“It showed far more spirit than most girls have — if she’d been who she tried toseem— a bloodless bland creation of an excellent education — I’d like her less than half as much as I do.”
“You never liked her,” Darcy replied. He sipped at his coffee which was now down to the dregs infused with the dusty powder from the ground coffee.
Colonel Fitzwilliam blinked at Darcy several times. “You truly do not understand the subtleties of the conversations around you?”
“You mean to say the persistent way you insulted her, teased her, and inserted yourself into conversations of hers where you were not wanted was a sign of affection?”
“Affection perhaps indicates more strength of feeling than I had… interest certainly.”
“Crazy man.” Darcy shook his head in disgust. “You shall show no interest in her from henceforth.Thatwoman tried to force me into marriage through an entirely disreputable and dishonorable stratagem.”
“Orders again?” Colonel Fitzwilliam clapped his hands twice. “I’ll remind you that I merely stay with you from time to time because Ilikeyou, not because I am dependent upon your charity. Command your servants or maybe your sister. Not me.”
Darcy sighed. He rubbed at the back of his head. “That was not proper, and I apologize.”
“Zeus! An apology from Mr. Darcy?” Colonel Fitzwilliam then reached his hand across to shake Darcy’s, and added in a sober tone, “I sincerely appreciate it when you can admit your own failings. And Idounderstand that you are so used to command that it is difficult for you to cease living in that mode. I have the general, my father and others above me, and even so I from time to time forget myself and give commands to those not under my command.”
Darcy nodded, and he grinned, starting to feel more at ease with his cousin than he had for months. “Neither of us easily accept command.”
“No. Britons never shall be slaves, and all.” The officer then reached across the table, and grabbed a piece of ham that was left on Darcy’s plate, and stuffed it into his mouth. “By the way, I have it upon the word of Miss Elizabeth that Miss Bingley was most sincerely attached to you.”
Darcy glared at his cousin.
“Eh, devil take it!” Colonel Fitzwilliam laughingly added, “I also promised Miss Elizabeth that if opportunity were ever to arise for me to promote the resumption of your friendly relations with Mr. Bingley, that I was to most assiduously—”
“No, no, no.”
“The puppy is probably lost without you, wagging his tail, looking miserably at every passing gentleman to see if they are his lost master.”
“The puppy peed on my boots.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed heartily. He raised his hands. “Oneexpectspuppies to pee on your boots. That is why they are so wholly charming.”
“There is nothing charming about pee soaked boots.”
“We would drown all of them if they were not charming.”
“Richard.” Darcy’s voice was cold.
“A fool mistake in a moment of stress that he had never experienced before, that is not sufficient reason—”
“My good opinion once lost is lost forever.”
“Not a Christian attitude, eh.” His cousin shrugged. “But that’s business you ought to raise with your vicar. You’ll be able to explain yourself to Miss Elizabeth in person when we go to Rosings.”
“What do you mean?”
“Miss Elizabeth is there. You want to marry her. Youdostill wish to marry her, am I not correct?”
“But — what? How do you know that I — that is to say…”
Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned like a shark. “Rather than knowing, I’d surmised — and you have now confirmed my surmise.”
“I… but don’t you admire her yourself? — I had thought that you meant to marry her. She said…” Darcy felt himself flush.
“Justwhatdid she say?” Colonel Fitzwilliam asked.
Darcy stared at the shiny surface of his china plate, wreathed in flowers and delicate colors.
