Elizabeth was dreading the encounter with Darcy. Not only did she have an unpleasant duty ahead of her, but she was doing her utmost not to dwell on what had happened last night.
Her efforts were in vain. As soon as Mr. Darcy drew close, Elizabeth’s sight was drawn to his lips, and a vivid memory of the sensations they had evoked washed over her. Heat flooded into her face, and she hastily lowered her eyes. Chiding herself, she resolved not to look in Mr. Darcy’s direction until she had achieved her objective.
On his part, Mr. Darcy appeared to have reverted to his old manner. He was silent and arrogant. She should have found that more daunting, but she welcomed it instead. At least withthatMr. Darcy, she knew where she stood.
Fortunately, there was no opportunity for them to talk privately at the beginning. The conversation was a group affair that was quickly becoming strained. Lydia and Mary were vying for Mr. Collins’ attention; Mr. Collins kept turning his head to address Elizabeth; Kitty was looking sullen because she felt overlooked; and Mr. Darcy was growing grimmer by the moment.
Mr. Bingley and Jane were the only ones who did not join in. They were walking silently side by side, wrapped in a world of their own.
It was not long, however, before Elizabeth’s younger sisters were walking ahead. Lydia and Mary were each holding on to one of Mr. Collins’ arms, practically pulling him with them, with Kitty trying to keep up. Jane and Mr. Bingley had slowed down, trying to put some distance between the noisy group ahead. It meant that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy had to walk at almost a crawl to put a gap between them and the rest.
Mr. Darcy embarked on a commendable attempt to maintain a civil conversation.
“How is your mother’s health today, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Much improved, sir,” she replied, blushing to the roots of her hair. In a few minutes he would discover that practically every word she was uttering was a lie.
“The path in this direction is very pleasant, is it not, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Very pleasant indeed,” she replied, absently. She was desperately trying to think of a good way to introduce the topic. She had rehearsed what to say, but that did not make it any easier. There was really no way to bring it up, other than blurting it out.
“And the weather is particularly mild for this time of the year.”
“Very much so,” she said. “But—”
“I have something for you, Miss Elizabeth,” he said, with a meaningful look. “I am fully aware it is improper for a gentleman to give a young lady a gift, so do not think of it this way. I do not want the lace to go to waste. It is the result of my shopping expedition with your aunt two days ago.”
“But your sister—?”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “My sister has no need of lace at present. She is in Town.”
“And can acquire something better?”
“Something like that,” he acknowledged. “But this is a fine sample, or I would not be giving it to you.”
He took out a small package that had been folded small enough to fit in his pocket. It was wrapped in brown paper that looked the worse for wear.
No doubt it was beautiful lace. She was tempted, but given what she was about to say to him, she could not possibly accept such an expensive purchase. She was sorry that he had wasted his money.
“Now that you mention it, Mr. Darcy, I have been meaning to thank you for drawing away my aunt, sir. It must have been an ordeal to spend so much time with her discussing the merits of lace.”
“Not at all, Miss Bennet. It was a simple matter. I just asked for the most expensive lace to be had, and Mrs. Philips helped me select one out of the three possibilities.”
She looked down at the package in his extended hand.
“It is not proper to accept such a gift,” she said.
She sounded unnaturally prim, and Mr. Darcy looked baffled.
“My reasons will soon be apparent,” she hastened, seeking to justify her refusal. “I have something particular I want to say.”
Without conscious thought, he stopped and thrust the package back into his pocket. They were facing each other. His expression was so solicitous, it only made matters much worse.
Elizabeth wavered. She did not know if she had the courage to face him.
“I hope you will hear me out before casting judgement.”
“Of course.”
