Page 37 of Hidden Desires

“He will not accept it if you try to withdraw; he wants to thank you for the help you gave without expecting anything in return. Although he is the happiest man I know, I believe he would take such a response as an insult, regardless of your reason.”

“I would not want to offend him.” Bennet nodded, the beginning of a smile playing at his lips. “Tell him we will come, and please convey my appreciation for his kindness.”

He paused, his smile widening. “Of all the people I have met, Bingley is, without question, one of the finest. His accommodating nature and honesty are commendable, and his compassion for those less fortunate is a welcome contrast to what I usually see. It is rare to meet a man with so many admirable qualities. Knowing him is a pleasure.”

“I will pass that along,” Darcy said. “Though I doubt he will accept your praise.”

He glanced toward the door and then back to Georgiana. “Come, I think it is time we left.” Turning to Elizabeth, he bowed. “Thank you again, Miss Bennet.”

With that, he guided his sister to the waiting carriage.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Darcy asked as the carriage turned toward Netherfield. “I hope keeping up with her was not too much.”

“It was a wonderful day,” Georgiana said after a long, contented breath. “Elizabeth showed me paths I had never noticed, some so well hidden I was amazed they existed. We walked through meadows and under trees, and she told me about the plants and animals we saw.”

* * *

Georgiana leaned back against the seat and looked toward her brother, her voice thoughtful.

“I was surprised to learn that Netherfield is so close to Longbourn. Knowing they’re near enough to walk makes me happy.”

“How did you come by this bit of knowledge? Was it chance you went that way, or did she offer a reason for revealing it?”

“There was no hidden intent that I noticed,” Georgiana said, shaking her head.

“The area around Netherfield was just one of many we passed. Elizabeth said she chose that route to show it isn’t too far to visit, even if you couldn’t take me there.

She mentioned it as a friend, and I took it that way. ”

“How far did you go?” Darcy asked, the concern in his voice drawing her attention. “Was it a great distance, or did you stay near Longbourn?”

She smiled and gave his hand a gentle pat.

“We stopped at Netherfield. Elizabeth showed me the places near her home that she loves most: groves and meadows, fields of grain where tenants were at work, and orchards filled with ripening fruit. The apples grown on their land are the finest I’ve ever tasted. ”

Darcy laughed, reminded of the one he had sampled the day before.

“They are,” Georgiana said, crossing her arms and glaring at him. “I will not listen to you mock my judgment.”

With her declaration made, she dropped back against the seat, which only deepened his amusement.

“Forgive me,” he said once he recovered. “I wasn’t mocking you, only remembering Bennet catching me in the orchard. His arrival was sudden, and I had just picked an apple.”

The memory pulled another laugh from him. “He wasn’t angry. My lack of stealth amused him, and he took the opportunity to boast about his orchard. I agree with your opinion. It was one of the best apples I’ve ever tasted.”

“My own brother, a common thief,” Georgiana said with a laugh. “Are there more crimes to confess, or is one enough to prove you believe yourself above society’s rules?”

“I think that settles your point,” he said, though his tone turned more thoughtful.

“Your friendship with Miss Elizabeth pleases me, but I would advise caution. You’ve known her two days, which does not give you time to understand her character.”

He raised a hand before she could protest. “Outward appearances can deceive, and I do not want you hurt again.”

“Elizabeth is a wonderful friend,” Georgiana replied, shaking her head. “Nothing she’s done suggests she hides darker motives. Your suspicion surprises me.”

Pain touched her features. “I remember what happened when I trusted someone I admired. Without your intervention, everything might have changed for the worse. That betrayal left me unsure of myself, but your support helped me recover. I have not forgotten that.”

She leaned forward and patted his cheek. “Yes, Elizabeth is a new friend, but she is teaching me there are still good people in the world. The pain and loneliness that have troubled me for months no longer hold power over me. I trust her and suggest you do the same.”

Darcy sighed, her words stirring the concern he thought he had set aside. He weighed his response, reluctant to speak against Miss Elizabeth, yet burdened by the fear that someone Georgiana trusted might again bring her pain. At last, he braced himself.

“Miss Elizabeth’s friendship is cause for celebration, though it revives a concern I have raised before regarding our family’s wealth. I have met too many women who, but for my income, would not spare me a second glance.”

He gave a humorless laugh. “Once they discover I am master of Pemberley, their interest sharpens, their manners improve, and their attention becomes fixed. I fear Miss Elizabeth’s kindness, though it appears sincere, might be a scheme to secure a husband of means.

If that is her aim, she would not hesitate to cast you aside once her future is assured. ”

Georgiana’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again. She stared at him, then looked away, only to glance back.

Darcy crossed the cabin and drew her into his arms, holding her trembling frame with quiet resolve.

“You are my first concern, not myself. I have grown used to such efforts and respond to them no longer.”

“I do not believe Elizabeth intends to lure you into a loveless marriage,” Georgiana said, her voice firm despite the confined space between them. “She has never mentioned your fortune or asked about your position; when we talk, she speaks only of Hertfordshire and her love for home.”

Darcy waited.

“We have not discussed money or station in any form, and I doubt she knows the extent of your inheritance.”

He chose to let the matter rest, unwilling to unsettle his sister further with warnings she would not heed.

His thoughts shifted to that first meeting with Mr. Bennet, whose plain manners and steady tone had struck him as sincere.

In their conversation, Bennet asked no personal questions, offered nothing of himself, and confined their discussion to Netherfield and the repairs Bingley had begun, without a hint of self-interest.

Georgiana might be right. The Bennets might be different.

The decision made, and the carriage come to a stop, he looked up as a servant opened the door.

“Come, William,” Georgiana said, nodding to the man. “We are home, and this journey has tired me. I believe I shall rest for a while.”

Darcy stepped down and offered his hand to help her alight; she accepted, entered the house without pause, and ascended the stairs in silence.

He followed but passed through the sitting-room and out into the garden, where Bingley sat watching the work underway on the estate.

“Another productive day with Bennet,” Darcy said as he approached, prompting Bingley to turn toward him.

“I enjoyed every day he was here,” Bingley replied. “He gave me no cause to regret his company, and I value his friendship. Did you remind him, and more important, did he remember?”

“He did,” Darcy said, smiling. “Though he worries it may impose too much on your generosity and slow your recovery. I assured him his concern was misplaced, and he accepted. He asked me to thank you again for the invitation.”

Darcy moved a chair beside his friend and sat. “Do you recall the letter you sent him, asking that he introduce us?”

“I do,” Bingley said, his brows lifting with a trace of concern. “Did it cause trouble? At the time, I thought my injury might explain my absence.”

“He accepted the letter,” Darcy said, lifting his hands to ease the tension that had come into Bingley’s expression.

“Then why ask? Has something changed? I meant no harm and believed my request was respectful.”

Darcy shook his head. “It was. Georgiana said something earlier that stayed with me, and I wanted to ask about the letter’s contents.”

Bingley tilted his head and regarded him.

“In the letter, did you mention my wealth, standing, or the history of my family?”

“I called you my friend,” he said at last, “and asked Bennet to accept the letter as your introduction. It did not occur to me to speak of your fortune or lineage.”

He studied Darcy. “Should I have? When I wrote it, I believed he might be growing tired of the responsibility he had taken on. I hoped to ease the weight of that promise and release him from it, with my full gratitude for what he had done.”

“Your letter was exactly what it should have been,” Darcy said, rising. “I asked only to satisfy a personal question.”

He turned toward the house. “If you will excuse me, I am going to my room to rest until supper.”