Darcy held Emily, kissed her on the top of her head, and asked, “Are you having a fine evening, Miss Em-Em?”
With her smallehnsounding grunt, Emily replied that she was. She then reached her arms back towards Elizabeth, and laughing, Darcy handed the girl back to her.
“I am not the favourite either.”
After this Emily demanded to be passed between them three times, before she finally settled in Elizabeth’s arms and pressed her head against her shoulder.
“Ha,” Elizabeth exclaimed when it was clear that Emily was done with the game. “Sweet victory.”
They made such a picture. Darcy felt a rush of affection for Elizabeth at seeing how well she managed with Emily.
“What is your present situation?” Darcy asked, his earlier anxiety about Mr. Sykes returning.
Elizabeth made a tiny shrug. Emily nestled closer against her and made a small sigh.
“Nothing of interest.”
“Nothing?” Darcy held her eyes.
Elizabeth glanced to see that Miss Lucas and Mr. Sykes were far enough away in their conversation that she could speak without being overheard. She then lowered her voice, “Lord! I have listened to the drunken ramblings of that man for five days straight. Barely any walk to break the monotony. Never has bad weather been so ill-timed. Though I wish to pretend that no such disaster shall ever befall, like as not he’ll ask me to marry before he and Collins return to Kent.”
“And…” Darcy began to ask, “What shall you do?”
“You know I shall not marry him,” Elizabeth replied snappishly. “Five days ofthisstyle of courting has only cemented the dislike. I’d happily have taken Collins over him.”
“I apologize for my presumption in asking,” Darcy replied, still studying her intently, and watching her expressions to see if there was anything wavering in them.
“You worry.” Elizabeth smiled at him warmly. “A mark of thefriendshipyou feel towards me. I shall refuse to feel annoyed — we shall have a grand argument when the time comes. I hardly know how the whole shall go when Mr. Collins begins to insist — do not look at me with such anxiety. I have already begged and received an invitation from my aunt and uncle in London to retreat tither should my situation at home become untenable.”
“You have a sure route to escape, and as my military cousin would say, you have ensured the supplies along the route.” Thetension in Darcy’s shoulders loosened. “The relations in trade? Are they good people?”
Emily had fallen asleep on Elizabeth’s shoulder. Seeing the comfort his daughter felt with Elizabeth made the warmness in his heart towards her burn white and hot.
“The relations in trade—” Elizabeth laughingly mimicked his voice. “You have a little snobbery. The best of persons. You would like them. Though Uncle Gardiner is my mother’s brother, he is far cleverer and more sensible than either of his sisters. He was a dear friend of my father, and his wife is one of my favourite persons in the whole world. It would be preferable if I never need to be a burden upon them, but I trust them to offer a pleasant home and situation.”
Mr. Sykes approached them. He had a jovial sneer. “Mr. Darcy, I demand my partner for the dance from you, and from the brat.”
Darcy frowned.
“I appreciated Miss Darcy’s earlier serenade of the crowd. Sobs in G minor was the piece, was it not? She was in fine form — but though they will be overshadowed by the memory of your spawn’s raucous shrieks, you can see that the professionals begin theirmusic.”
Elizabeth looked at Mr. Sykes in a manner that put Darcy to mind of the time that he had looked at a very young puppy of Georgiana’s who had peed upon his favourite slippers. At last Elizabeth sighed and handed Emily carefully over to Darcy. “The dear creature has fallen asleep.”
“I shall go upstairs and put her to bed,” Darcy said. “Poor Emily, I’d promised she might see the first dance, but that was longer than she could last.”
Darcy carefully climbed the stairs holding Emily, with Nell following.
He did not wish to watch Elizabeth dancing with Mr. Sykes.
Even though she had a planned escape to London, she might be compelled to marry the gentleman. He could not be really confident about what she would do when faced directly with the consequences of defying the man upon whose goodwill her family depended.
Darcy took extra time placing Emily down and seeing that she was comfortably ensconced in the crib with her pillow and blankets. He watched his child with a warm smile.
The hollow feeling remained in his stomach.
Darcy only left when Nell said, “You’d best return to your entertainments, Mr. Darcy. The little one will sleep perfectly well, and I’ll be here if she wakes.”
Instead of heading directly back to the ballroom, Darcy took his way down a different set of stairs, and he walked by the library.
