Darcy focused back on the chessboard, then raised his brows in surprise. He looked at her again. This time, she was grinning at him over the rim of her teacup. While he had been woolgathering, she had been mounting an attack. Darcy deflected by threatening her pawn with his king. It would buy him some time, but he did not have high hopes of winning this match. She was a skilled player, and he had been having trouble concentrating from the very beginning. Miss Elizabeth’s presence had thoroughly distracted him.
Elizabeth saw the moment Mr. Darcy recognized his defeat.
“Well played,” he congratulated her.
“I think you were a bit distracted,” she said, squinting her eyes at him.
“Yes, I was, but that does not change the fact that you are a formidable opponent.”
She smiled. “Thank you. Even though you were distracted, victory did not come easily.”
“Good. I am glad to hear it.”
She laughed. “There is something I have long wanted to ask you."
He looked at her with a curious expression. “Is that so? And, what might that be?”
“What are your thoughts on Malcolm Dean’s first volume?” Elizabeth asked.
Mr. Darcy looked at her as if he were confused.
She started laughing, and it was not long before he joined her.
“I am sorry,” she said, smiling. “I suppose that question seemed to come out of nowhere.”
He smiled as well and gave a quick tilt of his head. “Well, I was not expecting it.”
“What were you expecting?” she asked, curious.
He chuckled. “I do not know, but not that.”
They began laughing again.
Elizabeth got control of her mirth and said, “I did not mean to preface the question in such a misleading way.” She giggled. “I just wanted to bring it up.”
“I see. And you say you have wanted to bring it up since . . . ?”
“Since the day we met in the bookshop and you mentioned you had also read Malcolm Dean,” Elizabeth said. “I was excited to meet someone who had also read the book, and I was eager to know your opinion of it. However, you were not very approachable back then, as I am sure you recall.”
“Ah, yes, indeed. Well, I thought Dean’s first volume was very interesting. His descriptions of how rough and dangerous the Canadian wilderness is make you feel like you are there experiencing it with him.”
“Yes! I thought the same!” Elizabeth said excitedly. “There was danger lurking everywhere. The wildlife, the Indians, unscrupulous individuals!”
Mr. Darcy nodded his agreement.
“With the booming fur trade business, I sometimes wonder what will happen to the beaver population in Canada with so much demand for pelts.”
He nodded. “It is certainly possible for it to become an endangered species with so many trappers hunting them.”
“Yes . . . what did you think of his initial encounter with the Iroquois?” she asked him. “I was so nervous just reading it!”
He chuckled at her words, then they each discussed their impressions of what Malcolm Dean learned from his time spent among the tribes of the Iroquois Nation.
They spoke at length about Dean’s book.
“Have you read much of Volume II?” Mr. Darcy asked.
“Only a little so far. How about you?” she asked.
