Lady Catherine lifted her eyes from her plate, “what storms? What are you two babbling about?”
The colonel cleared his throat, “nothing of consequence aunt. Just banter between friends.” Turning immediately to Elizabeth he added, “Darcy will be pleased to hear about it Miss Bennet.”
She smiled, “he already knows. I informed him last night?”
“Last night?” Lady Catherine screeched, “When did you talk to Darcy last night? I was under the belief that Darcy was indisposed and never left his room last night.”
Elizabeth realised too late her mistake and she looked at the Colonel for help. He shook his head and looked down, focusing on his food.
Elizabeth sighed; there was nothing for it than to tell the truth, “I saw Mr Darcy briefly in the library my lady, just before I retired for the night. He was looking for a book to help him sleep, as was I.”
Lady Catherine screwed her eyes in suspicion, “what book did you choose?”
Elizabeth had completely forgotten that in the end she had left the library with no book. She had no idea what the library at Rosings had to offer since she had not even taken a glance at the books available.
“It was meant to bore me and send me to sleep directly. And I am happy to report that it did the job fabulously well for I simply cannot remember the name of it or what it was about.” Elizabeth held her breath expecting the lady to explode in fury; instead she simply harrumphed and returned to her food.
However, Lady Catherine was no fool... she was convinced something was afoot between her nephew and the Bennet chit.She decided to keep a sharp eye for anything untoward and cut any designs by the young lady with speed and precision. Her daughter’s interests must be preserved at all cost.
***
Darcy woke up feeling better than he had any right to, since he had had more brandy in the last twenty four hours than ever before in his life. He looked at the pocket watch sitting on his bed-side table and realised this was earlier than the time he normally got up, when visiting his aunt. The sun was yet to poke its head up.
He rang for his valet and ordered the man to dress him for a long ride. The clearer his head was, the better it would be when he talked to Elizabeth.
He experienced a degree of satisfaction, scarcely to be acknowledged even to himself, on his reflection that she was at last disposed to hear him. Her assurance that she would no longer run to avoid him imposed upon him a necessity of the greatest caution, in the statement of his concerns; for though he felt them strongly, he was sensible that too frank an expression might defeat his purpose. He wished to convey to her his deep disapprobation of the lack of manners prevailing in her family: the want of propriety so often displayed by her mother and even occasionally, her father. The levity and childish behaviour of her younger sisters and the impropriety of their being so frequently and conspicuously out in society.
On this point, however reluctantly, he could not but concur with the opinion of his formidable aunt, that the younger Bennet sisters being introduced into the world before the marriage of the eldest could only be injurious to Elizabeth’s prospects, as well as to those of her sister Jane.
He pondered all these things and decided that he would broach those subjects with her at another time, maybe when they had grown a little closer to each other.
Darcy rode a lot further than he had intended as the day was brilliantly clear with a soft breeze that reinvigorated him. He had to sweat out all the alcohol that he imbibed the day before. He needed a clear head.
As a result of his long ride, he missed breakfast with Elizabeth.
As he was getting cleaned up and dressed a second time, Richard walked into his room and slapped his back with vigour,
“So you had a late night encounter with Miss Bennet in the library, huh?” He laughed, “What happened? Did you kiss her?”
“What?” Darcy looked fearsome, “what are you babbling about Richard?”
“She looked very fetching this morning; I think she was dressed to impress you.”
“Richard, can you please start again? I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Of Miss Bennet, of course.”
“What about Miss Bennet?” Darcy asked exasperated.
“She looked beautiful, more rested and more composed. In fact I had not seen her looking so good since that fateful day in the grove when I spoke of you separating Bingley and her sister.” Richard continued cautiously, “she seemed disappointed you were not at breakfast.”
Darcy tried not to smile but the corners of his mouth lifted a little despite his efforts.
“Did she?” He said dreamily. “Do you think she is softening towards me?”
“I do not think she is softening, I know she is softening.”
“How can you be so confident?”
