Page 88 of Compromise & Consequence
“Yes, the same.”
“Oh, pooh. Who cares about a woman who lives in Kent and has nothing, whatsoever, to do with our family?”
“You are in the right of it, Fanny,” Uncle Thomas said, some of the color returning to his face. “How long until dinner, my dear?”
If Elizabeth had not worried something was afoot, the fact that her uncle called his wife ‘my dear’ was a signal. He only did that when he needed to divert her attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, he was unable to turn his niece’s mind from the previous conversation.
“Where is the colonel?” she asked.
“He had to return to London.”
“Interesting. He said he would only return if there was an emergency. Is there something I should be made aware of? Is Georgiana well?”
“As far as I know my sister remains at Matlock House and is enjoying our aunt’s company.”
“Hmmm… does this mean you have unearthed Lady Catherine’s plans?”
Her uncle dropped his teacup and it shattered on the floor. In the ensuing chaos, Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy and said, “Walk with me, husband.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Walk with me, husband.Words he’d longed to hear for so long, but not today. Not when she was intent on getting to the bottom of this mystery. They rose in unison and she led him upstairs and down the hall toward their suite of rooms, opening the door to the shared sitting room between their bedchambers.
“What has happened?” she asked as soon as the door closed behind him.
“Mr. Collins wrote me a letter, which he had planned to post tomorrow.”
Her brow furrowed.
“He is getting married tomorrow.”
“True, but they are departing directly for Kent and he was going to post it when they stopped to rest the horses in London.”
“Very well, the logistics make sense, now I need to know what he wrote that has everyone turned upside down and behaving in such a mysterious fashion.”
“First, your sister is not aware, fully, of what was disclosed.”
“She is aware of some because she has been assiduously avoiding having a conversation with me. That is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I knew something had occurred.”
“I think you are reading too much into her behavior.”
“Am I? Then, tell me. How is your boot?”
“My boot?”
“Yes, she said you had a problem with your boot which is the reason why you returned without waiting for me.”
“Oh, that.” He chuckled. “At times I am too vain for myown good. The tassel had come loose and I returned to have it repaired. Turns out it was not and I am as good as new.”
She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.
“I thought you once told me you abhor deceit of any kind.”
“I do!”
“You are an even worse liar than Jane. She said your heel was loose.” She stalked toward him and stopped inches from his chest, continuing to glare up at him. “Now tell me what is going on with Lady Catherine. What are you hiding?”
Mr. Darcy reached up and pinched the top of his nose between his fingers. Eyes closed, he huffed out a sigh and said, “Please take a seat, Elizabeth. You will need to be sitting down for this.”
