Page 17 of When Elizabeth Said Yes

"Yes?"

He blinked, seeming surprised by her irritation, and then said, "Please allow me to see you safely back to Hunsford."

She paused.

She had not expected that, and it was really not very far. Why, she could see the parsonage on the horizon already.

"We should not be seen together," she muttered, looking down at the ground, aware that it was rather hypocritical of her to be concerned about society.

And yet she could not help it.

To be seen in the company of a man when she had claimed to be ill and slipped out of the house would do her reputation no good at all.

She was already the impoverished daughter of a deceased minor gentleman. She did not need to attach scandal to her name as well.

"We do not have to be seen, but I would feel much better knowing you were safely home."

It was her turn to blink in surprise.

She had thought his offer was made out of concern for propriety, but now it seemed as though he was concerned for her safety. While she thought it unlikely that any harm would come to her in such a short distance, she did appreciate the concern.

"Very well," she said. "Thank you."

They walked back in step with one another, and she was even more surprised when Darcy appeared to make an effort at conversation. Every time she had previously been in his company, he had been taciturn and stoic, unwilling to engage in the small talk of others.

"How do you find Hunsford?" he asked. "I believe my aunt had a great deal of work done to it before Mr Collins moved in."

"It is a beautiful home," she said, well aware that it could have been her home for a time had she accepted Mr Collins's proposal. "And I think Lady Catherine could not have bestowed her generosity upon a more appreciative person."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him smile. For some reason, it warmed her heart that he did so.

"No, I think you are right," he said. "Although I gather Mr Collins will not long remain at Hunsford."

Elizabeth swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

Well, it was true, of course.

"I am sure you are aware that my family home is entailed upon him, and with my father gone—"

She choked back a wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.

"With my father gone, he may take up residence whenever he chooses, and so we must wait for the axe to fall."

"It seems very unfair upon you all," Mr Darcy said.

She nodded. "It does, but it is the way of the world, of course. If only my father had had a son. If only I had—"

She looked up at the parsonage, which they were nearly upon, and shook her head.

"Well, never mind. Things could have been different, but this is the way they are, and one cannot change the past, so there is little point worrying about it, is there?"

She stopped at the edge of the gardens.

"I believe this is where we should part. You will be able to see that I enter the door from here, should you wish to be fully satisfied of my safety."

"I do," Mr Darcy said, with no hint of irony or sarcasm.

That unsettled her a little.