Page 68 of His Pride and His Prejudice

“And nobody can ever be introduced in a ballroom.”

“I recall very well the first time we were introduced,” Darcy said.

Eyes on one another again. Elliot felt short of breath. He shook himself slightly and gave Colonel Fitzwilliam a smile. “Well, what do I play next? My fingers wait your orders.”

“Perhaps,” said Darcy, “I should have judged better, had I sought an introduction, but I am ill-qualified to recommend myself to strangers.”

“Shall we ask your cousin the reason of this?” Elliot said, still addressing Colonel Fitzwilliam as he did not yet feel able to look at Darcy again. “Shall we ask him why a man of sense and education, and who has lived in the world, is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers?”

“I can answer your question without applying to him,” Fitzwilliam said. “It is because he will not give himself the trouble.”

“I certainly have not the talent which some people possess of conversing easily with those I have never seen before,” Darcy said. “I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.”

“Perhaps, cousin, you will need to seek a mate who does have that talent,” Fitzwilliam suggested. “Like Mr. Bennet here.”

Elliot had begun the opening notes of a new song, but they stumbled over the keys at Fitzwilliam’s teasing. He spoke very quickly in an effort to conceal that. “My fingers do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many others do,” he said. “They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault because I will not take the trouble of practicing not because someone else is better suited to the task than me.”

Darcy leaned forward slightly and added his fingers to the keyboard. He played a few notes of the keys close to Elliot’s fingers. There was that scent again, the one that Elliot had sought out during the very first ball…the one that had intrigued him. Elliot stumbled again, striking a G instead of a C.

Darcy smiled and said, “You are perfectly right. You have employed your time much better. No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you can think anything wanting. We neither of us perform to strangers.”

Their eyes met for a final time above the piano keys. Much was said then but none of it spoken. They both heard Colonel Fitzwilliam’s soft sigh, and they broke apart only when Lady Catherine called out to know what they were talking of.

Elliot immediately lowered his eyes and began to play once more. Lady Catherine approached, and, after listening for a few minutes, turned to Darcy.

“Mr. Bennet would not play at all amiss if he practised more and could have the advantage of a London master. He has a very good notion of fingering, though his taste is not equal to Anne’s. Anne would have been a delightful performer, had her health allowed her to learn.”

“Of course,” Darcy said.

Elliot continued. The musical notes swirled around them. Though his playing was no more than adequate even Miss de Bourgh joined them at the instrument. Darcy smiled at her, but it was not the same smile he gave Elliot and abruptly Elliot understood that both their smiles for one another were unique.

Such things always were.

Lady Catherine continued her remarks on Elliot’s performance, mixing with them many instructions on execution and taste. Elliot received them with civility, but his mind was not on her at all, but on her nephew—as he feared it had mostly been since the very first day he had arrived at Netherfield. With that revelation utmost in his mind, Elliot remained at the instrument till her ladyship’s carriage was ready to take them all home.

Thirty-Four

Darcy remembered all the conversations he had shared with Elliot Bennet, and he particularly remembered that the other man liked to take a very early morning walk, just as dawn was breaking. Darcy was also a very early riser, so it was no hardship at all to find himself tramping through the Rosings grounds before the sun was properly in the sky.

It was still very early spring, so the ground was wet with dew and there was a bite to the air. Darcy relished it. It reminded him of his own estate farther north where everything always seemed that bit colder and therefore more invigorating. He was looking forward to returning. Indeed, he would have already done so if not for this stop at Rosings.

He considered that as he made his way through the fields in the direction of Hunsford and the parsonage currently occupied by the Collinses. It was pure chance that Darcy had even found out that Elliot Bennet was visiting Charlie Collins and would therefore be invited to dinner with his aunt and cousin. Unbeknownst to Lady Catherine, Darcy had a flourishing correspondence with Miss de Bourgh that had lasted many, many years—since they were small children in fact. Their relationship was one of solid friendship and Darcy always had it mind that at some point once she was older, he would arrange for that friendship to extend to Georgiana. It would benefit them both to be in each other’s lives and not least because they were both omegas born into families filled with alphas.

Oh, Darcy was not absolutely sure of it with Georgiana, and certainly it was not something that had been spoken out loud, but he was at a loss to explain her shyness and her musical proficiency otherwise. It was not something that he would ever make an issue of, but she would need more support in the coming years as she reached womanhood and he suspected that would benefit Anne as well, for her guardian was not as understanding.

It was Anne’s most recent letter which had contained news of Elliot’s visit given all of Hunsford was gossiping about it. Ordinarily Darcy would have read it on the journey back to Pemberley, but he had cut short his dinner with Charles the night before and found himself with some spare time. He’d read Anne’s letter, understood Elliot was close by, and before he had quite realised what he was about, Darcy had roused Colonel Fitzwilliam, and they were on their way.

Darcy had considered inviting Charles, but his friend remained…troubled. He had yet to find himself once more after his relationship with Jack Bennet and being exposed to his brother would not help. Charles would recover, Darcy was sure of that, because Jack was not his fated mate. How could he be when it was so obvious that his depth of feeling was not equal to Charles’? Still, more time was needed, and Darcy intended to invite him up to Pemberley where he could provide distractions aplenty.

Darcy arrived at the gates of the parsonage with his mind full of thoughts on the depths of feelings, including those of Elliot Bennet. His thoughts almost conjured the other man as Elliot emerged from the house just a moment later.

“Mr. Bennet,” he said.

Elliot was clearly surprised. He had wrapped up for the weather in multiple layers and Darcy could see only his intriguing eyes, his pink cheeks and his very kissable lips. Darcy very much wanted to kiss them. That desire was part of what had driven him to Rosings.

“Mr. Darcy,” Elliot replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I am walking,” Darcy said.

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