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“Where I had once held hope they would put their differences aside, I fear it is not to be. The more time they spend together, the more they continue to grow at odds. I fear Georgiana is not of a mind to forgive Anne.”

“That should not be of concern much longer. Surely Georgiana is planning to meet and marry a lucky gentleman in the near future.”

“Indeed, he would be a lucky man. However, I do not believe my sister is the least bit interested in the prospect.” By now, Darcy and Richard had arrived at the stables, and they charged the groom with their horses. Darcy said, “I cannot fault her in not wishing to change things. For the first time in a long time, Pemberley is more than just a house or a grand estate; it is a home. She and Elizabeth are as close as two sisters ought to be, and she absolutely adores being Ben’s aunt. I do not know that I have ever seen my sister so happy as she is now. Still, I want her to partake in the Season. I am aware your mother is most anxious to oversee her coming out and her presentation at court.”

“True, Mother was quite looking forward to this being Georgiana’s first Season.”

“I will insist upon next Season.”

“No more excuses, aye?”

“Indeed. No more excuses.”

“Speaking of excuses, whatever happened to your notion of an alliance between your friend Charles Bingley and Georgiana?”

Darcy looked at Richard intently. “That was—rather is—a favourite wish of mine, but I will never be accused of playing matchmaker. Should there ever be anything of a tender regard between my friend Bingley and my sister, I would rather prefer that it unfolded naturally.”

“It is interesting you say that.”

“Why do you say such a thing, Richard? What is so interesting about my stance?”

“I seem to recall you saying you had saved your friend from an unhappy alliance some time back, owing to the unsuitability of the lady’s family. I rather supposed your motives were tied to your hopes for Georgiana.”

Darcy coloured. “For heaven sakes, man. If you insist upon bringing up events from the past, you might as well recall them correctly. While it is true that my desire to leave Hertfordshire rather precipitously may have been the means of Bingley being parted from the young woman in question, I did not force him to do it. He might have stayed and pursued Jane had he wished it.”

Richard tugged at the reins of his horse. “Jane! How could I have missed the connection all this time? So, Jane was the young woman whose family you found so objectionable? Does Elizabeth know any of this?”

“If you are asking me if my wife knows that I found her family objectionable at one time, I see no reason she could not have known. It is not as though I made a secret of how I felt about them. I was struck by her beauty—her liveliness from the moment I first laid eyes on her. As for Elizabeth, that she was connected to the Bennets was not even something that I had allowed as a possibility. Having spent time with them at Pemberley, you can have no doubt of what I speak. My feelings for Elizabeth were so strong as to overlook any inadequacies in her family.”

“True, your wife has little in common with her family, to be sure, other than familial resemblance, but the same must be said of Jane. I can see why your friend Bingley was taken with her. She is divine, she is indeed an angel.”

“Let us not forget that she is married.”

“Indeed, and what a shame that is.”

“I do not know that one can describe Jane’s situation in those terms. I daresay she is very contented with her situation.”

“Oh! I would not venture to say otherwise as regards her marital felicity. When I spoke of what a shame it is, I believe I thought only of myself.”