Chances Come, Ney Mitch [snow like ashes series TXT] 📗

he displayed it in the usual manner through which he displayed many emotions: he was slow in his movements, and his happiness only showed through his eyes.

When the Cheapside company had fully disappeared down the road, both cousins entered the townhouse and briefly looked at each other.

“Fancy a game of billiards and a spot of scotch?” Darcy asked his cousin.

“I was worried that you would not ask.”

Both men entered the billiards room, filled their glasses, and began to play a set.

“Would I swell your head up too much if I were to compliment you on a total triumph of the evening?” Richard asked.

“I need the compliment,” Darcy responded. “So, I did well?”

“You did charmingly. You were kind, generous, obliging, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet clearly likes you very much. No, it is not something of your imagination. She is taken with you.”

“And it is not just her being generous and feeling obliging for the favors that I am bestowing favors which pour out of my mouth even before I can control it.”

Richard threw back his head and laughed. “She sought out your good opinion and tried to get you to convince her guardians to press your request of having them remain here. No, her feelings toward you have nothing to do with feelings of obligation. She is partial to you. Cherish it. Be a fool in love. It is the only time that one has an excuse to be a fool.”

“You were a great help to me, Richard. A great help.”

Richard shot a ball into the corner hole. “It was nothing hard to achieve on my part. I had a splendid time and how could I even feel myself put upon when the company was so charming? I enjoyed myself, Darcy, immensely. And I am proud of you. Their uncle deals in trade, the Bennets are not wealthy, and yet you offer them every sort of attention. This is very good of you indeed. It was well done, sir. Very well done.”

“Yes.”

“Yet, I was surprised by you asking her sister to stay with her here. What sparked the desire for Miss Bennet to remain? Or was that you doing everything in your power to be pleasing?”

“No, that was to make amends to Miss Bennet. I had done her a great wrong recently, and I still need to make matters right.”

Richard rested on his pool cue. “You did her a great wrong?”

“Do you recall when I sadly boasted of saving Mr. Bingley from a most imprudent marriage?”

“Yes. The one where I had accidentally gotten you in trouble for telling Miss Elizabeth, yes. And…” Richard trailed off when he began to make the connections. “Wait, was the lady Miss Bennet?”

“Yes. I had convinced Bingley not to choose Miss Jane Bennet, despite his love for her. And while doing this, I was being a terrible hypocrite, for I had been feeling for her younger sister the entire time. It was cruel of me. I know that now. Yet now I have begun the proper sort of rehabilitation and I am making amends for my actions. By having Jane Bennet remain here, I can arrange for her and Mr. Bingley to see each other again. When they do, it shall be happiness found on both sides, I am certain.”

When his cousin made no reply to this, Darcy was surprised.

“Did you hear me?” Darcy asked.

“Yes, I had heard you,” Richard replied, his usual cheeriness quite deflated. Darcy heard the loss of life in his voice, and he was worried about it. Turning to his cousin, Darcy looked him over. They both had known each other for their entire lives. Ergo, he could read his cousin’s expression easily. Yet, he wanted to believe that he was incorrect.

“Richard?”

“You had not told me that she was the woman that you had separated from Mr. Bingley.”

“I had never even officially told you that it was Mr. Bingley who I had rendered the service to. You simply deduced that for yourself.”

“Either way, I wish that you had been entirely open with me about Miss Bennet’s history with Mr. Bingley.”

“Why?” Darcy asked, uneasily. “What would it have mattered?”

“Well, if I had known that Charles had cared for her, then I would never have considered her in any other way but the affections of another man.”

Darcy stopped playing, went over to the table, poured himself another drink and chugged it down in one gulp.

“And why does it matter that I did not mention it before?” Darcy asked again.

“Because it would have kept me from falling in love with her, Darcy.”

When Richard had uttered those words, Darcy closed his eyes. He had guessed at this earlier. However, he had chosen to tell himself that it was merely Richard being charming. After all, they had just met, and Miss Bennet was a beautiful woman. Richard liked to flirt with beautiful women, but usually that was as far as it had gone. But this? Truly, this!

“Falling in love with her?” Darcy repeated.

Richard nodded. “Yes, Darcy.”

“Falling in love with her? But, Richard, you only just met her. How could you even use the word ‘love’, for a woman who you only just met?”

“I know, it sounds foolish.”

“Forgive me, but it sounds more than foolish. Cousin, you are a learned and intelligent man. A man cannot call something love when he has met the object of his desires for one evening. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a play, but not a guideline for how we ought to live our lives. Therefore, is there not the chance that you simply feel an attraction to her? I can comprehend your getting on charmingly there, but no more than that. You perhaps are just undergoing an infatuation.”

“Yes, I can very well see your point. Yet, I have never felt anything like this before: this sudden yearning, this sudden intoxication. And she seems to be so very perfect. From this evening, she has shown me that she is kind, warm-hearted, has a generous nature, and gentleness. She also is clearly a woman who