After: A Pride & Prejudice Continuation by Bradshaw E & Bradshaw E

Author:Bradshaw, E & Bradshaw, E [Bradshaw, E & Bradshaw, E]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2022-09-01T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Richard

Richard soon discovered that retreating into the games room had been a terrible mistake. He didn’t see the danger that he had put himself into until he had already joined a table and begun his first game of cards, but by then, of course, it was already too late. For the games room was a space dominated by men – and was therefore the perfect place for Elizabeth’s suitors to corner him. Indeed, as soon as he had sat down, he immediately found himself waylaid by the first hopeful candidate and had to suppress a groan as he suddenly understood the sort of conversation that he was about to be subjected to.

“I say,” said Sir Eaton in an eager tone as he breathed a noxious cloud of cigar fumes across the table, “what luck! Brigadier Fitzwilliam! I’ve been wanting to speak to you all evening, and here you are!”

“Yes, here I am,” Richard replied dryly. “And what is it that you wished to speak of?”

He knew, of course, but he wasn’t about to make this conversation any easier for Sir Eaton.

“Well, I wanted to get your advice… since you abide at Pemberley with that pretty little cousin of yours,” Eaton replied a little self-consciously.

Richard was surprised to see Sir Eaton’s embarrassment, for he hadn’t been aware that the man could feel anything other than the thick-skinned smugness that he usually exhibited.

“I was hoping that you might know a little of what goes on in her mind,” Eaton explained.

“I assure you, I have very little idea of that,” Richard replied with complete honesty.

“But you live in the same house!” Eaton protested. “You see her every day! Come, man, don’t be coy with me; you must know a little of what she is thinking!”

“And what exactly is it that you’d like to know?” Richard asked dryly – though his sarcasm was utterly lost on Sir Eaton.

“What everyone wants to know, of course!” Eaton exclaimed. “Who does she favour? Who has she set her heart on marrying?”

“I’m not even sure that Mrs Darcy is planning on marrying again,” Richard responded tightly.

“Not get married again! Don’t be ridiculous!” Eaton guffawed, looking utterly diverted. “Every woman wants to be married! It is in their nature, for we all know that they cannot manage alone! Not get married!” he repeated with a laugh as he slapped his hand down on the table, having clearly interpreted Richard’s words as a joke. As he spoke, he looked around the table at their companions as if to include them into the hilarity of his joke, and several of them laughed with him. “After all, where would they be without a husband to take care of them?” Eaton demanded as he released another cloud of cigar fumes across the table.

Richard rolled his eyes to himself, not even bothering to hide his disgust. It was well known that Sir Eaton had a passion for his horses and hounds, and for drinking and telling bawdy jokes, but it seemed unlikely to Richard that the man had the emotional capacity to feel genuine love for a woman.

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