Chapter 10

Darcy walked silently behind Elizabeth Bennet and Colonel Fitzwilliam as they strolled through the garden with Mary and Michael. The sun was shining down on them, but the air still had a little bit of a nip to it. Lacing his fingers behind his back, he wondered how Bingley was faring with his sisters in London. When he had first seen his marked interest in Jane Bennet, Darcy knew that Bingley was walking on a thin line. That man always found another angel whenever they went to a ball or assembly, but they never lasted more than a month before someone other young lady caught his eye.

Bingley had asked Darcy's opinion on the young lady and before Darcy could give it to him, Caroline Bingley had butted her head in and started giving her opinion on the Bennet ladies. As he sat there listening, Darcy silently agreed with most of it, but what he did not agree with was that they were gold diggers and fortune hunters. He had started to develop feelings for Elizabeth and he thought that Bingley would act on his feelings for Jane, but when he said he had to go to London for business, Darcy had agreed to go with. But that was before his cousin had suddenly showed up.

Bingley was probably still mad at him for canceling his plans to go to London with him to stay behind and now he had to deal with his sisters by himself. Darcy chuckled to himself at the image of Bingley hiding in his study to get away from Caroline's constant badgering to go to every assembly while they were in town.

"What is so funny back there, Darcy?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked as he glanced behind him pulling Darcy from his thoughts.

"I was just thinking about Bingley being alone with Caroline while they are in town," Darcy grinned as he made their way to catch up to them.

Grimacing at the image of that young lady, Richard turned to Elizabeth. "What is your opinion of Miss Bingley, Miss Elizabeth? I am sure you have made her acquaintance at some point over the last month?"

Glancing at Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth saw mirth dancing in his eyes. Glancing between the two gentlemen, she narrowed her eyes at them, but smiled. Taping her chin, she thought for a moment. "She dresses in very bright colors that do nothing for her complexion. Her demeanor is haughty and she only listens to anything her sisters says. None of the young ladies at the assemblies have liked her including myself and my sisters," she stated as they kept strolling around the garden path trying to catch up to the couple ahead of them.

Glancing at his cousin, Richard laughed. "I think that about sums up what I thought of her when I first met her Miss Elizabeth. What say you Darcy?"

Shaking his head at his cousin's antics, Darcy grinned at his companions. "I agree with both of you. Let us hope Bingley returns in a few days like he promised." He said as he gave a slight smile to Elizabeth as they continued strolling through the garden.

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Mary shivered slightly as the wind picked up and whipped around them. Her hand rested lightly on Michael's arm as they strolled through the garden surrounding Loughbourn. Pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face, she glanced up at Michael and blushed when she met his intense blue eyes. Staring straight ahead again, she wondered what he was thinking.

"Penny for your thoughts, Miss Mary?" Michael asked after a few moments of silence. He wanted to find out what was going on in that serious head of hers, but she was always so good at hiding her emotions. Glancing down at the top her head, he wondered if it would be a good idea to bring up where he would be stationed come the New Year.

"I have been thinking about Jane and pondering why none of the Netherfield party sent out a search party when she did not arrive for tea with the Bingley sisters," she answered quietly and let out a small sigh. She did not want her sister to die because of something her parents did by sending her out in the rain on horseback.

Laying a hand over the one that was resting on his arm, he gave it a gentle squeeze, and smiled slightly when she glanced up at him with a small smile. "I am sure Jane will recover just fine with plenty of rest and following the doctors' orders. Shall we turn around and see how she is faring?"

Mary gave him another grateful smile and let him turn them around. She knew that with her sister being ill and hurt that she was not the best conversationalist at the moment and for Michael to see that she knew she had just lost a part of her heart to him. Walking back to the house, she wanted to find out some more information about him. "What kind of books do you like to read, Mr. Lucas?"

Her question caught him off guard, but he chuckled a little at the question. "My favorite book is Hamlet. It kept me from feeling homesick while I was away in the militia. I read that book so many times that some of the pages are starting to fall out."

Laughing at the image of a man like Michael Lucas reading Hamlet by the light of a lantern while his other comrades talked or played cards, Mary felt her sides starting to hurt from laughing so hard. Looking up at Michael to gauge his reaction at her laughing at his choice of book, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand when she saw his frown.

"Were you laughing at my choice of reading material Mary?" he asked with a slight frown, but Mary blushed slightly when she saw the teasing glint in his eyes.

"I was not laughing at your choice of reading material per say, I was picturing you sitting around the fire reading Hamlet while the other officers played cards and such," she answered honestly with a slight shrug. "Did they happen to tease you about your choice of reading material?" Mary asked after a few moments of silence.

Turning his attention back ahead, Mary saw a faraway look enter his eyes and imagined he was back fighting the war or thinking about his fellow soldiers. Boldly reaching up, she gently laid a hand on his cheek, but quickly pulled it back when he turned his eyes to her. Staring into his eyes she saw them darken with an emotion she did not recognize and a small tingle slid up her spine. Loosing herself in his dark eyes, she felt him take a small step closer to her so their bodies were almost touching. Is he going to kiss me? She wondered and immediately wanted to take a step back and run, but she also wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed by a gentleman.

Michael's face came closer, his breath washing over her face as he whispered, "Mary," he wanted to see what it would feel like to finally be able to kiss the girl he had loved for years. Would her lips taste as sweet as they looked? He also knew that they weren't engaged or married, but he hoped to change that soon.

Her heart started racing and her palms became sweaty as Michael's face inched closer and closer to her own.

"Mary, Mary where are you!" her mother screeched from somewhere behind them.

Quickly taking a step back, Mary wanted to put as much distance between them and calm her racing heart, but her boot caught in her dress and she would have fallen backwards if Michael's strong arms had not caught her around the waist. Snapping her eyes, she bit her lip when she realized that his face was again really close to hers. "Michael," she heard herself whisper breathlessly; her stomach fluttering while her heart picked up its dancing rhythm.

"Yes, Mary?"

Groaning quietly, she mumbled, "My mother."