The birds' singing woke Elizabeth at her usual hour. Looking around, it took her a moment to realize she was in a guest chamber at Rosings. The bed had been comfy, but she would never have chosen the design for the headboard or curtains. She rolled her eyes at the ornate carpet as she walked over to the window. Sitting against the frame, she watched as the sun's rays flitted over the cold, dew-kissed grass. The birds were only just beginning to stir, and she assumed the servants in the kitchen would be about as well.
Breathing deeply, she sighed with content. While she could not be happy to be at Rosings, she was happy for her friend to have a place to stay. Hopefully, the parsonage would be rebuilt soon. Movement on the lawn distracted her, and she shifted to watch Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam ride out. They must have risen early to be already riding. Her heart began to race as they picked up their pace and disappeared around a corner into the forest. She had never liked horses ever since she had been thrown as a young girl. Sending a quick prayer for the gentlemen to have a safe ride, she moved to dress for the day.
The breakfast parlor was blessedly empty when she arrived. The coffee was hot, the rolls beaconed her with their soft skin. The cook at Hunsford was adequate, however, Rosings clearly could afford more talent. Selecting a couple rolls and some eggs, she claimed a seat where she could see out the large windows overlooking the lawn. There were birds flitting over the orchard trees across the lawn, and she enjoyed watching their antics.
She briefly wondered when the others would join her, but she knew most of the house rose later in the day. Lady Catherine had insisted that everyone rest to recover their spirits. Therefore, she knew Mr. and Mrs. Collins would be unlikely to rise before noon. Poor Charlotte! Maria rarely woke before noon except for on Sundays when Mr. Collins protestations prevented any rest. While she had not known Lady Catherine or Miss de Bourgh for long, she doubted either would rise early.
Voices in the hall interrupted her thoughts, and she turned in time to see Mr. Darcy enter with his cousin right behind him. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth exchanged the usual pleasantries while Mr. Darcy silently chose his plate and took a seat opposite Elizabeth. Elizabeth contemplated attempting conversation with the dour man across from her but chose instead to speak with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Within minutes, he was regaling her with a story of his soldiers in training which had her clutching her sides from laughter.
As she attempted to recover her breath, she glanced at Mr. Darcy to find a half-smile upon his face which made her insides melt slightly. She had to admit he was clearly very handsome, especially when he looked so comfortable and at ease. "Mr. Darcy, would you say your cousin was correct to insist his men follow him through the brush when a perfectly good path lay less than fifty feet away? Is absolute obedience better than common sense?"
"Now! Now! Miss Bennet, you misrepresent me!" The colonel shuttered. "Remember I knew the movements of the enemy. I knew how close to enemy territory we were. As the commanding officer with the most information, it was their duty to follow me."
Elizabeth chuckled. "And was the fifty feet really so much closer to the enemy?"
"I doubt it can have made much difference." Mr. Darcy supplied. "After all, I know the end of the story, and it took more than half a day for you to find and neutralize the enemy."
Elizabeth nodded at Mr. Darcy before turning to the colonel in triumph. "Half a day! Surely you could have been there in half the time should you have taken the trail."
The colonel blushed at the memory. "Well, perhaps, but they could have had spies watching us on the road. We might have been easy pickings. My men could not have known and should have trusted me over their comfort."
Elizabeth made a slight remark on the value of a leader who listens to the opinions around him to make the best-informed decisions in a reasonable time.
The colonel muttered about his superior officer making the same remark. Elizabeth returning his story with one of her own. "As a child, I would play pirates with my neighbors."
Mr. Darcy leaned forward and listened with rapt attention. When she finished her story, both her listeners were laughing so heartily Colonel Fitzwilliam was hitting his hand over his thigh while Mr. Darcy had to use a handkerchief to dab his eyes.
"Remind me never to get lost with you!" The colonel stated when he calmed down.
Elizabeth's eyes were shining with mirth, and Mr. Darcy had to take a few deep breaths to remember he could not move closer and take her hands in his. Even worse was the deep need to taste her lips.
Relief came in the appearance of Lady Catherine demanding her nephews attend her. As the talk moved to how the Collinses would rebuild their home despite the Collinses not being in attendance, Elizabeth politely excused herself to walk through the gardens. Mr. Darcy was less than pleased to lose her attention and watched her slip through the door with something akin to despair before turning to his aunt and ensuring she was as little pleased with the situation as himself.
AN: Thank you all for your patience. I am struggling through state testing and am thoroughly wiped out. My mother-in-law is safely out of the hospital and lamenting being tied to her oxygen concentrator though we are not certain it is permanent yet. The end of the school year is approaching and the "how can I bring up my grade" chanting has started. I should not complain. They are good kids, and I love my mother-in-law dearly. I am just extremely emotionally exhausted. I hope you enjoyed this mini-chapter. It was the most I could push out. Just not feeling all that witty. I may need to take a break from writing so that I can wrap up the other story I just finished (haven't even read through my editors comments in 2 months I have dragged so long), and I need to figure out where this story is going to go. I have been reading some really fun books by Emily Russel and the stories are so captivating, I feel the lack in my writing. I hope all you are all safe and healthy. I promise this story will be finished (as will my others which I "lost" in my head). Since I have never done much professional writing (or training), the process to follow through eludes me. I am a full time teacher, mother, and part time writer and ebay seller. My time is stretched a bit thin. Did I mention my baby boy started learning to drive this month?
