Page 36 of You Willfully Misunderstand Me

"Yes," Darcy answered immediately. Then, after a moment, said, "And, I intend to keep it that way."

***

When Darcy returned to the cottage, he found Elizabeth near the hearth, speaking with Mrs. Kewley. She looked up as he entered. And immediately, she knew something had changed. But she had learned, over these past strange days, to recognize the smallest signs. The tension in his shoulders, and the quietness of his manner.

"Mr. Darcy?"

He looked toward her. And, for a moment, he considered saying nothing. But Elizabeth had never been a woman who tolerated being sheltered from the truth. And he had promised himself he would not make that mistake again, "Elizabeth," hebegan, then corrected himself with quiet formality, "there is something I must tell you, Mrs. Darcy."

The warmth of the cottage suddenly seemed to diminish, and Elizabeth set aside what she was holding. "What has happened?"

"Would you join me in our chamber?" The request was quietly spoken, yet it carried enough seriousness that Elizabeth did not question it.

They excused themselves from Mrs. Kewley, and walked through the familiar corridor to their bedroom door. Mr. Darcy opened the door, and gave way for her to enter first, before he closed the door behind him.

Once they were alone, Darcy remained silent for a moment, looking at her, and before he answered, one thought became perfectly clear.Whatever this false invitation was, it had never been merely about bringing Elizabeth to the Isle of Man.For days, he had considered the possibility that the mystery concerned only Anne, some misunderstanding that would eventually be explained. But the evidence now pointed toward something far more deliberate.

His expression must have changed, for Elizabeth watched him with increasing concern, "Mr. Darcy, what is it?"

He forced himself back to the present. "I fear," he said carefully, "that we may need to exercise considerable caution."

Elizabeth's expression changed immediately, "Caution?"

Darcy nodded, "I have learned that there may be individuals upon the island, or perhaps those passing through it, who have taken an unusual interest in wealthy Englishtravelers." He chose his next words carefully, unwilling to alarm her unnecessarily while knowing she deserved the truth. "Smugglers, perhaps. Or men of similar character."

Elizabeth looked toward him, “They know of us? Here on the Isle?"

"Yes."

A silence settled between them. Elizabeth thought of the mysterious letter, of Anne's careful words, of the strange certainty that had drawn her across the sea. What had once seemed merely unusual now appeared far more troubling.

"But if they were seeking wealthy Englishmen," she said slowly, "why involve me?"

Darcy's expression tightened, "I fear, Miss Bennet, that may be the very reason I am most concerned."

He paused, "Because they understood that you were the one person whose circumstances would compel me to act."

Elizabeth stared at him. "But how could they know that?" The question came quickly. "You had planned to come here long before you knew of my invitation. You intended to inspect your estate. You had no knowledge that I would be here, and I certainly had no knowledge that you would be." She shook her head slightly. "It does not make sense."

Darcy was silent. In truth, he had been asking himself the same question. However, the answer did not lie in Hertfordshire or in Meryton, where their first impressions of one another had been formed, nor in the brief encounters that had passed between them among familiar faces and familiar expectations.

It led back somewhere else, Kent. His thoughts returned unwillingly to those weeks at Rosings. To the walks they had taken through the countryside, and the conversations that had begun with disagreement and slowly revealed something far more complicated. And, most painfully, to the evening when he had offered her his hand and his future, only to have her refuse both.

Elizabeth's expression changed as though she, too, had followed the same path of thought, "Kent," she said quietly.

Darcy looked at her, "Yes. Everything points there. My cousin is there, and my aunt. And, it is where you established an acquaintance with my cousin.”

"We were not together often," Elizabeth said slowly. “And, it was only afterward that your cousin and I began corresponding."

Darcy nodded, "And I proposed to you there." He cringed to speak of it, and they both felt the weight of it.

Elizabeth looked toward the fire, "Then whoever arranged this may not have known of our present circumstances."

"No." Darcy's voice was thoughtful, "They may have known only what occurred in Kent."

A silence followed. It meant the scheme was not as perfectly designed as they had feared. But it also meant someone had been paying attention. Someone had noticed the connection between them. Darcy looked toward the closed door that separated their chambers. The mystery had begun with a letter from Anne de Bourgh. But perhaps its true origin lay weeks earlier, among the gardens and paths of Rosings Park.

For several moments, neither spoke, as the implications of what they had uncovered remained between them, heavy and uncertain. And, the terrifying possibility that someone had been observing the both of them long before either of them had realized it.