Elizabeth, however, found it difficult to follow because, once again, Mr. Darcy’s voice entered her mind, and this time it truly startled her.
Brava, Miss Elizabeth. Brava.
She looked around to see what expression was on his face, but he was walking away from her.
Chapter 12
Half an hour later, Elizabeth was desperate to get away.
She thought she had been patient, suffering through the unwelcome attention of her neighbors, but that had been nothing compared to the unrelenting and overly familiar conversation from first Colonel Forster and then Captain Carter.
Her conversation with Captain Carter had now reached the twenty-minute mark, far too long for a conversation in a public setting, but the man seemed to have no intention of releasing her attention.
She was shocked and then utterly relieved when she heard Mr. Darcy’s actual voice say, “Please do excuse me, Captain, but I believe Miss Bennet is looking a bit overheated.”
He turned to Elizabeth and held out his arm. She stared at the man, uncertain of his motivations. Then she heard his voice in her mind.Take a hint, woman. I am trying to rescue you.
She didn’t like the disrespectful tone, but it was clear his motivations were honorable. She took his arm and leaned on it a bit, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Darcy. If you would be so kind as to support me into the hall where I can get some cooler air, I would be most grateful.”
Swaying a bit to keep up the appearance of being a bit dizzy and overheated, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy exited the well-lit drawing room and entered the very dim hallway, which was lit only by two single candles on opposite ends of the hallway.
Elizabeth couldn’t help a sigh of relief at the cooler air. She hadn’t noticed it herself, but she had in fact become a bit overheated, though she wasn’t dizzy.
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” she said. “That was quite the timely rescue. I hadn’t even noticed how overheated I was until you mentioned it, because my mind was completely engaged in fighting off intense boredom. Have you ever been regaled with tales of how difficult it is to manage the paperwork for an army regiment for fifteen minutes?”
Mr. Darcy chuckled, and the sound was deeply pleasant. “I admit, I have not had that pleasure,” he said. “I shall endeavor to remain ignorant of it. I have, however, been captivated by endless tales of the drama that can be had when a lady takes up her needle for either embroidery or sewing.”
“I imagine that drama was equally entrancing,” said Elizabeth. She grinned up at him, and for a moment only, their gazes locked. Elizabeth felt a jolt of some feeling move through her, but it did not last long enough for her to understand it, for Mr. Darcy quickly turned his head.
“Is there some friend I can call for you to keep you company as you cool down? A sister, perhaps?” He asked. “I would not wish for you to remain alone in such a secluded part of the house given the ardency and determination of some of your suitors.”
With a pang at the thought of so quickly losing his company, she said, “I would not wish to bother you further. There is no need.”
“There is every need,” he said firmly.
She made no reply and simply stared at him, practically daring him to take away this blessed moment of quiet.
After a short staring contest, he said, “I suppose I could stay and keep you company until you are ready to return.”
“You need not if you are unwilling,” said Elizabeth, “but if you don’t mind too much, I would be grateful for your company.” Despite the fact that his thoughts occasionally invaded her mind unexpectedly, she had never felt as though he were demanding her attention. So, his company would, in fact, be quite welcome.
As she spoke, she looked around the hallway, hoping for an odd chair, but all available chairs were in the drawing rooms. With a sigh of annoyance, Elizabeth went over to the staircase and sank down onto the third step.
Once she was settled in her makeshift seat, she looked up at Mr. Darcy. His eyebrows were raised in surprise, but the corner of his lip was raised in amusement. “You certainly don’t stand on ceremony with me, do you, Miss Elizabeth?”
The truth was that being able to hear Mr. Darcy’s thoughts had created an illusion of closeness with the man, as if he were someone she had known all her life. Thinking quickly to explain her lack of formality, Elizabeth shrugged and said, “Why should I? It is obvious you are well above my touch, so it matters little to me what you think of my behavior.”
This wasn’t entirely true. Mr. Darcy’s opinion of the Bennets could well affect Mr. Bingley’s opinion, which would then affect his opinion of Jane. Elizabeth would never wish to do anything to hurt Jane’s chances at happiness.
With a sigh, Elizabeth moved to stand. She was prepared to apologize, and she hoped he was kind enough to forgive her lapse of manners.
He forestalled her. “There is no need to bestir yourself,” he said. “I can well imagine you might be very much in need of the rest.”
Mr. Darcy then shocked her by sitting down on the step next to her.
Out of all the thoughts she had heard from him, out of all the things he had said or rumors she had heard about him, this one thing was the most shocking so far.
She looked at him, unable to form her thoughts into words. She knew her eyes were wide with his surprise, and it was just barely possible that her mouth was hanging slightly open.
