A step at the door made me jump, and I turned to find myself face-to-face with Mr. Darcy. He stood in the doorway, the light from within framing his tall figure. I blinked in surprise.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he said, looking equally taken aback. “Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you.”
His voice was deep and rich in the hushed night. It sent an unexpected shiver through me that had nothing to do with the cold. I pressed my lips and turned back to the icy sky. Now would be a perfect time for a snow flurry to chase us both back indoors, but such was my luck—the sky was clear. “Not at all, Mr. Darcy. I was just… admiring the stars.” A lame excuse, but the best I could do.
He stepped onto the terrace, hands clasped behind his back. “The night sky is indeed beautiful,” he said. “But the air has turned cold. Too cold for stargazing.”
I bristled at his presumption. “I am perfectly comfortable, sir.”
He arched one brow. “Are you? Forgive me, but you seemed… distressed when I arrived.”
“You are mistaken,” I said shortly, annoyed he had witnessed my melancholy.
His eyes searched my face in the moonlight. I willed myself not to blush under his scrutiny.
“Troubles shared are troubles halved, or so they say.”
I stiffened. Share my silly hopes with this proud, vexing man? Absurd. “I do not wish to trouble you, Mr. Darcy.”
“Trouble me? Think nothing of it. I hope you are enjoying the festivities this evening.”
Though his words were innocuous, I bristled at what I thought was condescension in his tone. “As much as one can enjoy veiled insults and careless gossip,” I replied, unable to restrain the sharp edge to my voice.
Mr. Darcy’s eyes narrowed. “Come now, what could dampen your spirits so? Perhaps I could get you a glass of wine to offer some relief. Van der Meer always serves an exquisite vintage, sure to please the most discerning of guests.”
I raised an eyebrow, the words he’d chosen immediately setting me on edge, given the whispers I’d overheard. “Is that so? I’d venture it might be toosophisticatedfor mycountrifiedtaste.”
He looked momentarily staggered but recovered quickly. “It was not my intention to give offense. I merely meant to praise the quality of the wine. And also the pleasantness of the company—some of it, at least.”
“I apologize, Mr. Darcy, but I am in no mood for veiled compliments or insinuations. Not tonight. But fear not, for I shall be right again, once I have fretted a little while on my own.”
He stepped closer. “May I ask what is troubling you? It is not in your nature to chafe and fume for no reason. Has some stranger been unkind to you, or to your party?”
I scoffed. “Indeed, sir, it takes far more to distress me than the unkindness of strangers. But the carelessness of friends cuts deep.” I held his gaze unflinchingly, willing him to grasp my meaning.
He inhaled sharply. “Is it I who have offended you?”
“Tonight? No, you have not managed that feat this evening. The credit must go to another.”
“But I have given offense in the past? Come now, I think I know to what this matter tends. You are still clinging to the tales of Mr. Wickham, and though I know not what he said, you continue to judge me by his words.”
The words were bitter, but they seemed so clever on my tongue that I unleashed them without thinking. “Perhaps if you treated your friends with more kindness, they wouldn’t have such tales to tell.”
He gritted his teeth and looked as though he was ready to leave, his face flushed with anger. But instead, he turned to me, his eyes dark and intense. “What exactly did Wickham tell you?”
My heart raced. Oh, I did not have the strength to wage a full war with Mr. Darcy tonight! I hesitated, then grasped at the low-hanging fruit. The very lamest of responses, because I knew even as I uttered it how untrue it was. “Among other things, he mentioned how your sister is nothing but vain and full of pride.”
His gaze never wavered. “And you believed him?”
I faltered, remembering my recent interactions with Miss Darcy—gentle, sweet, and nothing like Wickham’s portrayal. “I had no reason to doubt him… at the time.”
Darcy scoffed, “Yet you accusemeof being careless with the sentiments of others. Tell me, Miss Elizabeth, do you consider yourself above such reproach?”
Before I could respond, he tipped his head toward the swirling room of dancers. “Dragging Miss Lucas from one event to another, when she’s clearly not in the best of spirits—do you think it wise?”
I felt my face flush, anger and embarrassment mixing. “You know nothing of it, Mr. Darcy!”
“And I am willing to concede that. But how quick you are to make judgments when you are not in possession of all the facts!”
