Conceit & Concealment: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Abigail Reynolds

Author:Abigail Reynolds [Reynolds, Abigail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Soup Press
Published: 2017-05-18T03:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“We will be going on an outing to St. Paul’s today. Georgiana has never been inside it,” said Lady Matlock as she spread jam on her toast. “You need not feel obliged to come, Darcy. Kit will be with us.”

As if Darcy would allow them to go alone with Kit after the near disaster on their way home from Montagu House! “I would be happy to accompany you.” The question was why his aunt was making this effort to prod him into joining them. Had she picked up on the tension between him and Elizabeth and was attempting to force them to spend time together? That was unlikely to end well.

Georgiana clapped her hands. “I am so glad. We have been planning it for days, but it will be much more enjoyable with you there.”

At least someone wanted his company. Elizabeth had made it perfectly clear she did not. He would never forget her reproof, so well applied: In Meryton we were obliged to spend time together. That is different from friendship. It rang in his mind until it had practically driven him out of his wits. He had imagined so much more than friendship between them, even if it had been impossible to act upon it.

He could not bear even to look at her. All the magic had gone from the bluebell wood – and his life.

This journey to St. Paul’s in her company was going to be torture.

But on their arrival at the cathedral, the torture took a different form than he had expected, because the only thing worse than being with Elizabeth and knowing she disliked him was watching her walk away from him with Kit.

Kit had cheerfully announced that he and Elizabeth had an errand nearby and would find their own way back to Darcy House later. Darcy could have killed him happily, especially since Elizabeth seemed unsurprised by this plan. He tried not to grind his teeth when the two of them walked away, in earnest conversation with one another.

His aunt touched his arm. “I feel the need to sit in a pew for some private prayer. Perhaps you could show Georgiana around the cathedral.”

Lady Matlock making a public display of piety when it was not a Sunday? Something was definitely afoot.

“Of course.”

Georgiana seemed subdued, but it was difficult to tell since she was looking down. “Do you know where Kit and Elizabeth are going?” She sounded unhappy. Was she feeling as abandoned as he was?

He tried to sound calm, or at least not despairing. “They did not tell me, although I would guess they may be headed to Frederica’s house. Leadenhall Street is not far from here.”

“But why would they not take us with them? And why not tell us where they were going?”

If he had an answer to that question, perhaps his chest would stop hurting. He had not seen Kit flirting with Elizabeth much since their arrival at Darcy House, but he could not know what happened during the times he was away.

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