Page 25 of Affectations of Candour

Everyone had a good chuckle at that, save for Miss Wright who seemed to be suffering from ennui.

“Are you not diverted, Miss Wright?” asked Darcy, still standing and enjoying the show.

“Oh yes, I am having an absolutely grand time.”

“Then shall we forget about keeping tally?” He picked up two battledores and passed one to Miss Wright. “Come.” He bounced a shuttlecock upon his palm. “Let us join the fun.”

“Surely you jest, sir.” Disregarding the proffered paddle, Miss Wright turned sideways on her seat and raised her hem sufficiently to display a pair of turquoise-coloured kid-leather boots with orange satin laces, astonishing to the eye. “These bespoke boots cost two pounds, so no, I shall not be playing games while wearing them. By the by”—she fidgeted with a ribbon beneath her chin—“this lovely bonnet was purchased at a millinery shop on New Bond Street. Do you like it? It is the latest fashion, I assure you.”

Regaining his seat, Darcy frowned, for he knew not what to say. Never before had he been asked to comment on a lady’s bonnet. With its high crown and feathers so abundant, the hat resembled nothing so much as a shuttlecock. The ribbon was pretty, though.

“I think you do not fancy it, sir. No matter. Having never re-trimmed a bonnet in my entire life, I shall give it to Meg, though she does not care much for finery.”

Having heard rumours about the Wright family having to retrench, Darcy wondered at her extravagance. The hideous bonnet might never again be worn, and her boots were not only costly but, apparently, impractical for outdoor pastimes.

Upon his team’s approach, he stood.

“Brother, our opponents have conceded defeat.” Georgiana’s eyes sparkled with merriment. “Even had we not won the game, my spirits have been elevated to gaiety. I cannot remember another occasion so diverting. Battledore and shuttlecock was vastly enjoyable, but having such good friends to share it with made it a perfect way to spend an hour. And when Miss Althea batted the bird into Miss Hughes’s bonnet, I thought I might laugh myself silly. Then there were the antics of Hector and Heiress Tottle. What fun!”

Darcy presumed that when Miss Wright turned away, it was to lift her eyes heavenward.

After consulting her pendant watch, Georgiana continued, “It is almost time to go to the beach. But first I want to thank you, Brother, for pairing me with Miss Bennet. Did you know that she is considered the best player in her neighbourhood? Miss Hughes told me so.”

“I had no notion you were such an expert, Miss Bennet. You told me you had not played battledore and shuttlecock in quite a while.”

“That was the truth, sir. I have not played it since leaving Longbourn. Why? What is your definition of quite a while?”

“Before I encountered you at Cliff House, it had been quite a while since we were in one another’s company.” Darcy moved closer to her. “Long enough to be noteworthy.”

“So,” she said, raising her chin to look him in the eye, “six months, or a year, or any significant amount of time, would be quite a while in your definition, would it?”

Those six months felt like an eternity, madam. “My interpretation is that quite a while means a substantial duration, much longer than a short period.”

Elizabeth laughed. “That will never do, sir, for we now must define a short period.”

“What a bag of moonshine,” muttered Miss Wright.

He pretended not to have heard that utterance of irritation. “The term ‘quite a while’ really depends on context, does it not? When I have a stack of tedious but important correspondence, it often takes quite a while to get through it, meaning that time drags on far longer than I had expected.”

“I see. So, quite a while is subjective and dependent on expectations. As an example, in my uncle’s business it might mean a day. In his home it might mean months or years.” She took a little step towards him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Darcy noticed Miss Wright sit up straighter. “Oh!” she cried. “Your uncle is in trade, is he, Miss Bennet?”

“Yes, Miss Wright. And I am excessively proud of him and his success. Now, Mr Darcy, shall we agree that quite a while means a very considerable time.”

He nodded. “Or a very substantial period.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, what on earth is the difference?” Miss Wright’s tone matched her sour countenance. “We have been waiting quite a while for the two of you to stop this nonsensical argument.”

“No, Miss Wright. You have only been waiting awhile. And Miss Bennet and I were having a debate, not an argument.”

“May we please go to the beach now, Brother?” Georgiana timidly asked.

After reminding the four young ladies about the tide, he gave his permission for them to go, and they did so with inordinate haste. “Miss Wright, you should join our sisters and their friends.”

Seemingly horrified, Miss Wright reminded him about her boots. “Besides that, you and I have scarcely enjoyed any time alone together since leaving London.”

Good God, woman! Flinching away in disgust, Darcy looked round, praying no one had heard her brazen and incriminating remark. Pressing his lips tightly together, he suppressed the words he longed to say aloud—Madam, have you no shame, no sense of propriety? Do you not care for your reputation? Or mine?