Page 61 of Mr. Darcy's Complex Courtship

“We shall see. My sister-in-law Mrs. Finch arrived yesterday with her eldest daughter, Miss Rebecca Finch. I ought to spend time with them, but I do not have the energy.”

“No one will blame you for seeking solitude.” I had been introduced to the rotund and gregarious Mrs. Finch years ago, but I had never met her daughter.

I accompanied Lady Catherine to Anne’s chambers. After a couple of hours passed without Anne rousing from her slumber, my aunt bade me to receive her guests and indicated she would be downstairs in time for dinner. Thus, I dressed for the evening meal and went to the drawing-room. The verbose Mrs. Finch greeted me and introduced me to her daughter, a timid, attractive blonde lady with a ruddy complexion. Miss Finch murmured a reply to my greeting, then retreated into taciturnity. Thereafter, Mrs. Finch referred to her daughter from time to time, but Miss Finch did not so much as glance in my direction. Perhaps she felt unwell.

Dinner proved to be a sombre affair but would have been worse without Mrs. Finch’s presence; she covered for Lady Catherine’s uncharacteristic lethargy, stepping in as an impromptu host when necessary.

I sat beside Miss Finch and made two attempts at polite conversation with her during the meal. In each instance, she avoided my gaze, shifted away from me, and provided terse replies, so I ceded the effort.

After dinner, we removed to the music room, where Miss Finch played the pianoforte. My mind conjured up a memory of Elizabeth’s most recent musical performance. I had not been apart from her a full day, yet I already longed to see her again. Did she miss me even half as much as I missed her?

Friday, 5 June

Darcy

I had spent several hours with Lady Catherine in Anne’s sickroom when a maid entered to notify my aunt of Lady Matlock’s arrival.

Lady Catherine rested her hand on my wrist. “I should prefer to remain here. Would you mind going down to welcome her?”

“No, not at all.”

I encountered Lady Matlock in the entryway. We exchanged greetings, and she directed me into the adjacent morning room.

“Now we may speak in private.” She settled on the sofa. “How is Anne?”

I sat beside her. “She is very weak and sleeps most of the time. Last night, she acknowledged my presence by taking my hand for a moment. When Lady Catherine and I sat with her this morning, though, she gave no sign of being aware of us.”

My aunt’s mouth twisted as she adopted a grave expression. “Oh dear, that does not bode well.”

“No, I am afraid not.”

“And how is Lady Catherine faring?”

“She has been spending most of her time with Anne. Although she came downstairs for dinner last night, she has been reluctant to leave Anne’s side today.”

“She must fear missing Anne’s few remaining lucid moments.”

“Yes, precisely.”

“That is understandable.”

“I trust your party went as expected yesterday.” In my eagerness for any mention of Elizabeth, I moved closer to my aunt.

“Even better, I should say.” Her lips curved in a smug style. “Mr. Miles’s success in town is all but assured. In general, people are more forgiving of a gentleman for any perceived disadvantages than they are of a lady. Nevertheless, Miss Bennet is personable and likeable, and those qualities will work in her favour.”

“She has plenty of admirable attributes.”

“Yes, she is also intelligent and well read. Nevertheless, when your marriage is announced, she will become an object of envy. Your peers will seek reasons, even flimsy ones, to criticise her. In order to thwart this tendency, I advised Miss Bennet and Mr. Miles to make appearances in public together over the next few days. With this in mind, do not be alarmed if you see speculation of a romance between them printed in the papers.”

My chest contracted, hampering my respiration. “Why did you make such a suggestion? The last thing I should want is for Miss Bennet or Miles to become the subject of rumours.”

She patted my forearm. “You must trust me—this method is the best way to proceed. Together, they are stronger and less apt to be denigrated. And once everyone learns Miss Bennet is your future wife, they will already have formed a favourable impression of her.”

With a hard swallow, I refrained from voicing a further protest. I could not dispute my aunt’s logic. Although I could not be easy aboutanyman spending time with Elizabeth whilst I had no choice but to be apart from her, Lady Matlock understood theton’squirks far better than I did.

***

Lady Catherine did not attend dinner, so Lady Matlock presided over the evening. During the first course, Mrs. Finch lauded her daughter’s musical skills; thus, Lady Matlock expressed a desire to hear her play after the meal.

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