Page 51 of Twice Chosen

Caroline stopped walking.

Elizabeth nearly walked into Louisa.

Georgiana made a tiny sound behind her embroidery.

Bingley entered at that exact moment and looked around. "What did I miss?"

Darcy returned to his book with infuriating composure.

Elizabeth's cheeks burned.

Caroline stared.

Later she cornered Darcy in the library.

"Are you courting her?"

Darcy did not bother pretending ignorance. "Not formally."

Caroline's face changed. "Darcy."

He closed the ledger before him. Once, he had avoided this conversation through silence. He had never encouraged Caroline directly, but he had allowed her hopes to exist because correcting them seemed unpleasant and unnecessary.

Elizabeth had taught him that ambiguity could be its own form of selfishness.

"Caroline."

"You cannot be serious."

"I am."

"Her family--"

"Will be my relations if I marry her. Therefore I recommend you become accustomed to the possibility before speaking carelessly."

Caroline stared at him. "You have known her scarcely a month."

Darcy went still.

Caroline's gaze sharpened. "Yet you behave as though you have known her for years."

There it was.

Too close.

Darcy forced his expression smooth. "That is an exaggeration."

"Is it? You know when she will laugh before she does. You move things out of her way before she notices them. Yesterday she reached for the teapot and you handed it to her without looking up."

Darcy had done that for half a century.

He said carefully, "I am attentive."

Caroline gave a disbelieving laugh. "Since when?"

Darcy almost smiled. "A fair question."

Her expression tightened. "I had thought--"