“I try, but – dash it, Darcy, Caroline can be the most awful scold when she does not get her way.”
“If your own happiness is at stake, you will have to ignore your sister.”
“That is it exactly! Ignore her!”
Mr. Darcy privately thought it likely that if Miss Bennet was everything Mr. Bingley said, she could likely do better than a man who would forever be ruled by his scold of a sister,but perhaps with the estate entailed…well, it was none of his concern. He had troubles enough of his own.
They left their horses with the stablemaster and went into the house through the back entrance. Coming in through the kitchen, the cook told Mr. Bingley that they had a visitor.
“Who is it?” Mr. Bingley asked.
“Dunno. A Colonel somebody, I think.”
Colonel! Was it possible that his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam had run him to ground here in Meryton? Mr. Darcy could not imagine how the Colonel had been able to find him; perhaps it was someone else. There had been a Colonel at the dinner he and Bingley had attended; it might be that this was the Colonel that had come visiting.
But as they headed upstairs to change their clothing, Darcy heard his cousin’s voice in the drawing room. “But Darcy is here, correct?”
He then heard Miss Bingley reply, “Oh, indeed, Colonel! I believe he is out riding with my brother. May I have refreshments served while you wait?”
It was unbelievable. Mr. Darcy had decided against going to London so as not to have to talk about Georgiana with the Matlocks; instead, a Matlock had come to him. He took as long as possible to wash the smell of horse from his person and change into different clothing, but he was finally out of excuses. It was time to face Colonel Fitzwilliam.
When he entered the drawing room, Mr. Bingley said, “And there he is! Lord, man, how long does it take you to wash and change? Never knew you to be quite that fastidious.”
Mr. Darcy ignored Mr. Bingley. “It is good to see you, Richard, though I am at a loss to account for your presence here.”
“At a loss? Truly? Well, as it happens, cousin, I think we have private matters to discuss.” The look in Colonel Fitzwilliam’seyes was positively lethal. Richard knew; he had somehow learnt what had happened to Georgiana.
“Bingley, may we use the library?” Mr. Darcy asked.
“Of course, anything you need,” Mr. Bingley assured him.
Miss Bingley added, “I hope you will remain for the night, Colonel; I will have a room prepared.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam thanked her, and then followed Mr. Darcy from the room.
The moment they entered the library, Colonel Fitzwilliam closed the door with a slam and whirled around to face Mr. Darcy. “Tell me, tell me very quickly, why I should not beat the daylights out of you for letting this happen to my ward.”
“I deserve whatever beating you choose to bestow.” Mr. Darcy faced his cousin, shoulders squared, head erect. “Frankly, I might feel better if you were to knock me senseless.”
That took the wind from the Colonel’s sails. He sighed as the tension drained from his body. “Damn it, Darcy! What happened?”
“First, how did you learn of this? Tell me, I beg you, that it is not in the papers.”
“Oh, you mean this?” Richard reached into a pocket and pulled out a newspaper clipping. It read:
We are told that a certain Miss GD from Derbyshire eloped with the son of the estate’s steward! Where in the world were her guardians?
Mr. Darcy dropped into a chair and covered his face with his hands.
“I need not tell you what my parents said when they saw this.”
“No, indeed.”
“And I need not also tell you what Aunt Catherine had to say, when she descended upon Matlock House in a fury.”
“Richard, I –“
“And I need not tell you that the entiretonis talking about nothing else!” Colonel Fitzwilliam’s voice rose to a bellow.
