Chapter 21 Fridays Are for Gardens #2
“I know,” said Darcy with a shake of his head, “but be certain you know what you are about, Fitz. You are doing things that cannot be undone.”
“Darcy,” said Fitzwilliam with the patience of a man who had seen more in war than he would like to remember, “kindly refrain from explaining to me about things that cannot be undone.”
Darcy looked down. “Forgive me, Cousin. Of course you are correct. I misspoke.”
Fitzwilliam clapped him on the shoulder. “In the three years since I met her, I have not met a single lady whose company I have enjoyed more than Miss Covington’s. I believe it is time to act on that.”
“Have you seen her much the last two years?”
Fitzwilliam glared at him.
Darcy raised his hands up. “I am not trying to discourage you. Merely ascertaining if you have learned her character as it is now.”
“I doubt she has changed overmuch.”
“Tragedy can change people rather quickly,” Darcy said grimly.
“Well, as it happens, I have seen her from time to time the last two years—her brother is a friend, after all. And she has been as delightful as ever. A little saddened by all that has happened of late, but that is to be expected. In essentials, she is what she ever was.”
“Then I wish you well, Cousin.”
A tinkling laugh ahead of them drew their attention.
“Elizabeth seems to like her,” said Darcy.
“I am glad of it.” Fitzwilliam looked shrewdly at his cousin and said, “When will you propose to Miss Elizabeth?”
“When the time is right.”
“And when will that be?”
Darcy exhaled heavily. “Why are you so invested in my marriage plans? Keep your attention on your own.”
Fitzwilliam laughed. “I cannot! If you marry Miss Elizabeth, all the attention will be on you and I may slip off quietly to tend to my own plans.”
“And what are those?”
“I hardly know yet, Cousin, but I thought I would start with seeing if the lady returns my interest.”
Darcy clapped him on the shoulder. “A wise plan, Fitz.”
By the time they stopped for refreshments, the stragglers had caught up to the rest of the group.
Lady Clara still looked put out over Colonel Fitzwilliam’s defection and then Elizabeth’s seeming abandonment, but she seemed at least somewhat mollified by the attentions of Jonathon Covington, who was listening with rapt attention as she told him about the puppy she was training.
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, glad Lady Clara was not too upset, and sought out her sister. Jane was smiling ethereally and all of Bingley’s teeth were visible. Elizabeth approached Jane and whispered in her ear.
“Is there something you wish to tell me, Sister?”
“Oh, Lizzy! Why cannot everyone be as happy?”
“Mr. Bingley has proposed?”
“Yes! And I have accepted.”
Elizabeth embraced her sister. “I am so very happy for you, Jane. Do you want to tell everyone else or wait until we return?”
“It may be too late for that,” she answered with a fond smile and a nod toward Bingley.
He was standing between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam and they were alternately congratulating him and slapping his back. Soon, the entire party knew of the engagement and Jane received their warm wishes as only she could.
Darcy watched Elizabeth with a pleasant feeling of contentment.
He knew it would not be long until they were receiving congratulations on their own engagement.
They had suffered a setback or two, but they were headed in the right direction—finally, and he felt that the difficulties had bonded them further, if such a thing were possible.
Lady Clara had tried to stay near Colonel Fitzwilliam as they clustered under the trees, but watching him dance attention on Miss Covington turned out to be an undesirable pastime and she moved to sit alone, preferring her own company over the ebullient effusions for Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley’s engagement.
She was soon joined on her side of the tree by Jonathon Covington.
He seemed determined to speak to her, and he appeared to be a kind and unassuming man.
He was a friend of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s, and though she was smarting from having been thrown over by him only a half hour ago, she did trust his judgement.
And she was not completely against receiving a little attention of her own.
Soon, they continued their walk through the gardens and Lady Clara walked on the arm of Mr. Covington, now in the position of listener as he told her about the estate he was bringing back to its former glory.
He had inherited it from an uncle and it was small and in disrepair, but with patience and diligence, it could be a lovely home.
She nodded and smiled and commented where necessary, asking the occasional question.
It never occurred to her to wonder why he was speaking to her of such a topic, or why he was not paying attention to anyone else in the party.
She walked happily along, only occasionally glaring at Colonel Fitzwilliam and the back of Miss Covington’s bonnet.
Seeing everyone else was distracted and Georgiana was with Mrs. Annesley, Darcy felt no compunction in pulling Elizabeth slightly ahead of the party so they might converse privately.
“You arranged that rather conveniently, Mr. Darcy,” said Elizabeth.
“I do not know what you mean,” he replied.
“It has worked out rather well for your cousin.”
She glanced over her shoulder and smiled fondly at the group comprised of their friends and relations.
The ladies were clustered around Jane, questioning and congratulating her, and Bingley was somehow in the middle of them all, smiling like a fool and looking more than a little dazed.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was on the outskirts of the group, trying to pull Miss Covington from the crowd.
“What is Colonel Fitzwilliam up to?” asked Elizabeth as they pulled farther away from the group.
“What do you mean?”
“He is paying a great deal of attention to Miss Covington, and none whatsoever to Lady Clara.”
“Lady Clara? Why would he pay her special attention?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “He needs a wife with a fortune, and she is in possession of one. They are both kind people and they are both connected to you. It is not an outlandish idea to think they would enjoy one another’s company and possibly come to an understanding.”
He looked at her incredulously.
“What?”
“You make it sound so simple.”
She shrugged. “Sometimes it is.”
His face expressed his doubt. “You would not behave so yourself. You know you would not.”
She shrugged again. “I am not Lady Clara.”
“You certainly are not.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You are much prettier.”
Elizabeth blushed, more from the feel of his breath on her ear than his words.
“So your cousin is not at all interested in Lady Clara?” she asked, her voice a trifle unsteady.
Darcy smiled to see he had affected her and said, “No, he is not.”
“Oh, dear.”
“What is it?”
She looked at him with a guilty expression and bit her lip.
“Elizabeth?” He drew her name out, in what she thought would be the tone he would always use when she had done something she probably should not have.
She looked adorably sheepish as she said, “Lady Clara asked me to assist her in spending time with Colonel Fitzwilliam today. I saw no reason to refuse.”
Darcy’s lips tightened for a moment and he looked away, blowing out a breath. “Well, it is no one’s fault but his own.”
“What do you mean?”
“We did not run into the Covingtons by accident. Fitz invited them here.”
“He has an interest in Miss Covington?”
“Yes, of long duration.”
“I suspected as much, but I did not want to assume. Is it serious?”
“Serious enough. He is ascertaining the lady’s feeling on the matter.”
“Ah.” Elizabeth turned to watch Colonel Fitzwilliam walking with Miss Covington. “She seems to return his regard, at least in part.”
“How can you tell?” asked Darcy, looking at the couple in question with interest.
“Look at how she holds his arm. She is making no effort to distance herself. And see how she leans her head towards him when he speaks?”
“She could be merely trying to hear him better,” Darcy reasoned.
“If she did not like him, she would not care what he had to say.”
Darcy’s face lit in understanding.
“And she would not have allowed him to lead her from the group, not when her brother is there to offer a rescue, as well as Mrs. Annesley and myself.”
Darcy nodded.
“Poor Lady Clara,” sighed Elizabeth.
“Why do you say so?”
“She is in her third season with no suitors on the horizon. I believe she truly liked your cousin.”
“It is unfortunate it will not work out with Fitz, but she is hardly without suitors. I know of at least two men who would gladly take her to wife.”
She looked as if she had swallowed a lemon. “Fitzwilliam, you have missed the point entirely. Lady Clara does not want to be ‘taken to wife’ as you so romantically put it. She wishes to be cherished by her husband. It is not so unreasonable a request.”
He placed his free hand over hers on his arm and pulled her slightly closer. “No, it is not, my love. Forgive me. I spoke without thinking. A worthy woman should always be cherished.”
She smiled at him sweetly and briefly laid her head on his shoulder. “You should not say such things, my dear. I cannot kiss you in public.”
Now Darcy’s cheeks flamed and he pulled her as close as he possibly could, looking around frantically for a secluded nook to hide in while he kissed his beloved senseless.
Alas, they were in a relatively open portion of the garden with their own party not far behind them and another group only a short distance ahead.
“Elizabeth. You are a minx.”
She looked up at him in confusion for a moment before seeing the look on his face. Her cheeks darkened to match his and she swallowed heavily. “Forgive me, Fitzwilliam. I was not thinking.”
He drew her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Never apologize for expressing your heart to me, Elizabeth. I always wish to know your feelings.”
She raised one brow and said, “Always?”
“Well, most of the time.”
She laughed delightedly. “Well said, my love.”
She looked forward and walked on, not having noticed her own words. Darcy could only stare blankly ahead of him, wondering if he had heard her correctly.