The Gardiners have taken their niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, on a tour of the countryside. On their journey, Mr and Mrs Gardiner persuade their niece to visit Pemberley. Elizabeth is horrified by the thought, but upon learning that Mr Darcy is out on business, she visits the estate. What transpires there is unusual, to say the least.
Through the clean window, the grounds were almost mesmerising. The poplars to the sides of the grounds swayed in the breeze and the immaculate lawns showed not a single blade of grass out of place. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of mingled despair and wonder. "Of all this I might have been mistress…" she whispered. Then she remembered the handwriting of the horrid, hateful man who had proposed to her just last April. His letter afterward may have been an explanation, or it could have been an excuse. She believed she would never know and never wanted to know.
As she watched the fountain in front of the lake, the chords of a well-played pianoforte floated over her from an open room somewhere behind her. Elizabeth turned towards the sweet sound and walked to its source.
A mirror provided an excellent view of the grand pianoforte and its pianist. She stared with open-mouthed wonder at the mistress of this instrument, who was a young girl of no more than seventeen summers, with golden locks tumbling down her back. A smile arose on Elizabeth's lips as the girl played, for she performed quite well, for a mere instant, then faded as quickly as it had come when she realised her intrusion. For the mistress of this beautiful instrument could have been none other than Miss Georgiana Darcy, the younger sister of the master of this grand estate.
A figure crept into view of the mirror and Elizabeth had no doubt upon its identity. She knew it to be Mr Darcy and that she was intruding upon a very private and intimate matter.
Mr Darcy touched his sister's shoulder and Miss Darcy pushed her seat back with a scraping noise and jumped into her brother's arms. He spun her around, laughing with her in her delight.
He looked to Miss Elizabeth Bennet's spying figure. They made eye contact for the briefest instant. Miss Elizabeth gasped and escaped outside onto the balcony.
The birdsong was inviting and refreshing as she dashed through the door. The click her boots made on the ancient cobblestones was a comforting sound. The sound of her own name, however, said by Mr Darcy, was not.
She halted at the edge of the verandah and waited for his blue-coated person to reach her before speaking. "Forgive me, Mr Darcy, but I and my aunt and uncle believed you to not be home until the morrow!" puffed Elizabeth.
"No, no," answered he, "I rode ahead of the rest of my party."
They exchanged pleasantries. "Please, forgive me," Elizabeth stammered, "I had not meant to intrude. My Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, and myself, were under the impression that you were not at home. The housekeeper, also."
"There is nothing to forgive, Miss Bennet. I gave no person but the party travelling with me any indication of my time of arrival."
Silence ensued for a little; more pleasantries followed, in which Mr Darcy asked Miss Elizabeth Bennet where she was presently staying. Elizabeth answered, "At the Rose and Crown, in Lambton."
Mr Darcy presently asked to take Miss Bennet back to Lambton. Miss Bennet, it must be confessed, flatly refused his offer and scurried down the stairs, back to the village herself.
Hope you enjoyed this! I actually wrote this for my English homework the other day. Please review! (By the way, my teacher actually wanted us to base it off of the movie. Hope that clears that up!)
Thanks!
Lorikemu
16/3/15 Honestly, is there no difference between homework and assignments these days? This was HOMEWORK! There is a huge difference between homework and assignments where I come from, believe me. Homework does not count toward the overall grade. Assignments and exams do. Learn the difference, people! Please!