Ewan, apparently annoyed that I wasn’t paying him enough attention, leaned down and poked my horse sharply in the flank.
The horse bucked sideways, nearly throwing me off balance.
“Darcy! Are you well?” Bingley cried.
“Yes!” I snapped, shooting a glare at the invisible nuisance behind me. “Perfectly so.”
Ewan chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. “That’ll put the fire back in ye, sure enough.”
Mrs. Long looked startled. “Oh, Mr. Darcy, do be careful.”
I smiled again, though it felt like my face might crack under the strain. “Of course. Good day, Mrs. Long.”
As we finally started moving again, Ewan stuck the whisky bottle inside his coat, which, I hoped, meant that no one else could see the blasted thing. “Ye cannae just sit there, lad. That redcoat’s sniffin’ about, an’ here ye are, like a wee mouse at a feast. Get yersel’ up an’ put him in his place!”
I gritted my teeth but managed to say nothing this time.
As we rode further down the road, more villagers waved and called out greetings. I could hardly keep track of who was speaking anymore. Bingley, of course, jumped in with his usual charm, saving me the trouble of saying anything remotely civil, while I tried to resist the urge to throttle my own horse just to make a quicker escape.
Bingley had wanted to ride into town today on some pretense of asking the butcher about a roast pig for the ball he meant to have. It was an errand that could have been better managed through his cook, but I suppose Bingley felt better about taking the matter in hand himself, and so I was obliged to wait for him outside the shop, praying against disaster and feeling like a sitting duck on the streets of Meryton.
“Ye ken,” Ewan said, as though we hadn’t just been through this, “if I were still breathin’, I’d handle that lad mesel’. No’ a soul would trust a redcoat further than they could fling ‘im. An’ that lass o’ yers—aye, I’d keep a keen watch on her. She’s a bonny one, that. No wonder yer redcoat cannae keep his distance.”
“She’s not mine!” I hissed, but of course, that was exactly the moment Mrs. Philips happened to pass by.
“Mr. Darcy?” she asked, squinting at me.
I cleared my throat, praying for the ground to swallow me whole. “Mrs. Philips. Good day.”
She opened her mouth, her eyes round, and then grasped her skirts and hurried away.
Perfect. Now, even the busiest body in town had reason to think me fit for an asylum. Thank Heaven Bingley was returning to his horse now, and we could be on our way!
Before he was quite back in the saddle, I was already turning my horse for Netherfield, but the sight before me made my blood run cold. Colonel Forster and Lieutenant Denny were heading our way, and right behind them—just my luck—was Wickham. The moment I saw him, my blood pressure spiked. That same infuriating smile plastered across his face as he casually chatted with the officers.
“Och, look there, lad,” Ewan shouted, still far too loud. “There’s the redcoat who’s put the sour on yer day. Well? What’re ye standin’ there for? Get down there an’ show him what a Darcy’s truly made of! I hope it’s no’ porridge in yer veins, lad.”
I ground my teeth and stared straight ahead.
Colonel Forster greeted us first with a brisk nod. “Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy. Fine day for a ride.”
Bingley beamed. “Indeed, Colonel! Quite a fine afternoon! Lieutenant, Wickham. Perfect weather, wouldn’t you say?”
Perfect? There was nothing perfect about this.
Wickham’s eyes found mine, his grin faltering just slightly. “Mr. Darcy,” he said, tipping his hat with false politeness. “Fancy seeing you again so soon. I had not expected to encounter you in Hertfordshire.”
My jaw clenched. “Wickham.”
That was all I could manage without growling.
Ewan leaned in over my shoulder, practically bouncing with glee. “Go on, lad! Ye can dae better than that! Give him a right jab tae the nose! Knock some sense intae that red-coat!”
I said nothing. Just clenched the reins harder.
Unfortunately, Ewan—thoroughly drunk and now determined to be “helpful”—reached over and gave my horse a sharp slap on the hindquarters.
My horse, understandably startled, exploded into motion.
