warn me, Richard, if Henry decides to go lady hunting?"
Richard paused to look at him. "So there is a lady."
"No, there is not; but there is a lady I have shown interest in, and I cannot allow him near her."
"So there is not a lady, yet there is. How puzzling."
"I have decided not to see her again." There it was again, that familiar wrenching pain in his gut.
"Who is she?"
Richard was the one person he could tell. "You have met her. Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She stayed with that parson, the grovelling one, when we visited here two years ago." It was a relief to speak her name.
"Yes, I remember her well! Charming girl, if a bit outspoken. I might have fancied her myself, had she any money to her name."
Darcy narrowed his eyes. "She has even less now. Her family has been dispossessed after her father's death, and she is living on the charity of relatives."
"Poor girl." Richard took a long swallow of brandy. "How do you come into it, then?"
"I came into it, so to speak, years ago. She bewitches me. I once even thought of making her an offer. But I put her behind me, until we happened to meet again recently."
"She will not accept your protection? A pity; it sounds as if she would be better off than she is now."
Darcy choked on the wine in his mouth. When he could speak again, he said fiercely, "I do not want her as my mistress. I respect her too much for that."
Richard shook his head slowly. "You are far gone, my friend."
" That is not news." And he hated himself for it.
"Why not marry her, then? If she would be willing to tolerate all your insufferable relations, that is."
"Do not be ridiculous."
"Why is it ridiculous? I cannot have the woman I love, but you can. I would give anything for your opportunities." Richard made no attempt to mask his bitterness. "You are the most fortunate man in England. You need please no one with your marriage. You should seize the opportunity."
"It is not that simple."
"Certainly society will laugh behind their hands, but do you really care? You have enough money to do as you please."
"The family. Georgiana. My duty to them."
"You owe a duty to my estimable father and brother? I cannot think why. If Lady Mary would agree to defy her father, I would marry her in a second and care not a jot for the wrath of my family. I have begged her to do as much for years. When you are on your deathbed, will you be comforted by knowing you did your duty to your family and left the woman you love to suffer alone in God knows what kind of circumstances? Good God, man, think on it."
Darcy dug his fingernails into his palms "I think on Georgiana. It would harm her prospects to no end."
"Her prospects among whom? The likes of John Blakeney and Thomas Neville? By God, if it were my choice, I would not allow her to marry any of them. Let her have a peaceful life as a spinster. She would never want for anything, and no man could mistreat her."
Darcy shook his head. Richard was starting to sound like Bingley. "You talk as if there are no decent men to be found, but you yourself are proof it is not true. And I know others."
"Of course there are. It is just the things I see... most of the young men who surround other heiresses, I would not want them near Georgiana. I would marry her myself before that."
"I have heard worse ideas than that." Some of them that very afternoon.
With a bitter chuckle, Richard clapped him on the shoulder. "Darcy, you have had too much to drink. That was a joke. I could no more bed Georgiana than I could my own daughter, if I had one. Go to bed. Perhaps you will think more clearly in the morning."
Darcy took the hint. His footsteps echoed down the long corridor, lit only by the candle in his hand. The upstairs servants were all abed already, resting for another day at Lady Catherine's beck and call.
At least he could spend the hours of darkness in the silent haven of his rooms. After the tension of the day, he craved the release of solitude. He was no sooner in the door
Richard paused to look at him. "So there is a lady."
"No, there is not; but there is a lady I have shown interest in, and I cannot allow him near her."
"So there is not a lady, yet there is. How puzzling."
"I have decided not to see her again." There it was again, that familiar wrenching pain in his gut.
"Who is she?"
Richard was the one person he could tell. "You have met her. Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She stayed with that parson, the grovelling one, when we visited here two years ago." It was a relief to speak her name.
"Yes, I remember her well! Charming girl, if a bit outspoken. I might have fancied her myself, had she any money to her name."
Darcy narrowed his eyes. "She has even less now. Her family has been dispossessed after her father's death, and she is living on the charity of relatives."
"Poor girl." Richard took a long swallow of brandy. "How do you come into it, then?"
"I came into it, so to speak, years ago. She bewitches me. I once even thought of making her an offer. But I put her behind me, until we happened to meet again recently."
"She will not accept your protection? A pity; it sounds as if she would be better off than she is now."
Darcy choked on the wine in his mouth. When he could speak again, he said fiercely, "I do not want her as my mistress. I respect her too much for that."
Richard shook his head slowly. "You are far gone, my friend."
" That is not news." And he hated himself for it.
"Why not marry her, then? If she would be willing to tolerate all your insufferable relations, that is."
"Do not be ridiculous."
"Why is it ridiculous? I cannot have the woman I love, but you can. I would give anything for your opportunities." Richard made no attempt to mask his bitterness. "You are the most fortunate man in England. You need please no one with your marriage. You should seize the opportunity."
"It is not that simple."
"Certainly society will laugh behind their hands, but do you really care? You have enough money to do as you please."
"The family. Georgiana. My duty to them."
"You owe a duty to my estimable father and brother? I cannot think why. If Lady Mary would agree to defy her father, I would marry her in a second and care not a jot for the wrath of my family. I have begged her to do as much for years. When you are on your deathbed, will you be comforted by knowing you did your duty to your family and left the woman you love to suffer alone in God knows what kind of circumstances? Good God, man, think on it."
Darcy dug his fingernails into his palms "I think on Georgiana. It would harm her prospects to no end."
"Her prospects among whom? The likes of John Blakeney and Thomas Neville? By God, if it were my choice, I would not allow her to marry any of them. Let her have a peaceful life as a spinster. She would never want for anything, and no man could mistreat her."
Darcy shook his head. Richard was starting to sound like Bingley. "You talk as if there are no decent men to be found, but you yourself are proof it is not true. And I know others."
"Of course there are. It is just the things I see... most of the young men who surround other heiresses, I would not want them near Georgiana. I would marry her myself before that."
"I have heard worse ideas than that." Some of them that very afternoon.
With a bitter chuckle, Richard clapped him on the shoulder. "Darcy, you have had too much to drink. That was a joke. I could no more bed Georgiana than I could my own daughter, if I had one. Go to bed. Perhaps you will think more clearly in the morning."
Darcy took the hint. His footsteps echoed down the long corridor, lit only by the candle in his hand. The upstairs servants were all abed already, resting for another day at Lady Catherine's beck and call.
At least he could spend the hours of darkness in the silent haven of his rooms. After the tension of the day, he craved the release of solitude. He was no sooner in the door
Similar Books
