This excerpt takes place at Rosings Park shortly after Darcy gave Elizabeth his letter.
Upon his return to the house, Darcy went to the bedchamber of his cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. He hesitated with his hand raised at the door. This conversation was certain to bring discomfort. If he could avoid it, he would, but it needed to be done—the sooner, the better. He straightened his shoulders, knocked, and entered upon his cousin’s cheerful invitation.
Richard sat beside a table set up with a pot of coffee and a plate of morning buns. A mug of the steaming beverage balanced upon his thigh. “Cousin, how are you on this fine—" Richard tilted his head as his eyes settled upon Darcy’s countenance. “Are you well? You look terrible, as though you have been up all night.”
“Yes, I am well.” Darcy picked up the other chair in the room and moved it to face his cousin before sitting upon it. “When I was in Hertfordshire last autumn, I encountered Wickham.”
A fiery gleam entered his cousin’s eyes. “Did you have words with him?”
“Not at all. I scarcely acknowledged him. At any rate, the scoundrel had obtained an officer’s position with the militia camped at Meryton.” Darcy took in Richard’s passive expression. Thus far his cousin was letting him off easily, rather than hurl questions at him as he was apt to do. “Wickham managed to make a favourable impression on many in the neighbourhood—including Miss Bennet. The lady may question you in regard to Wickham. If she does, I want you to answer any questions she may have with complete honesty.”
A line of tension arose across Richard’s brow. “I see. Everything, of course, excluding the events of last summer.”
Darcy’s breath quickened. He swallowed against his dense, parched throat. “No, I mean everything including Ramsgate.”
Richard moved his mug to the table with a thump, heedless of the resultant splattering of hot coffee upon the wood. “You told Miss Bennet what happened to Georgiana last summer? What is the lady to you? Have you an understanding with her?”
He braced against the back of the chair, steeling his posture as he crossed his arms before his chest. “No, there is nothing of the kind between us. Miss Bennet is naught but an acquaintance, but since she was taken in by Wickham’s lies and does not have a high opinion of me, I could think of no other way to be certain of convincing her to take my word.”
His cousin rose from his chair and paced before him, shaking his head. His tone conveyed equal parts scorn and incredulity while his thrashing arms marked each sentence. “You could think of no other way? Instead of revealing such private personal information involving your own sister, who is as much my responsibility as yours I might add, you could have asked me to speak to the lady first. From what I have observed, Miss Bennet’s response to you has been at best one of tolerance and at worst as one might react to a fly in one’s soup; yet I dare say lady likes me quite well. The list of Wickham’s unsavoury propensities is long; it would have been no great feat to convince Miss Bennet of Wickham’s poor character without any mention of last summer.”
His cousin’s words ripped through Darcy like a blade. Even Richard had known of her disapprobation for him? What a fool he had been!
Richard paused in front of him to shake a finger in his face. “You and I agreed that other than my brother, Henry, we would tell no one of that incident. No one else! You know the sort of damage that could occur to Georgiana’s reputation if this became common knowledge. Miss Bennet is nothing to you, a mere acquaintance by your own words, and yet you gave her this confidential information!”
Darcy’s mask of confidence slipped in the face of his cousin’s vehement words of reproof. Richard’s response was valid. Would he not have reacted the same way—or worse—if his cousin had revealed the details of Wickham’s plot to elope with Georgiana to another?
“Why? Why did you do this?”
How Darcy had agonized over the question of how much to reveal to Miss Elizabeth last night! Had he made a dreadful mistake? No, the lady had a benevolent character. Since the episode at Ramsgate, Georgiana had been quiet and withdrawn―so much so that his sister had become a subject of anxiety. Upon making his decision to offer for Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy had never doubted that he would be giving Georgiana a loving, caring sister whom she would adore, but it was not to be. “Miss Bennet is trustworthy.”
His cousin resumed pacing. “You cannot be certain! How could you have been so reckless? Damn it, this is not like you.”
“Nevertheless, it serves no purpose to argue over the matter; it is done and cannot be undone. Do you agree to confirm the information should Miss Bennet ask you of it?”
“Did she seduce you? Does she hold some power over you? Is this some sort of coercion?”
A crushing weight of rage rumbled through his chest. He stood and confronted Richard with his hands fisted at his sides. “Miss Bennet is a lady, a gentleman’s daughter. You have no cause for making such outrageous statements about her!”
His cousin’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “Excuse me for having more concern for your sister than for a lady so unconnected to me.”
Darcy ground his teeth in an effort to settle his disordered emotions. “You have not answered my question. Will you or will you not agree to confirm the truth about Wickham to Miss Bennet should she ask you?”
With a noisy, rushed expulsion of breath, Richard threw his hands in the air. “Fine, why not? As you said, the damage has already been done. This is evidently so important to you that you have risked your sister’s reputation, so yes. You and I shall call at the parsonage after breakfast and take our leave of them. While we are there, I shall ask Miss Bennet to take a walk in the garden. If she asks me of Wickham, I shall tell her the truth.”
“I thank you.” With a brusque nod, Darcy left the room. Having garnered his cousin’s cooperation, his tumultuous thoughts centred on the item of most importance: he was to see her one final time.
*
Darcy and his cousin marched in a mutual brooding silence to the parsonage. The exercise did nothing to soothe his chafed spirits. He held back several feet behind Richard as they passed through the entryway of the parsonage. His heart beat at a frenetic pace as he endeavoured to prepare himself for his final time in her presence. But it was all for naught. As his eyes skimmed the room without finding their object, Mrs. Collins spoke, lamenting upon the fact that Miss Bennet had gone for a walk that morning and had not yet returned.
Fifteen minutes into the intolerable visit, during which Darcy had flinched at the slightest noise made within or without the house, he stood and stated a need to take his leave. Richard expressed a wish to stay in the interest of making his farewell to Miss Bennet. Darcy nodded his thanks to his cousin and bowed to the ladies before departing with undignified haste from the house.
Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match
by Kelly Miller
Blurb:
When secrets are revealed and a family agenda works against him, can Fitzwilliam Darcy recover his damaged spirits and find happiness?
Following his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy returns to London from Kent broken-hearted and dejected. One bright spot penetrates his sea of despair: his sister, Georgiana, has finally recovered her spirits from the grievous events at Ramsgate the previous summer. She has forged a new friendship with Miss Hester Drake, a lady who appears to be an ideal friend. In fact, Lady Matlock believes Miss Drake is Darcy’s perfect match.
Upon Elizabeth Bennet’s arrival at the Gardiners’ home from Kent, she finds that her sister Jane remains despondent over her abandonment by Mr. Bingley. But Elizabeth has information that might bring them together. She convinces her Uncle Gardiner to write a letter to Mr. Bingley providing key facts supplied to her by Mr. Darcy.
When Mr. Bingley discovers that his friend and sisters colluded to keep Jane’s presence in London from him, how will he respond? Given the chance, will Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their past misunderstandings? What will Darcy do when his beloved sister becomes a hindrance towards winning the lady he loves?
by Kelly Miller
Blurb:
When secrets are revealed and a family agenda works against him, can Fitzwilliam Darcy recover his damaged spirits and find happiness?
Following his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy returns to London from Kent broken-hearted and dejected. One bright spot penetrates his sea of despair: his sister, Georgiana, has finally recovered her spirits from the grievous events at Ramsgate the previous summer. She has forged a new friendship with Miss Hester Drake, a lady who appears to be an ideal friend. In fact, Lady Matlock believes Miss Drake is Darcy’s perfect match.
Upon Elizabeth Bennet’s arrival at the Gardiners’ home from Kent, she finds that her sister Jane remains despondent over her abandonment by Mr. Bingley. But Elizabeth has information that might bring them together. She convinces her Uncle Gardiner to write a letter to Mr. Bingley providing key facts supplied to her by Mr. Darcy.
When Mr. Bingley discovers that his friend and sisters colluded to keep Jane’s presence in London from him, how will he respond? Given the chance, will Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their past misunderstandings? What will Darcy do when his beloved sister becomes a hindrance towards winning the lady he loves?
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About the Author
Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made
Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match is her second novel published by Meryton Press. Her first was the Regency novel Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley, a Pride and Prejudice romantic sequel with a touch of fantasy. Her third novel, Accusing Mr. Darcy, will be released later in 2020.
Connect with Kelly Miller
Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match Blog Schedule
January 27 Austenesque Reviews
January 28 My Jane Austen Book Club
January 29 Austenprose
January 30 So Little Time…
January 31 Babblings of a Bookworm
February 3 More Agreeably Engaged
February 4 Savvy Verse & Wit
February 6 Donadee’s Corner
February 7 Diary of an Eccentric
February 10 From Pemberley to Milton
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Kelly, thank you for that lovely excerpt! My favorite secondary character is Colonel Fitzwilliam. I loved seeing him here! :)
Many thanks to Janet Taylor @ More Agreeably Engaged for organizing this blog tour! Also, I love the cover design you did for this book! It's beautiful!
So, friends, what did you think of the excerpt? Please, feel free to leave any comments or questions for Kelly here!
