said, "I seriously doubt it was Sir Lewis. He was not one to notice a pretty face." He hoped she would not question his statement. He had tried since Ramsgate to acquaint Georgiana with some of the less innocent elements of life, since naivete had not served her well, but there were some things he was not prepared to explain to his younger sister. At least he had an excuse to break off the conversation. "Shall we walk out in a quarter hour, then?"
"Certainly."
He had escaped unscathed there. Perhaps that was a good omen for the rest of the day.
***
Young Matthew Gardiner leaned out over the water of the Serpentine. He pointed excitedly, almost overbalancing in his enthusiasm. "Look, a giant fish! Right there!"
"That is indeed a big fish," said Elizabeth gravely, holding tight to the hand of his younger brother, Andrew.
Margaret huffed. "That is nothing compared to the fish Father caught when we visited Longbourn. It's just a baby."
"No, it isn't," Matthew cried.
An argument of this sort could go on for hours if there were no distraction. "Shall we look for the swans?" Elizabeth asked.
Matthew pouted. "I want to try to catch the fish, just like Father."
"You would need a rod and tackle for that, I fear." Elizabeth tugged gently at his hand, and he followed grudgingly.
Margaret stood on her tiptoes. "I think the swans are down there."
Elizabeth shaded her eyes as she looked down the length of the Serpentine. She could not see swans, but Margaret's eyes were sharper than hers. She stiffened as a movement on the path along the lake caught her eye. Surely it could not be! It must be some other gentleman of the same height, the same proud stature, the same long stride.
But it was him, with a fashionably dressed young woman on his arm. Something twisted in Elizabeth's chest. His love had not lasted long; he had already replaced her in his heart, and with a lady for whom he did not have to skulk in Moorsfield.
She could not bear to meet him. "Come, children. We must go now."
"But we haven't seen the swans yet," Margaret protested.
Elizabeth busied herself retying Margaret's bonnet strings, giving her an excuse not to look up. "Let us walk through the gardens, then, and see the swans afterwards."
"Please, Lizzy, can't we see them now instead?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the couple approaching. It was too late to flee. Instead she put her back to the path, gazing steadfastly into the water. "Where did your fish go, Matthew? I cannot see it."
Matthew and his brother needed no further excuse to go back to the reeds by the water. Elizabeth closed her eyes with relief. Mr. Darcy might still see her, but he would not have to acknowledge her. She strained her ears for his familiar tones, but heard only a light feminine laughter and footsteps on the gravel path.
The footsteps paused. Mr. Darcy's voice floated past her, sending a shiver down her arms. "Just a moment, my dear," he said softly and then called out, "Miss Bennet!"
There was no avoiding it. Elizabeth turned slowly and curtsied. "Mr. Darcy." She fixed her eyes on his cravat. It was safer than looking at his face.
The couple approached closer. "Miss Bennet, may I have the honour of introducing you to my sister?" he asked.
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. His sister, not his betrothed or his wife. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Darcy."
"Not Miss Bennet of Hertfordshire? My brother has told me so much about you."
He had told his sister about her? Elizabeth's mouth opened, but it was a moment before she could force any words out. "I am all astonishment."
"Indeed. He told me of your musical talent and how much pleasure he found in listening to you perform."
"He is far too kind," Elizabeth said.
Darcy finally allowed himself to breathe more easily. He had found her. Poor Georgiana had been sweet about being dragged all over Hyde Park without an explanation, since young Charlie could not provide any information as to where in the park
"Certainly."
He had escaped unscathed there. Perhaps that was a good omen for the rest of the day.
***
Young Matthew Gardiner leaned out over the water of the Serpentine. He pointed excitedly, almost overbalancing in his enthusiasm. "Look, a giant fish! Right there!"
"That is indeed a big fish," said Elizabeth gravely, holding tight to the hand of his younger brother, Andrew.
Margaret huffed. "That is nothing compared to the fish Father caught when we visited Longbourn. It's just a baby."
"No, it isn't," Matthew cried.
An argument of this sort could go on for hours if there were no distraction. "Shall we look for the swans?" Elizabeth asked.
Matthew pouted. "I want to try to catch the fish, just like Father."
"You would need a rod and tackle for that, I fear." Elizabeth tugged gently at his hand, and he followed grudgingly.
Margaret stood on her tiptoes. "I think the swans are down there."
Elizabeth shaded her eyes as she looked down the length of the Serpentine. She could not see swans, but Margaret's eyes were sharper than hers. She stiffened as a movement on the path along the lake caught her eye. Surely it could not be! It must be some other gentleman of the same height, the same proud stature, the same long stride.
But it was him, with a fashionably dressed young woman on his arm. Something twisted in Elizabeth's chest. His love had not lasted long; he had already replaced her in his heart, and with a lady for whom he did not have to skulk in Moorsfield.
She could not bear to meet him. "Come, children. We must go now."
"But we haven't seen the swans yet," Margaret protested.
Elizabeth busied herself retying Margaret's bonnet strings, giving her an excuse not to look up. "Let us walk through the gardens, then, and see the swans afterwards."
"Please, Lizzy, can't we see them now instead?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the couple approaching. It was too late to flee. Instead she put her back to the path, gazing steadfastly into the water. "Where did your fish go, Matthew? I cannot see it."
Matthew and his brother needed no further excuse to go back to the reeds by the water. Elizabeth closed her eyes with relief. Mr. Darcy might still see her, but he would not have to acknowledge her. She strained her ears for his familiar tones, but heard only a light feminine laughter and footsteps on the gravel path.
The footsteps paused. Mr. Darcy's voice floated past her, sending a shiver down her arms. "Just a moment, my dear," he said softly and then called out, "Miss Bennet!"
There was no avoiding it. Elizabeth turned slowly and curtsied. "Mr. Darcy." She fixed her eyes on his cravat. It was safer than looking at his face.
The couple approached closer. "Miss Bennet, may I have the honour of introducing you to my sister?" he asked.
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. His sister, not his betrothed or his wife. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Darcy."
"Not Miss Bennet of Hertfordshire? My brother has told me so much about you."
He had told his sister about her? Elizabeth's mouth opened, but it was a moment before she could force any words out. "I am all astonishment."
"Indeed. He told me of your musical talent and how much pleasure he found in listening to you perform."
"He is far too kind," Elizabeth said.
Darcy finally allowed himself to breathe more easily. He had found her. Poor Georgiana had been sweet about being dragged all over Hyde Park without an explanation, since young Charlie could not provide any information as to where in the park
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