To Conquer Mr. Darcy Read Free Page A

afternoon, although he could hardly claim that it was in the best interest of his regiment for him to do so. However, his words to Georgiana notwithstanding, he was worried about Darcy’s state of mind, and felt it behooved him to be available in case matters deteriorated due to the apparent quarrel with Bingley. Thus he found himself penning a long overdue letter to his parents while surreptitiously eyeing his cousin, who was so deeply engrossed in a book as to have completely ceased turning its pages, when the arrival of Mr. Bingley was announced.
    Without looking up, Darcy said, “Tell him if he wants pistols at dawn, he shall have to wait his turn behind you, Fitzwilliam.”
    “Why pistols? You have choice of weapons if he is challenging, and you could take either of us apart with a rapier.”
    “Who says I want to win?” said Darcy grimly.
    “ Please stop it, both of you,” said Georgiana in a trembling voice. “It is not funny.”
    Both men looked over at her to see tears in her eyes. The colonel was immediately kneeling by her side. “Georgiana, sweetheart, this is just playing! Dueling is illegal, remember?”
    “I hate it when you fight,” she said faintly.
    Darcy put his book down. “I apologize, Georgiana. My mood is beastly, and I have been taking it out on Richard, but no, we are not fighting. There is no need for you to worry. Look, we can be friends,” he said, holding out a hand to his cousin.
    “There is no need to patronize me, William!” she responded with a degree of defiance that startled both gentlemen.
    “Mr. Bingley,” Philips said from the doorway as Bingley entered with his usual eagerness, oblivious to the tension in the room.
    “Colonel Fitzwilliam!” Bingley said with pleasure, advancing to greet him. “I had not heard you were in town! And Miss Darcy, how pleasant to see you again!” He turned to Darcy, whose demeanor suggested that he was expecting at the very least some form of violence, and rocked up on his toes. “Well?” he asked enthusiastically.
    “Well what?” Darcy’s voice was carefully neutral.
    Bingley smiled broadly as if this were a foolish question. “Are you coming to Netherfield with me, or not?”
    There was a minute of silence as Darcy carefully regarded Bingley, oblivious to his cousin’s sudden attention. “Is it your wish that I come with you?” he asked stiffly.
    “Of course!” Bingley said earnestly. “You really must come, you know.”
    Colonel Fitzwilliam whispered something to Georgiana that caused her to look at him in some surprise, but Darcy and Bingley were oblivious to the exchange.
    “I suppose I could come for a short while,” Darcy said slowly, as if the words had to be pulled out of him.
    “Excellent, excellent!” Bingley was clearly delighted.
    “May I come as well?” Georgiana’s voice came timidly.
    Darcy looked at her in surprise. It was rare enough for her to say anything in company, and making such a request in public was completely novel. “I am not sure that would be a good idea,” he said, thinking of one particular member of the militia billeted at Meryton.
    “Nonsense,” said the colonel energetically. “It will do her a world of good to get out of London during the summer. I could hardly believe you planned to stay here through the hot weather. That is, if Mr. Bingley has no objections?”
    “Of course not!” Bingley said. “It would be delightful if you would join us.”
    “Good, umm… I mean thank you,” she said in a near-whisper, clearly having exhausted her store of courage. Darcy opened his mouth to speak, but then limited himself to a significant stare at Colonel Fitzwilliam.
    “Wonderful!” Bingley said. “Shall we consider our plans?”
    * * *
    A fortnight after the removal of the regiment from Meryton, the normal good humor and cheerfulness that had disappeared from Longbourn with the departure of the officers began to reappear. The discontentedness of Kitty and Mrs. Bennet had waned,