The Houseguest A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (25 page)

~

That night at Rosings, things were considerably less awkward. Darcy felt all
the release of confession and was determined to enjoy this time with Elizabeth.
He thought she had at some point felt something for him – he hoped he could
revive it and make it grow. He set about his plan with precision and patience.
He dressed carefully, purposefully wearing colors he knew Elizabeth favored.
Colonel Fitzwilliam knew what he was about and was prepared to run interference
with their aunt on his behalf. 
If she could be won, he would win her. 
When she arrived at Rosings, Elizabeth went straight to Georgiana’s side. She
wore the yellow dress from her first dinner in London, which did not escape
Darcy’s notice. She had a pearl pendant around her neck and her hair was
twisted up in a style simple enough to do herself.
They sat in the parlor for half an hour before dinner, speaking comfortably,
with Lady Catherine dominating the conversation. At dinner, Darcy sat on Lady
Catherine’s right, with a clear view of his cousin Anne directly in front of
him. Colonel Fitzwilliam was next to Anne and Charlotte next to him. Georgiana
was between Darcy and Elizabeth, with Mr. Collins on Elizabeth’s right, across
from Maria Lucas.
Poor Maria, she was so terrified of her surroundings and from Mr. Collins
threats that should she not behave properly, she would be sent home
immediately, that she hardly said two sentences together, and those were to
Charlotte. Mr. Collins took every opportunity to compliment Lady Catherine, Mr.
Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam, in that order, even though he was at the
farthest end of the table.
Thankfully, Georgiana kept Elizabeth engaged in conversation most of the time,
as Darcy was trapped speaking to his aunt, so she was able, for the most part,
to avoid conversation with Mr. Collins. She took the opportunity to tell her
friend of her change in plans.
“How long were you intending to stay at Rosings?” she asked quietly.
“I believe we are set to depart the first week of April, but I do not know the
date exactly. Perhaps you could travel with us?” 
“Perhaps. I will have to see if there is a post chaise available and if our
dates line up. We will speak more about it later.”
After dinner, they retired to the drawing room where Lady Catherine insisted
Elizabeth play for them. Glad to get away from the dominated conversation, she
moved to the instrument with alacrity. Georgiana quickly stood and followed
her, offering to turn the pages. A few minutes later, Colonel Fitzwilliam
joined them.
She played for them the remainder of the evening, conversing with Colonel
Fitzwilliam where possible, occasionally laughing at his jokes, while Lady
Catherine was content to be worshiped by Mr. Collins and listened to by her
favorite nephew. She criticized Elizabeth’s playing multiple times, stating
loudly that she would never be truly proficient if she did not practice more,
and that she knew Mrs. Collins had no instrument, but she was welcome to play
in the housekeeper’s room. She declared she would be in nobody’s way in that
part of the house. 
Elizabeth merely smiled and thanked her for her concern, and continued to play
as Colonel Fitzwilliam made jokes about and did rough imitations of his aunt
behind the cover of the pianoforte, much to the amusement of Elizabeth and
Georgiana. She played until it was time to leave, said goodbye to her friends,
and boarded the carriage to the parsonage.
 

~

Friday and Saturday passed by
uneventfully, except for the call paid each morning on the ladies of the
parsonage by the guests of Rosings Park. Not being formed for ill humor,
Elizabeth quickly regained most of her natural ease with Darcy, except for the
occasional flash of resentment when she thought too much about what he did and
said about her family, but she could usually talk herself down fairly
quickly. 
Sometimes, she caught him giving her dark looks. They were reminiscent of the
way he had looked at her in Hertfordshire, when she had thought he was
searching for fault in her. Now, she thought he might be looking for something
else entirely.
After church on Sunday, Lady Catherine invited the Collinses and their guests
to dine at Rosings. This time, Elizabeth was seated next to Charlotte, on the
opposite side of the table from Darcy and Georgiana and as far from Lady
Catherine as possible. The message was clear: she had been demoted. Relieved
the great lady didn’t seem to be interested in quizzing her any longer,
Elizabeth happily ate her dinner in quiet conversation with Charlotte.
After dinner, they sat down to play cards. They made up two tables, Mr.
Collins, Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy, and Anne de Bourgh at one table, Colonel
Fitzwilliam, Charlotte, Elizabeth and Georgiana at the other. Maria Lucas was
sitting out. The gentlemen were about to sit down, when Colonel Fitzwilliam
asked Darcy to switch places with him, as he had something he wished to discuss
with Lady Catherine. Darcy gladly obliged him and the games began.
“Fitzwilliam! What is it you need to speak to me of?” Lady Catherine demanded
in a loud voice.
Maintaining both his volume and his humor, the Colonel asked her, “I wanted to
know if you and Anne were planning a holiday to Bath this spring.”
“A holiday? To Bath?”
“Yes.”
“That is all? That is your important discussion?”
“Are you? Planning a holiday that is?” Colonel Fitzwilliam looked at her
sincerely, awaiting an answer to his question. 
Lady Catherine was not pleased. “No, we are certainly 
not
 planning a holiday to Bath.
Whatever could make you ask such an insipid question?”
“I hear Bath is very nice this time of year. I was simply inquiring, that is
all. Mother spoke of taking a short trip there later in the season.”
“Humph! Of course she would! She always had more time than sense,” she said
derisively.
The Colonel merely smiled, knowing full well the extent of the feud between
Lady Matlock and Lady Catherine. He was never one to brag, but he did believe
his mother was winning.
“Oh, dear!” Elizabeth said quietly. She screwed her mouth up in concentration
as she looked at her cards. 
“Is everything alright, Miss Bennet?” 
“Yes, quite, thank you Mr. Darcy.” She looked down, embarrassed she had spoken
aloud.
“I do not know why everyone plays this game! I do not see what is so intriguing
about it.” Georgiana sighed as she made her play.
“I believe many look forward to what they may win,” Charlotte answered her with
a smile as she made a winning play.
“Perhaps you do not have a very competitive nature, Georgiana,” offered
Elizabeth.
“You may be right. I confess I have never cared for games where points are
counted and the whole object is to win. If the game is not enjoyable in and of
itself, why bother? There is more than the score to consider.”
“Very wise words for one so young,” said Charlotte.
“Very wise indeed! What have you been reading, Georgiana?” asked Darcy in a
teasing voice.
Elizabeth and Charlotte laughed, and Georgiana flushed and kept her eyes on her
cards. 
“Leave her alone, Mr. Darcy! She is quite right, after all!” Elizabeth smiled
at Darcy, a familiar twinkle in her eye. He understood her perfectly. 
That is the first time she has teased me since the
ball,
 he thought.
Darcy’s mood only elevated from there, in direct correlation to his aunt’s
declining one. She did not like Darcy sitting away from her and Anne,
especially when he appeared to be having a good time, much too good a time, and
in the company of Elizabeth Bennet! She did not like how he smiled at her. And
she did 
not
 like
Fitzwilliam’s ridiculous questions. This was what happened when you put men in
the army; they became absolute imbeciles! 
As the game wore on, Georgiana became more comfortable with Charlotte and began
to speak more, to the delight of her brother. Elizabeth teased Darcy a few more
times, always smiling at him as she did so, and he felt he had made definite
progress. 

~

25 March, 1812
Matlock House
London
Dear Miss Bennet,
I hope you will not mind, but Georgiana has
informed me that you will be returning to London earlier than expected to shop for
your sister’s wedding clothes. I wish to issue an invitation for you to stay at
Matlock House. It will be an excellent opportunity for us to get to know one
another better, and if you are set on spending this time with your sister,
please consider her included in the invitation. I would be happy to assist in
the shopping, with your aunt of course. I found both your sister and aunt quite
pleasant when I met them at Darcy House. As you know, I have no daughters, so
preparing for a wedding would be quite entertaining for me. I hope to receive
your acceptance letter soon. I shall send my carriage to Kent for you if it is
required, you need only let me know.
Sincerely,
Lady Matlock
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as she refolded the letter. Lady Matlock
really wasn’t so different from her mother. Wealthier and better mannered, and
definitely less shrill, but still just as determined to marry her off. At least
Lady Matlock cared whether she liked the man she married.
The last few days had been very pleasant. She had visited each morning with
Georgiana and the gentlemen, and often Georgiana would stay with Elizabeth
while the men toured their aunt’s estate. They had even all taken an open
carriage ride around the neighboring countryside. 
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy had delighted in showing her and Georgiana
all the sights and describing where they had been thrown by horses or played as
children. Fitzwilliam was an excellent storyteller, as Darcy had promised,
though she wondered if his stories were entirely factual. On more than one
occasion, she had seen Darcy shaking his head or covering his eyes with his
hand. 
The parsonage had not been invited back to Rosings, but were expecting an
invitation Sunday, as was the usual custom. Elizabeth and Darcy were nearly
back to their previous level of comfort, even though there was the occasional
moment of awkwardness. 
It had been arranged that Elizabeth would ride back to London with Georgiana,
Darcy, and Fitzwilliam on the seventh of April. She had joked that she had been
offered so many carriages she was tempted to ride alone for greater
comfort. 
Only the Colonel had laughed.

~

Easter Sunday quickly approached and Mr. Collins was all aflutter as he ran
through the house, ordering the ladies to dress faster and pin their hair
quicker. Lady Catherine would not appreciate them being late, especially
on 
‘such a sacred holiday’
.
They were in fact quite early, and Elizabeth found herself wishing she had
something to do as she waited inside the cold church. The sermon was dull and
predictable, but blessedly short. Afterward, Mr. Collins rushed to the door to
greet the parishioners as they left. When Lady Catherine walked past, he
groveled obsequiously and wished her a happy Easter, to which she replied with
a slight nod and an invitation to dinner. Mr. Collins was effusive in his
thanks, and would have continued some time longer had Lady Catherine not walked
away towards her carriage. 
When they arrived back at the parsonage, an express rider was just coming into
the lane.
“Express for Miss Bennet.”
“I am Miss Bennet.” Elizabeth took the letter as Charlotte gave the rider a few
coins. She rolled her eyes in disgust when she saw the hopeful, wide-eyed
expression on Mr. Collins's face. Elizabeth said a silent prayer that her
father was well and broke the seal. Seeing three pairs of eyes on her, she
excused herself to her bedroom.
28 March, 1812
Longbourn
Hertfordshire
Oh Lizzy! Why did you not tell me Lady
Matlock had taken a liking to you? She has just sent a letter informing me of
her invitation for you to stay at her townhouse! Think of all the men you will
meet! Her eldest son is still single! And he has a title! Oh my Lizzy! Think
how grand you will be!
Remember not to talk too much and try not to
be impertinent. Men do not like wild women who roam the countryside alone and
disagree with everything they say. Your father has consented to buy you two new
gowns - your Aunt Gardiner will take care of it. Do not be a burden and make
yourself agreeable. Oh Lizzy, how clever you are! Lady Matlock is a powerful
friend indeed! Mind your manners and remember to give the gentlemen something
to wonder about, but maintain your mystery. You must write soon and tell us of
all the people you meet! Especially the gentlemen! Do try to find a handsome
one, dear – they are so much more pleasant to look at.
Your Mother,
Frances Bennet 
Elizabeth leaned back against the pillows. Only her mother would consider
courting advice worthy of an express. She rang for a cup of tea and decided to
take a much needed nap before going to Rosings. She asked the maid to inform
Charlotte and Mr. Collins that all was well; her mother had just had something
important to tell her, and not to worry. 
Or
rejoice
, she thought uncharitably. She lay down on the bed and
relaxed, letting the sound of the newly falling rain lull her to sleep.
At Rosings, Darcy was preparing for an enjoyable evening. He had seen Elizabeth
every day for well over a week. She seemed to have fully forgiven him and even looked
happy to see him. However, she also looked happy to see Georgiana and Colonel
Fitzwilliam. He had been maintaining a respectful distance while at Rosings or
on the grounds to avoid angering his aunt, but when he was out he tried to pay
more attention to her, and was livelier than usual, due largely to the fact
that he was already comfortable with his cousin and sister.
After spending an inordinate amount of time preparing, he headed downstairs to
meet their guests. Because of the rain, Lady Catherine had sent her carriage.
He met them in the parlor, and quickly noticed Elizabeth was missing. His brow
furrowing worriedly, he quietly asked Charlotte if Miss Bennet was ill.
“Not at all, Mr. Darcy. She will be along shortly.” 
Darcy was clearly confused as he looked out the window at the falling rain and
wondered how she was going to arrive without a carriage. She couldn’t possibly
be expected to walk in this weather!
Darcy stepped toward the door quietly and snuck out before his aunt noticed. He
quickly ran down the stairs to the entry, intending to seek out a footman to
see if the carriage was being sent back for Elizabeth, when he was arrested
mid-stride by a figure in the cloak room on his right.
Elizabeth had been sleeping deeply, thanks in large part to the steady beating
of the rain, and had woken moments before they were to leave for Rosings. Mr.
Collins pounded on her door, demanding she “be downstairs in three minutes”,
for the carriage would not wait. 
Elizabeth leapt out of bed and looked around her darkened room, barely able to
see the clock. Holding up a candle, she realized it was late in the afternoon,
and she had slept nearly three hours. She quickly changed her dress and called
for Maria to button her up the back. 
There were still two buttons to go when Mr. Collins ran down the hall, grabbed
Maria by the elbow and propelled her toward the stairs, yelling at Elizabeth
over his shoulder, “We must not keep Lady Catherine waiting. Come now, Cousin,
make haste!” 
Swallowing the retort begging to leap out of her mouth, she grabbed a brush and
stuffed a handful of pins into her reticule, and rushed down the stairs and
into the waiting carriage. Luckily, she had put her shoes on already, or she
would not have made it. The carriage lurched into motion before she was
seated. 
I wonder if he realizes Lady
Catherine is not actually in the carriage, and probably would not notice the
difference of a few minutes
.
Once at Rosings, an embarrassed Elizabeth stepped into the cloak room to fix
her hair while the rest of the party headed upstairs to the drawing room.
There, Darcy found her. He stood to the side where he was not easily visible
and watched her brushing her long tresses in front of the mirror, her head
tilted to one side. 
Her hair was thick and full, with large waves that curled up at the ends. It
reached almost to her waist and the deep brown color was rich and warm in the
candlelight. Piece by piece, she brushed, twirled, and pinned, until all of it
was piled atop her head. 
Darcy stood mesmerized, watching her. He found it incredibly intimate and
completely intoxicating. Realizing he was overstepping all bounds of propriety
and invading her privacy, he stepped back and turned around, acting as if he
had just arrived.
“Miss Bennet,” he called as she came out of the cloak room, “I was just looking
for you.”
“Then you seem to have found what you were searching for,” she replied with a
smile. 
I daresay I have
, he
thought.
“May I escort you to the parlor?” He held out his arm.
She took it and asked, “You do not wish to know what I am doing down here all
by myself?” She gave him a teasing smile.
Darcy blushed, wondering if she knew he’d been watching her. “Only if you wish
to tell me, Miss Bennet.”
She looked at him as if she were trying to make up her mind about something.
“Very well. Mr. Collins cannot bear to keep Lady Catherine waiting, so I was
forced to rush out before I was completely ready. I am afraid I took a nap this
afternoon and slept longer than I planned. I woke up less than five minutes
before we left.” She smiled guiltily, which Darcy found more than usually
endearing.
He smiled teasingly. “Mr. Collins would not wait for you?”
“I’m afraid not, and as I did not wish to miss an evening with friends, I came
half-prepared. Are you very shocked, Mr. Darcy?” She raised one brow
mischievously.
“Not at all, Miss Bennet. You would have been greatly missed, so I can only be
happy you chose to come, regardless of your level of preparation. And I must
say you look rather impressive.”
“For dressing in five minutes you mean?” She laughed.
Darcy chuckled and turned his head sideways to look at her. He stopped walking
half way up the stairs. “Uh, Miss Bennet, pardon me, but I believe you are
missing a few buttons.”
She looked at him quizzically as he gestured toward her back. She reached her
free arm up and behind and felt the top of her dress. She blushed scarlet as
she realized her top two buttons were unfastened. Elizabeth looked down and
refused to meet Mr. Darcy’s eye, silently cursing Maria and Mr. Collins and
wondering how she was going to fix this before anyone else saw. Was coming
without her hair done not bad enough?
“Please, allow me.” Mr. Darcy released her arm and reached behind her,
fastening one, and then the other button. If Elizabeth hadn’t already been the
color of a tomato, she would have quickly resembled one. The skin at the base
of her neck tingled as chills flared up the length of her spine. Darcy’s hands
seemed to linger slightly longer than necessary, and when he was finished,
their eyes met. They stared at each other for a long moment, barely breathing,
neither saying a word. 
A door closed loudly somewhere above them and they started, quickly remembering
where they were. He offered his arm again, and they climbed the remainder of
the stairs silently. 
Darcy led Elizabeth to a seat in the parlor next to Georgiana and moved to the
other side of the room. His aunt was speaking loudly to him, saying something
about how he should come sit next to Anne, but her words barely registered. He
stood looking out the window, his back to the room, his hands clasped behind
him. 
The way she looked at me
, he
thought, 
she must feel something, she
must!
 Darcy relived every moment of their brief encounter. The
way the light had played in her hair as she brushed it, the flush on her face
when she realized her buttons were undone, the way her skin had reacted when he
touched her, and the minutes they spent staring at each other on the stairs. He
did not know how long it was, only that it was not long enough. She had seemed
so open to him, as if she was his for the taking. 
He’d nearly declared himself on the spot. 
He had kept a respectful distance throughout the visit, not wanting to rush her
and desiring to be sure of her complete forgiveness. He wanted nothing between
them, and was willing to be patient and wait for her to regain trust in him.
They were called to dinner, and once again, Elizabeth sat at the far end of the
table next to Charlotte, completely ignored by Lady Catherine. The meal was not
overlong and they retired to the drawing room. 
Lady Catherine sat on her throne in the center, Mr. Collins humbly worshiping
at her feet. Usually, Darcy would sit near his aunt and away from Miss Bennet,
partially to give Elizabeth space, but also because it was proper to give his
aunt her due attention – he was her guest after all. But tonight, he quickly
sat next to Elizabeth, causing Colonel Fitzwilliam to spring into action.
Fitzwilliam sat near Lady Catherine and began to speak to her of music in an
attempt to distract her from Darcy’s nearness to Elizabeth.
Darcy and Elizabeth spoke of nothing in particular, but he sat a little closer
to her than was usual, and did not often include Georgiana or Charlotte in the
conversation, though they were near enough to be involved. 
Charlotte was a shrewd woman, and she saw what was happening in front of her.
She decided to give them as much privacy as possible by trying to facilitate
conversation between Georgiana and Maria, which was stilted but
progressing. 
“Miss Bennet, tomorrow I have some estate matters to see to for my aunt, but
Tuesday I shall be free all day. There is a ruin nearby that I believe you
would enjoy seeing. Would you allow me to show it to you?” 
“Of course, Mr. Darcy, I should like that very much.” 
They talked about their plans for the week, and eventually Elizabeth was asked
to play. Darcy rose with her and escorted her to the pianoforte, and then sat
down beside her, ready to turn the pages. Elizabeth’s expression showed her
surprise at his uncommon actions, but she maintained her ease and looked at him
with a smile.
“What shall I play, sir?”
Darcy looked through the music, and choosing one he had always thought she
played particularly well, he placed the music on the stand and resumed his
seat. Usually, Darcy was a meticulous man, known for paying attention to
details and maintaining his focus. He followed the music, intending to turn the
pages at the correct moment, but he found being next to Elizabeth too distracting,
and soon the time came to turn the page, and Darcy merely sat watching her,
without the slightest idea of where she was in the song.
Finally, Elizabeth looked over at him and gestured with her head to the music
stand. He quickly jumped up and turned the page, his arm and entire left side
brushing against her as he did so. Elizabeth hoped no one noticed that she
played the same chord progression three times through while waiting on him, or
that she made a rather obvious mistake when he brushed against her.
He sat back down, ready to pay attention, but a few bars in, he was lost again.
Elizabeth leaned toward him. “Shall I signal you when it’s time to turn the
page?” she whispered, intending to help. She wondered if he couldn’t read
music, but then why would he offer to turn the pages? 
Slightly embarrassed, he answered her quietly, “Thank you, Miss Bennet. That
would be helpful.”
She nodded and continued to play, tilting her head to him when it was time to
turn the page. Darcy quickly got over his embarrassment when he realized this
method would allow him to watch her face without restraint or fear of
discovery. At the end of the song, she turned to him with a smile.
“My fingers await your orders, sir.”
“I’ve always liked this one, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth looked at the song, noticing it was the same one she had performed at
Lucas Lodged all those months ago. He had asked her to play it more than once
in London, but she had thought nothing of it before. Now her mind was alight
with suspicion. 
She continued to play for another half hour, Darcy never relinquishing his
position.
When the evening was over, Darcy walked them to the carriage and handed
Elizabeth in, giving her hand a small squeeze before he released it. She smiled
sweetly at him, and then she was gone.