Chapter 19
"Eavan..."
"Hmm?"
"What does it feel like?"
Chuckling, Eavan pulled her soft body closer to him as she lounged against his sitting form. In the three days since the solstice, they had met every morning at the spring an hour before dawn to watch the sun rising together amidst their flowers. In that time, they shared many of their concerns and desires and had grown much closer to each other. This morning they had found joy in their quiet solitude as they basked in each other's love.
Leaning down to nibble on her ear Eavan whispered hoarsely, "You will have to be more specific my love if you desire an answer."
"Hmm...Yes I suppose I will," she giggled in return as he nipped at her playfully. "Very well then; what does it feel like to be a fairy?"
Knitting his brows in thought, he lifted his head and watched her look away shyly. "I am unsure as to what you mean. I am sure it feels no different than being an elf."
Pulling away, she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees as she pulled them up to her chest. Turning her head she looked at him, a faraway look in her eyes. "What I mean is, what does it feel like to change your size or to fly?"
Lifting one of his own knees up to lean on it, he considered her words carefully. By the way she refused to meet his eyes, he realized that it was a subject of great concern to her yet one in which she was embarrassed to ask about. Unsure why she desired to know, he reached out and grasped one of her hands refusing to let her pull it away. When she finally glanced into his eyes, he tried to let his love for her shine brighter than his confusion.
"I am not sure how to answer your questions for I have never given the matter much thought. To me, it is a natural part of life. Why do you wish to know?"
Eavan watched as a blush rose from her chest to cover her face. "It is of no matter. Forget that I have asked."
"Iliana, I can do no such thing." Seeing her distress, he quickly continued. "It clearly is a matter of great importance to you else you would not have asked me. You cannot expect me to neglect you in such a manner. Now, tell me why you wish to know, please."
"I cannot," she said as she buried her face in her knees.
Releasing her hand, Eavan leaned forward to gently grasp her face and lift it once more to his. He was shocked at the fear and uncertainty he saw there. "Why ever not?"
Shaking her head she spoke in a hushed voice. "You would think me quite foolish and presumptuous."
Chuckling softly, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "You forget, my Ellette, that I have already made that mistake. You have since taught me otherwise. Now that I know you and your true worth, I could never think the same again." Brushing away a stray tear, he allowed his eyes to caress her beautiful features. "Do not cry dearest. You have already overcome all my pride and arrogance to back out now. Because of you I have learned what love is, and I will not jeopardize that willingly. Now, I believe we agreed to share all our concerns with each other; pray, do not hold back from me now."
Offering up a hesitant smile of her own, Iliana nodded before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Eavan, you know I love you right?" Seeing his nod, she took another deep breath before looking away. "You have in the past shared your concern regarding a friendship with an elf, and now I cannot help but wonder where our paths will lead us if we truly wish to further our relationship. If ever the worst should happen, you will succeed your father as king of the fairies. I would wish to be by your side if you will have me, but I am not a fairy. How...how can we have any other kind of relationship besides that as friends if I am nothing more than an elf?"
"Iliana..."
"Not only that," she continued disregarding his loving plea, "but you require an heir who is pure. I cannot give you that so I know you cannot have me and must one day marry another." Dejected, her tears began to fall freely again.
"So are you telling me that you wish to know what it is like to be a fairy out of jealousy for the woman you believe I should have by my side?" Upon seeing her confirming nod, he had to force down his sudden mirth. "Oh my dearest Ellette, you worry over nothing. There can never be another woman; there is only you. I cannot deny that I fought my attraction and growing love for you for so long, but as my father once told me, you cannot deny the heart what it truly wants."
Eyeing him disbelievingly, she attempted to brush away her tears with the back of her hand. "But how can you say that? One day, when I have failed in my duty to provide you with an heir, you may come to regret me."
"That will never happen, Iliana," he replied forcefully. "The only regret I have where you are concerned is the pain I see now upon your face. I know that I could never love another as I do you, and I will marry no other if you will not. I know now that what I thought I once felt for Keelia cannot even compare to what I feel for you. Every time I leave you, I feel as though I am leaving a part of myself behind. I have shared with you things I cannot share with others because you bring such a joy, warmth and comfort into my life. I count every minute I am apart from you and think of you constantly. If this is not the truest of love, then I have no desire to experience it."
As he finished his passionate speech, he saw that her tears of sorrow had turned to tears of joy. Without warning, he pulled her towards him so that he could express to her more fully with his lips his love for her. When he finally released her from his kiss, he was pleased to look down upon her eyes half closed in pleasure and her chest heaving with desire. "It matters not, my love, what you are; it is who you are that is of great import to me," he whispered, his voice husky with his own desire. "Besides, there are ways to secure the purity of any heirs we beget together."
Eyes suddenly wide, she pulled away as she looked at him with amazement and horror. "But to do that you would lose the ability to control raw magic. The responsibility that your father holds, and perhaps one day you as well, is very important. You must not do such for me; I cannot allow you to forsake your duty for me. Besides, how could you ask me to leave behind my own heritage?"
"I would do anything for you dearest, no matter what the cost to me. As for asking you to leave your heritage, do you still truly believe me so heartless as to do that?" Placing a forefinger upon her lips to halt her reply, he continued. "I fell in love with the most beautiful woman to have ever lived as it was her powers as an elf that caught me in her trap and showed me the errors of my way."
Joy burst from his chest as he heard her musical laughter. Clasping his hand in her own, she pulled it away from her mouth. "At last! I have wondered when I would finally see the abilities to please the ladies that milord has often boasted of." Giving into his own merriment, his deep baritone chuckle joined in with her own causing the many flowers surrounding them to dance.
Enjoying the pleasing notes of their flowers, Iliana cocked her head and considered the man in front of her. After several minutes of quiet contemplation she spoke. "While I do appreciate your assurances, I still fail to see how we can ever be together. I cannot allow you to give up your heritage, nor can I give up my own. In the event my cousin - who I hope you should one day soon meet as he was too young to attend this year's celebrations - shall die before he is of age or begets an heir, I shall inherit the throne from my aunt in his stead. To be honest, for years I feared that she would never bear a child of her own leaving me as her heir. Yet even still, I cannot abandon my own duties until I know his future is secured."
"I understand, my love, and admire you for your forbearance. However, you forget one crucial part of the story my father told you. The other four lost their powers because they bestowed the gift of magic upon the mortals from whom they were supposed to protect it. You are already gifted with magical powers thus the law given to the five would not be broken in bestowing extra gifts upon you."
Eavan watched as she considered all he had said. He saw with pleasure the realization that lit her eyes. "I...I could be blessed with extra abilities? You would not take away those that I already possess?" Seeing his nod, Iliana let out a squeal of delight as she wrapped her arms around him in a joyful embrace. "Oh Eavan, is it truly possible? Can I truly be both elf and fairy?"
Chuckling in amusement, he returned her embrace. Whispering in her ear he confirmed what she had said to be true. "Indeed it is so, my dear. My father and I discussed the subject the same night he talked with you. I believe that he knew, even before I could admit to myself, of my love for you as well as my concern regarding our separate races. He shared stories of other instances where he granted a person the gifts of another race for various reasons. I hope that this will be acceptable to you when the time comes?"
"Yes! Oh Eavan! Thank you my love!" Kissing him in gratitude, the two soon became lost in their shared pleasure unaware of their silent observers.
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"Darcy! I say Darcy!"
Startled from his pleasant musings, Darcy looked across the carriage towards his amused cousin. Seeing Colonel Fitzwilliam burst into laughter at the wistful look upon his face, Darcy quickly schooled his features into that of a more serious nature before turning his attention towards the window.
"Come now, Darcy; there is no need to pretend to be affronted," Fitzwilliam chortled. "There is nothing wrong with imagining the pleasures of a woman."
Snarling, Darcy turned back to his cousin. "I would thank you Richard not to debase those of the fairer sex."
"And pray tell how am I debasing them?"
"By speaking of them in such a derogative manner."
"All I said Darcy was that there is nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of a woman," Fitzwilliam replied with a raised eyebrow. "I know I have said it before but I believe I must repeat myself; it would do you a world of good to know a woman. I believe you'll find it quite liberating. I know of several maids at Rosings who would suit you nicely."
"You disgust me Richard. I will do no such thing."
"And why ever not?"
Quickly losing patience with his cousin, Darcy turned once more to the window watching the lane pass by. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Fitzwilliam lean forward expectantly. Sighing in resignation, Darcy said, "I refuse to bed any woman who is not my wife."
Quirking his head in contemplation, Fitzwilliam hesitantly asked "Have you ever been with a woman?" Upon seeing Darcy shake his head, Fitzwilliam roared with laughter causing Darcy to wonder if his cousin had at last succumbed to madness. "So you are telling me," Fitzwilliam asked wiping away tears of mirth, "that all the rumors in London of the many widows and heiresses you have taken as your mistresses are false?"
"I know not what astonishes me more, cousin," Darcy said with a disapproving frown, "the fact that these rumors exist or that you believed be capable of such indiscretions."
"Indiscretions?" Fitzwilliam asked as his laughter grew. "Come now man! You are not married, so there is no reason why you should not have your fair share of enjoyments."
"I will not betray the one to whom my heart belongs to, Richard, and nothing you say will change my mind." Darcy immediately began berating himself for having spoken about Iliana when Fitzwilliam's laughter suddenly ceased.
"You are in love? The great Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley has found a woman to be his wife? No William, you must be in jest." When Darcy merely glanced at him with a look of hurt in his eyes, Fitzwilliam leaned back in his seat fully sober. "No, it cannot be. Who is she and why have you not told me before?"
"It is my own business Richard, nothing you need concern yourself with."
"Do not be so ridiculous William. I see the pain you wish to hide, and I do not like it. If there is one thing above anything else I have learned during my service in the King's Army, it is that the worst thing you can do to yourself is to keep silent. Tell me cousin."
Closing his eyes against the pain, Darcy pictured Miss Elizabeth standing in the lane as he rode away from her, hurt and confusion clearly written all over her face. "There is not much to tell that you would believe, cousin. Needless to say, for five years I have searched for her, and finally found her only to discover that she cares not for me."
"Not care for you?" Fitzwilliam asked in amusement. "You, the most eligible bachelor in all of England, and she cares not for you? Well if she cannot see your worth enough to set aside her own pride then she is not worthy of you."
Angry that Fitzwilliam would insult Miss Elizabeth in such a manner, Darcy struggled to keep his voice calm as he replied. "You have never been more wrong, Richard. The fact that she is the only woman to see past my worth as a gentleman to dislike me as a person proves that I am not worthy of her."
"Of...of course Darcy," Fitzwilliam stuttered. "Forgive me, of course you are right."
Nodding his head in approval, Darcy leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes as his cousin fell into an uncomfortable silence.
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A couple hours later found the two gentlemen arriving at Rosings discussing the strange man they had seen waving at them from beside the lane.
"And you say that he approached you without a proper introduction, at a public ball no less? Poorly done if you ask me," Fitzwilliam said as he disembarked from the carriage.
"Perhaps it would not have been so if he had not done it with the intent to inform me of her ladyship's health. Approaching a stranger in a ballroom is one thing, to do so with the purpose of claiming such an acquaintance in the hopes of securing higher standing in the neighborhood is what I truly find abhorrent," Darcy replied as he too stepped from the carriage placing his hat upon his head. "More to the point, I found him to be quite the rambling sycophant, eager to please where his attentions are most unwanted."
"Then it can be of no wonder that our aunt finds such pleasure in his attendance upon her. She finds it of the utmost importance to surround herself with those who will lavish ridiculous praises upon her person," Fitzwilliam chuckled as they began to climb the steps. "I believe I remember her ladyship saying in a letter to my father that her parson was recently married. Are you perchance acquainted with the young lady?"
"I am indeed a little acquainted with Mrs. Collins. I will not deny that I was quite astonished to hear that she had accepted his suit, yet as a rational woman, I am sure she saw this as quite the opportunity. Although of a stout mind, I heard many in Hertfordshire claim she is a plain woman with little prospects and almost an old maid. While I have enjoyed her company in the past and will be pleased to renew our acquaintance, I cannot say the same of her husband."
"My, my, Darcy. That is quite the speech. I do not recall you ever speaking of any lady so," Fitzwilliam teased. "Do you regret her marriage then?"
Rolling his eyes, Darcy replied with a touch of agitation in his voice. "For her own sake I do. I believe Mrs. Collins to have settled far below her worth, and while I see the many advantages in her marriage to our aunt's parson, I cannot imagine her to be more than merely content with her situation. To have married such an odious excuse of a man she should be declared a saint. I am sorry for her, yet am pleased that she has a secure future before her."
"So, she is not the young lady you have set your eyes on?" Fitzwilliam whispered.
Sneering, Darcy stopped before the assembled staff in the foyer waiting to help divest them of their outerwear and turned to his cousin with a menacing glare in his eyes. "I knew I should not have mentioned anything to you Richard," his voice barely audible. "While I am pleased to call Mrs. Collins a friend, I have lost nothing in her marriage. In fact, I believe her marriage will benefit us more than her as we shall be guaranteed more pleasant and sensible conversation during our sojourn here at Rosings than is typically found. Now perhaps we can leave this subject behind and greet our aunt as I do hate to delay the inevitable no matter how dreary it is."
"Very well, Darcy," Fitzwilliam said confused as to his cousin's strange demeanor.
As they were helped out of their outerwear, they were notified that they were to retire to their rooms in order to refresh themselves before greeting her ladyship in the formal parlor room in half an hour's time. Fighting the urge to role his eyes at his aunt's high handedness, Darcy followed his cousin and the butler upstairs to their assigned rooms. Fitzwilliam was shown to a room on the far end of the family wing while Darcy had noticed that his room had once again been moved closer to his Cousin Anne's suite.
Shortly after his mother died, Darcy and Fitzwilliam had begun their annual visits to Rosings at Easter time. George Darcy had always accompanied his wife to visit her sister, yet found after her death that his disgust for Lady Catherine far outweighed his duty to his dead wife's sister. Instead, not wishing to offend the great lady, he offered to send Darcy in his stead. Unwilling to visit his formidable aunt on his own, Darcy had begged his father to accompany him. After weeks of arguments, George Darcy compromised and arranged with his brother in law, the Earl of Matlock*, to send Richard Fitzwilliam with his son. Darcy and Fitzwilliam had always been as close as brothers so the arrangement was agreed to by all.
While the first visit had been awkward, the family still in mourning for Anne Darcy, Darcy found it had been far pleasanter than he had expected. He had never spent much time with his cousin Anne, yet he and Fitzwilliam both found her to be a pleasant companion. Unfortunately, the time spent with Anne had not gone unnoticed by Lady Catherine. When the two cousins repeated the visit the following year, she had begun to state how wonderful it was that Darcy cared so for her daughter and how Anne had greatly missed his company. By the time another year had passed, Lady Catherine began to tell Darcy how wonderful it would be if he married Anne when they grew older.
While her ladyship's desires had been a means of much amusement between the three cousins at the beginning, things changed by the time Anne turned of age. She had become sick with pneumonia the previous winter, and was still recovering by the time the season had started. As such, her mother cancelled her coming out and kept her hidden from the rest of the world. A year later when Darcy and Fitzwilliam made their annual visit, they were shocked at the changes in their cousin. Gone was the lively girl they had spent many happy times with, and in her place was a sickly girl who required constant praise and attentions like her mother, no matter how false. By the time the visit had come to an end, both cousins could not stand to remain at Rosings for another day. It was purely out of duty and remembrances of past pleasures spent with Anne that kept the two cousins returning each year.
The year after his father died, Darcy's return to Rosings was made even more difficult. Still struggling with his loss - as well as the overwhelming duties and memories that now belonged to him - he found no pleasure in their visit. Dreading and anticipating the season that would start immediately following their visit, Darcy had hoped to find some reprieve in the comfort achieved from continuing this annual tradition. It was to his great dismay that Lady Catherine's exclamations of a possible marriage had turned into a desire shared by herself and her beloved sister, Anne Darcy, since their two children were in their cradles. That year, Darcy found his cousin Anne to be as desperate for his attentions as many ladies of the ton were that following season.
Unable to think of any woman besides his lost love Iliana, Darcy spent the majority of the visit attempting to avoid his aunt and cousin despite their many machinations. As this habit continued on during the following five years, Anne became more withdrawn having realized her cousin Darcy showed no interest in her. Her mother, on the other hand, merely saw his inattention as the efforts of a young man not wishing to break with propriety. To her, Darcy merely needed a little bit of encouragement - though not too subtle - and as such he found his room each visit moved ever closer to Anne's as though proximity was the key to an engagement. Chuckling to himself as he viewed his current suite of rooms, he realized that at the current rate, in two years time his aunt would not be able to place him any closer to Anne unless she required they share the same room.
Shivering with disgust at the thought of marriage to a cross and sickly Anne, Darcy forced aside his distressing memories of past visits and tried to focus on the pleasures to be found during his current visit. Divesting himself of his coat and cravat, Darcy rang the bell for his valet before walking towards the window. Using his keen eyesight, he was able to see the trees on the far end of the property that surrounded the parsonage. With a soft grin, he contemplated on the great joy he would have in seeing his beloved Iliana once more that evening.
After changing out of his dusty travel clothes, Darcy left his room and joined Fitzwilliam on the landing. Without saying a word, the two gentlemen locked gazes before squaring their shoulders and making their way downstairs to the formal parlor room.
As they entered the room, Darcy had to refrain himself from reacting to the garish decorations. Never one to economize, Lady Catherine was known for the constant updating of her rooms. According to her, it would not do for a woman of such standing to be seen with out of date furnishings; Rosings deserved only the finest. Unfortunately, the finest according to her were often overwhelming to everyone else as they tended to be far too ostentatious.
Looking around the room, Darcy noticed several changes amongst the furnishings, the most obvious being the chair upon which her ladyship sat. As a child he had often compared his aunt's parlor to what he would expect the King's court to be, and at last, she had procured a chair to do his imaginings justice.
Her ladyship sat upon a large armed chair carved from the finest of mahogany with a deep rich red brocade silk as the upholstery. Engraved along the back, arms and legs of her throne were images of ivy, flowers, and an artist's rendering of several woodland creatures. Struggling to maintain a neutral facade, Darcy felt repulsed by the images. The fairies were depicted as scantily clad buxom women with wings three times their size while the elves were shown as fat bearded miniature men. Of the many other creatures Darcy felt only a slight injustice, yet the desire to destroy the chair raged deep in his heart.
Fitzwilliam coughed beside Darcy drawing his attention away from the chair and towards the room's occupants. Sitting upon her grand chair, Lady Catherine was eyeing Darcy with displeasure while Anne stifled a giggle. Bowing low to the two ladies Darcy began to offer his apologies.
"I hope you will forgive me aunt for my rudeness. I find I was quite distracted by your...er...elegant chair there. I have never seen the like"
"I would certainly hope so," Lady Catherine replied haughtily. "My man assured me that it was one of a kind. While I was hesitant to purchase such a pagan piece at first, I was convinced that it would indeed be a wise investment. I understand woodland creatures to be all the rage on the continent and would hate to fall behind the times when this dreadful war is over and the rest of England begins to update their designs. You should know that I detest having to adjust to new customs after others have done so. It is not right. Rosings must be seen as an instigator of new styles and not a follower."
"You are very wise madam," Darcy said with a nod of his head.
"Indeed I am, for it would not do for one of my station to be otherwise."
Standing next to him, Darcy heard Fitzwilliam struggle to contain a snort of derision and had to contain his own smile. After a few more words of greeting were exchanged, Lady Catherine ordered her nephews to sit down since it was very unkind of them to force her to crane her neck up to look at their tall frames. Trying to sit upon the chair to Lady Catherine's left, Darcy was immediately scolded for not paying Anne any attention and told to sit next to her on the chase lounge. Hesitating slightly, Darcy saw that Anne was sitting in such a position as to allow little to no room for him to sit without constant contact. Fighting the urge to run from the room towards the parsonage, he forced a smile upon his face and sat as far from Anne on the sofa as was possible.
Unable to keep himself from constantly checking the time upon the ornate mantle clock, Darcy sat through his aunt's tedious conversations as she rarely allowed others to speak. After an hour of listening to his aunt's diatribe, Darcy took advantage of a short pause to mention their seeing Mr. Collins upon arriving and asked if her ladyship was pleased with her parson. Looking across the room, he saw Fitzwilliam bestowing a bemused look upon him. With a barely perceptible shake of his head and raised eyebrow, he tried to communicate to his cousin not to say anything and to accept the diversion. Lady Catherine, not having noticed the exchange, was quick to launch into the new topic.
"Indeed I most certainly am. Mr. Collins is a most amiable man and very attentive to my every need. I understand you to have met him while you stayed with your friend in Hertfordshire."
"Indeed I did have that pleasure."
"Well I am most displeased to hear you confirm such as I had looked forward to providing the introductions myself. I also understand you to have met his new wife?"
"I am not sure that I have madam. When I met Mr. Collins he was most decidedly unattached. Is it possible that he married one of the young ladies from the area?" Darcy asked much to Fitzwilliam's confusion.
"Yes he married a young lady by the name of Miss Lucas."
"Then I am pleased indeed for her. I found Miss Lucas to be a most agreeable young lady and am sure that she will do well in her new station in life."
"And she does indeed," Lady Catherine replied. "Although I was at first quite disappointed that Mrs. Collins knew so little of running a parsonage with proper adequacy. But she is a sensible woman and has taken all of my advice to heart much to her credit. I have made several visits to the parsonage and have most graciously pointed out many improvements needed to both the house and her staff and she has followed every suggestion precisely as I outlined."
"How very magnanimous of your ladyship," Darcy said with a hint of dry sarcasm lost on all except Fitzwilliam. "Pray tell me, how does she fare being so far from her family?" He then asked earning a new glare from Fitzwilliam as he silently questioned why Darcy was being so forward in his questions regarding a woman for whom he claimed no affection besides that of a respected friend.
"And why should the distance affect her, Darcy?" Lady Catherine huffed. "It is a woman's duty to marry and move away from her family. If she is not of the disposition to handle it well, then she would be better off having not married at all." Taking a deep breath, Lady Catherine calmed herself before continuing. "Thankfully Mrs. Collins is of a very sound disposition and handles the separation well. Although she has been blessed this past fortnight with the company of her sister. Her father accompanied her here but could only stay a week. Sir William Lucas, as I am sure you remember Darcy, is a very genteel man, not brought up too high since his knighthood. I was well pleased with him. And the sister too, although I must say that I find Miss Lucas to be far too quiet for a young lady. She would do very well with some lessons and has also taken all of my directions to heart. The friend on the other hand, well I am sure there is nothing to be done for her and I despair of her ever finding a husband unless she learns to curb her ways and respect her betters."
Angry that Lady Catherine would insult Miss Elizabeth so, Darcy was grateful that Fitzwilliam replied instead. "A friend, Lady Catherine? Pray tell us would this be a friend of Mrs. Collins or of Miss Lucas?"
"Why Mrs. Collins of course. Were you not paying attention Fitzwilliam? How my brother would be ashamed of you. Did you not hear me say that Miss Elizabeth Bennet also traveled with Sir William and Miss Lucas to visit Mrs. Collins? Indeed you must not have."
Neither wishing to correct Lady Catherine on her lack of mentioning Miss Elizabeth sooner, both gentlemen had to clear their throats while exchanging looks of amusement. Ignoring Fitzwilliam's raised eyebrow, Darcy hesitantly asked, "And are you aware of how long Mrs. Collins plans on entertaining her guests?"
"The young ladies are to stay a total of six weeks although I had told Mrs. Collins before their arrival that I expect them to stay for two months. Miss Bennet, however, seems unconcerned as to my expectations, but I daresay she will not wish to leave when it comes time for there is no place a beautiful as Rosings except perhaps Pemberley."
"Indeed I must agree with you aunt," Fitzwilliam piped in.
"As well you should, Fitzwilliam."
"Perhaps then we might be of some assistance to you," Darcy said shocking his cousin who knew Darcy dreaded being of assistance to Lady Catherine. "If you wish Miss Bennet and Miss Lucas to stay, Colonel Fitzwilliam and I would be pleased indeed to introduce the young ladies to the true pleasures to be had at Rosings."
Glancing across the room, Darcy saw understanding dawn upon Fitzwilliam's face and had to force down a smirk. Meanwhile, Lady Catherine was beginning to ramble on about how wonderful Darcy was to take such wonderful care of her and her daughter while Anne bestowed upon him a simpering smile and batted her lashes. When she quietly whispered that she enjoyed the company of the young ladies Darcy knew he had his escape at last.
"Then it is settled. It would be quite remiss of me to delay my duty to you, aunt. It would also be unpardonable for me to wait any longer to congratulate Mrs. Collins on her marriage," Darcy declared as joy filled his heart; at last he would see Miss Elizabeth, his beloved Iliana, again.
"Now?" Lady Catherine squealed. "You wish to go now? Darcy I am ashamed of you. You and the Colonel have only just arrived; therefore there is no need for you to go rambling about visiting others. Mrs. Collins and her guests can wait. Besides, it is very cruel of you to have denied me the pleasure of introducing you in the first place, and now you wish to once again deny me that pleasure for the Colonel? No it will not do. I insist that you stay and reacquaint yourself with Anne today. It has been a whole year after all since you have seen her and I dare say she has greatly improved in these last few months, has she not?"
Feeling deflated, Darcy agreed and settled back into his seat while Fitzwilliam decided to appease his curiosity about the occupants of the parsonage by engaging her ladyship in further conversation. Decidedly depressed at having to wait another day to see Miss Elizabeth, Darcy was unsure how he maintained a pleasant facade through the rest of the afternoon, dinner, and evening in company with his aunt and cousins.
When Lady Catherine decided it was time for her and Anne to retire, Darcy breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Never before had he been so anxious to escape his aunt's presence. After the ladies had gone upstairs, Fitzwilliam quickly divested himself of his cravat and jacket before sending a footman to retrieve a bottle of brandy and two glasses from the library. Knowing that Fitzwilliam wished to discuss his strange attitude throughout the day, Darcy collapsed into a chair near the fire, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was determined not to say anything that his cousin did not ask for.
After the footman had delivered the brandy and been dismissed for the night, the two cousins sat contemplating each other while sipping their drinks.
"Well?" Fitzwilliam finally asked to which Darcy merely raised an eyebrow in reply. Sighing Fitzwilliam continued. "Well, I must say that was well played this afternoon."
"If it was truly well played," Darcy scoffed, "then I would have been successful in our escape."
"That may be so, but I am certain Lady Catherine never suspected for a moment. Therefore, it was well played."
"Thank you Richard."
After several moments of silence during which both gentlemen stared into their glasses, Fitzwilliam spoke again with a touch of hesitation in his voice. "Earlier you told me about Mrs. Collins marriage, yet when our aunt brought up the topic, you pretended ignorance. While I see now that you did so as a ploy to remove ourselves from our aunt's company, I still fail to see why you waited until Miss Bennet was mentioned to leave."
Looking up, he saw Darcy staring into the fire, his eyes a darker blue than he had ever seen before. Much like Georgiana, Fitzwilliam had noticed the change of color in Darcy's eyes after his father's death, and had learned that they continued to change ever so slightly depending on his mood. It was always a wonder to him, yet an unknown fear kept him from inquiring as to the reason behind it. As he watched silver specks dance across his cousin's eyes, Fitzwilliam finally understood.
"You knew Miss Bennet was at the parsonage, but how?"
With a slight smile, Darcy lifted his glass in a silent toast to his cousin while his eyes never left the fire. "I was wondering when you would show the same intelligence that has kept you alive in battle all these years. Indeed I was aware of Miss Elizabeth's presence before we arrived."
"But you never mentioned her to me."
"No I did not," Darcy agreed. "I met Miss Jane Bennet in the park yesterday after meeting with my solicitors and she informed me of her younger sister's visit to Hunsford. While I pray you never have need of an acquaintance with Mrs. Bennet or her two youngest daughters, I have found great pleasure in the company of Mr. Bennet and his three eldest daughters, Miss Elizabeth in particular."
"Five daughters?" Fitzwilliam asked amazed. "And all of them unattached?"
Nodding his head, a memory of Miss Lydia running loudly through the crowded Netherfield ballroom, her sister Miss Kitty close behind surfaced. Unable to contain a shudder he said, "They do not remain unattached for a lack of trying. While all quite beautiful in their own ways, the lack of a dowry or connections has left them few options for finding suitable husbands."
"Yet that does not seem to be stopping you from pursuing Miss Elizabeth," Fitzwilliam said his brows raised.
"No it does not. There is nothing that can stop me from pursuing and one day marrying Miss Elizabeth," Darcy said hoping that the personage watching them could hear his words.
"I beg to disagree, William. You yourself told me that the lady does not care for you. Would you truly wed a woman against her own will?"
Horrified that his cousin would suggest such a thing, Darcy slammed his glass down on the side table and leaned forward menacingly towards his cousin. "I am ashamed that you would suggest such a thing of me! Have I no honor in your eyes?"
As an army colonel who had seen his fair share of battle, Fitzwilliam had never been as scared as he was staring into his cousin's black eyes filled with rage at that very moment. Stuttering an apology, he watched Darcy relax back into his seat much as a young child watches his angry father sit back down to another glass of ale. After several uncomfortable moments, Fitzwilliam was finally able to relax himself as he watched Darcy's eyes return to their normal blue color.
"I must be the one to beg your forgiveness, Richard," Darcy said. "Unfortunately you are correct; the lady has a low opinion of me. I will do anything to change that, however, although I do not see much chance of that while here at Rosings. While I am not proud of what I must do, I cannot allow Lady Catherine to know of my desires while Miss Elizabeth resides at Hunsford. Richard, I must ask..."
"There is no need to ask, William," Fitzwilliam interrupted. "If your lady is indeed what you believe her to be, then I would be pleased to be of service to you."
"Thank you. You know not how important this is to me," Darcy said offering his hand to his cousin.
After another hour of pleasant conversation, the two cousins put aside their glasses and began to head towards their rooms. As they reached Darcy's door, Fitzwilliam placed his hand upon his shoulder stopping him. With a teasing grin he said, "I must warn you Darcy; while I am pleased to be of service to you in wooing your young lady, if she is what you say she is then I cannot guarantee my own heart will remain untouched. You might have just begun a rivalry for her hand." Chuckling, Fitzwilliam left his cousin standing there and completed his journey to his own chambers leaving behind Darcy who muttered, "There can never be another who could win her heart."
*While Jane Austen never gives us a real name for Colonel Fitzwilliam's father, and although there never has been an Earl of Matlock, I have chosen to stick with the name mentioned in the 1995 BBC version of P&P.
AN: umm...hello everyone! Guess what...UPDATE! YAY!
Before I say anything else, let me make one thing very clear: I have every intention of finishing this story! No matter what happens in life, I will finish this story, so please no worries there.
That being said...I AM SO SO SORRY! This last month has been such a stressful nightmare that despite the fact that this chapter was eating away at me the whole time I literally had no time to write. I perhaps tried to stretch myself too far, so the few times I had more than 10 minutes of free time I was too exhausted to do anything other than sleep. Thankfully the 3 biggest stress inducers in my life are now behind me (band camp, 70 uniform sashes to be made, and my brother's out of town wedding), and I'm slowly falling into a new comfortable routine. Now, unfortunately I will not be able to write and post as often as I was doing beforehand, or at least not until football season is over. My husband and I just started school online and classes began yesterday (Monday), I started a new job this last Friday, I'm the uniform manager and drill/music instructor for my old HS Marching Band, and I still have all my church and family responsibilities. But as I already said, I'm falling into my new routine and will have time once more to write. Thank goodness too because if I don't write these next few chapters quickly I'm going to go crazy! (I'm super excited for what's to come, can you tell?)
So I thank each and every one of you who has continued to support me in this effort despite my lack of posting, and I hope I will not have to wait so long before being able to post again. Also a huge welcome to all those new readers who Favorited or followed my story in this past month even though my story probably wasn't showing up until page 3 or 4 of the P&P fanfics ;-) I hope the wait was worth it!
All my love,
Allahteeah!
