Page 29 of Her Whole Heart
“Darcy,” Howard said with a nod. “Colonel.” Then he turned to his friend. “Milton, despite your determination never to wed, you really must come to the house and see what a pleasure a wife and family can be. Susan mentioned only this morning that we have not seen enough of you, and you should inspect the latest member of the Howard brood, for he is a particularly fine specimen who has already told me he wishes to have you as a godfather.”
Milton was silent for a moment and then laughed. “Run out of brothers already? Very well, I should be honoured. I did not wish to impose, but now that I have had an invitation, I shall make a visit.” He hesitated uncertainly before changing the topic. “Have you heard? They shall be voting on the regency today.”
Howard pursed his lips. “I suspect it will pass, and we will officially have a regent. Do you think it will make any difference?”
They rode off together. Fitz remained, slowing his horse to the pace of the carriage. “Darcy,” he said, “I intend to coerce you to Angelo’s next week for some fencing. Or we could always clear out the back sitting room at the townhouse—we have done that before.”
“Not when Georgiana is in residence,” Darcy reminded his cousin, who nodded.
“Very well. Angelo’s it is, then. Monday?”
Fencing. At last, an engagement where he would not run into Miss Elizabeth—and she would not run into him. He smiled inwardly at his little joke. “I will not deny you the benefit of my instruction.”
Fitz laughed aloud at that. “We shall see, Darcy. I have been practising.”
“I do not know if there is enough practice in the world to make a difference.”
“Come now, Darcy,” Fitz replied, a wicked twinkling in his eye that Darcy recalled very well from their youth. It was the look Fitz had right before he was about to suggest something that would land them both in a great deal of trouble. “You cannot mean to say that your skills with a sword are a match for my own?”
“Not the sword, Fitz,” Darcy said, for he knew he had no superiority there. “The foil.”
Miss Elizabeth was listening, her eyes moving back and forth between them as though she were watching them play tennis.
“No longer,” Fitz said with a smile. “My time is coming.”
“I have always admired your optimism in the face of sure defeat.”
“And I have always admired your unwavering confidence, Darcy, as misguided as it might be.”
Darcy was enjoying himself. Here was an activity that he excelled in. Fitz would not win, and his own confidence would not take yet another beating. He sorely missed the physical exertion of the country. He glanced at Lady Carlisle and recalled her admonition about his mood. Perhaps it was the sedentary nature of town life that was bothering him.
If that were the case, meeting Fitz at Angelo’s would be a welcome reprieve. Darcy’s cousin was always an excellent competitor. Fitz probablyhadimproved his skills, Darcy mused, but then, so had he. If only Almack’s could be replaced by Angelo’s and balls replaced by racing his horse downan empty Rotten Row moments after sunrise, the season would be nearly bearable.
“Twelve o’clock?” he asked Fitz.
His cousin smiled and touched the brim of his hat. “I see you wish to meet me the very moment the place opens. Done. Ah, there is Simpson. I really ought to greet him. Good day, Lady Carlisle, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth.” He grinned. “Darcy.”
“It sounds to me as though the colonel is hiding something,” Miss Elizabeth said.
Another surprise. The woman did not miss much. “He is, Miss Elizabeth.”
“You know?”
“I have my spies,” Darcy replied with a small smile. “You see, he has been crowing rather loudly about this match for a fortnight, but our schedules have not aligned well enough to meet before now. It has given me ample time to discover the move he believes will best me.”
Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth exchanged glances.
“What is it, girls?” Lady Carlise inquired.
Miss Elizabeth appeared conflicted, but Miss Bennet nudged her. “It is only that we have seen this before.”
“One of the Lucas boys from back home . . .” Miss Bennet added, then gave Miss Elizabeth a significant look.
“To be quite honest, Mr. Darcy,” Miss Elizabeth said, “I am not certain we ought to interfere.” She sounded very serious, but the corners of her mouth twitched, as though she was attempting not to laugh. “The colonel has done nothing to me that I should spoil his game, if indeed he is playing one.”
This brought Darcy to attention. Fitz loved to play mental games with him. What had he missed, and was it possible the Bennet sisters had caughtit? He had been so wrong about so many things in the past three weeks that he was not certain he could withstand another humiliation.
“What is it that you two know?” he inquired, feeling as though he was entering a conspiracy with them. It was a novel sensation, but certainly better than being the victim of one of his cousin’s ambushes.
