Five Pride and Prejudice Variations: A Collection of Short Stories by Renata McMann

Author:Renata McMann [McMann, Renata]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Anthology, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Short Stories, Not in Amazon Library, To Transfer
ISBN: 9781499706123
Google: NlipoAEACAAJ
Amazon: B00KMD4Z1U
Barnesnoble: B00KMD4Z1U
Goodreads: 22538720
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Published: 2014-05-27T04:00:00+00:00

Darcy was answering a letter from his steward at Pemberley, when Georgiana came in.

“Miss Bennet is visiting me today,” she said.

“I hope you both enjoy yourselves,” he said.

“I plan to send her maid home. The cook always needs something or other in the market, and you know she likes to look everything over herself. I’m sure she can take the maid home on her way.”

“Is Bingley’s house on the way to the market?” Darcy asked.

“It must be on the way to a market somewhere,” Georgiana said with a smile that showed her dimples.

“Thank you for telling me. I’ll be certain to walk Miss Bennet home, because we wouldn’t want her to cross town without her maid.” It amused Darcy to think of Elizabeth needing protection and chaperonage in London, when she walked three miles in Hertfordshire without either. Of course, there were more dangers in London, but most of the walk was through some of the best neighborhoods, and her reputation did need protection.

“Are there any secluded places on the walk? A place where the two of you can be private?”

“Georgiana!”

“I just wondered. You won’t visit her here, except to say hello. You leave her with me, which I appreciate, since I enjoy our times together. When you see her you look at her so intensely that I could stand on my head and you wouldn’t notice.”

“I assure you, if you stood on your head, I would notice.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. But it isn’t really your business.” He said it gently, because he knew she meant well.

“She looks at you the same way. Yet she never acts eager to leave, although I know she enjoys the walk home more than visiting me.”

“I’m sure she enjoys visiting you.”

“Are you not willing to marry her because of Wickham ruining her sister?”

“Who told you about that?” Darcy asked, ignoring the first part of her question.

“Miss Bingley, of course, but Miss Bennet mentioned it later. Oh, she didn’t get very specific, but she said her sister was ruined by someone and she could understand if I didn’t want to associate with her. As if I cared. She’s so nice, so clever and has so much life. It’s always fun to be with her. She gives me confidence. Surely there is some secluded place on the walk where you could…” Georgiana looked down, suddenly shy. “You could at least arrange a drive in the park or something.”

“Are you trying to be like Elizabeth?”

“I told her I wanted to be like her, and she said I should just be myself.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” He stood up and kissed her on the forehead. “Be yourself.”

When Elizabeth came, he couldn’t resist greeting her, but he left the two women he loved to enjoy each other’s company. He didn’t even pretend to do anything productive, but he invented an errand that brought him past the room they were in. If he lingered briefly in the hallway, he wasn’t really eavesdropping, was he?

To his annoyance, he could not identify words, but he could identify the speaker and the tone.

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