She stood to leave but Kitty cried, “Oh, Lizzy, will you not stay?”
“Oh, yes,” Miss Darcy exclaimed. “Please stay, Miss Elizabeth. I shall have a room prepared near Miss Katherine’s.”
“We can stay up and tell stories, like you and Jane do. Oh, please?”
“I thank you for your offer but do not want to inconvenience your household at this hour.”
“It would be no inconvenience. We shall send a footman to your aunt with a message and he can return with a bag. Tomorrow we can go to the shops.”
“Please, Lizzy?”
As Lizzy began to make her excuses, she felt his presence behind her. “What is this you both are pressing Miss Elizabeth about?” Mr. Darcy asked with a smile in his voice. “Come Miss Elizabeth, I am sure you must agree to whatever their plan is; you will not get a moment’s peace until you do.”
“See, Lizzy? Even Mr. Darcy agrees with us.”
“That I do.” He leaned his head down close to her ear, and in a stage whisper asked, “And what am I agreeing with?”
“The girls—” she counted to five to steady the frisson in her voice that his breath on her neck caused “—the girls would like me to stay at Darcy House this evening. I assured them it was much too late and would be too much of an inconvenience.”
“But it will not,” Georgiana interrupted. “William said so himself. He agreed with us, did you not, Brother?”
“I…well…”
Then the colonel chimed energetically. “Oh yes. That is what I heard, poppet. Your brother invited Miss Bennet to stay. As it is late, I agree with your brother.”
“I thank you, Miss Darcy, but Mrs. Annesley is not in residence. Did you not say she was helping with her grandson this evening? It would be highly inappropriate.”
“Yes, that is true,” Darcy replied clearing his throat. “It is unfortunate, but there you have it.”
“But, your wonderful housekeeper is here. I am certain Mrs. Noyes’ presence would stifle any gossip which could occur,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said with a glint in his eye.
“Wonderful! She is to stay,” Miss Darcy cheered. “I will have one of the maids make up your room at once.”
“And let’s not forget the extra Shrewsbury cakes out of the larder,” said Kitty.
The two girls excused themselves and raced out of the room arm in arm, giggling the whole way.
“I too must depart,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, bowing to her and shaking his cousin’s hand. “Pleasant dreams.” To her mortification, she saw him wink at Mr. Darcy before he strolled out the door, leaving the two in silence.
After listening to the ticking of the grandfather clock, Darcy said, “And here we are again, Miss Bennet. Alone in a music room.”
Lizzy looked up at him through her lashes as she sat on the couch. “Yes, sir. But this time there is no rain and no Sarah.” She straightened her skirt and looked nervously about the room before resting her eyes back on his face. “If you will allow me to apologize, sir. Please forgive the girls for trapping you into their plan.”
“Miss Bennet, I am not a man who easily falls prey to the manipulations of young ladies, even my own sister.” He offered her a lazy smile that made her cheeks warm. “If I wanted to avoid the situation, it would not have happened. However, I did not like you departing so late. And so, you are our guest for this evening.” They sat in silence for a while, before he asked, “Miss Elizabeth before you go partake in the mischief of young ladies, might you play the song you played at Ashby Park for me again? It is one of my favorites.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. I…it reminds me of Pemberley.”
“As you wish.” She rose and walked to the piano where she sang the sweet Irish ballad again. In the third verse, she looked up and caught him studying her, his eyes penetrating hers, causing a shiver up her spine, before she turned back to the instrument and closed her eyes, singing the melody.
At the conclusion, Mr. Darcy’s eyes were closed and he did not move.I believe he is asleep. Poor man. He has had a long, arduous month.
At the sound of the piano bench scraping backwards, Mr. Darcy opened his eyes, and quietly asked, “Were you going to sneak away without saying goodnight, Miss Bennet?”
“No, sir.” She started at his voice. “I thought you asleep.”
“I do not believe I could ever fall asleep in your presence.”
