Page 4 of Requirements for Love (Love in London with Mr Darcy #3)

Darcy leant against the closed door and muttered a quiet curse under his breath. He had left Hertfordshire six weeks ago to hasten Elizabeth Bennet from his heart and mind, and now she had essentially fallen into his arms.

He had removed Bingley from the clutches of a woman with a vulgar family who did not love him. But he too did not want to be saddled with such relations, and he felt the danger of spending too much time in Elizabeth’s charming company.

How was he to survive two weeks under the same roof with the loveliest and handsomest woman of his acquaintance?

Her accident would test his resolve, and it would be challenged all the more if Elizabeth injured herself further by moving around on her own before her ankle healed.

To prevent that, he would likely have to carry her again or have her lean on his arm.

He would have to amuse her so she did not find everything tiresome and do something stupid like seek out entertainments on her own and fall down the stairs.

He had strength, resolution, and presence of mind.

There was no reason to assume the pretty lady with a sprained ankle in the room behind him would tempt him into matrimony.

Darcy closed his eyes with a sigh and then dressed for dinner and found his housekeeper.

After explaining that he would have three guests and the arrangement of the rooms, he went to the library.

As he crossed the entrance hall, his cousin was being let in by a footman.

“Where is Georgiana?” he asked.

“Apparently, it takes longer for ladies to pack for two weeks than I realised,” Fitzwilliam said. “I thought they could toss gowns in a trunk while I waited with the coach. They will be along after dinner.”

Darcy nodded and went into the library, throwing himself into a chair by the fire. Fitzwilliam followed more sedately, and Darcy felt his cousin’s gaze on him.

“Not happy with your guest?” Fitzwilliam asked in a tone of some surprise. “I know you dislike obliging strangers, but someone knocked the girl down on the street right in front of me—and it turns out you already know her.”

“I do not blame you for bringing her here. You could not have left her on the street.”

“But…”

What was he to say, that he was attracted to the young lady upstairs, that if her family were not so unpleasant and ill-mannered, he might have offered his heart and his hand if he had stayed in Hertfordshire?

“If you remember, I spent last autumn with Bingley? I had to save him from making an unwise choice.”

Fitzwilliam laughed. “Bingley is the young man to get into a scrape of that sort. What happened?”

“His sisters and I had some very strong objections against the lady. The inferiority of her connexions was the greatest evil, but I never thought she had any feelings for him.”

“Was that all?”

Under his cousin’s knowing gaze, Darcy cleared his throat. “I had also been partly governed by the wish of retaining Bingley for Georgiana.”

Fitzwilliam shook his head. “I told you that was foolish. She is shy and fifteen, and he is a friendly young man with an eye for beautiful ladies, even if all he does is talk with them. He will not wait to see Georgiana as a woman and not a girl. ”

“I suppose.” Miss Bingley wanted the connexion as much as he did, but his cousin was right. There was too great a divide between a timid fifteen-year-old and an amiable and independent man of twenty-three.

“What has that to do with you sulking over having an injured guest?” Darcy gave him a look. “No! Miss Elizabeth is the woman?”

“Her sister, Miss Bennet.”

His cousin looked thoughtful. “I had taken Mrs Gardiner for a woman of fashion until she said she lived in Gracechurch Street. And I saw nothing vulgar in the manners of either young lady.”

Darcy supposed there was nothing improper about the aunt’s behaviour. “She appeared genteel, and the eldest daughters conduct themselves without censure. But Miss Bennet’s parents and other sisters…” He blew out a breath and shook his head.

“So you still congratulate yourself on having saved your friend from the inconveniences of an imprudent marriage?”

“I do, but what if she visits her sister? Bingley is often here, and he and Miss Bennet are sure to encounter one another.”

“Then you can learn if you were right and if Miss Bennet does not care for him.”

“Of course I was right,” he said firmly.

Fitzwilliam held his gaze for a moment before speaking. “Then there is nothing to worry about.”

He was worried. Did Miss Bennet come to town hoping to see Bingley?

Did she come out of love, or because her mother demanded she follow a wealthy man?

Other than having an untouched heart, he had thought nothing wrong with the lady herself.

And she was clearly hurt when she realised Miss Bingley had deceived her.

With alarm, he realised there was a chance she felt something for Bingley.

He felt ashamed for his part in wounding Miss Bennet’s feelings. But he had not lied to her or to his friend, however. If Miss Bingley explicitly told her he was living here and spending time with his sister, she had truly overstepped.

“I told Bingley the truth as I saw it,” he insisted.

“That her family acted disgracefully and Miss Bennet did not return his feelings. But from what I heard today about Miss Bennet’s call, now Miss Bingley has lied.

Lied about my sister’s relationship with Bingley, even about where her brother is living.

I do not regret putting Bingley off, but I would not have lied the way Miss Bingley has. ”

“So you can meddle, but you cannot deceive?”

“It is a fine line,” he said drily. He ran a hand over his mouth and looked at the clock on the mantel.

“We must meet Bingley and the others for dinner in an hour. I will tell him Miss Bennet is in town. Miss Bingley will never admit that Miss Bennet is here, and there is no way I will keep the secret that Miss Elizabeth is injured and confined to my house.”

“Will he be angry at you for being in league with his sister to keep him away from this woman?”

“Possibly. I still say she has little affection for him, but I refuse to be party to lies.”

One’s values always cost one something, and it was better to suffer Bingley’s anger than to be dishonest. A lie was one person saying to another that they could withhold something and the other person would never know. That was no way to treat a friend.

“Even if you did not outright lie, it is not like you to be deceptive.”

Darcy felt the criticism and dropped his eyes. “You are right. I have to act consistently across all the domains of my life. I will tell him the truth tonight.”

His servant entered to tell him the carriage was ready to go to dinner at his club, but his cousin still lazed by the fire. “Are you not coming?”

His cousin sighed. “I would rather keep the pretty patient company, but your sister and Mrs Annesley are not here yet.”

His stomach twisted a little at another man enjoying Elizabeth’s wit and smiles, but he pushed it away.

In fact, it would be better if she showered her attention on another man.

She might be too poor for his cousin, a younger son, but the sooner she married someone, the sooner his own feelings would move on .

The evening at Brooks’s was a lively affair with Fitzwilliam, Bingley, and a few of their mutual friends. Sir George Reed drank enough to share his opinions, Mr Walsh was at ease enough to talk not only politics, and Captain Peck, as always, was cheerful enough to make everyone laugh.

Dinner was nearly over before Darcy had the opportunity to say to Bingley that he had seen Jane Bennet that afternoon. Soon, the entire story of her sister’s accident was unfolded to the table.

“So this stranger is now an inmate of your house?” Sir George asked, pulling a face.

“She is not a stranger; I met her in the autumn. Her family is a neighbour of Bingley’s.”

“What unfortunate luck she fell near to your house,” he said. “Now this lady is your problem for a fortnight.”

“Only you would presume that a pretty young woman is a trial,” said Walsh.

“I never said she was pretty or young,” Darcy retorted, although, of course, Elizabeth was both.

“She must be, else why would Fitzwilliam have rushed to pick her up?” cried Peck.

They all laughed while Fitzwilliam asserted he would have aided any woman who was so callously knocked down.

While the others canvassed this subject, Bingley made kind inquiries about Elizabeth’s health. When they were over, Darcy told Bingley the entire truth, that Miss Bennet had called on his sister that day and that Miss Bingley had implied to Miss Bennet that he might soon marry Georgiana.

“Your sister?” he cried. “Well, with no offence to Miss Darcy, or to having you as a brother, she is fifteen. Truth be told, I think she is a little afraid of me.”

“She is very shy,” Darcy conceded. “Especially with men.” She was comfortable with neither new people nor with gentlemen, and her misadventure last summer with Wickham had done nothing to improve her confidence.

He hoped two weeks with Elizabeth Bennet would not be difficult for her, but if anyone could put his timid sister at ease, it would be her.

“And, and you said that Miss Bennet was with her sister when she fell? Was she well?”

Even if Bingley did not marry Miss Bennet, it was becoming clear he would not marry Darcy’s sister, either.

Another woman would appeal to him before he stopped seeing Georgiana as a bashful little girl.

“She was in good health.” He hesitated, but added, “I think Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst will deceive you about her being here to keep you from forming an attachment.”

“Caroline saw Miss Bennet this afternoon?” Bingley mused, incredulous. “I spent above an hour with Caroline and Louisa before I met you all for dinner. They never once mentioned her calling.”