She then changed Mr. Darcy’s bandage, though at this point it was much less of a production than before.
She had switched to using dry bandages to cover the wound, where the chief remaining purpose of the bandages was to keep the wound clean, and to catch the modest amount of exudate that was still produced by the wound. The tissue beneath had filled up, and now it was time for the skin to close, after which point the chief part of the process would be complete and almost all lingering worry about erysipelas would be at an end.
Mr. Darcy smiled at her in an almost unsure manner as her fingers, inevitably, touched his chest.
The smooth feel of his skin, the peppery male scent mixed with the cologne that John had applied, the hair upon his chest.
Elizabeth’s stomach felt light, and if she concentrated upon his scent, her hands would shake for a wholly different reason.
They were going to marry, and then they wouldjointogether.
She was eager, desperate for it.
After breakfast Colonel Fitzwilliam said, “Time to part, time to part. I’ll be heading off now.”
He kissed Georgiana, shook Darcy’s hand, and then shook Elizabeth’s hand. “It has been an odd experience to meet you, and I cannot help but likeyou. The more I think upon the matter, the better I think this shall be for Darcy.”
“That is the sort of compliment I like best,” Elizabeth replied. “One whose honestly cannot be doubted.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned.
“And since I am to marry your cousin, I know that I shall see you again. When is that likely to happen?”
“Soon enough, and often enough I imagine. We are happily enough being kept for at least another year on the island instead of being sent to either India or the continent. It is tradition at Christmas for Darcy to visit my father’s estate. I shall see you then at the very least.”
Oddly, Elizabeth found herself to feel no anxiety at the thought of meeting the august and distinguished family of Mr. Darcy—a collection of people whose high noses she had heard described extensively by the questionable authority of Mr. Wickham. They were merely rich and powerful.
She smiled to Colonel Fitzwilliam, “The earl! I shall meet an actual earl. I do not believe I’ve ever had a chance to meet anyone of greater prominence than a baronet.”
“Oh, a baronet! Abaronet! Such small persons. Not peers.Theybought their meaningless honors. But we let them pretend to be impressive, so long as they throw their support to the Tories.”
“I’m a Whig,” Darcy said.
“Have no anxiety onmypart, now that I shall be connected by marriage to an actualpeer, I shall be behind no one,” Elizabeth said, “in insisting that baronets are of no significance.”
“I thank you for that.”
“Do tell your father, when you describe all of my mercenary tendencies, and other character flaws, that I give due homage to his grandeur as The Earl.”
“It is mybrotherwho shall be charmed bythat.” Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed. “But do not worry, I shall send a scrupulously honest description of my true views of your character.”
“Oh my,” Elizabeth said, in fact feeling a little concern. “That sounds ominous. Scrupulously honest—and when you see that all your dark imaginings about my schemes have been fully justified by the fact.”
“Ah, do you intend to insist to everyone that you are mercenary, as Darcy insists that he is driven purely by duty?”
“Richard,” Darcy said sharply. “Thisismy duty.”
He then looked at Elizabeth with some concern. Their eyes met, and Elizabeth felt that sharp sense of awareness of him again. The jolt in her stomach.
“And are you purely mercenary, with no attachment to Mr. Darcy at all?” Colonel Fitzwilliam asked.
“Richard!” Now it was Georgiana who made an exclamation against him. “How can you say such a thing. Elizabeth likes my brother very much, and the whole is romantic, even if Elizabeth insists that it is most unromantic.”
“Ah, so youaremercenary,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, grinning widely.
“Richard,” Elizabeth said laughingly, “I hope you do not mind if I Christian name you, since everyone else insists upon doing so; my dear Richard, I only tell you to write what you think to be true.”
“But I wish to hear whatyousay of yourself.”
