Page 41 of The Slipper Scandal
"Ah, yes." Lord Matlock settled back. "Proceed. I shall attend."
Darcy shifted uncomfortably. Discussing Elizabeth with his aunt had been difficult enough.
Lady Matlock, perceptive as always, noted his discomfort. "Fitzwilliam was just telling me that Miss Bennet is well-read and lively."
"Was he?" Lord Matlock looked surprised. "High praise indeed from our reserved nephew."
"I had also observed," Lady Matlock continued, her gaze shifting back to Darcy, "that he seems rather more invested in this match than mere obligation would suggest."
"Does he now?" Lord Matlock leaned forward, his interest piqued.
Darcy cleared his throat. "Miss Bennet is not like the ladies who have been after me since I inherited."
"In what way?" his uncle pressed.
"She has well-considered opinions on,"—here he smiled "—everything." His earnestness gained momentum as he continued. "She debates without reservation, speaks in a sportive but sweet manner, and observes the world with a cleverness that is both incisive and kind."
"She sounds formidable," Lady Matlock commented, watching him closely.
"She is." A smile touched his lips. "When we first met, she thoroughly disliked me."
"Did she?" His aunt seemed amused. "I suppose she would object when you did not hand back her slipper and it led to this mess."
"So he did have hold of her shoe?” cried his uncle. “Whatever for?"
"Shh," his wife instructed. "What has changed, Darcy?"
"Nothing, I imagine. Our engagement was not of her choosing."
"And yet you admire her."
"I do. Very much." Darcy paused, surprised by his own answer.
Lord Matlock, who had been listening with increasing interest, let out a low whistle. "Well, well. Darcy, my boy, you are besotted at last."
"I did not say I was besotted," Darcy protested, feeling heat rise to his face.
"You did not have to," his uncle replied with a knowing smile.
Darcy shifted uncomfortably. "It is merely that I find her refreshing."
"Refreshing," Lord Matlock repeated sceptically. "Like Gunter's ice on a summer day, I suppose?"
"Henry," Lady Matlock chided, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Do not tease him."
"I cannot help it," Lord Matlock replied. "It is not every day one sees the stoic master of Pemberley rendered speechless by a country miss."
"I am not speechless," Darcy objected hotly. "I am quite clearly speaking."
Lady Matlock's expression grew thoughtful. "And what of her family? Her upbringing?"
"According to Abernathy, her father is a gentleman with a modest estate in Hertfordshire. It is entailed away from the female line." He spoke matter-of-factly. "Her mother is, she says, quite eager for her daughters to marry well. Miss Bennet has four unmarried sisters."
"Four of them!" Lord Matlock exclaimed. "Good heavens, that is a houseful. Have you met them?"
Darcy shook his head. "Miss Bennet warned me her mother was rather exuberant. But they are in the north with other family for now."
"Hmm. And her fortune?" Lady Matlock inquired.
