“I am touched you remember it so precisely,” Stephen laughed.
“We are all quite proud of you,” Darcy said.
The two looked at one another for a moment, then, with a nod, the colonel picked up the thread of the original conversation.
“Regardless, you would be an ideal teacher for Miss Bingley. I suggest you begin forthwith.”
While Miss Bingley expressed her delight at this idea and turned to her sister to insist on her doing likewise, Darcy shot his cousin a look of furious dismay. Stephen winked at him and suggested he and Elizabeth take a turn in the garden. She readily agreed, inviting Jane and Georgiana to join them. Bingley chose to go along as well.
An hour later, at their request, Georgiana called the carriage to bring the Bennet sisters back to Barlow Hall.
“I wish you two would stay longer,” she told them. “But of course we mustn’t be selfish—your family need their share of you too, I suppose.”
“Indeed, it has been wonderful to meet you both after hearing so much about you,” Bingley eagerly agreed. “I hope we will see much of you during our stay.”
“Of course we shall,” Georgiana declared.
As she, Elizabeth and Bingley spoke of potential outings, Elizabeth observed Jane and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Several times, Jane looked away from whoever was speaking to the colonel, who stood silently beside Bingley. He did not look at Jane once, but somehow Elizabeth was sure his attention was entirely focused on her. At one point, he caught Elizabeth observing him, and when he smiled, she thought perhaps he knew he was caught. This was confirmed when he moved around the other three to come to her side.
“Miss Elizabeth and I will step outside and let you know when the carriage arrives,” he said. She followed, though of course it was unnecessary as Pemberley’s efficient staff would let them all know the minute the carriage came.
“I feel you have something you wish to say to me?” Stephen began when they had reached the bottom of the stairs.
“I am a bit surprised we seem to understand each other so well on so brief an acquaintance,” she hedged.
“It is unusual, this is true. However, I imagine we both had two of our favourite people telling us of one another for some time now. Perhaps that has helped make it possible.”
“Perhaps,” Elizabeth conceded.
“And now you wish to warn me away? I assure you I will not be offended. I am certain in the information regardingme communicated by my family my need for an heiress was canvassed. It makes me a less than desirable candidate.”
“I am strangely comforted by the knowledge that you cannot in fact know me too well by learning about me from others. And that you actually do not even know your own relatives as well as you might think.”
“Meaning?”
“Mr. Darcy and Georgiana did not discuss your circumstances with me. They have told me much of your heroism, your kindness, your humour and your unwillingness to concede defeat at any game you play, but no heiresses were mentioned.”
“Miss Elizabeth, please accept my apology,” he said, his sincerity evident. “I have perhaps become a little jaded and possibly not quite as sanguine about my own prospects as I have led myself to believe. At least not when confronted with a possibility so very different from what I have come to expect and which I am surprisingly invested in after so short a time.”
“I accept your apology, and I suppose I must say that is likely as explicit as this conversation should become.”
The colonel looked slightly guilty at this, but she went on.
“But before placing that boundary, I will say that if you are seeking a flirtation while on holiday, please look elsewhere. I hope you will not be offended, but some of my loved ones are so willing to see the good in others they do not always look to their own interests, so I feel I must.”
“Of course.” Stephen bowed his acknowledgement of her caution. “Your family are lucky to have you as their protector, and I assure you I would never . . . contemplating a flirtation would not have me this out of sorts.”
They looked at each other, both surprised at his admission. He laughed and then said, “Once again, I must make apologies. Please forgive my bluntness. I hope I have not lost the chance to call you friend. Darcy is always telling me I have picked up bad habits in the army. Please don’t tell him I finally realised he may be right.”
“You are forgiven, and your secret is safe with me,” Elizabeth assured him. “I would be glad to consider you a friend. I seem unable to resist any of your family.”
“That is good to hear, and if I might, before we become prim and proper once again, express a similar caution to you regarding my family—some of them are so used to things being one way they have a difficult time adjusting to something new. Be patient.”
“Georgiana is doing so well adjusting to her role as mistress. I do not know that my patience is required, but I will always support her,” Elizabeth answered, uncertain why the colonel thought this advice necessary.
“I agree and have no doubt she can always rely on you, but I was not speaking of Miss Darcy.”
Elizabeth tried to discern his meaning, but in the moments she took to form her questions, the carriage rolled up the drive and Jane, Bingley and Georgiana came out the door, followed by Darcy.
