“Of course,” said Darcy, thoughhungerwas not what he was feeling at the moment. He was mortified that he had lost himself so completely as to come so close to disaster. It was bad enough that he had given his name to these young men at the park. It was well-intended. He needed to secure his carriage. But by doing so, he had made it easy for them to concoct the whole scandal.
But he was also angry enough to turn back to Lord Morrison.
“You will not speak of her that way again, or you will have to answer to me.”
“Of course, Mr. Darcy.”
Darcy put down the cue stick and left the room. To his relief, Colonel Fitzwilliam did not lead the way to the dining room. Instead, he went straight to the door and to St. James’s Street.
“What on earth are you doing, Darcy? It will help no one if you cause a scene. Leave it alone. There will soon be some other scandal to occupy them. You are only adding more wood to the fire. It will be all over London that you were willing to fight a duel for the Siren.”
“Do you really expect me to let it go? A young lady’s reputation is in tatters through no fault of her own. Nothing untowardhappened. I was with Georgiana. We were not even alone, and there was child with us.”
“Society is cruel. People are eager to seize on the smallest thing. We are gossipmongers by nature, and our interest is captured by anything scandalous and outrageous. We thrive on the misery of others.”
“I see war has made you cynical.”
“My point is that you cannot fight fire with fire. You need to let the fire go out.”
But Darcy was already thinking of Miss Bennet. If he, whose position in society was unassailable, had felt the impact of the rumors, what would happen to Miss Bennet when they discovered who she was?
Chapter 14
The theater was very crowded, as it always was when it was Kemble’s first performance of the season. Darcy and Colonel Fitwilliam had to wait in a queue to hand over their overcoats and hats. It was a testament to Mr. Kemble’s popularity.
Mr. Darcy was trying not to dwell on his encounter with Lord Morrison. He looked around him, seeking something to distract him. His gaze went to the beginning of the queue. There, to his complete astonishment, stood a familiar figure. He froze. It could not be! Were his eyes deceiving him?
There could be no doubt about it. Miss Bennet was handing a familiar green spencer to a footman.
Darcy’s heart faltered, then began to thump wildly. His throat felt parched. Meanwhile, she was blissfully unaware of his presence. He willed her to turn around and notice him, but then she was joined by the Gardiners and a young man, and they moved together into the theater.
Darcy drew a shaky breath. “Richard, the young lady in the green gown just passing through the door is Miss Bennet. Come with me. Let me introduce you.”
“Have you lost your mind, Darcy? Have you learned nothing all these years about how to behave in Society?” The colonel gripped Dary’s arm, hard. “You must not speak to her. You must not mention her name. You must not so much asglancein her direction. If you do any of these things, you will draw everyone’s attention to her. Is that what you wish? Someone will notice, and they will recognize her, and the game will be up.”
Darcy stood there, stunned. Richard was right. Darcy had already uttered her name. He looked around him, wondering if anyone had heard him. Fortunately, there was no sign of Lord Morrison and his crowd. As for Richard’s other words advice, it would be impossible for him not to look in her direction. She looked ravishing, and he was like a moth to the flame.
“You are asking the impossible of me. I had better leave.”
“You cannot leave, either. That, too, may raise questions. Confound it, Darcy, surely you have some shreds of discipline. Just put on that forbidding expression of yours and pretend she is not here.”
“You do not know what you are asking.”
“I know exactly what I am asking. Do you think I have never had an infatuation for a young lady? Though I must say it is rather amusing to suffer from Cupid’s arrows. Just remember, if you care for her, you will not give her away. Control your expression. Keep a blank face. Look arrogant and condescending, which should not be too hard for you.”
They had to elbow their way through the groups of people gathered in the foyer. Darcy kept his eyes directed towards the stage.
“Yes, they have taken up a box almost opposite us,” replied his cousin. “And I grant you. She is as pretty as you described her. I see now why they called her a siren.”
Darcy was pleased to hear his cousin praise Miss Bennet. Of course, it did not necessarily mean he approved of any marriage between them, but at least he was not objecting quite as strongly as before. Perhaps it was a sign that they were both here at the same time. Darcy’s spirits lightened.
Not for long. It seemed like the hand of fate had favored him, then taken it all away. Darcy had been given the chance to encounter Miss Bennet, then he was handed a blindfold and told not to look. It was as if fate was toying with him.
Though the fact that she was here was nothing short of a miracle. He had never expected she would be attending. He had been taken completely by surprise. Once again, he had allowed hisnotions of those in trade to influence his expectations. He was ashamed. Anyone who spoke to Mr. Gardiner could tell that he was an educated man. Yet it had not crossed Darcy’s mind that the Gardiners would have their own box at the theater.
“Oh, hello! Look at that,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam, suddenly. “She did not come alone.”
“Well, of course not, Richard,” said Darcy, “She is a single young lady. She is with her aunt and uncle.”
