Page 26 of Darcy’s Guarded Heart

Two glasses of wine and a shot of whiskey later, Darcy found himself dancing with Caroline.

Despite her earlier excitations, she had accepted his first offer of a dance without any sort of protest. The long line of suitors she’d earlier eluded to, appeared to have disappeared in the crowd—if they ever existed at all.

“You were right to do what you did, Mr Darcy. Someone must show the young lady her limitations. Heaven forwent if somebody had seen her carrying on like that. Oh, you should have seen them earlier, when they were diving in the flour for the bullet… Fortunately, I could intercede before Georgiana found herself face-first in the flour.”

“I thank you. Truly, I do,” he replied. “I do not know what I am to…”

“Exactly as you did tonight, Mr Darcy,” she reassured him. “Let your sister know that she cannot act this way. I do truly believe it would be best to tell my brother that we must return to town for the time being. The company there is much more refined. Do you not think?”

“Indeed,” he said, looking around the room.

Mary Bennet was now sitting at the pianoforte, accompanying the orchestra rather badly.

Her father, Mr Bennet, stood beside her, whispering in her ear with a look that suggested to Darcy—and everyone else—that likely, he was attempting to persuade her to stop.

Their cousin, the bumbling Mr Collins, was now on the dance floor, dancing with Charlotte Lucas. The young woman appeared to have the patience of a saint. Darcy had looked over at them twice now, and both times Collins had stepped on her feet.

He could not spot Elizabeth anywhere, nor her sister Jane, and had to assume that they were somewhere engaged in their confederacy of two, no doubt analysing the events of the evening.

The music came to a stop, and he escorted Caroline from the dance floor.

“Now, now,” Mr Bennet’s voice came, loud enough for most people in the vicinity to hear.

“You have played long enough for us, dear Mary. It is time to let somebody else have their turn,” he said in a firm voice.

Mary Bennet looked up at him and then down at the instrument, rather crestfallen, as she snatched up her notes and walked away.

“That girl plays rather dreadfully, but I do feel badly for her being humiliated in such a manner in front of all these people by her very own father,” Caroline said, shaking her head.

“Indeed,” Darcy agreed. He had not enjoyed Mary Bennet’s playing either, and the orchestra looked rather relieved to see her leave, but he didn’t think it was quite necessary for her to have been dismissed in such a fashion.

He thought quite highly of Mr Bennet, but it seemed that even he, the family patriarch, did not possess the sort of manners one would expect of a gentleman.

“Goodness, it seems Georgiana recovered rather quickly,” Caroline said, and Darcy looked at her, following her gaze.

To his dismay, he found the source of Caroline’s comment.

Couples were lining up for the English country dance, and standing in line with them was Georgiana, alongside Thomas Bennet.

The two were deep in conversation, with the young man chattering away and Georgiana placing one hand in front of her mouth as she giggled.

Darcy’s blood boiled. Was she dancing with him because of their conversation? Georgiana’s words came back to him. Had she implied that she had her eye on someone Darcy wouldn’t approve of already? Or was he interpreting things wrongly?

“I think another conversation is in order, Mr Darcy,” Caroline said beside him, and he nodded.

“Indeed. It seems it will be.”

“It would be most unfortunate if our dear Georgiana got herself mixed up in something unsavoury. People might talk if she continues to keep such company. Imagine the talk. Goodness, I should not think Lord Matlock would like such distraction,” she said.

Darcy could already imagine what his uncle—and worse, his Aunt Catherine would say. His eyes flittered from Georgiana to Mr Collins, who was now conversing with Sir William. He would most certainly make a full report on everything he observed. And he had observed rather a lot thus far.

“I shall speak to her after the dance,” he said.

And then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked towards the table, where he snatched another glass of wine. He’d taken only one sip when the familiar figure of Miss Elizabeth appeared beside him.

“Mr Darcy. I saw you overcame your aversion to dancing. You and Miss Bingley made rather a smashing pair,” Elizabeth said, her amused tone drifting to his ear.

He looked at her, and she smiled at him, her seafoam green gown complementing her pale complexion.

“Yes, well,” he said, “sometimes a man must do what a man must do, even if it means dancing,” he replied. She opened her mouth and was about to reply when he cleared his throat. “Good evening, Miss Bennet,” he said, and walked past her.

He had to get away from her. Talking to her would only ease his mood and right now, he needed to hold on to his anger, for there were things he had to do.

He had to rebuke Georgiana. He had to talk to Bingley.

This entire affair had to come to an end.

Caroline and her sister had been right. They needed to ensure Bingley broke off his connection with the Bennets, and the sooner the better.

For parting Bingley from Jane Bennet meant they could leave here—and put distance between himself, Georgiana, and the Bennets as well.

That was what was needed. Distance. And plenty of it. Even if his heart continued to long to prolong his conversation with the one Bennet he had come to truly care for. Elizabeth.