Blast! Would that he could only be c l e a r! Did she not understand him? Truly, he thought himself e x p l i c i t, but that she had such a talent at twisting his words was maddeningly degrading to his nerves. The dance was hardly given t h o u g h t, steps fluid and practiced and long-since memorised, yet he could not articulate the one thing he wished to say to her.

“ You mistake me, Miss Bennet. ” He did not mean it as an insult, for surely she would take it as a slight against her i n t e l l i g e n c e – was she not the most astute creature he knew? “ Your company is wholly coveted. ” Lord, but did the words s t i c k to his throat! He tried desperately to meet her eyes. He was a man of action, not of words, and if he could only show her…