The Resolution
Elizabeth glanced at the door again, anxious to start furiously writing her newfound intelligence to Jane. She even ignored the gentleman as she thought about all she had learned, wondering if she might return to Cheapside sooner than planned.
She was forced to admire Mr Darcy’s cleverness. With little time to plan, and given a terrible hand of cards, he had played skilfully and swept the board. In the midst of appreciating this, she briefly considered it unfortunate he was so far above her. She quite liked the taciturn man now that she understood him better and regretted that she would likely never see him again. She thought that in another life, they could have been friends.
She finally said, “Mr Darcy, I believe that may be the best conversation of my life. I applaud you, sir! I am impressed by your quick thinking!”
He appeared at a loss as to how to receive a compliment on anything other than his estate or looks but finally nodded with a rather handsome smile.
“Thank you, Miss Bennet. It means a great deal to me.”
They sat in contemplative silence for a few minutes, until he spoke again. “Now that I have kept my half of the bargain, are you willing to trade?”
She startled, then had to take a moment to recall he wanted her to pay for all that delicious gossip. She was not certain she wanted to tell him much of anything, but a bargain was a bargain, and she judged he was trustworthy. The only evidence against that thesis was from Mr Wickham, and she was largely convinced there was more to that story than the man related—and Mr Darcy was far more likely to be the injured party.
“Ask,” she said in resignation.
“Imustknow!” he said.
She furrowed her brow in confusion and gave him a look indicating he owed her an explanation—or at least phrasing his desire in the form of a question.
“Imustknow if you or Miss Bennet organised the rumours. I give my word as a gentleman I will not exact retribution, nor will I ever breathe a word to a living soul—but Imustknow for my own sanity.”
Elizabeth felt rather like she had spent the last few weeks as a mouse hunting a cat. Her desire to know if Jane’s retribution worked had placed her in an uncomfortable position—one where her honour would not allow her to lie, even if she could escape detection, which she doubted.
“I can safely say I had nothing to do with it, though I learned of the rumours the day before I came to Kent,” she said, looking carefully to gauge his reaction.
He nodded and smiled slightly.
“I cannot convict Jane of involvement,” she said and stared at him hard, and finally finished, “but neither can I absolve her.”
“I knew it!” he shouted, then jumped from his chair to raise a fist in triumph like a gambler who had just won twenty to one at Ascot.
He sat back down with a huge smile on his face, which frankly startled Elizabeth. He was certainly acting peculiar, and she wondered if his look was that of the judge who had just received condemning testimony. She hoped not, because at that moment he looked handsomer than ever, and she thought it might mortify her should he prove to be another Mr Bingley.
His face became concerned, and he quickly added, “I hope you do not think I am celebrating having caught the culprit.”
“I have no idea what you are celebrating.”
“I am celebrating appreciation of a well-deserved and well-executed scheme of revenge. I admire your sister far more than I ever did in Hertfordshire. I may even offer to help herfind a suitor, which will give me the greatest pleasure. It was astonishing… stupendous… amazing. I would have wagered a month’s income she did not possess the capacity for it.”
Elizabeth stared at him in abject confusion, wondering if she wouldeverunderstand men.
“You do not mind that she ensnared you in her scheme?”
“Of course not! Miss Bennet is clever enough to know she would no more than inconvenience me, and to be honest, I did not exactly leave her—or anybody else in Meryton—any reason to esteem me.”
“No, you didnot!” she snapped before she could check herself.
She immediately felt regret for no good reason. “You improve with better acquaintance,” she added somewhat shyly.
“I am glad to hear it,” he said with a deep and most appealing voice.
Elizabeth sighed. “Well, all’s well that ends well, I suppose. I do hope you absolve Jane of any maliciousness. This is thefirst time in her lifeshe has done anything the least bit mean-spirited, but I do not think you can imagine what it is like to be trapped pining away in hopeless love for four months with no relief in sight.”
“That leads naturally into my part of the bargain… my repayment for your trust… my deepest secret.”
She had entirely forgotten the bargain but was fascinated. “Pray proceed, sir. I am dying to know.”
