“I added your salutations to her already in the previous letter I wrote to her — perhaps you ought to write your own letter to my sister?”
“Oh, of course.” Miss Bingley sat a bit further back from Darcy.
Colonel Fitzwilliam arose from where he sat playing a game of piquet with Mr. Hurst. He stuck his head between Miss Bingley and Darcy and stared intently at Darcy’s hand as he continued to write.
Both Darcy and Miss Bingley turned to stare at his singular behavior.
“Go on, go on,” he said to Darcy when it was clear that Darcy wasnotin fact continuing to write.
“Richard, whatever are you doing?”
“I only wished to see the marvel. From how intently Miss Bingley stares at you as you write, I was sure there must be something most singular about it.”
Miss Bingley flushed red and stood up from the chair. She made a harrumphing sound and walked over to sit next to Elizabeth.
“Go on, go on. You need not be shy. I’ll just watch,” Colonel Fitzwilliam added.
Darcy glared at his cousin.
His cousin grinned at Darcy.
With an annoyed sigh Darcy pushed the stool back, shoved the paper half off the desk, stuck the quill in the inkpot and said, “Do you want another partner at cards?”
“Oh, certainly not.Notyou at any rate. Miss Bingley, would you be my partner in a round of whist?”
“No.”
“Well then, Hurst, another round of piquet, eh?”
“If you wish to hazard your money, I’ll happily take more off,” that gentleman replied. “Grab the other decanter of port would you, while you are up? We’ve drunk through this. That’s a fine fellow.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam rolled his eyes, but rejoined Hurst for the card game.
Darcy sighed, and he stared at the ceiling for a while. Stood up, stretched, walked back and forth two or three times between the little desk and the fire — aware as he did so that both Miss Bingley’s and Elizabeth’s eyes followed him.
He settled back down to continue his letter.
Hopefully Colonel Fitzwilliam had managed to give him enough peace to complete his letter.
However ten minutes after he had sat down he heard Miss Bingley’s voice saying, “Eliza, would you join me for a turn about the room?”
With a murmured response the two girls began to walk — very elegantly — about.
That dress fit Elizabeth perfectly, and the way it swayed around her legs… She had a perfectly formed bosom. With a half force of will Darcy kept himself from quite staring at her.
But her thrown back shoulders, her lovely rich hair, the locks bouncing about her cheeks, her chin, the way she smiled at Miss Bingley, and how she dimpled as she talked to her friend about whatever matter they discussed.
It was hard not to stare at that vision of loveliness.
Miss Bingley unfortunately noticed his attention on the two of them, and she called out, “Mr. Darcy, would you join us in a turn about the room, it is quite refreshing.”
“Not at all,” he replied. “I can only think of two reasons why you both have determined to walk around together, and in either case, I would be in the way.”
“Oh! Whatever do you mean? Why have we determined to walk about?” Miss Bingley and Elizabeth asked together.
“The likeliest reason is that you wished to share confidences with each other, and I would merely be in the way.”
“You would not at all be in the way,” Miss Bingley replied. “Eliza and I can always speak to each other when we wish.”
