Darcy froze, his countenance composed but pale. Richard, quick as ever, stepped forward.
“Christiana!” he cried, embracing her as heartily as she had embraced his cousin. “You look remarkably well, my dear! I heard you had returned to the neighborhood. What a pleasure it will be to renew our acquaintance!”
She blinked, startled by his exuberance.
Richard turned immediately to Mr. Lewis. “And here is James, our other playfellow. Come, Lewis, you must greet our childhood friend. It has been five years or longer.”
Lewis hesitated. He looked first at Richard, then at Darcy, both of whom gave him urgent, pleading glances. At last, he stepped forward, caught Miss Ashbrook by the shoulders, and declared in a loud, hearty tone, “Christiana, how good it is to see you again after all these years! I had thought you meant to remain in Scotland with your relations.”
Before she could recover from this unexpected warmth, Richard seized Elizabeth gently by the elbow.
“Christiana, allow me to present Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy,” he said with an exaggerated air of delight. “She has been most eager to make your acquaintance.”
Elizabeth’s eyes flashed a warning at him, but Richard merely winked. At last, understanding his intent, she stood on tiptoe and flung her arms lightly about Miss Ashbrook’s shoulders.
“Miss Ashbrook! I have heard so much of you,” she said sweetly, “and have been in quite a flutter hoping we might meet at last.”
Christiana, visibly taken aback by so much demonstrative attention, managed a stiff smile.
Richard cleared his throat. “And now, Christiana, allow me to introduce the rest of our party, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Bingley, Miss Bennet, and Miss Mary Bennet, both sisters of Mrs. Darcy.”
Darcy, regaining his composure, bowed curtly. “Miss Ashbrook, you will excuse us. Our party is large, and we must not delay our return to Pemberley. Good day to you.”
She curtsied, speechless.
Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand firmly and tucked it within his arm. “Come, my dear. We must not keep our guests waiting for their meal.”
He led her to the carriage, where Richard joined them with Georgiana in tow.
Miss Ashbrook watched the large party cross the church courtyard and make their way to the waiting carriages. Her eyes narrowed. He had married. A young thing, what could she be, seventeen, eighteen at most? How could this be? He had been utterly besotted with her once. She remembered the look on his face when he had found them; no man who had loved so deeply could have given his heart to another. She had counted on that, on him. It had been part of her original plan, formed those many years ago, to let the scandal fade, then return, ensnare him anew, and restore her respectability as his wife. But matters had notunfolded as she intended, and now she was reduced to schemes and subterfuge.
So, he had married another. Her lips tightened as the Darcy carriage rolled away, and she caught sight of him looking down at his wife, speaking to her with quiet intensity.
As the coach pulled away, Richard began to laugh.
“Darcy, that was not so bad! I daresay Christiana will think twice before throwing herself at a gentleman in full view of the rector again. She has ever been heedless of propriety.”
Darcy groaned. “By George, I cannot believe she embraced me in church, before the entire parish! The woman has no sense of decorum.”
“You must pay her a call,” Richard said lightly, “to welcome her back into the neighborhood.”
Darcy gave him a dark look. “Must I? I think not. Her past conduct has rendered her unfit for good society. I cannot comprehend why her father has permitted her return. He should have left her with her relations in Edinburgh.”
Richard shrugged. “It does not appear that the rector knows anything of her fall.”
“I am certain he does not,” Darcy replied grimly. “But he soon will, if she continues such exhibitions.”
He turned to his wife. “Elizabeth, I am sorry you were obliged to witness such an impropriety and to feign warmth you did not feel.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks flamed scarlet. Richard, seeing her expression, smothered a laugh and turned toward the window.
Darcy regarded her carefully. She was angry as a wasp. “My dear, I did warn you what Christiana could be.”
Elizabeth huffed. “You did not warn me she would fling herself upon your neck like a tavern wench in the middle of church services! It was indecent. How would she like it if I greeted her husband in such a manner?”
Darcy bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “Very true, my darling. I believe she would not like it in the least.”
“Do not mock me, sir,” she snapped, though her lips trembled with a sudden need to giggle. “I must admit, it seems rather comical now that I see you both laughing. I suppose I need not consider it so grievous as I have done.”
