Darcy watched her steadily, wondering about her determination not to look at him and the pink tinge on her cheek.“A man in love would do a great deal more,” he said softly.
Something about his voice, deep and low, made her turn to face him.She felt her cheeks flame before she could comprehend the look in his eyes.Her mouth dropped open slightly and her breath came faster, though she did not know why.“Would he?”
Mr.Darcy swung his legs over the folly ledge and scooted closer to her, so close she could have twitched her finger and touched him.“He would indeed, Miss Bennet.”
Her breath hitched and she tried to think of something clever to say, but her mind had emptied completely.Something warm was on her hand.She could not think what it was, so lost in his gaze was she, but then she felt it moving, tracing over each finger one by one, and realized he was touching her hand.Had he removed his gloves?
Feeling overwhelmed by the intimacy of the moment, she broke his gaze and laughed nervously.“Shall we head back?”she asked.Why was her voice so breathy?Had he noticed?
“Of course.”Darcy’s voice was softer than usual, too.At least she was not the only one affected.
They stood and she gathered her shawl around her, careful not to look at him directly.
“Are you ready?”he asked.
“Yes.”They had walked a little distance from the folly—and she had calmed considerably—when she asked, “Would anyone mind if I came here again?It is a lovely prospect.”
“You are welcome to visit it as often as you choose.Though perhaps it would be wise not to mention it in front of my aunt.”
“Do you think she would disapprove?”
“Not truly, but she does not like to talk of this place.I am not certain why.”
“I imagine Sir Lewis visited here often with his first wife,” she said unthinkingly.“It is a romantic location.”
Darcy stopped and turned to face her.“Yes, it is.”
He touched her cheek softly, so lightly she barely felt it, and then dropped his hand.When he withdrew, he seemed shy somehow, as if he was afraid he had offended her.
Without thinking on her actions overmuch, Elizabeth linked her arm through his and said cheerfully, “May I have your arm for the way down?You know the path better than I.”
He half-smiled at her and pulled her a little closer and she rewarded him with a bright smile of her own.He seemed so very pleased when she smiled at him that she found herself doing it more and more.Making him happy gave her a rush of pleasure she did not care to examine too closely.
They were proceeding slowly.He was courting her.She knew his intentions, he knew she needed time to learn if they would suit and to develop affection for him.So far, all was proceeding as expected and Elizabeth felt no need to question it.She had had enough self-evaluation last Thursday to last her through three courtships, and she felt no need to scrutinize their every interaction.She was getting to know him.That was all.
“How goes your effort to win fair lady, Darcy?”Fitzwilliam bounded into his cousin’s room after dinner where Darcy sat pretending to write a letter.
Darcy glared at the colonel for a moment for interrupting his very pleasant daydream and said, “It is going very well, I believe.I took her to the folly this morning and she was quite taken by it.”
“That is progress!And have you been practicing your flirtation skills?”Fitzwilliam said with a dramatic waggle of his eyebrows.
Darcy sighed.“Yes, it is all progressing apace.”
“Excellent!”He clapped his hands so loudly Darcy jumped.“I will look forward to standing up at your wedding.”
“She has not accepted me yet, Cousin.”
“But she will, Darcy, she will!”
Darcy looked at him suspiciously.“How can you know that?Less than a week ago you told me she was likely to refuse me.”
The colonel shrugged.“Miss Bennet is an honest woman.She would not continue meeting you if she did not believe she could find her way to accepting you eventually.”
A new light lit Darcy’s eyes.He had not thought of it like that.
“You must be patient with her and continue to woo her.Surely it cannot be a wholly trying experience?”
He gave Darcy such a look that he blushed to the roots of his hair.“No, it is not wholly unpleasant.Not unpleasant at all, actually.”He looked to the wall, a thoughtful expression on his face.“Fitz, what does it say about me that I had not even attempted to woo her before?That I had not even thought about her feelings one way or another?Shall I make a brutish husband?The sort who makes others pity his wife when they are seen together in public?”
