Chapter 22
Stone Man
“You must forgive me, Miss Bennet, if I was especially harsh in my words yesterday.”
Elizabeth was silent for a moment, contemplative eyes fixed ahead as she walked.
Morning light bathed the shrubs and grass on either side of the road, and the tops of the more distant trees; some of which were flowering. Some were not. The gentle scent of spring was in the air.
“What changed your mind?”
“I cannot say that my mind is changed,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “But I wished to give you a fair chance to speak your piece.”
They walked in silence for some more time.
Earlier that day, when Elizabeth had left the parsonage for her usual morning constitutional (reticule in hand, in case Mr. Darcy appeared later), she had chanced upon the Colonel not too far from the head of the road. She did not believe it was a coincidence.
“There is not much to say, I am afraid,” Elizabeth said, breaking her silence. “I shall give you the letter for Miss Darcy once it is ready. You may do with it as you believe is right.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam glanced at her. But she kept her eyes fixed ahead.
“Did Darcy say anything to you yesterday?” he asked, and then cleared his throat. “You seemed distressed when you left. It was quite abrupt.”
And why might that be?
Elizabeth did not vocalize her thoughts. “He did not.”
They walked in silence for some moments more.
“How is Mr. Darcy faring?” she asked after a while. “This matter has been kept quite secretive thus far, if I am being perfectly honest.”
“Yes, it has,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “We have our reasons.”
“Would it have anything to do with Lady Catherine?”
Another glance was cast her way.
“Yes, and no.”
Elizabeth almost threw up her hands in annoyance, but a deep frown did etch itself on her lips. She fixed a glare on the Colonel. “Sir, you may not believe I can see your cousin’s apparition, but the poor man deserves to know what happened to him!”
Colonel Fitzwilliam simply “hmm-ed”.
Then he said, “Perhaps I shall tell him once I have satisfied my curiosity. You could act as our intermediary, could you not? I would like to ask him a few questions first.”
Elizabeth sighed.
“Yes, I can do that. But I do not know when Mr. Darcy will appear.”
“Well then, one can only hope Darcy will make an appearance sooner rather than later.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and looked away.
Colonel Fitzwilliam very much still believed she was a fraud.