“Mr Darcy! There you are. I have been searching everywhere for you.”
All four persons turned towards her with varying degrees of surprise. The matron’s features hardened immediately.
Mr Darcy, to his credit, recovered admirably. “Miss Bennet. How may I be of assistance?”
Elizabeth’s mind raced, searching for a plausible excuse for her interruption. “You promised earlier to show me the view from the west lawn. You mentioned it particularly commands the sunset, and I should hate to miss it on account of being detained elsewhere.”
“I do not recall—”
“Oh, but you were quite insistent earlier, I am wounded you forgot,” Elizabeth widened her eyes at him, willing him to comprehend.
Understanding flickered in his gaze. “Ah. Yes, of course. The sunset. I had forgotten. How uncouth of me.”
“Forgive me,” the matron interjected, her tone glacial, “but we had not yet concluded our introduction. I am Mrs Thorne, and these are my granddaughters, Annabelle and Fiona. We were just escorting Mr Darcy to view the library collection—”
“How kind of you,” Elizabeth cut across smoothly. “I am certain Mr Darcy appreciates the offer, but I am afraid I must claim his attention. You see, we have a prior engagement.”
Mrs Thorne’s eyebrows rose. “A prior engagement? I was not aware you and Mr Darcy were previously acquainted.”
Elizabeth felt panic rising. Her simple intervention was failing, and she had no authority to press the matter further without appearing absurd or intrusive. Mrs Thorne would override her objections, and Mr Darcy would be trapped bypoliteness into accompanying them to whatever compromising situation they had prepared.
“That is because it is rather private,” she heard herself say. The words tumbled out before prudence could restrain them. “In fact, perhaps I ought to clarify matters before any misunderstanding arises. I know how unusual it is to have an unattached gentleman visit a humble garden party such as this one.”
“Yes,” the younger woman said in a tone that made it clear she did not appreciate Elizabeth’s interference. “Every lady appears to have a scheme up her sleeve to spend time with him.”
They looked at one another and that strange sense of familiarity arose within Elizabeth again. She did know this girl, did she not? But how? From where?
“Indeed, Miss,” the grandmother started now. “So, if you will excuse us. Mr Darcy really did wish to see the library.”
“I doubt that.” Elizabeth took a step forward. “Because my betrothed is not in the habit of viewing libraries with strangers.”
Mr Darcy shifted beside her, eyes widening.
“Betrothed?” Mrs Thorne’s voice was strangled.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, conjuring up every bit of confidence she possessed. “Indeed. Mr Darcy and I are engaged to be married.”
Chapter Four
Darcy
The declaration hung in the air like smoke after cannon fire, impossible to recall.
Darcy’s mind raced through possibilities. Denial? Clarification? Escape? To his surprise, his mouth made the decision for him. “Indeed. Miss Bennet is quite correct. We are engaged.”
The lie felt foreign on his tongue, yet some instinct deeper than rational thought compelled him to support her claim. She had been trying to help him, however misguided the method, and contradiction now would expose her as either a liar or a schemer whilst leaving him untouched by censure. Whatever chaos she had inadvertently created, he could not bring himself to abandon her to face the consequences alone.
Better to present a united front and unravel this tangle privately than to publicly dispute her before witnesses already primed for scandal. These women were clearly up to something and Miss Bennet had attempted to shield him.
Miss Bennet’s face had gone pale, her eyes wide with what appeared to be her own shock at what she had wrought. Her lips parted slightly as if she might speak, then closed again. She had not fully anticipated his cooperation, nor perhaps what her impulsive declaration would set in motion.
Small comfort, that. They were both thoroughly entangled now.
Mrs Thorne’s expression transformed from fury to icy composure with remarkable speed. “I see. How very unexpected. Come, girls.” She turned to her granddaughters with brittle precision. “Clearly our congratulations are in order, although one might question the propriety of announcing such matters in so irregular a fashion. Good evening, Mr Darcy. Miss Bennet.”
The three women swept away, leaving Darcy and Miss Bennet standing alone in the sudden silence that followed their departure.
That silence lasted approximately three seconds.
