Chapter 3 #2
“We are not, Aunt Catherine,” Fitzwilliam stated after he had bussed her cheek with his lips. “We are, in fact, an hour earlier than we had told you we would be here.”
Darcy also gave his aunt’s cheek a light kiss.
“Aunt, where is Anne? Is she not here to greet us?” Fitzwilliam asked. He did not miss a look of worry flash over his aunt’s countenance. There was something afoot here.
“Anne is resting, you will see her when she feels up to coming down,” Lady Catherine claimed.
‘I will make my way to Anne’s chambers and see for myself. I do not trust the old dragon,’ Fitzwilliam said silently to himself.
“We saw the parson’s new wife on our way to the house. I think I recognise her from Hertfordshire, Miss Elizabeth Bennet as was,” Darcy stated as calmly as he was able.
‘There is something else to discover. William knows that wood nymph and said nothing,’ Fitzwilliam thought.
“She is still Miss Elizabeth Bennet. That impertinent girl is visiting her friend, the new Mrs Collins. She used to be Miss Lucas,” Lady Catherine corrected. “Can you believe that the girl refused Mr Collins even though he is the heir to their insignificant estate?”
‘She is not married! She refused him… and regardless how eligible a match it was, she was obviously not forced to accept him. Does that mean that Miss Bennet would not have accepted Bingley if she had not been so inclined? Surely I could not have been so much in error,’ Darcy asked himself silently.
His conscience was screaming that he knew he was wrong and had used separating Miss Bennet and Bingley as a way of protecting himself from Miss Elizabeth.
Miss Elizabeth was still single! What if anything was he to do about that. Without first considering his words, Darcy heard himself make a suggestion. “Come Fitzwilliam, we should go pay our respects at the parsonage.”
Before his aunt could complain, Darcy was out of the room, and with a smirk firmly in place, his cousin followed him.
“William, are you in love with this Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” Fitzwilliam asked a few minutes after they left the manor.
He was looking directly at his cousin when he asked, and Fitzwilliam did not miss the different emotions playing across his cousin’s face.
“Do not look so outraged. I saw the way you looked at her as we drove by, and how you lit up with pleasure when Aunt Cat told you she was not Mrs Collins.”
“It is an infatuation; she is not an acceptable woman to be Mrs Darcy of Pemberley.”
Fitzwilliam could hear the damnable Darcy pride speaking.
They arrived at the parsonage before he could retort.
He stepped forward and pulled the chain attached to the bell.
It did not take long before a female servant opened the door.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy to pay their respects to the master and mistress of the house,” Fitzwilliam stated.
Without a word, the maid melted into the interior of the house, leaving the door open.
On being told who was at his door, Collins almost ran to the entrance hall.
“What an absolute honour to have my beneficent patroness’s nephews call at my humble abode.
It is not what you are used to, but please, you are most welcome,” Collins gushed between deep breaths as he bowed repeatedly.
He led them to the back parlour where his wife and sister-in-law sat. Both stood when the gentlemen entered.
“My aunt tells me that wishes of happy are to be conveyed on your marriage, Mrs Collins,” Darcy said with a bow.
“I was most fortunate to gain my dear Charlotte as my wife after that ungrateful cousin… I suppose the less said about that the better,” Collins replied for his wife.
“William, will you make the introductions please,” Fitzwilliam requested.
Hiding his disappointment that Miss Elizabeth was absent, Darcy performed the introductions. They had just sat when the door opened and in walked the lady with whom Darcy was fascinated.
Elizabeth froze at the door. ‘What on earth is Mr Darcy doing here? Has he come to look down on us?’ Elizabeth asked herself silently.
“Well met, Miss Elizabeth, or without your sister here, I should say Miss Bennet,” Darcy managed. “May I introduce my cousin?” Seeing the look on her face Darcy took it as her being as pleased to see him as he was to see her.
If she was nothing else, Elizabeth was polite.
“Good day to you, Mr Darcy, and yes, I would be happy to know your cousin.” The man dressed in a uniform of the regulars was a colonel from what she could see.
He was a little shorter than Mr Darcy, but far broader in the shoulders, he had dirty blonde hair, and similar blue eyes to his cousin.
The man was not as handsome as Mr Darcy, but he was certainly far from being homely.
“Fitzwilliam, I present to you Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire. Miss Bennet, my cousin Colonel, the Honourable Richard Fitzwilliam of the Royal Dragoons.” Darcy watched as she curtsied and his cousin then bowed over her hand.
He felt a surge of jealousy at the contact between her and Richard.
Darcy’s head reminded him that no matter what his heart demanded, she could never be a proper Mrs Darcy!
Mr Darcy’s cousin was nothing like him. He was an amiable man who did not act as if anyone was below him.
Elizabeth was impressed that Colonel Fitzwilliam even took her cousin’s fawning in stride.
He deflected Mr Collins, but never with malice.
She could not understand why Mr Darcy had come.
After the introduction to his cousin, he said not a word.
He just sat there staring at her to find more of her faults.
Had he not catalogued all her myriad blemishes in Hertfordshire?
Did the proud, arrogant, and after what he did to Mr Wickham, dishonourable man need to discover more of her imperfections in Kent as well?
As he sat there watching Miss Bennet interact easily with his cousin, Darcy admitted that he was lost. He was in love with her.
The problem was what, if anything, could he do about it?
Other than Miss Bennet, her family in Meryton were all terrible, not people he could ever acknowledge in society.
In addition, the mother’s brother was in trade, and if Mrs Bennet and her older sister, Mrs Phillips, were anything to go by, the brother was as bad, if not worse.
Darcy did not have the answers to his conundrum.
He would have to think long and hard to decide if there was a possible way forward.
When a half hour was up, Darcy stood which caused his cousin to do the same. He turned to Miss Bennet. “Do you walk in the mornings as you did in Hertfordshire?”
It shocked Elizabeth that Mr Darcy was aware of her habit to that extent.
Then, she remembered how she had overheard Miss Bingley mockingly calling her a ‘great walker’.
She wondered if Mr Darcy meant to denigrate her for walking out each morning, except for the Sabbath.
She decided to reply so that Mr Darcy would know what to avoid and when.
“Weather permitting, I walk out at dawn on the paths through the groves. At times, I seek solitude at the glade.”
‘She is telling me when and where to find her,’ Darcy told himself excitedly. Yes, he had much on which to cogitate. There must be a way to have her as his wife without the embarrassment which was her family.
As he walked back to the mansion with William, Richard Fitzwilliam had much to contemplate.
‘He is in love with Miss Bennet, of that I am certain. However, I am equally sure that she does not return his feelings. In fact, I think she dislikes William. I wonder what he did to upset such a pleasant, and rather beautiful young lady? Knowing him, he inserted his hessian into his mouth again and did not think he did. His pride will not allow him to see his faults.’ Fitzwilliam said nothing to his cousin as they walked.
He needed to think if he could help Miss Bennet see William in a better light.
For her part, Elizabeth was glad the awkward meeting was over. Now that he was aware where she rambled, she was certain she would not see Mr Darcy again. Charlotte’s voice brought Elizabeth out of her thoughts. “Please pardon me, Charlotte, I was not paying you heed.”
“I said, no matter how much my husband thinks Lady Catherine’s nephews’ visit was a compliment to himself, I would wager it was your presence that brought Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam to my door,” Charlotte opined.
“Did you not see how Mr Darcy sat about, as much above his company as he was in Hertfordshire, while his amiable cousin was the one who entertained us? No, Charlotte, Mr Darcy came most unwillingly, and I do not believe we will see him here again,” Elizabeth stated with certainty.
“Only time will tell, Eliza.” Charlotte had a mysterious smile on her face which Elizabeth chose to ignore.