Page 4 of The Blackmail of Mr. Darcy
She did not feel frightened, not really. But she had acted as if she were, and she did not know why. Scolding herself for feeling ridiculous emotions for no reason at all, Elizabeth poured herself some more water and curled up with the book about Humboldt.
After reading just a few pages, she thought, “He is right; it is fascinating!”
Chapter 2
Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy sat back down in the comfortable chair and watched his sister do the same. They both picked up the books they had briefly abandoned.
He stared at the page without reading it. He shook his head, a bit alarmed that he felt so thoroughly distracted by a woman?—
“Miss Elizabeth seemed very nice,” said Georgiana tentatively.
“She is very pleasant,” he confirmed.
“But also, I think, intelligent. Probably well educated?”
“She seems so. I do not know her well.” Darcy turned the page, hoping that his sister would assume he was actually reading and would, therefore, stop talking about the woman.
He asked himself,Why had Miss Elizabeth blushed when she said that her sister was doingtolerably?
He felt a familiar pang, one that had occurred three times since he had publicly said insulting words about that very lovely lady.
When he had first seen her, at the Meryton assembly, Bingley had pestered him incessantly about dancing. Darcy had already danced once with each of Bingley’s sisters, as was proper and expected; what more could his friend want? Darcy had had aheadache from the two-day-long carriage ride, and he had barely arrived at his friend’s leasehold before he was whisked off to an event he would not have wanted to attend even in better circumstances. He had been heartsick about his much younger sister’s broken heart and devastated about the continuing worries regarding her mistake.
And then there was Miss Bingley’s hint of unpleasant consequences to his beloved sister if he showed attentions to any of the local ladies.
He had spent much of the evening worrying about the pronouncement Miss Bingley had made as they entered the Meryton assembly. He had analysed her tone, her expression, her shrugging gesture, together with her words. Darcy thought that Miss Bingley was saying that she had the power to make his sister’s life less pleasant if…. But, no, the slippery thoughts of what she could have meant kept disappearing before he could make any sense of them.
What was it he had said to Bingley’s suggestion that he dance with Miss Elizabeth? Something like, “She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me.” And then he had gone on and on with additional dismissive words. Darcy could not bear to remember the whole, he felt so ashamed.
He had noticed that, right after those despicable words had emerged from his miserable mouth, Miss Elizabeth got up and moved away. He had experienced a pang as he wondered,Did she hear me?
Then he had watched with growing discomfort as Miss Elizabeth spoke with a friend, a pleasant young woman who had been introduced as Miss Lucas. Both young women had laughed—and then looked at him. That is when he felt the second pang:Oh, dear, I think she really did hear me!
Now, her embarrassment over her use of the wordtolerableseemed to confirm his fear, and he felt ashamed all over again.
Granted, he had his reasons for not dancing. Perfectly good excuses for not dancing, even though gentlemen were scarce and more than one lady was sitting out during each set.
But, he thought again,there was no excuse at all for those stupid, untrue words.
Chapter 3
Elizabeth
Venezuela, Elizabeth thought.Little Venice. How exotic it sounded, and how far away.
Elizabeth sighed and closed the book about Humboldt’s travels. She was getting hungry; the clock on the mantel indicated that it was 12:10. She stood.
“Lizzy?”
“I am here, Jane. How do you feel?”
“I am thirsty.”
Elizabeth helped her sister drink some water, and she drank some as well. Jane coughed, and Elizabeth patted her back. When Jane caught her breath, Elizabeth asked if she was hungry.
Jane made a face. “I am still full from breakfast. I suppose, because I am just lying here in bed, I do not need as much food.”
