Page 6 of Perfectly Right

“An hour ago?” She glanced at her watch. It was half past eleven. His date had been set for ten o’clock, hers for an hour later. “How was it? Did you like her?”

“Um...”

Jade Fairfax had an impressive background, and when forced to find Darcy a date, Elizabeth thought Jade seemed to match his personality: attractive, highly educated, and beautifully mannered. She was, perhaps, overly fond ofPhantom of the Operaand her forty-seven-year-old parrot, but everyone had idiosyncrasies.

“Um, what? Did you like her?”

“She was pleasant company for coffee, but demure, earnest, and an überfan of bad musicals is not my type.”

Something she would deny was relief flooded through Elizabeth. “Do you mean that finding someone you could tolerate wasn’t enough?”

“I can tolerate anyone. But dating someone requires attraction. Jade seems lovely, just not my type.”

“I see.”

“But I will say that her fluency in five languages is impressive.”

“Ha, so you like a polyglot,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “This explains why you set me up with a guy who not only reads user manuals for copiers but knows the history of Linux and likes to tell people about it.”

He laughed. “Did he bring up bitcoin?”

“I’ve dodged that bullet so far, but there’s still time in the half-hour left in this date from hell.”

“Sorry.”

Darcy sounded so contrite, she felt guilty about complaining. “Well, it started off badly when he broke the first rule of the date and handed me a redcarnationhe’d clearly plucked out of a supermarket bouquet. But things are improving. He’s a cheese enthusiast, and I anticipate learning more about the nuances of edam.”

“Amateur cheese-monger is an impressive bullet point on any resume, but if you’re certain he’s not Mr Right, I will make sure to find a man who is more to your taste next time.”

“You know my taste, eh?”

“I know what you don’t like.”

Elizabeth felt all the sting of his words. Had he meant it as a joke? He’d made a similar reference on Sunday. There was silence, and she could hear muffled shouting.

“Um, I need to go. I have a squash game waiting for me.”

“Sure, bye.”

I guess that confirms Darcy has gotten over whatever feelings he had for me. Well, good.

CHAPTER FIVE

Darcy’s head fell back against the wall. He sighed heavily, reprimanding himself for how he’d ended what had been a very fun, easy conversation.

‘I know what you don’t like.’

When this all began, he had meant well. Elated that Elizabeth was single again and baffled by her willingness to try online dating, he’d seen his chance to ease their testy relationship and become friends, if only for the sake of Charlie and Jane.

Who was he kidding? He wanted Elizabeth tolikehim. To consider him, and ultimately, if things went well,bewith him. He wasn’t playing Cupid for her to fall for some other guy. Still, he was sincere in going about this whole matchmaking scheme. He might not be motivated to find her the perfect man, someone she’d want to date, but he could prove that he was earnest and well-intentioned, not the rude, arrogant, interfering jerk she believed him to be. Once she got to know him, she could choose whether to accept him or reject him. At least her judgment would be fair.

The mere fact that she hadn’t stomped all over his idea—and his heart—and laughed at him meantsomething. If nothing else, it meant she could tolerate him and his inane attempts atconversation. Because if there was one thing he’d learned in the months he had been acquainted with Elizabeth Bennet, it was that she was always miles ahead of him in conversation. No one, and certainly no woman, had ever left him as tongue-tied as she did.

So why had he again stirred up the memory of that awful night and reminded her that not only did she not like him but had stated it aloud?

Darcy was determined to change that, and if she wanted to tease him for playing squash and any other ridiculous thing she deemed posh and privileged, then he would welcome her jibes. They were gently meant, and yet on point. Her teasing was an amazing mix of wit and imagination.

That’s why he’d quickly realized his mistake in setting her up with Hal Tilney. The guy was far too much like her—smart and clever and fun to be around. But he was unserious and self-indulgent: a man with a master’s degree in materials science who preferred bartending and stand-up comedy gigs. He was amusing and amiable and Elizabeth would like him too much and start dating him and then be trapped with a man-child. He could only thank the gods for the serendipity of Tilney missing his flight home from a late-night comedy gig in Jackson Hole.

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