He shrugged again. “All right.”
I followed behind him as we both quit the parsonage. Servants turned to gape at us as we did. It was really quite out of ordinary for a man like Mr. Darcy to appear as he did or for the two of us to go wandering off together in this manner. But they all seemed too shocked to say anything.
Outside, Mr. Darcy looked this way and that. “It’s really quite early in the morning for ribbon shopping.”
“I agree,” I said. “But if all is going as normal, we could start walking for town and would likely meet them walking back, because they do tend to return rather soon.”
“Walking?” He sighed. “I’d much rather take horses.”
“Heavens, no,” I said. “I’m not riding a horse.”
He gave me a look.
“I’m not frightened of horses!” I said, with some heat.
“No one accused you of being frightened of horses, Miss Bennet,” he said, blinking at me.
“Well, that is because I am not,” I said. “But, all the same, I think it mad to get upon the back of one of those beasts.”
He regarded me for a moment and then burst out laughing.
I folded my arms over my chest.
“Youarefunny, Miss Bennet,” he said, giving me a wide grin. “One really wonders how I did not notice.”
“That was not a joke,” I said. “Horses are quite dangerous beasts.”
Mr. Darcy made a face and reached up to loosen his cravat.
“You know, you really aren’t that proper, are you?” I said. “One really wonders howIdid not noticethat.”
“Oh, Iamproper,” he said. “Or I used to be. Twenty Thursdays ago, I was the paragon of good breeding and social niceties.” He untied the cravat entirely. “You can’t imagine what it’s like to live one’s life with something tightly tied round one’s neck at all times, Miss Bennet. Truly, women have it so much easier than men.” He started walking.
“Women have it easier than men?” I exclaimed.
He turned back to me. “We shall walk, if you please. I’m finding the idea of having someone around to please so gratifying that I can hardly think of any argument against doing whatever you wish. Come along, then.”
I hurried to catch up with him. “Women do not have it easier than men. Men have all the money, and if I were a man, I should not have to get married if I want to assure my very survival.”
He smirked. “Your survival, Miss Bennet? You exaggerate.”
“Not much,” I said.
“Besides, you seem to be one for turning down marriage proposals.”
“Oh!” I scoffed. “Well, that isn’t fair.”
“You could have been Mrs. Collins, I understand.”
I didn’t say anything to that. I simply fumed. I considered not walking with him, going back to the parsonage. But, truly, Mr. Collins was such horrible company even when he wasn’t merely parroting a script I had heard for three Thursdays in a row, that knowing I would know everything out of his mouth thisfourth time through was too much to bear. I hated Mr. Darcy, but I hated Mr. Collins more.
And, honestly, I should break in here to say that I didn’t often hate people. I wasn’t like my sister Jane, who saw the good in literally everyone and hated absolutely nobody, but I was generally a sweetly dispositioned person who dearly loved to laugh and was mostly of good cheer.
It was just that Mr. Darcy was the worst person in the entire world.
Well, with the exception of Mr. Collins.
All right, maybe I was hard on people. Maybe I had exacting standards.
