way to laugh him off, even if her uncle favoured the match.
He froze, the glass halfway to his mouth. Elizabeth had not laughed off his suit. She had cried, made accusations, and slapped him. Of course, she had believed him to be making a different proposition entirely, but still, if he thought about some other man suggesting that Elizabeth should be his mistress, he would have expected her to make a joke of it and perhaps a cutting remark. She would not let such idiocy hurt her. Why had he provoked such a reaction in her? If her opinion of him was as low as her words indicated, surely it could not be worsened by thinking he would take a mistress.
He tossed back a sip of the brandy faster than the fine liquor deserved. As it warmed his throat, he remembered the look in her eyes just before he began his proposal, when he could think of nothing but kissing her and would have sworn she felt the same. Could it be possible that she had cared for him, had in fact wanted him to kiss her? Was that why his words had hurt her, if she had indeed misinterpreted them?
"Simms!" Darcy called before he could think better of it.
"Sir?"
"That boy. I will see him again before he leaves."
"As you wish, sir." Simms disappeared down the hallway.
Darcy wrapped his hands around his drink. A little hope was a dangerous thing.
Chapter 7
Even in his state of eager anticipation, Darcy paused before knocking at the door to Georgiana's rooms to enjoy the sound of his sister giggling. He had so rarely heard it since Ramsgate that it was still a pleasure, albeit one that was becoming more frequent as her spirits became lighter. At times he could picture the girl she used to be.
But time pressed, so he rapped on the door. Mary, the girl from Rosings, opened it. Although her curtsey was quite proper, the saucy manner in which she glanced over her shoulder at Georgiana was hardly deferent; it was clear she had been involved in whatever had amused his sister.
Georgiana's cheeks were rosy and her eyes had sparkle to them. Perhaps the past was finally starting to lose its grip on her. "Fitzwilliam, will you not join me?" She gestured to the chair.
"For a moment only. I came to ask the pleasure of your company on a walk."
"Now? I had not intended to go out today, but I could, if you wish it."
The girl was hovering almost protectively behind Georgiana. Darcy waved his hand in dismissal, and with another curtsey, she scurried from the room. He said, "I think it is too pleasant a day to spend indoors."
He could tell from her slightly puzzled look that she saw something unusual in his demeanour. "Very well. Should I ask Mrs. Annesley to join us?"
"Not today, I think." He looked around the room, noticing her companion's absence for the first time. "Where is Mrs. Annesley?"
"Mary and I were talking, so I told her she could have the afternoon to herself. I hope you do not object." The worried tone had returned to her voice.
"Of course not. She is your companion, and it is your choice. Though if she is unsatisfactory in any way, I hope you will inform me."
"Not at all! She is everything that is kind and proper. But sometimes I prefer to be with someone closer to my own age. I am so glad you decided to bring Mary here for me."
He blinked in surprise. "For you?"
"Is that not why you brought her here from Rosings, because you thought she would be good company for me?"
"It was not my intent, but if it pleases you, then I am happy."
"What was your intent, then?"
Not a question he wished to answer, but it was a good sign that she dared question him again. If it was the girl's influence, he could not complain. "Her situation at Rosings was difficult, and it seemed best to remove her from the environs."
"Because of her father, I suppose. Was it Sir Lewis, then? Mary says her mother never told her, apart from that he was a gentleman."
It was a measure of Darcy's distraction that it took him a moment to understand her meaning. Seeking to recover himself, he
He froze, the glass halfway to his mouth. Elizabeth had not laughed off his suit. She had cried, made accusations, and slapped him. Of course, she had believed him to be making a different proposition entirely, but still, if he thought about some other man suggesting that Elizabeth should be his mistress, he would have expected her to make a joke of it and perhaps a cutting remark. She would not let such idiocy hurt her. Why had he provoked such a reaction in her? If her opinion of him was as low as her words indicated, surely it could not be worsened by thinking he would take a mistress.
He tossed back a sip of the brandy faster than the fine liquor deserved. As it warmed his throat, he remembered the look in her eyes just before he began his proposal, when he could think of nothing but kissing her and would have sworn she felt the same. Could it be possible that she had cared for him, had in fact wanted him to kiss her? Was that why his words had hurt her, if she had indeed misinterpreted them?
"Simms!" Darcy called before he could think better of it.
"Sir?"
"That boy. I will see him again before he leaves."
"As you wish, sir." Simms disappeared down the hallway.
Darcy wrapped his hands around his drink. A little hope was a dangerous thing.
Chapter 7
Even in his state of eager anticipation, Darcy paused before knocking at the door to Georgiana's rooms to enjoy the sound of his sister giggling. He had so rarely heard it since Ramsgate that it was still a pleasure, albeit one that was becoming more frequent as her spirits became lighter. At times he could picture the girl she used to be.
But time pressed, so he rapped on the door. Mary, the girl from Rosings, opened it. Although her curtsey was quite proper, the saucy manner in which she glanced over her shoulder at Georgiana was hardly deferent; it was clear she had been involved in whatever had amused his sister.
Georgiana's cheeks were rosy and her eyes had sparkle to them. Perhaps the past was finally starting to lose its grip on her. "Fitzwilliam, will you not join me?" She gestured to the chair.
"For a moment only. I came to ask the pleasure of your company on a walk."
"Now? I had not intended to go out today, but I could, if you wish it."
The girl was hovering almost protectively behind Georgiana. Darcy waved his hand in dismissal, and with another curtsey, she scurried from the room. He said, "I think it is too pleasant a day to spend indoors."
He could tell from her slightly puzzled look that she saw something unusual in his demeanour. "Very well. Should I ask Mrs. Annesley to join us?"
"Not today, I think." He looked around the room, noticing her companion's absence for the first time. "Where is Mrs. Annesley?"
"Mary and I were talking, so I told her she could have the afternoon to herself. I hope you do not object." The worried tone had returned to her voice.
"Of course not. She is your companion, and it is your choice. Though if she is unsatisfactory in any way, I hope you will inform me."
"Not at all! She is everything that is kind and proper. But sometimes I prefer to be with someone closer to my own age. I am so glad you decided to bring Mary here for me."
He blinked in surprise. "For you?"
"Is that not why you brought her here from Rosings, because you thought she would be good company for me?"
"It was not my intent, but if it pleases you, then I am happy."
"What was your intent, then?"
Not a question he wished to answer, but it was a good sign that she dared question him again. If it was the girl's influence, he could not complain. "Her situation at Rosings was difficult, and it seemed best to remove her from the environs."
"Because of her father, I suppose. Was it Sir Lewis, then? Mary says her mother never told her, apart from that he was a gentleman."
It was a measure of Darcy's distraction that it took him a moment to understand her meaning. Seeking to recover himself, he
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