Then, just when it seemed his sister had run out of anything more to say, the dessert was brought in, with a concoction of pastries made out of strawberries, and Moreau appeared.
“I hope your friends enjoyed the ices I prepared, Mr. Darcy.” said the chef. “And Miss Darcy.”
Darcy could see he was curious to discover the reason for such an unprecedented request. He had paid the footmen handsomely to keep his destination that afternoon a secret, but still, he worried about gossip below stairs.
“Very much so,” said Darcy. “It was an unexpected surprise, and they were very happy with it.”
“Good,” said Moreau. “I hope you do not mind. I have taken the liberty to produce a number of items with strawberries, since you expressed interest, sir. Perhaps you would like to send some to your friends?”
Darcy had to put an end to this. “Thank you, Moreau, but there is no need to do so. It was the ices I was interested in. However, I appreciate the thought.”
Moreau looked disappointed. “Of course, sir. I hope you enjoy them yourselves.”
After he left the room, Darcy exchanged looks with Georgiana. “Well, Georgie, I hope you still have an appetite,” he said, indicating the range of deserts on display. “I fear we have a daunting task before us. We cannot offend Moreau, or he will not make any of our favorite pastries for a year.”
Georgiana laughed. “I will do my best, brother, but perhaps you should give some away.”
“Not to the Gardiners,” said Darcy, turning serious. “It is better not to arouse too much curiosity in that direction. However, our cousin Richard is very fond of strawberries. I will send some over to him at the barracks.”
“Did I hear my name mentioned?” said the colonel, appearing in the doorway.
“Cousin Richard!” exclaimed Georgiana. “You must join us. Our chef has produced several delicious items containing strawberries, but there are too many, and, as you know, strawberries do not keep very long.”
“Strawberries? In winter? Why on earth would he do that?”
“Well—” said Georgiana, about to explain about the ices.
Darcy interrupted. “It is a long story, and quite boring,” said Darcy. “But tell me, what brings you here? I would have thought you would be on your way to the club at this time of the evening.”
“I am avoiding the club,” said the colonel, helping himself cheerfully to a plateful of confectionaries. “Which is precisely why I am here. Firstly, to enquire about your health, since you were unable to see me when I last called, and secondly, to hear the gossip firsthand. What is this I hear about you rescuing a young lady from the Serpentine? There are already bets being entered at the club about how soon you will marry her.”
Suddenly, Darcy could no longer breathe. He felt as if he had received a blow to the stomach.
“So, who is this young lady and how did you rescue her? They are calling her the Siren of the Serpentine. It has a fine ring to it, does it not? I want to know every single detail.”
Even his cousin, his closest confidante, was itching to hear the gossip. Darcy ground his teeth.
“Youof all people should know better than to gossip about me.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam shrugged. “People are talking, Darcy. You cannot put a stop to it.”
“Obviously not,” remarked Darcy, irritably, “when my own cousin visits me with the prospect of spreading salacious rumors.”
The colonel was eyeing him strangely. “You seem uncommonly peevish, Darcy.”
“I would like to see how you would feel if, after rescuing a drowning girl, you are taken to bed with a fever, and then you are told you are the object of gossip.” He felt hemmed in, about to explode at being placed in this position. “I was trying to be noble and rescue achild.”
“Calm down, Darcy. You need not work yourself up into a state. Just tell me what happened and let me judge if there is some way we can mend this.”
Somewhat mollified, Darcy launched into his story, emphasizing several times the presence of Georgiana and Margaret in the carriage. He then went on to explain his mistaken assumption about Miss Bennet’s relationship to the child.
When he finished, the colonel leaned back and regarded him.
“Well, thank heavens you did not suffer any other consequence, other than your brief illness. I knew a man who became unconscious after falling into a cold mountain stream and never recovered. Falling into cold water can be deadly.” He considered the situation, his fingers drumming against the table. “You did the only thing you could have done, Darcy. You had to bring them here. You would not have liked to be responsible for their deaths, especially after going to the trouble of rescuing them.”
It was true. Darcy could not have lived with it. “Well, then, there is nothing further to be said. I did what I needed to do.”
“You did.”
