“Precisely,” he confirmed, his smile deepening in shared delight.
They shared a quiet laugh, the sound intimate and harmonious, drawing a subtle softening in Lady Catherine's stern features and a hearty nod of approval from the Marquess.
“Oh, Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am so glad this evening discussion took place,” she said softly, her voice carrying a note of sincere pleasure that warmed his expression further.
He feigned a look of deep suspicion, though his eyes sparkled with humour. “Was that a compliment, Miss Fletcher?”
“Possibly,” she replied, her tone teasing yet warm as she met his gaze with quiet confidence. “Though I reserve the right to withdraw it should you prove tedious.”
“Fair,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, smiling with genuine charm as he inclined his head in playful concession. “I am on probation, then.”
“As am I,” she answered, her smile gentle and inviting, the words sealing the moment with mutual understanding and promise.
They paused at a wide arched window, its curtains drawn back to reveal the moonlit sweep of lawn below.
“Do you dance, Colonel?” Miss Fletcher asked, her voice light with curiosity as she regarded him with a gentle tilt of her head, her eyes reflecting a quiet spark of interest.
“In a manner, yes,” Colonel Fitzwilliam replied, his tone carrying a note of self-deprecating humour that drew a soft smile from her. “Not always in the style preferred by purists. I rely heavily on partners who can count.”
She smiled, her expression warming with genuine amusement as a faint blush touched her cheeks. “Then we should suit admirably,” she said softly. “I am very good at counting. I taught my younger cousins, too.”
“A practical education,” he said approvingly, his eyes twinkling with appreciation as he inclined his head in acknowledgment. “And one that may come in useful, should we catch up before the final set this evening.”
“Is that an invitation, Colonel?” she inquired, her voice carrying a note of playful challenge that elicited a broader smile from him.
“Merely anticipating a natural consequence,” he replied, his tone light yet sincere. “After all, the matchmakers will not be content until we have made a proper public show of compatibility.”
“Then let us foil them by making it appear natural,” she suggested, her eyes dancing with shared mischief that drew a low, appreciative laugh from him.
He laughed again, the sound warm and genuine as he regarded her with increasing admiration. “You are more dangerous than I feared, Miss Fletcher.”
They turned back toward the parlour. The return walk was companionable, touched by a growing sense of ease that neither found reason to disguise, their steps falling into a harmonious rhythm that spoke of mutual comfort already forming.
At the door, she paused, her expression turning thoughtful as she met his gaze with quiet sincerity. “May I confess something, Colonel?”
He sobered at once, though his eyes remained warm with encouragement as he nodded. “Of course.”
“I had imagined you quite differently,” she admitted softly, a gentle smile curving her lips.
“Oh dear,” he replied, his tone light yet curious as he arched a brow in playful inquiry. “Was I older? Graver? More scarred from battle?”
She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with gentle humour as she considered him. “More self-important. Less kind.”
He blinked, then bowed slightly, his expression reflecting genuine pleasure mingled with modest surprise. “Then I am doubly honoured by your company. And may I offer the same confession?”
“You imagined me otherwise?” she asked, her voice softened with curiosity.
“I imagined a lady who would not meet my eyes, nor say a word unless prompted,” he confessed, his tone sincere as he held her gaze with respectful admiration. “I imagined a young woman already resigned to being bargained off like a rare vase.”
“And instead?” she prompted gently, her smile inviting his honesty.
“Instead, I find someone who observes, listens, and still dares to speak,” he said, his voice warmed by quiet regard that caused a subtle flush to rise in her cheeks.
She lowered her gaze for a moment, touched by the sincerity of his words, then looked up again with a soft, appreciative smile. “Well. Perhaps we shall continue to surprise each other.”
“It is my hope,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said sincerely, his expression reflecting earnest warmth as he inclined his head.
She curtsied with graceful composure. He bowed and smiled with genuine pleasure. And together they re-entered the parlour, preparing for the next set to dance together, their steps light with the promise of a companionship that had begun to feel both natural and delightfully unforeseen.
