His Uncle's Favorite (47 page)

As he enjoyed a drink at the end of that distressing day, the earl was informed of the plans regarding Anne. He approved but expressed his concern that Catherine would be difficult to convince, and though Anne was of age and could make her own decisions, staying away from her mother was not easy to accomplish. His main goal was to avoid a scandal, which would surely hurt their family’s reputation. Lady Catherine could not be expected to behave in a reasonable manner when she was upset.

“Well, we shall see. We must find a way to settle this eventually, although I expect Catherine’s reaction on hearing a specific news item from Darcy to be quite violent.”

“Mother will be so angry if she finds that… You must be careful, Cousin,” Anne said, emotional and tearful. “If mother meets Miss Elizabeth, she will be very harsh with her. If I can do anything to protect you from all this trouble… If I could convince Mama that our marriage was never a possibility—”

“Anne dear, you must not worry about me—or about Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Neither of us is afraid of Aunt Catherine.” Darcy smiled.

“Oh, I am aware of that,” Anne replied. “I saw her when she was in Kent. I must say I never met anyone so courageous! She was not intimidated in the slightest by Mama. I can easily see her confronting Mother quite forcibly if needed!”

“Quite.” Darcy smiled again.

“Well, Anne, you could find someone to marry you just to escape Lady Catherine’s obsession. That would be quite a joke.” The colonel laughed once more, and again the others did not share his amusement. The colonel was puzzled.

“Robert, would you join me at the club?” Darcy said suddenly. “I have some last-minute business to attend to before I leave tomorrow.”

“Gladly. I shall see you all tomorrow as I have some fixed appointments for tonight.” He smiled mischievously as he took his farewell. “Anne, you must promise me you will rest and not worry about anything.”

“I promise,” she whispered with a forced smile.

“I shall see you tomorrow morning before I leave,” Darcy added warmly.

“Thank you, Cousin,” said Miss de Bourgh as her cousins closed the door behind them.

“Robert, what in the world is wrong with you? Damn it, man, how can you be so insensible? How can you make Anne so uncomfortable?” Darcy asked severely as soon as they entered the carriage.

“Pardon me? Pray tell me, how do I make Anne uncomfortable? What nonsense is this?”

“Why do you keep making fun of her timidity? You did the same when we were in Kent! And how could you joke about your moving into her room? And about someone marrying her just to foil Aunt Catherine? Can you not imagine how painful such jokes are for her—especially coming from you? You believe she has no feelings?”

“Darcy, I do not understand what you are talking about! I am quite fond of Anne; you know that. How could I make fun of her? They were just harmless jests!”

“You may be fond of her, but you have no compassion! You know she takes every word from you seriously. And on that subject: I do not want to sound hypocritical, nor do I pretend to be the master of proper behaviour, but you should be careful when you embrace Anne. She is very sensitive now—even more so than before—and she could easily misunderstand your care.”

“Misunderstand? What do you mean? Be careful when I embrace Anne—what silliness is this?” Darcy looked at his cousin, who seemed completely at a loss, and hesitated continuing the conversation. Was he really so oblivious to Anne’s feelings—he, of all people, who was so accustomed to ladies’ company?

“Darcy, this is a very unfortunate moment to be silent! You must explain to me what is bothering you; it seems I am not smart enough to comprehend your meaning. Apparently, I do not even know how to behave with my cousin—”

“There is no need to be upset; it was not my intention to offend you. But I was certain that, by now, you were aware of Anne’s tender feelings for you. For heaven’s sake, I guess you and Aunt Catherine are the only ones who missed it.”

“Anne has tender feelings for me? You mean—” The colonel appeared so shocked by the revelation that it was Darcy’s turn to quell the temptation of laughing at
him
.

Eyes wide, face pale, speechless, and as nervous as a boy, Colonel Fitzwilliam looked nothing like the charming gentleman who was known as the ladies’ favourite.

“Anne has tender feelings for me? Are you certain, absolutely certain?”

“Yes, Cousin, I am absolutely certain. I cannot see how this could possibly have happened and what you did to deserve it, but I am certain.” Darcy attempted to lighten the tension.

The colonel looked at him sharply.

“If we begin a conversation about how deserving each of us might be, it would be difficult to understand how Miss Elizabeth possibly accepted your proposal. So let us not dwell upon the subject any longer. Better, tell me how you can be so certain? About Anne…do you believe she has hopes that…? Did I encourage her in any way? I would hate to know I made her suffer, even if it was most unwittingly.”

“Robert, Anne is a reasonable person—and very wise. She surely did not inherit this trait from the Fitzwilliam family.” Darcy smiled. “I do not think she had any particular hopes…but we both know how difficult is to command the heart. I only want you to be careful. Forgive me if I offended you.”

“No, no—you are right of course,” the colonel replied with no little worry. “I am grateful that you pointed out this particular situation to me. I shall be careful…”

For the rest of the ride, Robert said nothing. His preoccupation was impenetrable, and Darcy attempted unsuccessfully to raise his spirits until they reached the club.

***

Elizabeth felt trapped inside the house while her mind travelled through London in search of Darcy, and her heart startled each time a door opened.

After the happy anticipation of Darcy’s visit to Hertfordshire, his brief call and the disturbing news of Miss de Bourgh’s arrival brought her countless worries and fears. The sharp-clawed grip did not abandon her chest the entire day while she waited in vain for any scrap of news. It was settled they would depart for Longbourn the following day after breakfast, and she felt something would intervene to prevent Darcy from accompanying them. Mr. Bingley was in Gracechurch Street almost the entire afternoon, and he received a dinner invitation; his joyful and enthusiastic acceptance sounded almost annoying to Elizabeth, though she knew she should be ashamed of such feelings.

She finally returned to her room to prepare for dinner when a servant entered to announce that her presence was required in the library. Startled, trying to read something on the servant’s stern face, and too embarrassed to ask the reason, Elizabeth hurried downstairs. She opened the library door tentatively, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Darcy by the window, staring outside.

She took a few steps, and he heard her; he turned slowly, and she glanced at his preoccupied countenance, attempting to guess the news he was bringing. Then he smiled.

“I am so happy to see you,” he whispered, holding her hands. Their eyes held, and his low voice sent cold shivers through her. They were inches apart, and she found no words to say how happy she was to see him. He leaned forward until his lips touched and lingered a few moments over hers.

“Mrs. Gardiner was very kind and allowed me to speak to you a few minutes. And she congratulated me.” His smile increased, and his eyes still held hers.

“Yes, she… I…” Speaking—as well as breathing—was still difficult. “I spoke to my aunt; I hope you do not mind. I have never kept any secrets from her. Besides, I think she guessed the truth long ago.”

“I do not mind. I would not wish you to keep any secret from Mrs. Gardiner. Besides, it seems we are poor at keeping secrets; my entire family guessed, too, without my telling them a thing. Including Anne,” he laughed, and Elizabeth stared at him.

“Miss de Bourgh? But how could she—?”

“What can I say? It is another proof that we are the least perceptive people in the world when it comes to each other. Everyone guessed our feelings long before we did.”

“That should be cause for worry, do you not think?” she replied, her heart lighter.

“Not quite… But I would suggest we always speak our minds openly to avoid any further misunderstanding.” His lips gently pressed against hers again.

The kiss began lightly, but her hands wrapped around his waist, and she leaned against him, seeking shelter in his embrace. His arms closed around her.

“Mrs. Gardiner allowed me a few minutes to speak,” he said breathlessly. She glanced up at him, her cheeks crimson and her eyes sparkling. He placed another quick kiss on her forehead. “I feel horrible to betray Mrs. Gardiner’s trust, but I also feel horrible to be so close to you without kissing you. We must settle a date—
you
must settle a date. Do you think you will be able to decide by tomorrow? I would like to be able to present it to Mr. Bennet when I speak to him. Do you think we should fear any opposition from him?”

Darcy spoke with such unusual haste and nervousness that Elizabeth was not certain whether he were joking or not. His final words puzzled her even more.

“You will speak to Papa tomorrow? So you will come to Hertfordshire with us?”

“Why would I not come? Have the plans changed?”

“No, no…but I was afraid that… What happened to Miss de Bourgh? Is she well?”

His face changed, and he moved her to sit on the couch, holding her hands tightly.

“Anne is as well as can be expected. She is staying at Selina’s house, and she seems to be pleased with the present arrangement. But Aunt Catherine arrived in Town, and she is very upset. She wished to take Anne back to Rosings…and…” He stopped and looked at Elizabeth then kissed her hand. She caressed his face, her hand resting on his cheek.

“Forgive me; I am afraid I have exposed you to a most unpleasant situation. My aunt’s main purpose seemed to be to force me to marry Anne as soon as possible.” Elizabeth looked at him, stern and pale, and he placed another kiss on her hand. “I decidedly refused, and she became very angry. It seems she received a letter informing her about my…interest in you. She is furious with you as she holds you responsible for my rejection. We had a violent disagreement. She has declared she will not rest until she has her way. She is even less reasonable than we knew her to be. I am truly sorry…”

“Please do not apologize; it is not your fault in the slightest. Do you know who might have sent her the letter? And how does Miss de Bourgh bear all this?”

“Lady Sinclair sent the letter. And it is my fault. I am disappointed in myself for not settling this situation long ago. Both you and Anne are now exposed to Lady Catherine’s anger because of my cavalier attitude. Oh, you asked about Anne—she is well now. She will stay with Selina for the next few weeks…and Georgiana will keep her company. I invited Anne to join us at Pemberley for the summer. I hope you do not mind.”

“I think it is a wonderful idea—Miss Anne’s company will be a valuable addition to our party. So Georgiana will not join us? I shall miss her dearly, but I think her presence will be very beneficial for Miss de Bourgh.”

“Georgiana will miss you as well, but you will meet again soon. Besides, I confess it is convenient for me; I was a trifle worried at the prospect of her going to Hertfordshire while Wickham is in the area.”

“I understand your worry. So—you will come to Hertfordshire with us?” she asked again, her voice hopeful.

He laughed, and his hands cupped her face as he gently kissed her eyes.

“You do not seem to have much trust in my word, Miss Bennet.” His lips pressed against hers with tender passion.

“I do trust your words…and we should settle a date. I already have a suggestion,” she managed to whisper with a last breath, until she abandoned herself to his kiss. He suddenly started to laugh, his lips still pressed against hers.

“Am I correct in presuming that Lady Catherine’s menace has hastened your decision? Her presence in town seems to be of infinite use, which ought to make her happy for she loves to be of use.”

“No, not really… I had decided a couple of days ago, but I did not dare to speak earlier. I thought six months, perhaps?” Her cheeks instantly turned crimson, and she blushed even more when he stared at her in surprise. “Do you believe it would be too soon?”

“Surely you are mocking me, Miss Bennet! Six months? You might as well have said six years! You are teasing me, are you not?”

He seemed equally surprised and upset, and his eyes seemed to plead for a positive resolution to the stressful situation. She started to laugh.

“You do not believe it would be too soon, it seems. Then by all means, please do choose a date yourself. I promise I will accept any date that my father would agree with.”

He looked at her with perfect seriousness.

“It would only take a few days for a special license. I do not believe I need more than a week to make all the arrangements,” he declared, and her eyes opened wide in disbelief.

It was his turn to laugh.

“If I were to think only of my wishes, a week from today would be a perfect time; but I do not wish to raise any speculation about a hasty marriage, so I believe three months would be a perfectly reasonable and properly long engagement. It would give us time to inform your family and to make all the announcements as required.”