Anne’s words echoed again in his head:Marry to please yourself, to make your own heart happy.
She had deserved better.
“I always attend to my duty. But it is my place, as a free man, to determine what I see my duty to be, and how I shall act to fulfil it — Georgiana, Emily, come.”
“I’ll follow with you,” Richard said, looking at the sour expression on his mother’s face. “Seems best.”
As it was only half a mile, they’d walked across fashionable London to visit his uncle rather than taking the carriage.Georgiana and Mrs. Younge lined up next to each other on the sidewalk, with Mrs. Younge speaking cheerfully to his sister about the promised delights she’d enjoy now that the delayed trip to Ramsgate was finally settled, while Darcy walked quietly next to Richard.
At first Emily wanted to be down so that she could climb up, down and around on the front steps of every townhouse they passed on the road. But then she turned to him and grabbed his legs. Darcy picked her up, and immediately she leaned her head against his chest in a manner that suggested that the irregular time of her current once-daily nap might be upon them.
After some minutes of silence, Richard glanced backwards to see how close Mrs. Younge and Georgiana were. Then he tilted his head close to Darcy and said quietly, “This is not the way.”
The only proper reply was a small shrug.
“Anne loved you and she was happy. This is not howshewould have wished you to act.”
Darcy did not even bother to shrug this time.
“Jove!” Richard shook his head. “Fool. But with your habits, I imagine you would not even know what to do with yourself if you did not make such an effort to drown yourself in guilt and duty.”
“Duty is duty,” Darcy replied sharply.
“Guilt is not a duty.” Richard placed an uncomfortably familiar hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “My dear cousin, Ibegyou. Realize that.”
A voice called out, “Hullo! Hullo! Darcy, I know that is you. Hullo!”
“Bingley,” Darcy replied smiling. He was not at all displeased to have the conversation interrupted. He had an odd sense that Richard was right, but he did not wish to consider that possibility, as though his cousin was right, and that wallowing in guilt was a manner of passing the time for him.
Darcy offered his free hand, which was his left, to shake. Bingley grinned and shook Darcy’s hand with his usual cheery vigour. He was dressed in a bright blue coat with a slightly too elaborate cravat.
“Very well, very well.” Bingley exclaimed, “You all look very well!”
“We are,” Darcy replied. “And you?”
Emily, who had not quite fallen asleep, looked at Darcy’s friend with brilliant big eyes.
“Exceedingly well. Leased an estate. Just a few weeks past. Is this the little girl? ‘Pon my honour! She is twice as big as she was in the spring. Three times as big!”
“Hardlythatmuch,” Darcy replied. “But from the frequency with which we must replace her clothes, I cannot be surprised that you have such an impression.”
“Three times as big. I’d wager my whole fortune on the point,” Bingley repeated. “Hello, little one.”
Emily immediately buried her head in Darcy’s shoulder.
“Does she not like me anymore?” Bingley laughed as he faked a pout. “And to think I held her when she was merely four months old.”
“Emily,” Darcy asked dryly, “what do you have to say to that?”
She hid deeper in Darcy’s coat and wrapped her hand around the silk of his waistcoat.
“It seems,” Richard said, “that is not a consideration which drives her. Changeable creatures, the very young.”
“Without a doubt,” Bingley said. “I always found my little cousins quite odd. But then I only saw them once a year, if that often.”
“Where is this estate that you’ve leased?” Darcy had a slight concern that the case would prove that his friend had been taken advantage of.
“Yes, yes! In Hertfordshire. Not thirty miles from London, fine hunting grounds, excellent park. Good solid construction. Marble façade and red brick. Excellent rooms — fine place for entertaining. I paced out the principal rooms, and in one you could fit five and ten dancing couples, without too much squeezing. The look of the neighbourhood was fine as well. And I’ve been told that it is an excellent price for the rent.”
