Darcy smiled and acquiesced. He knew that his friend was very pleased with last evening, and so he had fully expected the new wave of cordiality. It was raining again, and most likely he would have to call on Elizabeth at Rosefarm, therefore some diversion before noon seemed convenient.

The gentlemen positioned their cue balls, and while they bent over their cues, Brougham ventured his first question.

“You never said if you enjoyed yourself last night.”

“Indeed, I did not.” Darcy hid his smile and pointed his cue. “Ready?”

Simultaneously each player hit their cue ball up the table, and while they observed the balls coming back after bouncing off the top cushion Darcy uttered, “I did enjoy it, thank you.”

Brougham’s ball came close but Darcy’s almost hit the baulk cushion.

“I will take the plain white. The break is yours.” Darcy placed the red ball on the spot.

Brougham scored several points, and after safely bringing the red ball into baulk and placing his cue ball tight on the top cushion, he leaned against a wall waiting for Darcy’s turn to finish. He knew that his friend would be sly with his answers, but he had time.

“Miss Patience seems an extremely nice lady, does she not?” he ventured.

“Yes, she does.” Darcy placed his cue ball in the D and looked at the table carefully to assess his options.

“I saw that you two had a very animated discussion. May I ask what the topic was.”

“Poetry.” Darcy cannoned, knocking Brougham’s cue off the cushion and hitting the red. He continued to play in silence until it was Brougham’s turn.

“Love poems?” Brougham ventured, approaching the table.

“Romantic poems,” Darcy went to the window and looked at the still grey sky.

“There is a lot of that there, is there not?” Brougham hit the ball.

“A lot of what?”

“Love.”

“Indeed, and a great deal of blood.” Darcy smiled slightly.

Brougham moved to the other side of the table, scratching his head. “She is very beautiful, is she not?”

“She is.” Darcy leaned against the sill and observed the game with interest. Brougham’s troublesome predicament was obvious, as all three balls were placed in the D.

“And her lively spirits add much charm to her manners.” Brougham’s hit was too hard and he missed an object ball.

Darcy took his place at the table and potted the red thrice until it was re-spotted in the middle.

Brougham leaned against the wall again. “Her performance was splendid, was it not?”

“She is skilled.” Darcy potted the red, and then two more times from the top spot until it was re-spotted in the middle again.

“Skilled?! Darcy, come now. She plays masterfully! And with such a charm I dare say a man might not tire of the view till the end of his days.”

In the next strike Darcy scored ten by potting both balls, combining a cannon and a losing hazard off the red. “How was Miss Torence, Brougham?”

“Oh? Ah, very nice of course.”

“Of course.” Darcy continued to play from in-hand.

Brougham fidgeted with his cue stick, spinning it first one way and then the other while balancing it on the toe of his shoe. “You play very well today, Darcy. You did not seem as focused yesterday at whist.”

“No, indeed, I owe apologies to Sir Tristan and his family if my lack of interest in the game was so visible.” Darcy continued to play hazards.

Brougham grinned. “I do not think you do. I am certain they would be most understanding. After all, who would be able to focus on a game with Miss Patience as his partner?”

Darcy straightened and looked at his friend carefully. “Brougham, are you sure you are not regretting having offered me Miss Patience’s company? I would not like to be in your way.”

“Oh, no,” Brougham waved his hand to indicate his lack of concern. “You two were getting along so well that there was hardly any room for a third.”

“I noticed the way you were looking at her while she performed,” Darcy continued. “You seemed attracted.”

“Of course, she is very enticing, is she not?”

“I am not possessive, you know. I can share.”

“I am well acquainted with your generous nature, Darcy, but even you would not like to share a woman you care for.”

“No, indeed.” Darcy smiled, and after he had played the fifteenth hazard in a row he requested his friend’s cue ball to be spotted so that he could continue his break with a cannon.

Brougham congratulated him on the win and put the cues on the rake.

“Thank you, it was a good game.” Darcy buttoned his coat. “I am going to Rosefarm now. Care to join me?”

Brougham’s fingers played with the chalk before putting it away. “Thank you, but no. I managed to get along with Miss Tournier for two days in a row, and now I plan to use the happy circumstance to my library’s benefit. Perchance I can persuade her to put my books where they belong.”

He also hoped that by not providing the diversion that his own presence would add to the proceedings, Darcy would not have much opportunity to talk with Miss Bennet.

“May I take your carriage though?”

“Of course.”

“Very well then, I will see you later.” Darcy smiled and exited the room.

Vian descended the stairs, dressed for travel, and went in search of Mrs. Tournier. Not finding her in the parlour, nor in any of the lower rooms of the house, he quickly dismissed the idea that she had ventured outdoors. It was unlike her, even if the rain were not coming down in buckets. He eventually tried knocking on her bedroom door, and was surprised to find her sitting at a table near the window doing nothing but staring out at the grey morning she found there.

“Good morning, ma Tantine. You are feeling well?”

She accepted his kiss without changing the direction of her gaze and replied, “I am feeling ancient this morning. Would that be considered the same as feeling unwell? If so, then I am quite ill today.” She finally looked at him and turned up the corners of her mouth in an effort to smile. “But I will survive it, Monsieur, for there is nothing to be done about it.”

He sat down across from her and placed his hand on hers. “And why so glum today? Have you had bad news?”

“No, nothing of the sort.” She squeezed his hand briefly before moving her own to her locket.

They sat in silence for a moment, but when it seemed she did not wish to elaborate on her mood he ventured, “I came to tell you that I will be away from the house for most of the day. I am off on an errand near Edinburgh.”

“Good for you! It will give you something to do besides sitting around with an old widow and two very silly little girls.”

While her tone was kind enough, her words had a bite to them that he was at a loss to understand. He grinned, hoping to help raise her spirits by speaking to her for a time rather than leaving her to her own devices, which had likely brought her to this point to begin with.

“Where I would be most happily entertained by all three of you if I did not have pressing business elsewhere. However, I do not think either young lady is such a little girl. As to being silly, has one of them done something to vex you, ma Tantine? Tell me at once and I shall soundly scold the guilty party on your behalf, if you have not already done so yourself.”

“Oh, they are both very silly at times, but it is Lizzy who I am most concerned about at the moment,” she paused, looking carefully at his face before adding, “and you as well.”

He calmly held her gaze. “And what have I done to vex you, Madam, that you should worry so about me? Shall you call me a little boy next?” And quickly, so as not to give her the opening he knew she was looking for, he added, “I know the state I was in when I returned from the fair a few days ago was unforgivable, for I was most rude in waking you and making you lose precious sleep. I shall make sure it does not happen again, but you know the follies of youth. Sometimes one does what seems right at the moment and does not think of the consequences. Will you forgive me?”

“Is that what you did, Maurice? Commit a folly of youth?”

His eyes opened wide, his brows rising a bit in surprise. Even though he knew she did not refer to his drinking, he said nothing.

She sighed heavily. “There is nothing to forgive.” And her eyes resumed their search out the window as she began to play with the clasp on her locket.

Feeling as if he dodged a bullet, and surprisingly not sure he was happy that he had, he stood to take his leave but was stopped from it by her next words.

“Do a favour for me and take Lizzy with you today.”

If only he could and she would willingly go, he thought. “She would not enjoy this trip. You must trust me about this.”

“Nonsense. You know her well enough to know she will hate being stuck inside due to the rain.” Looking directly at him again, as if she were trying to speak to him with her eyes, she said, “She would enjoy an outing.”

“Not this one, ma Tantine,” he replied in all seriousness, willing her to understand his underlying message. “I am going to see Lord Downshire about Tidwell, as we discussed I would. It is not an appropriate conversation for her to be present for. I do not know what will surface there.”

“Maybe not, but she could wait in the carriage for you when you are performing that errand.”

“I do not know how long I will be. Besides, she would only be stuck inside a smaller space on a rainy day. It would achieve nothing.”

“You are being stubborn now. Getting her out of the house was not exactly what I intended and you know it. I meant that you would enjoy her company, yet you will not make it easy for me to help you both along in working out whatever has come between you.”

“No,” he stated simply and quietly. “I can deny you very little, but I will not willingly make your prying into every uncomfortable nook and cranny easy for you. It is a personal matter, Madam.”

“If you will remember, it was you who confided your feelings to me to begin with. And as to it not being my affair, Lizzy is very much my responsibility at the moment. It is her well-being as much as your own that I strive for. If you had not expressed your interest in her I would not press you now, but you have, and so you have no choice but to patiently endure my prying into every uncomfortable nook and cranny!”

“Perhaps. To an extent.” He looked away, knowing she would have to somehow be satisfied before she would leave both the subject and himself in peace. “But some things can be understood without knowing every detail. There is no between regarding Miss Bennet and myself. That is a fact.”

“My boy, nothing is ever written in stone. This I know from experience. It may seem that way to you now, but give it time. If it is something worth having then you cannot give up so easily. That does not seem like you at all. Are you so fickle in your desires, or have you since changed your mind about how you feel? If either is the case, tell me now and I will leave it, but do not lie to me, for I shall see it in your eyes if you do. I know what love is!”

Frustrated, he spoke softly in order to remain calm, “What I feel or do not feel for Miss Bennet is not something I feel compelled to confirm or deny, ma Tantine. I have said nothing thus far to imply that I have given up anything, be it hope or otherwise. I do not need anyone to act for me, or to tell me what I need to do or when to do it. This you must understand and respect.”

“Yes, of course!” she responded curtly. “I shall mind my own business from this moment forward, Sir.” Resigned, she turned back toward the window, yet could not refrain from saying, “Well, there is still time on your side. Who knows what it may bring in its stead.”

He closed his eyes tightly, not knowing what to say to make her understand that it was a situation for which he did not desire help, nor did he wish for a confidante. He had all the aid he required from the two gentlemen from Clyne. Of course he had not given up. In fact he felt he was closer to having Elizabeth for his wife than he had been only a few days before, thanks to them. Yet he needed to give his aunt something so she might feel she had some task to perform, for she seemed both worried and hopeless to him. Otherwise, in her frustration, she could very well make a mess of things with all of her good intentions just when they were going his way.

“Madam, you should behave exactly as you have been, looking out for the safety of your charge and making sure she is always properly chaperoned. Any caring aunt would do no less.”

She did not turn to look at him, but he saw a hint of a smile grace her lips for the first time since he entered her chamber.

“Ma Tantine, you really are incorrigible.” He sat down beside her once more. “Might I ask a question before I go?”

“Well,” she responded, and after a long pause added, “I probably do owe you that for my prying and prodding. Go ahead. Ask.”

“That you do!” He laughed, and then gently continued, “Please tell me what has brought this dark, urgent mood upon you? I know it cannot be caused only by what you have expressed just now. There is something different about your stubbornness today. Forgive me for saying it, but I sense a sort of desperation in it.”

She reached out and patted his hand. “You have a safe journey, Maurice. Try to enjoy yourself today as well as conduct the sad business you are tending to. Make sure to take time to reacquaint yourself with your old friend before you hurry back.”

His mouth opened wide in surprise. “And?”

She gave him a stern look. “And what? You requested permission to ask a question. You did not ask if I would answer it.”

Exasperated by her obstinacy, he kissed her cheek and left her sitting where he had found her.

She watched him leaving from her seat by the window, her sight blurred by tears she refused to let fall. He reminded her of Mr. Tournier, and it hurt to have him near today. It was good he was going off for a bit. She opened her locket and gazed longingly at the picture of her deceased husband.

“Happy anniversary, my dear,” she whispered.

The rain seemed even more inconvenient to Darcy than it had the day before. He was worried and bothered by Elizabeth's cold behaviour yesterday. He longed to be with her, but at Rosefarm any attempt at conversation would be very difficult. However, he remembered his resolution to be on his best behaviour while in the presence of Mrs. Tournier, and so, sighing deeply, he entered the small gate.

He was shown to the morning parlour where only the hostess and Elizabeth were present. His eyes lingered on the latter, but it was Mrs. Tournier who addressed him first.

“ Mr. Darcy, what an unexpected pleasure.” She reluctantly put her papers aside. “Lizzy, dear, call for tea please.”

Elizabeth set her embroidery aside and complied with her aunt's request, while Mrs. Tournier beckoned Darcy to take a seat by her side. She looked at him as if she were about to speak, but then shut her mouth again, choosing instead to reach for her papers and begin quietly perusing one of the letters. Darcy sat silently, not wishing to interrupt, but when Elizabeth came back into the room and wordlessly returned to her work, he ventured what he hoped would be a most impartial opening,

“ The rain seems relentless these days.”

Elizabeth looked at him with a hint of interest, but there was nothing of that in Mrs. Tournier's scornful eyes.

“ I can hardly see what is so unusual about it, Sir, although I admit it can prove very dull.”

“ Not unusual, indeed, just inconvenient.”

“ Hmm, one would do better to become accustomed to the weather, since one cannot change it.”

Darcy fell silent, but soon looked for another topic.

“ Is Monsieur Vian absent?”

“ He went to visit Lord Downshire today, an old friend of his,” Mrs. Tournier said wistfully. “My nephew, you see, is very keen on society and so loyal to his friends that he stays on good terms with them even after so many years.”

Darcy looked at her a bit sharply, and Elizabeth, seeing this, added, “He is visiting on a family matter.”

“ I am certain, Eliza, that Mr. Darcy is not interested in our family matters.”

He fell silent again, and so did the ladies. His eyes often turned to Elizabeth, but she remained engrossed in her work.

Eventually Mrs. Tournier spoke again, “You do not seem to be lacking in company though. I have heard that you spent last evening at the Torences.”

This time Darcy managed to catch Elizabeth's eye. “I was sorry to hear yesterday that Lord Brougham had declined your invitation to tea, Madam. I would have been very glad to have accepted of course.”

“ I am certain it was not such a great loss to you, Sir.” Elizabeth looked at him, the hurt in her eyes evident, before returning to her embroidering.

“ I cannot agree, I am sure.”

Mrs. Tournier was becoming impatient with him. “There is no reason to pretend that our modest home is as tempting a prospect to a gentleman like yourself as the manor. We can still afford honesty, I assure you.”

“ It was a genuine sentiment, Madam.”

“ Hmm,” Mrs. Tournier's eyes became occupied with her papers, but she soon spoke again. “Are the Torence sisters as talented as they say?”

“ They play very well.”

“ And is their conversation as engaging as I have heard it to be?”

“ I cannot speak of Miss Torence, but I found Miss Patience…” Darcy suspended his voice, looking for a proper word, “…entertaining.”

“ And did you find them as beautiful as everyone proclaims them?”

“ They are handsome.”

“ Then do tell me, Mr. Darcy,” her voice full of incredulity and impatience, “why you would have us believe that you would regret the lost opportunity of our company when so much was offered elsewhere?”

“ Facts do not speak of my preference, Madam.”

Elizabeth’s head snapped up, her eyes sharp when they met his, “Facts and preferences are often very telling when in combination though.” She reached for another colour of thread. “Lord Brougham told us that you especially favoured Miss Patience's company for the evening.”

Darcy looked back at her, lost for words. Her eyes, full of reproach, lingered on his a bit longer, but she soon returned to her work. Uneasy, he rose from his chair and approached the window. Trying to focus on a spot outside, he strove to collect his thoughts. Finally, he turned back to the room and, after one more moment of deliberation, sat beside Elizabeth, seemingly to admire her work.

“ I can explain,” he whispered, and in a louder voice added, “I see that you transform your admiration for nature into your embroidery.” His fingers gently caressed the delicate flowers.

“ Of course,” her voice sounded impartial.

She was so close that he could feel the warmth of her body. He gazed at her, tenderly.

“ I missed you,” he said softly. Her eyes were glistening with tears that she strove to hold back. “Would you be so kind and play for me, Madam? I have long yearned to hear your performance again.”

Mrs. Tournier looked at him from behind of her papers.

“ As much as I admire my niece's skills, I am sure that after the brilliant performance you witnessed yesterday her play might only earn your censure.”

“ I am sure you are wrong.” Darcy looked at her angrily. The situation was rapidly declining. He looked back at Elizabeth, but her eyes were on her work again. Reluctantly, he rose.

“ I thank you for the tea. I will not importune on you any longer. We will meet in church, I presume.”

“ You presume correctly, Mr. Darcy.” Mrs. Tournier’s look was cold.

Elizabeth rose too and offered to see him to the door. In the hallway he turned and gently took her hand in his.

“ I am not certain what you reproach me for, but I assure you that you are mistaken.”

“ Indeed, it must be a grave mistake to assume that one's betrothed should not eagerly seek the company of another.”

“ Or his touch.” Their eyes locked, both angry and hurt.

She withdrew her hand from his. “Good day, Sir.”

He stepped outside and inhaled deeply. “Brougham!”

This story is written by Laura and Sylwia, and they own full © copyrights to it.

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