments and then turned her face away from both gentlemen.
"The Inn at Lambton," she replied softly.
"Ah" murmured Darcy in a distracted fashion. The back of Darcy's neck turned deep red. Although he could only see Darcy's back, judging from the way Darcy's clothes clung to his back and buttocks, the colonel knew that Darcy looked thoroughly wet and rather disreputable. The colonel quickly glanced down at his own apparel and saw that his wet shirt had become completely unbuttoned and was hanging open to reveal most of his chest. He was simultaneously mortified and titillated that the lovely Ms. Bennet should see him in such a condition. He didn't glance further down, not wanting to see the effect his swim had wrought on the appearance of his breeches. He tried to find a delicate way for himself and Darcy to extricate them quickly from this rather compromising situation without further offending the lady.
He stepped next to his cousin and bowed as gracefully as he could under the circumstances. "Miss Bennet, as you see, my cousin and I have just been indulging in a swim. We are both delighted to see you and to renew our acquaintance. Will you wait in the garden a few moments so that we can repair our apparel and give you a tour of the grounds?"
Since Pemberley was Darcy's property not the colonel's, he knew it was not strictly proper for him to be inviting Miss Bennet to tour the grounds. He prodded his cousin discreetly in the back, hoping Darcy would second the invitation. Darcy remained silent with his eyes firmly fixed on the lady's face.
Miss Bennet smiled briefly in response to the colonel's invitation and then looked over her shoulder where a well dressed man and woman could be seen inspecting the garden. "Thank you, but I do not ... that is, I am here with my aunt and uncle and I believe that we must leave directly. I am..."
Darcy interrupted the lady, "Miss Bennet, I beg you to accept my apologies for our appearance and stay at least a few moments longer so we can greet you and your aunt and uncle properly. It appears that your aunt and uncle are touring the flower garden. " He gestured to the right of the house, "may we meet you in the garden in five minutes time?"
Miss Bennet seemed to hesitate for a moment, then she nodded. "I thank you, sir," After a slight curtsy; she turned and headed quickly in the direction the garden. Darcy moved rapidly towards the house. The colonel was right behind him.
"Well done, Darcy," murmured the colonel as the two men practically scampered across Pemberley's inner courtyard. As they burst through the manor's front door, neither man noticed the three scullery maids who were scrubbing the marble floor on their knees. The two men raced towards the massive staircase, leaving a trail of small muddy puddles in their wake.
Chapter 2
With the help of his valet, Darcy quickly stripped off his wet clothes and put on a dry shirt and breeches. The valet held up several jackets for Darcy to choose from. Darcy nodded in the direction of a dark blue one and his valet helped him put it on. He studied himself in the mirror while his man tied his neck cloth.
Colonel Fitzwilliam strode into Darcy's chamber.
"Good God, Darcy!" exclaimed the colonel. "You're almost dressed and I haven't even located my satchel with my clothing yet."
"I believe, Sir, you'll find your bag in the last room down the hall," said Darcy's valet. The colonel thanked the man and hastened out of the room in search of his clothing.
The valet turned his attention to Darcy's wet hair. "Shall I brush your hair, Sir?" Darcy nodded absentmindedly. His man laid a small towel across Darcy's shoulders and carefully brushed out his hair. One curl fell forward across Darcy's brow. The valet brushed the errant curl back in place and removed the damp towel. A moment later the curl fell forward once more. The valet picked up the brush again, but Darcy waved him aside. "Leave it."
"Do you require anything else, Sir?"
"No, that will do." Darcy fidgeted with his neatly tied neck cloth. His eyes drifted to the window, which looked out over the garden. He could see a straw bonnet with bright blue ribbons gently bobbing over the hedges. It was a bonnet that he recognized. Hers.
Darcy gazed at the bonnet, deep in thought. He was feeling dazzled and disoriented. He had never expected to see Elizabeth Bennet again. He certainly never expected to run into her on the grounds of his own estate while he was in a state of semi-undress. He shuddered to think of the picture he must have presented with his wet shirt plastered to chest. "What must she think of me," he thought. He pondered the fact that his cousin had been there, too, in a similar condition. He wasn't sure if it was more or less of a social catastrophe that there had been two of them, equally disheveled and shocking in appearance.
Darcy's appearance suddenly lightened and he smiled slightly. If anyone could see the humor rather than merely the gross improprieties in the situation, Darcy knew that Elizabeth could. She took delight in anything ridiculous. It was one of the things that charmed him about her. Although, if truth be told, he had never desired to delight her in that particular way himself. There were other ways of delighting her that he far preferred to contemplate. Images flashed before him - visions of her hair, his hands, the tip of her tongue, his lips on hers. He pushed the thoughts from his mind.
He exhaled quickly and closed his eyes. Then he looked out the window again. He could still see the top of her bonnet. He must forget about the past for the moment and concentrate on the present. Here. She was here, on his very grounds. He felt suddenly giddy. Her presence at Pemberley gave him hope, where there had been none before. His sense of hope was fragile, but alive. Yes, he could hope to earn her respect. Surely, that would be enough. Darcy leaned his face closer to the window. "Please give a chance to absolve myself." He whispered against the glass. "That is all that I ask."
Colonel Fitzwilliam strode into the room. Darcy turned from position at the window, and glanced at his cousin. He frowned when he saw what his cousin was wearing - pants, a shirt, but no neck cloth or jacket.
"Why are you not dressed?"
"My jacket was badly wrinkled from the journey and your good man offered to press it for me."
Darcy started pacing, "That will not do. It will take five or ten minutes at least to press your jacket. I promised Miss Bennet we would join her immediately."
The colonel grinned. "Well, the only solution, Darcy, is for you to lend me one of your jackets. God knows you have enough to spare."
Darcy instantly dismissed this notion. He had never loaned anyone his clothing before and he did not look on the idea with favor. On the other hand, he had no intentions of keeping Miss Bennet waiting any longer. He could proceed without his cousin, but would that seem too forward, he pondered." Too eager?" "No, no," he thought, "I must not delay or she will feel slighted. She will think me arrogant."
Darcy briefly looked his cousin up and down. "We are not of equal size. It is far better that you wait for your own jacket to be pressed. I will go and receive Miss Bennet and inform her that you will soon join us." Before his cousin had a chance to respond, Darcy strode purposely out of the room.
Darcy hurried down the great stairs and out into the courtyard. He paused in the courtyard to adjust his jacket and push his hair from his face. He felt anxious, almost wild. Since that fateful day at Hunsford, Darcy's opinion of himself had become interwoven with Elizabeth's opinion of him. Ever since he learned of her disdain for him, Darcy had felt, for the first time, contempt for himself. He feared that if he could not win Elizabeth's good opinion, he would never recover his self-respect.
Soon Darcy was within the hedged boundaries of the garden. Elizabeth was there, bending slightly over a bed of hyacinths. Darcy approached her and bowed. ""Miss Bennet," he began awkwardly. "Allow me to apologize once more for not receiving you properly just now."
Elizabeth held up a gloved hand. "Please Mr. Darcy do not apologize. It is I who must beg your pardon. I had no idea you would be here, indeed I was informed that you were not in residence, or I would never have dreamed of invading your privacy."
"Indeed, I had not planned to be here until tomorrow, but my cousin got a few days leave unexpectedly and we decided to ride down to Pemberley together ahead of our other guests."
The couple that Darcy had seen earlier and came though the hedges. Eager to show her that he was capable of the ease and friendliness that Elizabeth seemed to admire in others, Darcy looked over at the couple. "Would you introduce me to your companions?" Elizabeth nodded. "Certainly."
They moved together to the other couple and the introductions were quickly made. Darcy applied himself to being as cordial and welcoming as possible and was surprised to find that this was not difficult. Elizabeth's aunt and uncle proved to be gracious and charming. Elizabeth's aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, informed him that she grew up in the neighboring village of Lambton. Darcy found himself freely talking to Mrs. Gardiner about his childhood memories of Lambton. She seemed to be as fond of Derbyshire as Darcy was himself and this newfound connection to a relative of Elizabeth was a source of pleasure to Darcy. He glanced at Elizabeth while he was talking to her aunt and noticed that she seemed surprised by his behavior. Surprised, but not disapproving. Indeed, her whole demeanor seemed gentler and more open than he had ever observed before.
Darcy realized he was staring at Elizabeth and he forced himself to turn towards her uncle. While the two men embarked upon a discussion of fishing, Elizabeth and her aunt moved slightly away to examine a bed of yellow flowers. Darcy tried to concentrate on rods and fish, but all his attention was focused on Elizabeth. He steered Mr. Gardiner towards the two women, not wanting to be too far apart.
Colonel Fitzwilliam soon joined them. With his usual social ease, the colonel greeted Elizabeth and was introduced to her aunt and uncle. The colonel quickly fell into conversation with the older couple as if he known them all his life.
Darcy took advantage of the situation and held his arm out to Elizabeth. "Shall we walk towards the lake."?
Elizabeth hesitated and for a terrible moment, Darcy thought she would refuse him. To his relief, she inclined her head and placed her fingers very lightly on Darcy's arm. As they walked, Darcy informed Miss Bennet of the guests he expected tomorrow, including Mr. Bingley and his sisters. He watched her closely as he gave her this information, knowing that she would most likely have unhappy associations with at least one of this party. Knowing also, that she might reasonably blame him for these unpleasant associations. Elizabeth had turned her face away so he could not see her expression, but he felt her hand tense slightly on his arm.
Darcy plunged forward. "Miss Bennet, there is another in the party whom I particularly want you to meet, my sister, Georgiana." Darcy fervently hoped that Elizabeth would recognize this invitation for what it was, a sincere wish to acknowledge Elizabeth as the social equal of his sister.
"I would be pleased to make her acquaintance," Elizabeth said, blushing softly.
Colonel Fitzwilliam joined Elizabeth and Darcy in time to hear Elizabeth's last statement. "Whose acquaintance are you looking forward to making?" he said, in a teasing manner. "Miss Bingley's?"
Elizabeth laughed. Darcy felt a pang that his cousin could make her laugh so easily. "No," she replied, "I have already had the pleasure of making Miss Bingley's acquaintance. I was accepting Mr. Darcy's invitation to be introduced to his sister."
The colonel walked closely by Elizabeth's side. "That's an excellent plan. My cousin, Georgiana, would benefit greatly by the acquaintance, I have no doubt. She is very fond of music, as I recall you are as well. She does not have the benefit of female companionship, other than her companion."
"Are you not forgetting Miss Bingley?" said Elizabeth, "I recall Miss Bingley expressing great fondness for Miss Darcy."
"Well of course, we can never forget Miss Bingley," replied Colonel Fitzwilliam. "However, fond of Georgiana as Miss Bingley may be, I believe she is too occupied with certain pursuits to be provide much companionship to Georgiana." The colonel gave Darcy a sly look as he said this. Darcy frowned and blushed slightly. He never liked being teased about Miss Bingley's obsessive pursuit of him, and certainly not in front of Elizabeth Bennet.
Miss Bennet's aunt and uncle joined the others then, and the talk turned to the sights they had seen during the earlier part of their journey. Soon - too soon -in Darcy's opinion, Elizabeth and her aunt declared it was time to leave. Everyone strolled towards the front of the house where the Gardiner's carriage awaited. To Darcy's chagrin, Colonel Fitzwilliam held out his arm to hand Elizabeth into the carriage. Darcy watched jealously while Elizabeth placed her gloved hand on Richard's. She leaned on the colonel slightly while she stepped into the carriage. Trying to keep his emotions in check, Darcy stepped forward to exchange goodbyes with Elizabeth and the Gardiners.
"I hope we meet again soon," Darcy said solemnly. Elizabeth looked directly into his eyes and smiled at him. It was a forgiving smile. Darcy realized that she was giving him the absolution that he craved. His heart skipped as the carriage started away. He stared at the departing carriage. Then something happened which changed everything. Just before the carriage turned down the lane, Elizabeth turned around in her seat and looked behind her to the spot where Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam were standing. There was an unmistakable look of longing on her face. Her expression was so sensuous, so passionate, that Darcy forgot to breathe. Darcy drank in her look until the carriage turned and she was gone from view.
Darcy and his cousin stood in silence, then Colonel Fitzwilliam turned to Darcy. "I'm a lost man," the colonel said, "She pierced my defenses with that look."
Darcy looked at his cousin incomprehensibly. "What?"
"Did you not see the expression on Miss Bennet's face as she looked back at me just now?" replied the colonel. "I've been trying to get her out of my system since I met her in Kent. I know she has no fortune, no social standing. I know you, of all people, would not approve of such a match. But, there is nothing to be done for it now. She is everything wonderful. I'm enough of a military man to know when I'm conquered."
Darcy could hardly register what he was hearing. Darcy had seen the look that his cousin referred to and he had thought that it was directed to himself. Now, upon reflection, Darcy was not so sure. He stared at his cousin in mounting dismay.
Darcy suddenly noticed that Richard was wearing one of Darcy's jackets, his favorite green jacket, in fact. A surge of fury swept through Darcy. "Must you, Fitzwilliam? Must you plunder everything?" he spat out the words. With that, Darcy turned his back on his cousin and stalked towards the house.
Colonel Fitzwilliam stared after him, comprehension slowly dawning. The truth, that they were rivals for the affections of a woman, was hard to accept. The fact that the colonel had realized only moments ago that he loved Elizabeth Bennet did nothing to dull the pain of this realization. Although the love he felt for her was newly acknowledged, it surged through him with a strength of passion that he had never before encountered. Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was well known for his decisiveness, stood rooted to the ground. For the first time in nearly thirty years of life, he had no absolutely no idea how to proceed.
Chapter 3
Elizabeth was uncharacteristically subdued during the ride back to the Inn. Her Aunt Gardiner was curious to learn more about Elizabeth's relationship with the two gentlemen they had just left behind at Pemberley. She questioned Elizabeth with delicacy but persistence about the extent of her acquaintance with the two men. All she could ferret out, however, was the intriguing fact that while Lizzy had been visiting Hunsford last April, both Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had been visiting their aunt on her neighboring estate of Rosings Park. Mrs. Gardiner was intuitive enough to know there was something important regarding one or both of the men that her niece was holding back.
"Ah, well," thought Mrs. Gardiner, "I'm sure Lizzy will confide in me in good time." In the meantime, Mrs. Gardiner resolved to trust in Lizzy's good sense to handle the situation, whatever it was, with good judgment and propriety. She decided to simply sit back and enjoy the unfolding drama. For surely, if Mrs. Gardiner had ever been witness to a romantic scenario, this was it. The two young gentlemen who had just bid them farewell were undeniably attractive. The damp, disheveled clothing that the two gentlemen had been wearing when she first caught a glimpse of them, had not disguised their good looks and noble bearing. "Indeed," thought Mrs. Gardiner, "the truth was quite the opposite." Mrs. Gardiner recalled that when the two gentlemen had had a chance to refresh their appearance, they had presented themselves in clothes of the highest fashion and faultless taste.
Mrs. Gardiner compared the two men in her mind's eye. Both the gentlemen had seemed unaccountably delighted to make Mrs. Gardiner's acquaintance. The colonel was more easy going, more inclined to smile. Mr. Darcy, on the other, although perfectly hospitable, had a slight stiffness in his manner that hinted of shyness. Despite this stiffness, Mr. Darcy certainly had the most elegant manners she had ever encountered. Mrs. Gardiner smiled slightly as she remembered his graceful bow over her hand.
Mrs. Gardiner had never before been in close contact with two young men of such fine looks and manners, to say nothing of intelligence, and breeding. It was enough to turn any woman's head. She herself, as a slightly older, happily married woman, was naturally immune to their charms. The affects that such fine attributes might have on her niece, however, was of great interest to Mrs. Gardiner. Of at least equal interest to Mrs. Gardiner, was the effect that Lizzy's charms had on each of the two gentlemen. She had noticed the softening in looks and voice in both of the men when they addressed her niece. They had both gravitated to Lizzy, leaning in to her when she spoke.
Mrs. Gardiner knew enough of Mr. Darcy, at least by rumor and reputation, to be surprised by the degree of tenderness that he had openly displayed towards Lizzy. He was a serious man, not given to flirtation. Although it was too soon to say with certainty, Mrs. Gardiner was inclined to believe that Mr. Darcy was enamored of her niece. The colonel seemed devoted to Lizzy, as well, but whether his attentions were merely a result of a rakish character, or indicative of more serious intentions, Mrs. Gardiner could not say. She knew nothing of the man, except, she thought, with a self-conscious glance at her husband, that he looked remarkably well in wet clothes.
What made the situation particularly enthralling was the setting in which it was all taking place - the majestic estate of Pemberley. When she was younger, Mrs. Gardiner had often fantasized about being an invited guest of Pemberley, an estate that in her imagination had taken on mythical proportions of nobility and beauty. When she toured Pemberley, first, years earlier and again this afternoon, Mrs. Gardiner was amazed to find that both the grounds and the house itself equaled, if not surpassed, her youthful fantasies.
The older woman leaned back into the carriage seat and examined her niece. If she couldn't get her niece to talk further about either of the two gentlemen, she could perhaps discern something of Lizzy's opinion of Mr. Darcy by learning her view of his estate. She knew enough of her niece to know that if she was predisposed to find fault with a man, she would look on his estate, as well, with a jaundiced eye.
"Lizzy, tell me, my dear, what was your opinion of Pemberley?"
"Pemberley." Lizzy murmured. "I have never before seen its equal in beauty. Indeed, I have never seen a place for which nature has done more, or where natural beauty has been so little counteracted by an awkward taste." Lizzy laughed a little ruefully, "I must confess that although we have only left its grounds, I am already longing to return."
Mrs. Gardiner pondered this interesting information until the carriage arrived at the Lambton Inn. The Gardiners and Lizzy took a stroll that afternoon through the village green in Lambton. They dined most comfortably on lamb stew and roasted vegetables. Mrs. Gardiner remarked, not for the first time, that she thought the lamb in Lambton to be the finest in all of England. "Quite so my dear," replied her husband.
After dinner, Mr. Gardiner immersed himself in a large treatise on bass fishing. The two ladies did some needlework, while conversing easily together. Although nothing more was said between them about the afternoon's trip to Pemberley, that visit was forefront on both ladies' minds. All in all, it was a pleasant, if uneventful, evening.
Unfortunately, back in the beautiful environs of Pemberley, things were not so pleasant. Indeed, the thoughts of Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam were distinctly disturbed. Luckily, each of the gentlemen found an occupation, which soothed their nerves to some degree.
Darcy found his relative solace in his bath. When he had stalked into his bedchamber, angry and agitated, his valet had greeted him with the welcome news that he already prepared a bath for him. Bathing had always been a source of comfort to Darcy and was his favorite remedy for agitation of spirit. At first, he was perplexed as to how his valet could have anticipated that he would be in need of a bath so early in the day. He soon realized that his valet had drawn the bath due to the fact that Darcy had been traveling on horseback all morning and then swimming in the loamy pond. Smiling gratefully at the valet, Darcy tried to relax as his man swiftly removed Darcy's clothes except for his breeches. With a polite but definitive wave of his hand, Darcy dismissed his valet.
After quickly removing his breeches, Darcy climbed into the bathtub. Darcy sank into the warm, slightly scented water and closed his eyes. He tried to think only of Elizabeth and the shy smiles and wistful looks that she had appeared to give him occasionally this afternoon. He could not shut out painful thoughts of his cousin, however, and his last comments about Elizabeth.
Darcy had been previously aware that Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam had a comfortable camaraderie and seemed to take pleasure in each other's company. Although he had felt occasional pangs of jealousy towards Fitzwilliam's easy relationship with Elizabeth, he had been generally content to believe that theirs was a platonic friendship. The colonel's comments just now, however, had opened his eyes to other possibilities. He realized that Elizabeth's look of longing as she was leaving could have been just as easily been directed at his cousin as at him. Indeed, as he considered the grim possibility that Elizabeth might been conveying her regret to part from his cousin, he had to concede that it made much more sense.
As he remembered his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth in Kent and her harsh refusal of him, Darcy laughed bitterly, at his naivety in believing, even for a moment, that Elizabeth's wistful gaze had been met for him. The irony of it all was, he had thought earlier in the day that Elizabeth's forgiveness would be enough. He realized now, nothing short of Elizabeth's love and her hand in marriage would suffice to end his suffering.
"Shall I rinse your hair sir," called his valet from the other room.
"No. Later." And with that, Darcy sank deeper into the water.
While Darcy was brooding in his bath, Colonel Fitzwilliam's thoughts were equally gloomy. He pondered Darcy's reactions to his announcement of his feelings with Elizabeth Bennet. Last spring, Fitzwilliam had considered and then rejected, as being preposterous, the notion that Darcy might have serious designs on Elizabeth himself. He now saw clearly that Darcy was violently in love with her. He was not pleased to find that he had such a formidable rival and he was certainly not happy that the rival was his own cousin and close friend.
The colonel was also slightly worried about the violent aspect of Darcy's affections. Although, he knew his cousin was not generally a violent man, he knew many a man with shallower emotions than Darcy to engage in swordplay when they were violently in love. Fitzwilliam was not particularly worried about his own safety, as he knew he was more than a match for Darcy when it came to martial arts. He had no desire, however, to even contemplate crossing swords with his cousin.
Colonel Fitzwilliam knew he must come up with a plan to handle this potentially volatile situation. He sat down at a small marble table near the window. For a moment, he fondly handled the black queen piece of the chessboard that was set up on the table. He played chess rarely. When he played, it was to order his thoughts, to marshal his wits, and soothe his nerves. He always played against the same opponent - himself. He placed the black queen gently in her place of honor. He stared at the board without blinking. Then he picked up the white knight and moved it forward. Without hesitation, he picked up the black knight and moved it according to the same pattern. They faced each other across the fine inlaid marble, the black knight and the white knight.
Chapter 4
Darcy and the Colonel had avoided each other's company until dinnertime. Darcy was tempted to ask for a dinner tray in his room, but he knew that he must come to an understanding with his cousin at some point. It would be wise to do so before his sister and their guests arrived. He groaned inwardly when he thought of adding Caroline Bingley to an equation that was already stressful enough to tax his sanity.
When Darcy arrived downstairs, Colonel Fitzwilliam was awaiting him in the sitting room. The cousins acknowledged each other's presence with polite nods of the head.
"I am sorry, Darcy. I should not have taken such a liberty without your permission."
Darcy stared at his cousin, he had no idea, and was loathe to ask what liberty the colonel referred to.
"You'll be relieved to know that I returned your jacket to your valet in good condition."
Darcy said nothing more. Colonel Fitzwilliam also lapsed into silence and so they remained until dinner was announced. The first course did nothing to encourage Darcy's appetite. When the footman raised the lid, a green murky substance confronted him.
"Cream of watercress soup, Sir." Darcy glared at his soup, which reminded him of the loamy pond. He wondered why the cook had forgotten that he loathed watercress soup. He noted his cousin across the table devouring his soup. He remembered then that cream of watercress had always been Fitz's favorite. "Ah well," he thought, he'd never been particularly fond of soup in general. He was looking forward to the next course. He hadn't been in Pemberley for four months and he was anticipating his usual welcome home meal with all of his favorite dishes. "Curried shrimp, roast beef with horse radish, glazed pheasant, artichoke hearts" he thought as he stared down his soup. He knew that he hadn't given the cook much notice, but that had never prevented her from producing his favorite meal upon his arrival before.
It soon became clear that it was not Darcy's taste buds that were being catered to. Darcy watched sourly while Colonel Fitzwilliam greeted each new dish with glee. There was little dinner conversation. Fitzwilliam was too busy inhaling his food and Darcy was preoccupied with thoughts of firing his cook.
The colonel drank as freely as he ate. The wine was the finest Bordeaux that money could buy. Although Darcy was not stingy of nature, he couldn't help calculating that the cost of the food and wine his cousin was consuming was worth more than his cousin earned in an entire month.
After dinner, Darcy asked his cousin to join him in the library.
"I must first compliment the cook." With that, the Colonel disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
While Darcy waited for his cousin in the library, he pondered what to say. "I should just concede defeat," he thought, "it is clear that Elizabeth prefers my cousin. Why should I prolong the agony." He heard someone enter the room. He looked up expecting his cousin and relaxed somewhat when he saw it was his housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds.
He rose to his feet and put his arm momentarily around the older woman's shoulders.
"It's good to see you Mrs. Reynolds. I hope our early arrival has not caused you inconvenience."
"No indeed, Sir. Never think it. Your early arrival gave me a start, though Sir, that it did."
Darcy looked surprised. He was used to arriving unexpectedly and Mrs. Reynolds had never appeared startled by this before.
"A start, Mrs. Reynolds?"
"Well you see, Sir, it was on account of the young lady who visited Pemberley yesterday with her relations. Miss Bennet, I believe she is called."
Darcy froze. "Miss Bennet?"
"Yes, sir. She was such and amiable and well mannered. She seemed so taken with your portrait, Sir. I found out then that she had made your acquaintance. She stared at your portrait so intently, I thought to myself 'it is as if she wanted to summon you in the very flesh.' And then, lo and behold, you appeared directly. It was that strange, Sir, I felt a chill down my spine. It is a lucky thing, I am not of a superstitious nature."
"Very lucky," replied Darcy, while his mind raced. "Maybe, I have a chance after all," he thought.
Fitzwilliam soon entered the library and Mrs. Reynolds fondly bid the two gentlemen good night. Fitzwilliam seated himself on the sofa. Darcy sat in a chair across from him, but soon rose to his feet.
"Fitzwilliam," began Darcy, "I must know the extent of your feelings for Miss Bennet and your full understanding of her feelings for you."
Colonel Fitzwilliam coughed slightly. "I might ask the same of you, Darcy."
Darcy looked annoyed, but was resigned to get matters out in the open. There were certain events, however, that he was resolved not to talk to his cousin about.
"Very well.' Darcy walked to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of brandy. He did not offer his cousin any.
"I love her," Darcy's voice, as opposed to his words, betrayed no emotion. "I have for a long time, since long before you ever met her." Darcy then turned his back to his cousin and stared into the mirror over the fireplace.
The colonel digested this information in silence. He was not surprised by the information that Darcy loved Elizabeth but was rather surprised by his confession that he had loved her for so long. He was also surprised by Darcy's use of the word "present" with respect to her feelings as if there were some history between them. He got up and helped himself to a glass of Darcy's brandy.
Darcy gazed into his brandy glass for a moment, and then returned his attention to the mirror. He stared at his cousin's reflection. "Now, you must do me the courtesy of providing me with the same information in regard to yourself."
"I will, but I ask that you turn around first. I cannot talk about such delicate matters while your back is turned to me."
Darcy scowled into the mirror, but he turned slowly around.
The colonel looked directly at Darcy. "Since the first day of our acquaintance, I have felt a strong attraction to Miss Bennet. I admired her and found her to be delightful company. She is remarkably intelligent and lively. I also found her to be one of the most physically appealing woman I have ever met."
Colonel Fitzwilliam looked at Darcy for a moment. His cousin stood, immobile and expressionless. "I must confess, Darcy, that I was not aware of having a serious attachment to the lady until today. Admiration, regard, lust perhaps." Darcy winced at his cousin's bluntness and clenched his fists.
The colonel took a small step backwards. "Today, I felt something more. Much more. I don't know how it happened, exactly, but I now know that I love the lady. Beyond everything."
"Beyond everything?" Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Beyond your loyalty to me?" thought Darcy, but he did not say this out loud.
"How can you be sure of feelings that have descended upon you so suddenly?"
"I can not answer that, but I am sure. I have never been so sure of anything." The Colonel responded, with what Georgiana privately referred to as Cousin Richard's military look.
The colonel took a long draught of brandy. Darcy sat down and stretched out his long legs. He crossed and recrossed his ankles. He stood up again.
"And your intentions towards her? Darcy finally asked.
Colonel Fitzwilliam scowled at Darcy. "They are honorable, of course."
"You intend to ask for her hand in marriage?"
"The colonel nodded.
"How will you support her?"
For the first time, the colonel looked uncomfortable. "As you know I cannot offer her what you can. " The colonel gestured at the thick rugs, the gold frames, the opulent drapes. "But we could live comfortably enough. I believe she is a lady who does not care overmuch for wealth. It is one of her myriad attractions."
Darcy did not contradict his cousin. He knew only, too well, of how little wealth impressed Elizabeth Bennet.
"And you, Darcy. Do you intend to ask for her hand?"
Darcy ignored the question. He strode to the window, looking out into the darkness. He turned and looked at his cousin. The expression on his face remained blank, but there was a faint flush on his cheeks, which revealed his agitation.
"I could demand that you leave Pemberley now."
"Yes. You could do that. I would have no choice but to leave and you could court her here, without my presence. But if she should then accept you, in my absence, you would never know..." The Colonel paused and twirled the amber liquid in his glass. "You would never know, if given the choice, she would have chosen me."
Darcy drank the remainder of his brandy in one swallow. His expression when he looked at his cousin was impenetrable. "You are proposing that we both court her at the same time? That sounds like a bad comedy of errors."
"I am proposing that we do nothing to interfere with the other's prospects with Miss Bennet. No, more than that. I am proposing that we assist each other in courting Miss Bennet."
Darcy raised his eyebrows in a disapproving manner.
"I do not mean that assist each other in actual courtship, but that we cooperate so that we each have equal opportunities to converse with Miss Bennet."
"You are assuming too much. We do not know whether we will the have the opportunity to spend time with her during her visit to these parts."
"I heard her agree to be introduced to Georgiana."
"Yes, but there would be little opportunities for courtship during such a visit."
"Well, that's easy enough to mend, Darcy. You or Georgiana can invite her and her relatives to dine at Pemberley. I doubt they would refuse such an invitation. You, Darcy, have the most to gain from an understanding between us. I believe there are bigger obstacles to you being able to converse with Miss Bennet than exist in my case. Or should I say one particular obstacle, that is traveling here, as we speak."
Darcy sat down and stared at the colonel in disbelief. "Are you offering to distract Miss Bingley while I court Miss Bennet?"
The colonel nodded.
"And what do you expect in return?"
"That you do your best to ensure that I have an equal opportunity to spend time with Miss Bennet. That is all."
Darcy turned towards the door. "I will make no promises. We will speak of this no more tonight."
Darcy was almost out the door, when his cousin spoke.
"Just answer me this. Do I have your permission to stay?"
Darcy looked at his cousin silently. Then he slightly nodded his head and left the room.
The colonel got up and poured himself another glass of his cousin's good brandy. He sat down at the chess table. He stared at the board for a long time, then, with a sweeping gesture, he knocked a number of chess pieces on the floor. Without bothering to pick up the scattered chessmen, he headed off to bed, taking his brandy glass with him.
Chapter 5
As is true of most young ladies of her station, Georgiana Darcy led a confined life. Yet, never had she felt so confined as she had at the present moment - trapped inside a slow moving carriage with Caroline Bingley as her sole companion. The previous part of the journey had been tolerable because Mr. Bingley had shared the carriage with Georgiana and his sister, Caroline. However, when they started the last leg of their journey, Mr. Bingley had informed the two ladies that he would be joining the Hursts' carriage so that the two ladies could rest undisturbed.
After Mr. Bingley departed the carriage, Miss Bingley had closed her eyes for a while, to Georgina's relief. Georgiana closed her own eyes and her thoughts turned to her favorite subject: Mozart. Georgiana's music teacher was from Vienna and she was a distant relation of Mozart's widow, Constanze. She had met Mozart once several years from his death. "He was quite small and his face was unremarkable," she had told Georgiana, "but he had the most beautiful hands I have ever seen." Georgiana hummed phrases from the Marriage of Figaro to herself while she pictured what it would have been like to be caressed by those beautiful hands.
Her pleasant reverie was disturbed by the sound of Miss Bingley clearing her throat. "Dearest, Georgiana, I can't tell you how I have longed to have an intimate conversation with you."
Georgiana bit her lip and remained silent. She lay still as if asleep.
"When I received the invitation to Pemberley, I was thrilled at the prospect of spending an extended amount of time with you in close quarters."
Georgiana smiled weakly and clasped her arms across her chest.
"I know we have always been great friends," continued Miss Bingley, "but I can tell you confidentially, dearest Georgiana, that I have been hoping that we can become more than friends."
Miss Bingley paused and leaned forward until her face was inches away from Georgiana's. "For the truth is, I have always longed to have a sister."
"But Miss Bingley," Georgiana said in a faltering voice, "you have a sister."
"Oh, yes," Caroline waved her hand dismissively. 'Louisa. What I mean to say, dearest Georgiana, is that I have always longed to have you for a sister."
"Ever since you learned of my brother's income," thought Georgiana. She said nothing, however, as she always did when she was unable to think of anything polite to say. Georgiana, being somewhat rebellious of nature, rarely could think of polite things to say, and thus, she had to hide behind a mask of timidity. She had been pretending to be timid for so long, in fact, that shyness had become an intrinsic part of her character.
"You are everything I should wish for in a sister," continued Miss Bingley. "Elegant, accomplished, well bred. I can't tell you, Dear, how I have been pining for such company. I must confess, that even in the height of London society, one seldom meets with such rewarding companions. And outside, of London, well, I shudder to recollect the sorts of people that I have had to socialize with when we stayed in the country. Why, only last fall when my family and I were briefly residing in Hertfordshire, we met the most dreadful family of five unmarried sisters. They were common country girls of little beauty, few accomplishments, no fashion, and, except for the eldest sister, disgraceful manners."
For the first time, Georgiana took an interest in Miss Bingley's topic of conversation. Her brother had stayed with the Bingleys during their residence in Hertfordshire. She knew from his letters that he had become acquainted with a family of five sisters. Of the family in general, he said very little. But of one of the sisters, he had written what was, for him, a great deal.
Georgiana had committed her brother's descriptions of the lady in question to heart. Her close attention to those references was due to the unprecedented occurrence of his mentioning any lady not of her acquaintance in his letters. He had written:
"Yesterday, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, a young lady of our recent acquaintance, came to nurse her sister who fell ill here while calling on Mr. Bingley's sisters. She has been asked to remain at Netherfield until her sister is well enough to be removed. She shows much devotion to her sister. I am reminded of your own devotion to me, Sweet Georgie."
In his next letter he wrote, "Even though her duties to her sister have left her little opportunity for rest, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is remarkably lively. She shows an infectious delight in many things, including books, music, and long walks."
"Are you referring to the Bennet family?" Georgiana asked softly.
Miss Bingley was surprised that Georgiana had heard of the Bennets. She was rather pleased, however, that Georgiana had connected the name Bennet with her description of common country girls with little to recommend them.
"Yes. Did your brother mention that family? I am afraid he found them most vexing company. We avoided them as much as we could, but the two oldest sisters, in particular, seemed to fling themselves constantly in our company."
"Yes, he mentioned them."
"Did your brother happen to mention Miss Elizabeth Bennet?" Miss Bingley inquired in an indifferent manner.
Georgiana hesitated, not wanting to reveal her brother's private communications to Miss Bingley. Still, Elizabeth Bennet was a topic she was eager to learn more about. She could see little harm in confirming that her brother had mentioned Miss Elizabeth.
"Yes, he did."
"I hope your brother's description of Miss Elizabeth's manners were not too unflattering." Miss Bingley said in a manner that was patently insincere. "I believe he was quite displeased with her. She stayed at Netherfield a few days on the pretext of nursing her sister who fell ill while visiting my sister and I. We were, of course, perfectly capable of nursing her ourselves. We were all quite appalled at Miss Elizabeth's shocking manners and conceited independence. I remember Mr. Darcy remarking once that he would not wish you to behave in the wild manner that Miss Elizabeth Bennet did. I know your brother was quite relieved to part from her company, once her sister recovered and she no longer excuse had an excuse to stay."
Georgiana fidgeted. She sensed Miss Bingley's jealousy towards Miss Bennet. She did not want to further violate her brother's privacy, but she found Miss Bingley's proprietary air towards her brother so offensive that she could not control the impulse to speak out.
"I'm surprised to hear that, Miss Bingley. My brother's letters did not convey that he was in any way displeased with Miss Elizabeth Bennet's company. In fact, I got the distinct impression that he admired her."
With that Georgiana, sheltered a yawn with her hand and leaned back against the cushions. "If you will excuse me, Miss Bingley, I believe I will rest now." Georgiana closed her eyes and returned to thoughts of Mozart.
A carriage pulled up to Pemberley later that morning. Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam were both on hand to greet it, having been forewarned by a footman of its arrival. Darcy glanced at his cousin as he opened the carriage door. The colonel knew he was silently reminding him of his promise to hand Miss Bingley down. Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped forward and a large figure flung itself at him from the interior of the carriage. The colonel staggered under the weight and tried to stay upright. He steadied himself just in time and glared at the gentleman who had nearly felled him.
"Good God, Hurst. What are you about?"
Hurst smiled a bit sheepishly. A slightly foul order emanated from him. "Sorry. There's a man. Had a bit of trouble navigating, you know."
Colonel Fitzwilliam glanced at Darcy who was occupied in handing Mrs. Hurst down from the carriage. Charles Bingley hopped out of the carriage after his sister. Unlike the Hursts, who looked both quite done in after their long journey, Bingley looked remarkably refreshed. He clapped first Darcy and then Fitzwilliam on the back and launched into an exuberant monologue concerning the inn they had stayed at the previous evening.
Darcy's worry at seeing no sign of Georgiana's carriage caused him to interrupt his friend.
"Where is the other carriage?"
"They were right behind us. They should arrive momentarily. Ah, there they are." Bingley spoke with a flourish that almost knocked Darcy's hat off. The carriage appeared at the end of the drive. Muttering something about refreshments, Mr. Hurst grabbed his wife's arm and tottered towards the front steps of Pemberley. The three remaining gentleman waited silently for the carriage.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone had gathered in the front sitting room. Georgiana Darcy was doing her best to pour tea. She was not used to pouring tea for seven people. The teapot was so heavy, she feared losing control of it entirely.
When she had poured the last cup, Georgiana glanced at the three people across the table from her. Hurst was noisily eating iced lemon cake, oblivious to all else. Louisa Hurst and Caroline Bingley had their heads close together. Although they were doing their best to keep their voices low, it was apparent that they were doing some sort of inventory of the contents of the room. Georgiana was relieved to see that their guests were all occupied.
Her attention next turned to her brother sitting next to her. He was sipping his tea with a faraway look in his eye. "How did you and Cousin Richard occupy yourselves last evening?" she inquired softly.
"We did nothing out of the ordinary."
Georgiana smiled fondly. "You played billiards half the night, I suppose."
"No, we retired early, in fact."
"I can scarcely believe that," Georgiana said with a smile and turned towards her cousin sitting on her other side. "Come, Cousin Richard, tell me which one of you was the winner? You are both brilliant at billiards, but poor at losing." Although her tone was warm and teasing, she noticed that both Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had stiffened noticeably and exchanged fleeting wary glances.
"Not Mr. Darcy, surely," Miss Bingley had been straining her ears to catch what Georgiana had been saying to the two men. "I am sure Mr. Darcy never loses at anything, and if he did, I am sure he would lose most gracefully."
Georgiana paid no attention to Miss Bingley. She was too busy studying her brother and her cousin. "Oh, dear," thought Georgiana, "whatever is the matter?" She had noticed earlier that they seemed rather at odds with each other. She had resorted to teasing them to try to lighten up the mood. She did not want to question them further before their guests.
"More tea, anyone?" she asked hopefully.
When they finished their tea, Darcy stood up and beckoned gently to Georgiana.
"Come, my dear, I have a surprise for you."
Caroline looked up with interest. "Oh, how I adore surprises."
The colonel moved quickly towards Miss Bingley and stretched out his hand to assist her in rising. Caroline accepted his assistance reluctantly.
The Colonel leaned towards Miss Bingley and spoke in a low voice. "Miss Bingley, please join me in the garden for a walk. I have something to discuss with you that concerns us both."
Miss Bingley looked down her long nose at him.
"I barely know you, sir. I can think of no matter that concerns us both."
The colonel did his best to disguise his annoyance at Miss Bingley's condescending tone. He lowered his voice even further so that Miss Bingley had to lean forward to hear him.
"The matter I speak of concerns Mr. Darcy." He paused, "And a certain young lady."
He had Miss Bingley's attention now. "A young lady?'
The colonel nodded and leaned in closer. "A Miss Elizabeth Bennet, to be precise. "
Miss Bingley grabbed the colonel's arm with a muscular strength that caught him off guard. "By all means, Colonel Fitzwilliam, let us tour the gardens."
Chapter 6
As Georgiana and Darcy approached the blue parlor, Darcy suddenly spun around and blocked Georgiana's view of the room. "Close your eyes, Georgie."
Georgiana obediently closed her eyes. Darcy guided her slowly into the room.
"Now, you may open them."
There before her was the most beautiful piano she had ever seen. Its polished surface gleamed. She gasped with delight, prompting Darcy to smile.
"Thank you, thank you." She stretched on her toes and kissed her brother. Georgiana rushed over to the piano and caressed the ivory keys.
"You are much too good to me."
"Happy belated birthday. Play something for me?"
Georgiana sat down and played something that was complicated and airy all at once. Darcy recognized it as the piece that Elizabeth had played and sung in Hunsford the night before his disastrous proposal. Georgiana looked up and noticed her brother's tense expression.
"What is wrong? You do not like this piece? I know I do not do it justice."
Darcy sank down on the piano bench beside his sister.
"No, you play it beautifully. I have something on my mind, that is all." Darcy laid his right hand on the keys and Georgiana laid her small hand on top of his.
"Please tell me what is troubling you, Brother."
Darcy looked at Georgiana's hand on his. He moved his hand beneath hers to the palm up position and entwined his fingers with hers.
"Do you recall my once mentioning a Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"
"How odd that he mentions her now after months of silence," thought Georgiana. She nodded and lightly squeezed her brother's hand. "You met her in Hertfordshire, did you not?"
"Yes," Darcy paused. "And again in Kent. She is a good friend of the wife of the parson at Rosings. She was visiting her friend while I was visiting our aunt. They dined at Rosings several times. The reason I mention Miss Bennet is that she is here."
"Here in Pemberley?" asked Georgiana in amazement.
"No, actually, in Lambton. She is visiting the village with her aunt and uncle. Her aunt, it seems, grew up in Lambton. I thought we might visit them tomorrow and invite them to dine here at Pemberley."
"Yes, of course. Do you know for certain that they have already arrived in Lambton?"
"They were touring the grounds of Pemberley yesterday and Fitzwilliam and I ran into them unexpectedly." Darcy's face darkened slightly.
Georgiana pondered this in silence. "If Miss Bennet was in Kent while you were there, then she must have met Cousin Richard as well?"
Darcy's face darkened further and he scowled slightly. "Yes," he replied rather sharply.
"Ah," thought Georgiana. She immediately rose from the piano bench. She glanced out the window and saw her cousin and Miss Bingley in the garden.
Georgiana decided to act quickly while their cousin was occupied. "Let us go pay our visit now. If Miss Bennet's aunt is from Lambton, they must have many people to visit. We should make our invitation now before all of their engagements are fixed."
"You are not too tired from your long journey?" Darcy queried solicitously.
"Oh no, not all. I would love to go to Lambton now. Nothing would please me more."
Darcy was momentarily taken aback by Georgiana's eagerness. Still, her desire to go to Lambton straight away meshed perfectly with his own wishes.
"Yes, Georgie, let us go to Lambton."
While Darcy and Georgiana had been conversing in private, the following scene had been taking place in the enclosed garden:
The colonel was strolling past the flowerbeds with Miss Bingley on his arm, acting as if he had nothing on his mind but smelling the flowers. He had not spoken since they left the house. He could feel Miss Bingley's impatience by the way she spastically clutched his arm.
Finally, the colonel halted in front of a bench and gestured for Miss Bingley to sit down. She sat down and arranged her skirts around her with all the hauteur of a duchess.
"Miss Bingley, I must ask your assistance in a most delicate matter." He paused for a moment to build suspense. "I understand that you have met Miss Elizabeth Bennet?"
Miss Bingley nodded and the look in her eyes sharpened.
"I must ask you to keep what I tell you next in strict confidence, Miss Bingley." She tilted her head in an imperious gesture of acquiescence.
"I have made Miss Bennet's acquaintance myself and I tell you, in confidence, that I am fond of the lady." He paused. "More than fond."
Miss Bingley spine stiffened, but she said nothing.
"Unfortunately, I believe that my cousin, Mr. Darcy is not entirely immune to Miss Bennet's charms himself. Although, I believe the lady cares for me, I am concerned that if he should propose to her, he will succeed. He is, as you may have heard, a man of immense wealth, while I myself am a second son of modest means."
The colonel glanced at Miss Bingley, pleased to see he had her undivided attention.
"Not only do I wish to wed Miss Bennet, I am concerned that marriage between her and my cousin would be a mistake. Their situations in life are so different, I feel they would make each other unhappy. My own aspirations aside, I believe a match between my cousin and Miss Bennet must be prevented for Darcy's own sake. Do not you agree?"
Miss Bingley nodded her head so vigorously that a saffron colored feather flew off her bonnet. The colonel retrieved the feather and handed it to her.
"Miss Bennet is far away in Hertfordshire. If you are so fond of her, Colonel, I am surprised that you have removed yourself to Derbyshire, at such a distance from the lady."
"Ah, you do not know then, Miss Bingley. Miss Bennet is staying in an Inn not five miles from Pemberley." He let this sink in for a moment. "She and her aunt and uncle visited here yesterday. I understand that my cousin plans to ask them to dine with us here, shortly."
Miss Bingley looked distressed at this news.
"I am remarkably glad you are visiting Pemberley at this time. My cousin has always admired you greatly." The Colonel fervently hoped that Miss Bingley did not note the strained caliber of his voice as he spoke. "Although, I believe he has some slight preference towards Miss Bennet at present, I also believe that he could easily be persuaded of your superior charms. If you play your cards right." The Colonel paused again to allow the bile that was settling in his throat to settle.
Miss Bingley waved the feather in her hand frantically. Her eyes were shining and her lips were open and moving slightly. If the colonel did not already have a deeply embedded dislike of the lady, he might have found her excitement rather appealing. As it was, he thought she looked rather like a grounded trout.
"We must proceed carefully, Miss Bingley. There is much at stake. I know my cousin well. If he thought we were plotting a match between the two of you or plotting to keep him apart from Miss Bennet, he would be exceedingly angry. Neither one of us would likely be welcome at Pemberley again."
The colonel observed Miss Bingley out of the corner of his eye. She was listening avidly. "If you will forgive the liberty, Miss Bingley, I would like to give you some advice regarding Darcy. The way to attach his attentions is to initially keep a distance. Act disinterested. Talk to everyone except him. Do not act jealous if he pays some attention to Miss Bennet. Praise her yourself. You will appear generous. Encourage him to spend time with her, for if he does, I believe he will soon see that you are a superior match for him. I have observed Miss Bennet's interactions with my cousin. She shows no preference for his company, and never defers to his opinions. I believe that is how he came to be attracted to her."
Miss Bingley contemplated what she had just heard. She had carefully observed Mr. Darcy's interactions with Miss Bennet. She realized reluctantly that the colonel was right. Miss Bennet never sat near Darcy nor did she seek him out. She never seemed envious when Miss Bingley tried to monopolize his attentions. On those rare occasions when Miss Bennet did converse with him, she was generally impertinent, bordering on uncivil.
Miss Bingley looked through her eyelashes at the Colonel. "Your plan has some merit, I believe, Sir. Perhaps I should stir up his jealousy, as well. Should I flirt with other men in Mr. Darcy's presence?"
"A little flirtation may help..." He stopped talked abruptly when he realized that Miss Bingley was tickling his hand with her feather. "On second thought, I think it is best that we act friendly towards each other, but not flirtatious. After all, we would not want either Miss Bennet or Mr. Darcy to get the wrong idea."
"And how long should I pretend to be indifferent and distant?" asked Miss Bingley.
The colonel stroked his chin. "At least a few days, I should say. Catch him by surprise, make him unsure of your affections. Then you can slowly...." The Colonel paused looked for the right words, "make it clear where your affections lie. Perhaps we can determine when the time is right as we go along."
Miss Bingley rose from the bench. "Very well, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I agree to your scheme." She walked majestically towards the house.
Colonel Fitzwilliam ran his hand down his face. He had done what he thought was in Darcy's best interest. The only way he could think of to convince Caroline to loosen her clutches on Darcy for a time was to convince her that it was the best way to win him. He was actually doing Darcy a favor, he rationalized. The idea, however, that he was, at least ostensibly, in cahoots with Caroline Bingley was distasteful to him. It made him feel disloyal to both Darcy. He also felt disloyal to Elizabeth, although he couldn't see how the scheme could harm her.
He strode back towards the front of the house just in time to see Georgiana and Darcy disappearing inside a carriage. The carriage was starting off down the drive by the time the colonel reached the footman who had seen them off.
"Do you know where Mr. And Miss Darcy are heading?" asked the colonel, trying to keep his irritation in check.
"Off to Lambton, Sir. To see you a young lady, I believe, Sir." Replied the footman with a cheeky grin.
The colonel did not bother to hide his annoyance. He knit his brows and glared at the footman. That unfortunate man interpreted the colonel's anger as directed at him for his impertinence in mentioning a young lady.
"I beg pardon, Sir. I meant no offense. Please don't tell Mr. Darcy about this, Sir."
The colonel had no idea what the footman was talking about. He nodded at the footman in a distracted manner as he watched the carriage disappear from view.
Chapter 7
When Georgiana and Darcy arrived at the Lambton Inn, the innkeeper told them that the Gardiners and Miss Bennet were out but were expected to return shortly. Darcy informed the innkeeper that they wished to wait.
"If you will excuse me, Sir," the innkeeper bowed deferentially, "I will have someone show you to the upstairs parlor. You will be more comfortable waiting there." The innkeeper disappeared into the back of the building.
Soon a freckled face serving maid appeared and showed them into a small, dark parlor two floors up from the main floor. The girl seemed completely awed by the Darcys. When Georgiana thanked her, the maid ducked her head, curtsied a few times too many, and fled out of the room.
Darcy and Georgiana sat down on a long bench near the door. Darcy took his hat off and twirled it around in his hands. He did not seem inclined to converse. He repeatedly crossed and recrossed his legs, as he usually did when he was anxious or uncomfortable. Georgiana was suddenly nervous herself at the thought of meeting Miss Elizabeth. "What do I say to her?" she thought. Like her brother, Georgiana Darcy did not have the talent of conversing easily with strangers.
She turned to her brother. "I believe you mentioned in a letter that Miss Bennet enjoys music? Does she play or sing?"
Darcy turned to his sister and a look of pleasure appeared on his face. "Yes, she is very fond of music. She plays the piano and she sings. She is not formerly trained, however, I found both her playing and singing delightful."
"Did she play at Rosings?" Georgiana hated playing the piano before her aunt.
"Yes, once. I thought she played beautifully. I regret to say, however, that our aunt chastised Miss Bennet by telling her that she would never play well unless she practiced more."
Georgiana flinched. If someone had said the same to her, she would have been mortified. "How did Miss Bennet react to our aunt's censure?"
"With amazing equanimity. Miss Bennet never seemed the least intimidated by Aunt Catherine. She even contradicted our aunt several times, but did it in such a good natured manner, that Aunt Catherine was at a loss to find offense with her. "
Georgiana was amazed at this news. "Miss Bennet must be quite extraordinary."
Just then they heard the sound of light footsteps on the stairs. Darcy's head jerked up in anticipation and both he and Georgiana rose to their feet. Soon a young woman appeared. Her face was flushed as if she had just run up the stairs. She curtsied gracefully before the Darcys. Darcy bowed before her.
"Miss Bennet," he murmured. "Allow me to introduce my sister, Georgiana Darcy." Miss Bennet reached out her hand to Georgiana and smiled at her with a natural warmth that touched Georgiana.
"Please come in and have a seat." Miss Bennet gestured towards the inner part of the room. As Georgiana and Darcy took a seat on a stuffed sofa, Miss Bennet moved to one of the windows and drew the curtains. Afternoon sunlight flooded the room and bathed Miss Bennet in a soft glow. Georgiana, who had, on first glance, thought of Miss Bennet as rather pretty but not beautiful, was amazed at how lovely she looked. Georgiana darted a glance at her brother. If she had harbored any doubts before as to her brother's feelings for Miss Bennet, she had none now. He stared at Miss Bennet with a liquid look in his eyes and a faint smile on his lips.
Miss Bennet seemed oblivious to the affect she had on Mr. Darcy. She moved across the room and soon engaged Georgiana in easy conversation. Darcy spoke little. Georgiana could tell from his general posture that he was content to sit and listen to their conversation. She noted that his eyes rarely left Miss Bennet.
Georgiana shyly broached the subject of music and was thrilled to discover that Miss Bennet was well acquainted with the music of Mozart and considered him to be the finest composer of recent times. The conversation next turned to Elizabeth's travels. Georgiana learned that Elizabeth and her party had intended to travel to the Lakes but ended up in Derbyshire because of Mr. Gardiner's business schedule. She decided that this was a good opportunity to try to involve her brother more in the conversation.
"My brother traveled to the Lake District last year," she said. "He promised to take me next spring, as he thought it was one of the most magnificent places in England." She turned to her brother. "Do tell Miss Bennet about your journey to the lakes and how you met William Wordsworth."
Miss Bennet focused her full attention on Darcy. "Is that true, Sir? You have met Mr. Wordsworth in the Lake District?"
"Yes," replied Darcy. "It was completely by chance. I was on a walking tour with a friend. When we stopped to rest by Grasmere, we met a man who was sitting on a rock. He was so still, we initially did not notice him until he started speaking to us. We only learned as we exchanged cards upon parting with him that he was William Wordsworth. I still keep his card as a reminder of that day. It is an elegant card and has one of his verses hand printed by him on the back."
Elizabeth Bennet had listened raptly as Mr. Darcy spoke. "How I should love to meet him myself. I admire him greatly. I have always thought him aptly named - as he makes me truly appreciate the worth of words."
Darcy smiled. "Yes, he is a great poet. I often think of his words when I look at a great work of nature. 'For I have learned to look on nature, not as in the hour of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes the still, sad music of humanity, nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power to chasten and subdue. And I have felt a presence that disturbs me with the joy of elevated thoughts;"
"Oh, yes," said Elizabeth. She looked at Darcy gravely, for a moment as if seeing him for the first time. Then she smiled at him; it was smile that emanated from her eyes as much as her lips. Darcy let the moment wash over him.
Elizabeth then turned her attentions back to Georgiana. "Do you read poetry Miss Darcy?" Before Georgiana could respond, a flurry of voices were heard nearby.
"Oh, I believe my aunt and uncle have arrived."
Darcy stood up as Mr. And Mrs. Gardiner mounted the top stair. He was bowing to Mrs. Gardiner when he heard the sound of a third person mounting the stairs. Darcy straightened up just in time to see his cousin enter the room.
"We met Colonel Fitzwilliam quite by chance," said Mrs. Gardiner. "He told us that you and Miss Darcy were on their way to call on us, and we hurried back here straight away." Mrs. Gardiner turned her attention then to Darcy who introduced his sister to the Gardiners.
During these introductions, the Colonel walked over to Elizabeth and greeted her. The Colonel said something to Miss Elizabeth and she laughed. She said something in reply and the colonel joined her in laughter. It was clear to Georgiana that they enjoyed each other's company a great deal.
After exchanging pleasantries with Mrs. Gardiner, Georgiana walked over to where the colonel and Miss Bennet were conversing. "Miss Bennet," she said softly, "my brother and I were wondering if you and your aunt and uncle would be our guests at Pemberley tomorrow for dinner."
Elizabeth looked briefly at Darcy who reiterated the invitation. Elizabeth then looked at her aunt and uncle who nodded and smiled with pleasure.
"We would be delighted to accept your invitation. We have no fixed engagements tomorrow."
After the details of tomorrow's invitation were discussed, Georgiana looked over at her brother. She had noticed that Mrs. Gardiner looked rather fatigued and Georgiana suddenly felt the full effects of her earlier journey. Her brother seemed to read her thoughts. He smiled graciously at Miss Bennet and the Gardiners and informed them that they needed to return to their guests. He reassured them that he and Georgiana were looking forward to the pleasure of their company on the following evening.
Darcy glanced at his cousin. "We are departing, Fitzwilliam. Are you joining us?"
The colonel looked at Mrs. Gardiner. "If I can impose on your hospitality a little longer, Madam, I would like to give my horse a chance to rest a while." Mrs. Gardiner assured the colonel that he most welcome to stay as long as he liked.
Georgiana looked uneasily at her brother, but his face betrayed no particular emotion. "Come, Georgie," he said, taking her arm.
With a parting look at Miss Bennet, Darcy guided Georgiana down the stairs. By the time they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Darcy's expression had turned quite severe. The sight of his face as he rounded the landing frightened the freckled-faced maid who was polishing the banisters. She dropped her cloth on the floor with a muffled cry.
Georgiana was grateful to see that the carriage was waiting for them in front of the inn. She sank into the soft carriage seat. Assessing her brother's mood by his grim expression, she knew better than to say anything. She gazed silently out the window as the carriage navigated the narrow streets of Lambton.
When the carriage neared the grounds of Pemberley, Georgiana finally spoke. "The poetry verse that you recited to Miss Bennet was beautiful. I should like to read Mr. Wordsworth's poetry."
Darcy looked momentarily startled as if he had forgotten Georgiana was present. He looked at his sister and his expression softened. "We have several volumes of his work in the library. I will help you locate it, if you like. I tucked the card Mr. Wordsworth gave me in one of his books. I thought that was a fitting place for it."
"Oh, I would love to see Mr. Wordsworth's card with his hand written verse."
Darcy smiled. "Of course."
"Perhaps, tomorrow evening you might like to give Miss Bennet a tour of the library and show her Mr. Wordsworth's card?"
Darcy raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister intently. "Are you meddling, Georgiana?"
Georgiana sank back further into the carriage cushions. "I suppose I am." She replied in small voice. "Are you angry?"
Darcy smiled wryly and shook his head. "No. I don't approve of it, but I am not angry."
Georgiana looked out the window. They were pulling up in front of Pemberley's main entrance. Mr. Bingley was standing expectantly on the bottom step. Georgiana was struck by a wave of guilt. She had forgotten all about Mr. Bingley and his sisters. "Oh, no. I have run out on our guests without informing them of our whereabouts. My manners are deplorable." She covered her face with her hands.
Darcy leaned towards his sister and grasped both of her small hands in his. "I am sure they managed to survive without you a short time." He lifted one of her hands and kissed it. "Unlike me." he said softly. "I could never survive without you, Georgiana. Not for one moment."
Chapter 8
Bingley bounded up to Darcy as soon as he had handed Georgiana down from the carriage. "Is it true, Darcy?" He cried. "Can it be true?"
Darcy looked at his friend. "I am sorry, Bingley. You have to clue me in. Can what be true?"
"Colonel Fitzwilliam told me that you had gone to visit the Bennets who are staying at an inn in Lambton. Could it be...?"
Darcy interrupted his friend. "It is quite true. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is visiting Lambton with her and aunt and uncle. They will be dining with us tomorrow night."
Bingley's pleasure at this news was palpable.
"Good lord," thought Georgiana in some distress, "don't tell me that Mr. Bingley also has designs on Miss Bennet."
"And her family, are they well? Are they all well?" asked Bingley.
Darcy looked rather uncomfortable. "I understand that they are quite well." he said. "You will have the opportunity to ask her about them tomorrow. If you excuse me, Bingley, I have some business matters to attend to before dinner. I will see you in an hour. You know to make yourself at home." With a nod, he walked briskly towards his study.
Bingley turned his attention to Georgiana. "So you met Miss Bennet this afternoon. Isn't she delightful? We got to know the Bennets quite well while we were staying at Netherfield," he explained to Georgiana. "They are a wonderful family, especially the elder two sisters. Indeed, I have never ..." Bingley suddenly closed his eyes and stopped talking.
"Is anything the matter, Mr. Bingley?"
"Yes. No, never mind. I believe I might just rest before dinner." He smiled rather shakily at Georgiana and headed off to his room.
Georgiana felt overwhelmed. "This is too much," she thought wearily. The long journey and the unfolding revelations of the day had taken its toll on her. Although she knew that, as the hostess, she should attempt to locate the Hursts and Miss Bingley and apologize for the Darcys' sudden departure to Lambton, she simply was not up to it. Instead, she slipped up to her room and promptly fell asleep.
Dinner that evening was an awkward affair. Georgiana's all too brief nap had only increased her feeling of fatigue and made her feel quite out of sorts. The Colonel, who arrived only just in time to dress for dinner, was uncharacteristically solemn. Darcy, too, was taciturn and grave, making little or no effort to entertain his guests.
It was Miss Bingley's behavior, however, that preoccupied Georgiana. Miss Bingley had sailed into the dining room on the colonel's arm and had insisted on taking the seat that was the furthest away from Darcy. She spoke with great animation to everyone but Darcy. She hardly even glanced in Darcy's direction. Although Georgiana had never liked the way Miss Bingley fawned over her brother, Miss Bingley's uncharacteristic indifference towards him made her uneasy.
Mr. Bingley did not help matters. He seemed intent on conversing about the Darcys' visit to Miss Bennet. Georgiana decided, after observing everyone's reactions when Mr. Bingley first brought up their visit to Lambton, that this was not a safe topic of dinner conversation. Despite Georgiana's efforts to steer the conversation in a safe direction, Mr. Bingley would intermittently ask Darcy or Georgiana questions about Miss Bennet and her family. The tension in the room increased every time the Bennet name was mentioned. By the time the fish course was served, the tension in the room was thicker than the aspic that was dished onto their plates.
Georgiana began to feel panicked. "If everyone is this uncomfortable just upon mention of Elizabeth Bennet's name," she thought, "I cannot bear to contemplate what tomorrow's dinner will be like." Detecting something of his sister's discomfort, Mr. Darcy decided to contribute to the conversation. Being as it was July and there had been no clouds for weeks, he determined that the weather would be an irreproachable subject.
"I believe the weather tomorrow will be quite fine."
To everyone's amazement, Miss Bingley gave a loud, derisive snort from the other end of the table.
"That shows how little you know about the weather, Mr. Darcy. Any fool can see that it will rain tomorrow. Don't you agree Colonel?"
Everyone lapsed into shocked silence. Such incivility to the host was inexcusable.
"Her behavior is worse than Aunt Catherine's and she doesn't even have a title." Georgiana thought indignantly.
Mr. Darcy stared at Miss Bingley for a moment. He then shot his cousin a suspicious look.
"Perhaps, we should take bets on tomorrow's weather," said the Colonel, shifting a little in his chair. "Hurst, do you care for a wager?"
Hurst looked up from his meat. "I wager against the rain. Darcy is no fool. Only person I know who is not one. Besides, this is the only time of year that it doesn't rain. Ten pounds, I'll wager."
No one felt it was politic to take up Hurst on his bet.
By the time, dinner had ended, Georgiana had a blinding headache and wanted nothing more than to crawl back to bed. Somehow she managed to make it through the rest of the evening. She kept Miss Bingley occupied for a time by entreating her to pour the after dinner coffee. Miss Bingley seemed very pleased with this role. She made no further rude remarks to Mr. Darcy, and he was wise enough not to approach her for a cup of coffee.
Georgiana was also grateful that Mrs. Hurst accepted her entreaty to play the piano. For the next hour, Mrs. Hurst kept up an endless stream of energetic music, which did nothing to help Georgiana's headache, but obviated the need for much after-dinner conversation. The ladies and Hurst retired to bed shortly after ten o-clock, leaving the three younger gentlemen alone.
Darcy poured brandy for himself and the other two men. His cousin looked at him uneasily, when Darcy handed him his glass.
"Thank you."
"Cards?" asked Bingley.
"I think not."
The colonel sipped his brandy. "Billiards?"
"No, I think not," said Darcy adjusting his cuff. "I feel like doing something more energetic."
"Fencing then?" asked the colonel with an edge in his voice.
Darcy stared at his cousin.
"No," said Darcy. "Not tonight."
Bingley patted his stomach and groaned a bit. "I ate too much this evening. I never can resist roast beef with horseradish or glazed pheasant. I wish, though, that I had stopped before the cheese."
Bingley got to his feet and looked out of the window. "There is a full moon tonight. Why don't we take a walk outside?" Bingley looked at Darcy and then snapped his fingers. "I know," he cried, "a moonlit swim!"
"I will walk with you if you like, Bingley," replied Darcy. "If you have over eaten, it is not wise to swim." He looked his cousin. "Besides, the pond is filled with scum this time of year."
Colonel Fitzwilliam threw back and his head and laughed. "Yes, a moonlit walk is a fine idea."
The three men walked around Pemberley's western perimeter. Due to the soothing effects of the moonlight and the light evening breeze, some of the tension between Darcy and his cousin dissolved during the course of the walk.
Bingley suddenly stopped short while they were walking down Pemberley's western slope. "I almost forgot, Darcy. I must apologize for Caroline's uncivil remark about the weather. It's most unlike her." Bingley blinked. "I mean, it's most unlike her to be uncivil to you. I will speak to her about this tomorrow."
Darcy laid his hand briefly upon Bingley's arm. "Do not distress yourself, Bingley. I was surprised, but not offended. I am sure your sister is very tired from her journey. There is no need for an apology. I must say, " he added, a few moments later, "that I was equally surprised by Hurst's defense of me."
Bingley made a small choking sound and both Darcy and Fitzwilliam turned to look at him. "No one was more surprised than I," he said. "I have seen Hurst almost every day for the past three years and tonight is the first time I have ever heard him say anything civil. In fact, I believe it is the first time I have ever heard him say anything intelligent."
The colonel turned to Bingley. "I am curious. Why did your sister marry Hurst? I gather he has no fortune and few social connections. Somehow, I doubt she desired him for his looks or charm."
"Well," said Bingley, and he started to choke with nervous laughter again. "That is a long story. It's rather embarrassing, really. I don't mind telling it, if you promise not to say anything about it to Caroline or Louisa. Are you sure that you want to hear it now? It may take a while."
"Yes, I am sure," the colonel assured him.
Darcy nodded. He had always wondered the same thing about the Hursts, but was too polite to ask.
Before Mr. Bingley could respond, however, there was a loud crack of thunder and it started to rain. The three men were completely drenched by the time they reached the house.