Page 5 of The Briar Bargain
"Did you encounter her earlier? I thought I saw you speaking in the corridor." Bingley waited patiently for a reply.
"Merely exchanging pleasantries," Darcy said, after a pause.
His friend’s smile was entirely too knowing. "She is a remarkable young woman, is she not? So unlike the ladies we typically meet in town."
"Indeed," Darcy said neutrally, though what he meant was that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was remarkable in the most inconvenient way possible.He had met other pretty women before, but her singular sort of wit and cleverness made her dangerous to his peace of mind. She did not simper or flatter. She teased him with that little smile that suggested she knew exactly what he was thinking.
He certainly hopedthatwas not true.
"Well," Bingley said, evidently realising he would get no further conversation on the subject, though his expression suggested he was filing away Darcy's responses for future reference. "I shall leave you to your solitude. Try not to sulk too dramatically while I am gone."
"I do not sulk," Darcy said stiffly.
"Of course not," Bingley replied with insufferable cheer. "You contemplate matters with a serious mien. Much more dignified."
After Bingley's departure, Darcy remained at the window, ostensibly watching the rain but actually engaged in what was definitely not sulking. He wascontemplating.With a serious mien.
Which just now meant standing in the library, staring at storm clouds, haunted by the vision of a maddening woman with tousled curls.
Just before dinner, a soft knock at his chamber door interrupted Darcy’s letter writing, a perfectly mundane missive about grain yields and storage concerns that had somehow taken him three attempts because he kept thinking about Miss Elizabeth.
"Enter," he called, expecting his valet.
Instead, it was Bingley's housekeeper, Mrs. Nicholls. That was odd.
"Begging your pardon, Mr. Darcy, but Mr. Bingley wonders if he might consult you on an estate matter of some importance."
At last, some occupation that did not involve examining his feelings.
Mrs. Nicholls led him downstairs to Bingley's study, where he found his friend poring over a crude map with concentrated anxiety.
"Ah, Darcy, thank you for coming," Bingley said, looking up with obvious relief. "The river has breached its banks. The tenant cottages nearest the east wood are at risk." He pointed out the spots. “Two, possibly three. I suspect you have dealt with such an event before?”
Darcy examined the map, grateful for something concrete to focus on. "I believe the west wing has several unused servants' quarters," he said immediately. "If so, they would be suitable for temporary accommodation."
"If I may," came a feminine voice from the doorway, and Darcy's entire body went tense with recognition, "there is also the old gamekeeper's lodge."
He stifled a grunt of irritation. It was uncanny how she could appear at precisely the moment he believed himself safe.
Miss Elizabeth hovered at the threshold. "It has been empty these five years, but it is closer to the tenants' homes and situated on high enough ground that it has never flooded. The men, at least, may wish to remain there with their livestock."
"Miss Elizabeth," Bingley said, practically beaming, "please, come in. Your knowledge of the area would be most valuable."
She approached the desk with confident steps, and Darcy caught a faint scent of jasmine.
Concentrate on the map,he told himself.The map.
"The gamekeeper's lodge is here." She placed her finger on a knoll a short distance to the north between Netherfield and the river.
"How do you know this?" Darcy found himself asking, his voice sharper than he had intended.
She met his gaze directly, and he caught a glint of humour in her eyes that suggested she had noted his defensive tone. "Netherfield has long been without a family in residence and shares part of its border with Longbourn. I have walked these fields countless times. Both Jane and I are at least acquainted with all of the families here."
The subtle rebuke was delivered without making him feel like a complete fool, which was almost worse, because it suggested she was being kind to him. Damnably gracious of her.
The gamekeeper's lodge was, annoyingly, an excellent suggestion.
"I thank you, Miss Elizabeth," Bingley said with obvious admiration, and Darcy realized he was supposed to contribute something to the conversation.
