With a shrug, Miss Bingley added cheerily, “I had thought he hoped to marry one of your sisters.”
Miss Kitty blushed. “Yes, well, he had his eye on Lizzy… but…”
“Then you might be the fortunate one,” Miss Bingley said, clapping her hands together in spurious glee.
“Me?” Miss Kitty choked. “Dear me, no, no, no. I could never agree to marry such a ridiculous man.”
“Oh, but your mother made it very clear that he meant to take one of you as his bride. I do not suspect he will be away for long.”
What did Miss Bingley mean by this questioning?
Elizabeth replied, “Just because a gentleman proposes does not signify that the lady is obliged to accept his offer. The decisions we are allowed to make are few and precious, and I hope my sisters would choose happiness and love over security and expectations.”
Darcy frowned. Elizabeth’s argument was sound, but was that how she still felt about their match? She had not wanted to accept the arrangement, but Darcy had thought they understood each other better now.
Bingley broke his uncharacteristic silence. “Let us enjoy our present company without lamenting Mr. Collins. I am sure he had his reasons for departing when he did. Let us speak of something else.” His words and accompanying facial expression directed to his sister brooked no argument.
Miss Kitty asked Georgiana, “Will you spend the rest of winter in London or at Pemberley?”
Georgiana’s eyes shifted between Miss Kitty and Darcy. “I do not know. I have always spent the winter at Pemberley with my brother.”
Elizabeth jumped in. “Then you must come with us.” She turned to Darcy, “That is, if we are to return to Pemberley. Your family might wish us to stay longer in town.”
An image of Elizabeth sliding down the snow-covered hills, peals of laughter trailing in her wake, flitted through Darcy's mind. Skating on the lake and warming their fingers with cups of hot cider, throwing snowballs, reading by the fire... Elizabeth had not yet been to Pemberley, but Darcy already saw her there as clearly as though the images in his mind were memories—as though she had always been a part of his life. That she might feel trapped in their arrangement gutted Darcy.
Richard clapped him on the back. "You must bring your bride to the hot springs at Matlock. Mother will insist on packing a picnic and making a day of it.”
Miss Kitty swayed on her feet. “How romantic! Imagine sipping chocolate and eating cake in the pools while the snow fluttered down around you?"
The thought of Elizabeth surrounded by steam, snowflakes drifting onto her hair and glistening off the tips of her eyelashes stirred Darcy's blood and conjured all sorts of images which were entirely inappropriate to contemplate.
He had to talk to her. He had to tell her his plan for Bingley. She would not be happy, but he would plead his case and be honest with her.
“It is settled. If Pemberley is where everyone wishes to go, then we shall travel there directly after the wedding. Now, if you will excuse me for a few minutes, I promised to lend Mr. Bennet a book from the library.”
Darcy saw Richard’s smirk. If Elizabeth did not take his hint, his cousin would make certain she did.
He left the room and turned down the hall, wishing he had thought of a better excuse when the stark shelves offered few books to lend to a well-read gentleman like Mr. Bennet.
Picking upSense and Sensibility,Darcy found his place and attempted to resume reading, but the words on the page failed to capture his attention when his thoughts were full of Elizabeth. Would she ever have chosen him?
The white-collared kitten trotted into the library and hopped onto the window seat, pretending to ignore Darcy while never letting him out of his sight.
Darcy sat, trying to take no notice of the cat and purposely sitting with his back to the door so he would not obsess over how long it would be before Elizabeth walked through it.
How should he begin? Darcy fretted.
The kitten hopped down from the window seat to sit at Darcy’s feet. Stretching in place, he looked up expectantly.
Setting aside his book, Darcy scooped him up, resting the fluff ball against his chest. "You have excellent taste in friends, if I do say so. What think you of the name Darcy?"
The kitten bumped his head against Darcy's chin and purred.
"It is a grand name, but something tells me you already know that."
Another head bump.
Darcy chuckled. "So long as you do not befriend Miss Bingley. No end of rumors would be started should someone say, 'Darcy, climb down from Miss Bingley's lap. You will ruin her gown.'"
