A Wife for Mr. Darcy

the whole evening. Isn’t it the responsibility of the mistress of Pemberley to make all the social arrangements, that is, until you marry ?”
    That last bit made Darcy smile. His sister had a subtle way of moving him in the direction she wanted him to go.
    “Yes, it is, but I absolutely refuse to play charades.”
    “I would not ask you to as I know how you detest it. I can assure you it is an entirely musical evening.”
    “Which reminds me. I have a bone to pick with you. Why did you tell Miss Elizabeth I play the pianoforte?”
    “Because you do.”
    “As you well know, I play at the most basic level and only because Mama insisted I should learn and would stay in the room to make sure I practiced.”
    “You are not being asked to play Mozart, so please unfurrow your brow. It will be fun. I promise.”

    While Darcy was dressing, he was hoping Elizabeth would not wear her hair down because her long dark tresses would make him want to look into her eyes, and his efforts to be anything other than a good host would collapse. Because he did not want to send the wrong signal, he needed to be in complete control tonight. It was only a few more days before he would be able to go to London and sort things out, but his hopes were dashed as soon as she walked into the dining room. He had thought green her best color, but now he decided it was yellow.
    While Ellie had been curling her hair, Lizzy was planning how best to act during supper. Of course, she would be civil to Mr. Darcy, but she would look at him only when necessary. Instead, she would concentrate on getting to know the colonel better. However, those plans failed immediately because tonight Mr. Darcy looked as handsome as she had ever seen him. She did not think it possible for him to be more attractive than when he wore his green coat, black waistcoat, and tan breeches, but tonight he had chosen a black coat with trousers, and there was an elegance in his appearance that caused her heart to skip a beat.
    “I know your older sister is to marry Mr. Bingley,” the colonel said to Lizzy who was seated next to him at supper, “but do you have any other sisters?”
    “Yes, I have three younger sisters, all at home, except my youngest sister, Lydia, who has gone to Brighton as a guest of the wife of the colonel of a militia regiment. However, that is about to change as I have just received a letter from my sister, Jane, saying that our father has sent for her.”
    Aunt Gardiner nodded her head in approval at her brother-in-law’s action. In her opinion, Mr. Bennet should never have approved of the scheme in the first place because there was always the possibility of someone of such a tender age getting into trouble in a town filled to overflowing with young men.
    “Longbourn must be a positive bevy of beauties if your sisters favor you,” the colonel said.
    Lizzy blushed at the compliment, but considering that Colonel Fitzwilliam must have dined with some of the most beautiful women in society, she was quite flattered by his attention. This exchange did not go unnoticed by Darcy, who was trying to catch his cousin’s eye. Since he was prevented from showing any special attention to Elizabeth, he thought Richard should do the same. Instead, Colonel Fitzwilliam was openly flirting with the woman Darcy was in love with.
    “Colonel, I know you have an older brother who is the Earl Fitzwilliam, but are there others?” Lizzy asked.
    “Yes, I have two sisters, but just the one brother, and with a brother such as him, one is enough. I assume you read The Insider , Miss Bennet?”
    “I must confess, with some embarrassment, that I do, but for those of us who live in the country and who go up to town only once or twice a year, we must have some entertainment.”
    “I am pleased to hear my brother’s antics have some value, if only to entertain.”
    “Not just your brother, as there are others for whom the printers must buy their ink by the barrel,” Lizzy said, thinking of the Prince of Wales and his brothers.
    “Do you pity me then, Miss Bennet? As a younger son, I am destined to a life of self-denial and dependence while my brother has his every wish granted. As milord frequently says, ‘Richard got the looks and hair while I got everything else.’”
    Lizzy laughed at his comment. She had read enough about Lord Fitzwilliam to know he had no interest in his own wife but could not stay away from anyone else’s, and that he played at high-stakes card