A/N: Just a short one today... I have been mulling this chapter for a while now. I'm not entirely happy with it, but here it is anyway. Feedback, as always, is welcomed :)
"Miss Bennet, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!"
"Colonel Fitzwilliam! How do you do?"
The Colonel bowed to Miss Bennet, beaming "May I introduce you to my companion? This is Miss Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
"Delighted to make your acquaintance Miss Darcy, may I introduce my Aunt, Mrs Madeline Gardner, and my elder sister, Miss Jane Bennet"
"A pleasure to meet you all..." Miss Darcy looked to her companion, unsure of how to continue.
"Yes, delighted to make your acquaintances Mrs Gardener, Miss Bennet. Miss Elizabeth I had not thought I would run into you in London! Lady luck must be shining down upon us today!"
Elizabeth chuckled the Colonels enthusiasm and turned to her aunt and sister. "I met Colonel Fitzwilliam with his cousin Mr Darcy on my recent trip to Hunsford. The Colonel is one of Lady Catherine De Bourghs nephews."
Mrs Gardener, seeing Miss Darcy's reticence, gently smiled at the young woman.
"I see, and were you also visiting Lady Catherine, Miss Darcy?"
"No, my brother and Colonel Fitzwilliam visited alone."
Smiling, Elizabeth turned her attention to Georgiana as the Colonel had engaged Jane and Mrs Gardener into conversation.
"Miss Darcy, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I have heard such wonderful things from your brother and cousin."
"And I about you Miss Elizabeth"
"I understand that you are fond of music and play very well."
"Oh, no, not play very well. I mean…But I am very fond of music. I should dearly love to hear you play and sing. My brother has told me he has rarely heard anything that gave him more pleasure."
Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana, who she could see was clearly struggling to continue the conversation. Wickham had told her Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud like her brother, but the observation of a very few minutes convinced her that she was only exceedingly shy. Wanting to put her at ease, Elizabeth continued.
"Well, you shall, but I warn you, your brother has grossly exaggerated my talents. No doubt for some mischievous reason of his own."
"Oh, no. That could not be so. My brother never exaggerates. He always tells the absolute truth. Except that sometimes I think he is a little too kind to me."
"An ideal elder brother, then."
"Oh, yes. I could not imagine a better or a kinder one."
"You make me feel quite envious. I have no brothers at all, only four sisters."
"I should have liked to have a sister… Are you staying long in London, Miss Elizabeth? ... I would be honoured if you and your party would come for tea. Would tomorrow be convenient?"
Unsure how to answer such a sweet request from this obviously shy girl, Elizabeth looked to her Aunt, who along with the Colonel and Jane had re-joined their conversation, responded.
"Miss Darcy I can speak on behalf of my nieces and say we have no fixed plans and would be delighted to come for tea tomorrow."
"And shall we hear you play Miss Elizabeth?"
"If you insist upon it, yes, you shall."
"That is excellent news! Miss Darcy and I must be on our way now, but I am delighted that we shall be seeing you once again tomorrow. Until then..." And with a bow, the Colonel led Miss Darcy away from the party, trying desperately to keep his smile in check.
Elizabeth, watching the pair retreating into the crowd was shaken from her reverie when her Aunt addressed her.
"Lizzy, I do hope you'll forgive me for accepting Miss Darcy's invitation. I know you have reservations about her brother, but Miss Darcy is obviously a very shy girl and I could see the effort it took for her to ask us. I felt it an honour we couldn't refuse, even knowing your opinion of her brother"
"Yes of course Aunt, I also felt we should accept her kind invitation. I was previously told Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud, and yet today we could all see it was shyness, not pride which she suffered from. Perhaps I have been too quick in the past to judge people's characters, including her brothers?"
At such an introspective response from her usually verbose niece, Madeline looked at her in surprise. Elizabeth had arrived two days earlier, and amidst all the excitement of her arrival, Madeline could see something was amiss. It was nothing that she could put her finger on, but just a general feeling that something monumental had happened, that had shaken her generally unflappable niece. She had hoped in the week that she was staying that she could get to the bottom of it and help her with whatever was troubling her.
Well, she thought, perhaps our visit with Miss Darcy might provide some insight as to the goings on at Rosing which have weighed on Elizabeth's mind.
She could hardly wait till tomorrow to find out.