“Miss Elizabeth.” The Colonel removed his hat and executed a flawless, sweeping bow. “Upon my word. The restorative properties of the sea air are immediately apparent. It is a joy to encounter a familiar face amongst this crush.”
Elizabeth exhaled slowly and sank into a deep curtsy.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam.” She rose, focusing her attention on the soldier. It was significantly safer than looking at the tall, brooding gentleman beside him. “The joy is mutual. I had not expected to find you in Sussex.”
“The military life demands travel.” The Colonel clapped a hand solidly on his cousin’s rigid shoulder. “And occasionally, one must drag one’s relations from the gloom of London for their own health. Is that not correct, Darcy?”
Darcy blinked, seeming to recall how to operate his limbs. He removed his hat and bowed. It was a jerky, awkward movement, lacking his usual fluid grace.
“Miss Elizabeth.”
His voice was low, barely carrying over the noise of the gulls and the carriage wheels.
Elizabeth met his gaze.
“Mr Darcy.”
The hostility that had defined their interactions in Kent was absent. It had evaporated, replaced by a shared, uncomfortable awareness. She knew about Wickham. Heknew she knew about Wickham. And he had fixed the disaster with Jane, because Bingley was firmly settled back in Netherfield courting her.
They had an entire volume of unspoken apologies and unacknowledged gratitude resting between them.
Neither of them had the vocabulary to address it on a public walkway.
“Are you enjoying the seaside, Miss Elizabeth?” The Colonel rocked back on his heels, revelling in their mutual agony. “I was just observing to Darcy that the promenade is remarkably colourful today. A veritable rainbow of parasols and bonnets.”
“It is certainly vibrant.” Elizabeth tightened her grip on her own sensible brown parasol. “I am accompanying and chaperoning my youngest sister, Lydia. We are guests of Colonel Forster’s wife for the summer.”
Darcy flinched at Mrs Forster’s name. The movement was minuscule, but Elizabeth caught it.
“A chaperone.” The Colonel nodded solemnly, though his eyes danced with amusement. “A grave responsibility in a town devoted to distraction. Have you found the circulating libraries to your satisfaction? Or perhaps the assembly rooms?”
“I have not had time to visit everything yet, but so far, I have found the noise to be quite comprehensive.” Elizabeth offered a dry smile. “We arrived only yesterday evening. My sister is introducing herself to every milliner in the district.”
“An expensive undertaking.” The Colonel chuckled.
“I assure you, it is.” Elizabeth allowed herself a glance back at Darcy.
He was watching her with an intensity that made the June heat feel more oppressive. He was not looking down his nose, nor observing her with the critical detachment she had come to expect. He looked as though he were attempting to memorise the exact placement of every freckle on her face.
Elizabeth felt a flush creeping up her neck.
“And what brings you to Brighton, Mr Darcy?” She forced the question past the constriction in her throat. “I recall you once professing a preference for quieter surroundings.”
Darcy cleared his throat.
“I...” He glanced at the Colonel, then back at Elizabeth. “I found London to be excessively warm. My cousin suggested the coast might offer a diversion.”
“I see.” Elizabeth smiled politely. “I trust you will find the diversions here adequately engaging, Sir. The town certainly offers a unique variety of entertainments.”
“I am certain we shall remain occupied.” Darcy held her gaze.
“Well.” The Colonel clapped his hands together, startling a nearby pigeon. “We must not keep you from your duties, Miss Elizabeth. Mustering younger sisters is a tactical manoeuvre requiring vigilance.”
Elizabeth realised with a jolt of panic that she had forgotten her sister and her friend.
She glanced hastily around her. The crowd was thick, a shifting mass of colours and fabrics. Wickham, Lydia, and Mrs Forster could be anywhere. They could be purchasing ribbons or arranging private meetings for all she knew.
“You are correct, Colonel.” She took a hasty step backward and executed a swift curtsy. “I must depart before my sister buys all the ribbons of Brighton and bankrupts our father.”
