A/N

Chapter 12- Hope you all enjoy. Thank you for your comments/engagements.

To Lisa – thank you so much for your kind help.

A Little Magic Chapter 12

As Darcy walked away from the ruins, he tried to temper the happiness bubbling through him. Just because he had suddenly understood what was important to him, it did not mean that he would find it easy to change her mind. She was not the one who had been fighting her attraction for weeks, finally coming to realize that there was nothing to fight after all. Two days ago, she had disliked him. 'The journey from dislike to affection cannot be so easy or quick, can it? But... have we not already covered the distance between dislike to a... a tentative friendship?' he asked himself optimistically. Earlier, when she had expressed her gratitude to him for guiding Collins, he had thought that gratitude was not an emotion he wanted from her. 'But perhaps that is what has hastened the change in Elizabeth's sentiments?' He knew that he still needed to gain her trust for their nascent friendship to grow into something more... ardent... but he felt hopeful that he would succeed sooner than later. 'Bingley's courtship of Miss Bennet has fortuitously provided me with an opportunity to show Elizabeth that I am more than just... arrogance and pride. Mercifully, I am not foolish enough to let it go to a waste.'

Now that he was certain of his own course of action, his mind flew towards his family. What would they make of his choice whenever he was in a position to tell them about Elizabeth? He felt sure that had his parents been alive, they both would have loved Elizabeth, although for very different reasons. 'Father would have liked her impertinent wit and mother her compassionate nature. Somehow, I also have complete faith that Georgie will like her very much.' His thoughts then turned towards the members of his extended family who held importance in his life. He was not very sure of how his Uncle Harry and Aunt Susan would react. There were strong chances that they might like Elizabeth in her own right... but her connections and circumstances... he could not say. 'Who am I fooling? Aunt Susan has never suggested a prospective bride for me who is not from the nobility. I know how they will react. However, I suppose I can always obtain Richard's help to ensure that they come around sooner or later, especially when they realize how important Elizabeth is for my happiness.' He released a deep sigh and he walked on. 'That leaves Aunt Catherine... There is no ambiguity about her reactions... but then she would never be happy with my choice of bride unless it is Anne.' It was very easy to imagine his furious aunt pontificating about him betraying his duty to the Darcy name, his family, and endangering Georgie's future. At the thought of his sister his feet slowed a little. 'I know Elizabeth is who I need in my life... but what if my marriage to her is detrimental to Georgie's marital prospects?' As the thought struck him, he stopped walking altogether and passed an agitated hand through his hair. 'Can I risk Georgie's happiness for my own?' he mused uneasily. 'But is it really worth it to give credence to those who judge others on the basis of their connections and worldly possessions? Will Georgie ever be happy with someone so shallow?' The counter came immediately, but even before he could draw some relief from the thought, the reality struck, 'How can I forget that I was one of these 'shallow' people only two days ago... that most of my friends and relatives think and act similarly. And except for a few notable exceptions, most of them are not bad people... Some I even admire very much,' he realized with a sinking heart.

'God! It is at times like these when I miss father and mother more than usual. If only I could ask them... is it truly selfish of me to want to prioritize the happiness I experience in Elizabeth's presence?' he thought as he stood studying the ground for a long moment. 'If only there was a way that they could share their wisdom... their feelings with me...' With a despondent sigh he lifted his head to gaze unseeingly at the row of gorse bushes lining the path he was walking on.

A flash of colour registered in his mind with a vague realization that something was out of place. He blinked and gazed at the low hedge in some surprise. There standing proudly among the unbroken row of gorse bushes was a single peony shrub which was most inexplicably flowering in the month of November! 'How did I not notice these flowers on our way to the pond?' he thought in confusion. Not quite able to believe the evidence of his own eyes, he hurried towards the plant. To make sure it was not an illusion of some kind, he extended his hand to touch one of the many flowers blooming on the bush. It immediately dropped onto his hand at the gentlest of touch.

The complete silence around him was broken only by the loud beat of his heart as he stood staring at the delicate pink flower – the exact replica of the flowers his mother had presented to him on his sixteenth birthday. The last of his birthdays when she had been with them. The beautiful pink bouquet had been one of the many gifts that his parents had given him that day. In terms of monetary value it had not cost anything, as the flowers had been picked from the Pemberley gardens, but for him it had been one of the most valuable gifts. 'William, these flowers embody all that a mother's heart wishes for you – prosperity, good fortune, but most of all – happiness in your life.' He remembered her words and her sweet smile as she had presented him with the bouquet of pink peonies and smiled reminiscently.

This time when the happiness came fizzing into his veins, he did not try to temper it. He had wanted to know his parents' opinion and the same had been conveyed to him – very plainly. The unreal mysticism of what had just now taken place would have disturbed him at any other time, however, since the last two days he had given up trying to find out the hows and the whys of some of the happenings in his life. He gently wrapped the flower in his handkerchief and kept it inside the pocket of his waistcoat, then with a last wondering look at the untimely flowering shrub, he moved on.

~~~§~~~

As he neared the large rock on which Miss Catherine Bennet was sitting and sketching busily, his steps slowed automatically. While his ability to listen to thoughts had given him a new perspective on almost all the Bennets - it was Miss Catherine whose thoughts had left him very much surprised – thankfully not unpleasantly.

On their way to the castle, he had consciously refrained from listening to Elizabeth's thoughts. But then, in the closed confines of the carriage it had become almost impossible not to hear the thoughts of the younger sisters sitting directly opposite. After listening to one petulant rant from Miss Lydia about her missing some sort of tryst with Captain Carter in the Meryton market, Darcy had avoided looking at her as well. Consequently, he had heard quite a few of Miss Catherine's musings.

To be honest he had not noticed her much before the evening of the ball at Netherfield, and whatever he had observed that evening had left him with a very low impression of the youngest two Bennets. Although, now that he looked back on the events of that day, he could differentiate that it was Miss Lydia who was the more aggressively mischievous and Miss Catherine the passive follower. A few of her musings today had provided a probable reason behind her conduct. Very surprisingly, Darcy could even relate to it at some level. After all, quite a few times his father had been more sympathetic to Wickham than him. Despite the feelings of hurt and betrayal he had never changed his conduct, but he could not really blame a young insecure girl for trying to imitate her 'more lively' sister. Especially if liveliness was what was supposedly appreciated and rewarded by 'Mama'.

Additionally, Miss Catherine's musings had revealed her worry for the conduct of her younger sister and also solved the mystery of Wickham's sudden disappearance from Meryton. The scoundrel had been sent to London for some official work and very thankfully would be staying there for a while longer. In Wickham's case Darcy also found that Miss Catherine and he had similar sympathies – unlike her elder sister, the young girl was no admirer of the rogue. She had seen him pestering one 'poor Molly', who had been saved from further harassment only because Miss Catherine had fortuitously entered her Aunt Phillips' morning room! She had been conscientious enough to warn Miss Lydia against the rake. 'If only Miss Catherine had thought it worthwhile to warn her elder sisters also,' Darcy thought with a wry smile. Although Miss Lydia seemed to have paid attention to the sisterly warning, it had apparently brought another set of challenges. The youngest Bennet, who had been vacillating between Captain Carter and Lieutenant Wickham for picking a probable beau, had since redoubled her efforts to gain Captain Carter's attentions. And that young lady's methods were not meeting with Miss Catherine's approval. She was worried for Miss Lydia, even if she had not told anyone else of her misgivings, due to some sisterly code of conduct. Today's picnic had come as a great relief to her as it had prevented yet another meeting with the captain in Meryton.

'No wonder Miss Lydia has been in a foul mood since the morning,' Darcy sighed as he remembered Miss Catherine's concerns. Again, the familiar dilemma was raising its head – what should he do now that he knew about it. 'I suppose I will have to keep an eye on Captain Carter and find out his intentions,' he thought with a rueful shake of his head. Being a witness to the pain his sister had undergone after the events at Ramsgate, he might have tried to safeguard Miss Lydia's reputation anyhow. That she was Elizabeth's sister made it all the more imperative. He released another deep sigh and glanced at Miss Catherine as he walked past her.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, why can I not get this shading right? And it is not as if I have not tried everything that I know..." The frustrated words made Darcy change his direction and walk towards Miss Catherine. The young lady was so engrossed in her struggles that she did not notice when he stopped behind her and peered over her shoulder. While she had drawn a decent likeliness of the castle, her difficulty was immediately apparent to Darcy's experienced eyes. From the angle she had drawn her sketch, the shadow of a large oak tree was falling on one of the walls of the castle and she had not been able to get the desired effect on paper. Her talent was obvious, although it certainly needed some polish.

He cleared his throat to make her aware of his presence. When she raised a surprised face up to him, he smiled and said, "That is a very good sketch, Miss Catherine, but if you do not mind, I would like to offer a small suggestion."

"Of... of course, Mr Darcy. Is it about this... this wall here?" That she was surprised at his intervention was evident from her tone.

He nodded. "Yes... I believe for a more realistic effect you might want to fade that shadow at the edges."

She looked down at her sketch once again, then asked hesitantly, "Umm... can you show me how?"

"Of course, why not?" Darcy sat beside her and took the sketch book she held out. He diligently demonstrated the requisite technique and also made her practice it.

Kitty was quick to realize that Mr Darcy was a talented artist who had also studied the art. Taking advantage of the fact, she asked him many queries that she had kept to herself, as there had been no one to address them before now. She began hesitantly, but once she understood that the man sitting next to her had both the willingness and patience to answer her queries, she greedily asked each and every question that came to her mind.

"Will that be all, Miss Catherine?" Darcy asked in amusement when the young lady finally fell silent after an exhausting series of interesting questions. He had been touched by her eagerness to learn and had therefore taken the trouble to answer each one of her queries.

"I cannot believe he is the same man who so rudely refused to dance with Lizzy... Mayhap he is like Mary who would rather eat mud than dance!" "Er... yes... yes, Mr Darcy. I really do not know how to thank you for being so kind to me..." Kitty began, but Darcy interrupted her with a faint smile. "Oh, you can very easily do so... just apply what you have learnt today in the next sketch that you do and show it to me once it is done."

"Oh... you can be sure of that," Kitty replied with an answering smile. "Behind that stern exterior, Mr Darcy is rather kind... But then... as soon as Lydia told me that slimy Mr Wickham has been badmouthing Mr Darcy... I knew that he must be a good, honourable man... "

Darcy's lips twitched at the excellent technique Miss Catherine had devised to identify men of quality. 'Clever girl,' he thought as he opened his mouth to take his leave of her. But closed it again as he heard Miss Bingley's strident voice expressing her disbelief at the carelessness Elizabeth had displayed to ruin her beautiful gown.

"I can only apologize once again, Miss Bingley." Elizabeth's patience appeared to be wearing thin.

'Poor Elizabeth,' Darcy felt ashamed that he was letting Elizabeth bear the brunt of Miss Bingley's ill temper all alone. Unfortunately, not ashamed enough to get up and approach the ladies walking behind them. He flexed his right arm, shuddered, and prudently decided to keep quiet. 'Elizabeth would not want me to undo all the hard work she did back at the ruins,' he thought excusingly, trying hard to come to terms with his own cravenness.

Miss Catherine made a sudden movement and Darcy glanced at her to find her eyeing him quizzically. "If I did not know better, I would think that Mr Darcy is quite scared of Miss Bingley... Although, to be fair... who would not be wary of that shrill voiced shrew?"

Surprise and embarrassment warred inside him as he sat listening to her. 'I have handled the likes of Miss Bingley for years... Lord... when did I become such a coward? But... Miss Bingley was never this persistent... and desperate before...'

"Ah, shall we also go back and join the others, Mr Darcy?" Kitty finally asked him as the silence between them lengthened.

"Yes, I think it is time that we should be going back to Meryton." Darcy nodded and got up. When he turned to look behind him, he found that Elizabeth and Miss Bingley were not too far ahead.

"Would you mind accompanying the other ladies, Miss Catherine? I will follow you directly. I... I just want to take a look at something once more..." he said vaguely.

"Of course." Miss Catherine smiled and then with a quick curtsey, she hurried after her sister and Miss Bingley.

~~~§~~~

Darcy turned and walked back to the place where he had seen the flowering peony. He wanted to assure himself of the message he believed to have received. But as he walked, all he found was an unbroken row of gorse bushes. When he was sure that he had already walked past the place, he decided to turn back. 'Did I just have a wishful... wakeful dream?' he thought confusedly. Suddenly he took out the handkerchief from the pocket of his waistcoat and stared at it uncertainly. 'I touched that flower... felt the soft petals... It really could not have been an illusion,' he told himself as he slowly unfolded the handkerchief and found himself staring at the lone flower nestling there.

~~~§~~~

Kitty observed with interest as Mr Darcy assisted Lizzy into the carriage and then stepped inside himself. Was it just her imagination or did Lizzy suddenly appear much more friendly towards Mr Darcy? She glanced at Lydia to see if she also had noticed the look the other two had just exchanged. Unfortunately, Miss Bingley's ill-natured comments had once again spoiled Lydia's mood just when she had come out of her sulks. Unsurprisingly, she was staring out of the window with a tight-lipped expression. Kitty sighed and then turned to give one last glance at the ruins they were leaving behind.

"Miss Elizabeth... I could not speak about it earlier, but please allow me to thank you for the help you rendered me back at the castle. I am truly grateful."

'What help could Lizzy have rendered Mr Darcy?' Kitty mused as Mr Darcy's low tones fell into her ear.

"Do you really think a mere 'thank you' is enough for that bit of assistance, Mr Darcy?"

'Is that flirtatiously teasing voice really Lizzy's? And just yesterday she could not bear the sight of Mr Darcy.' A bemused Kitty thought as she glanced at Elizabeth. She could only stare in wonder at the expression on her sister's face and the answering smile on Mr Darcy's.

"So, what according to you I should do to suitably convey my gratitude?"

"I will give due consideration to the matter and let you know once I have come to some conclusion."

"I will be eagerly waiting for that time, Miss Elizabeth, and you may rest assured that whatever you suggest will be done."

Kitty could hear the shock in Elizabeth's voice as she asked, "Isn't that a rather risky promise to make, Mr Darcy?"

"Well... I do not believe so, Miss Elizabeth, and I did say I am grateful, did I not?"

Kitty gave a soundless gasp as she observed the countenance of the couple in front of her. 'Oh, my... so that's the way the wind is blowing... Who would have thought...' She smiled as she leaned back on her seat and closed her eyes. 'First Jane, then Mary and now Lizzy? If... if all this reaches its natural conclusion, then I am sure it would be the first time Mama would be suffering palpitations due to overabundance of happiness! I will keep the smelling salts ready just in case...'

~~~§~~~

A Little Magic

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