“To mock me.”She said it so matter-of-factly that he could only stare at her in wide-eyed surprise.
“I do not know what sort of man asks a woman to dance only to mock her, but I can assure you, I am not such a one.”
Elizabeth was about to retort when she saw an image of her father, saying something that sounded well on the surface to her mother, but when listened to more carefully, proved to be insincere and designed with nothing but his own amusement in mind.The activity was made worse by Mrs.Bennet not always understanding what her husband was doing.In a flash, Elizabeth realized that this very behavior had ruined her mother’s trust in her father, and that she had expected Mr.Darcy to act as Mr.Bennet had, without accounting for how very different the two men were.
“Are you well, Miss Bennet?”
“Hmm?Oh, yes, quite well.It seems I am to be astonished and disillusioned continually on this trip.Do you think it is something in the air at Rosings?”She tried to smile at her jest, but she could tell by his expression that it fell flat.
“I am curious, but I do not want to intrude by asking what you have become disillusioned by.”
“May we discuss it at another time?I need to think on it some more.”
“Of course.I believe you were telling me how rude I was in Hertfordshire last autumn.”
She laughed.“And you were telling me how attentive you were.Were we in the same place, do you think?”
He smiled ruefully.“I must apologize for my comment at the assembly.It was uncommonly rude of me.And patently untrue.I have no excuse other than that I was in a monstrous mood.”
“I suppose it is good to know you do not say such things when you are in a good mood.”He nearly rolled his eyes and she added, “Thank you.Apology accepted.”
He looked around, not knowing what to say, when a loud grumble reached his ears.Elizabeth looked up at him with red cheeks and a chagrined expression.
“Was that your stomach?”
The growling was louder now and she closed her eyes in mortification.“Yes.I have not eaten since tea yesterday.”
“Do not let me keep you from your meal, Miss Bennet.”
He gestured to the bundle of muffins and she smiled sheepishly before taking a bite.She made quick work of the first muffin and was soon on her second.He joined her on the bench and took a bite of his own, chewing slowly as they watched the brook flow smoothly past.
“I say, this muffin is uncommonly good.”
“I know!Mrs.Hopkins is a village woman Charlotte has convinced to cook at the parsonage for her.I believe she is worth every penny.”
He nodded, taking another large bite.
“I shall get the receipt from her before I travel home.Would you like me to pass it on to you?”she asked.
He turned to meet her eyes and she flushed, seeing in his that if she had the receipt, he would not need it, for he wished her home and his to be one and the same.She briefly wondered how one could tell so much from only a look, but then his hand was on her cheek, tucking a curl behind her ear, and her breath became shaky.
“I like you very much, Elizabeth,” he whispered.
She swallowed.“I see that.”
He tilted his head and considered her for a moment, then said, “I would like to court you.”
“What?”
“I would like to court you—call on you, go for walks, tell you how enchanting you are to see your blushes—”
It was maddening that she blushed when he said this.
“—and when you are ready, make my proposals.”
She swallowed again and looked down, then back up tentatively.“Is that what you were going to do last night?Make your proposals?”
He considered her for a moment, then said, “Yes.I spoke with my cousin when I returned to Rosings and he convinced me you were not ready to hear what I wished to say.He also told me that I had done a poor job of courting you if you did not even realize it was happening and berated me soundly.”
