Upon receiving a letter from his cousin Darcy, requesting his assistance in searching for a missing servant girl believed to have been abducted, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was initially surprised by such an uncommon request. However, recalling his sweet cousin's resemblance to his elder brother, he realized that while Darcy might not display his kindness as openly as Alec did, he possessed a genuine gentleness of spirit. Whereas Alec's compassionate nature shone through both his words and actions, Darcy's tended to appear more intimidating than inviting, despite the fact that they shared the same fundamental goodness.
As he made his way to Netherfield Park, Colonel Fitzwilliam found himself contemplating the missing servant girl and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. He had always been somewhat of a sleuth at heart, with a keen eye for detail and an unrelenting persistence when it came to solving mysteries. This trait had served him well in his military career, and he hoped it would prove equally valuable in this situation.
Arriving at Netherfield Park, Richard noticed Darcy in the library. His cousin appeared to be more worn than usual and had visible dark circles beneath his eyes. Upon closer inspection, Richard saw two sketches on the table in front of Darcy, and watched as he stared intently at one while sipping from a glass of brandy.
Richard teased, "Darcy, my man...you look awful."
Darcy exclaimed in surprise as he stood up to greet his cousin. "Richard! I wasn't expecting you to arrive so soon; you said you would be here the day after tomorrow."
Richard shrugged. "Let's just say I'm an excellent horseman, and the route was more forgiving than usual."
Darcy simply sighed at his cousin's nonchalant attitude. "Well, whatever it might have been, I'm glad you're here. As I wrote in my letter, there is some trouble here." Darcy said as he walked to fetch another glass of brandy for Richard.
Richard nodded positively and looked again at the sketches on the table before him. "What do you know?" Richard asked.
Darcy handed Richard a glass of brandy and gestured for him to sit as he took his own seat. Richard held the drink uncertainly and studied Darcy skeptically before accepting it. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Darcy made Richard swear not to tell anyone what he was about to reveal. Taken aback, Richard agreed with some hesitation.
Darcy then produced a letter from his pocket and gave it to Richard, who looked confused as he asked, "Why are you giving me a letter instead of telling me yourself?" Darcy silenced him by placing a finger over his lips; a glance at the door showed a pair of feminine shoes peeking out from under the gap, which alerted them that one of the Bingley sisters was eavesdropping on their conversation. Knowing Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley's penchant for gossip, Darcy decided to avoid any potential risks by writing all the information he had received from Miss Lucas in the letter instead of verbally informing Richard. He took his cue for this cunning way of concealing secrets from Miss Elizabeth, after all.
At the end of the letter, it said, "Burn this after reading it." Being an experienced soldier, Richard understood the command and immediately strode to a nearby candle, setting the paper ablaze in his hands.
Richard returned to his seat and glanced at his cousin with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, saying, "It looks like Meryton has some very intriguing kind of ladies."
Darcy frowned in annoyance at Richard's comment. "Richard, somebody is in peril; this isn't the time for jesting . " he replied.
Richard chuckled. "If I hadn't said anything, would finding the missing person have been any quicker?"
Darcy gave him his typical cross look, but it had no effect on Richard, who only laughed louder. Eventually, Darcy rolled his eyes and showed Richard both of the sketches Miss Lucas had given him.
Following a prolonged quiet, they heard the sounds of someone slowly walking away from the door
Richard studied the drawings more carefully until one caught his particular attention. Suddenly he exclaimed, "He is…he resembles Greycastle's new steward."
Darcy stared at him in surprise. "You thought so too? I believed it was only me."
Surprised, Richard replied, "The resemblance is uncanny. But how can this be possible?"
Darcy pondered for a moment. "Both portraits were drawn based on descriptions alone; they never saw the person in question. We both know how Alec is - he wouldn't have hired someone without checking their references first."
"Yes," Richard replied bitterly, "Mr. Jenkins was highly recommended by Lord Matlock."
Upon hearing Richard's tone, Darcy realized his cousin's frustration. He knew that Richard had always been treated unfairly by his uncle, which always made him sad. So Darcy patted his shoulder to comfort him.
Composing himself, Richard said, "As per Miss Lucas, she last saw that carriage go towards the woods. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes that's what she said" Mr.Darcy replied
"Then I suppose we should search there; we can also take help from the local militia since I have heard that it recently arrived in Meryton," said Colonel.
" Did you think we didn't look there after I got information?. but we didn't found anything there " said Darcy
Richard suggested, "Perhaps you missed something? I still think we should take another look around and I must write Alec to inquire more information about his steward. Plus, we should pay Miss Lucas another visit--she seems like an inquisitive creature."
Darcy agreed but warned Richard not to mention Elizabeth's name anywhere.
Richard gave him a puzzled look and jesting said, "It appears some country maiden has finally caught your attention."
Though he said it lightly, he was taken aback when he noticed a tinge of pink on Darcy's cheeks.
"YOU ARE BLUSHING!" exclaimed Richard.
"I am not," Darcy denied in a baffled tone.
Richard teased merrily, "You're blushing, which means you can be easily swayed by a country maiden." He enjoyed teasing his shy cousin. Suddenly becoming serious, he asked, "When are you going to propose to Miss Elizabeth?"
Darcy looked at him in confusion. "Propose? You sound like one of those calculating ladies of the ton—their minds quickly go from admiration to love and then to matrimony. I admire Miss Elizabeth for her selflessness, intelligence, quick wit, and courage, but that doesn't mean I can marry her. Not every admiration turns into marriage."
Richard heard him and asked, "Why not?"
Darcy looked at her and replied, "Because I know what society and my family expect of me, and they most certainly do not expect me to marry someone so far beneath me."
Richard chimed in, "By Jove! Don't ever say this while proposing to Miss Elizabeth or else you'll be outright rejected."
"Richard, do you not understand what I have just said? I hardly met her twice and… " Darcy tried to reply, but was cut off by his cousin's amused chuckling.
Richard suggestively said to Darcy, "Why don't you ask for courtship ? You'll get to know more about her that way."
"I can't court some country lass just because I am attracted to her," Darcy retorted. "From what people have told me about her family, she has no dowry or connections. Her uncle is a tradesman, and the behavior of some members of her family is completely inappropriate." He continued talking as if he were trying to convince himself, until finally he noticed his cousin sitting there with a knowing smile on his face. "Don't you have anything to say?" he asked Richard in confusion.
Richard shrugged. "Your mind is already made up; it's your decision. If you don't want Miss Elizabeth, then forget her. She may find someone else, and we will look for another bride for you. And if you still haven't found anyone suitable, then you can marry our cousin Anne; Lady Catherine will be pleased." He suggested jokingly.
Darcy gave him a horrified look as Richard burst into laughter. "Richard!" he exclaimed angrily, but his cousin continued his amused chuckling.
As he finally caught his breath, Richard finally replied, "What else can I say? You are not ready to pursue one woman you have ever felt any admiration for. I cannot control your life, nor does society. For your family's expectations, I most certainly do not care whom you choose to marry - neither Georgiana, nor Alec, nor anyone who cares for you as long as it makes you happy. For Lord Matlock, he will just try to get you married to where he sees his own political gain, and Lady Catherine will be unhappy whoever you marry unless it's Anne."
Darcy opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again. "But she has no dowry; her uncle is in trade, and the lack of propriety in her family is quite evident."
Richard sighed. "Well, you are one of the richest men in Derbyshire and you can afford to marry without needing a dowry. Your best friend is the son of a tradesman, and our family would outdo anyone when it comes to being inappropriate. But what exactly is so inappropriate about Miss Elizabeth's family?"
Darcy gave him a look of confusion before answering. "Her mother, Mrs. Bennet, is a typical matchmaking mama, albeit a bit unpolished."
Richard sighed, "Unless the lady is an orphan and has no mother at all, you can find another matchmaking mamma like her in every family . Miss Bingley, for instance, doesn't have a matchmaking mother, so she plays that part herself. Our own Aunt Catherine bragged about your nonexistent betrothal with Anne to almost everyone she could get her hands on."
Darcy felt slightly confused and muttered, "Her father seems to be rather idle; I met Mr. Bennet once and he appeared to be well-read, but I never saw him at any local events - a possible indication of his being an irresponsible man."
Richard continued, "Indolence is certainly a fault, although it might still be better than my so-called dear father who doesn't have much time to even be a father to us as he's always busy with his paramours."
Darcy, becoming less certain of his reasons, tried one last argument: "Even some of her sisters occasionally behave inappropriately."
Richard countered, "So do yours."
Darcy snapped back, "Richard!" in an admonishing tone.
Richard simply narrowed his eyes and said, "I care for Georgiana just as much as you do; however, we all have our own set of connections who occasionally embarrass us. Your reasons are biased. If you continue telling yourself these things, you might miss out on someone special. That being said, it's up to you - think about it."
Richard then left the room to inform the stablehand that they were ready to depart for their visit to the militia office, leaving Darcy alone with his thoughts.
