Chapter 7

Darcy carefully adjusted his gloved. Today he would start wooing Elizabeth in earnest. Or perhaps he should say continue wooing Elizabeth in earnest, after all, he thought wryly, he had attempted to make a start on his wooing last night. When she did not flinch away from him when he bid her goodnight relief swept through him. He had done his best to provide her space throughout the evening, but when he went to take his leave, he found her hand within his own without any conscious thought. The thought of Elizabeth fearing him tore at his heart. His cousins though, despite claiming they would not poach on his territory, had both spent far more time then he liked speaking with Elizabeth and in Col. Fitzwilliam's case out right flirting with her throughout the evening. Physically they both kept their distance from her, which could have been out of deference to him or because of the fear that had crossed her features at the beginning of the evening. His cousins were honorable men and would not wish to do anything that would trigger fear in any female.

A glance at his pocket watch revealed it to be almost time to arrive at his relatives. A Sunday was not perhaps a traditionaly accepted day of travel, but London was to close to Kent and Rosings Park for Darcy's peace of mind. He wanted far more road between his Elizabeth and his aunt's minion. He did not doubt the foolish man would babble to his aunt that Darcy danced with Elizabeth, probably considering it was a mark of regard for the parson. His aunt would not see it that way. The conniving woman would see it for exactly what it was, his care for Elizabeth. He did not want to say anything to alarm Elizabeth or the Gardiners, but his aunt would certainly rally to the aid of her parson when she learned that Elizabeth might very well stand in the way of her ridiculous plan to see him married to her daughter.

He knew if he showed up thirty minutes early in his aunt's parlour to escort Elizabeth to Matlock, his cousins would tease him without mercy. His sister and Mrs. Annsley he had left instructions for to leave for Matlock in a few days after Georgiana was done with her lessons from her masters for the Christmas season. His cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam would see to escorting them while he and Sutton escorted his aunt and Elizabeth. He had pulled his uncle and Col. Fitzwilliam aside and confided his suspicions about the situation Collins was using against Bennet. He had also confided what he planned to do about it. His uncle had agreed to gain Gardiner's confidence on which sister and Col. Fitzwilliam to help him to see about anymonously buying a groom from the officers he knew for Elizabeth's ruined sister.

…

Elizabeth watched the proceedings with an amused smile. She understood Mr. Darcy to be prompt, unless Miss Bingley was part of his party, but his cousins appeared to have wagered on how early he would be. Apparently Col. Fitzwilliam had wagered on between a quarter hour and half hour, where as Lord Sutton was convinced he would show no more then a quarter hour early. As the clock marked the quarter till, Darcy strode into the sitting room.

"Pay up!" Sutton demanded of his brother. "I was right it would be quarter till exactly."

"Before I pay up, How long did you linger outside adjusting your gloves and so forth, delaying so you wouldn't be even earlier?" Col. Fitzwilliam demanded of Darcy. Elizabeth watched surprised as Darcy flushed slightly. The colonel seeing his cousin flush, pounced and demanded with glee, "Ha I win! The wager was when he would show up at Matlock House, not when he would show up in the sitting room! Pay up Sutton!"

"I'll pay up, if Darce can verbally confirm such an accusation," Sutton said with a smirk.

"What's this? He has confirmed it," Col. Fitzwilliam argued in exasperation.

"What say you, Miss Elizabeth, has Darcy confirmed he arrived at Matlock House prior to his strolling lazily into this room?" Sutton asked her.

"I am not certain I would ever describe Mr. Darcy's stride as lazy, my lord. Nor do I feel in a position to comment on his habits of timeliness. I do believe though that it is far better to be early then late. My experience with Mr. Darcy would have led me to wager he would be late. Of course perhaps he was not the one in Mr. Bingley's party that favored a fashionable entrance and feathers so my prior experience may not have shown his true character," Elizabeth said since both cousins took the stance that he would be early with a true smile directed at Darcy. One, that being completely genuine in its nature, with no hint of archness or anything contrary stole his breath and his wits away. He had admired her kindness to others and often wished the smile he saw directed towards others would be directed to him as well. It had never occurred to him there was a reason it wasn't until his aunt laid out what Elizabeth perceived as his faults. He had assummed once she was his betrothed he would have this smile for himself. Now he realized it was not something he could demand, but would have to earn.

As Darcy stared dumbly at Elizabeth, entranced by her smiling countance, Sutton said, "Well Darcy?"

"I got here almost quarter of an hour ago, " Darcy responded without thinking. His cousins' loud guffaws of laughter caused him to flush as he realised what he had just revealed. He directed a glare at them, but the soft sound of Elizabeth's tinkling laughter had him whipping his head back to her. Seeing her laughing merrily, he felt a small smile creep onto his face.

"Your early arrival would suggest a desire for your cousins' company, yet your delay in entering the house would suggest a disdain for that same company. Dare I guess which one's company you desire and which one you disdain," Elizabeth said archly, her eyes sparkling.

"Naturally he desired my company and disdained my brother's, together they can be such dull fellows," Col. Fitzwilliam said with a wink.

"An informed discussion is not dull, even if neither of the participants are as charming as Miss Elizabeth. Don't think I did not notice that you for once were actually interested in an academic discussion this morning while Miss Elizabeth and I discussed the benefits of crop rotation," Sutton said dryly. "Do you have a hypothesis on who he wished to see and who he didn't?" Sutton asked with a smirk, knowing the answer already.

"I shan't expose myself so by answering such a loaded question," Elizabeth said with a laugh. "You will not trick me into complimenting one of you and insulting the other by consequence."

"I am mortality wounded, my lady," Col. Fitzwilliam said with exaggeration and then added, "But I completely understand your desire to spare my brother's feelings. Shall we leave him and Darcy to their dull company?"

"Miss Elizabeth hypothesized I wished to see one of you yet not the other," Darcy said his gaze studying her. "She did not consider another possibility, that I desired her company but disdained the two of you's company."

"I would never dare make such a presumption, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said archly, feeling herself flush in confusion.

"But I would," Darcy said with a small smile. He could tell that his attentions were leaving Elizabeth confused. He had tried so valiantly to not show her how he felt in Hertfordshire, and while he assummed he failed miserably, his early insult made her completely unaware of his feelings. Now, when he no longer was attempting to conceal his admiration and intentions, she was left confused. He hoped with time and a steady exposure to his attentions she would realize that he intended to be her husband.

Elizabeth glanced at Darcy in confusion. Last night he had stayed near by, his disapproving gaze rarely leaving her, making miminal effort to converse. Col. Fitzwilliam had teased that Darcy wasn't always such a quite dull fellow that resembled his brother more then him. In any other man she might have thought some of Darcy's remarks were flirting or a mark of regard. With Darcy she was left off balance and confused, she could not imagine why he would indicate he sought out her company.

…

Bennet let out a sigh of frustration. He was entirely to limited in his movements. It was a struggle to make it from his chamber to his bookroom. How, he wondered was he to go out and about to find a respectable appearing enough groom for his youngest? His youngest daughter was a complete fool but her ruin would effect all of her sisters. He carefully considered what he knew of some of the local farmers. It would be a step down for Lydia, but it would be a marriage, one that would have obviously been contracted to hide a scandal. He had no desire to see his favorite, Elizabeth, married to the type of man Collins had proved himself to be. Yet if he did not resolve the mess Lydia had made, she would be. Lydia was willful enough that if she objected to her future husband she would not hesitate to cause a greater scandal if she remained in the area, effecting her sisters' good name and prospects again as well. He hoped that Bingley would put in an appearance soon and offer for his eldest. One less daughter to worry about. Of course such a marriage happening depended on Lydia's situation not becoming known. If he had an officer for her she would likely happily marry. The stupid child had been shocked when Wickham refused to marry her, but declared it no matter since she would marry one of the other officers sometime. Unfortunately he knew next to nothing about the officers in the militia stationed in Meryton, other than that most were likely penniless and could not afford a wife and had no real desire to marry Lydia, contrary to what she believed, without financial incentive of a type he could ill ifford to offer currently. The only thing of value in his home he could sell was his books and he disliked parting with them. He looked around bis bookroom considerably, he had some editions that might fetch a small sum but he was loath to give them up.