He could not say that to her, so he stood tongue-tied, battling the nausea that churned inside him.
“Well, Mr. Darcy? What would you advise me to do?”
It occurred to him that she might be sounding him out, that this was a test to discover whether he cared about her. What would happen if he gave her an indication of his interest? How would she react?
It was out of the question. He would be leaving in a day or two at the most. Dreaming of the impossible would only increase his torment later. In any case, he had no intention of raising expectations he could not and would not fulfil.
“I do not believe for a moment that you are seriously asking me for advice, Miss Bennet,” he said, striving for a lighter tone. “Nor do I flatter myself that you will follow any advice I give you, either.”
Those delightful dimples made an appearance. “I thought it might be an opportunity to know you better, sir.”
How those words struck a chord in his heart! He would give anything to get to know her better. Would she really like to know him?
He would bare his soul to her if she wished it.
Compelled by a pressing desire to tell her what he felt Darcy started to speak, but a loud shriek interrupted them, followed by high-pitched giggles.
It was Lydia Bennet. Naturally.
“I am lost!” cried Lydia. “Someone come and find me!”
Her unseemly behaviour poured cold water on his fervour. He was reminded now of the myriad reasons he could not allow himself to be attached to Elizabeth. He couldnotchoose to know her better.
A sideways glance at Elizabeth revealed a scarlet stain on her cheeks. She was embarrassed at her sister’s behaviour. Whatever tendency her younger sisters had towards vulgarity, Elizabeth did not share it.
“Pardon me if I am overstepping," he queried, "but I wonder why your parents did not engage a governess for your younger sisters?”
If anything, Elizabeth’s blush grew deeper.
Darcy cursed himself for being such a fool. There was only one answer, of course. Financial considerations. Longbourn’s coffers did not extend far enough.
“I beg your pardon,” he said quickly, to cover the awkwardness of raising such an issue. “It is none of my concern.”
If he were to marry Elizabeth, he could engage a governess for her sisters. He could help with the running of the estate, he could—
He could never marry Elizabeth Bennet.
“You are merely voicing what many people have wondered,” she said, with a shrug. “The fact is, none of us had a governess. My parents were not overly attentive to these matters. They did not force us to learn the accomplishments we spoke about that night in Netherfield when I was staying here. I do not know if you recall our discussion about accomplished ladies.”
Recall it? Darcy recalled it only too well. It was the day he had fallen in love with her. She had challenged his certainties and turned his world upside down.
“I do not have a clear answer,” she continued. “Mama thinks Lydia is pretty enough to marry young – in which case a governess would be a waste—and Papa thinks her too silly to be improved upon. Kitty is generally an afterthought.”
He spotted the flaw in the argument at once.
“That does not explain why they did not hire a governess foryou,” he said emphatically, feeling indignant on her behalf at such neglect. Surely a young lady with so much natural aptitude deserved to have her abilities developed.
“True,” she replied breezily, with no hint of resentment. “But I did notneeda governess. I would have hated being told what to do. She would have tried to teach me useless things like painting tables, covering screens, and using the Globes. I would have escaped to the library whenever I had a chance so I could read Papa’s books instead. I am quite as ungovernable as Lydia, you know.”
How could Elizabeth compare herself to the empty-headed young miss whose shrill laughter could be heard across the maze?
“I can fully understand that a young lady such as yourself—prompted by a curious and searching mind to read and discover more about the world—would not wish to be hindered by a governess. I am not surprised you would chaff at the bit and avoid such restrictions. But the right governess might have developed some of the talents that you already possess.”
“I found a way to develop the things I was interested in. I am not completely devoid of accomplishments, Mr. Darcy.”
He raised his brow. “I never said you were.”
“But you are bemoaning my lack of formal schooling.”
