“And headphones say ‘please enjoy this useful object,’” Malcolm finished.
Richard nodded, his expression solemn.
“I was losing my mind trying to think of something. What else could I have done?” Darcy asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“It’s not that hard. Tickets to something she’d mentioned wanting to see and making plans to go together. Or”—Richard paused—”something handmade would have been perfect. Turned the tables.”
Malcolm snorted. “Can you imagine Darcy attempting handicrafts? The man can hardly manage to tie his own shoelaces.”
“Origami,” Richard tossed up his hands. “He could have folded her a bloody squadron of paper airplanes. At leastthatwould have shown some tactical planning and precision. Could have made a whole group, tested the aerodynamics, written her a mission briefing . . .”
Darcy thought about Elizabeth lining up a squadron of origami planes. She’d have had seven plot ideas from it in an instant.
He felt the click. She’d put herself into that scarf. She’d probably been hoping he’d do the same.Thatwas why she’d seemed off after the present exchange. He stifled a groan.
Charles watched him. “You were trying not to scare her.”
“Yes,” Darcy said.
“And in the process,” Richard said, not unkindly, “you might have suggested you prefer herquietto herpresent.”
The words landed.
“Right,” Darcy set down his glass and glanced around. “You two are enjoying this far too much.”
“We’re enjoying it exactly the right amount,” Malcolm assured him, then exchanged a look with Richard that Darcy caught, a wordless communication that presaged an outburst.
He counted down. Three, two, one . . .
“Darcy!” Richard exclaimed, setting down his glass with a thunk. “You’re not just serious,you’re—”
“Properlyserious,” Malcolm interrupted, studying Darcy’s face with newfound attention. “Not just ‘seeing where it goes’ serious. You’re thinking about the whole bloody thing. Meeting the parents, joint Christmas mornings, shared bank accounts, the works.”
Darcy found himself nodding before he could stop himself. “I suppose I am.”
“He met Elizabeth’s parents last week,” Charles added. “And they spent Christmas Eve at Pemberley with Georgiana.”
Richard whistled low.
After a pause, Malcolm lifted his glass. “Better you than me, cousin.”
“Muchbetter you,” Richard agreed with feeling. “But if you’re determined to surrender your freedom, you’ll have to do it properly.”
Charles looked between them, confused. “You already gave him relationship advice.”
“That was bachelor advice,” Malcolm explained. “Keep your options open, don’t rush into anything, maintain your independence. This”—he gestured at Darcy—“requires a different strategy.”
“This requires going all in.” Richard sat up, energized. “No half-measures, no playing it safe. If you’re going to give up the single life, might as well make sure she knows how gone you are.” He shook his head. “Poor sod.”
Malcolm nodded. “The headphones were a tactical error because they were cautious. Safe. If you want her to understand that you intend to keep her forever, you need to stop holding back.”
“‘Keep her forever’?” Darcy exclaimed. “She’s not an object.”
“Stop analysing it like a business proposition,” Richard added, ignoring the protest. “Start treating it like what it is.”
“Which is?” Darcy asked.
“The most important decision you’ll ever make,” Charles told him.
