Soon, every lady in the room was crying, while the gentlemen struggled not to indulge in such unmanly exhibitions. All except Mr Darcy managed to refrain, but it was a near thing.
At last, Lady Catherine looked most carefully at her nephew. “Did you bring Richard here for a reason?”
“I did.”
Having everyone’s attention, Darcy continued.
“Richard, I asked if you were ready for a project. I need you to act in my stead as Master of Pemberley and guardian of Georgiana for a time. You will have our aunt, your father, and your brother, and even Bingley here as advisors. I have excellent stewards and men of business, but I must be away for perhaps half a year. I wish you to hold my place.”
The colonel started and stared for quite some time, while everyone else strove not to stare at him.
“You would trust me with that… after… after… I am not trained for that, Darcy. Even before, I was not ready.”
Darcy regarded him steadily. “Neither was I at two and twenty, yet I did what had to be done. I expect no less from you.”
The colonel shook his head. “But to trust… to trust.”
Darcy reached out, seized the colonel’s forearm, and squeezed it. “I trust you, Richard. Miss Lucas trusts you. Mrs Bingley trusts you. You can do this,and you will.”
Everyone waited with bated breath, and finally, the colonel nodded in reluctant acquiescence.
He sat nodding for quite some time, before looking at his cousin to ask the obvious question.
“I presume you are for Ohio?”
His cousin’s grin—reminiscent of a schoolboy in deep disgrace with both governess and tutor—was all the answer he needed.
Choose No Evil(Alternating First Person)
Charlotte
What is it about cliffsides? Does everyone seek one whenever they must think, or am I alone in this? Right or left? Left or right? Why always those questions?
It all started at Rosings when we encountered a Valkyrie who looked just like Jane Bingley, who crowned four months of my hard work. There must be some chance involved, some trickster who thrust me into a house with that man for months, only to have the final measure of his recovery delivered by another. I, of course, had no reason to repine; success was all I wanted, and there was a new ease and friendliness to the colonel—sometimes. He was still a haunted man, and would always be, but he was on the way to recovery. I no longer truly feared his fists, his words, or his will to survive.
The tall, blonde Valkyrie goddess, of course, claims no credit for his recovery, or perhaps merely a trifle. In our many hours discussing my patient, we concluded that meeting the object of his shame and the demand for forgiveness,precisely when he had been prepared,was the key to success. Neither of us could take full credit, as we each played our part in our own time. That discussion allowed us both to be happy, as our natural modesty allowed each to give more credit tothe otherthan was due; while simultaneously, each of our abominable pride allowedusto feel the lion’s share. It was contradictory and circular, as are most human affairs, and we were both content.
Mr Darcy was, of course, champing at the bit to be off to the wilds of America, but heisstill the most diligent man I have ever met and would not leave things in a poor state. I also suspect he was aware that appearing to court Lizzy without having done everything possible to ensure all people and properties under hisprotection were secure would be ill-received. He was to spend a full month giving the colonel instruction while he arranged transportation.
Before Mr Darcy left, we had a somewhat odd conversation.
“Miss Lucas, I cannot even begin to thank you properly for bringing my cousin back from the very abyss. I owe you all the thanks I have and more. I am quite certain Richard owes you his life.”
“Thank you, Mr Darcy. I am a little proud of most of what I did these past months.”
“A little proud!”
The man still had the ability to startle me, and that exclamation made me jump, but his immediate chuckle restored my ease, and he continued.
“I think not, but you may feed your modesty as you choose, so long as you understand your modesty is actually well-earned hubris in disguise.”
That had me laughing, and I could see why all the Bennet ladies fell in love with the man.
“I believe my task here is complete. I should like to go home for a while. I can travel to Hertfordshire with the Bingleys. It has been an… interesting two years.”
“We have business to conduct before you go.”
That sounded odd, to say the least, so I bade him sit in the small summer parlour and rang for tea.
