Fitzwilliam threw himself into his chair with a smile. “But truly, why are you here?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“Well, we were to see each other at Lady Courtney’s ball on Thursday, so unless you need help to select a waistcoat, I am not sure why you came in person at this hour. I was about to dress to go to a concert with a friend.”
“I received a letter from L,” he said in a rush. “I asked her to meet.” His cousin’s face lit up, but Darcy threw out a hand. “But she has an odd request for me.” He handed over L’s letter and sat back in his chair to watch his cousin read. “What does this mean? Why does she want to arrange this stolen meeting?”
Fitzwilliam read, nodding to himself, and returned the sheet to him. “She does not want to involve her parents right away. Perhaps they are too eager to make her another man’s responsibility, and she does not want to rush things. And she might be worried that you will take one look at her and announceshe is ugly, and she would rather not be humiliated in front of her relations.”
Darcy gasped. “I would never be so cruel!”
“Not cruel, but you might be severe, and I doubt you could hide your disappointment if you expected pretty, and she was not even tolerable.”
“You cannot think I am so petty. Besides, I am fond of her. I am already predisposed to approve of her.”
“Or maybe she’s afraid ‘tall and slender’ means unkempt and gangling. She wants a proper look at you before she gives away her name in case you are hideous.”
Darcy gave a faint smile at his cousin’s attempt at humour. “I doubt that. I came here for real advice. I admire her; I want to meet her, and I think she feels the same. She says she is writing with her friends’ permission, so why this strange meeting in The Green Park before someone can properly introduce us?”
Fitzwilliam shrugged. “It is not so strange, you know. She might not want to raise expectations with her guardians if you can both tell within five minutes that you cannot stand one another. It is not the first time a man or a lady has put themselves in the way of their object.”
“This is not the same as noticing a man in the lane and deciding to go for a walk or walking a path a lady habits hoping to encounter her. In those instances, one has already been introduced to the person they admire and are only hoping to talk with them more. She wants to meet me for the first time with no one knowing about it.”
“If you are so against it, will you refuse?” his cousin asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “You have two options: agree to her curious terms, or tell her it is inappropriate and refuse.”
He wanted to meet L. He would never forget Elizabeth if he did not get to know another woman. L’s fortune was nothing,but he could afford to marry wherever he liked. L had a pleasant nature, a stock of vivacity and good humour. Aside from this request, she was sensible. She could be just the sort of woman to attract him.
“She is bringing her sister,” he said slowly, “and it is in a public place. If this is what the lady wants, and since we will not besolus cum sola, I can do as she asks.”
It was still an odd request, as far as he was concerned. He was perfectly willing to give his name and shift their acquaintance into public view. She was not; or at least not until they had seen each other in The Green Park tomorrow at half three. But he wanted L to feel at ease, and this manner of initial meeting was what she wanted.
He was uncertain what worried him more: the curious nature of their meeting or the fact that he was finally meeting L.
“I will join you tomorrow,” his cousin said. Fitzwilliam rose to gather his coat and gloves.
“What?” he cried, standing as well. “Why?”
“To keep that worrisome look off your face so this mysterious L does not flee into the trees thinking you hate her as soon as you look at her,” he said.
Darcy felt embarrassed at having come here for counsel. He deliberated, rationalised, reasoned, weighed every possibility, and came to quick decisions on his own. He then acted on that decision without looking back. It was unlike him to feel troubled about making a choice.
“If she is this concerned, why meet me at all?” he asked quietly. “She might have said she wanted to write for longer before deciding.”
“Women are curious and delicate creatures,” Fitzwilliam said, looking round the room. His gaze settled upon his hat thrown on a chair, and he put it on. “Best not to question it and just do as the lady asks.”
“You are probably right. You need not come with me tomorrow, you know,” Darcy added as they made their way to the door.
“No, you will need me with you while you wait so you do not become cross or change your mind. And Miss L will be with her party, and you will want me to distract them so you only have to be charming to one person. Pleasantness to four strangers is a bit much to expect from you.”
Darcy ignored the slight on his civility. “I do not want to put you to an inconvenience.”
“I was meeting a friend to ride anyway, so it is no trouble to change our plans to walk in The Green Park instead.” He paused. “Well, they would always prefer to ride—fond of horses, like me—but they will want to meet you more than they want to ride.”
“Who are you meeting?” he asked hurriedly. The last thing he wanted was for Fitzwilliam’s entire regiment to know his business.
“No one you know, yet. I will introduce you tomorrow. And they do not know you are a subscriber. Here we must part ways,” his cousin said when they reached a hackney stand at Piccadilly and Bond. “Go home, stop worrying, find some pretty pansies, and I will see you tomorrow at the park entrance behind St James’s at quarter past three.”
Fitzwilliam hailed a hackney, and Darcy returned on foot to Charles Street. He dearly hoped that L’s guardians were in favour of the scheme and not likely to be a hindrance to their friendship. He was afraid they might punish her if they learnt she had arranged a clandestine meeting, or blame his influence for her scandalous behaviour. It would lead to problems if their relationship progressed beyond tomorrow’s encounter.
