She pretended to be horrified. “I cannot. What must Mr. Darcy have been thinking? Silly man.”
When she and Petey shifted their attention fully to him, he cleared his throat and said, “Let us proceed to the shop, shall we? It looks as if Mr. and Mrs. Crosgrove have arrived.”
Gesturing to the door, her mother and sisters hurried inside. Mr. Bingley escorted Jane. Petey followed, leaving her standing by the gentleman.
“Sir, I must confess that I believed the odds of you being successful last evening were quite low. Yet, you succeeded where many, including myself, have failed. For this, I am grateful.” Her eyes met his. In the assembly’s candlelight, she thought his eyes were dark sapphire. But in the sunshine, they appeared to be like the clear blueish-green waters she once saw in a painting of the West Indies. The only way to be certain would be to step closer. This she simply could not do.
“You certainly will be paying a high price for being attentive. As well, your kindness to a little boy who has had few joys in his lifetime is unparalleled. I simply cannot comprehend how the man who insulted me is the same as the one in front of me.”
He stretched his neck as if his cravat was tied too tightly. “I am…”
“Let me see if I can guess. In the brief span since our introduction, I have seen you solemn, irritated, infuriated, tolerant, embarrassed, offended, patient, unselfish, and kind. Who are you, sir?”
“I am Fitzwilliam Darcy, recently of Pemberley in Derbyshire and Darcy House in London. My grandfather was the earl of Matlock.”
She shook her head slowly. “No, Mr. Darcy. I am not at all concerned with who your family members are or what you possess. I am wondering who you, the man, are.”
What she expected was a ready defense. When he hesitated, she met his eye. “Are you well, sir? Is my question too impertinent?”
He cleared his throat. “Pray excuse me, Miss Elizabeth. I must purchase a bonnet, some strips of cloth, and a pair of shoes.”
Mr. Darcy waited, holding the shop door for her, and as she brushed past his tall, handsome person, she felt even more confused about this curious gentleman from Derbyshire.
9
In his entire life, Darcy could only recall one time when he helped his sister choose accessories. If he remembered correctly, the whole awkward endeavor took mere minutes. Usually, their aunt Helen and her companion accompanied Georgiana on shopping excursions.
Thus, nothing in his experience prepared him for six females, trying to make the “perfect” selection—each with strong opinions, not only in their choices but everyone else’s as well.
He was pleased to be introduced to Mrs. Crosgrove. Her sensibility and reasonableness had a calming effect on Mrs. Bennet, immediately lowering the volume of her exclamations with each new piece of lace or ribbon. Mr. Crosgrove chose to remain next to the door, leaving the ladies to their task.
He approached Mr. Crosgrove. “I recall my father taking the same stance when he entered a shop with Mother. He quietly waited by the door until herselections were complete. I admired his patience. Only later, he told me that he was meditating on something he earlier read while he strove to give the impression he was paying rapt attention.”
“Aye, I do pretty much the same, although it is planting charts I am considering as I stand here.”
Darcy chuckled. “I thank you both for your attendance.”
One corner of Mr. Crosgrove’s mouth lifted. “I will admit to being entertained watching you trying to wait upon Miss Lydia while not losing sight of her sister. You are a man of many talents, Mr. Darcy.”
“You see far more than reality, sir. As I mentioned last evening, I have a sister the same age as Miss Lydia. Watching the efforts of Miss Elizabeth is a learning opportunity. I have already realized that this age is fraught with uncontrolled emotions. Inexperience and lack of knowledge are not the best qualities to make good decisions.”
“Ah, as in, which bonnet should be purchased?” Mr. Crosgrove chuckled under his breath.
“Quite.”
“Today, I have all the time in the world to observe how you work matters out, Mr. Darcy. Just know that by watching how my bride interacts with the youngest, you will have two fine examples.”
Tipping his head, Darcy acknowledged the wisdom.
Although the two youngest vied for his attention, his eyes kept straying to Miss Elizabeth. How did he feel about her trying to sketch his character? He felt the compliment of being in her thoughts—and equally terrified that she would learn how far he had fallen. No,that was not true. It was not fear he felt but melancholy.
Shaking off the gloom settling on his shoulders, he gave his full attention to the ladies.His observations were interrupted by Mrs. Bennet.
“Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bingley,” said Mrs. Bennet, but Bingley only had eyes for Miss Bennet, like a puppy for a treat. “We need your good opinion, good sir. Do you believe this ribbon complements my eldest? Or do you prefer this one?” She held a strip of fabric in each hand. “Why, in my humble opinion, there is not one hue that does not look well against her skin. What do you think?”
The back of Bingley’s ears were almost purple after she asked. Not wanting to insult either woman, Bingley mumbled and nodded at both ribbons when she held up another. By the third petition, his ears regained their normal pale pink.
Once Miss Bennet made her final selection, Mrs. Bennet felt the need to describe to Darcy why each piece of lace in the shop was either superior or inferior. She held one section in each hand, weighing them like they were gold. After the fourth such elucidation, Miss Elizabeth came to his rescue.
