When they finally get to Pemberley, (ugh, who even names their houses anyways?) Lizzie is overwhelmed by how massive Darcy's property is. It looks like it extends for several miles. Pemberley is easily something that looks like it came right out of a movie or book. Lizzie internally sighs. She really hopes that Darcy isn't home right now.
John pulls up the car by the front entrance and the three of them run inside without getting too wet. It's still pouring and it does not look like it is going to stop anytime soon. When they get inside, Lizzie takes in the sheer magnitude of Pemberley. It is even more beautiful inside than it is on the outside. It is definitely Victorian-era inspired but has some modern touches that don't make it look outdated. Whoever designed the house, Lizzie thinks, really did a great job.
"Welcome to Pemberley, Lizzie." John says, panting. "Can we take your coat?"
Lizzie nods and complies.
"Um... is by any chance Darcy here?"
John shakes his head. "I'm afraid Mr. Darcy is quite often too busy to come here that often. He's away doing something in Los Angeles with his sister, Gigi."
Lizzie feels a sense of relief that Darcy isn't here but also, strangely, a bit disappointed as well. It's ridiculous, Lizzie tells herself, you should be glad that Darcy isn't here. Even though he was not to blame for Wickham, he still meddled needlessly with Jane and Bing Lee, something which Lizzie could not forgive. It was a good thing that Darcy wasn't here after all.
After she hands John her rain-soaked coat, the three of them go into the kitchen.
"There's the phone that you can use," Susan says. "You're free to stay here for as long as it takes to fix your car."
Lizzie smiles. "Thank you." She takes the phone in her hand and begins to dial the number for Triple A.
"I have a serious question for you," John says solemnly.
"Okay?"
"How do you feel... about hot chocolate?"
Lizzie rolls her eyes good naturedly. "I would love some, thanks."
After being on hold for what it seems like forever, Lizzie finally gets to talk to a human. Unfortunately, the employee tells her, the storm is too bad and they have completely overextended themselves. There is no one available to help her at the moment. She will have to wait until the next day. Lizzie thanks the operator and hangs up the phone.
Susan hands her a mug full of hot chocolate which Lizzie takes gratefully.
"So, what did they say?" John asks.
Lizzie sits down on one of the chairs by the table and sighs. "They don't have anyone to help me out tonight. I have to wait until tomorrow." She takes a sip of her hot chocolate and unsurprisingly, it is delicious.
John nods. "That's alright then. You can stay in one of the guest bedrooms."
Lizzie nods. "Thank you. You guys have been really great to me. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
Susan and John wave it off. "Don't worry about it."
They chatted for another hour or so. Lizzie found out that Susan and John had been married for over thirty years, had two full grown children, and had always worked for the Darcy's.
"Mr. Darcy and his father have always been exceedingly kind towards us," John tells Lizzie. Susan nodded in affirmation.
"They even paid for our kids' college education," Susan adds.
Apparently they had known Darcy ever since he was born.
"He was such a sweet kid," Susan says wistfully. "Always quiet and polite even back then. He did have his mischievous streak though."
John chuckles. "That's right. He used to refuse to wear anything that weren't overalls for a while."
Susan shakes her head. "He was always stubborn, that kid."
As Lizzie listened to these stories, she felt quite strange on the inside. All these months, she had always assumed the worst about Darcy. However, listening to Susan and John talk about him, it seemed that the opposite was true. Darcy appeared to be kind and caring towards others, if a bit standoffish at times, particularly towards his sister, Gigi. He seemed to genuinely love his sister which reminded her of her relationship with Jane. Lizzie felt a little bit guilty now but she reminded herself of what Darcy had done to Jane and Bing. He had never truly apologized for his actions in his letter.
Lizzie tries to hide her yawn but it does not go unnoticed by Susan.
"Time for bed," Susan says not unkindly. Lizzie decides not to argue. Susan shows her one of the guest rooms where Lizzie can sleep. Lizzie falls asleep almost the instant she hits the bed. Her last thought before losing consciousness was that maybe, just maybe, Darcy wasn't so bad after all.