Page 68 of Mr. Darcy's Complex Courtship

“There is no point in denial!” My hands clutched the arms of the chair with enough force to make my fingers throb. “Mrs. Annesley saw you and Miss Bennet in a romantic embrace. She returned upstairs and related to Georgiana what she had observed. This is why Georgiana feigned an indisposition and kept to her rooms.”

“Mrs. Annesley saw me and…” His eyes flared and his hand flew to his chest. “Oh no! I had no idea. Neither of them revealed a word of this to me. Poor Georgiana…and you…you must think the worst of me!”

With a slow inhalation, I willed my raging pulse to settle. “I do not blame you, and I shall not stand in the way of your happiness. I have already given Miss Bennet her freedom.”

“You did what?” Miles launched from his chair. “Blast, this is my fault. I should have waited until you returned home to leave for Canterbury. If we had spoken then, this mishap could have been avoided.”

“What do you mean? More than anyone, I understand why you fell in love with her. Lady Matlock urged the two of you tospend time together. I do not suppose either of you wanted this to happen.”

“I have the utmost respect for Miss Bennet. She and I are friends, nothing more.”

“Why do you persist in lying?” My voice took on a sharp edge.

“I am telling you the truth!” Miles threw his hands at me. “Mrs. Annesley saw me with MissHawkins, the lady I fell in love with two years ago. She came to the house that day. Unbeknown to me, she had defied her father and broken off her engagement. I proposed to her, and she accepted me. I went to Canterbury because she had asked me to go and meet several of her close friends.”

It took a few long seconds for the significance of his statements to sink in. My heart raced. The temptation to believe him overwhelmed me, but I had to be certain. “How could Mrs. Annesley have mistaken this lady for Miss Bennet?”

“They are both slender and petite with dark, curly hair.”

I released a pent-up breath. Yet this did not explain Berkeley’s testimony, and he was far more perceptive than most people. “Why did Miss Bennet spend several hours with you here on that Friday? And why did Berkeley believe you were evasive with him?”

“I did not want him to know Miss Hawkins had been here. I had asked Miss Bennet to keep our engagement a secret. My betrothed is penniless and estranged from her father. I thought you might object to the match.”

“On the contrary, you have my full support.”

“Thank you. There is a second matter I kept from Berkeley. In retrospect, my secrecy contributed to this misunderstanding.” He beckoned to me. “Come, and I shall reveal it to you now.”

I followed Miles to his workshop. He knelt before a canvas covered by a sheet and leaning against the wall. He lifted thepainting to an easel and removed the cloth. The sight of the entrancing image pulled me closer.

My God, Miles had created a flawless likeness of Elizabeth. He had captured the sparkle in her eyes, the brightness of her smile, and the disobedient beauty of her lush, dark locks. The image, so true to reality, rendered a placating effect even as the ache in my heart increased.

“I hope you approve of the portrait.”

His words stirred me from the painting’s allurement, and I spared him a glance. “It is superb. I do not believe anyone could have done a better job. I should have deemed it impossible to recreate the liveliness and depth of feeling in her eyes as you have done.”

“The painting was meant to be your wedding present. Of course, I could not have completed the work without Miss Bennet’s cooperation.”

How many hours had she sat for him? Had they spent the time alone together? “I do not imagine she relished the necessity to remain still for so long.” I attempted to sound nonchalant.

“She only sat for me twice. On the first occasion, I made several sketches of her at the Gardiners’ home and used them to complete the bulk of the work. On the Friday before last, she posed for me when I painted the final details of her face. With the unexpected arrival of Miss Hawkins and her aunt, she ended up remaining here for several hours.”

My momentary sense of relief died a quick death, for Elizabeth had chosen to end our engagement. For reasons unrelated to Miles, she no longer wanted me.

He stepped closer. “Earlier, you said you gave Miss Bennet her freedom. What did you say to her?”

I recounted the gist of our conversation.

“She loves you, Fitzwilliam. I am certain of that fact. She must have assumed you no longer wanted to marry her. For all she knew, you had no other reason to raise the topic.”

Could he be correct? I pressed my palm to my forehead. “My God, what have I done?”

He clapped me on the back. “Nought that cannot be fixed, I am sure.”

I grasped his shoulder. “Forgive me for not saying this sooner, but I congratulate you on your engagement and wish you every happiness. I am eager to meet Miss Hawkins.”

“Thank you, Fitzwilliam.”

My sight returned to Elizabeth’s enticing image. “And I cannot thank you enough for the painting. It is extraordinary.”

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