Chapter Fifteen: Blushing
Jane and Elizabeth, after the party had been shown to their guest rooms, walked arm-in-arm through one of the seemingly endless halls of Rosings. All of the hallways were unnecessarily large and with plenty of furniture to make walking about more difficult than it should have been. In fact, it was all quite like an echo chamber, and a bit difficult for each to understand the other, and more difficult yet to whisper without being heard by others.
"Colonel Fitzwilliam is very agreeable," commented Jane as she stared up into the ceiling, which very well could have been fused with the sky.
"Ah! For once, I agree," cried Elizabeth genially, "Though I would still rather be back at Hunsford."
"To be sure, there is something a bit —cozier—about Hunsford."
"Rosings reminds me very much of a museum," observed Elizabeth, glancing at one of the various tapestries hanging on the walls.
Mr. Collins came charging past them, scarcely noticing they were even there, because he was so pleased to have the honor of sleeping in the very same house as Lady Catherine. He, unlike the two eldest Miss Bennets, seemed to find the reverberation of the hallways a source of amusement and delight, instead of an annoyance.
"I think I should get lost if we walk about much longer in this manner, Jane!" said Elizabeth; "Say, why don't we go into this room?"
She gestured to one of the many identical doors which lined the hallway. Jane immediately stated her acquiescence, and the two sisters entered. It was a large parlor into which they entered, with large picture windows facing full west. Elizabeth observed the rain pounding against the windows and blackness outside, and was contemplating on which of the many elaborate sofas she might choose to sit, when she caught the eye of a gentleman sitting at one of the tables and browsing through a letter—Mr. Darcy. He looked up, stared at her, and unconsciously folded his letter closed. Jane and Elizabeth greeted him, apologizing for having disturbed his privacy; and Elizabeth was fully prepared to take her sister by the arm once more and drag her off, till Mr. Darcy began to speak with them. It was very tiresome, his beginning conversations when she would most wish to leave!
In fact, the thoughts of both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were of a similar topic, though with opposing sentiments. Elizabeth, on seeing Mr. Darcy, thought something to the effect of, Oh God! Kill me now! And Mr. Darcy, thinking that Elizabeth looked absolutely angelic, thought, I must have died and gone to heaven! Jane was completely oblivious to any of these thoughts, and was only feeling sorry for her sister, who did not seem to take very much pleasure in their stay at Rosings.
"Pleasant weather we're having," said Mr. Darcy absently, as she was intent on studying Elizabeth's face so that he might be able to have Georgiana draw it for him, if he could recall it well enough. His comment was accompanied by a loud roll of thunder.
"Not really," said Elizabeth, staring out the window.
"Oh!" said Mr. Darcy, recovering, "No, I suppose not."
Several more awkward moments passed, before Elizabeth and Jane excused themselves, and headed off to discover another over-furnished and extravagant room. Mr. Darcy reseated himself at the large writing table where he had been reading over his sister's latest letter, and reopened it. He had not read above two paragraphs when Colonel Fitzwilliam entered, and seated himself down on a nearby sofa.
"You wished to speak to me?" asked the Colonel. Mr. Darcy folded his letter up again and nodded.
"About—?" continued Colonel Fitzwilliam, as his cousin had offered no explanation as to why he had requested a private audience with him.
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet," responded Darcy matter-of-factly.
"She is a charming girl, to be sure; but why on earth should you wish to talk to me about her in confidence?"
"Because I also believe that she is very charming."
Colonel Fitzwilliam stared at his cousin, completely oblivious as to what point was attempting to be made. Mr. Darcy, however, seemed to be waiting for Colonel Fitzwilliam to guess what it was that he wished to say, as he was equally silent. The Colonel mused as to what he could possibly mean, when he thought of only one explanation (which seemed entirely ridiculous to him at the time) that made any sense at all.
"What? You and Miss Elizabeth are secretly engaged?"
"No," replied Mr. Darcy, coloring, "but—"
Colonel Fitzwilliam began to laugh. He was surprised that he hadn't come to the conclusion before, seeing at how uncharacteristically foolish Mr. Darcy acted before the lady being discussed; and he had never supposed his cousin to of a jealous disposition!
"But you are in love with her; ah, you see, I comprehend you perfectly, Darcy. You wish me to keep away from her because she is 'yours', no?"
Mr. Darcy sheepishly nodded, and then added sadly, "Though she is not mine."
"Ah! But do not fear; for you know that I could never afford to marry somebody without some consequence, unfortunately. Granted, she is lovely."
"Of course," said Darcy quietly, now embarrassed by his having even introduced such a topic. Then, seizing his sister's letter, held it up and announced, "I received a letter from Georgiana today."
(A/N: Scene inspired by Erkith's suggestion—thanks! XD)
Later that evening, Elizabeth and Jane had had the misfortune of crossing paths with Mrs. Bennet, who was as giddy as could be expected. She immediately began to speak of Mr. Darcy.
"Well, Lizzy! How sweetly this has all worked out! The most agreeable arrangement in the world! And Mr. Darcy here too! Ah! Did you see the way he dotes on you? And stared at you half the evening, I dare say! Oh! Why, here he is now!"
Mrs. Bennet rushed over to Mr. Darcy, who was entering from down the hallway, and who also had the misfortune of crossing paths with Mrs. Bennet. Jane and Elizabeth, sensible of the embarrassment she would undoubtedly cause them both, quickly followed their mother. She took no time in lavishing upon him unnecessary attention, which, at the beginning of their acquaintance, she would not have done over anybody's dead body.
"And here is Jane and Lizzy! Well, Mr. Darcy, does not my Eliz—" began Mrs. Bennet.
"Why, Mama, look over there!" interrupted Elizabeth, gesturing to a writing table situated in the corner of the parlor, "does that not look exactly like the one in the drawing room at Longbourn?"
Mrs. Bennet studied the writing table hastily, which in fact bore no resemblance at all to the one the Bennets owned (with the exception of their both being writing tables), and cried,
"Why, it does not look one bit like it! You have not been gone so long that you have forgotten what the furniture looks like? Oh dear! You see, Mr. Darcy: Elizabeth, before she came here, was gone to Lon—"
"—so, it does not look like it!" said Elizabeth with mock astonishment.
"But," added Jane pensively, "the chair next to it does look a bit quite like ours."
"Indeed!" cried Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy observed this all with amusement, and, deciding he might be of some assistance in distracting Mrs. Bennet, as that seemed to be their goal, said,
"There is enough furniture in Rosings that one is sure to find a piece bearing resemblance to their own."
"It is so, Mr. Darcy, it is!" said Mrs. Bennet cheerfully; "and what a lovely, imposing place this is! It is undoubtedly very similar to Pemberley?"
Mr. Darcy smiled, and responded, "Not at all."
Mrs. Bennet was quite stumped with this reply; for she could not think of a way to add that Elizabeth would undoubtedly like Pemberley very much without inevitably insulting Rosings, and its proprietor's taste.
"The ceilings—are very high," said Jane, so that her mother might not have too much time to think.
"Very high," agreed Elizabeth; "and the grounds are lovely."
"Yes! Lizzy does love her solitary walks! Though I am sure that she would never mind some company," said Mrs. Bennet, clearly addressing Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth blushed.
"But they would not be solitary if I had company," pointed out Elizabeth.
"Well then! Perhaps you do not like solitary walks so much!" concluded Mrs. Bennet good-humoredly.
"I am very tired," said Jane and Elizabeth at the same time. They glanced at each other and smiled at the coincidence, and then each continued to explain that they had better get to bed. Elizabeth, however, recognized the danger of leaving her mother alone with Mr. Darcy, as she would probably give him some very alarming ideas, so she was sure to add,
"And you look very tired too, Mama. You will come back with us?"
"Ah! Yes, of course, I am quite fagged. Good night, Mr. Darcy," said Mrs. Bennet. All three ladies curtseyed, and Elizabeth eagerly took her mother's arm as she led her out of the room.
"Lizzy!" whispered Mrs. Bennet to Elizabeth a little too loudly, "You did not say good night to Mr. Darcy! Don't you want practice?"
"Mother!" scolded Elizabeth, mortified, and beginning to walk faster. Jane mentioned something about curtains, which succeeded in sufficiently distracting Mrs. Bennet till Mr. Darcy was out of sight (and ear-shot) as she envied the curtains of Rosings, and abused her own.
