“No, I…” She felt her face flush and turned to look up at Mr. Darcy.
Without removing his attention from Lizzy, he said, “Thompson, I apologize, but you will have to wait until the next set. Miss Elizabeth promised this dance to me.” He then took her hand and walked her to the dance floor, not once allowing his regard to falter.
“Good evening, Mr. Darcy.” Her tremulous voice almost betrayed her thoughts.How perfectly shaped his lips are…
“Miss Elizabeth. You are looking well this evening. That gown is most becoming on you.”
Her breath caught at the compliment. “Thank you, sir.” As the music began, they were separated by the dance, but when the steps returned him to her side, he said, “What lovely combs you are wearing. They complement your dress so well.”
“Thank you. They were a gift. But they were delivered anonymously.”
The dance once again separated them, but upon his return he replied, “Anonymously, you say? Perhaps I can solve the mystery. You see, my sister adores you and wants nothing more than to make those she loves happy. She had them delivered anonymously so you could not return them.”
“Mr. Darcy, they are much too fine a gift. I must return them.”
“You must not, as I promised her I would faithfully convince you to keep them. Please, Miss Elizabeth. Do not disappoint our Georgie.”
Our Georgie.At that moment, he was charm itself and she would have agreed to almost anything he proposed.
They were separated again by the dance but when brought back together, he whispered, “Miss Elizabeth. As loath as I am to speak of it, I am sure you understand I could never convey enough of my thanks for your actions this evening.”
“There is no need. I am only grateful my inquisitive habit was of use. I would be devastated for you, and Miss de Bourgh, if you were forced into a situation you did not wish to find yourself in.”
“Yes, yes, well…”
“Yes. It would have been unfair for you to be yoked to that woman, as my father would say, when you truly loved another.”
At that point the partners changed, and Lizzy found herself clasping hands with Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Anne de Bourgh was partnered with Mr. Darcy.
“And what are you and my cousin discussing, which has him so curiously animated?”
“We are merely talking about the grandeur of the ball and the number of couples,” Lizzy replied with an arch smile, glancing from the colonel to Mr. Darcy and Miss de Bourgh.
As the final bars of the song ended, the colonel said, “Darcy, have you the time? I need to check in with Mother at half past the hour.”
“Of course,” he said, removing his watch from his pocket. “You have ten minutes.”
“Thank you. You should tell Miss Elizabeth about your watch.” He winked before whisking Miss de Bourgh across the ballroom.
“Miss Elizabeth, would you care for some refreshment?”
“No, I thank you. But I do need some air. I am feeling a little warm in the ballroom.”
“Let us refresh ourselves on the veranda.” He placed her hand on his arm and escorted out the doors into the cool night air.
“Mr. Darcy, I would not wish you to feel duty bound to ignore your betrothed in order to give me comfort. Please, do not trouble yourself. I will be fine.”
“Miss Elizabeth,” his deep baritone voice murmured, cutting through her and making her heart race with an expectation of she knew not what. “I am quite content in your company. I only wish I knew why Richard wants me to tell you about my watch.”
Feeling all the embarrassment of the moment, she said, “The colonel and I met earlier this week by chance and I mentioned what a beautiful watch you had received.”
“My watch?”
She looked out across the darkness hearing the music wafting from the ballroom. “When we were at Ashby Park. I went to the library to retrieve a book, and it was on the end table. I picked it up to examine. I was immediately taken by the beautiful estate on the front.”
“Yes, thank you. And might I say, I am grateful you do not have a scar from when that book hit you?”
She smiled at the memory and her finger went to her temple. “As am I.”
