“No, you should stay,” Anne replied, “for I have said I would speak to you. If you will not walk in the garden, perhaps you would do me the honour of coming upstairs with me.”
It seemed Miss Lucas shared Darcy’s reservations. She winced and stumbled over her words as she searched for a way to rescue her friend.
“You found it difficult to come down the stairs just now, Miss de Bourgh. Perhaps it would be best if you spoke to Eliza here.”
“Perhaps it would be best if you struck up a correspondence and wrote everything you wish to say in a nice long letteronce we reach London,” Darcy interjected, his patience exhausted.
It discomposed him completely when Elizabeth tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. He knew not whether she was laughing at him or with him, but the sound of it gave him a thrill that turned very rapidly to panic and then to anger.
“Anne, you are up and dressed. Let us go now before we lose the light.”
“I am not going anywhere until I have spoken to Miss Bennet.”
Though he suspected, Darcy could not be sure what she wished to say, but he would not risk her divulging his inclination, not when he was this close to evading the peril Elizabeth presented.
“Cousin, it is Christmas Eve,” he said tersely. “I insist we leave now. Imustget home.”
Anne gave him an impatient, dismissive look. “If you are worried about your sister, she will be perfectly well where she is.”
Darcy’s every sinew tensed. He dared not look at Wickham, but his mind raced as he attempted to think of a way to evade further mention of Georgiana in his presence.
“Anne, this is not?—”
“She has Mr Bingley at her disposal, does she not?” she continued, heedless of the gravity in his glare. “Miss Bingley is there to direct their attachment. You would only be in the way of that. If you are as keen as she is for them to come to an understanding, you had much better stay away.”
A small gasp from Elizabeth drew Darcy’s notice. She had changed colour, and her lips were pressed tightly together.
“My, my, Darcy. Have you been separating more young lovers? This is becoming quite the habit.”
He rounded on Wickham, who he could only presume had been emboldened by the presence of so many people whose ignorance must be maintained. The blackguard leant nonchalantly against the fireplace, his mouth an ugly, lilting curve that made Darcy’s blood boil.
“Do not dare, Wickham.”
But hehaddared, and it was already too late.
“What is your meaning, sir?” Elizabeth asked, but Wickham only affected an air of helplessness, and with an expressive glance in Darcy’s direction, he shrugged.
“What did he mean?” she demanded of Darcy instead. “Did you persuade Mr Bingley to leave so you could encourage a match with your sister instead?”
Darcy hesitated. He had not expected her to ask about Bingley.
“Who could blame him if he had?” Anne interjected. “You really must overcome this foolish conviction that anyone in your family could marry so far above themselves.”
Elizabeth’s astonishment was clear as was her displeasure. “Excuse me, madam, but Jane is a gentleman’s daughter. Pray tell me, in what respect is she not good enough for Mr Bingley?”
Wickham chimed in. “And how is it that a tradesman’s son is suddenly good enough for your sister, Darcy? ’Tis a notable change of heart.”
“It may be difficult for you to comprehend,” Darcy snarled, “but a good match rests as much on excellent character as sufficient fortune.”
Elizabeth emitted a wordless cry of indignation. “You thought Jane’s character wanting?”
Darcy spun back to her. “What—no! What did—” He paused, distracted by Wickham’s broadening smirk and the disagreeable feeling of the conversation slipping away from him in a direction he could not grasp.
“You mistake Mr Darcy’s meaning, I am sure,” said Miss Lucas, laying a hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “I have said before that Jane was very guarded in her affections. Perhaps it was not clear she was in love.”
“Well, it has certainly been clear since Mr Bingleyleft,” Elizabeth retorted. “She has been utterly miserable.”
Darcy barely had time to frown over this before his attention was pulled to the other side of the room where Anne had dropped noisily into a chair.
