Page 16 of His Pride and His Prejudice

Charles rocked back on his heels. He had his hat in his hands and was twirling it round over and over. Elliot looked down at the action before looking back up at Charles. There was a curious expression on his face.

“It is a good job you do have sisters rather than brothers,” Elliot said after a moment. “Jack does not enjoy riding or hunting which I’m sure is what they would have invited him to do.”

“He does not?”

“The tea suited just fine.”

“That is good.” Charles continued to spin his hat, clearly considering something. Darcy suspected he knew what.

“He is just outside, sir,” Elliot said.

“Sorry?”

“Jack is just outside. As I said, waiting with the carriage.”

Charles nodded. “Perhaps I should re-acquaint myself…”

Darcy began to wonder if Charles had hoped something like this might occur and whilst Darcy did not plan to involve himself in Charles’ romantic attachments, he did think a note of caution was required. Charles was the alpha here.

“Charles, I believe we have plans.”

The hat stopped spinning. “They will hold for a moment, Darcy, the fields are hardly going to disappear on us! There are miles of them!” He nodded at Elliot. “More than I expected if truth be told! Excuse me, Mr. Bennet,” he said then turned on his heel and headed directly to where the carriage awaited.

His action was so abrupt that Elliot visibly started. He looked from Charles’ retreating figure to the door of the receiving room and then, eventually, to Darcy.

“Excuse me, Mr. Darcy,” he said.

Darcy raised a brow. “We have not been formally introduced.”

“We have not.”

“There is no one here to do so.”

“There is not.”

A silence settled over them. It was a silence that Darcy was very familiar with, given it was commonplace when Charles was not present in such societal settings. His friend was excessively vital, all vigour and humour. No one would ever suggest that Darcy was similar.

In fact, their discussion that very morning, where they considered the Meryton assembly, and the upcoming afternoon tea was sufficiently characteristic of them both. Charles continued to insist he had never met with more pleasant people or prettier omegas in his life. The distance of a handful of days had convinced him that everybody had been most kind and attentive. There had been no formality, no stiffness and he had soon felt acquainted with all the room. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Jack Bennet he acknowledged to be attractive, but he smiled too much. Of Elliot Bennet he had barely a thought beyond acknowledging him as Jack’s brother and considering that his hair was quite curly indeed.

Only now, he was almost on his way to being obliged to do more than think on him, introduction or not! For was he not the alpha and Elliot the omega? It was incumbent upon him to take charge of the situation! He shifted, considering what he might say, when Charles rounded the corner back towards them, slightly flushed and looking concerned.

“You have not been introduced!”

“We have not,” Darcy snapped.

“Darcy, this is Elliot Bennet. Mr. Bennet, this is my good friend, Mr. Darcy,” Charles said quickly before turning and disappearing once more.

Another moment of silence, which Darcy now had no choice to break given Charles had sought fit to facilitate an introduction. He decided action was the best way forwards! “Allow me to collect your brother’s gloves. They are in here, are they not?”

Elliot stepped towards the door. “There is no need, sir. I am perfectly capable of collecting them.”

“I insist.”

Darcy had expected Miss Bingley and the Hursts to be in the receiving room, but they were not. He was relieved by that. They would have demanded a conversation which Darcy almost never felt like taking part in. He spotted the leather gloves on one of the side tables and snatched them up. It was only a moment before he was faced with Elliot Bennet again.

“As promised.”

Elliot took them carefully. “Thank you.”

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