“You certainly are not.”He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You are much prettier.”
Elizabeth blushed, more from the feel of his breath on her ear than his words.
“So your cousin is not at all interested in Lady Clara?”she asked, her voice a trifle unsteady.
Darcy smiled to see he had affected her and said, “No, he is not.”
“Oh, dear.”
“What is it?”
She looked at him with a guilty expression and bit her lip.
“Elizabeth?”He drew her name out, in what she thought would be the tone he would always use when she had done something she probably should not have.
She looked adorably sheepish as she said, “Lady Clara asked me to assist her in spending time with Colonel Fitzwilliam today.I saw no reason to refuse.”
Darcy’s lips tightened for a moment and he looked away, blowing out a breath.“Well, it is no one’s fault but his own.”
“What do you mean?”
“We did not run into the Covingtons by accident.Fitz invited them here.”
“He has an interest in Miss Covington?”
“Yes, of long duration.”
“I suspected as much, but I did not want to assume.Is it serious?”
“Serious enough.He is ascertaining the lady’s feeling on the matter.”
“Ah.”Elizabeth turned to watch Colonel Fitzwilliam walking with Miss Covington.“She seems to return his regard, at least in part.”
“How can you tell?”asked Darcy, looking at the couple in question with interest.
“Look at how she holds his arm.She is making no effort to distance herself.And see how she leans her head towards him when he speaks?”
“She could be merely trying to hear him better,” Darcy reasoned.
“If she did not like him, she would not care what he had to say.”
Darcy’s face lit in understanding.
“And she would not have allowed him to lead her from the group, not when her brother is there to offer a rescue, as well as Mrs.Annesley and myself.”
Darcy nodded.
“Poor Lady Clara,” sighed Elizabeth.
“Why do you say so?”
“She is in her third season with no suitors on the horizon.I believe she truly liked your cousin.”
“It is unfortunate it will not work out with Fitz, but she is hardly without suitors.I know of at least two men who would gladly take her to wife.”
She looked as if she had swallowed a lemon.“Fitzwilliam, you have missed the point entirely.Lady Clara does not want to be ‘taken to wife’ as you so romantically put it.She wishes to be cherished by her husband.It is not so unreasonable a request.”
He placed his free hand over hers on his arm and pulled her slightly closer.“No, it is not, my love.Forgive me.I spoke without thinking.A worthy woman should always be cherished.”
