Page 7

After dinner, Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, Charlotte, and Anne were playing whist. Lady Catherine had sought most unsuccessfully to commandeer Mr. Darcy, whom Elizabeth by now surmised was the favorite of her two nephews, to partner with her. He declined, citing his intention to resume reading his book. Accordingly, he took a seat by the fireplace apart from everyone else. Elizabeth, finding herself the happy recipient of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s undivided attention, sat nearby a window with the gentleman.

The colonel said, “How are you enjoying your visit?”

“All things considered, I have no cause to repine.”

The colonel arched his brow. “All things considered, Miss Bennet?”

“You have met my cousin, sir.” With the ease of acquaintances of a long duration, Elizabeth and the colonel shared a knowing smile. After silently chiding herself for engaging in a bit of fun at her relation’s expense and with a stranger no less, Elizabeth continued, “What I ought to have said is that I am enjoying a very lovely visit. Mrs. Collins and I have been intimate friends for so long as I can recall. Her family’s home is very near my own. I cannot ask for better company than hers.”

“I should hope that you find your immediate company just as pleasurable,” he uttered for her ears alone, leaning a bit closer than he had been before.

“You’re impertinent,” Elizabeth replied, feigning offense.

The colonel straightened himself in his seat. “My intentions are entirely honorable; I assure you.”

Elizabeth felt the color spread all over her body. She hastily responded. “I might as well inquire as to how well you are enjoying your visit, sir. We both find ourselves beholden to the generosity of others for the foreseeable future, do we not?”

“Indeed, we are. In response to your question, I would have to say that I tend to find immense pleasure wherever the road takes me.”

“That is precisely the sort of reply I expected from you,” she said, smiling.

“Is that so, Miss Bennet? You and I have only been in company twice, including this evening, and already you think you know me so well.”

“I congratulate myself on being a fair studier of character.”

“I am pleased to know that you consider me worthy of study,” he responded, his brow arched.

What an unabashed flirt! Elizabeth surmised she was going to like the colonel very much. In a manner befitting the moment, she said, “You, this room, the prospect from the window overlooking Lady Catherine’s gardens—” Here she paused and threw a furtive gaze to the part of the room where Mr. Darcy sat. No longer was he attending his book. He was looking intently at her. Returning her attention to her companion, Elizabeth continued, “There is no lack of subjects worthy of study.”

The colonel placed his clutched hands on his heart. “You wound me, Miss Bennet.”

Elizabeth laughed a little. “I suspect any pain I may have inflicted will be of a short duration.”

“Who among us knows me better than you?”

Barely glancing up from her game, Lady Catherine said, “I should be delighted if you would play something for us, Miss Bennet.”

Despite the hint of civility in her ladyship’s voice, Elizabeth recognized her edict for what it was. Silently begging the colonel’s pardon, Elizabeth stood and went over and sat down directly at the instrument. Colonel Fitzwilliam followed suit and pulled up a chair near her.

She had not been playing very long before Mr. Darcy, having given up the pretense of reading a while ago, put down his book, made his way to the pianoforte, and stationed himself so as to command a perfect view of Elizabeth’s countenance.

Elizabeth waited until the first convenient pause and then turned to him with an arched smile. “What valuable advice do you mean to convey this evening, Mr. Darcy? Perhaps you have observed something in my technique that is wanting, and you feel you would be remiss should you fail to point it out to me.”

“I will not argue with you, Miss Bennet.”

Upon hearing this, the colonel said, “I would say that is a wise decision on your part, Cousin. I fear you may not emerge the victor. Miss Bennet has a way with her words.”

“Is that so?” Darcy replied to his cousin. His eyes remained trained on Elizabeth’s. He said, “I am not afraid of you.”

Elizabeth purposely ignored his retort. Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “You ought to be. Miss Bennet has a passion for studying people’s character, identifying their weakness, and using it to her best advantage when one least expects it. I speak from experience.”

Responding to his cousin, but still looking at Elizabeth, Darcy said, “Do you not consider that the young lady enjoys professing opinions that are not entirely her own for purposes known only to herself?”

Elizabeth could not let this latest remark pass completely unchallenged. Speaking to the colonel, she said, “It now seems that your cousin presumes to know me and on the basis of so short an acquaintance as ours no less.”

“Perhaps my cousin fancies himself a fair studier of character too. It seems the two of you have much in common. What say you, Darcy?”

“I believe such a talent—in order to be truly worthy of boasting—would require moving about in far broader circles. From what I know of small country society, there cannot have been many opportunities for Miss Bennet to perfect such a craft. Country society can be rather less varying.”