“Ah yes, the money,” said Darcy. “Cannot think the fellows who bet on Fitzwilliam will be eager to hear it was all a humbug.”
“Devil take it!” Saye narrowed his eyes at his cousin. “You are not going to?—”
“You may have my discretion,” said Darcy, “as long as I have yours. I mean to have some amusement of my own now, at Fitzwilliam’s expense.”
Saye turned to Miss Elizabeth, who was looking at Darcy like he had just finished hanging the moon. “And you, madam? Do you mean to tell me you wish to be a party to some scheme at the expense of my brother?”
She directed her attention to him and smiled sweetly. “In fact, it was my idea.”
In a short time,the sewing was sent back to Longbourn in the care of Darcy’s coachman. Elizabeth encountered her father just as they had sent the man off. Any concerns he had for her whereabouts were easily dismissed with, “Locked in a room? Papa, you can clearly see I am not. Mr Darcy has only been helping me arrange to get a package back to Longbourn. For the wedding.”
“Oh, well, of course, if it is for the sake of the wedding, no effort is too much,” Mr Bennet replied with a wry smile and a roll of his eyes. Then he nodded at Darcy, patted his daughter on the back, and ambled away in the direction of the card room.
“Now,” said Elizabeth to Darcy. “Let us go find the colonel.”
A set was reaching its completion just as they came into the room. The crowd was thick and gay, though the ragged edgesof a good party had begun to show. Curls were falling out of coiffures, cravats were decidedly less snowy, and the matrons on the side had grown flushed and distracted-looking. Given the advantage of superior height, Darcy was quick to spot his cousin amid the dancers and gestured towards him to show Elizabeth as well.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had been dancing with one of Bingley’s friends from London, a pretty girl whom Darcy identified as Lady Harriet Thorpe with a half-chuckle that Elizabeth did not fully comprehend. The colonel escorted his partner to her chaperon, and then came to join his cousin and Elizabeth. Lord Saye and Miss Goddard, with perfect timing, also emerged from the crowd to re-join them.
“And where, my dear girl, have you been hiding all evening?” Colonel Fitzwilliam asked her with mocking severity.
“The duties of a bridesmaid prevail over all else,” she replied.
Miss Goddard tittered nervously, her eyes darting about as if she expected to be exposed somehow. Pranks were evidently not the usual course for her.
“Fitzwilliam,” Darcy interjected in what sounded to Elizabeth like an exceedingly stern tone. “Miss Elizabeth and I need to speak to you.”
With exaggerated good humour, the colonel pretended to grimace then hung his head. “I think I know what this may be about. Let us go into the hall.”
He looked a little surprised that Miss Goddard and Lord Saye continued with them but said nothing about it. The hall was full of lingering people, so the viscount suggested moving onto the terrace that overlooked the maze. Elizabeth afforded it only the briefest glance before turning to Colonel Fitzwilliam, who spoke before she could.
“I suppose you would like to see me drawn and quartered.” He leant over her with his exaggeratedly twinkly eyes while Elizabeth fought not to laugh.
“Because of the wagers?”
He nodded regretfully. “It all just went so far beyond our control, did it not, Darcy?”
Darcy, standing behind her, only made a small, non-committal noise.
“I blame myself,” said Lord Saye generously. “You know how fond I am of a good gamble.”
“Iwasupset,” she said to the colonel. “At first. I cannot deny that.”
“I beg your forgiveness,” he said quickly.
She waved that aside, putting a smile on her face. “But when I really thought about it, I came to understand the compliment of your affections, sir, and well…” She glanced at Darcy, then finished her sentence. “I accept.”
The colonel also glanced at Darcy. “You accept? What do you mean?”
Elizabeth reached both of her hands to grasp both of his tightly. “We shall be so happy together at Stank Hill!”
The colonel tried to remove his hands, but she did not allow it, squeezing even more tightly and beaming at him even more delightedly. “Ah…yes,” he said awkwardly. “I mean, Miss Elizabeth, I hope that?—”
“Welcome to the family,” Lord Saye said warmly while Miss Goddard beside him offered well-wishes albeit with an incongruous nervous giggle.
Elizabeth finally let go of the colonel’s hands, and Darcy stepped forwards and clapped his cousin on the back. “If I had to lose, at least I lose her to a worthy gentleman like you, Fitzwilliam. I wish you both every happiness.”
The colonel was beginning to get a panicky sort of look about the eyes and was darting glances all around him. “There…there are considerations…I mean…you do not truly wish to marry a soldier, Miss Elizabeth—do you?”
