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Georgiana launched into a description of the gown she had commissioned, and mused whether Mr. Bingley favored blue or green.

When he was too bewildered to give her any answer, she said, “I daresay with so many Bennet sisters, Mr. Bingley must admire one of them. Miss Bennet is the prettiest woman I ever saw.” And then she let out a long, worrisome sigh.

Darcy panicked. It had been the impulse of the moment to speak as he had with Bingley - bluntly, knowing Miss Bingley would overhear.

He was not convinced the ruse had worked, and feared he would need to be more direct in putting paid to his sister’s fanciful wishes.

But he knew not how to begin, and breathed a sigh of relief when the countess and her daughters came down to breakfast.

Despite the temporary reprieve, Darcy knew he would need to speak with his sister ere long, though he loathed the prospect of causing her any disappointment after what she had endured at Ramsgate.

He and Richard allowed Georgiana to accompany them on an outing with the Bingleys, the Bennets, and the Gardiners that afternoon.

They all toured several museums and galleries before taking a more leisurely walk in Hyde Park, and Georgiana monopolized Bingleys’ attention for much of the day.

The Gardiner children had been brought by their governess to join their parents and cousins in enjoying the unseasonably warm afternoon in the park, where their large party inevitably broke into smaller pairs and groups.

Miss Bingley seemed to be maneuvering her brother toward Miss Bennet at last, and Richard finally relinquished his hold on Elizabeth’s attention to divert Georgiana.

Darcy knew he ought to speak to her about her sulking, but he had spent much of the day hoping to speak with Elizabeth.

He spoke with great pleasure to Mrs. Gardiner about the beauty of Derbyshire, but all the while he watched Elizabeth as she played with her four young cousins.

When one of the children finally became bold enough to entreat Darcy to join in the game, he was glad of it.

There was enough shrubbery around them for Darcy to suggest a game of hide and seek, and when, seemingly by chance, he occasioned to hide behind the same large bush as Elizabeth, he caught himself nearly reaching for her hand.

“I must seize the chance to speak to you, Miss Elizabeth; you have been delighting the rest of our party all afternoon, when I have been dearly wishing for a private word.”

She looked up at him with astonishment, another expression she wore so beguilingly. “I hope I have not offended you, sir - or your sister. She has seemed a little quieter today.”

“No - no. I wish to apologize. I spoke out of turn at the assembly - out of ill humor that I ought not have directed at you, who had done nothing to deserve it. That you heard me only makes my boorish falsehood a greater source of shame; I should never have spoken as I did. Had I looked at you without any shade of discontent, I could never have found you wanting.”

Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “Ah, but I was in want of a partner. ‘Tis true, however, that I was not looking anything other than very handsome. I am glad you can acknowledge it at last.” She raised her brows in a look of challenge.

“I look forward to expressing such a sentiment at the next occasion where you are in want of a partner. In fact, if I may….” Darcy would have asked her for the opening set of the upcoming ball, but the youngest Gardiner, a girl of about three, came shambling around the side of the hedge that concealed them.

“Lizzy, I found you!” The flaxen haired child wrapped herself around Elizabeth’s legs and squealed before tumbling backward onto the soft grass and giggling.

“You clever thing, Clara!” Elizabeth scooped the girl up, swinging her high before setting her back on her feet.

Richard sauntered around the side of the bush and grinned at Elizabeth. “I have found you, too, Miss Elizabeth, and I am ready to be praised for it! But what have you and Darcy been speaking of so secretively? I am trained in espionage, you know.”

Elizabeth gave him a wider smile than any she had ever bestowed upon Darcy. “Dancing. Your cousin may begin to revise his opinion on the matter, for he was not at all inclined to such a merely tolerable temptation in Hertfordshire. Does he behave any better elsewhere?”

Richard tutted and shook his head. “I am afraid not, Miss Elizabeth, though you may reform him - has Hertfordshire many shrubberies suitable for lectures on the social graces he lacks? We will find some, I am sure of it - yes, I mean to accompany you all back to Hertfordshire, and there you shall not find me such an unwilling partner. I shall stand up for the first with you, at this ball you have come to town to shop for - if you will have me.”

Elizabeth agreed without so much as a glance back at Darcy as Richard offered her his good arm and began to lead her away, chatting nonsensically about his devastatingly graceful abilities in a ballroom, which had scarcely been diminished by his injury.

Darcy resolved that he would have to box his cousin’s ears every day they remained in London, and perhaps he would continue the practice once they all removed to Netherfield.

Ere long, the hour grew late, and their party agreed that they must all make their way to their respective homes.

Darcy managed to escort Elizabeth for the short walk that remained, and asked if he might call at Gracechurch Street.

The morning. “You finished the novel by the time we reached London, and I have reread my favorite poems; we must exchange our volumes now, you remember.”

Again she looked surprised, as if she had not expected him to recall their bargain. “Do you not wish to know if it is worth reading?”

“I should prefer to save our discussion until after I have read it. If it is an engaging read, I will consume it quickly, eager to compare my favorite parts with your impressions - and if it is rubbish, I shall read it anyhow, and we shall have suffered together.”

She laughed at his jest, her eyes sparkling in a way that Darcy could not stand to cede to his cousin, even if he could not have her himself. He would enjoy their time together with the same good cheer that seemed to come so easily to her.

“But can you be so sure we shall be in agreement?”

“You think I shall once again disapprove of something that only delights you? You are severe upon me, though I well deserve it. And if that be the case, you have my leave to abuse me for it before as many of my relations as you choose.”

As Darcy smiled broadly at Elizabeth, she gaped playfully at him.

“Mr. Darcy, how impolitic of you to suggest I would impugn your discernment before your nearest and dearest - for now I must redouble my efforts to do so, that I might discover if it remains such an agreeable pastime now that I have your permission to be impudent. Not even Miss Bingley shall save you from my irreverence if you dislike The Romance of the Forest. You would do well to tread with care, sir.”

He gave a bow of his head. “I am not afraid of you, Miss Elizabeth.”

“It is not much of a distinction to be unafraid of me, for most people might say the same. But I believe I have more honor in claiming to be unafraid of you , for you are determined to be so imposing. I can well understand your being in company so often with the Bingleys, for you cannot be entirely frightening with such agreeable companions.”

Darcy took a moment to comprehend the startling sincerity with which Elizabeth called Caroline Bingley an agreeable companion.

He was firmly convinced the lady had sought the Bennet sisters’ friendship out of a design to refute what Darcy had said when he had known she was eavesdropping.

And yet, he had a strong sense of Elizabeth’s good judgement, and felt that she could not have come to think so well of her new friend without sound reason.

Surely she was not the sort to say such a thing merely to please him.

Miss Bingley watched them when the time came for them all to part ways, as if she, too, was trying to puzzle out a friendship she could not understand.

Surely he may at least consider Elizabeth a friend, despite his inconvenient desire that it may lead to more.

Elizabeth readily relinquished his arm to speak with Miss Bingley, and Darcy could at least be satisfied that she seemed as warm in parting with his sister.

Georgiana was all youthful exuberance in bidding Elizabeth farewell, though decidedly less so with Miss Bennet, even glaring in the direction of Bingley and his lady as Richard invited them all to dine at Matlock House the following evening.

Darcy knew not whether he ought to give his cousin a thrashing for his continued pursuit of Elizabeth, as well as creating another opportunity for Georgiana’s petulance to discomfort Bingley and Miss Bennet - or whether he ought to simply rejoice in another evening spent in the lively company of a woman whom he would soon have to harden his heart to.