A/N - I'm really sorry I am having uploading issues, hopefully if you are reading this they have been resolved.

Chapter 14 - Something new and someone else.

The next morning Elizabeth set out for a walk, feeling immediately better for being outdoors. She walked a short way up the lane between Hunsford and the rectory. She came across a copse of trees which appeared to be thicker and more vibrant than the rest of the area. Spring was showing and trees were starting to come alive but this strip of land appeared bursting with colours and vibrancy.

She stepped gingerly between the trees and found a little clearing. The copse was not very wide, with the lane on one side and what looked like a field owned by a local farmer on the other. It was longer than it was wide and there was a small clearing in the centre. Elizabeth knew there was something special here, she could feel the magic tingling through her, all around. She sat on a mossy rock and explored the area with her eyes and felt with her magic. She could feel the life around her with her earth magic, the roots of the trees were thick and healthy, the flowers already in bloom covering the floor with bluebells.

She frowned and closed her eyes concentrating on the feel of the life around her, using her earth magic to look around. She could sense that all the roots were heading towards a central line that ran through the clearing. She couldn't see anything specific they were heading towards but there were too many heading in the same direction to be coincidental. She switched to water magic and a flash of a line appeared, she concentrated on her water magic, but the line had gone. She did notice water seemed to be in abundance underfoot, but nothing else.

She concentrated and switched to fire magic, again noticing the flash of a line. She had a sudden thought and concentrated with all of her magic. A line flared to life under her. It stretched through the whole copse and out either end. Elizabeth marvelled at the line of pure magical energy and it dawned on her what it was.

A Ley line.

Amazing.

She had read, briefly, about the theory of lines of magic crisscrossing the country. Often characterised by paths, natural ridge tops or waterways. But no one had managed to prove anything and, apart from the feeling of power, they were undetectable, and the feeling of power was so subjective it was hard to trust it.

She smiled at the sight of the line, her eyes closed to 'see' it. The line flashed the colours of each element and pulsed with life. She opened her eyes and tried to follow it but she only managed to get part way up the lane before she was interrupted by a carriage. It was hard to concentrate enough to see the line with her eyes open. She decided that this was a skill worth practicing and this fast became the effort of her mornings.

.

A further week in to her visit marked the arrival of Lady Catheine's nephews. Elizabeth was not looking forward to seeing Mr Darcy again but she had to own that the arrival of two gentlemen could not markedly worsen the conversation. Mr Collins spent all day busying himself by the lane so that when he illustrious carriage swept by he could bow and simper at the two gentlemen. He had much to say at dinner about the equipage, horses and general air of the gentlemen, despite having only been likely to have caught a glimpse of them.

On the morrow he hastened off to pay his respects and Elizabeth walked with Charlotte to collect some flowers for the parlour. They had not walked far when the rather amusing sight of Mr Collins hurrying toward them, desperately clutching his hat, panting and red faced.

"My dear Mrs Collins, cousin Elizabeth" pant pant "Mariah" pant "you must come" pant "at once"

"What is I my dear?"

"Mr Darcy" pant "and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam" pant "have come to call"

"When my dear"

"Even now, they are hard upon my heels" pant "you must make haste"

And with that he turned and ran back the way he had come, having only just caught his breath.

Charlotte turned surprised eyes upon her friend "it must be thanks to you my dear, I hardly think Mr Darcy would come so soon to wait upon me"

Elizabeth laughed merrily at such a jest.

"You must be mistaken Charlotte, for I know he dislikes me as much as I do him"

Charlotte merely raised an eyebrow before they both set off at a more dignified pace.

Elizabeth was introduced to Colonel Fitzwilliam, the younger son of the earl of Matlock, and she felt an instant connection to the gentleman. He was charming and engaging, not very handsome, but he fell in to such easy conversation that Elizabeth could not help but be glad for the diversity he would bring to their small party.

"I understand you are a water witch?"

Elizabeth smiled "you could say that I suppose"

She saw the interested look flash across his features "would you say that?" He raised an eyebrow and put an emphasis on the word you.

"I could say a great many things about my own magic, would you necessarily believe them?"

He laughed and she noticed Mr Darcy had fixed his attention on them

"Can you tell me why Mr Darcy keeps looking over? What can he mean by it?"

"He is likely listening to us, he does not speak much in Kent. Though he is lively enough in other places"

Elizabeth merely looked incredulous

"Anyway, we were talking of magic, and boasting I believe"

Elizabeth smiled at that "do you boast about your own ability sir? I do not believe I said anything about boasting of mine"

"I routinely boast about my ability"

Elizabeth's laughter rang out again causing a shiver to run through Mr Darcy. Seeing her again after so long had been like having a drink of water when so thirsty you feel your mouth crack. He did not know where to look, if he had his choice his eyes would never leave her face, but that was not proper. Instead he sat a respectable distance away, listening to Mr and Mrs Collins. He told himself he merely wanted to see her, trying to will himself to believe that what he felt was attraction, infatuation maybe, nothing more of course.

After the appropriate time he rose to leave, addressing Elizabeth for the first time

"Your parents are in good health, and your sisters?"

"Yes, I thank you. My sister has been in town these last few months, have you never happened to see her?"

"No I have not had that pleasure"

The gentleman left soon after and Elizabeth was glad. He really was so tiresome, the odd look on his face when she mentioned her sister, she imagined it was distaste at the idea of encountering such a person in town.