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Darcy’s breath hissed between his teeth. “You think they are involved?”
“No, not at all,” Fitzwilliam hastened to assure him. “They would never be party to such a scheme. But they would certainly be unimpeachable witnesses – and, more importantly, they would keep quiet. Aunt Catherine is not necessarily seeking to create a scandal; she just wants the threat of disgrace to separate you from Elizabeth.”
“Your parents would never accept her as my wife if they saw her leave Wickham’s. I would have to choose between her and my family,” Darcy said, shaking h
is head slowly. “It is a clever plan, but my aunt does not understand me at all.” Elizabeth squeezed his hand in acknowledgement of his tacit endorsement.
“I am certain Aunt Catherine will invent some plausible reason for them to be here at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.” Fitzwilliam’s pacing was on the verge of wearing a hole in the carpet. “Perhaps she will tell them she ‘has heard tell that Miss Bennet is not quite as virtuous as she appears.’ If they catch you leaving this house in the morning, it certainly will appear that your reputation is compromised.”
Darcy saw tears welling up in Elizabeth’s eyes and held her close. “Do not worry, my love, we will ensure that any rumors will be crushed.”
“But how?” Elizabeth asked Darcy. “Even if your aunt and uncle do not see the evidence, Lady Catherine’s insinuations will be enough to poison their opinion of me – which is already tenuous.”
“Well,” said Fitzwilliam, falling back into his chair. “We simply need to ensure there is nothing here for them to see.”
“No,” Darcy said. “I have a better idea.”
The next morning a little before 9 o’clock Darcy and Elizabeth were standing in the foyer of the small town house. They had returned briefly to Darcy House for a change of clothes and a few hours of sleep.
When first questioned, Wickham had been defiant, but after Darcy outlined their suppositions about the scheme, he had finally admitted that he was working for Lady Catherine. Colonel Fitzwilliam had gleefully taken the prisoner to the jail himself; he had thought Wickham deserved punishment ever since Ramsgate. The soldiers and Bow Street Runners had left and now the house was empty.
As they waited, Darcy encircled Elizabeth with his arms. His anxiety over her almost-abduction had not completely abated, and he wanted to keep her close. As if reading his mind, she murmured, “I assure you I am fine.”
“I know, my dearest, but I cannot help being overly protective.” His hold on her tightened. “The thought of losing you – I do not know how I would survive…”
“I know what you mean,” she said feelingly, “but all is well.” Reassured by his presence, she laid her head on his shoulder, reminding herself that once this business was finished, they could return home and rest.
He could hear the sounds of a carriage approaching. “It is time,” he murmured to Elizabeth. She smiled mischievously at him and then opened the door. As he stood in the shadows, he could see her clearly illuminated by the bright morning light, and she would be quite visible to anyone on the street. The carriage stopped opposite the house’s door, so Darcy knew it was the one they had been awaiting.
Time for him to play his part. Darcy reached out his hand and pulled Elizabeth back toward him, so they were both mostly in the shadow of the house’s vestibule. Then he kissed her very thoroughly as she melted into his arms. This was the enjoyable part of their little charade, he thought as he sensed the softness of her lips on his and felt passion coursing through him, almost forgetting they had another purpose at the moment.
The carriage’s door banged open and he heard his Aunt’s voice declaring, “I tell you, it is Miss Bennet. She spent several weeks in Kent. I would know her anywhere. I knew those rumors were true!” Hearing the note of triumph in her voice, he had to restrain his impulse to denounce her right away.
At the sound of Lady Catherine’s voice, Elizabeth turned toward the street, while Darcy faded back into the shadows. Nobody on the street could have seen his face. “Lady Catherine! Wh-What are you doing in this part of town?” Darcy admired his wife’s acting skills, she sounded very much like a woman caught misbehaving. Darcy maneuvered himself until he could catch a glimpse through the crack between the door and the frame, and he could see Lady Catherine descending from the carriage. As Richard had predicted, Darcy’s Aunt and Uncle Fitzwilliam were also in the coach. The Earl of Matlock followed his sister out of the carriage.
Lady Catherine was at her imperious best, striding across the street as if she owned it. Darcy knew she was enjoying every moment of her supposed triumph – putting this “upstart country miss” in her proper place. His anger flared at the thought that she was prepared to ruin Elizabeth’s reputation to serve her own purposes. Well, she would regret it.
"Who were you kissing there? I saw you!” Lady Catherine bellowed at Elizabeth.
“K-Kissing?” Elizabeth sounded convincingly anxious, and Darcy knew his aunt would have no trouble believing Elizabeth had been caught with Wickham.
“Yes, kissing! I demand to know who you have been carrying on with! Who is in that house?” The older woman was glorying in her victory.
This is the moment, Darcy thought. He walked around the open door and stepped into the doorway. Lady Catherine blinked rapidly and then gaped at him. His uncle drew level with his sister on the sidewalk and gazed up the steps – his face revealing less shock than confusion. “You have caught me, Aunt. I am afraid it is my bad judgment that has provoked this incident.” Darcy said, hoping his tone sounded more embarrassed than angry.
“Darcy!” His Uncle Fitzwilliam exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“Elizabeth and I came to visit a former servant from Darcy House. Mrs. Clement is sick and we thought to cheer her up.” Darcy said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. He and Elizabeth descended the steps to the street and drew level with his relatives. “She had been kind enough to visit Mrs. Clement without me, but this time I had the chance to accompany her.” There. That would account for any tales his aunt had spun about witnesses seeing Elizabeth leaving this house previously.
“Your – former servant – lives here?” Lady Catherine asked, bewildered.
“Indeed,” Darcy gave her a level look. He knew she dared not contradict him without revealing that she knew whose house it truly was, so he turned an amiable smile on his uncle. “What are you three doing going for a ride at this time of day?”
Now his uncle appeared rather embarrassed, and Darcy rather enjoyed seeing him attempt to devise a reason for their presence. They could hardly admit they hoped to discover their nephew’s love displaying her debauched behavior. “Umm… Catherine thought to show us a faster way to get to Hyde Park from our town house…but it seems rather roundabout to me. I do not believe we shall use it again.” Guilt was written all over his face and he was gazing everywhere but at Darcy. Still, he had to admire his uncle’s quick wits.
His Aunt Alice had emerged from the carriage by now and had joined the others, eyeing Darcy with frank disapproval. “Fitzwilliam, your father would be ashamed of you! Such wanton behavior! And practically on the street!”
Darcy attempted to appear appropriately chagrined. “I apologize for my breach in conduct. You are absolutely correct.” Elizabeth glanced down at her feet, red staining her cheeks. While he had not minded, she was probably genuinely embarrassed about being caught kissing in public – even though that had been part of the plan.
