accepted my offer. And there was I thinking it was my sparkling wit and engaging personality that attracted you.”
She hooted with laughter and Joshua found her uninhibited personality refreshing. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, I hope you do not expect me to respond to such an infamous remark.”
Joshua laughed as well. “Forgive me, Mrs. Sheffield. I cannot imagine what came over me. However, I blame you.”
“Me?”
“Indeed you. Your outspokenness appears to have rubbed off on me.”
“Oh no, you must do better than that if you wish to impress me.”
“I certainly wish to do that, and so I shall reapply myself.”
They reached the top of the hill, Mrs. Sheffield looked around and gasped. “This is wonderful! Thank you so much for bringing me here. One can see for miles.”
“It’s the wrong weather for it. As you can see, the dark clouds are rolling in and we shall have the promised rain. On a clear day, it is so much more worth the effort of coming up here.” He threw his leg over the pommel of his saddle and jumped gracefully to the ground. He secured his horse’s reins to prevent them being trodden on and turned him loose to crop at the thin grass. “Shall we walk?”
Joshua reached up his hands, placed them on Mrs. Sheffield’s waist, and lifted her down. He paused when her face was on a level with his. Drinking in the sight of her lovely features, her skin slightly flushed from the exertion of the ride, he was slow to place her on her feet. Their gazes locked and a strange feeling gripped Joshua—a premonition, a sun responding to a gravitational pull—something. She felt it, too. He could tell as much by the way her sculpted lips formed a perfect ‘O’ and suspected that the deeper colour now invading her cheeks had nothing to do with their recent exercise.
“There we are.”
His voice sounded thick and raw as he turned his attention to her mare. Satisfied the horses could not stray far, he offered Mrs. Sheffield his arm, and they slowly strolled along the crest of the hill. She continued to admire the view, exclaiming every so often as Joshua pointed out landmarks to her. Joshua preferred to admire his companion rather than the vista opening up beneath them, willing the rain to hold off and time to stand still.
“You can see the entire layout of the Pemberley house,” Joshua said, pointing in the appropriate direction.
“My goodness, it is extensive.”
“It certainly is.”
“I hear Lady Catherine was set upon combining Pemberley and her own estate in Kent.”
“Yes, but as soon as Darcy met his wife, there was not the slightest possibility of that ever happening.”
“Oh dear, that cannot have pleased Lady Catherine. She seems like a lady who is accustomed to having her own way.”
“That is certainly true, and she has sufficient wealth and consequence to ensure most people do as she wishes.”
“But not her nephew, it seems.”
“My aunt failed to take into account that Darcy inherited the same stubborn streak as Lady Catherine’s from his mother, Lady Catherine’s sister.”
“I was not referring specifically to Mr. Darcy.”
“Ah, I see.”
But Joshua did not see—not precisely. Who had Lady Catherine told about her expectation of Joshua wedding Anne? It seemed unlikely she would speak about it, especially to strangers, until terms had been agreed. There again, perhaps she sensed Joshua’s reluctance and was trying to make it happen by openly implying it was all but settled. Either way, it was clear Mrs. Sheffield knew, or suspected. So why was she here with him now?
“And what of your own plans, Mrs. Sheffield? How long do you intend to remain in Derbyshire?”
She sent him a teasing smile. “Are you tired of my society already, Colonel?”
“Quite the contrary, I do assure you, but I understood you inherited an estate from your husband.”
“Yes, in Buckinghamshire.” Her laughter abruptly faded. “But I have no immediate plans to return
She hooted with laughter and Joshua found her uninhibited personality refreshing. “Colonel Fitzwilliam, I hope you do not expect me to respond to such an infamous remark.”
Joshua laughed as well. “Forgive me, Mrs. Sheffield. I cannot imagine what came over me. However, I blame you.”
“Me?”
“Indeed you. Your outspokenness appears to have rubbed off on me.”
“Oh no, you must do better than that if you wish to impress me.”
“I certainly wish to do that, and so I shall reapply myself.”
They reached the top of the hill, Mrs. Sheffield looked around and gasped. “This is wonderful! Thank you so much for bringing me here. One can see for miles.”
“It’s the wrong weather for it. As you can see, the dark clouds are rolling in and we shall have the promised rain. On a clear day, it is so much more worth the effort of coming up here.” He threw his leg over the pommel of his saddle and jumped gracefully to the ground. He secured his horse’s reins to prevent them being trodden on and turned him loose to crop at the thin grass. “Shall we walk?”
Joshua reached up his hands, placed them on Mrs. Sheffield’s waist, and lifted her down. He paused when her face was on a level with his. Drinking in the sight of her lovely features, her skin slightly flushed from the exertion of the ride, he was slow to place her on her feet. Their gazes locked and a strange feeling gripped Joshua—a premonition, a sun responding to a gravitational pull—something. She felt it, too. He could tell as much by the way her sculpted lips formed a perfect ‘O’ and suspected that the deeper colour now invading her cheeks had nothing to do with their recent exercise.
“There we are.”
His voice sounded thick and raw as he turned his attention to her mare. Satisfied the horses could not stray far, he offered Mrs. Sheffield his arm, and they slowly strolled along the crest of the hill. She continued to admire the view, exclaiming every so often as Joshua pointed out landmarks to her. Joshua preferred to admire his companion rather than the vista opening up beneath them, willing the rain to hold off and time to stand still.
“You can see the entire layout of the Pemberley house,” Joshua said, pointing in the appropriate direction.
“My goodness, it is extensive.”
“It certainly is.”
“I hear Lady Catherine was set upon combining Pemberley and her own estate in Kent.”
“Yes, but as soon as Darcy met his wife, there was not the slightest possibility of that ever happening.”
“Oh dear, that cannot have pleased Lady Catherine. She seems like a lady who is accustomed to having her own way.”
“That is certainly true, and she has sufficient wealth and consequence to ensure most people do as she wishes.”
“But not her nephew, it seems.”
“My aunt failed to take into account that Darcy inherited the same stubborn streak as Lady Catherine’s from his mother, Lady Catherine’s sister.”
“I was not referring specifically to Mr. Darcy.”
“Ah, I see.”
But Joshua did not see—not precisely. Who had Lady Catherine told about her expectation of Joshua wedding Anne? It seemed unlikely she would speak about it, especially to strangers, until terms had been agreed. There again, perhaps she sensed Joshua’s reluctance and was trying to make it happen by openly implying it was all but settled. Either way, it was clear Mrs. Sheffield knew, or suspected. So why was she here with him now?
“And what of your own plans, Mrs. Sheffield? How long do you intend to remain in Derbyshire?”
She sent him a teasing smile. “Are you tired of my society already, Colonel?”
“Quite the contrary, I do assure you, but I understood you inherited an estate from your husband.”
“Yes, in Buckinghamshire.” Her laughter abruptly faded. “But I have no immediate plans to return
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