Whatever it was, I could only hope it wasn’t contagious.
Darcy
“You’re off your form,Darcy. Missed that shot by a mile,” Bingley said with a grin, reloading his fowling piece while I fumbled with mine.
“I wasn’t aiming for anything,” I muttered, though the truth was I hadn’t even seen the birds take off.
Bingley gave me a look like he didn’t believe me, but he was too cheerful to care. “What’s got you so distracted? You look like you’re still at Netherfield in body, but the rest of you is somewhere else.”
“I’m here, Bingley,” I said, lifting the fowling piece to scan the horizon for movement, though it was clear Bingley was less interested in shooting and more interested in talking.
“Well, I’m not,” he continued, unbothered by my terse response. “My thoughts are still very much with Miss Bennet.”
Of course, they were. I sighed, finally lowering the piece and giving him my full attention. “You barely spent ten minutes with her the entire time she was here.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my friend.” Bingley’s smile only widened. “I saw plenty. More than enough.”
“You hardly saw her at all,” I countered. “She was bedridden for most of her stay.”
Bingley shook his head. “That’s exactly why I’m convinced that she is the one, Darcy! Seeing her in her illness was the best possible test of her character.”
“Her illness convinced you she’s the one you wish to marry?”
“Absolutely!” Bingley stopped walking, clearly gearing up to make his point. “Think about it. People show their true colors when they’re at their worst—when they’re tired, unwell, or uncomfortable. Miss Bennet was patient, kind, and sweet, even while she was unwell. I spoke with all the maids, you know. She never complained, never asked for special attention. If she can be like that when she’s ill, imagine how wonderful she must be when things are going well.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, half in disbelief, half in resignation. “You’re jumping to conclusions based on a few days of observing her while she was incapacitated.”
“Not at all,” Bingley argued. “It’s when people are at their lowest that you truly see them, Darcy. Miss Bennet showed me exactly the kind of woman she is—graceful, even in adversity. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.”
I had nothing to say to that, at least not without sounding like I was tearing down Jane Bennet, who, despite my reservations, had done nothing wrong. Bingley was far too enthusiastic to listen to reason anyway.
As we resumed our walk through the coveys, I found my thoughts turning to my own recent struggles. Ewan had been nothing but adversity since the moment he appeared, and I couldn’t exactly say I’d handled it all with grace. In fact, I had probably failed every test of character thrown my way. Not that I cared about offendinghim. Ewan wasn’t a person; he was a nuisance. Still, my behavior… well, it left much to be desired. Especially in front of company.
Particularly in front of Elizabeth Bennet.
The thought of her crept in, unbidden, and my viscera started to crawl. But hang it all, she was the only one who seemed to notice or care about my… troubles over the past few days, while the rest of the household was blissfully oblivious.
If I were to use Bingley’s measure, she was kind, too, in the way she cared for her sister without a hint of complaint. And as much as I tried to avoid it, I couldn’t deny that I found her appearance… striking. Her eyes, especially. They had a way of looking right through me, as if she saw more than I was willing to show.
Not that I would ever admit that. Not to Bingley. And certainly not to Ewan.
“You’ve gone silent again,” Bingley said, giving me a nudge. “Still thinking about something?”
“Only about how you’ll explain to the world that you’ve decided to marry a woman after observing her from across a sickbed,” I replied, dodging the true direction of my thoughts.
Bingley laughed, unfazed. “Oh, Darcy, you think too much. That’s your problem. You wait for things to be perfect, but life doesn’t work that way. Sometimes, you just know.”
“And sometimes, you end up shackled to a nightmare,” I retorted dryly.
And as we continued through the fields, I couldn’t help but wonder if, in some small way, he was right.
Elizabeth
The moment the carriagewheels churned up the gravel outside Longbourn, the familiar chaos of home washed over us. Before the driver had even pulled to a full stop, the front door flew open, and Lydia’s voice rang out like a bell.
“They’re here! Finally!”
Lydia bolted down the steps with Kitty on her heels, both of them nearly tripping over their excitement. Behind them came Mary, holding a book in one hand and looking as though she had dragged herself away from it under great duress.
