One Thread Pulled: The Dance With Mr. Darcy (27 page)

“Then I must accompany you or resort to hiding from your sister in the library. She does nothing but tease me, and I do not like it.” Darcy said. “I would as soon
 
see
 
the fine eyes as hear endlessly about them.”

“Miss Elizabeth?” Charles chuckled. “She is a lively girl, and I like her very much. Miss Bennet tells me that her sister is too spirited and headstrong for their mother but that her father adores her as his favorite daughter.”

“Their father seems gentlemanly enough.” Darcy reflected. “I wonder that the estate is not more profitable. The property is sufficient, I believe, to have done much better.”

“I have thought the same.” Bingley acknowledged. “He does not appear to be much engaged in improvements.”

“Perhaps he is not motivated to undertake improvements. It would take but a year to see an increase in income if it were done right.” Darcy looked out the window toward Longbourn. “Then the
 
dowries of his five daughters would not be so meager.”

Bingley laughed. “I care not a whit about Miss Bennet's dowry, Darcy! I have money enough for us both! Why deny myself the greater treasure of felicity in marriage simply because she cannot add to my fortune? I assure you that when I am holding her in my arms, I will
 
not
 
be thinking of money.”

Darcy's expression clouded. “How can you know that she is not a fortune hunter—that when you are holding her in your arms, that
 
she
 
will not be thinking of money?”

“If money makes her happy,” Bingley shrugged, “then I shall be its willing bearer. However, I do not believe she is like that.”

“You could do better.” Darcy informed him. “She has no connections.”

“Neither did I, until you became my friend. If she will have me, let my connections increase hers, then no one can ever say that she has none, for the name of 'Darcy' is sufficient connection for anyone.” Bingley grinned, as though the answer were so easy that a simpleton could have seen it. “I hate to ride upon your coattails, my friend. I hope you do not begrudge it.”

“You are as a brother to me,” Darcy replied soberly and shook his head. “I do not begrudge it.”

“Are these your only objections to my lady?” Bingley clapped Darcy on his shoulder. “You cannot doubt her affection for me. I should make her an offer!”

“No, I do not doubt.” Darcy said, “I have seen her attachment to you. These were my main concerns, but as your friend, I caution you not to act rashly. A proposal of marriage is serious business, and cannot be honorably retracted once made. Let it be courtship for a time. No harm may come from waiting.”

“No harm, perhaps, except that my heart may burst!” Bingley declared.

“That would surely make a mess.” Darcy laughed. “Wait, but do not wait so long that you die first.”

“You must know that time will only deepen my devotion to her, and abject desire will prevent postponement sufficient to bring death.” Bingley said with a smile. “You
 
are
 
coming with me today, are you not?”

“I believe I shall.” Darcy replied with a nod and a smile. “I have a favor to ask of you now, and I hope you will oblige.”

“You have indulged me most graciously today,” Bingley said cheerily. “I cannot imagine that I could refuse you anything.”

“My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, has agreed to come to Hertfordshire to assist me in some personal business. He expects to stay at the Inn in Meryton, but I would ask if he might instead make use of a room here at Netherfield. He is a pleasant fellow, perhaps even more jovial than you are. You are certain to enjoy his company immensely.”

“But this is splendid!” Bingley cried. “Of course, I will oblige! I will tell the housekeeper to prepare a room. When is he to arrive?”

“I do not know exactly. It could be soon.” Darcy replied.

“This cousin, I believe, is the son of an earl is he not?” Bingley said with his eyebrows raised.

“Yes,” Darcy replied, “the second son of the Earl of Matlock.”

“Oh ho! Caroline will be most impressed!” Bingley said, beaming. “She cannot fault me for a lack of decent company with such a man as this under our roof! She may even be distracted from her grand attentions to you, Darcy. I hope you do not mind.”

“Thank you, Bingley.” Darcy said thoughtfully. “You well know that I would not mind such a diversion at all, although I cannot predict how Richard will feel about it.”

“Look here, Darcy!” Bingley pointed out the window. “A carriage approaches.”

Darcy recognized the carriage in a glance. “Richard has always had impeccable timing.” He muttered with a shake of his head. “I have never figured out how he does it. Come and meet my cousin Bingley—today is proving to be an interesting day indeed.”

~*~

Elizabeth heard her mother calling for her as she approached the house. Her walk, having taken longer than usual, brought her home just as her family was gathering for breakfast, and she hastened her steps.

“Lizzy! Where is that child?” Mrs. Bennet's voice carried down the hall as Elizabeth removed her cloak.

“I am here, Mama.” Elizabeth peeked into the dining room. Her family and Mr. Collins were all seated and already eating. Mr. Collins looked up at the sound of her voice, and his eyes widened when he saw Elizabeth, her cheeks pink from the cold and her dark hair hanging in a loose rope.

“Lizzy, you cannot come to breakfast in such a state!” Mrs. Bennet scolded. “Do your hair, girl! You are too wild today!”

“Yes, Mama.” Elizabeth bobbed a curtsy at her mother and withdrew.

“I am so sorry, Mr. Collins.” Mrs. Bennet apologized. “Lizzy knows better—I think she must have gone for a walk and forgotten herself.”

“Your daughter, Mrs. Bennet,” Collins said graciously with a slow, sideways nod of the head, “is uniformly charming. I take no offense, for walking is beneficial exercise, and she is to be commended for making it the first business of the day. While the rest of the household was still asleep, Cousin Elizabeth had already risen.”

Mary looked across the table at Mr. Collins, her eyes slightly narrowed, her expression thoughtful. “Mr. Collins, I believe you are correct.”

Mr. Collins, hearing his name, turned to listen, and shook his head, uncomprehending.

“A walk, Mr. Collins.” Mary smiled in sweet agreement with her cousin. “My sister has exercised while we breakfasted, and you have most convincingly persuaded me that if we do likewise and exercise during
her
 
repast, our day will have begun nearly as productively as hers. We may still reclaim the morning. You are so astute to have thought of it!”

Mr. Collins blinked twice and then nodded graciously to Mary. “Cousin Mary, your swiftness in discerning my meaning does you credit. Indeed, a walk after a meal aids digestion and returns the mind to a state of alertness by increasing one’s circulation.”

“I am most indebted to you, Mr. Collins.” Mary said, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “I will be ready to go in five minutes.” She rose from the table and quit the room, Mr. Collins speechlessly watching her departure.

Mrs. Bennet watched her daughter go as well, a quizzical look on her face, as Lydia and Kitty whispered and giggled of the coming teatime with the officers and Jane and Mr. Bennet continued their breakfast, lost in their own thoughts.

~*~

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam accepted the invitation from Bingley to stay at Netherfield, sent his carriage back to the inn in Meryton for his trunks and was now settling into his room.

Darcy knocked on the door to Richard's temporary quarters, nearly bursting with the need to counsel privately with his cousin.

“Come!” Richard called out, and when Darcy stepped through the doorway, Richard frowned at him. “Oh, it is just you, Darcy. I thought perhaps that the fetching Caroline Bingley had come to compromise me.” Richard laughed, “Egad, that woman knows how to assess a man in an instant. I have been weighed and measured, although she was in such haste she quite forgot to look at my teeth.”

Darcy shut the door before he laughed. “How I have missed you, Richard!” He slapped his cousin on the back. “You had better lock your door tonight, or Miss Bingley might put such a plan into play—or determine to finish her inspection and come to check your teeth!”

“So, have you saved a piece of Wickham, or have I come too late?” Richard asked with a gleam in his eye. “If you have moved without me, I may just have to trounce you in his stead.”

“Wickham is intact—for the time being.” Darcy replied. “As a gentleman, I could not call out the son of a servant. Denied a duel, I did not have the heart to cheat you of your share of his hide.”

“So what is the plan, or were you waiting for me to come up with the ideas?” Richard asked.

“I am always open to your ideas, Fitz. Many of my best memories are the product of them.” Darcy grinned. “But today, we will just toy with Wickham. His anticipation of our second act will be acute before we are done.”

“Zounds, I like the sound of this!” Richard grinned broadly. “What do you propose?”

“I have it on the best authority that George Wickham will be taking tea today, at a local household.” Darcy started.

“So it is to be a tea party, eh?” Richard raised an eyebrow.

“As I was saying, he has been invited by some neighbors, a household comprising five rather lovely, unmarried daughters.” Darcy continued.

“A tea party in paradise? I should have come sooner!” Richard exclaimed. “What are we waiting for?”

“Tea time, Richard.” Darcy smiled indulgently. “There is more to tell, if you will quit interrupting me.”

“Do tell.” Richard sat down and leaned back. “I shall not interrupt again.”

“As I said, there are five daughters in the Bennet family.” Darcy paused, and Richard pressed his lips together to prove his promise. “The eldest, Miss Jane Bennet, is considered the greatest beauty in the county, and Bingley is courting her.”

“We have an in!” Richard exclaimed, slapping the table.

Darcy shot a dark look at his cousin. “Oh! Sorry,” Richard said, “please continue.”

“The youngest, Miss Lydia Bennet, is not yet sixteen.” Darcy nodded at Richard meaningfully. “The Bennet family estate is entailed away from the female line, with no male son to inherit. The heir to Longbourn is none other than our aunt's parson, Mr. William Collins.”

“Now there's a coincidence for you,” Richard mumbled.

“Mr. Collins is presently a guest at Longbourn, delivered to their door by Aunt Catherine herself.”

Richard's eyes widened, but he did not speak.

“Mr. Collins, it seems, has been advised by our aunt that he must marry one of the Bennet girls to satisfy the entailment while keeping the estate in the Bennet family,” Darcy said.

“A reasonable solution—for once our aunt has made some sense.” Richard smiled at the thought. “I am astonished—I did not think it possible.”

“Mr. Collins is, and I say this with all due respect owed to his station as a clergyman, the most absurd man I have ever encountered,” Darcy replied.

“Ah.” Richard laughed. “I should have known Aunt Catherine was incapable of sense. How silly of me.”

“Mr. Collins has, I believe, focused his attentions on the second eldest Miss Bennet. Miss Elizabeth Bennet. And she appears to be receptive to him.”

“The number of ladies in the house dwindles too quickly. From five, we are down to three—two if Wickham takes one. We had better go now, before they are all gone!” Richard laughed.

His laugh was met with a fierce glower from Darcy.

“What is it, man?” Richard asked uneasily. “Have I said something wrong again? Has Wickham already taken one? I shall string him up the nearest tree if he has!”

“No.” Darcy swung a second chair to face Richard and sat down in it. “No, I do not believe Wickham has compromised any of them yet. They have no fortune to tempt him, but they do possess a myriad of other charms which he would have no hesitation to abuse. Wickham may still be a danger to them and most certainly to the daughters of the village merchants.”