Page 96 of Mr. Darcy Comes to Town

His handsome features, so grave, so attentive to her well-being, caused Mary’s heart to clench. The risk to his health made her stomach roil. She swallowed thickly and tried to say something sensible.

“Is he anyone I might know?” she asked.

“Jimmy Butcher?” Oscar said, his voice rising at the end to make the name into a query.

Mary shook her head. “You will be careful, I hope?” she asked, and then caught her breath at her temerity. Please, Lord, let him be safe.

Oscar nodded. “I intend to.”

From behind Mary, she heard Georgiana whisper, “The assembly.”

Boldly, Mary asked, “Um, will you be attending the assembly this Thursday?”

“I meant to,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair and messing it up. He smoothed it down again. “But I dare not. I will not be the cause of anyone else catching typhus.”

“Is that likely?” Mary asked, feeling sick to her stomach. Frowning, she said, “Did you not have typhus as a child?”

He nodded. “I did, and I do not expect to catch it again. However, we do not know enough about the disease to be certain how it is spread.”

Mary clasped her hands together. “Caution is warranted.”

“It is.”

“Very well. Thank you for taking the time to come and tell me.”

“Of course. Good day to you both.” Oscar bowed to her and then to Georgiana. He turned to leave, but then hesitated. Turning back, he said, “I had meant to ask you if you would save me a dance at the assembly.”

Surprised, Mary could not stop herself from beaming. “I would have done so.”

He glanced at the ground, a small smile playing over his lips. “Excellent. Excellent,” he murmured. Then, he turned away and strode through the Longbourn gates without saying another word.

He asked me…Will my heart ever stop beating so hard? My head is spinning. My mouth is dry. He asked me…

Mary stood there looking after him, until Georgiana grasped her upper arm within both of her hands.

“He asked you to dance!” she squealed. “He asked you! He asked you!”

Mary felt herself tremble all over. She tried to lick her lips, tried to stop her mouth from being dry. Finally, she managed to swallow.

“I…I…”

“I think you need to sit down,” Georgiana said.

Mary saw her searching the front garden—presumably for a bench—and waved at one that was set against the ivy-covered garden wall. Georgiana supported her over to the stone seat, and they both plopped down onto it as though their knees could scarcely hold them up for one more second.

“What a shame that Doctor Gregg cannot attend the assembly,” Georgiana moaned. “I must say, Mary, that you did not tell me how pleasant-looking he is.”

“He is, is he not?” Mary said, sighing afterward. “Too handsome for me.”

Georgiana looked taken aback. “What are you saying? You cannot believe that nonsense, can you? You are also a handsome woman!”

Mary blinked at her. “Goodness, Georgiana, how emphatic you sound. And you are quite wrong, you know. Everyone knows that I am the least attractive of all the Bennet daughters.”

Georgiana embraced her. “You are being a pea-goose, my friend. Does everyone’s opinion count? Surely you only care about the opinion of the one man that touches your heart?”

Mary considered her words carefully. Finally, she made a quiet comment. “You are very romantic for someone who wishes to delay her presentation for more than a year. Perhaps you are more ready than you think?”

Georgiana withdrew her embrace. “My…my situation is quite different than yours,” she said just as quietly.