A Wife for Mr. Darcy

year.
    “That is most kind of you, Georgiana, but I am afraid I cannot accept it.”
    “I thought you might say that, so I shall tell you that if you do not take it, I shall give it to Mrs. Brotherton, who will sell it. This is something I do for her because she does so much for me, but the thought of some stranger wearing this particular gown when I have a friend who would look absolutely stunning in it distresses me.” And there were those big eyes again. Lizzy felt sorry for whomever she married as the man would never win an argument when she could put on such a look.
    “Let us compromise. I shall wear the dress tonight, but tomorrow I shall return it to you. May we agree on that?”
    “Yes, that is the perfect compromise,” and Georgiana was sure her brother would be glad that she had struck such a deal.

    After a decade of handling the reins of a post coach, Mercer had accepted the position of serving as valet to Mr. Darcy. This was not the first time he had served in such a position, but his previous employer had been such an arrogant bastard that he had gladly returned to driving a coach and six. In the five years since accepting the position with Mr. Darcy, Mercer had developed a deep affection for this young man, and whenever he recognized that his master was troubled, he did his best to help him work his way through it. Tonight was such a night.
    While soaking in a tub, Darcy had unburdened himself to his manservant concerning the fiasco in the cave. “I know I acted badly, but when Elizabeth said she had been encouraging the attentions of another man, I responded quite harshly.”
    “Sir, from what you’ve told me, I don’t think she was telling you that she had encouraged another man. She was saying that you shouldn’t feel bad about not being able to court her because she had a suitor in the wings.”
    “Is that supposed to make me feel better, Mercer?” He turned around and looked up at him. “Seriously?”
    “Yes, sir, ’cause if she had already received the gentleman, then what was she doing in Derbyshire? No, to my mind, she was telling you that, come what may, she was going to be all right.”
    Darcy chewed on that for a while and decided Mercer was probably correct because he did not think Elizabeth capable of being unkind, and it would have been a great unkindness if she had used the farmer from Watford as retaliation for his cock-up in London.
    “I know, sir, that you do not think it right to say anything to Miss Elizabeth until you have settled the problem with Miss Montford, but I think that if you put on your best face tonight, she might figure out that you are going to do your very best to take care of the matter once you get back to London. And, besides, I know the lady cares for you.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “I seen it at the Netherfield ball. After I took care of all my duties, I went downstairs to listen to the music and to watch the dancing like I always do, and I seen how she looked at you. I’ve had enough women look at me like that to know what I’m talking about. That was the look of love, sir.”
    “You and Lord Fitzwilliam with all your women,” Darcy said, laughing. “At the moment, I have two women in my life, and it is one too many.”
    “Speaking of Lord Fitzwilliam, I know how he gets under your skin, and forgive me for saying so, but it shows on your face. Whenever you are in his company, you furrow your brow, and it stays that way.”
    “You sound like my mother. She often said the same thing. Apparently, I was born frowning.”
    “What you’ve got to do, sir, is keep Miss Elizabeth in the front of your head all night and ignore His Lordship.”
    “Ignore His Lordship? That is like saying ignore that cliff up ahead.”
    “But you can do it, sir. I think you have to because this might be the last time you see the lady for a while. Even if everything goes well in London, it’ll be several days coming and going from town before you will see her again, so it is very important that you leave Miss Elizabeth with a good memory of you. And smiling would help.”
    “All right, Mercer. I shall keep in the forefront of my mind the memory of our time together at the ball at Netherfield. You say that she looked at me as if she were in love. Well, I can assure you that one of us definitely was.”

It had occurred to Darcy to ask Antony to comport himself in a manner befitting a peer of the realm. But that would be the same thing as asking a leopard