“Not at all,” Elizabeth said firmly. “Mr. Darcy, Meggy knows she is not supposed to come onto the Rosings grounds, but I told her it would be acceptable for her to come into the grove this one time with me. Her brother is very ill, and I wanted to show her something here.” She gave him a pleading look.
Ordinarily he did not approve of bending rules of this sort, but clearly Elizabeth had done it out of a charitable impulse. “You are not in trouble. As long as you are with Miss Bennet, you may come here.”
“You see, all is well.” Elizabeth smiled and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to him. “Meggy, this is Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine’s nephew, and he will not eat you up like the wicked wolf.”
The girl’s face emerged, but she kept hold of Elizabeth’s skirt. “Promise?” she asked Elizabeth shyly.
If being kind to the little girl meant smiles from Elizabeth, he intended to make the most of it. “I promise on my honor as a gentleman not to eat you up.”
“Oh.” The girl ducked her chin. “Or tell her ladyship?” Her tone made it clear that telling her ladyship was a worse threat than being eaten by the wicked wolf.
“Or tell her ladyship.”
Elizabeth said, “Thank you. Lady Catherine is an intimidating figure to some of the children here.”
Darcy chucked. “I can imagine. She intimidates many adults, too.”
“I was not going to say that,” Elizabeth said pointedly, but with a smile.
“I cannot imagine that you allow yourself to be intimidated by her,” Darcy said.
“Of course not,” Elizabeth said gravely. “It would be most ungenerous of me to let her intimidate me.”
This was much better. She was about to tease him, he could tell. “I fail to see why it would be ungenerous.” He awaited her riposte.
She opened her eyes wide in mock innocence. “Why, if I were intimidated, I would be afraid to reveal my character flaws and the deficits in my education, and that would deprive Lady Catherine of the great joy of informing me of my failings and those of my parents. I do not think I have ever seen her as happy as when she is informing someone of their inferiority to her and instructing them on how they might improve.”
He tipped his head. “A veritable hit, Miss Bennet. I cannot deny Lady Catherine’s pleasure in correcting others, although I cannot believe she has found you in any need of correction.”
Her musical laugh sounded freer and more genuine than he had heard from her since arriving in Kent. “I beg to differ! I would be happy to list all the faults she has found in me, but I imagine Meggy might become impatient after the first hour or so.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Very neatly done! If I now suggest you cannot possibly have so many faults, you will ask me which faults I believe you do have.”
Elizabeth dramatically pressed her hand to her chest. “You have spotted my devious plan. Alas, that I should be too clever to please your aunt, and not clever enough for you!”
“Miss Bennet!” The girl tugged at Elizabeth’s arm, her face suddenly ashen.
Elizabeth bent down to speak to the girl. “What is it, Meggy?”
Meggy whispered something, a tear running down her cheek.
Elizabeth straightened and looked past Darcy with an odd, arrested expression. She reached surreptitiously into the reticule pinned to her waist.
“Is something the matter?” Darcy asked. There were no dangers in the grove, but perhaps this was a game.
“Mr. Darcy, I pray you to listen to me very carefully,” Elizabethsaid levelly. “Remain still. Do not move a muscle.”
She darted around him, and he heard thrashing in the bushes. “You wretched little creature! You may not bite him,” she scolded. “Besides, he would taste sour.”
Shrill keening was followed by a squeaky voice shrieking, “Let me go! Let me go! It burns!”
So there really was something. Judging it now safe to move, Darcy turned to see Elizabeth holding up a creature no more than two feet tall by the back collar of its shirt. The fay’s tiny hands clung to his red stocking cap and his legs kicked wildly.
“Now listen to me,” said Elizabeth sternly. “This is my place and you cannot come here. If I find you anywhere nearby, I will do worse to you than this.”
“It burns! It burns!” the redcap squealed, displaying a mouthful of pointed teeth.
“Go, and do not return!” Elizabeth flung the creature into the bushes. Shrill howls echoed as it ran away.
