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S everal hours later, music swirled through the ballroom while couples wove their way through the steps of a dance.

From the edge of the room, Darcy watched his sister stand up with Elizabeth’s sisters as he enjoyed a cup of flip.

Somehow, Wickham had managed to insert himself into his sister’s group only moments before the dancing commenced.

Richard, with Elizabeth as his partner, had followed suit and now, the two of them – Richard and Wickham – were passing each other as they crossed the line from one side to the other.

It was not completed, however, without a pause and exchange in the middle of the pass.

“You do not have to watch them all night.” Bingley had come to stand next to Darcy.

Maybe not. But it certainly did feel as if he needed to watch Wickham any time that the blackguard came close to his sister.

“Hurst and I can take turns with you,” Bingley added.

Darcy glanced to his right. Mr. Hurst was standing next to Bingley.

Hurst’s was a friendship that Darcy had never particularly sought.

Nor had he ever expected it to blossom on its own as it had.

There was very little that they had in common, except for Bingley, but then, not much else was needed because Bingley knew how to glue relationships together. Even odd ones.

“I say, it has been a good ball,” Bingley’s brother-in-law commented.

“Caroline seems happy and well on her way to being settled, and we have not lacked for entertainment. That Collins fellow seems to think all the ladies here are looking to marry him simply because he is your aunt’s parson.

He has even presented himself to Caroline as an option.

” He chuckled. “Can you imagine that union?”

Caroline a parson’s wife?

“No, I cannot,” Darcy replied. Most especially if that parson was Mr. Collins. “In fact, I am not sure I can, in good conscience, consider any lady who is here as a possible match for him.” Darcy shook his head at the thought.

“Nor can I,” Bingley agreed.

“Thankfully, he has avoided me most of the night,” Darcy said.

If only Elizabeth had been so fortunate, but sadly, she had been required to dance with Mr. Collins, and throughout the entire set, he had indirectly, but most clearly, lectured her on the evil of coming between a man and woman who were meant to be together.

However, it seemed that his instruction only applied to supposed betrothals and not ladies and gents who were well nigh to being betrothed in reality.

For if it had applied to real couples and not those dreamt about by Darcy’s aunt, Mr. Collins would not have said a disapproving word to Elizabeth.

“I heard he caused you a bit of trouble there a few days back,” Hurst said.

Darcy looked at Bingley, who just shrugged and smiled. He was guilty of loose lips was what that gesture meant. However, the fact did not bother Darcy overly much, since it was likely best that Hurst knew precisely how trying tonight was going to be.

“It is a pity that Longbourn must have such an heir,” Hurst continued.

“No truer words have been spoken,” Darcy agreed.

“For my part, I am hoping that my aunt will be so utterly displeased about my marrying someone other than her daughter that she will ban me from visiting Rosings and, therefore, limit my chances of ever having to see the man.” He took a sip of his beverage.

“To that point, you should secure Miss Elizabeth’s hand soon,” Hurst advised.

“Once the betrothal is officially set, your position will be firmer. That should keep anyone, including your aunt, from attempting anything too nefarious to prevent a betrothal from being entered into.” He chuckled softly.

“After all, I would hate to see Bingley’s and my work be for naught. ”

“Your work will not be for naught no matter what trouble arises between now and when I am betrothed.” Maybe tomorrow would be a good day to change his status with Elizabeth. First, he had to survive tonight.

A low growl bubbled up as he saw Wickham take Georgiana’s hand in the dance and whisper something to her. As it happened, he was not the only one to see the exchange, for Richard immediately broke formation and yanked the fellow away from Georgie almost before he was done whispering.

“She is not out,” followed by, “My apologies, ladies,” could be heard above the music. And with that, Richard escorted Wickham from the dance floor and toward the hall.

Bingley darted across the room in pursuit, while Darcy, with some effort, held his ground. Richard and Bingley could deal with whatever Wickham attempted. He needed to be here for his sister’s sake. Of course, he was not alone in seeing to her either. She was well surrounded by guardians.

His eyes sought out one of those protectors – Elizabeth. She smiled at him reassuringly before engaging in conversation with Wickham’s former dance partner and found her way back into the dance with the rest of the ladies in her group as the poor girl’s partner for the remainder of the set.

While Elizabeth looked all that was calm, her new partner looked a bit worse for what she had just experienced, for as the dance progressed, her head turned several times toward the doorway through which Richard and Wickham had departed.

Another low growl rumbled in Darcy’s chest. That scoundrel could not even attend a soiree without leaving some gentle heart untouched!

“If I had my time back,” he muttered. If he had not hired Mrs. Younge. If he had refused to allow Georgiana to go to Ramsgate ahead of him. Then all of this would not be happening.

“We all think that at one time or another,” Hurst said.

“I suppose we do,” Darcy agreed.

“And I dare say the older we get,” Hurst continued, “the more those words ring true. So, if you will excuse me, I think I am going to go find my wife and talk her into dancing a second set with me so that I will not have to think about missing the opportunity.”

He turned away and then, turned back. “It is my opinion that tonight would be an excellent time to make an offer.” He held Darcy’s gaze for a moment before smiling.

“Indeed, I am hopeful another offer will be made before the music ends for the night.” And then, he was on his way around the edge of the room to where his wife stood with her sister and Mr. Warren.

Tonight? Make his offer tonight? It was not an unworthy idea.

Darcy would give it some thought. It sure would help his heart rest a great deal easier if he knew that Elizabeth was promised to be his.

But a rushed proposal? That did not seem to be the best way to do things.

No, tonight would not do. Tomorrow would be soon enough to have things settled.

The music for the current set of dances drew to a close, and Darcy breathed a sigh of relief.

Georgiana was to dance the next set with him, and then, he had heard that she and Elizabeth’s sisters were going to retire to her room to look at a book of fashion for a while before returning, so that she could dance the final set with Richard.

That is, she would dance with him if he returned.

“Ah, the second most beautiful lady at the ball,” Darcy said to his sister as she approached him.

Georgiana giggled. “Thank you. I am very happy to be second to Miss Elizabeth.” She put her hand in his. “It was Miss Elizabeth to whom you were comparing me, was it not?”

“There is no one else who could outshine you, my dear,” Darcy assured his sister, causing her to sigh.

“I have missed my doting brother,” she said with a smile.

“And I have missed your ready smile.” He tipped his head and looked at her closely. She seemed completely unaffected by whatever had transpired on the dance floor. “Are you well?”

“Surprisingly, yes. I truly cannot believe how much less trying it was to be near him than I had imagined it would be.” She squeezed her brother’s arm tightly. “Thank you for saving me from myself.”

“Yourself?” he repeated in surprise as his brow furrowed. He had saved her from the dastardly plans of a rogue, from a future of misery. Not herself.

She nodded. “It is quite obvious to me now that I was merely infatuated with the idea of being loved, for how could my heart so easily dance with him – though he was not my partner – if I had truly loved him?”

When stated in such a way, Darcy could understand why she thanked him for saving her from herself. Apparently, his little sister had learned much from her entanglement with Wickham, and her words spoke to her being well-recovered from the event. But was she?

As they were waiting to begin the next set, Darcy led her along the edge of the room on the end where there were few people to hear them converse. “Are you truly well?”

“I am,” she assured him. “I will not lie and say that there was no flutter or pinch of my heart. It is never easy to come second to another lady or my own dowry. The exception to that, of course, is to be found second in beauty by my brother, for he has lost his heart to a lovely lady, whom I will greet with open arms and all my love on the day she becomes my sister.”

She leaned a bit closer to him. “When will you ask her? I know your betrothal is a foregone conclusion, but I simply cannot wait to be able to say that Miss Elizabeth is my future sister.”

“I was thinking that I would ask her tomorrow. I would wait longer, but her cousin…” He let his words trail off and ended the thought with a shake of his head.

“He is quite unique, is he not?”

“That is one way to describe him,” Darcy agreed.

“A polite way,” Georgiana whispered and then laughed softly along with him.

His eyes roamed the room. Couples were beginning to take the floor. Captain Denny had secured Elizabeth for this dance, and Darcy wanted to be in that group.