"Yes, quite. I hear that it does like to throw a few surprises your way once in a while," he commented, only on what he had heard and observed this far.
Darcy smiled a little and gave her a nod. "Please, do tell him that he is welcome to visit any time he pleases," he assured her, and not merely because he was being polite. Getting to know Ashley's family well was a primary concern of his.
Miss Sully reappeared changed, and Darcy's smile grew a little wider as he saw her again. He gave them a respectful distance while they talked, and as Ashley approached him again he gave her a nod, and then a bow to her aunt. "I hope we shall meet again soon," he told her, before turning to Ashley again. "Shall we?"