“To Lizzy,” Thomas clarified impatiently. “Did you apologize?”
Darcy had the absurd sensation of being examined by particularly judgmental magistrates.
“Yes,” he answered.
The twins relaxed visibly.
“Good,” Toby declared.
“You did not waste the opportunity we gave you,” Thomas added with satisfaction.
Darcy narrowed his gaze.
“The opportunity you gave me.”
Neither boy appeared appropriately alarmed by his tone.
“The carriage,” Toby said.
Darcy stared at them.
The twins stared back.
Understanding dawned with astonishing speed.
“You,” Darcy said slowly, “were responsible for the broken carriage.”
Thomas had the decency to look ashamed.
Toby folded his arms across his chest.
“We did not know it would rain so hard.”
Darcy could scarcely decide whether to laugh or lecture them.
“You deliberately stranded your sisters at Netherfield?”
“So you could apologize,” Thomas explained, as though the reasoning ought to have been obvious.
“And because Jane likes Mr. Bingley,” Toby added.
Darcy tipped his head back and closed his eyes briefly.
“You understand,” he said carefully, “that interfering with carriage fittings could have caused serious injury.”
The twins exchanged alarmed looks.
“We only loosened them a little,” Toby admitted.
“And we thought the carriage would simply stop.”
Darcy exhaled slowly.
The sincerity of their remorse made anger difficult, though not impossible.
“You must never attempt such a thing again.”
“We are already punished,” Thomas offered.
