And there, seated beside him in the carriage, was Miss Darcy, her expression a perfect mirror of her brother’s—rigid, uncomfortable, and thoroughly displeased.
The carriage came to a full stop beside her. Darcy’s gaze met hers, and for a moment, he seemed to hesitate—as if reconsidering whatever had compelled him to halt in the first place. But then he spoke, his voice stiff and formal.
“Miss Bennet, it would be my honor to escort you back to your aunt and uncle’s residence.”
Elizabeth blinked, caught between surprise and suspicion. Thehonorof escorting her? Since when did Mr. Darcy view anything concerning her as an honor?
“That is very kind of you, Mr. Darcy, but I assure you, it is not necessary.”
Darcy’s jaw tightened, the muscles in his face twitching as if her refusal were a personal affront. “I believe it is,” he said firmly.
Elizabeth tilted her head, studying him with narrowed eyes. “I am quite accustomed to walking, sir. And I find Hyde Park entirely safe.”
“Your comfort does not negate the reality of appearances. A young woman—any young woman—should not be seen unaccompanied in such a public setting.”
The implication in his words was as clear as if he had shouted it. The hair at the back of her neck prickled. “I had no idea Hyde Park was overrun with brigands and scoundrels,” she said, her smile tightening at the edges. “I shall keep an eye out for highwaymen in broad daylight.”
Darcy did not flinch, but his gaze darkened. “You know perfectly well that is not what I meant.”
“Do I?” Elizabeth shot back, lifting her chin. “Because it seems to me that your concern is less about my safety and more about how I might reflect on your impeccable sense of propriety.”
His mouth turned downward into a grimace. “This has nothing to do with me.”
Elizabeth arched a brow. “Has it not? And here I thought we were partners in some grand, public performance.” She crossed her arms loosely over her chest. “Surely, if I disgrace myself, it touches your good name as well, does it not?”
Darcy’s eyes flashed, but when he spoke, his voice was lower, more strained. “Miss Bennet… whether or not our names are linked,youare the one whose future will bear the heaviest consequences. Your reputation is the one in question. I would not see it damaged further.”
Elizabeth’s retort stalled in her throat. His words were not delivered with his usual superiority. Instead, there was something almost… earnest in them. It was maddening.
Still, her pride bristled under his scrutiny. “I assure you, Mr. Darcy, I am quite capable of managing my own affairs.”
“And yet here we are,” he replied, his voice soft but sharp. “You have been seen in questionable company before. Do you truly wish to risk further scrutiny?”
The truth hit her harder than she expected. As much as she detested his condescension, he was right. She could not afford more gossip, not when her sisters’ futures might be tangled in the fallout. Her pride warred with her practicality, but the latter won, as much as it stung.
After a long, taut silence, she exhaled sharply and gave a curt nod. “Very well,” she muttered, hating how small the words felt on her tongue.
It felt like a surrender.
And she was not entirely sure which of them had just conceded more.
Darcy disembarked, stepping down from the carriage with practiced ease. Of course, hewouldbe the one man in London who could look graceful doing even such a mundane, awkward thing. He extended his hand toward her, his mouth set in grim expectation.
Elizabeth hesitated for a fraction of a second before placing her gloved hand in his. His palm was warm, his grip firm but not unkind as he helped her up. But as soon as she climbed into the carriage—a vehicle designed for only two—she regretted every decision that had led her to this moment.
The space inside was far too snug.
Miss Darcy, who had shifted only minimally to make room, now sat rigidly against the far side of the seat, leaving just enough space for Elizabeth to slide in, but not enough to breathe properly.
Which meant she was now wedged between Mr. Darcy and his sister.
Miss Darcy’s gaze was fixed firmly off in the distance. Darcy cleared his throat but said nothing, his arm brushing against Elizabeth’s with every slight jostle of the carriage.
Elizabeth forced a polite smile, though it felt more like a grimace. “Lovely weather today,” she remarked, her voice overly bright.
Miss Darcy said nothing.
Darcy, predictably, also said nothing.
