Page 156 of The Mistress of All & Torn

“Mr Darcy, please forgive my interruption of your solitude.”

“My solitude welcomes your interruption, Miss Bennet,” he said lightly, astonishing her. “Lady Kendal and Lord Alveston are well, I hope? My sister and cousin were exceedingly pleased with the time they spent with you. I must thank you all for your kindness.”

“And we were exceedingly pleased with the time spent with Anne and Georgiana, so no thanks are needed.” There was silence for a moment, then she continued with no little hesitation.

“Mr Darcy, there is something that I must tell you. Earlier, I found my sisters, Lydia and Kitty, speaking to Mr Wickham. Here in Brighton. On the street.”

The news stunned him, and he narrowed his dark eyes.

“He was with two fellow officers. He claimed it was a fortuitous meeting, but Lydia confessed they also met two days ago on the promenade. Two coincidences in a row are suspicious when it comes to Mr Wickham. I thought you should know.”

Darcy stared at her wordlessly, then glanced about the room and returning to her eyes said, “I agree. It is disturbing and I can easily foresee some dishonest intent. If not, he would have called on your father and announced his presence, instead of sneaking about after your sisters.”

“I suspect he is here for his own reasons. He could not have possibly known that my family would spend the summer in Brighton,” Elizabeth said. “Could he? Would he dare approach Georgiana?”

“I doubt he would attempt anything regarding my sister. If he has a remnant of wit, he should avoid being on the same side of the road as her. Our last discussion on this subject was clear. I shall do everything in my power to keep him away. I will show no mercy and no forgiveness. But you should consider how your family is now subject to rumours due to your upcoming wedding and your future position in society. Your own sisters might now be the target of mercenary interest. And being so young, they could be easy prey.”

Elizabeth shivered as he whispered to her.

“You are right, of course. I shall speak to my father and warn him. Lydia and Kitty must be supervised more diligently. I shall talk to them too.”

“And I shall contact Wickham, to be certain he understands the circumstances properly. Any harm he inflicts upon your family will be properly punished. I am not altogether master of my temper lately. The days of my conciliatory dealings with Wickham are over.”

His tone was cold, and Elizabeth felt a chill from the weight of his sentiment.

The menace in his statement and the implication of his unsaid promise that he would watch over her family’s safety was a comfort.

They stared at each other in silence, yet in complete understanding. Once again, they shared a secret.

Bingley’s voice interrupted their interlude, inviting his guests into dinner. They walked side by side, close enough that Elizabeth could breathe in Darcy’s heady cologne, while a certain distance remained. Once seated, their attention returned to the party, yet each was vividly aware of the other.

The rest of the evening progressed as any gathering among family and friends might.

For the first time in many months, Elizabeth and Darcy joined in their fair share of conversation on subjects that had never interested them much before—and looking at each other and exchanging brief opinions seemed slightly less painful.

Chapter 15

Returning home from the Bingleys’, Darcy reflected that his expectations of an evening of misery had been proved wrong. Despite the worrisome report of Wickham’s presence, the dinner had been the most pleasant he had experienced in the last year. Nothing had been different. The Bennets, the Gardiners, and the Bingleys had all been the same.

But Elizabeth…

Her eyes had sparkled more in her slightly tanned face. The disquiet she seemed to exude around him had seemed to diminish as they spoke. Strangely, talking to her about Wickham had appeared to strengthen their fragile attempt at friendship.

Perhaps the absence of Lord Alveston had helped too. Darcy could easily recollect Elizabeth from the early days of their acquaintance—witty, smiling, and teasing amidst her family and friends. His pleasure had been heightened as he had witnessed both Georgiana and Anne in the company of the Bennets and Gardiners, growing more confident, laughing heartily, and bearing Mrs Bennet and the youngest sisters’ impropriety with amusement. As always, Colonel Fitzwilliam’s role had been worthy of gratitude. His cousin had a talent for making everyone feel at ease amidst the sharp wit of Mr Bennet and the excitability of his wife.

The colonel had seemed as enchanted as ever with Elizabeth, but whether it was an earnest attraction or only a trifling flirtation, Darcy could not say. A year ago, at Rosings, Darcy had been jealous of his cousin for the first time in his life. Every time he had seen Richard and Elizabeth together, he had feared their delight with each other would grow into something more, adding to his inducements to propose to her in such haste at Hunsford.

Since then, he had come to know Elizabeth well enough to understand her preference for the colonel was merely friendship. At dinner, Darcy had collected enough proof that her opinion of him had indeed improved. No one word or gesture had convinced him, but her voice, expression, and silent reaction to him had held promise. Although nothing had changed in their situation, a strange sense of hope lit up in his heart.

There was also new concern regarding Wickham. The more he thought of it, the more he realised he must be cautious with Georgiana too. However, he presumed the man’s present interest was in the youngest Bennet girls, as Elizabeth was to be married into a wealthy, well-connected family and the likelihood the younger sisters’ dowries might improve would be an enticement. Wickham’s intentions were always selfish, and he would easily sacrifice anything and anyone for his own gain. He had left Colonel Forster’s regiment a year ago, so he must have found another way of supporting himself.

“Brother, you asked to see us?” Georgiana asked from the doorway. Behind her was Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Darcy waved them in.

“Can we not discuss this during breakfast? I confess I just woke up and I am starving,” the colonel said.

“I shall only keep you for a moment,” Darcy assured them. “There is something of importance that I wish to speak to you both about. Please sit.”

Worry immediately shadowed Georgiana’s eyes. “What is it, Brother?”