“The same. I have not really found the time,” Mr. Darcy said.
“Well, I am glad we finally had the opportunity to discuss the first book.”
“As am I. I admit when I learned that day you were reading Dean's book, it made me curious to know more about you.” He smiled. “I have enjoyed getting to know you better during our stay here in Hertfordshire, Miss Elizabeth.”
She grinned at him. “Likewise, Mr. Darcy.”
After the ladies and Bingley retired for the evening, Darcy followed Fitz to his room, where they continued to visit over a glass of port.
“So, Miss Elizabeth gave you a sound thrashing at chess. Is she that good, or were you distracted?” Fitz asked.
“Both. She is absolutely that good, and yes, I was distracted . . . by her,” Darcy admitted.
Fitz threw his head back and laughed as quietly as he could. “I knew it!” he said, still laughing.
Darcy laughed as well. “So, what do you think of her, cousin?”
“I like her! I look forward to getting to know her better. I like her sisters, too. I am surprised Bingley does not show Miss Bennet more attention. He does tend to gravitate toward blondes, and she is beautiful.”
“That is because he has been reining himself in,” Darcy said.
Fitz raised his brows in surprise. “Is that so?”
“Indeed. The day we met the Bennet ladies, Bingley and Miss Bennet conversed at length. He showed her a great deal of attention. When we got back to Netherfield later that evening, he made it clear he was eager to be in her company again. I cautioned him about showing her so much attention if he was not going to do anything about it. In a village like this, with sucha confined society, single gentlemen are probably hard to come by.”
“No doubt, and his singling her out would be taken by her neighbors as a declaration of his intentions,” Fitz added.
“Not to mention how it would be taken by her mother.”
“Hmm . . . so, he did not find her lacking in some significant way?”
“No, he repeatedly sang her praises. He insisted that she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside,” Darcy said.
“So, the issue must have been that she was not highly connected or wealthy. I know those are the priorities of his social-climbing sister.”
“Yes, they are, but Bingley is not coldly calculating like his sister. I think he feels an obligation to fulfill what his father wanted for all of them, and that is at the root of all his decisions.”
“Yes, he has mentioned before that his father wanted them to marry up and move up in society,” Fitz said.
Darcy nodded. “I know for a fact, though, Bingley wants to have a real connection with his wife, a genuine relationship.”
“With the direction he is going in, it will be hard to find such a thing.”
“Indeed,” Darcy said, then looked back at Fitz with a smirk.
“Yes, cousin?” Fitz asked with a wide grin.
“Is this where you tell me thatyouare thinking about pursuing Miss Bennet?” Darcy asked.
“You know me too well, cousin!”
Darcy chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, I do.”
Chapter 17
Monday morning, Elizabeth’s eyes popped open before the sun had risen. She did not know why she had woken up so early. She did feel somewhat anxious, but why? There was nothing pressing that required her attention. Her heart whispered that Mr. Darcy’s leaving Longbourn was the reason. She sighed. Elizabeth would never forget this brief time they had together. She knew it was likely they would see each other occasionally while she was in London, but she doubted there would be any more private conversation between them. He would not be free to show her the same attention there. Not with the eyes of London society everywhere. No, those days were now past. She would enjoy these last hours in his company, but after that, she needed to turn her mind to what lay ahead. In just a few days’ time, she would be forming new acquaintances and meeting eligible gentlemen. Would she even be in the right frame of mind for that?
It turned out she did not have hours in his company. The road to London was now clear, enabling Mr. Darcy and his party to leave bright and early.
