Page 29 of Her Affections and Wishes

Elizabeth was the last to take a turn and when she was blindfolded, everyone changed places. She carefully took a few steps and was drawn to her left. Her knees hit someone, and she felt in the air that it was Darcy. There was no sensible way to explain how she knew. Perhaps she was attuned to him now that she had come to love him.

Some rule of motion was at play. She had previously, foolishly, been repelled but now was attracted. For the sake of the game, she had to pretend she did not know who it was.

Pushing her knee out, she said, “I feel no skirts, so it must be a gentleman.” He did not say anything to disguise his voice, so he must not mind if she touched him to play the game. She nudged his foot with her own. “There is no shoe buckle so, I am afraid to say, it is not one of our older friends.”

The group gave a chuckle as she felt his shoulder. She could end the game now, or she could use it to touch him a little more. She heard Darcy exhale as she moved her hand to his arm muscle, pretending to feel the fabric. His coat’s lapels and buttons were then investigated, and it seemed he stopped breathing.

“Velvet lapels and fabric buttons narrow my choices, but I am not certain who this is.”

She could be bold. It was all part of the game, and he could not truly mind. He was a generous man who did not resent her past foolishness. Maybe it would reassure him if he was uncertain if her feelings for him had changed. Elizabeth placed a steadying hand on his shoulder and perched across his lap. She felt him tense, as if every muscle in his body contracted at once.

“Can you compare his whiskers to the rest of the group?” one lady called.

Elizabeth put a gentle hand on his cheek to pretend to consider, making a thoughtful sound as she did. She was hot all over. This was exceedingly bold. She was essentially saying, “Here I am; do you love me?” She then brought her other hand to his chest, pretending to feel his waistcoat. “I have to see if it is double-breasted or single-breasted.”

His heart raced away under her hand. Being this close to him overpowered all her senses. She could not see him, but it felt as though he were everywhere. He was extraordinarily still, and it took all of her sense of decorum not to find his lips with hers. She felt his shallow breath against her own lips, and was envisioning his lips in her mind and imagining the feel of them. It was best to end the game before she fully betrayed how much she loved him.

“A young man, with fabric buttons, short whiskers, and a single-breasted waistcoat? I have found Mr Darcy.”

Whilst everyone clapped, she took off her blindfold with a grin. Darcy was absolutely silent, his eyes full of fire. Was he annoyed that she had touched him and sat in his lap? He could have thrown his voice to show he did not want to be touched in front of the others. Had she made a terrible mistake?

“The game is now over, Miss Bennet,” snivelled Julia, who sat next to Darcy and looked like she was about to shove her off his lap.

She scrambled to her feet as Lady Metcalfe recommended they pay their forfeits for wrong guesses. Just like yesterday, Kiss if You Can, Kiss the One You Love Best, Kiss the Nun, and all the other forfeits involving more kisses than hilarity were chosen. There were many combinations of couples who had harmless, chaste embraces, Darcy included—although never with her.

Julia threw her a triumphant smirk when she and Darcy were paired for Fishing for a Kiss. “He is a good kisser,” Julia hissed in her ear when she walked past her when they were done.

It stung, but her senseless envy had no just cause. Even if Darcy no longer loved her, he had no feelings for Julia. Besides, their forfeit kiss had been a scant touch that Darcy pulled back from quickly.

But Darcy did not talk to her as they paid their forfeits. They were never paired, but they were often near each other, and he rarely opened his lips. He looked at her a great deal, though. It was a steadfast gaze, but Elizabeth could not say how much admiration was in its intensity.

Whilst the group discussed what to do next, Lady Metcalfe called for a candle to go to bed. “I will let the young people stay up late with more games. Mary, I can trust you to mind my Julia? And Miss Bennet too,” she added joylessly.

“I am for bed as well, Mrs Tessier,” said Mr Travers before asking her for a candle.

“You can share mine,” offered Lady Metcalfe.

Some of the men talked of playing billiards if the ladies would spare them. Other guests insisted Mrs Tessier bring out the card tables. Julia sat with her arms crossed, scowling at everyone, likely since Darcy paid no attention to her flirting, compliments, or longing gazes.

In the bustle of people deciding what to do, Elizabeth looked at Darcy to see his preference. He met her eye with a deep gaze she could not read. The card games would be too high for her, and as she had no interest in anything if she could not talk to Darcy, she may as well go to bed. If he was offended by how she played the game, he would tell her later. Darcy would choose a private conversation over a public argument.

“I will go to bed too, Mrs Tessier. I have no need for a candle. Good night, everyone,” she said, and let her gaze linger on Darcy to say that she loved him.

When she was in the corridor above the stairs to the entrance hall, she heard quick steps. Darcy hurried to catch up with her, and she stopped between two tall vases from antiquity displayed in front of the balustrade.

“Did you follow me?” she asked breathlessly. Did she have reason to hope?

“You looked at me as you left.”

“Oh.” He sounded grave. Perhaps sitting on his lap was not wise after all. “Only to say good night. I did not expect you to follow me, unless you are angry about the game and wanted to say so now?”

He looked surprised. “I wanted to ask when did you know it was me?”

There were voices from the other corridor, but she still answered. “Would you believe I only knew it when I guessed?”

“Not at all.” The fire that had been in his eyes when she took off the blindfold returned. “It was before you sat in my lap.”

Heat burned her cheeks. How was she supposed to admit what she felt for him since coming to Woodcote? That she had sensed it was him and wanted to touch him? She had felt bold before, but she was not confident he would still marry her. Confidence and boldness felt like widely different things when Darcy looked at her with whatever that feeling was in his eyes.