Georgiana smiled at her companion. “Thank you, Mrs. Annesley. I shall be up shortly.”
Mrs. Annesley nodded and turned to take the stairs.
“Now,” Georgiana said, a playful lilt to her tone, “I must remind you both that we are all going to Longbourn for dinner tonight. It might be an excellent opportunity to speak with the Bennet family.” She directed the last remark at Darcy, her brow raised ever so slightly.
Darcy stiffened but managed a curt nod. “Indeed.”
Satisfied, Georgiana announced that she must tend to her gown and toilette for the event. As her footsteps receded, Fitzwilliam leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed over his chest, watching Darcy steadily.
“’Speak with the Bennet family,’” Fitzwilliam repeated, his tone mockingly serious. “Do you suppose she meant you or me?”
Darcy did not respond immediately, his mind too preoccupied with the implications of Bingley’s marriage. Depending upon what they learned—and how he acted—their very steady friendship might be lost. It would be a greater hardship forDarcy, for though Bingley made friends wherever he went, his own direct manner more often gave offence. Perhaps if he—
Fitzwilliam groaned and slouched back in his chair. “Good Lord, Darcy, must you exercise your strategic acumen in every interaction? You are more deliberate than the men at Whitehall. Meet with Bingley at your club if need be.”
Darcy frowned. “What is our plan for tonight, then?”
“Did I not just say—”
“You prefer I walk in blind?”
“I prefer a plan that does not collapse under the weight of its complexity,” Fitzwilliam countered.
Darcy folded his arms. “And what, precisely, do you suggest?”
Fitzwilliam’s grin turned positively wicked. He lifted an imaginary glass. “In vino veritas, cousin.”
Darcy arched a sceptical brow. “Your grand strategy is to ply the man with spirits?”
Fitzwilliam shrugged. “It has worked for centuries. A few well-placed toasts, a generous hand with the decanter, and Bennet will be offering up his entire family history before cigars.”
Darcy sighed, pressing his fingers to his temple. “This is absurd.”
“Perhaps,” his cousin said, “but you must admit, it is a far less exhausting approach than yours.”
Darcy gave him a look of mild exasperation. “These are not officers far from home, Fitzwilliam.”
His cousin poured himself a real glass of wine and took a long sip, savouring it before replying, “I am merely embracing the possibilities of the evening. Do you really want to leave Longbourn with more questions than answers? Or would you prefer to confess all and be done with it?”
Done with Pemberley, Fitzwilliam meant. Darcy sighed. Part of him did wish to simply rid himself of the deception. But evenif he had been prepared to relinquish his own position or duties, he was not ready to do the same regarding his sister’s fortune.
“I would prefer not to risk unravelling everything over an ill-timed glass of wine.” Darcy’s tone was sharper than he intended. “Your strategy is not a solution; it is a gamble.”
“As is this entire enterprise,” Fitzwilliam countered. “However, consider this: if we go to Longbourn and uncover truths we would rather not know, at least we will have the solace of certainty. It is ignorance, not knowledge, that keeps you staring out that window like a caged animal.”
Darcy frowned as he turned back towards the room. “The truth might be worse than the suspicion.”
Fitzwilliam’s smile faltered, and he set the glass down with a quiet clink. “I believe that has been my stance from the first.”
This made Darcy feel guiltier than he already did. “You are correct, but avoiding the truth does not change it. It is better to confront it directly, no matter how unpleasant.”
Fitzwilliam nodded, his expression grim. “And if the truth destroys everything? What then?” His tone suggested that he knew the answer; he simply wished Darcy to say it aloud, to confirm that Darcy still wished to proceed.
“Then I rebuild,” Darcy replied, his stomach roiling but his voice steady. “I cannot live with half-truths and shadows. No matter the outcome, I must know and then act accordingly.”
“You have always been the most upright man I know, Darcy. I will not deter you, I only ask that we uncover the truth without a doubt before you make that final decision.”
Darcy did not reply. Fitzwilliam poured another glass, this time offering it to Darcy, who shook his head.
