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Fitzwilliam Darcy desperately wished to speak but could not think of a single word to say.

How was it possible, he wondered, that he was walking along Brook Street with Miss Elizabeth Bennet on his arm?

And on her other side was Georgiana, dearest of sisters.

Even dearer than before, he thought as he watched the shy girl exert herself to chat with Elizabeth about the age and architecture of the various houses they passed, just as if they were old acquaintances. And she was coming to his home!

“Ahoy, the Darcys!” called a powerful voice, distinctive by its strength and timbre.

Fitzwilliam turned and immediately smiled with pleasure. “Hello, Uncle James.”

Elizabeth stood back and watched the two Darcy siblings move to greet an elderly man, their affection obvious. She could not help but be amused by the character to whom Mr. Darcy had referred as “Uncle James.”

Although he was as tall as his nephew and resembled him in coloring, the similarity ended there.

Where Mr. Darcy was dressed immaculately in a black coat, buff breeches and polished hessians, “Uncle James” looked rather like he had dressed himself from a charity grab bag.

His tweed coat was patched at the elbows and darned at the cuffs but still managed to look tattered, his shirt had not seen an iron in recent memory and, though he did wear what once might have been intended to be a cravat, that strip of linen hung limply about his neck and appeared to have been used more recently as a handkerchief.

Luckily, Elizabeth noticed the object of her study when he turned to look at her, intelligence and wit sparkling in his eyes, just as Mr. Darcy returned to her side.

“Uncle, please allow me to introduce you to our friend, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who is visiting from Hertfordshire. Miss Bennet, may I present my uncle, Sir James Darcy. Despite his currently disreputable appearance, he is a respectable judge at Westminster.”

Elizabeth was pleased with the open affection she saw in Darcy’s face as he introduced her to his relation. However, her attention was soon taken up by the relation himself.

“Wills, you know very well that I spend all week in that stuffy old barn, wearing black robes and a powdered wig… a wig in this day and age, I tell you! You have no idea how hot and itchy the things get in summer! I retain the right to dress as I wish on my days off… and if it is not possible for me to flee to the countryside to do it, then I shall do so here, Society be damned!”

The sternness of his remonstrance was dispelled by the twinkling of his eyes. Seeing that he had made all three young people laugh, Sir James nodded with approval before reaching out to shake Elizabeth’s hand.

“Well met, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Always good to find a young lady who still knows how to laugh. We’re all born with a sense of humor, you know, but I swear that they school it out of girls these days.

Why, the last time I saw these two, they were accompanied by a young lady who looked like she was going to faint at the very sight of me, though her brother appeared pleasant enough!

The only interesting thing about her was her hat—it had an entire, stuffed oriole perched amid some fake leaves.

I suppose its orange feathers matched her dress well enough, but it made it difficult to look at her face when those beady black eyes were staring down at you. ”

Lizzy burst into most unladylike peals of laughter, particularly when Mr. Darcy leaned over and whispered, “Miss Bingley!”

She squeezed the older gentleman’s hand. “I’ve never been particularly fond of taxidermied headgear, myself. I once met a very grand lady whose very serious advice could not keep my attention away from the stuffed kestrel perched upon her head!”

The laughter only increased when Darcy whispered to his relatives, “Lady Catherine!”

Elizabeth’s cheeks turned rosy at being caught out but her sparkling eyes and good-natured grin gave full evidence that amusement outweighed her embarrassment.

Choosing to alter the direction of the conversation before she said something that she might later regret, Lizzy nodded toward the satchel and binoculars that the older gentleman wore on a leather strap about his neck.

“And you, sir; have you been out bird-watching? The live variety, I hope?”

Sir James was well pleased that this young lady might know something of his passion.

“Indeed I have been! You would be amazed at the number of rare species that pause to rest in Hyde Park before continuing their spring migration northward. I’ve just been down to the Thames to watch the waterfowl.

” He turned to his nephew. “Saw a bittern, Botaurus stellaris. The lads are going to be madly jealous!” He referred to the other gentlemen of his birding club, all of whom had passed the half century mark.

Sir James turned back to Lizzy. “But it is nothing compared to a good stomp through the countryside, of course. You are from Hertfordshire, I understand? Beautiful county, that.”

Elizabeth’s eyes made it clear how much she enjoyed her new acquaintance.

“Indeed, sir. My father quite detests town and so I have enjoyed an idyllic childhood scampering about the countryside.” She looked sideways upon hearing a snort coming from the direction of Mr. Darcy but saw no disapproval in his eyes.

Quite the opposite, in fact. Reassured, she teased, “Some might say that I have never grown out of it.”

Sir James was not shy in voicing his approval.

“And take care that you never do. There is nothing better for your health than a brisk ramble through wood and dale; I don’t know why these two spend so much time in town when they could be in Derbyshire.

But what is this, my dear girl?” He had caught sight of the bloody scrape on Elizabeth’s elbow.

“Have you been climbing trees and taken a fall?”

“It is nothing, sir.” Elizabeth tried to dismiss her injury but Darcy’s attention had been refocused.

“It is not nothing; we must stop dawdling and get you to the house where your injuries can be seen to properly.” Suddenly feeling tired and achy, Lizzy nodded without argument, a response that Fitzwilliam took correctly as a sign that she was indeed worse than she had claimed.

He turned to the older gentleman who had caught his nephew’s serious tone. “Uncle, would you accompany us to Derwent House? Your assistance would be invaluable in this case and the details would be best discussed in privacy.”

“Yes, of course, Wills. Lead on.” Turning to his niece, he offered his arm.

“And how are you, my dear? Found any lost kittens lately?” As a girl, Georgiana had once brought home two bedraggled kittens that she had found starving in the mews.

She and her brother had been visiting with Sir James at the time and although he never missed a chance to tease her, he still had the cats.

Georgiana gladly took his arm, asking after the health of Hansel and Gretel as the pair happily headed toward home.

Fitzwilliam stood beside Elizabeth and suddenly all that had passed between them in Kent rushed at him. He was reassured by the amused look she was directing at his relations but still stopped breathing for a moment when those intelligent eyes turned to meet his own.

He hesitantly offered his arm, a flicker of hope breaking through his certainty that she must still despise him. When Elizabeth shyly tucked her own hand around his arm, he couldn’t help but cover it with his left.

When she peeked up at him from under the brim of her bonnet, he took a deep breath and it seemed like the first in months. “Shall we?” he asked softly. She gave him a small nod and they followed Miss Darcy and her uncle. Both felt too much to speak but it was not a wholly uncomfortable silence.

When the foursome reached the grey stone building where the Darcys lived, Elizabeth was leaning heavily on Will’s arm.

Even before he turned his hat and walking stick over to the butler, he began giving orders to see to her comfort.

In no time, Georgiana and the housekeeper were taking Elizabeth up to a guest room and a footman was running for the family’s physician.

Darcy’s directions were carried out so rapidly that he suddenly found himself standing quite alone in the foyer of his own house. For just a moment, he shut his eyes. Elizabeth was in his home! Then he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and set about doing what needed to be done.

Sir James had made his way to the library and was found bent over a notebook, updating his birding observations.

When his nephew entered, he efficiently tucked his pencil away and turned to face the young man.

“Miss Bennet is a lovely young lady, Wills. If she had been out when I was a younger man, I might have been tempted to suffer some of Society’s idiocies for the gift of her company. ”

Darcy chuckled. “You would like her father. Mr. Bennet detests London and I begin to believe he did right by raising his daughters exclusively in the country.”

Sir James studied his nephew with a speculative gleam in his eye but turned the subject. “What happened this afternoon? You mentioned that you might need my assistance?”

Fitzwilliam nodded and proceeded to explain what he knew about the attack.

Within minutes, the older gentleman was transformed from eccentric ornithologist to formidable magistrate and another footman was sent running to Bow Street.

Darcy voiced some concern for Miss Bennet’s reputation but his uncle brushed aside his concerns.

“This is not such a crime that would garner the interest of the scandal sheets. In fact, Miss Bennet’s name may not even need to be entered into the report.”