A faint smile tugged at the prince’s mouth. “You are either very sure of yourself or very foolish.”
“I am sure of my intentions,” Darcy said. “Whether that makes me foolish remains to be seen.”
The prince laughed softly. “You are not frightened.”
“No.” Was it good that the prince seemed amused rather than angry?
“Most men are.”
Darcy did not respond. He would not flatter the prince by denying it further.
The Prince Regent moved to his chair and seated himself opposite Darcy, crossing one leg over the other. “You understand,” he said, “that this is not a private matter.”
“I do,” Darcy replied. “Elizabeth’s proximity to your household makes it otherwise.”
“Miss de Bourghhas been associated with the Crown since birth. And yet you proceeded—an untitled gentleman, though one of large fortune and property.”
“Yes.”
The prince studied him. “Why?”
Darcy did not hesitate. “Because my regard for her predates her elevation. Her circumstances do not alter her worth—and I would regret a lifetime of restraint more than I would endure temporary displeasure.”
The prince’s expression sharpened. “You speak boldly for a man seekingmypermission.”
“I am not asking permission to care for her,” Darcy said fervently. “I am acknowledging that permission may be required to formalize what already exists.”
Silence stretched. At last, the prince leaned back. “You are prepared for refusal.”
Of course he was! There were others more ‘worthy’ than Darcy, at least in the prince’s mind. “I am prepared for honesty.”
The prince’s eyes flickered with interest. “Then allow me to be honest.” He folded his hands. “Miss de Bourgh is…complicated.”
Darcy inclined his head. “I am aware.”
“She is visible. Observed. Increasingly influential.”
“And yet, she does not seek influence.” Rather, the prince wished to thrust it upon his unwilling ward.
“No,” the prince agreed. “Which is precisely why she possesses it.”
Darcy held his tongue.
“I have tolerated her presence,” the prince continued, “because she has been useful. She steadies my daughter and attracts attention without courting scandal. She is, at present, manageable.”
Darcy’s jaw tightened imperceptibly. Had not Elizabeth used the same terminology? Had he not as well, the day of his proposal?
“You,” the prince went on, “were not intended to enter the equation.”
“I rarely am,” Darcy replied evenly.
A sharp look. Then amusement. “True enough.”
The prince rose and paced. “You do not need advancement, nor do you require patronage. You will not be beholden.”
“No.” He refused to be manipulated and coerced.
“That independence is vexing.” The prince huffed, his irritation obvious.
