Hello everyone, just a little indication the writing in italics is the animal speaking.
enjoy 😊
Coco had enough; he has been living in this dark place for too long.
He had been sold by a merchant to Mrs de Bough when he was three years old. He still remembered the sea, the green trees and the smell of freedom.
Of course, now it was all but a dream, he had sought in his youth to escape, but at the last attempt, Mrs de Bourgh was irritated and ordered that his beautiful wing were cut.
He had been so miserable afterwards, but the little miss came to him one day and took him out for a walk. That is how their long-lasting friendship started. He felt for the little girl as she was trapped herself just like him. He had watched her mother ordered her all the time, telling her she was sick when she was not. The girl could only believe what her mother declared. But in Coco, she recognised a friend, someone that understood her.
She was a reserved lady who preferred the company of a book to humankind, and her forced isolation imposed by her mother did not help.
Their friendship blossomed as they grew up; she had the support, of course, her two cousins were the closest to her, but suddenly one day, her mother decided that she was to marry her cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy. Neither of them wished to, but her mother insisted it was her duty.
Since then, her cousin distanced himself from her; she was conscious he still cared for her, but he would not get too close, scared that Mrs de Bourgh might ambush him with a compromise.
She was not offended with him realising perfectly why he did so, and she let him understood she was indeed not interested in him.
Coco had assumed with time going by and no engagement coming forth, her mother would have let her alone or at least introduced her to other suitors. Still, he was not counting on Mrs de Bourgh's stubbornness, and she became desperate for the union as every day and years went by.
They were walking around Rosings as usual, but today something felt different. He did not grasp it, but he can feel it in the air.
A moment later, they encountered the new lady who appeared with the toad, that is the name Lady Anne granted him because when he stood in front of her mother, he sounded like a toad ready to croak.
The young lady, called Elizabeth, was reading. Her letter seemed to be of some significant matter as she was so engrossed she did not hear them arrived.
But Coco and Lady Anne understood what message she was reading. She saw her cousin last night leaving the residence in the parsonage's direction, and when he came back, happy was definitely not his mood.
There is one thing Lady Anne excelled at, and it was invisibility. She could go about the house with none the wiser of her presence. Coco had found it unfair as for him Lady Anne does not deserve such treatment, but she had confessed to him one time that even though it was a bitter truth, this was likewise her freedom. Being invisible meant you can carry tasks with no one paying attention. She liked it that way.
She also had noticed her cousin looking at Miss Elizabeth more than proper; she understood him more than he knew himself. His sentiments for the lady were written all over him, but you needed to look closely.
She overheard him talking to the Colonel and was not astonished that he had professed his affection in the most awkward and possibly rudest manner. The Colonel had encouraged him to write his feelings on a paper before going back to the lady in question and explained himself. The Colonel should have known that Fitzwilliam would prefer in his rage and misery gave the letter and be gone with it. And that is precisely what he did.
Now she had to make sure Miss Bennet received the letter in a better way conceivable.
As the housekeeper had repeatedly maintained to her, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference, and Miss Bennet was definitely not indifferent to her cousin.
"Is everything alright, Miss Bennet?"
Elizabeth jumped at the intrusion and folded the message quickly; then, she grinned at the intruder's identity.
"Oh, I am sorry, I hum I do not know if I may be frank."
Elizabeth stared down at the letter lying on her lap.
"I have you heard dreadful news from your family." She sat down next to Elizabeth on the bench. Coco understood what he had to do, and he happily hopped to Elizabeth's lap, asking for a cuddle. The lady in question laughed, releasing the tension at the same time.
She sighed, unsure with her next step; she wished to ask Lady Anne for advice, but as it concerns her cousin probably most private affairs, she did not see how to breach it without giving away the gentleman's name.
"Was my cousin so awful in his proposal?"
Elizabeth's face turned in complete shock at Lady Anne's query. She opened her mouth twice but could not utter a sound.
Coco could not prevent some comment on the fellow. Not that he hated the man, he identified him as a good man, and Darcy had invariably been nice to him.
"Darcy, a fool!"
It made the ladies chuckled.
"I know Mr twinkles, but you understand he is not an evil man!"
The bird shriek at her assessment, receiving a pat on the head by his companion.
"I do not know, hum."
"Have no doubt, Miss Elizabeth, your secret is safe with us, is it not Mr Twinkle?"
Yet again, the bird shriek in agreement and Anne beamed at Elizabeth, who sighed heavily.
"It was not the best proposal, but I might add it was not the poorer that I have heard either!"
"Oh, I am certain, Mr toad, I am sorry Mr Collins beat everybody on that point!"
Again Elizabeth was shocked at how much Miss de Bourgh was informed of her situation.
"Toad, toad!"
"Sorry, it might shock you how much I have so much information about you, Miss Bennet, but you see I have a special talent; it is to be invisible!" She peered at Elizabeth with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I see."
"People tend to forget that I am here, and so confessed their sins. It happened that my mother asked Mr Collins why he had not married a Bennet, and he had the brilliant idea of exactly repeating what he declared to you, and I have to mention it was something to behold!"
Coco shriek while repeating Mr Collins nickname.
"It is alright, Mr Twinkles, he is not here!" She worked to calm the parrot. "Mr Twinkles never liked him, he invariably forced him to eat biscuits, and Mr Twinkles does not like biscuits."
"Oh, poor Mr Twinkles!" Elizabeth patted him on the head, and the parrot leaned into it with pleasure.
"So how dreadful was he?"
"He claimed he loved me against his judgment and even against his family wishes. He then proceeded to enumerate all my families' faults."
"Hum, that is bad! Poor William, no one has ever taught him how to behave with the ladies well except making clear he does not become compromised by a fortune hunter."
Miss Bennet looked intrigued by Lady Anne's confession.
"I cannot change what he declared to you, but would you allow me to offer more information on my cousin?"
Miss Bennet nodded, curious.
"So let us start from the beginning, both of his parents came from an excellent family; his mother was an Earl's daughter, and his father had been landowner as far as we can recall and with connections to the crown. I would state they were lucky, my grandfather, the Earl of Matlock, was acquainted with the Darcys since he was a child, so it was natural for them to carry out an alliance with them. His parents had practically grown up together and fell in love immediately. It is somehow interesting that you do resemble my aunts in some measure. She had truly a strong opinion on matters of the world, but she was likewise very kind. And if I am not wrong, there is a rumour that it was her who proposed to Fitzwilliam's father, not him."
"Strong woman!"
Elizabeth chuckled at the parrot's words.
"Their union was a fortunate one; they both respected and cared for each other dearly. That is how my cousin was raised, he had always wished for a love match just like his parents. He sadly lost his mother when he was 12; it had an extensive impact on him. He cared for his mother and was very close to her. But in our society, it is expected of a woman to show emotions; but it is practically forbidden for a boy who will also be the heir to the family. Do not get me wrong, Mr Darcy senior was a great man, but as he lost his wife, he gave up a part of himself. I recall when I visit them just afterwards, both were struggling with their burden. But that is also when my cousin closed himself from the world, and as time went by, no one sought to change his course. Then entered Mr Wickham, when Lady Anne was alive, Mr Darcy senior cared little for the boy, but after her death, he sought hope in our world, something he might attach himself. Because my cousin resembled his wife so much, it must have been difficult for him to look at him every day, and Mr Wickham was an escape to his pain."
"But it is not fair on Mr Darcy!"
"I am not seeking to excuse my uncle but just to provide you with some background on how my cousin grew up, and I agree with you it was unfair for William, and with the year passing by, you would see the impact it had on both men. My cousin grew even further distant as his father would not listen to him or asked him to toughen up if he was to deserve to be his heir. He had no one to rely on but his sister and his cousin that is the Colonel. If you add the burden of the responsibility that befell on the Master of Pemberley's shoulder. It was rather a lot to carry and even is to this day. I would not explain to you how many nights he would find solace in the library, but not to read."
"What would he do?"
"He would stare at the wall or the fire, silent somehow absorbed in his own head."
"Oh, that is sad!"
"It is indeed!"
"Sad Darcy, sad!"
"When his father's died, all of it became a sudden reality, and he was so inexperienced. He was attacked from everywhere, Mr Wickham asking for money only a day after the Master's death; my mother inventing a betrothal between him and me. I would not try to explain how the ladies of the ton react to this new bachelor. It was mayhem, well that is how the Colonel would describe it, anyway."
"I can imagine it clearly as it created the same effect in Meryton."
"It usually does everywhere he goes, sadly, and this was the last straw that forced him completely to close himself from the world. There are only a few instances where he would be himself, and that would be when he is alone, or assume he is." She winked at Elizabeth, who smiled. "And in Pemberley."
"Pemberley!"
"Before I met you, I worried he might never be happy, somehow one day one mother would manage to trap him in a loveless marriage, but now I have some hope and excuse me from being forward, but my cousin is one of the kindest and generous man. I guess your feeling might not be such as his, but do you think you can give him a second chance?"
Elizabeth was overwhelmed by Lady Anne's question, but she recognised the lady's honest intention and to be honest with herself, she was lost. After the letter and now these new pieces of information about him, she did not know what to assume.
"Second chance!"
Coco emphasised his mistress's word.
"I have to express I am rather lost on my sentiments for your cousin."
"I understand, but can you give it a thought?"
"I assume I can."
"Good, we should meet tomorrow at the same hour and place! So I can answer any of your questions. If you cannot think of him nicely, then the question will be buried, and we never talk further."
"I guess we can do that!"
Both ladies separate with the promise to see each other. Elizabeth left the meeting unsure of her emotions but with the determination to resolve the uncertainty. On Lady Anne and Coco's part, matters were different. A plan was drawn, and a pact sealed.
The next day, as Elizabeth approached the meeting point, she heard a shriek high in the trees. It sounded like Mr Twinkles, but Elizabeth knew he did not fly.
Then a deep voice resonated in the park.
"Come on, Mr Twinkles! You just have to jump down that branch." Frowning at this, she approached rapidly the place from where all the cacophony came.
It was with a big shock that she fell upon a Mr Darcy without a coat or vest, his sleeves rolled up to his elbow, preparing himself to climb a tree.
"Mr Darcy!" He turned around to watch her approach.
"Oh, hum, Miss Elizabeth." He bowed awkwardly at her. "I, hum, Mr Twinkles got stuck in that tree." He pointed upward as he spoke.
"Oh, no!" She lifted her head toward the summit of the tree, and there she discovered the colourful parrot walking along the branch.
"How did he get there? I thought he did not fly!"
"That is an excellent question, Miss Bennet, but for now, it does not matter, Mr Twinkles is very important to my cousin, and I would not see any harm occurred to him."
Her head shifted back to him; he had a determination in his face and as she watched him approach the trunk of the tree.
"Surely you do not intend to do it yourself?" She searched in horror.
"Do not concern yourself for him, Miss Bennet; he will be fine."
"I know that Mr Darcy, it is you; I am worried about" He stopped looking back at her with surprise and a slight hope which disappeared as promptly as it appeared.
"I, hum thank you, Miss Bennet, but I am quite suitable to complete the task." He smiled at her.
He climbed, and the higher he would go, the stronger her concern increased. When he slipped on one branch, her heart practically stopped.
In the faraway distance, two figure hid in the shadow.
"You are positive it will work?"
"Oh yes, it will. It is when we are confronted with the simple emotion that we realise what is vital to us."
"I still cannot believe he gave her a letter. That was not my advice!"
"William was bitter and scared, and you have seen how he react when he is in such a state!"
"Oh yes, I do! But if he broke his neck, it will not be satisfactory for anybody!"
"Have some faith, Richard!"
They watched as Mr Darcy reached Mr Twinkles and managed, not without some struggles, to reach the ground unharmed. He met an anxious Elizabeth who could not stop herself but checked on his body if he had any wound.
"Mr Darcy, you are bleeding!"
"It is nothing, do not fear!"
But it did not relieve her misery, all night, she had reviewed all that had taken place between them and with the hindsight of Lady Anne; she had to admit it her affections for him were not so hateful as they were, but now clarity had turned to her.
She fidgeted around, struggling to locate her handkerchief; when she finally recovered it, she applied it on his upper arm, where a branch had ripped his shirt and caused a minor wound. Darcy could do nothing but watch her in admiration; she was the most wonderful women he has ever met. Here she was taking care of his wound even if two days ago he had insulted her in the worse manner imaginable.
"You should not have done it; what if you had slipped and hurt yourself, and worse if you had broken your neck!" All the emotions from the last two days flowed out of her, she cried as she chastised him.
He released Mr Twinkles, who happily hopped on the ground, his mission accomplished; his hands embraced her face.
"Shhhh, do not cry. I am well, all is fine" He searched in her tearful eyes, hopeful. He could not endure it anymore and welcomed her in his arms. She let him embraced her while he whispered reassuring words.
The two cousins were still watching, joined soon enough by Coco, who climbed onto Lady Anne's arm.
"Well done, Mr Twinkles!" She granted him a fruit as a reward.
"Do you consider we should intervene?"
"No, it is too soon! They need to talk alone and stop all these misunderstandings."
"If anyone sees them, they will be both forced in something none of them wants!"
"Do not fear; I made certain no one would come this way."
Richard peered at his cousin.
"My word, Anne, we all thought your mother was the only Machiavellian in the family, but it seems the apple did not fall far from the tree!"
She snorted at his jest
"And you better recall that in the future!"
"And I will. Does your husband of yours understand the awful person you are?"
"He does and approves of it!"
"My goodness, all hope is lost; I am to wander around this earth with only mean people."
"Well, Coco can join you if you like!"
"Hum, I am confident he is of the same character." The bird shriek at this, making Anne laughed even more.
A week later, after Miss Bennet returned to Hertfordshire, it was not a revelation that Darcy and the Colonel left on the same day. Miss Bennet had given a second chance to William and discovered the other face of Mr Darcy, but the real one this time.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh was all but oblivious to this other story that was taking place until Mr Twinkles decided to spill out the secretive affairs.
"Darcy loves Elizabeth; Darcy loves Elizabeth!"
"What did you say, you stupid parrot." With her cane, she tapped forcefully on his cage. "Speak up."
"Elizabeth loves Darcy."
"This is not to be born! JAMES!"
"What is it, mother?" Anne entered the tearoom with a faint shock.
"Your cousin is a fool if he thinks he can beat me. JAMES. Where is that footman?"
"Why do you say so, mother?"
"This bird said Darcy loves Elizabeth!"
"But mother, surely Coco is jesting!"
At that moment James finally appeared at the door.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Prepare the carriage we are leaving! And you prepare yourself for your wedding day, I will bring Darcy back, and you will marry him. Send a directive to Collins to get ready!"
"Yes, mother."
Anne knew her mother could not be moved when she had made up her mind, and to be honest she had no intention to change her mother's opinion. Her plan was at his final stage and as she watched her mother carriage disappearing in the distance, she smiled one of the widest smile she had ever smiled. She felt a slight guilt at sending her mother to William and in such rage, but she thought when he will learn her reason for such plan he would forgive her and after all it was her who brought him back his love.
She turned to James, who smiled too.
"May I congratulate you Lady Anne?"
"Yes, you may! Could you send a message to my husband and let him know the coast is clear?"
"It will be my pleasure my Lady!"
Anne thought life was good, when she had met her now husband a year ago; she had resigned herself to solitude. God had other plan for her, it was on a rainy day and Coco had not felt himself which worried her deeply.
Doctors for animals were rare even more for exotic animals, but Richard during his active service had met one called Mr Donavers. Richard found him again, and they were lucky he had just been back from an expedition in Africa.
Coco was indeed sick, and it took some months to care for him but as the months passed so their love grew. She had been reticent at first, but Mr Donavers had never given up; he understood her situation and was ready to wait for the right time.
Something he could not wait though was their wedding day, Anne being of age, she did not need her mother's approval and after some begging on his part and even Richard; she agreed, but on the condition they waited for her mother to either pass away or if she left the estate.
When Miss Elizabeth appeared for tea one day and she saw her cousin's admiration, she realised maybe it was time for her mother to enjoy a trip outside of the estate and be the nosy woman that she was.
Lady Catherine did find Darcy in Netherfield, but it was too late; he was engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet and had no intention to retract his demand.
It was an angry Lady Catherine that arrived, not at Rosings as she expected it, but at the Dowager House.
Her rage was so intense that she lost consciousness, and when she came back, the old Lady Catherine de Bourgh was not more, her anger has not subdued, but somehow her head was not so right anymore.
Mrs Anne Donavers reformed Rosings entirely, and with the help of her husband, they build a heaven for animals, big and small. The king of this original kingdom was Mr Twinkles who had never felt so free in his life.
So here is another tale with our lovely Coco! I had always felt sad for Anne, because having a mother like lady catherine must have been such a nightmare!
Hope you liked it :)
Thanks for your encouragement and support, it always make my day!
hopefully see you soon
Madilizzie