He saw her almost at once.
Something flickered in his gaze, something that looked suspiciously like… well,hungerwas the nearest emotion she could think of, but that made no sense, so it was probably her imagination. But she had not been imagining how his eyes moved slowly—deliberately—over the gown she wore.
His gaze sharpened, and for the first time since she had met him, a slow, private smile crossed his lips that looked like genuine pleasure. It was gone in an instant, but she had seen it. And that, more than anything, settled her discomfort.
She glanced away quickly, resisting the urge to adjust her gloves.
“Do not fidget, my dear,” Mrs. Gardiner murmured at her side. “You are turning heads already. It would be unwise to let them think you are anything less than entirely at ease.”
Elizabeth arched a brow at her aunt. “And am I to take that advice from someone who conspired behind my back to ensure I had a gown fit for a duchess?”
Mrs. Gardiner only smiled.
And so, the evening began.
Elizabeth was keenly awarethat her presence on Darcy’s arm had been noted by every significant guest in the room. After the opening set, they parted ways, as etiquette dictated, but Elizabeth never quite felt as though she had left the circle of speculation surrounding them.
The evening was a carefully managed affair, a steady flow of introductions, polite inquiries, and the subtle maneuvering of alliances both spoken and unspoken. Darcy was sought after by landowners and men of influence, and Elizabeth found herself in the company of their wives, daughters, and the ever-present whispers of London’s elite.
She was approached early in the evening by Mrs. Selby—a welcome new friend in a sea of strangers. Mrs. Selby, however, seemed determined to turn that sea into a puddle, as she commenced a campaign, introducing Elizabeth to half the room. “I imagine this must all be rather overwhelming,” Mrs. Selby said as she linked her arm through Elizabeth’s. “Finding yourself suddenly so… prominent.”
Elizabeth managed a polite smile. “Overwhelming? Perhaps. But I find it more enlightening than anything. Politics reveals much about a person’s character.”
Mrs. Selby chuckled. “And what do you find politics reveals about Mr. Darcy?”
Elizabeth glanced across the room, where Darcy was deep in discussion with Mr. Harcourt and another gentleman she did not recognize. His posture was as rigid as ever, but his expression—intense, listening, engaged—was different from the detached arrogance she had once assumed of him.
“That he is a man of principle, though perhaps not one who relishes the spotlight.”
That seemed to satisfy Mrs. Selby, who exchanged a knowing glance with Mrs. Linton.
“Not one for the spotlight indeed,” Mrs. Linton mused, taking Elizabeth’s measure with quiet interest. “Yet he is stepping into it now.”
Elizabeth tilted her head. “Do you think him unsuited to it?”
“Not unsuited,” Mrs. Selby said with an arch of her brow. “Just… unlikely.”
Elizabeth knew what was left unsaid. Unlikely, because he had never before sought such attention. Unlikely, because of her. But with ladies the likes of Mrs. Selby and Mrs. Linton at her elbows, perhaps she was not such long odds as she had presumed.
Unfortunately, not all were so welcoming.
Elizabeth soon found herself on the receiving end of Lady Ashworth’s scrutiny—a woman whose own daughter had once been considered an ideal match for Darcy.
“I trust you are finding London agreeable, Miss Bennet,” Lady Ashworth said, her smile as cool as the pearls at her throat.
“Very much so,” Elizabeth replied, unruffled. “It has been a most enlightening visit.”
“Indeed. And you have been quite the topic of conversation.”
“Have I?”
Lady Ashworth’s lips curved. “It is rare to see Mr. Darcy take such an interest in—” she paused delicately, “—fresh company.”
Elizabeth did not bristle, though she suspected Lady Ashworth wished her to. Instead, she let her own smile widen. “Then I hope I provide some novelty to the season.”
Lady Ashworth’s nostrils flared slightly, but she said nothing more, sweeping away with the air of a woman who had expected Elizabeth to falter.
Some while later, Elizabeth was momentarily reunited with Darcy during an interlude between sets. She had only just excused herself from a group of younger ladies when Mr. Harcourt and Mr. Linton passed by, speaking amiably with Darcy.
