A Touch of Night by Sarah A. Hoyt Page A

fountain in classical style, she was shocked to hear voices from the shrubbery.
    To be exact, she was surprised to hear Anne de Bourgh's seldom-raised voice saying with some feeling, "Oh, how I wish that Darcy were married!"
    She was answered by the colonel's amused laughter.
    "No, only listen to me. Until he's married, my mother will not give up the ridiculous idea that I should marry him."
    The colonel sighed. "She would change it fast enough if she knew what he was."
    "Yes," Anne said. "But I don't hate Darcy. I merely do not wish to enter into what must be, perforce, a loveless match." She was silent a while. "Only I wish he didn't spend quite so much time with Mr. Bingley."
    "No," the Colonel said. "Bingley and Darcy shouldn't spend so much time together. It can't be good for either of them."
    They were silent a while longer and... was that the sound of kisses? Elizabeth started retracing her steps to the house, her cheeks burning, but the voices recommenced.
    "You procured the replacement for the tonic, right?" Anne asked.
    "Of course, and the exact same color."
    "Thank you. If it weren't for you I'd still be taking the horrible stuff mama gives me. I don't know if it retarded my womanhood, but it made me sick enough."
    "What I don't understand," the Colonel said, "is why she wished to retard your womanhood. And still does."
    Anne sighed. "Can you not? She's afraid I'll become a were . And it's no use telling her that at twenty-two I'd already have become one, if it were to happen. She thinks she's stopping it with her awful tonic." Another pause. "She never forgave papa for being a bear, you know?"
    Elizabeth could not believe it. Had she heard it right? Had Mr. De Bourgh been a bear? She ran all the way to the house as silently as she could, vowing to never walk near shrubbery again.

    Chapter Eight
    Elizabeth didn't give any more thought to what she'd heard in the shrubbery. She'd decided that the whole Darcy family and connections were very odd and there was no point at all dwelling on it. And she felt only a slight needle of annoyance that Mr. Darcy could be so sympathetic in his grief for Lord Sevrin. And had he really meant to betroth his sister to Sevrin? Surely, at the time, he could not have known what the lord was.
    On this conviction she slept soundly and woke up rested the next morning, before any of the household was up. She dressed and went for a walk, and when she came back, she found that everyone in the household was still asleep, except for the servants. Elizabeth repaired to the parlor, where she started a letter to Jane.
    "Miss," the parlor maid said, bobbing a curtsey. "Mr. Darcy, to see you."
    Elizabeth thought the visit was odd at such a time, but what could she do but assent to it? "Pray tell him that Mr. and Mrs. Collins are not yet up."
    "I have, ma'am, but he wishes to see you."
    "Oh, very well, send him in," Elizabeth replied with ill-grace.
    Mr. Darcy came in, perfectly attired in his morning coat, holding hat and gloves in hand. He bowed to her. "I pray you forgive me, Miss Bennet," he said, "for calling on you so early in the morning. But surely you must understand that I... It is sometimes safer if I don't sleep... If I don't let my guard down during the night at Rosings. My aunt being as she is. And therefore, I thought... Well, it must be clear to you I've been doing a lot of thinking."
    Clear as the blackest mud, thought Elizabeth, but she nodded, in any case.
    Instead of responding, the very odd man then started pacing back and forth across the room. Since the room was not nearly wide enough for the length of his legs, this meant he took three steps one way, ducked around Charlotte's ridiculous little table with the ornate vase of dubious Chinese design upon it, then took another three steps, stopping just short of running into the mirror, and then did an about face and paced the other way again.
    "Mr. Darcy..." Elizabeth said, thinking to make some excuse about having to go upstairs