Darcy Meets Elizabeth In Kentucky by Glenna Mason

Author:Glenna Mason [Mason, Glenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2016-09-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The evening definitely got chillier in more ways than one. After Elizabeth descended the staircase with her host waiting expressionless at the foot of the stairs, distracted even, his eyes avoiding hers, she chattered aimlessly, apologizing time and again, apparently making matters worse.

Elizabeth realized that she had broken a time-honored decorum of hospitality, snooping around in someone else's house. He must have heard her in his bedrooms and office. She assumed that Darcy was too much of a gentleman to rescind his invitation for dinner, but the pleasure had gone out of it.

They sat in front of the library fire, sipping bourbon on the rocks, Elizabeth filling the gaps in the conversation, Darcy quiet and contemplative, his eyes resting on the fire, not the flash of Elizabeth's determined eyes.

Finally, however, after a second round of drinks had been poured, Darcy suddenly glanced at his guest, as if he had just remembered that she was there. Elizabeth apologized one more time, giddily this time, feeling the effects of her embarrassment merge with the smoothness of the bourbon.

“It was very wrong of me to go into your rooms without your permission or escort. The sapphire blue room is so beautiful that I was drawn to see the others. Which is no excuse, but it is the reason. Please forgive me my inexcusable indiscretion, Fitzwilliam.”

“My mother's,” he said.

Elizabeth looked at him.

“The decorations are my mother's.”

“The beautiful bedroom with the sapphire blue striped wallpaper and the matching sapphire drapes was hers, wasn't it?”

“She loved sapphire blue.”

“As do I.”

“You're very like her.”

Elizabeth's heart leaped.

“Not in coloring of course. There you are opposites. She was a brunette with hazel eyes, but your enthusiasm for life matches hers, I believe.” Elizabeth began to apprehend that she might reclaim his attention.

“Your eyes are sapphire blue.”

The fire brightened Elizabeth's eyes, as did the company. Sitting there at attention on the edge of her chair, she was a woman falling in love.

No one could doubt her beauty at this moment. Certainly it did not escape Darcy's notice. He observed her with a renewed interest. He said, “It is I who should apologize, Elizabeth. I started thinking of meeting you and of your family's interest in my charity and of all the ramifications involved. I—” He stopped there.

“Shall we roast the corn and chop the salad?”

The evening proceeded with no more alarms. And when Elizabeth took off for Claysmount at about ten, she breathed an audible sigh of relief that she had not created an irretrievable disaster.

Elizabeth had invited Darcy to the Bennet’s home, Longbourn, Friday afternoon for a ride, followed this time by a shower and a more formal dress for dinner. That left her with the possibility of a return offer for Saturday. Her investigative time was running short. Sir William wanted a final report by Sunday; the insurance payments could arrive any day now.

Sir William and Tish planned to invite Darcy to Stantonfield for dinner Monday night. Elizabeth knew that even if she returned to Pemberley on Saturday, she would not try any more detection.

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