His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel (19 page)

"He did."

"I see. And how did you meet him in Hertfordshire, if he is the rector of Hunsford?"

Darcy ran his hand over the soft satin lining of the carriage. The conversation veered dangerously close to the Bennets, and for a moment he thought he could change the subject. A glance at Richard revealed an intent expression, and he shrugged. "He visited family in the neighborhood."

"How lucky for him to meet a family member of his patroness."

"I believe that is precisely what he thought." Darcy groaned and rested his head against the side of the carriage. "You cannot comprehend how ridiculous a man he is, you truly cannot. I would be glad to avoid his presence for the whole of our visit."

They arrived at Rosings before Richard could reply. The butler's familiar face greeted them at the door. "Mr. Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, her ladyship has asked you to join her for tea in the small salon."

"Of course, Brewster. Thank you."

The butler bowed, and the gentleman walked down a short hallway and into the room indicated. "Darcy, Fitzwilliam. Come here at once! What has detained you--we expected you half an hour ago, did we not, Anne?"

Darcy bowed over his aunt's outstretched hand and kissed it. "We were not detained, Aunt. We had fine weather the entire way from London. However, I do wish you had let us clean up before we greeted you; I am sure our journey did not leave us fresh."

She waved her hand at him. "Anne would not hear of any delay in seeing you after so long. She has missed you both excessively, have you not, Anne?"

Darcy turned to his cousin, whose faint blush strongly reminded him of someone, though he could not quite figure out whom. "And how have you been, Cousin?" he asked felicitously.

Anne raised her hands to her neck, where they fluttered uselessly for a minute before they dropped back to her lap. "I have been well enough, William," she replied, her voice so soft he had to strain to hear it.

"Winter is the greatest discomfort to Anne, Darcy," Lady Catherine said, as if the Lord had created the season to vex her child, "but she bears up admirably."

"The cold does seem to settle in my bones," the young lady admitted.

"Then it is good we had a mild winter this year," Darcy observed. He took a seat next to Richard, who, except for that first greeting, had been completely ignored until this point. "Indeed, we were saying on the journey here that we have never known an earlier spring."

"Ah, but you do not recall spring four years ago then," Lady Catherine said. "Why, I had roses blooming in April that year."

Her soliloquy on spring lasted some minutes, and Darcy paid only the barest amount of attention. Anne caught his eye and shrugged apologetically; he smiled in return. He felt nothing but pity for his cousin, trapped by a mother who could only embarrass her.

He sat upright.
That is who she reminded me of--Jane Bennet, when her mother was so obviously attempting to snare Bingley.

The conversation took a turn then that drew his attention. "Though, the Bishops are in town for the Season, which leaves us with paltry company. Of course, there is the rector Mr. Collins and his wife..."

"Mr. Collins is married?" Darcy broke in.
Surely not Elizabeth...

"Of course. I advised him to take a wife, and he saw the wisdom in my suggestion. He went to Hertfordshire last fall for the express purpose."

"I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Collins when I visited my friend Mr. Bingley in that neighborhood, but I had not heard of his marriage. Pray, tell me which of the local ladies became his wife?"

"Mrs. Collins was Miss Charlotte Lucas before her marriage," Lady Catherine answered, and Darcy fought to remain upright against the onslaught of relief. "Did you meet with her there?"

"Only in passing. I believe her to be a very practical sort of lady."
Except in her choice of spouse.

Richard stood abruptly and bowed. "Thank you for your forbearance, Aunt, but I believe Darcy and I have tarried long enough. If we do not retire to our rooms now, we will not have time to change for dinner."

She looked down her nose at the elder of her nephews. "Very well, Fitzwilliam," she conceded. "But you will remember we dine early --"

"So as not to tax Anne," he finished smoothly and bowed over his cousin's hand. "We shall see you in a few hours, I hope?"

The tired lines on her forehead eased and she graced him with a small but genuine smile. "Of course, Richard. We will see you at dinner."

After the gentlemen left the salon, Richard turned to Darcy. "I have a question for you, William, if you have a minute."

"Of course. Shall we go to the study?" The study at Rosings Park was largely unused, there being no male in residence. Even Lady Catherine would not interrupt them there. "What did you wish to ask?" Darcy said once the door was shut.

Richard leaned against the wall, his arms folded in front of him. "You showed an unusual interest in Mrs. Collins. Is there anything regarding your stay in Hertfordshire you wish to tell me?"

Darcy's pulse sped up, but he remained outwardly calm. "What do you mean?"

"You did not form an attachment to Miss Lucas yourself, did you?"

Darcy laughed--Richard was so close and yet so wildly off target. "Not at all, I assure you. If we have the opportunity to meet Mrs. Collins, you will see she is as far from my ideal wife as you could imagine. I was merely curious," he repeated.

Richard put his hand on the door and looked Darcy over. Apparently he was satisfied Darcy told the truth, for he smiled and said, "Very well then. I shall leave you to dress for dinner."

Darcy grinned. "Yes, thank you for getting us away from Aunt Catherine."

Richard shook his head. "Do not thank me yet. I have not the patience to be ignored on this trip, and I am likely to make you uncomfortable." Before Darcy could ask what he meant, the door swung shut in his face.

Richard's meaning became abundantly clear at breakfast the next morning.

Aware of their aunt's habit of lying in bed with her chocolate until late morning, the two cousins always made sure to rise with the dawn. Those morning hours were often their only moments of peace and quiet.

On this morning, however, Brewster interrupted their solitude with an announcement. "Mr. Collins is here to see you, Mr. Darcy."

Before Darcy could order him sent away, Richard said, "Show him in, Brewster." The butler bowed and retreated, and Richard looked over at Darcy. "I did tell you I would likely make you uncomfortable, did I not?"

"You did," Darcy acknowledged, "but in this particular instance I believe you will come to regret your penchant for teasing me."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Darcy gestured to the door, which opened to admit Mr. Collins. "Mr. Darcy!" He bowed to the appropriate level for a duke, and the cousins exchanged amused glances over his back. "I am glad to see you in good health, sir. How good it is of you to give attendance to your noble aunt. I have often told her ladyship that if a member of the court were to come to Kent, it would be to pay honor to her, rather than the other way around."

"Quite so, sir," Darcy said, enjoying the look on Richard's face. "I understand you have lately married. Allow me to wish you happy."

The parson's face suffused with pride. "Oh, my dear Charlotte could not make me otherwise! She is the wisest and most amiable of females--excepting her ladyship, of course."

"Of course," Richard agreed gravely, and Darcy was confident only those who knew him would see this slight twitch of a smile. "Tell me, sir, what business took you to Hertfordshire? You were quite lucky to find such a paragon in a distant county."

Mr. Collins bowed again of this observation. "You are entirely correct, Colonel Fitzwilliam. It was Providence which led me there--well, Providence and the small matter of an estate I shall one day inherit. Imagine my surprise when I visited my cousins and found in that neighborhood the one lady destined to make my life complete!"

Unwilling to hear more of the Bennets, Darcy opened his mouth to redirect conversation. However, before he could, Mr. Collins continued. "In fact, one of my fair cousins stays with us now, along with my sister Maria. Do you remember my cousin Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy?"

"Yes --" he cleared his throat--"yes, of course. Miss Elizabeth is at Hunsford?"

"Indeed she is. She is quite the intimate friend of my dear Charlotte, if you will recall, and nothing less than a wedding visit could persuade her of her friend's happiness."

Darcy heard the petulant undertone and knew immediately that either Elizabeth had spoken against their engagement, or she herself had refused to marry Collins. The latter thought cheered him greatly, and without thought for the implications he said, "I wonder, sir, if we might accompany you back to the rectory. It has been some months since I visited with my acquaintances from Hertfordshire."

Mr. Collins positively beamed with delight. "Oh yes! That would be very good of you. Of course, it is nothing less than I would expect from someone associated with the noble house of de Bourgh."

Nothing but the thought of seeing Elizabeth that afternoon could have prevented Darcy from commenting that the house of de Bourgh benefited more from the connection with the Darcys and Fitzwilliams than the other way around. However, he nodded slightly, and all three gentlemen left the breakfast room together.

Darcy allowed Mr. Collins to lead them to his home, though it took all his self-control not to speed past him to the Parsonage where Elizabeth waited.
Elizabeth!
He thought of her rich dark eyes and his heart raced.
My Elizabeth, how I have missed you.

The sardonic edge in Richard's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "You must forgive my cousin, Mr. Collins. He has such long legs that he nearly always outstrips whoever walks with him. Why, I sometimes find myself running just to keep up."

Darcy looked behind him and realized he had indeed passed them both. "I do apologize, Mr. Collins," he said, his ears warm. "Colonel Fitzwilliam is correct--I forget at times that I walk faster than most men."

Mr. Collins caught up and smiled. "I assure you, I was not in the least bit offended," he said. "We are almost to the rectory; allow me to go in and inform the ladies of the honor of your visit."

Darcy and Richard let the man precede them into the house, and then Richard turned toward Darcy. "You have a great deal of explaining to do when we return to Rosings, Cousin," he said, and the promise of such teasing was almost enough to send Darcy back down the road without seeing Elizabeth. But Mr. Collins returned with his wife and Elizabeth, and Darcy's chance for escape ended.

Darcy clenched his hands into fists and released them, hoping to stop the shaking. "Mrs. Collins, Miss Elizabeth, I am pleased to see you both. I had not thought to have the pleasure of seeing you again after I left Hertfordshire last winter."

He was vaguely aware of Mrs. Collins accepting his greeting and returning it, but the whole of his vision had narrowed to Elizabeth.
Did her mouth always curve in such a deliciously appealing smile?

Elizabeth curtsied, but said not a word. Darcy thought he saw a hint of discomfort in her manner, and his heart soared. He was overcome by the moment, and the thought that Elizabeth was also thrilled to see him.

Richard bowed low to the ladies. "Mrs. Collins, a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. And Miss Bennet, how delightful to meet you. Darcy has told me much about Hertfordshire, but he did not tell me that the prettiest women in the kingdom hid there."

Elizabeth smiled at him, and jealousy glued Darcy's tongue to the roof of his mouth.
I do not mind much his ability to make Georgiana and Anne smile, but this is too much.

He sought for a topic of conversation he knew would interest her, but before he could find something to say, Richard spoke again. "I spent many winters in Hertfordshire, encamped in various villages. I remember the countryside as being truly lovely."

"Why thank you, Colonel Fitzwilliam," Miss Elizabeth said. "I am sure I do not know a prettier part of England, though I admit I am biased."

Richard smiled.
"We are all inclined to believe our home to be the prettiest, loveliest place in the world, do you not agree, Darcy?"

At a complete loss, Darcy merely nodded while frantically searching for something to say to join in the conversation. "This house is very nice, Mrs. Collins," he finally managed. "I caught sight of a garden out back as well, I believe."

"The garden is Mr. Collins's domain, but I will take your compliment on the house, Mr. Darcy. Thank you."

He nodded again and then fell silent.

After some minutes, he realized one thing he could say to Elizabeth that would not arouse the suspicion of anyone. "How is your family? Are they all in health?"

She nodded and then said, "My eldest sister has been in town these three months. Have you never happened to see her there?"

The innocent question blindsided Darcy, and for an instant he knew not how to respond. "No, I am afraid I have not had the pleasure," he said, a split second later.