Page 3 of Mr. Darcy's Complex Courtship

Good gracious! The proud Mr. Darcy had admitted his blunder and would attempt to mitigate the damage. Maybe Jane stood a chance at happiness after all. He took a step closer, and his essence—masculine, a bit earthy, and reminiscent of theforest—enveloped me. Unlike many other men, his aroma had never been too pungent or objectionable. His valet must have applied a blend of pine and wildflowers, along with a hint of…vanilla? All together, they made a tantalising mix.

His hand grazed his chin. “To my mind, Miss Bingley is nothing more than my friend’s sister. Of late, her society has grown difficult to tolerate. Although we had both wanted to separate Bingley from your sister, our incentives differed. Whereas I have my friend’s future happiness in mind, she wants her brother’s marriage to elevate her in society.”

My weight shifted from one foot to the other, and I dug the toe of my boot into the loose gravel. “I suppose that, if our situations had been reversed, I may have taken similar steps to protect my sister from a penniless suitor. And Mr. Bingley is accountable for his own actions—unless you held him captive to prevent his return to Netherfield.”

The line of his mouth softened. “No, but in Bingley’s defence, he is accustomed to consulting me for advice as one would an older brother.”

With this matter settled, one other weighty concern remained. “You once alluded to Mr. Wickham’s inability to maintain friendships, but he accused you of withholding a living your father had intended to give him.”

At my mention of the name, Mr. Darcy’s visage hardened, lending him a grim appearance. He recounted his history with Mr. Wickham, and it soon became clear I had been taken in by a fictitious tale that included elements of the truth but amounted to mendacity.

A twisting discomfort beset my stomach when Mr. Darcy disclosed Mr. Wickham’s nefarious design to convince fifteen-year-old Miss Darcy to elope with him this past summer while she stayed with her companion, Mrs. Younge, in Ramsgate. Mr. Wickham had schemed with Mrs. Younge, aiming to gain controlof Miss Darcy’s fortune. Mr. Darcy’s fortuitous unplanned visit had allowed him to save his sister from Wickham’s plot.

My chest clenched, and I turned away, unable to meet his gaze. What a fool I had been—misled by a charming new acquaintance with an adroit face! Mr. Wickham’s many compliments to me had ensured my gullibility and loyalty. And poor Miss Darcy—how anguished she must have been to learn Mr. Wickham had pretended affection for her.

I faced him once again. “May I enquire after Miss Darcy?”

His brow furrowed. “My sister has always been timid and has had a difficult time making friends. After the events of last summer, she has been more withdrawn than ever.”

The poor girl.And as a much older brother, would Mr. Darcy have known how to comfort her? “I am sorry she did not accompany you and your cousin to Rosings, for I should have liked to meet her.”

His lips edged towards a smile. “I should like nothing better than to introduce Georgiana to you. She chose to remain in London. She is wary of being in company these days and finds Lady Catherine to be an intimidating figure.”

“I can understand that.”

“My cousin Richard and I admire the deft way you have handled our aunt. I do not imagine she has met anyone like you before.”

I arched an eyebrow. “That is a generous way to describe her impression of me.”

“She encounters few people who are willing to disagree with her. You garnered her respect.”

An image ofMissde Bourgh came to mind, along with another of Mr. Wickham’s assertions—one I had accepted as true. “Mr. Wickham once remarked that you would marry your cousin Miss de Bourgh. I presume this is another falsehood.”

“Yes. Although my aunt has declared many times that Anne and I should make an ideal match, no one else agrees—certainly not Anne or me.”

“I see.” To my shame, I had never attempted to engage Miss de Bourgh in conversation. Rather, I had sought reasons to mentally disparage her—all because I had believed her to be Mr. Darcy’s intended.

He raised his hat to tame an errant tuft of hair. “Last night I reviewed our conversation at the parsonage, and it occurred to me that certain components of my speech may have been hurtful to you. By mentioning the differences in our situations and your family’s indiscretions, I intended to assure you that I had considered and dismissed those issues. I regret my unfortunate choice of words and hope you will forgive me.”

“Your apology is accepted.” His willingness to admit his mistakes and express remorse for them demonstrated strength of character. Then again, the differences he had delineated yesterday could not be dismissed, for they still existed. I took a moment to collect my thoughts. “Nevertheless, given the disparity in our stations, I believe you would regret a union between us—maybe not straight away but within a year or two. And that would be an intolerable situation for us both.”

His eyes flared and fixed upon me. “I cannot blame you for supposing me to be inconstant. I left Hertfordshire last November with no intent to return or see you again. At the time, I believed you to be unsuitable for me. I had thought that, once away from your presence, I should forget you.”

“That sounds like a logical solution. Did you not find it to be effective?”

He shook his head. “My mind conjured you up many times each day. Never before had a lady enchanted me so utterly and maddeningly. I even contemplated excuses I might use to return to Hertfordshire.”

“Yet you did not come back.”

“No, although you continued to dominate my thoughts, I resisted the impulse. Then I received a letter from Lady Catherine. She described Mr. Collins’s new wife and named the friend who would stay with them at the parsonage. My eagerness to see you had not abated. Yet I told myself that once we met again, this bewitchment would be broken. Instead, from my first sight of you here in Kent, I was a lost man.”

“But my circumstances have not altered. I am no less ‘unsuitable’ than before.”

“I was wrong—your many attributes more than make up for any possible detriments.”

What ‘attributes’ did he refer to? His stare had once annoyed me. Now, his attention elicited a novel sensation, warming me from within. “If Miss Bingley is any example of how you are treated by ladies of theton, I can understand why my conduct piqued your interest. But you would not want a wife who is apt to dissent from you.”

“On the contrary. I expect we shall have disagreements, but we shall talk through them. We shall learn from each other, and our individual strengths will ensure our union is durable.”

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